Learn to Grow...

... plants I mean! What, you thought I was gonna attack the topic of immaturity? Nah...

Now that we have a house, its care, beauty and updated look falls on just four shoulders, mine and my hubby's. Sure, our kids help, but the grunt work and maintenance, all ours...

Well, gardening, (as if it's not obvious) fell on my "Honey To-Do" list. Only one problem. I don't really do landscape gardening! I've had success with messing with petunia cross-pollination (Genetics 101) for color variety and hardiness and indoor potting adventures, but not a full on, permanent-until-I-pull-it-out gardening! Never! So yeah, I was nervous...

But I had a PLAN: Find dying plants, clean it up of its energy-sapping dead limbs and foliage and bring it home.

By getting dying plants, often deeply discounted, I have a REALISTIC view that if I can't maintain it, I'm only out a few dollars!

Once at home, I let them ACCLIMATE to their new environment by letting them sit in their pot for about 3 days with daily, almost drowning type of watering-it energizes them and roots starts to breathe again. I learned that in Biology and BHG!

Then, the YO-YO effect commences. Do I pot it or in ground? If pot, do I want it to "shoot up or bush out?" If in ground, will it fit with the growing needs of others, or will it be strangled by the other roots? (Hello, it's a process, people! That's why we have a whole science "branch" on just plants! LOL I made a pun!) :-)

So I sit and SURF the web for ideas and care tips so I don't have to be a practicing "Dr. Kavorkian" of the fauna world (poor orchid, ivy (all I tried), and diffenbecchias... I hope they're not too mad at me...). It's difficult on the ego more than you know! (Admit it, you agree! lol)

Indoors, I've taken on, FERNS, DIFFENBECCHIA, POTHOS, AND NOW, ORCHIDS, plural! (Yeah, me, orchids! Yep, must be a glutton for self-destruction. Ok, you can stop laughing!)

You've heard it before and it's true... NASA discovered that live plants indoors refresh oxygen you vitally need to stay healthy when you're home. Why? Here's a quick Botany 101-Plants use carbon dioxide for growth and development. When they are done, oxygen is the byproduct that gets released in the air! Ergo... (drum roll, please...) oxygen is replaced in its immediate area! But did you know that a small plant (6-8") can replenish the oxygen in a 100 sq. ft. of space? How much is that $5-7? And if you put in the time, you can grow a beautiful specimen for only pennies since you rescued it from the clearance prison!

Many of these plants, I bought in super tiny pots to save money and sanity.
I also learned not to give up on my plants that are struggling, this one above, moved with me from AZ!
My clearance and transplant finds... Even the pots, are deeply discounted.

Being Asian and having grown up in a Subtropical climate, this info is "duh!"-we use plants indoors as part of everyone's cheap decor! Plus, part of our cleaning routine, unless it's storming or during a heavy rainfall? Is to open windows, all of them! It's funny, many of us, admire tropical places because of their display of lush foliage, even indoors. Just think about it, you invite the sun in the morning & afternoon, and refresh the air thru windows and doors and you'll probably grow a lot of plants indoors, too!

Though I'm a bundle of nerves in tackling our "Operation Tropical Paradise" on the front yard, I know that if I arm myself with great information, I not only save countless lives of those surely doomed plants (wishful thinking), but I also learn, at the least, a new skill I can perfect each time I dig up that dirt...

So grab those trowels, gloves and watering cans (or hoses, your choice)! You have a lawn to beautify and plant lives to save!

Just Do It!

Happy MET MONDAY to all! Yay, I get to join in again today!

Thanks much to our host Susan of Between Naps on the Porch and for all of you for stopping by.

Oftentimes, it's easier to find a pro or expert to get the job done.

But honestly, where's the fun in that? First, you blow all that money away and all you get to do is choose and wait until it's all done. (Ok, I know that's fun and easy, but you can't outdo being your own Michaelangelo or Rembrandt of your landscape.)

I've been gardening-both indoors and out. But with summer being still too hot, I have to wait until the cover of night to get things done. The other hold up, bugs!

But, gardening takes PLANNING, RESEARCH, ASSESSMENT areas of YARD and once you've done all that, you can then START your vision of your desired landscape!

Here's the BEFORE picture of our front door. See the purple? Totally F-A-K-E!!! The previous owners did not really tend to the yard and often blamed the wind for the dead plants they often end up with. The ground cover is some climbing vine that over run the area and choked the soil.

Also, the main plants around were crepe myrtles, bush and trees alike, pinks- 3 shades! I think enough is enough don't you?

My vision started with wanting a Tropical Landscape; so what's more of an obvious landscape emblem?

Hibiscus of course! I found these big pots of red ones at Walmart for $3, yep, $3! I got two...

My urns were first there and I got these Ixoras at Lowe's a few months ago and are barely holding their own. In the Philippines, a SE tropical country, Ixoras are called Santans and I loved picking these flowers as their nectar is quite sweet.

And so far, here's what my entry looks like. What do you think? Am I headed in the right direction? I did all of these myself. I have the sweat, dirt and back pains to prove it!

I can't wait to add some spider plants, ferns, succulents and some climbing vines.

Start envisioning and with all that savings from not needing extra labor, you can start to enjoy some great accessories and a congratulatory drink! In my case, a nice cold pina colada!

What are your gardening projects?