Home & Garden Blog

I have wanted a bird feeder since I was a kid and would watch episodes of Tweety Bird and Sylvester the Cat! Something about that tiny bird with the bad lisp just tickled my fancy.

Unfortunately as I have gotten older, I have decided that I really don’t care for the conventional wooden sort and was hankering for something prettier to adorn my garden.

Luckily I came across the Blossom Hummingbird Feeder from Best Nest.  The Parasol Blossom Hummingbird Feeder features 1 red flower feeding port and holds 19.5 ounces of nectar. The vibrant color of the reservoir and red feeding flower will attract hummingbirds to the feeder. The Parasol Blossom will surely add beauty and color to any backyard sanctuary. The reservoir and flower are carefully hand-blown from recycled glass. Each piece retains the individual artisanship of its creator. The feeder rests approximately 36″ from the ground on the included 42″ black metal garden stake.

Personally I think that the Blossom Hummingbird Feeder is beautiful and I can’t wait to spend Spring days or nights watching Hummingbirds feed!

Price - $49.99

To shop or purchase the Blossom Hummingbird Feeder, click here.  

If this particular style is not your favorite, check out these other discount bird feeders!  

Be the object of all your neighbor’s envy and affection with a large solar fountain pump adorning your garden.

Simply insert the large solar fountain pump into any fountain, and turn it into a fascinating shower of sunlight and water as jets shoot up to 62 inches in the air! No more worrying about electrical cords or replacing burnt out pumps. Recharges on its own when the sun shines, and turns off when the sun sets.

The solar fountain pump is sure to be a hit on the block and is definitely a real conversation starter. The pump includes:

• Maximum flow rate 10 Liters/Minute (approx 150 gallons/hour)
• 5 meter cable between solar panel and pump (about 15 feet)
• Can also be attached to a 110V power supply via AC/DC adapter (included)
• Includes nozzle accessories for maximum compatibility

Regular Price: $179.95 New Low Price: $149.95 (you save: $30.00)To shop or purchase the Large Solar Fountain Pump from Online Discount Mart, click here.

The key to all great cooking is the freshest ingredients! So why not grow your own herbs on your kitchen counter top? This Italian Herb Garden that is sold exclusively at Red Envelope features basil, oregano and chives. It would make a delicious gift for friends and family who would appreciate the use of fresh herbs in their culinary delights.

This sweet deal also includes 3 glazed ceramic containers decorated with herb illustrations and premium seeds and soil. Honestly they couldn’t have made it any easier for us, if they slowly S-P-E-L-L-E-D it out. Oh wait a minute it comes with step by step instructions! I am officially all out of excuses.

Retails for $29.00

To purchase the Italian Herb Garden House Plant, click here.

To save money on more House Plants, click here.

So recently a colleague of mine came by for a visit. By visit I mean he walked by my desk and decided to hover and talk for a bit. He said while he enjoys my blog immensely, (these are his words, not mine.. ha,ha) that I should post more about gardens and gardening.

Well never let it be said that I was not open to constructive criticism. In truth gardening is not my expertise or my passion, our resident authority on such matters is Melissa.

But I did some internet digging and I personally find the following information intriguing:

I have been wondering why it happens at all. Why do the leaves fall off a tree? I am fairly certain they don’t all just adopt a nudist attitude, but who knows?

It turns out that the death of a tree’s leaves actually has a name. It is called Leaf Senescence. Senescence is the process by which a biological organism crosses into old age. Everything that lives reaches senescence. Senescence it what causes us to get old and get those wonderful laugh lines that we very rarely laugh about. The same process that leads us into old age and eventually death is the same process that kills the leaves on a tree. Basically, with senescence, the cells stop functioning as they should. Their functions shut down slowly until they no longer function at all.

In a tree, leaf senescence starts when the Fall photoperiodism is triggered. I know, I keep using those $10 words, but bear with me.

Photoperiodism is the ability of a tree to measure the amount of sun that the tree is getting each day. In the Fall, photoperiodism triggers the leaves to enter senescence. Amazingly enough, there is no universal amount of sunlight that will trigger senescence in trees. Even trees within the same species will be triggered at slightly different amounts. Which is a good thing for Fall foliage watchers, because this is what causes the lovely collage of colors. The trees are at different points in their senescence cycle, resulting in different colors. All that is known is that at around 12 hours of daily sunlight, photoperiodism triggers leaf senescence in trees. (Source)

Anyhoo, so we have established that trees don’t go on some kind of arbortorial bender in the fall and get naked. It is actually a process that is rather sad or romantic, if you think about it. Once a year part of the tree dies. Once a year, the tree kills some part of itself so that it can survive until next year.

So there you have it, interesting right? I want you to store this information away as I did and someday if you come across some super hot Herbologist you will have something intelligent and interesting to converse about.

