Container's of Color

Southern Living

I love container gardening. Little oasis's of color that I can move and arrange to my hearts delight. The February and March issues of Southern living have been full of wonderful ideas for this spring season. I've torn out most of the pages out of both issues and taken them with me to Lowes this week to start planning. 

There are many advantages to living in a town where four colleges also call their home but one of the disadvantages is when your choosing planting colors to not look like your screaming your allegiance to one of them. If I plant all purple and yellow flowers I am a JMU alumni. (which I am but that's beside the point) Planting red and gold flowers and I am a Bridgewater College alumni. (which I also am) While I am proud of both colleges I would prefer my yard to to not reflect them.

With that being said I have decided on orange and purple combinations. The snapdragon arrangement above is a burst of color I am in love with.

Tulips

I also like the tulip and english daisy container garden in the February 2012 issue (that I cannot find a picture of...so sorry!) 

When I begin potting I usually set aside three large pots to plant palm trees in and place one on the front porch, back deck and under the deck. They exude a tropical feeling when the summer breeze blows thru them. The downside to this is that they do not like cold weather and the one time I brought them inside for the winter I neglected them and they did not survive. This year I am going to change it up and plant ornamental grasses.

Real Simple

I will still get the tropical feeling that can survive the colder temperatures.

Lowes

This is the picture that gave me the idea for potting ornamental grasses. I picked up the outdoor living catalog from our local Lowes.

Spring is coming...I can't wait!

Springtime is a time to Organize

Clutterbug.me

March 1st is the beginning of my "warm time". My spring has officially begun. Any snow storm that has it's eye on Harrisonburg, Va better look elsewhere! 

As much as I love warmer temperatures I also LOVE organization. One of the best gifts I got this year was a gift card to Lowes where I bought kitchen organizers for my cabinets. Heaven! 

With my youngest recently turning 7 months old (cannot be true!) I still have not found my groove where my house is clean by the end of the week, laundry is done and folded and I still have a weekend to enjoy with my family. I needed a plan. I found the weekly cleaning schedule above and modified it to fit my needs. I printed a blank schedule and slipped it into a page protector. I then filled in my daily goals with a dry erase marker and put it on the fridge. This has cut down my feeling overwhelmed and that I need to get the ENTIRE house cleaned in one day. By breaking the cleaning among 5 days I get more done and still have a weekend. I would highly recommend organizing your cleaning schedule in this way.