Glorious perennials & Non-toxic Gardening

Hi, sweets!  

This time of the year is fun to me for so many reasons!  

First of all, we are ALMOST done homeschooling. *insert HUGE grin and fist pump* That would have to be the HIGHLIGHT of spring!  LOL  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE homeschooling, but when spring approaches, we all just want to be outside playing and working on outdoor projects.  We have SEVERAL in the works right now.  

Probably WAAAY more than we can handle!  :)  I'm sure you can relate.

After a long, cold, winter the baby plants are returning in all of their glory, peeking out buds just waiting to be inhaled and clipped for fresh bouquets.  I am particularly excited this year, because I planted a TON of clearance perennials last year(CHEAP!), and against the odds, they are THRIVING!  I said some major prayers for those babies, because they literally got plunked into the ground after it snowed!  YAY!  Among the things I planted include my ALL time favorite, *hydrangeas*, lilacs, lily of the valley, iris', lavender(another favorite), yarrow, honeysuckle, bleeding hearts, climbing roses, many sedum varieties, a snowball bush, a smoke tree, random bushes(haha) and more *hydrangeas*!   

Swoon.

Anyway, another reason I live spring is because I love projects!  Not just cleaning projects, but CREATIVE projects.  Example:  I love to take something old, neglected, and ugly and give it new life.  I have previously mentioned that seeing the potential in things can be hazardous to your health, marriage, garage, or in my case, all of the above!  LOL I'm just kidding, but things to do happen to pile up mysteriously until one day your husband asks where the lawnmower went.  Ummm, "Well honey, I think it's ummm.....somewhere under that pile of curb finds and junk furniture over there somewhere."  OOPS.  I have been blamed for creating 'garage chaos' more than once.  :) 

I will soon be posting about a $5.00 table that I bought at Goodwill.  It was pretty UGLY as is, but the transformation has begun, and it already looks SO much better!  I had my right hand gal, Eleanor, by my side painting away!  What a great way to bond with my TWELVE year old daughter(who is going on 23, by the way)!  

Ok, I'm back.  

Another project underway is a chicken coop for our little chicks coming in a few days.  YIKES!  We have big plans for this one...on a little budget.  We will be using recycled barn boards, an old door, and whatever else we can find for next to nothing.  Of course, it has to look Country Living cute, you know?  No shabby chicken coops over here!  LOL  We'll see what we can come up with.  I want it to look something like this...

Hey, I can dream, right?  :)

Well, as long as I WAS on the subject of gardening, I wanted to share with you another great way to use one of my favorite products in your gardening.  I think we all know how dangerous pesticides and herbicides can be, and Basic H is the answer to our organic gardening dilemma!  I got this list from a fellow, seasoned, Shaklee Distributor and I cannot wait to try it!  We even have several Amish customers who use and love the Basic H(CLASSIC) for their crops and trees.  :)

Here you go!

For Tomatoes: 3oz of basic H w/ 1oz of Liqui-lea and 5 gallons of water - apply after planting Trickler Systems: Flowers: 100 gallon systems - 18 oz of Basic H w/4oz of Liqui-lea, mix w/ water - Apply twice a week Spray Formula: Flowers: Mix ½ oz of Basic H with 1oz of Liqui - lea and 3 gallons of water. Spray twice a week Apple Scab: 1 quart Basic H - 100 gallons of water. Spray apples as you would lime sulphur. Spray at pre - blossom and at petal fall, then every 15 days, for the best results. Orange Groves: To clean irrigation lines: 2 7/8 gallons Basic H to 90,000 gallons of water Lawn Care: To increase water absorption 200%!! Buy an Ortho bottle. Fill this w/ Basic H and hook to your hose. Continually spray your yard, don't let it soak. Just go along your grass until it is gone. Fill again if it is necessary. Do this 4-5 times per year, beginning in April, making sure to also do it late in the summer Grubs: 1 ½ quart Basic H - ½ pint Basic G - 10-12 - gallons of water. Spray every 100 ft Use Ortho bottle or injector Dandelions: 100 sq ft - Use Ortho Spryer or hose w/ valve sytem - 2 quarts of Basic H - 1 bottle of Liqui-lea - ½ pint Basic G - Should be used with some form of liquid fertilizer. Apply twice a year Weeds: pull a bucket per day - a sick lawn supports weeds - a healthy lawn does not support weeds. Trees: nursery stock, seedlings, or seed beds: Mix 1oz of Basic H with gallon of water. Spray on whole seedling and around entire trunk. Apply every 10 days. 3-4 feet tall: Mix 1 quart of Basic H with 8 quarts of Water. From this mixture, feed at the base of the tree 1 Cup of solution twice per day for the first day , then once a day until the solution is gone. 4-8 ft tall: Mix 1 quart of Basic H w/ 6 quarts of water. From this mixture, Feed at the base of the tree. Use 1 pint of the mixture twice a day for 2 days and then 1 pint thereafter until the mixture is gone. Feedings are of a mixed solution. Do this 3 times per year. 8 ft an up: Mix 1 quart of Basic H w/ 5 quarts of water. Feed one quart of the solution each day until the solution is gone. Do this twice a year. Small Evergreens: Mix 1oz of Basic H with gallon of water. Add 1 oz of liqui - lea for proper vitamin needs. Spray on whole seedling and around entire trunk. Apply every 10 days. Evergreens: Add 8 oz of Liqui-lea to 8 ft an up Mix 1 quart of Basic H w/ 5 quarts of water. Feed one quart of the solution each day until the solution is gone. Do this twice a year Lawn Shrubs and bushes: For any type of evergreen shrub use 1 teas Basic H and 1 teas of Liqui-lea per gallon of water. Hard wood shrubs and small trees: Use ½ oz Basic H w/ 1 gallon of water. Spray once every 2 weeks or if insects appear. I hope this helps any of you looking for non-toxic alternatives for your gardening needs!  I plan on having beautiful gardens, naturally, LORD willing, and saving money while I do it! Click on the images below for more information and feel free to contact me with any questions!  :)               "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever." Isaiah 40:8 Happy Gardening!!! P.S.  I would be totally honored if you would 'follow me' on this journey!  :)