Going green

I’m not really a total tree-hugging type of person, but I feel like I should do my part to take care of the earth and natural resources God has created and provided for us. My husband and I do our best to remember to recycle and try to be somewhat eco-conscience. Yesterday, April 22, was Earth Day and as part of the Earth Day festivities, Lowes is giving away one million tree saplings today. Since our dying landscaping is in dire need of some revitalization, my husband, pup and I all ventured over to our local Lowe’s to adopt and bring home a little tree baby. We will name her Tree-sa after her mother – haha, I'm kidding. I can’t guarantee that she will survive our neglectful arbor care, evidenced by the dried-up, brown magnolia tree in front of our house, but we will do our best to keep this one alive. Here are a couple photos of our needle-y little bundle of joy…

It is a Western Yellow Pine, also referred to as a Ponderosa Pine...hope it doesn't get too huge!

Actually, I kind of think that my black thumb is greening up a bit these days. If you can recall, I planted an indoor herb garden a while back, and I am happy to report that it is still alive and thriving. Here is a photo as proof. 

I've already plucked a few leaves from the basil and cilantro...they were quite tasty.

Okay, so the rosemary hasn’t flourished as much as the others, but I was reading online how rosemary can be difficult to germinate from seeds…I’m just happy to have a couple sprouts. Everyday I’ve been watching my little herb garden grow in the windowsill and have enjoyed the benefits of having fresh herbs. Today I planted a couple more herbs for our master bathroom - lavender and spearmint; I just need another pot for my chamomile. 

My new crop of pots for the two herbs and new baby tree sapling.

Lavender, Spearmint and Chamomile for our master bathroom...ahh, relaxing

My next challenge that I’m considering tackling will be to grow a vegetable garden in our backyard. So, here’s another list for you, a list of vegetables I would like to grow (this one isn’t 30 long though, because that’s just crazy).

15 Fruits & Vegetables I’d Like to Grow:
1.    Tomatoes
2.    Cucumbers
3.    Carrots
4.    Green Beans
5.    Lettuce
6.    Sugar Snap Peas
7.    Broccoli
8.    Garlic
9.    Onions
10.   Green Onions
11.   Spinach
12.   Strawberries
13.   Cauliflower
14.   Sweet Potato
15.   Watermelon

On the Better Homes and Garden website, there are several free vegetable garden plans, as well as a free interactive, online Plan-A-Garden software tool to help you design your own backyard vegetable garden. Some photos for inspiration...

Source: tarteletteblog.com via Teresa on Pinterest

Source: garden-photos-com.photoshelter.com via Teresa on Pinterest

Source: llhdesignsblog.com via Teresa on Pinterest

Source: garden-photos-com.photoshelter.com via Teresa on Pinterest

Spring has sprung!

Time to spring forward! The warmer weather, the time change and the budding plants all signal the beginning of spring - my favorite time of year! Along with spring, apparently comes an inundation of junk mail soliciting lawn, landscaping and garden services. We are definitely one household that needs those services, given that we've managed to kill our yard and the majority of our landscaping in the relatively short amount of time we've lived at this house. I've also only been able to successfully keep one houseplant alive in our home, but sometimes that's even questionable.

Despite my black thumb, I've decided to plant an indoor herb garden. Yesterday evening, my husband and I joined the masses and flocked to our local Lowes in search of the perfect supplies for my little garden. After meandering through the aisles for a while, we left the store with a 3-pot herb planter, seeds and potting soil. The pot was $9.97, soil was $4.54 and the seeds were half price, so we got basil, cilantro and rosemary seeds for a total of $2.22. Today, I was eager to get these seeds planted, so I gathered my supplies and assembled my herb garden on our back patio...and now we wait (7-14 days, so the seed package says). Here are a few photos of the planting event. We even found the perfect windowsill to house our herb garden.

If you're looking for some creative ideas for neat herb gardens using everyday, ordinary items, below are a few I've found that might inspire you. 

Tea canisters

Florist vases

Shoe Organizer

Glass Bottles

Mason jars