Ok, I know you can buy just about any type of holiday lighted shape, object or animal these days, but what if you could do it simple, and from things you may already have around the house? We created this holiday light globe hack with wire baskets from the garden shed, ($5 at Home Depot!) some floral wire, and white mini lights. Make sure if you’re putting this globe outdoors that you buy lights approved for outdoor use. Oh, and make sure all your lights are UL listed, ok? We don’t need any of you burning down the garage ‘cause you saved $2 at a swap meet. :)
  So this is really simple.
  1. Wire two wire hanging baskets together to make a globe shape. We used floral wire as shown below.
  2. Wrap the globe with white lights. We did a little wire tie every 12 inches or so, just to make sure it all stayed in place. Use your own judgement, you may not need them at all! We used 2, 100 light strings.

  3. Hang with the same chain and hardware that came with the hanging baskets! We attached the hooks near where the end of the lights came out, so that the cord could run up the chains and be more hidden. Done! We hung ours off the eaves of the house, but we think they would look cool laying in the garden as giant “Snowballs” too…. Different sizes? You could have fun with this! Line the front walk with glowing globes?

  We were inspired by these lighted globes from ‘BHG‘… We discovered those large grapevine spheres are not only hard to find, but pretty expensive even in small sizes… Hence, the hack! How’d we do?
 
 

At the end of winter, we can all start to feel little flower deprived… I know I love driving by a well designed garden that has those first, early spring blooms. (Yes, I am admitting mine has none. Shhh.) Not only can those first blooms brighten your day after all the gloom of winter, they can jump start the gardening bug! Now everyone knows about the typical annuals you can buy at any grocery store or Home Depot… pansy’s, primroses and violas. I want to introduce you to some early spring flowering plants you may not have thought of, that come back year after year for a better display each time, and add more interest and texture. So here are my top early spring bloomers, and how to grow them! Grape Hyacinth Grape Hyacinths are small bulblets that are planted in fall, and one of the earliest spring bloomers. They are a grassy looking plant that comes back every year with clustered flowers of various colors of purple, and even white! They love full sun to part shade, and average to sandy soil. These plants multiply quickly, and can even be planted under trees. Looks best planted in sweeps, combine well with daffodils and tulips. Bloom March – May, depending on your climate and variety. Some are even fragrant!
  Lenten Rose Lenten Rose blooms as early as February, with elegant flowers in pink, purple and white colors held above leathery, semi evergreen foliage. Some of the blooms are very detailed and gorgeous up close. Plant out of the wind, preferably with afternoon shade in hot areas. Likes a more fertile soil. Hardy to Zone 5… Mild areas may see these bloom even in late winter!
  Daphne Daphne is a highly fragrant shrub that grows from 2-3 feet, covered with clusters of white to pink flowers in February – March. Evergreen leaves are a fine background shrub the rest of the year, but Daphne’s fragrance is where its specialness lies. Loves good drainage, and needs good air circulation as well. Deer resistant, hardy to Zone 5, and keep in mind, the berries may be poisonous. Our fav is ‘Carol Mackie‘…
  Hyancinths Hyacinths are another very fragrant flower, a bulb planted in fall. Good drainage is required, as well as full sun. Blooms in March – April, hardy to Zone 4…
  Moss, or Creeping Phlox A ground cover that remains semi evergreen, this plant spreads to 2 feet and is covered with very bright pink, blue, purple or white flowers in April. Phlox demand well drained soil, or it will be very short lived… Makes quite a show! Hardy to Zone 3, needs full sun. Shear after flowering by one third.
  Gold Alyssum Gold Alyssum is a great ground cover type plant that spreads well and gives a jolt of bright yellow in early to mid spring. It blooms over a long period, and is hardy down to Zone 4. Easy to grow, just cut back by a third after flowering to keep the plant from looking rangy. Is great where it can cascade over walls.  Heat and drought resistant.
  Brunnera If you need an early bloomer for shade, Brunnera is a great choice because it transcends the seasons. Once it’s pretty and delicate blue flowers finish, the heavily veined leaves give a foliage show the rest of the season. Some varieties are actually grown more so for their highly decorative foliage. Hardy to Zone 3, 15 inches high, and tolerates wet sites. We love ‘Jack Frost‘, because it’s got a good balance between flowers and foliage interest.
  Bleeding Heart One of my favorites, Bleeding Heart is also a child’s delight, as each flower is a heart shape! (I don’t bother explaining “bleeding” to a five year old…) Blooming in early spring, prefers afternoon shade and rich soil. In all but mild summer climates, Bleeding Heart will go dormant in the summer and die back to the ground. No worries though, it will be back the next spring! Just be sure to plan other plants that will fill in to cover the empty spot in summer. Hardy to Zone 3… The fernleaf variety has a different type of foliage, but it is not exactly the same plant. Fernleaf bloom in summer.
  Peonies Our last choice are Peonies… Some varieties bloom early in spring, and some not until summer, so be sure to check out with your local nursery the best early peonies for you! We have a whole post on how to grow peonies that might help you get started.
I hope you get inspired to start your early bloomers, and get a head start on the garden! Want to recommend a variety we left out? Comment!

