DIY Life

Sure, herbs smell great and taste even better --- but have you ever considered decorating with them? Kelly Edwards has the scoop:



Why should you decorate with herbs? It's easy --- not only are they super functional when cooking, but they happen to be gorgeous and smell fantastic. Plus, they last longer than flowers, which is great for someone who always forgets to throw away their dead plants (hanging my head in shame over here...).

Want some fresh (pun intended!) ideas on storing and displaying your own little interior herb garden? Try placing a few small herbs in a teacup or mug for an unexpected look. Or, double up on functional storage by placing a potted herb in an ice bucket when not in use. Even better? A cake stand doubles as a decorative element to create a circled montage of your favorite herbs. The possibilities are endless!

Thanks, Kelly!

Want a fun, creative DIY from Mother Nature herself? Look no further than the falling leaves on your front porch, because this is a project straight from heaven! Why not surprise your special someone with a maple leave bouquet? Of course, you'd have to make the leaf into a rose, but with this great photo tutorial, you should have no problem at all!

I'd assume the DIY would work best with moist leaves to prevent cracking and breaking, but other than that --- use your creativity! I'd love to see a multi-colored bouquet with red, orange and vibrant yellow maple leaves. Or, better yet, make a bouquet into a brilliant gift decoration for those fall birthdays you're gearing up to celebrate. Of course, the look would also brighten up a bare wooden wreath to create a cozy, homemade entryway decor that will make your guests smile with delight. See? The possibilities are indeed endless! Happy crafting!

A trip to the farmer's market last week had me stopping to smell the flowers, and unfortunately -- spotting the flies. Fruit flies were everywhere and happen to be one of my biggest pet peeves, so as soon as I returned home, I did a bit of research on how to fight the good fight. Fortunately, the solution happens to be found at my local florist!

A potted basil plant's scent will drive those flies away. Although humans find basil's strong aroma to be pleasing, and in some cultures, healing, flies despise the scent. A few other herbs flies like to steer clear of? Lavender, elder and mint. Try a few herbs as centerpieces for your next outdoor party and watch the flies fly far, far away.

Want a more inexpensive solution that won't upset your allergies? Vinegar water keeps bugs at bay all through your home. Proof that you can stay bug-free this fall without toxic sprays and/or solutions.

I'm horrible at keeping my plants happy and healthy, and even my outdoor plants often suffer from my forgetfulness. There's just too much to think about, and unless it's raining, I all too often forget about my dear green friends. Naturally, I'm filing this green idea under "Why didn't I think of that?".

Plant a tiny garden under the condensation pipe of your air conditioner. Regardless of your A/C model, water will drip from the pipe daily, keeping your garden healthy, wealthy and wise. Although the water that drips isn't a lot by any means, it's consistent, giving your plants plenty of water to grow.

Of course, be sure to choose plants that will only grow a few feet tall so the pipe won't be blocked by their leafy greens! Try dwarf azalea, holly fern and vinca, as they only grow up to three feet tall and enjoy shaded areas.

Now you'll have an excuse to crank up the A/C on those hot summer days!

Got a kiddo who's driving you stir crazy on a rainy day? Or maybe you just have a budding botanist in the family. Either way, this kid's terrarium from National Geographic is sure to be a hit with kids of all ages.

Have a responsible child run down to the basement and dig out that old fishbowl... you know, the one you bought after you won that goldfish at the county fair? Wash it out with soap and water, then rinse well. While it's drying, gather the rest of your materials:

• potting soil
• horticulture soil
• small stones
• plants of your choice
• scissors
• water
• decorative figure of your choice (a Polly Pocket? Ben 10? Let them decide.)

Visit National Geographic Kids for details on the how-to of this nifty terrarium, but basically you're going to layer the stones, then the charcoal, then the potting soil. Put your plants in the dirt, decorate, and place in a sunny place! Leave it to your children to prune the plants as necessary... responsibility is good for them!

(via Craft)

At my house, we really try our best to live in an environmentally friendly way, for our health and the Earth's. We eat local, fresh food as much as we can, we never use chemicals on our lawn or plants, we don't clean the house with chemicals, and we have quite the raging compost pile.