It’s long been suggested that you should talk to your plants, kiss em’, hug em’, whisper sweet nothings into their leaves! Doing so apparently makes them healthier, but now the plants are talking back. A company called Botanicalls have merged plant care with telecommunications, devising and constructing a way to bring container gardening to the 21st century: using their system, your plants will call you on the phone when they need to be watered, when they haven’t gotten enough, and to thank you when they’re no longer thirsty.

The system currently involves a soil moisture sensor, hardware and software to interpret that data, and a call to a lounge phone; phase to will include a bunch of new features including a light sensor, display, ambient sensors, output to the web and email, as well as calls to your personal cell phone (not just the one connected to the plant). You’ll even be able to call and check on the plants status. (Source)

Ok so here comes my two cents. Ready?

Cent One: I think this idea is genius because I am a plant serial killer. As I mentioned in a previous post about the wonders of the tilting vase, I have yet to own a plant that didn’t commit suicide in my care. So I applaud the creativity and innovation involved in this technology.

Cent Two: The only drawback I can think of regarding this idea is how annoying some of the calls or texts might become. I mean I have enough on my mind without getting badgering calls from my tulips whining about not having any water! (Hmm…now that I think about it, such feelings are probably why they commit suicide) Overall I still think this idea is very cool and could save many, many plant lives.

Watch the Botanicalls animation to learn more about the project, visit their site to get all the details. ::Botanicalls via ::Reuters

Well now that the yawning mouth of hell is finally closing, otherwise known as the recent heatwave that has tormented Southern Californians, it dawned on me that I should stop and look at the bright side. Stop and smell the roses per say, or in this case, stop and smell the perennials.

So I did a little search to find flowers that blossom in the Fall and I came across the following article from iVillage. In the article they list 7 of the best fall perennials to plant.

Here are the top 7 courtesy of iVillage:

1. Ceratostigma: This fall beauty has brilliant clusters of blooms. It makes great ground cover with shiny dark green leaves that turn red during late fall. Does well in fertile, well-drained soil in full sun.

2. Cimicifuga: This species does well in a moist, shady to partial shady location with fertile, humus-rich soil. Certain species (ramose Atropurpurea) has very divided leaves that are mahogany and purple stemmed with very slender, candle-like creamy white flowers.

3. Coreopsis: This is a perennial that never stops giving. It is best known for its petite yellow flowers on wiry stems that keep on blooming throughout the summer and into the fall. But with the addition of a deep burgundy red species Limerock Beauty and Sweet Dreams (it’s white with raspberry eyes), this sturdy little perennial that thrives in full sun or partial shade in well drained soil can now be utilized in a variety of fall gardens.

4. Perovskia (Russian Sage): This fantastic woody-based plant is classified as an herb, but its striking gray foliage and lavender blue to gray-blue flowers make it a gorgeous summer and fall perennial. Will thrive in poor to moderately fertile soil in full sun. Beautiful planted en masse in a mixed border.

5. Sedum (Stonecrop): This is one of the all-time great fall perennials. This is a genus of about 400 species of succulents and does well in full sun in moderately fertile, neutral soil. Several of the sedums are used as ground cover and have fleshy, light green leaves with star shaped, five-petaled flowers that come in white, yellow and pinkish to burgundy tone. Sedum Autumn Joy looks stupendous when combined with a purple-toned aster.

6. Japanese Anemone: These bloom from late summer through mid-fall and are chosen for their delicate-petaled faces ranging in color from white to soft pink, and from deep pink to dark rose. They thrive in moist but well drained, humus-rich soil in sun to partial shade.

7. Aster (Michaelmas Daisy, New England Aster): A large group of perennials that can be grown in a variety of sites. The fall blooming asters are utilized as a border for the mass of color they offer. Whether you choose white, lavender blue, bright pink, purple with a yellow eye, or a medium blue, when purchased in large quantities and planted in sweeps, asters are synonymous with the autumn garden.

I am partial to the Ceratostigmas, the Asters, and the Russian Sage. Plus as it turns out late summer/early fall is the ideal time to plant flowers that will blossom in the cold season. I don’t know how your summer is going, but I can’t wait for Fall!

To purchase seeds and get garden design ideas click here.

A Smarter Home & Garden reader just told me about a nice and easy deal from Home Depot. All he had to do was sign up for Home Depot’s Garden Club E-Mail Newsletter, and he was mailed a $5 coupon for a garden purchase of $50 or more. Now, anyone whose ever put any work into their garden knows that that’s a pretty easy sum to rack up at a nursery. Plus, he says the newsletter is very helpful, and he gets great deals and exclusive offers all the time.

Do you know of a special offer? Tell us about it, so we can post it!

Photo Source.