Energy From Plants

Don't you find that the lush green plants in each of these pictures makes the rooms seem so welcoming and alive? I'm really beginning to like the idea of adding plants to some of the rooms in my home!

Melissa And The Plants

Melissa, the silly girl that she is, seems infatuated with the plants I've placed in my repurposed fireplace! For days now, we've caught her just sitting and staring at the plants.....So finally I took out my cellphone camera and got some pictures of her doing this! Did you ever wonder what goes through the minds of your pets? We sure do!

 How funny and cute is that?

Tending To Things Outdoors

This morning dawned sunny and beautiful, AGAIN! I'm just thrilled with day after day of sunshine that we've been having. And the temperatures are just perfect, too. ☺ 

 I decided it was time to put out my hummingbird feeders.... I was given this blue one as a gift, and I'm interested to see how it will attract the hummers! I've never seen a blue one before, but maybe the color is enough to intrigue the birds in spite of the fact that it's not red!

Romeo always needs to see what Mommy is doing!

 I transplanted some morning glory seedlings I see sprouting up from last year's seeds. I attach strings from stakes in the ground, up to my gutter on the front porch, and they look so beautiful there as you head up the sidewalk to the house.

I checked out my lilac blooms which are coming along fabulously! They're already starting to have that beautiful lilac scent.... Mmmmm.

I cleared old leaves and mulch away from my hosta plants, which are all sprouting up quite healthy.

The clematis' on the trellis are just taking right off! It was literally only about 2 weeks ago that they were only small vines hardly off the ground.

I mended a few tears in my goldfinch feeder bag that the squirrels started going after last year. Late yesterday afternoon I spotted my first goldfinch landing on the Shepard's hook, looking for it's food. So today I wanted to get that out for them! This morning, a male was singing so prettily somewhere nearby.

Repurposed / Redesigned Fireplace

Over the winter, I decided to display lights and candles in my fireplace, which I could enjoy everyday, rather than a fire of which we've lit very few and far between lately. The candles gave a warm, cozy glow when lit; and when they weren't lit, the lights livened and brightened things up in true Christmas spirit. But......it's way past that time now, and I've been itching for a more natural, green and earthy change!

Here's what the fireplace looked like before:

(Ugh! Really in need of a facelift!)

I set about clearing everything out ~

Which sparked the interest of my curious critters.

These lights are all mine, Mom!

 Then I moved in some plants that I potted in simple containers.

(Not sure if I'm going to keep the little mirrors in for helping to reflect the light in the back.)

The plants are variegated vinca vine, lobelia and asparagus fern.

And here is the finished look, which I am very pleased with. My daughter said, "It looks so lush now, Mom!" I agree. When you walk into the room, your eyes are drawn right to the fireplace for how simply clean, green and lovely it is.

I chose some spike dracaena to accent the hearth, along with these lovely framed nature photographs from my sweet step-daughter. It's amazing how a change which was relatively simple and inexpensive, can bring about such a different feeling to the entire room! 

Isn't it such a nice change, too?

Outdoor Gardening / Potting Station

outdoor work station

Cute, but would probably need a bit more bench space. The one below is 

simple and basic, with plenty of room to work and move around on the bench.

potting bench

Can you tell that I'd like to get out, get my hands into the soil and start planting? ☺

Dressing Up The Fence

Fences can be a good way to get some vertical color and design in an outdoor space.

 This picture shows one of my favorite ways to do that!

 Using old mirrors like these, or even ones without a frame, would be a great way to get some visual interest going.

 Using an old window and a planter box gives the fence a "homey" feel.

painted window

 Painting pictures or an entire scene on the glass is a nice way to get a waterproof picture gallery outdoors.

This is a wonderful idea that gives more visual interest than just plain plant hooks. It allows you to have a variety of differently shaped and sized plants on display, too.