It seems that we got a bit overzealous with the composting, in fact. Last fall, after carving a stunning Jack-o-lantern, we responsibly dumped the innards of the pumpkin into our composter.

Throughout the autumn, we had several pumpkins displayed on our walkway and stoop. When it was time to put up the Christmas decorations, we plopped the pumpkins in the composter. Follow me after the break; I'm going somewhere with this...

We are finally at the end of our five part project: the transformation of a backyard into a very nice landscape.

This part covers the construction of a very cool little water feature. The initial design did not envision a pond, but there was a highly suitable area just off the deck patio, and it really called for something that wasn't a plant or a brick. Voila!... a water feature, with the splash of a waterfall that is amazingly efficient in helping to mask the background sounds of the neighborhood.

If you've kept up with the project thus far, here, here, here, and here, you know the story of the construction. This part wrapped up our efforts, and we could begin to enjoy the finished work.

The gallery will give you the inside story on the construction of the water feature; after the jump, we'll go over the details.

Tomatoes are fabulous and very easy to grow. Many critters think so too, so they will gladly come and eat your bountiful tomato harvest, especially if you grow them in the ground.

Considering the recent recall of Topsy-Turvy Tomato planters, some people may have given up on the idea of planting their tomatoes upside-down, but Jim decided to forgo the $30 cost of commercial tomato planters and made his own planters, using 5-gallon buckets.

Jim used recycled buckets from a local restaurant, but he says paint or hardware stores should also have them. He drilled a hole in the bottom of the bucket and one in the lid, then covered the holes with coffee filters so the dirt wouldn't fall out. He planted the tomatoes in the buckets, and when the plants were about one foot tall, he hung them up on a sturdy surface that could support the weight of the bucket filled with potting soil.

Be sure to check out Jim's alternative method for growing tomatoes. I love the idea of using buckets for the tomatoes instead of something flimsy that could tip over at any given moment. The buckets would be perfect for peppers and cucumbers too.

Thanks for the tip, Ian!

My boys are relentlessly curious. They get into everything and explore their world "hands-on". Just yesterday my two- and-a-half year old found a wild mushroom out on our walk. He stood there, calling me over and rattling off all his questions. Luckily, both my boys narrate their every move so while they can get into trouble, we always know about it. I got over there quickly enough to caution him against touching it, and still capitalize on that teachable moment.

Finishing our walk, my five year old asked how we can tell which mushrooms are poisonous. So, like any good mom who doesn't know the answer, I lied. Just kidding, I suggested we look it up at home. Here's what we learned.

Signs of a dangerous mushroom:

• warts or scales on the mushroom cap
• white gills (underside of the mushroom)
• thin gills
• a ring around the upper part of the stem
• a ring around the lower part of the stem
• bulb like base

This information about identifying poisonous mushrooms, and other important information about what to do in the case of a poisoning can be found at Montefiore.

One of my greatest summer joys is watching butterflies delicately fluttering and swooping in the sun. Last spring, I finally got around to starting my very own butterfly garden. It's still very much a work in progress; however, I'd love to share it with you. Click over to my gallery to take a tour of my butterfly garden.

Want to give butterfly gardening a try yourself? Here are 20 tips to get started!

BUTTERFLIES 101

1. Learn some butterfly garden basics. The most important thing to know is that butterflies are attracted to brightly colored flowers, and to certain plants in particular. Some of the best plants for attracting butterflies are butterfly bush, lantana, pentas, milkweed, purple coneflower, willow, and fennel.

2. Know your local butterflies. Find out which butterflies are commonly found in your state. For example, the butterfly in my picture is a Gulf Fritillary which is found all over Florida. Is there a specific butterfly you want to attract? Perhaps the gorgeous Monarch? Then learn up to find out which plants are most likely to attract that species. Tip: for Monarchs, try planting milkweed.

Mowers, edgers, leaf-blowers. Sod, plug, aerate, de-thatch. Irrigate, seed, fertilize, weed.

Phew! Makes my head spin just thinking about the stuff you're supposed to do to maintain a lawn, at least according to certain yard-care experts. If you follow the recommendations of lawn-care service companies, you can spend hundreds of dollars each year on your lawn. Many people do exactly that, just because they think it's necessary for a nice lawn.

