Spring Gardening to Beautify Your Property

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Scotts Miracle-Gro for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

 

     Time to consider what you want to do to beautify your property again this year.  It is that time again, time to get out those gardening supplies and dress up your property.  Get out your spade, hoe, rake and wheelbarrow and work to make your property beautiful.  Turn over the soil with that spade, break it up with the hoe, add some of Scotts Continuous Release Plant Food and work it into your soil with your garden rake; then you are ready to plant those gorgeous flowers to turn your property into your own special haven.  Allow your plants about two weeks to become thoroughly rooted, after which you will want to find the best available mulch to hold water and keep weeds from growing.  Using the best mulch for your garden will lessen your work and allow you to have more beautiful gardens. 

     For Floridians, Scotts Florida Select Natural Eucalyptus Mulch is a great, locally grown mulch that will help you create beautiful gardens for your property.  Since this mulch is locally grown and harvested, Floridians that purchase this mulch will be supporting their own local economy.  Not only does this mulch have the advantage of supporting the home economy, it also provides the advantage of sustainable gardening.  Since it grows four times faster than cypress, it is considered a sustainable resource.  A completely natural mulch guaranteed to be free of any construction products, pallets or other waste materials, Scotts  mulch will prevent the growth of weeds while holding water and moderating temperature.  Place Scotts mulch around trees, plants and bushes about three inches deep.  Keep mulch about three inches away from base of trees and the foundation of houses.  Make your property more attractive this spring by using .  For those gardeners who do not live in Florida,  Scotts Nature Scapes mulch is an attractive alternative.  Scotts Nature Scapes come in three attractive colors:  black, forest brown and sierra red.  A 2 cubic foot bag of mulch will cover 12 square feet when spread two inches thick while it will cover 8 square feet when spread three inches thick as recommended.  Proper use of a good mulch will make your gardens more attractive this year at the same time reducing your work throughout spring and summer.

Spring

     It feels as though spring is taking forever to arrive this year.  We have had a few  beautiful spring days lately, but most of the weather during April was extremely cool with a few very hot days mixed in.  Last weekend, my husband and the boys were able to put out a small vegetable garden in our backyard.  We don't have a lot of space, so they only planted a couple of tomato plants, half a dozen broccoli plants, some green beans, corn, cucumbers and zucchini squash.  The boys had a great time helping their daddy plant the garden.  Now we need this warmer weather to speed the growth of the plants although it will be a while before we see our first sign of corn and bean shoots pushing through.  I am looking forward to eating fresh vegetables out of the garden.   I am not looking forward to the extreme heat and humidity of summer, but I really am anticipating some of those spring days much like we had this weekend.    It turned out to be lovely weather for the boys to enjoy there soccer games.  I will finish with final exams in the next ten days and am looking forward to taking a few days off to go camping in Pennsylvania and visit friends and family there.  Maybe spring finally has arrived.

Spring Break at Last!

Finally, spring break has arrived!  I am truly exhausted and am really anticipating a week of  downtime.  I will be spending some of my time preparing for a midterm in Probability and Statistics during spring break, but not having to deal with Anatomy II and literature at the same time will give me a much needed break.  Hopefully, we can find some time to do things as a family as well as to visit my sister and her family.  I know it is a much needed break for my husband as well as he spends a great deal of time helping me with my studies, frequently late at night.  Knowing that I only have six weeks left when I return from spring break also provides me with my second wind.  I know I need to really hit the books when I return if I am to get the grades I want and need, all A's.  My studies do not easily for me, so that means that I will have to work really hard to achieve my goal.  Coming back well will definitely help me accomplish this with the Lord's help.

Life as a Student

     This semester at school has been extremely difficult.  At times I have wondered whether taking Anatomy II and Probability and Statistics along with an online course in literature was wise.  Between taking care of the children and the house and spending the amount of time studying that I need, it sometimes seems an impossible task.  Math is my weakest subject to begin with so the coursework in Probability and Statistics takes a huge amount of time.  Anatomy II requires a lot of memorization and my English course requires much writing in response to the required reading selections each week.  Sometimes I just feel like crying.   My husband helps me with both my math and English; however, he has never taken a course in Probability and Statistics, so it sometimes takes us several hours to complete the week's assignments.  Normally, I am early to bed and early to rise, but this semester I have been studying until 2:00 A.M. at times.  Even though it has been very difficult, I still enjoy learning; I enjoy the challenge.   One might say my life as a student is a bit of a mixed bag.

Hiking and Climbing in the Mountains

     Hiking and climbing in the mountains has become a big thing with our boys.  They love to hike and climb and on this particular day they made the most of their time.  They both thoroughly enjoy the out of doors, much to our pleasure.  It is a joy to watch them run and hike the trails and climb trees on the mountains.  At the same time, I experienced just a twinge of sadness watching them  as I realized that my babies are fast growing up.  Even though it is a good thing, and I would not want them to remain babies, I still miss those days a bit.  For more beautiful fall scenes, go to Scenic Sunday.

Autumn Sky

     On a recent trip to the Shenandoah Valley, we were privileged to enjoy this beautiful autumn sky combined with the brilliant colors of the fall foliage.  A day that started out somewhat cool actually turned out to be rather mild and a great day for hiking mountain trails.  For more beautiful skies, visit Skywatch Friday.

A Nice Break

     After slaving over the books for nearly nine weeks, it was really nice to have a little free time Saturday to enjoy myself with the family.  We traveled to the Shenandoah Valley, one of our favorite haunts this time of year, and were treated to the splendor of God's handiwork.  The color was unbelievable.  I am really looking forward to Christmas break when I can take the time to paint one of these scenes on canvas.  For more great scenery, visit Scenic Sunday.

Up, Up and Away!

     A beautiful summer sky had me dreaming a bit as I watched some planes passing overhead, taking off and landing at a nearby airport, BWI.  The light wispy clouds in a bright blue sky were quite mesmerizing.  I love to travel and was transported in my mind to lands far away.  For other great photos of the sky  visit Skywatch Friday.

Pumpkin Time

     I love the brilliant colors of fall which I normally associate with the changing foliage, but the vivid colors here are just another example of the beauty of autumn.  Taken several years ago at Catoctin Mountain Orchards, these photos reminded me of some of the natural beauty of the season. From the bright orange of the many pumpkins to the various brilliant colors of the flowers, Catoctin Mountain Orchards was an entrancing place to visit.  Looking back,  I enjoyed seeing my sons at  a younger age.  It   is difficult to imagine them being this small.  For more scenic photos, visit Scenic Sunday.

The National Cathedral

     On a sightseeing excursion in the city of Washington, D.C., we had the pleasure of visiting the National Cathedral.  It was a warm summer day with a beautiful blue sky set off by fluffy white clouds.  Visiting relatives greatly enjoyed our tour of D.C., especially the National Cathedral.  For more picturesque sky photos, visit Skywatch Friday.