Learn how to grow bamboo from cuttings, growing bamboo from cuttings is possible if you grow it in warm temperature. Bamboo is actually a grass, but its wood is strong enough to be used in flooring and furniture. In the garden bamboo is usually grown for its ornamental aspect or as a privacy tree as it grows quickly and mostly in clumps that can be so dense that you can not walk through them.
How to Grow Bamboo from Cuttings in WaterTo grow bamboo from cuttings in water, cut several 10 inches long cuttings from new growth that has at least two nodes and two internodes. Cut it in a slight 45 degree angle with a sharp knife.Dip the ends of cutting in melted wax. Place the cutting in water and leave it on a well lit location for several weeks.Change the water every other day as standing water will quickly run out of oxygen.Move the cutting in a pot as soon as it has 2 inches long roots. Fill the pot with potting mix or a mixture of 1 part loam to 1 part sand to improve drainage. Make a hole in soil and plant the cutting to 1 inch depth into the soil.For support tie it to a stick with string. This will stabilize the bamboo cutting until it establishes.Growing Bamboo from RhizomesTake bamboo rhizomes and cut them into portions leaving two or three growth buds on each with a gardening knife. Don’t use rhizomes with a dark and patched appearance as they will not grow well.Lay the bamboo rhizomes horizontally on pots with the buds facing up. Spread a 3 inch layer of soil over them and water thoroughly until the soil looks deeply moist.Place the container in a warm spot under light shade.
Keep the soil slightly moist consistently. Remember not to overwater the rhizome cuttings otherwise they will rot.Rhizomes will take four to six weeks to grow, you can plant them outside once nighttime temperature start to stay around 55 F.How to Grow Bamboo from Culm CuttingsCut a few cuttings from three or four years old bamboo plant in various sections with a hacksaw. Each section must contain at least one node and one internode. Remove the existing leaves in between.Fill a pot with potting mix or a mixture of equal parts of coarse sand and loam.Seal the first ridges of bamboo cuttings with wax to save them from rotting or drying. Melt the wax and simply dip it in about 1/8 inch.Pour 2 tablespoons of rooting hormone in a plastic bag and immerse the bamboo cuttings in it. Shake off the excess rooting hormone and make several holes in soil and plant cuttings in it.Cover the cuttings with clear plastic bag and set the pot in a warm area, out of direct sunlight. Water them to keep the soil moist.When you see new shoots, it means cuttings are forming roots. Continue to grow the bamboo plants in containers or plant outside when whether warms up.

Try your best to grow up

Rosa chinensis, known commonly as the China Rose or Chinese rose,is a member of the genus Rosa native to Southwest China in Guizhou, Hubei, and Sichuan Provinces.

#Albizia julibrissin, commonly called mimosa or silk tree, is a fast-growing, small to medium sized, deciduous tree that typically grows in a vase shape to 20-40’ tall with a spreading, often umbrella-like crown.

Now, every May, our own yard is redolent with #lilacs.