Outdoors

Vanilla Strawberry Hydrangeas Produce Gorgeous White and Pink Flowers

February 6, 2020 by Good Living Guide. This post may contain affiliate links. 2 Comments

Large, showy Vanilla Strawberry Hydrangeas can be the most dramatic-looking flowers in any garden. This new hydrangea variety combines two colors to make these blooms even more show-stopping.

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A post shared by Tracie Fish (@fishtailcottage) on Aug 17, 2018 at 11:41am PDT

All About Vanilla Strawberry Hydrangeas

Make your bouquets brighter with hydrangeas in pretty shades of pink and white. If you like hydrangeas, you’ll like them even more in these mixed shades. The petals are all a blend of pinks, creams, whites and pale reds.

The sweetly named Vanilla Strawberry Hydrangea was first introduced as a new color option by Cottage Farms Nursery.

How to Grow Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas are a gardener’s favorite. They grow quickly and produce large, bright flowers. They also make stunning cut flowers for bouquets.

Are you worried that you don’t have a green thumb? Hydrangeas are easy to grow. Follow these basic tips and consult your local garden supply store for expert advice on growing these gorgeous flowers.

Hydrangeas prefer partial sun or shade. They don’t do well in full sunlight.
Give them plenty of water.
Hydrangeas prefer loose, well-fertilized soil. Add natural compost or organic fertilizer if your soil is heavy with clay or sand.

Where to Buy Vanilla Strawberry Hydrangeas

You can buy your own colorful, healthy plant from sellers on Etsy. Follow the planting instructions for your region to get gorgeous, healthy hydrangeas in time for spring.

How To Grow Your Own Avocado Tree With Growing Kit For Under $20

June 5, 2019 by Good Living Guide. This post may contain affiliate links. Leave a Comment

We all love creamy, decadent, delicious avocados. Avocados love us back with loads of healthful nutrients, fiber and the right fatty acids. Wouldn’t it be great to learn how to grow your own avocado tree so you can pick fresh ones every day? A simple solution has become available with the AvoSeedo Avocado Tree Growing Kit.

Now, you can grow your own avocado trees:

Quickly and easily.
Totally indoors.
For less than $20.
With an easy kit that comes with full instructions.

AvoSeedo

How To Grow Your Own Avocado Tree

If you’ve ever tried to grow plants from an avocado seed sitting on toothpicks, you know that avocados are easy to grow indoors. Some instructions make it more complicated than it has to be.

With this $20 kit, you don’t need any fancy tools, a green thumb or any gardening knowledge at all. You simply:

Place an avocado pit in the avocado-shaped boat.
Float the boat in a small amount of water.
Wait 3 to 6 weeks for your seeds to sprout.
Once you have full plants, transfer them to a plant pot.

AvoSeedo

Make Some Family Fun

The kit easy enough for children to do. Gardening with your kids is one of the best things you can do for their emotional and mental health. This kit makes it easy to explore the wonders of gardening even if you live in a high-rise.

Brighten Up

In just a few weeks, your avocado plant will grow strong and healthy. There’s nothing like a live, growing plant to brighten up your home and your mood.

Plants clean the air, add color and can even reduce your stress levels. Avocado trees make lovely houseplants with their dark, glossy leaves.

Get Everything You Need

The AvoSeedo Kit comes with everything you need. You get the avocado boat in your choice of pink, blue or green, the water bowl and the plant pot. It works with any type of avocado seed.

If you love plants and you love avocados, it’s time to get busy growing.

The Very Best Mosquito Repellent Plants

March 23, 2019 by Good Living Guide. This post may contain affiliate links. Leave a Comment

When Spring arrives so do those pesky mosquitoes. Instead of using harsh chemicals on the annoying blood-suckers, consider a more natural approach using these fragrant mosquito repellent plants.

MARIGOLDS (Tagetes sp.)

Marigold plants provide showy garden colors. They contain a compound called pyrethrin that is very effective in keeping mosquitoes away. In fact, this substance works so well that it is used in many natural insecticides. In addition to mosquitoes, marigolds are also useful in repelling other insects such as aphids, tomato worms and squash bugs.

ROSEMARY (Rosmarinus officinalis)

Not only will Rosemary make your food taste delicious and your garden look amazing, but its woody aroma is wonderful at keeping small mosquito infestations away. The live plant, cuttings from the plant and its essential oil are all effective at repelling mosquitoes. It thrives in containers but can also be pruned into many shapes and sizes to make creative borders and decorations in a garden bed. In addition to Rosemary’s ability to get rid of the skeeters, a unique lesser-known trait of this medicinal herb is its ability to help improve memory.

LEMONGRASS (Cymbopogon citrates)

Lemongrass contains citronella, which has long been used in natural insect repellents. Since it makes a good container plant, it is often planted in pots around porches or near home entrances to keep mosquitoes away. In addition to pest control, Lemongrass has a myriad of useful benefits that include calming nerves, promoting restful sleep, and maintaining digestive health.

CATNIP (Nepeta cataria)

A research group from Iowa State University studied the essential oil in catnip, which is called nepetalactone. They found it to be ten times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEET. Catnip plants can grow very tall, so be sure to plant them in an area where it won’t block any desired views.

LEMON THYME (Thymus vulgaris)

This hardy herb repels mosquitoes when its essential oil is released by crushing or bruising its fragrant foliage. The oil must then be rubbed onto exposed areas of bare skin to be effective. Lemon thyme is an excellent plant with a pleasant lemony fragrance and a creeping habit that make it perfect for hanging baskets. It can also be planted along a path or patio to form a ground cover.

BASIL (Ocimum americanum)

Basil’s strong fragrance makes it one of the most effective mosquito repellent plants. Mosquitoes detest all basil varieties. However, lemon basil, Peruvian basil and cinnamon basil seem to work best because they have the strongest aromas. A 2009 study concluded that an essential oil from basil is toxic to mosquito larvae. Therefore, it may be a good idea to plant it near water sources to control the amount of eggs being laid.

LAVENDER (Lavandula angustifolia)

Not only are the purple flowers beautiful to look at, but the smell is known to repel mosquitoes and other pests. The lavender plant’s strong aroma comes from the essential oil in its leaves. Experts speculate that the potent scent masks the mosquito’s sense of smell, preventing it from detecting the carbon dioxide that humans emit.

Another benefit of growing this wonderful plant is being able to make Lavender Lemonade. It’s delicious, refreshing AND good for you!

LEMON BALM (Melissa officinalis)

Lemon balm contains high levels of a compound called citronellal. This compound has similar properties to citronella, including the ability to repel mosquitoes. It has a lemony scent and flavor that are undesirable to mosquitoes and other pests. It it best grown in containers since it can be a very invasive plant.

GARLIC (Allium sativum)

Garlic has more uses than scaring off vampires and adding flavor to Italian dishes. It can also keep mosquitoes from hanging around your house. Just add some garlic to your flower bed or vegetable garden to increase the likelihood that they’ll find a home elsewhere and leave yours alone.