Category Archives: Gardening

Dreaming of Summer

Posted on February 21, 2013 | Leave a comment

One of my gardening magazines came in the mail today.  A few weeks ago the seed catalogs came in.  I love looking at them and thinking about what I want to plant this coming summer.

When looking at the pictures of juicy red tomatoes or crisp cucumbers my mouth starts to water.  

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The pictures of bright colored flowers have me dreaming of warm summer days. If I close my eyes I can smell the sweet scent of fresh cut grass.

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The above pictures are from the Park Seed Catalog.

 

But it’s time to get back to reality.  Continue reading →

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Posted in Calendar, Gardening, Planning

Spring Fever

Posted on March 8, 2010 | Leave a comment

Yesterday the temperature reached 70 degrees. Way above normal and so welcomed. It has been averaging below normal the last couple of months and I was beginning to wonder if Spring was ever going to show up.

We took advantage of the weather and drove around in my husband’s convertible with the top down. Spring fever hit me big time. I even ordered some seeds for flowers and vegetables online yesterday. Usually I order them in February but I couldn’t seem to decide what I wanted to grow. Maybe I just couldn’t get in the mood because of the cold weather.

Now I need to go out in the yard and start cleaning up from the long winter. Usually by the beginning of March the grass is starting to green up but this year it is still brown. But I did see some bulbs starting to push up from the ground.

This is from today.

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This is from March 15 a year ago. It will be interesting to see if the crocuses are in bloom by next week.

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If you and your children have Spring fever here are a few sites with activities to channel that energy into something fun. Check them out.

http://holidays.kaboose.com/spring/

http://fun.familyeducation.com/hobbies-and-interests/seasons/32840.html

http://www.kidsturncentral.com/holidays/spring.htm

Janice

http://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

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Posted in Calendar, Gardening, Graditude, Organizing

Fall Bulb Planting

Posted on September 17, 2009 | Leave a comment

I was talking to a friend today and she mentioned about all the tulip and daffodil bulbs she was planting. I haven’t even thought that far ahead. Now is the time to plan, buy, and plant the spring flowering bulbs. It’s not too late to plant yet, because they say you can plant the bulbs up until the ground freezes. But who wants to be out digging in the soil when it gets cold out?

IMGP1528_edited-1 Looking at the pictures I took at a local park this past spring help motivate me to go out and buy some bulbs. I will put it on my shopping list. First I have to decide where and what I want to plant. Then it is important to know when I will be able to plant the bulbs.

Without a plan it is easy to buy or order lots of bulbs because the pictures on the package or in the catalog look so wonderful. Buying 100 plus bulbs will give the look above but do you have the time to plant them?

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It’s probably best to buy a few and get them planted. Then if you have time you can dig up another area of the garden, buy some more bulbs, and plant them. If you start now by doing it in stages you should be able to plant lots of bulbs before the ground freezes.

If you buy too many bulbs at one time and feel overwhelmed because you can’t find a whole weekend to plant them, you could end up with unplanted bulbs that rot over the winter. Been there, done that.

Let me know about some of your bulb planting stories.

Janice

http://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

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Posted in Calendar, Gardening, Organizing, Planning

Houseplants in the Fall

Posted on September 14, 2009 | Leave a comment

In the Midwest, Autumn is definitely showing it’s face. Some of the trees are losing their leaves. The evenings are beginning to cool down. And the sun is setting a lot earlier than just a few weeks ago.

I have mixed feelings about this time of year. I don’t like the shorter days but the cooler weather is nice. It’s sad to see the vegetable garden looking tired and worn down.

But my houseplants, especially the flowering ones, are looking great with the cooler weather. IMGP1737They will soon have to come inside. That’s where the problem is.
As much as I love the houseplants I don’t have a lot of room to over-winter them inside. When I squeeze them in front of the windows the rooms start to look cluttered. I do have some lights on a timer in my basement for the smaller plants but the big ones are heavy to carry downstairs.

Each year I go through the same debate. Do I let the frost take them or do I bring them inside and have the room look cluttered? I’ve had many of these plants for years so it is hard to let go of them.

Maybe I will get more lights downstairs and put most of the plants there. Then if I can remember to water them on a regular basis they should survive until next spring.

Janice

http://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

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Posted in Calendar, Decluttering, Gardening, Home, Planning

Summer Heat and Mowing the Lawn

Posted on June 19, 2009 | Leave a comment

From an early age we are told to finish what we start. And many times this means completing one task before starting another. Sometimes it just can’t happen that way.

It’s hot out here in the Midwest. And it’s suppose to rain again. The grass loves all this rain. Heat, rain, high humidity, and wet tall grass that needs mowing is not my idea of summer fun. But it has to be done.

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So today I decided to apply the 15 minute strategy to mowing the lawn. First I did the front which is a lot smaller than the back. Then I came inside, drank plenty of water to replace all that came out as sweat, and cooled off for a while. I worked on an article I was writing, again using my 15 minute strategy and a timer.

A little while later I went out and mowed both sides and part of the back. I’m back on the timer and blogging here. I’ll go out in a little while and finish it up.

Some days are just 15 minute days. And sometimes I am totally amazed how much can be done this way. I wish I could finish most tasks in one continuous stretch of time but I don’t function that way. Using a timer helps me hyper focus on the task at hand. A “to do” list helps me stay on track and reminds me to keep going back to the tasks I start so I can eventually finish them.

