Homebody

This isn’t a goodbye…..

Cindy McNatt — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 17:04:29 +0000

This isn’t a goodbye; it is what they call in the Web world a redirect.

I will no longer be posting stories on the Homebody blog, but I do invite you to visit our Home and Garden Web pages frequently to look for gardening updates and stories, monthly guides and slide shows.

In the meantime you will still be able to view the blog and use the archived stories that have accumulated here for close to a year. There is lots of good information in each of the categories.

See you over on the other side - Cindy

Post from: Homebody

Slide show: 9 cottage flowers to plant from seed

Cindy McNatt — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:00:36 +0000

Click here for 9 cottage flowers to plant from seed before the rainy season

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Trellis that actually adds a touch of style

Cindy McNatt — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 15:14:31 +0000

Leave it to Ikea to finally fill a niche, trellis that is easy on the eyes, at least until it fills out with plant material. Alert blogger Michelle Owens at Garden Rant found it planted in her sister-in-law’s landscape. She bought it for $4.99 a section. Like it:

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Scissors and paper rock

Cindy McNatt — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 15:00:22 +0000

Dow, the chemical company that makes Styrofoam (with a capital S) has a great website for crafters. Hundreds of how-to projects for seasonal decor and everyday things can be found there. Check it out.

Since I live in a 50s contemporary ranch, this Retro Straw Paper Wreath caught my eye. Here are the instructions:

Materials:

STYROFOAM™ Brand Foam:
Wreath, 6″ x 1-1/4″ x 1-1/4″

Other Materials:
Lightweight decorative papers, seven assorted colors/prints
String
Wooden dowel, 1/4″ diameter
Pencil
Ruler
Disposable bowl
Small flat paintbrush
Paper trimmer or scissors
Craft pins
Low-temp glue gun and glue sticks
Thick, white craft glue

Instructions:

1. Use paper trimmer to cut 1-1/2″- to 2″-wide paper strips in following lengths, separating strips by size:
Color A (tan): 5″, 18;
Color B (patterned cream): 5″, 19;
Color C (light cream): 4″, 37;
Color D (dark brown): 3-1/4″, 11;
Color E (turquoise): 2-1/2″, 10;
Color F (dark turquoise): 1-1/2″, 10;
Color G (golden tan): 2-1/2″, six.

2. Trace foam wreath onto cream paper and cut out; glue to wreath front. Cut long 1-1/4″-wide cream strips and glue around outer wreath edge; piece strips together as needed. Pin strip ends until dry, if desired; remove pins.

3. Pour small amount of glue into disposable bowl.

4. To roll paper “straws,” place a paper strip face down on work surface with one long edge toward you. Place dowel over this paper edge and apply thin coat of white glue to opposite paper edge. Tightly roll paper and dowel away from you until glued edge adheres to paper straw. Roll dowel firmly against work surface for a few seconds to ensure good bond. Slip straw off dowel. Repeat, rolling all paper strips into 3″- to 3-1/2″-long straws. Separate straws by size and color.

5. Use glue gun to glue A and B straws evenly spaced around wreath, alternating colors. Straw ends should be flush with wreath opening and should touch each other. Glue C straws on top of first layer, between A and B straws; ends should be flush with opening.

6. Glue on third straw layer, repeating the following pattern five times: EDEDFGF. Again, straws ends should be flush with opening and should touch each other. Fill in two remaining spaces with a D and a G straw.

7. Cut and glue a 1-1/4″-wide long dark brown paper strip around inside edge of wreath.

8. Cut a 5″ length from string and knot ends for hanging loop; glue knot to top center back of wreath.

More on the website for crafty kinds of people:

Post from: Homebody

Holiday greens can be anything!

Cindy McNatt — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 14:00:34 +0000

This holiday wreath from the blomsterverkstad blog (Swedish?) proves you can craft a wreath from just about anything, including the vegetables in your winter garden. Brussels sprouts anyone?

Post from: Homebody

Watch what you prune!

Cindy McNatt — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 00:58:24 +0000

November 6

Praying Mantis, Monarch and Swallowtail caterpillars are in my garden at this time. As I learned last year, fall clean-up pruning is dangerous to them. The Mantis have made their egg cases on shrub stems and the caterpillars are on the parsley, fennel and milkweed. Some are wandering off looking for a place to pupate.

The great majority of butterflies and caterpillars are actively reproducing NOW. Many gardeners do not know these critters are so vulnerable to regular gardening habits.

Susan Bulger — Fullerton

More critters:

Post from: Homebody

The poinsettia scoop by Sunset magazine

Cindy McNatt — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:19:39 +0000

Garden writers who hesitate lose the big poinsettia story - as in orange poinsettias from Armstrong Nurseries just in time for Thanksgiving. Sunset senior garden writer Sharon Cohoon beat me to it. Drat.

So I concede with a link to what just might be a brilliant idea - Orange Spice poinsettias for fall.

Read all about it.

Post from: Homebody

Julie Bawden Davis tells the truth about indoor flowers

Cindy McNatt — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:25:24 +0000

My mom, who lives on the east coast part of the year, asked me for belated gardening advice the other night on the phone.

“I don’t have any of your indoor gardening books here, but I really wanted some flowering plants in the house, so I read somewhere else that you can grow bougainvillea, hydrangea, jasmine and gardenia indoors. I bought some. Where do I put them?”

“Outside in your yard in California.”

“What! They said they’d flower indoors.”

“Well, they might, for a really experienced indoor gardener who has special high intensity lights.”

“That’s not me!”

The fact is that’s not most indoor gardeners, and I really wish that writers would stop spreading the misinformation that plants requiring high outdoor light will flourish indoors, because they won’t. Unsuspecting gardeners bring home plants like hibiscus and roses in full bloom and just end up throwing them out a month or so later when they look terrible after not receiving sufficient light.

If you want indoor living bouquets, there are a few plants that will happily bloom in the home throughout the year like African violet, peace lily, some begonias, anthurium, lipstick plant, goldfish plant, and moth orchid. You can even grow a few fragrant plants indoors such as Jasminum sambac `Maid of Orleans’ and Murraya paniculata (Orange Jasmine). Just make sure to provide flowering plants with good lighting, fertilize regularly, watch your watering and pinch and prune often.

Post from: Homebody

Potted roses 50-percent off at Flowerdale

Cindy McNatt — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:19:09 +0000

I have never been a huge fan of potted roses - they don’t seem to grab and grow as well as bare-root. Could be because of the “potting soil” around the roots.

But since Flowerdale Nursery in Costa Mesa and Santa Ana has discounted their 5-gallon potted roses - 50 percent off - and you can plant roses in Southern California any darn time you feel like it - this could be a good buy for any gardener in the mood to plant now.

One suggestion - shake off the potting soil around the roots (in other words, bare-root them) and trim the tops back before you plant directly into native soil.

More about roses:

Post from: Homebody

Back to the future at Laguna Hills nursery

Cindy McNatt — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:19:34 +0000

Sharpen your pencils, you may need to write this down to get it right -

First, Laguna Hills Nursery left their Jeronimo address in Lake Forest because they sold the property to settle the family estate.

Then they moved to Foothill Ranch. All good except the landowner wanted to redevelop the property and the nursery would have to move or close until construction was completed.

Where are they moving to now? Turns out back to their 25290 Jeronimo address in Lake Forest.

What?

So anyway, Laguna Hills Nursery will be back in Lake Forest by mid-November (which is now) and will get going on their famous bare-root season with roses, strawberries, fruit and deciduous trees. Click on the nursery link for pre-orders.

If you are confused, feel free to call them at 949-830-5653.

related links:

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