I have always loved flowers, but I never got into cultivating them until this year. I remember as a little girl up until adulthood, my Mom would spend hours and hours in her yard and caring for her flowers. It was therapy for her. She truly had a green thumb and was something I never thought I could have. This summer I took several trips to our local home improvement store and found a few flowers (I call them “my babies”) that I want to care for. After the residuals of the hurricanes came through, we knew we needed to clean up and restore what was left behind. I managed to pot a few plants, and HB was able to get a few things done in the yard before the sky opened up.
There are a few things newbie gardeners may not know. We were SO EXCITED when we first started planting flowers in our new yard that we didn’t know the difference between perennials and annuals. You would think annuals would grow every year, right? To our surprise, we were WRONG! If you didn’t know, please don’t feel alone. More people get this confused than you know. Perennials regrow every spring, while annuals live one growing season then their life cycle ends.
A few things I have learned (and still learning) about gardening:
- Stay hydrated.
- Keep delicious snacks on hand.
- Don’t forget the insect repellent. Mosquitoes are ruthless!
- Get familiar with soil type and pH levels.
- Aerate your soil at least once a year.
- Get familiar with types of fertilizer and repellent to use on flowers.
- Visit your local home improvement store and ask questions.
- Believe in your green thumb abilities. You can do it!
The sky opened up on Friday, so we ended up having to finish up on Saturday. It was a beautiful, hot day and we got more done than we expected. HB prepared the flower bed to make room for our new perennials. Although I’m getting into the whole cultivating flowers thing, this is truly his therapy. He loves our yard! I’m going to stick to my succulents, ponytail palms, and watering the plants/flowers for right now! But I am excited to plant some vegetables!
Yep, we have to pull these Zinnias up! Because why? They are ANNUALS!
HB had been outside for hours. I couldn’t break him away not even for a snack, and I knew he was getting hungry. I found a new brand of yogurt called, Liberté, and it’s truly heaven in a cup! I knew he would enjoy it, because I sure did! Not sure if I’ve ever shared this with you all, but I just started eating yogurt maybe a few years go. I just didn’t like it. That was until they started making yogurt that tastes just as good as dessert — and that’s exactly what Liberté tastes like! SO GOOD!
Liberté has two flavors in particular: Philippine Coconut and Ecuadorian Mango. They both have such intriguing flavors that will inspire you to be adventurous! I also love Liberté because it tastes exceptionally delicious, it’s organic, and it has carefully chosen ingredients. It’s perfect for snack time, breakfast, and my favorite…dessert! And of course when you need a snack while doing yardwork!
I’m a huge fan of coconut, so that’s my favorite. I went inside to get a snack for HB so he could take a break. I brought him back the Ecuadorian Mango flavor. I’m not even kidding, when HB tasted it for the first time he closed his eyes and almost inhaled it! He said it tasted like ice cream. That means he THOROUGHLY enjoyed it! Lol! He couldn’t wait to head back to the store to stock up! I don’t blame him because they are DELICIOUS! You can find Liberté at your nearest Publix. Make sure you grab this coupon to SAVE on your purchase like I did! I swear you won’t regret it!
I love the fun facts on the lid of each Liberté yogurt cup!
[Tweet “Take a break and enjoy @LiberteUSA’s Ecuadorian Mango yogurt: ooh.li/fb00758 #ad “]
We finished up our project for the day by planting two rose bushes in honor of my Mother and his Grandmother. We are really proud of what we accomplished. I can’t wait to see how beautifully they blossom next spring!
Are you new to gardening? What’s something that you learned that you didn’t know when you started?
Those garden look nice.
Thank you so much!
Your garden is really looks awesome. I am so happy reading your detailed tips to start a garden at home.
That garden looks awesome, keep up the good work! I can’t stress enough the importance of always have good snacks available when gardening. :) Looks like you two had a lot of fun.