KTgreen – Page 311

Summer Time!

June 14, 2013 by KTgreen

We know summer’s here for two reasons. First, both the temperature and the percentage of humidity is over 90!

Second, small people are showing up.

No matter which kids visit Perfect, there will be kayaking, boating, cooking, game playing, arts and crafts and a visit to the Homosassa Wildlife Park. This week two of our grandkids, Courtney and Justin, were here for 3 days so we also mixed in some golf.

Next week, it’s Addy and Kendall’s turn. More fun! (Think I’ll need some rest before those two show up!)

In the Garden

June 13, 2013 by KTgreen

Back in 2010 I bought two blue hydrangeas and planted them in my “blue and white” garden. They immediately turned pink. Although it’s a very pretty pink, I really want BLUE! I’ve tried adding aluminum sulfate around the plants but the blooms continue to be a shade of pink and maybe a little lavender. There is just too much lime in our soil. But that’s off the subject, here. This post is about creating more plants with very little effort and NO money!

Shortly after I planted the two hydrangeas, Southern Living had an article about rooting French hydrangeas. I successfully followed their instructions and now have seven additional hydrangeas!

I also tried rooting a shooting star hydrangea that Michelle gave me. But that one didn’t grow. So I decided to try again.

First, cut about a 6 inch stem and remove the lowest pair of leaves. Immediately stick the stem in water because hydrangeas will close up their stems very quickly. I cut two shooting stars and two of the pink hydrangeas.

In the Garden

Dip the cutting into a rooting hormone. Sometimes it’s called rooting powder. I’ve used two different brands but they both have the same active ingredient, Indole-3-butyric acid. Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes–they all carry it.

Have a pot ready with moist potting soil–I use Miracle Gro. (I’ve experimented with other potting soils and you really can see a difference!) You can just stick the cutting into the container but it makes the rooting hormone dirty eventually so now I pour it into the cap and roll the cutting around in it. I make a hole in the soil with my finger then stick in the cutting and press the soil firmly around it.

In the Garden

Next I put the pots in the shade and will keep them watered. They will look dead at first, but in a few months, I should have thriving plants! I’ll give you an update!

Since I’m on the subject of hydrangeas, let me give you a few tips on how I take care of them. They like morning sun and a LOT of water! I tried planting them in the shade but they didn’t bloom nor thrive. They will live with afternoon sun but not happily. If they get droopy, water them–then ignore them. They will be all perky again the next morning.

The type of hydrangeas that I have grow on both old and new growth so I can cut them for bouquets and still get new blooms. There are “lacecap” and “mophead” varieties.

You can also dry the blooms which I usually do right before our first freeze is predicted. My hydrangeas bloom from early spring until that freeze and the only problem I have with them is that they develop ugly brown spots in the Fall which is probably caused by all the watering. I recently read an article about using a fungicide containing thiophanate-methyl at first signs of spotting. So that’s on my shopping list for the next time I’m at a nursery.

So, while my “blue” hydrangeas continue to defy me with their color change, they are my favorite flower.

My next garden post will be other plants that I’ve rooted!

Adventures with Michelle, DIY Candles

June 12, 2013 by KTgreen

I have ruined my love of expensive candles. Not to say that I don’t like candles – I do. I really enjoy them. Problem is, the cost. I like those $20-$25 candles that smell so good. You know the ones. Recently, I burned up yet another $20 wonder and thought, ugh, ‘I’m throwing away another lovely glass jar'(not to mention that I literally burned up a twenty!). We don’t have glass recycling here and that makes it worse. So I sat it aside and enjoyed the smell with the lid off anyway, until I’d decide to toss it.

In the meantime, I found myself at a place called Hobby Lobby wandering aimlessly. I’d driven my Mom to an eye Dr. appointment and had time to kill – a dangerous thing for me. The store is really big – like Home Depot big. Most of the middle isn’t hobby related at all, but that didn’t stop me from looking. In the back I went looking for canning jars (don’t, they’re expensive!) and with them were candle jars. Hmm, never thought of making a candle. Around the corner, you guessed it, candle making supplies….on sale! Well, that did it – I have to try this. For $13.50, I was out the door.

The next day me and my Michael’s Crafts coupon were out picking up a metal melting pot, because the nice lady on the YouTube video said it was a good investment. OK, if they’re too expensive I’ll just get an old pan at the Goodwill and have fun. But turns out it cost a whopping $8.00, had nice tall sides and a pouring lip. Later, I used it to store all the candle stuff in. Now to put it to use.

Step 1 and 2: Get the old candle jar prepped. I’m sure there are a dozen warnings against doing this – none of which I’ve actually read. Let’s get the old wax out first – just put it in the freezer. The old wax disc pops right out. Martha taught me that years ago – thank you Martha. Clean the jar out with some glass cleaner and be nice and peel that label off (but not the warning label on the bottom – I need lots of warnings).

Step 3: Gather the goodies. You’ll need wax (I chose soy wax to be trendy and healthy-like), wicks, color and scent.They didn’t have the scent I wanted at the store and I knew I keep lemon oil at home. Although, I did need some spearmint oil. Off to the cake department. Note ‘oil’ – not extract. There’s a huge difference. And I’m sure there’s yet another ignored warning in there about using oils you can eat instead of the tiny vials on display.