Plant Flower Pots & Containers
As spring arrives and warms our days, our outdoor spaces call to us. There is healing in the garden as it’s been proven that being outside improves our mood, relieves stress and boosts our immune system. It’s time to open the doors and get outside.
It may be too early in the season for serious gardening, but there are several fun outdoor projects that can be accomplished in a few hours as you bask in the warmth of the sun. These easy projects will take only a few hours and little effort, but the rewards of being outside will be numerous.
Gather your kids and grandkids into the car and head to your local garden center to choose from the new containers, urns, pots and flowers they’ve added to their inventory. Flower pots and flowers will add color and texture to your garden and planting them is an easy way to get your hands a bit dirty as you only need a container, planting soil and plants to complete the project.
Choose pots that drain well and soil that matches your plants’ drainage needs. Also, keep in mind that some plants can’t get enough sun while others welcome a break in the shade during the day. Place your pots in spaces that you can easily reach with water and watch them carefully. Pots on cement and other hard surfaces may lose water to evaporation as the heat builds. When you’ve finished your planting project, enjoy the colorful array of plants you’ve created in your spaces. Love the idea of planting colorful pots but need some help
Plant an Educational Strawberry Garden
Educational gardens are perfect for families who want their children to be involved with gardening. Small children enjoy digging in the dirt and watching plants grow. They especially love when their hard work results in delicious fruit they can pick from the plant and eat immediately.
Strawberries lend themselves to educational gardening as they are easy to plant and grow and deliver the perfect summertime fruit.
They can be planted in containers or in a small patch of soil in the garden. They enjoy at least eight hours of full sun and thrive when planted 18 inches apart in slightly acidic, well-fertilized soil. Finally, birds and insects enjoy the fruit as much as we do, so watch your berries carefully for signs of animal encroachment. Ask R&S to help with preparing a small garden space 8’x8’ and adding fresh compost & soil. Then you and the kids get to do the fun part- Planting!
Contact us for help with planting.
Hang a Hammock
It’s important to have reasons to be outside and in nature. One of the better ways to get into the outdoors is by creating a space to relax, perhaps nap or read a book. Nothing says “come outside and relax” more than a comfortable hammock.
A hanging hammock is easy to install as long as you have two strong, stationary posts to accept the drilled hardware and hold the hammock and your napping body. The installation instructions will describe how far apart the supports need to be as well as how high to drill the holes to prevent the hammock from dragging on the ground.
There are also hammocks that come complete with their own stand for those who do not have sturdy, properly-spaced supports readily available. These require space to accommodate the structure, but have no drilling requirements.
Once your hammock is hung, find a good book and become one with nature in your new backyard oasis. You may find it hard to leave.
Create a Bird Haven
We have all experienced the joy of watching a hummingbird hover around the feeder or flower to enjoy a snack of sweet nectar. Or, a bird we can’t identify splash around in just enough water to wet its feathers. Birds bring the joy of nature into our outdoor spaces and we can do more to welcome them.
Attracting birds is as simple as positioning feeders in the spaces where birds feel safe and free to enjoy their meals. Hummingbird feeders require the ongoing replacement of nectar that is easily produced in any kitchen. A variety of wrens, finches, and cardinals flock to bird feeders stocked with commercially-prepared bird seed that can be purchased in any store. Your yard can be the haven for the birds in your area and you can fill your outdoor spaces with the wildlife that surrounds you. Adding native plants & perennials that produce seeds and berries will help create a habitat that attracts local birds.
It won’t be long until we are outdoors more than we are inside. R&S Landscaping will be here to help you create and maintain the yards and gardens that draw us through our doors. In the meantime, get outside and reconnect with nature and the outdoors.