The timer beeped so it’s time to move to the next task on the list.

Have a good day.

Janice

http://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

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Posted in Gardening, Home, Organizing, Planning

Gardening With Babysteps

Posted on April 29, 2009 | Leave a comment

This past Sunday was nice weather for a change here in the Midwest. I had a spot in the front of my house that needed a new shrub. Because the area only gets a few hours of sun in the morning I was limited to what I could plant.

When I went to Lowes there were so many beautiful flowers calling me to take them home. My goal was to buy one shrub and some mulch to go around it.

This year I plan on doing one project at a time from start to finish. Usually I have grand ideas and go from project to project, rarely completing any of them.

I’m proud to say I bought one Azalea plant and two bags of mulch. I came home and planted it, spread the mulch, cleaned off the tools, and put them away. That felt good!

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It’s an Encore Azalea named “Autumn Twist”. It’s suppose to bloom in the spring and again late summer into fall. We’ll wait and see what happens.

Now that it is raining again I will have to wait to do my next project outside. As they say, April showers bring May flowers. Hopefully they won’t bring May floods.

Happy gardening.

Janice

http://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://cutoutthebreastcancer.wordpress.com (new blog post 4/28)

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

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Posted in Calendar, Gardening, Home, Organizing, Planning

Crazy Spring Weather

Posted on April 6, 2009 | Leave a comment

“In the spring I have counted one hundred and thirty-six different kinds of weather inside of four and twenty hours.” ~Mark Twain

Mark Twain was from the Midwest and knew what he was talking about. April brings daffodils and tulips blooming. Baseball is starting. And this morning it was snowing.

It is cold and dreary outside right now and it’s hard to think about spring gardening. However, this past Saturday it was beautiful. Here are some pictures I took at a local park. Despite the weather today I know it is time to get out and start gardening. But I think I will wait a few days for it to warm up again.

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Janice

http://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://cutoutthebreastcancer.wordpress.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

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Posted in Baseball, Gardening, Planning

September Gardening

Posted on September 5, 2008 | 2 Comments

Although it is still early in September the weather is cloudy, cool, and damp like a fall day. It caught me off guard when I went outside to walk the dog. I had to come back in a grab a light weight jacket. I’m not ready for cold weather yet but today reminds me to start preparing for it.

I was looking at the weeds that have taken over the front yard this year. I need to spray them this weekend so I can plant grass seed in a couple of weeks. I know my yard will look bad for a few weeks but I neglected it this summer due to my illness and now I need to get back to taking care of it.

IMGP0319 I have also been thinking about where I will put all the large houseplants that have summered outdoors. The house looks so uncluttered during the summer but I don’t want to lose all the plants I have had for years. I can either live with a jungle look all winter or make some tough decisions as to which plants I don’t want to keep. Too many plants can become clutter and that is what is starting to happen with my plant collection.

How do you handle these fall gardening chores? Please share your ideas in the comment section.

Janice

http://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://cutoutthebreastcancer.wordpress.com

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Posted in Calendar, Decluttering, Gardening, Home, Planning

Gardening Master List

Posted on June 16, 2008 | Leave a comment

About a month ago I suggested making a Gardening Master List of all the things you would like to do to improve you yard. I took a paper and pen and walked around my whole house. I separated the areas into seven different zones. I can then look at each zone to see what can be done now and what needs to be planned for the future.

I have only done a couple of things on my list so far. Now that the constant rain pattern has broken I can start working on some of the things that can be done in the summer heat. The shrubs I wanted to buy and plant this past spring may wait till fall. With short term, long term, big jobs, and small jobs listed there is still plenty that can be worked on. That is the beauty of writing out a master list with flexibility built in especially for gardening where you are at the mercy of the weather.

Did any of you write out a Gardening Master List this year? If so, how are you doing on it? I would love to know how others are handling their yards and gardens with the extreme weather that different parts of the country have had.

I hope everyone had a nice Father’s Day. The rest of June is quiet as far as holiday’s are concerned. The next big holiday is Forth of July. I will be researching ways to celebrate that day with fun and inexpensive ideas. Be sure to check back often. If you have any suggestions to share with fellow readers please leave a comment.

Please share this blog and my newsletters with your friends and family you feel will benefit from this decluttering and organizing information.

Thanks,

Janice

http://cutclutterwithscissors.com

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Posted in Calendar, Gardening, Holidays, Organizing, Planning

Gardening Master List

Posted on May 19, 2008 | Leave a comment

The weather finally cooperated for me to get some things done around the yard. I planted a few flowerpots and window boxes. My husband helped me wash the deck and bring out the chair cushions. We even ate dinner on the back porch.

I walked around the house this weekend to see what needed to be done in each zone. I have the front and each side as separate zones. The back near the house and around the elevated deck is divided into three different zones. I have hills there and one side is shaded and the other in sun. It is easier to work on them if they are in different zone areas.

I haven’t decided what to work on first but with it all written down I can now prioritize it. During the weekdays I will only work on the things that take a short time to do. These will include planting a few vegetables or flowers and some light pruning. The things that require more work will be done on weekends. With my master list in front of me I can plan on what I need for the weekend project.

Having a master list should help me accomplish some of my landscape goals this summer. Since it is written down I won’t have the excuse of forgetting it.

Janice Scissors

Check out my web site at: http://cutclutterwithscissors.com

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Posted in Calendar, Gardening, Home, Organizing, Planning