The Simple Sophisticate - Intelligent Living Paired with Signature Style
Education:Self-Improvement
~This is one of my "sun" pots full of Creeping Jenny in the forefront, the spiller~
6. Add a few perennials to your yard each year Perennials can be expensive, but part of the reason their price tag is higher is they last for more than one season. Whether it is a shrub, a hedge, the bulbs for tulips or daffodils, roses, or anything thing you determine would complement your yard and survive in your climate, gradually bring a few more into your yard each year as your budget allows. Take time when making decisions about perennials and watch how the sunlight falls in different areas of your yard to determine exactly what plant or tree would be best. 7. Follow an expert or a few who offers ample inspiration and information TSLL blog is not a gardening blog as readers know, but I am regularly encouraging time spent with nature as a means for a more content life. If I can do anything to assist you in your journey to welcome more Mother Nature into your home, it is to offer the encouragement to indeed welcome her with open arms. There are many fantastic gardening blogs available to read and follow. Some offer expert advice (as I mentioned Paul Allen Smith above is my trusted go-to), some offer visual inspiration (I love Sharon Santoni's home and yard), and some offer it all along with the ability to purchase the flowers they grow such as Floret's Flowers (her dahlias are her rock-star product, but her daffodils are amazing as well). 8. Water regularly As with anything we want to grow, regular watering is a must. Now for those of who travel, this can become difficult as we want to travel during the summer, but we've also invested some money in our plants and we want to return to a home with living, beautiful blooms. Consider carefully placing your pots so that your automated sprinkler will reach them or ask a trusted neighbor to water your pots once or every other day as necessary. 9. Use good soil Quality matters as well when it comes to gardening. This year I purchased a yard of organic soil builder - compost - from our local county recycling business for $15. Now I also had to pay for them to deliver it, but I wanted to give my garden an extra rich, nutritious foundation. You can also buy something similar in bags at your local nursery, but price per pound, this was an amazing deal, and I didn't want to pass it up. "Feeding" your soil and ensuring it is of good quality is the key to building a successful garden. There are other ways you can tend to your soil organically as shared by Better Homes & Gardens - add shredded leaves, animal manures or cover crops. Read more here. 10. Make a plan and map it out Whether it is planning for which plants to put in your pots, how your landscaping will look or the layout in your garden (which vegetables and fruit go where), plan it out first. Better Homes & Gardens offers a Garden Planner which is simple and easy to use, but you can also simply pencil it out on a pad of paper. I find myself over-buying of one plant and not purchasing enough of another, only having to make a second trip (which I don't mind, but it would simplify the process to get what I need in one trip). 11. Visit your local farmers market Whether you have a garden or not, flowers or not, an outdoor herb garden or not, knowing you can always slip away to your local farmers market to pick up fresh produce, a beautiful seasonal bouquet of flowers for the home and perhaps a potted basil plant for the window sill, is a perfect way to soak in Mother Nature's gifts and welcome them into your home. When we take the time to savor the seasonal bounty having pulled the carrot from the soil, plucked the fresh strawberry from the vine or picked the apples from the tree, we are respecting what Mother Nature has provided and tending to our health and wellbeing along the way. I hope you have discovered a few tips and ideas for beginning or enhancing your home yard and garden experience. For me, having an outdoor space, no matter how small, has always been soothing and necessary to find the balance of my days. However, initially all of the decisions made available when I stepping into a necessary put me in sensory and selection overload. While I still delight in visiting nurseries, I more clearly trust my decision making and enjoy the experience knowing that when I bring home what I have found, my space will become more welcoming and more of a sanctuary than it already is (all the while saving my budget). SIMILAR POSTS/EPISODES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:~Why Not . . . Create a Mini Garden?
~Ina Garten's Gorgeous Garden
~Farmers Markets: How to Make the Most of Your Visit No Matter Where You Live (Bend's Farmers Markets are Shared as well)
~Watch the pilot episode of The Simply Luxurious Kitchen: Seasonal Fare to Elevate the Everyday (season 1 begins on Satuday September 8th)
~ASK SHANNON 2018, Submit your questions now. Monday June 25th will be this year's Ask Shannon episode where I get the chance the answer your questions directly on the air. Submit by Tuesday June 12th Email me at askshannon@thesimplyluxuriouslife.com More information here Petit Plaisir: ~Ritz and Escoffier: The Hotelier, The Chef and The Rise of the Leisure Class by Luke Barr ~other books by Luke Barr - Provence, 1970: M.F.K. Fisher, Julia Child, James Beard and the Reinvention of American Taste Sponsor of this week’s episode: Casper Mattress Promo code: SS $50 toward your purchaseImages: (1) from TSLL's home in Bend, Oregon (potted plants, fuchsia, Japanese maple, hostas, coleus and sweet potato vines) (2) pics captured at Bend's first day of the farmers market
381: The Power of the Clarity of Our Intention AND Where We Direct Our Attention: Understanding Our Mind
380: How Rituals Enrich Our Lives IF We Choose and Engage with Intention
379: How (and Why) to Be Your Own Best Friend
378: Choose to Compost Your Past: How the Arrival of the Spring Season is a Metaphor for Life
377: The Slow Productivity Approach that will Elevate the Quality of Your Entire Life, as taught by Cal Newport
376: Wise Investments: Understand the Difference between a Good Value and a Good Deal
375: How to Become a More Skilled Participant in the Living of Our Life
374: What I Have Learned in French Class, So Far - part sept (7)
373: How to Nourish Your Creative Being: Cultivate An Artistic Hearth & Home
372: Simple Rituals to Enhance the Everyday and the 5 Characteristics of Simply Luxurious Rituals
371: Savoring A Quiet Christmas — Simple, Yet Significant
370: Savoring the Many Benefits of Being Single at Heart, my talk with author Dr. Bella DePaulo
369: How to Make Your Everyday Taste Better (11 Ideas)
368: What is a Simple Sophisticate? The 14 Characteristics
367: How to Create Décor that Welcomes & Comforts: How to Embrace the Ethos of Slow Decorating
366: My First-Hand Travel Tips for Flying Internationally to and Arriving in Britain with Ease and Comfort
365: How to Have Good Taste when it Comes to Décor, inspired by interior designer Heidi Caillier's Memories of Home
364: Energy Management for Quality Everydays: 6 Daily Habits to Include
363: Elizabeth Bougerol talks about The Hot Sardines' new jazz album C'est La Vie
362: The Fundamental Ingredient in a Well-Lived (and long) Life: Honor What Makes Your Heart Sing, 13 life lessons from Dr. Gladys McGarey
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