Well, guess what? It's not necessary. Okay, if you must have a picture perfect lawn that's smooth, flat and green year-round like a golf course... well, that's going to require some work. However, if you're like me and just want some nice, healthy grass, then the trick is to work... less. Yes, less!

In fact, everything you really need to know can be simplified down into three tips: 1. Mow less. 2. Lay off the chemicals and 3. Opt for low-maintenance landscaping. Need more detail? Read on!

Gardening by moonlight? No, it's not those times when night has long since fallen and you're planting your flat of pink impatiens by flashlight because you promised yourself you'd get it done today. (Yes, that was me a couple weeks ago.) Moonlight planting is actually the science of planting at very specific times according to the moon's phases.

Moonlight planting, its practitioners say, maximizes growth with a minimum of water waste. Here's how moonlight is thought to affects plants: Just as the tides change with the phases of the moon, so do the water levels inside plants and in the surface of the soil itself. If you plant when those water levels are at their highest, plants may grow faster and stronger.

So how do you know what to plant and when? Easy. Consult a moonlight planting schedule, such as this handy 2008 veggie planting table provided by The Old Farmer's Almanac.

Skeptical? Want to read more? UK newspaper, the Observer, reported on a 2007 moonlight planting experiment being carried out at eco-friendly Nymans Garden in West Sussex.

Don't have anything lined up for Mother's Day yet? Feel bad 'cause your tight budget won't stretch to that mega-bunch of roses? Well, here's a suggestion: if your mom's into gardening, run out this weekend and pick up a yard-related gift. Wrap it up nice and pretty and give her that, alone, or pair it with a nice little box of chocolates or a few fresh flowers. She'll love it...and it won't break the bank!

Here are my top ten budget Mother's Day gift ideas for gardening moms. All of my suggestions are $20 or less--making them perfect for kids, grandkids, or big kids on a budget! Although it may be too late to have these items shipped, your local stores carry variations of nearly all of these items. Oh, and if you're open to slightly pricier ideas, check out last week's gift ideas post!

1. LL Bean Go-Anywhere Flexible Tote, $16.50
This soft, yet very sturdy, LLBean tote comes in a range of fabulous colors, including perfect-for-Mother's-Day bright pink. Also available in more practical hues, like dark green. Use it for anything outdoors-related: mix soil in it, haul tools or clippings in it, etc. This 11-gallon tote is built to last: it is UV-resistant and has reinforced handles.

On our list for this spring is the deck. As you can see from the before picture, the railings are not up to code (and look a lot like a ladder to our three-year-old) and the wood floor is splintering. We figure that the frame is still pretty solid, so we will just replace the floor and the railings ourselves.

This is a pretty easy job, and maybe fodder for a future post, but our real goal is to make our outdoor living space attractive and inviting. Once the floor and railings are in, the fun begins.

I envision a new dining set with a colorful umbrella over the table, some comfy chairs and benches, and even an outdoor rug. Add some lighting over the grill, lots of flowering plants and my dream deck is complete. In my mind.

Arrange-a-Deck is a tool offered by Better Homes and Gardens that you can use to envision your dream deck on paper (a free membership to the site is required). It offers choices for flooring color, shape of deck and all the fun extras like seating and plants.

If you are having trouble deciding how to arrange your deck or what extras might enhance the look and functionality of your deck, this tool works great.

Got a big ugly space in your yard that needs filling? Adding yet another evergreen shrub seem boring? Consider pampas grass! It's a big beauty of a plant, one that -- like all ornamental grasses -- is frequently overlooked by home landscapers.

Here are a few reasons why I love pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana):

1. It grows fairly fast, so is an ideal choice for filling in large, barren landscapes.

2. It grows nice and thick, creating an effective privacy screen, wind break or sound barrier.

3. Its long, graceful blades and delightfully fluffy pannicles (flower plumes) are beautiful.

4. Its vertical angles evoke the tropics, bringing an exotic feel to suburban yards and otherwise drab mall parking lots. Its long blades also create a dramatic and pleasing visual contrast with other garden shrubs and trees. Meanwhile, its rounded and slightly wild shape makes it an excellent softener of hard urban surfaces, like brick walls or metal signs. (See the photo above for a perfect example of this.)