AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2007

NEWSLETTER

LADY BUG FLORIST & GIFTS

NEXT EDITION:  OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2007

Let us be grateful
to people who make us happy;
they are the charming gardeners
who make our
souls blossom.

Marcel Proust, French Writer

Hello Everyone,

My, how time has just flown this summer!  It’s hard to believe that school  is about to start.  Seems like just yesterday we were making all the
corsages for graduation!

I participated in my first bridal show earlier this month, which was a complete success.  I had so much fun creating designs for the show; we did 12 in all!  I even got Mike (my loving husband) to help the day of the show!

I have had several weddings to do this year and have some even booked for 2008. How great!  It has been fun meeting new people and helping them create the bouquets for their dream wedding!

Have a great Fall!!! 

Homemade Repellents to keep wildlife at bay.

Hair:  Human Hair placed in an old nylon stocking can be hung from the lower branches of trees.  My mother also used dog hair to keep the wildlife away from her garden, and it seemed to work just fine.

Hot Pepper:  Sprinkle cayenne pepper on the plants.  You can make it a spray by mixing one to two tablespoons pepper powder (or Tabasco sauce), with a wetting agent such as soap or horticultural oil, in a gallon of water.  It has been noted that commercial versions of this mixture seem to last longer.

Rotten Eggs:  Mix eggs and water to sprinkle on your plants, but be careful to avoid food poisoning.  Always wash your hands afterwards and keep this mixture off edible plants.

Garlic:  Chop, mince and place in a permeable container or mix with water and spray onto plants.

Bar Soap:  Strongly scented deodorant soaps may keep animals away.  You can slice or grate this through your garden.  Or you can place it in netting and hang from a post.

Mothballs:  I am sure everyone has heard of this one before, but when I was researching this, one article stated that several animals rub in the mothballs, which controls body lice.  I never heard of that – but it makes sense, you wouldn’t want to stick around that smell too long!

PLANT OF THE MONTH:  Asplenium Nidus

Otherwise known as Bird’s Nest Fern.  It has leathery, apple green leaves, which form an open rosette.  New leaves uncurl from the center, and can grow up to 48”, but more common as large as 18”.  The first few weeks as the leaves uncurl, they are very delicate and should not be handled. 

Keep the potting soil thoroughly moist.  Mature fronds will benefit from having dust gently wiped away at regular intervals.  Should be fertilized once a month during the spring to autumn using the standard liquid fertilizer.

Making new plants:  Propagation is by spore, which is difficult to achieve.  Offsets are not formed.

CRAFT PROJECT OF THE MONTH

Have you ever had some old jewelry that belonged to your grandmother or even your great-grandmother, but it’s stuffed in an old jewelry box?  You only see it once in a while when you do spring-cleaning.  You can not bring yourself to throw it out, but you keep asking yourself, “Why am I keeping it – I would never wear it…”

Why not display your treasure!

Supplies Needed:

Shadow Box (you can purchase this at a local craft store)
Material/and Scrap book paper
Batting
Glue/Staples/straight pins

Line the back of the shadow box with the batting and then secure the material over that.  Place pictures of your Grandmother  in the display box by adhering them to the scrap paper.  Then simply secure the jewelry to the backing using small straight pins.  You can cut these short so they are not visible in the display.
  You can also add color by adding silk flowers. 

Use your imagination!!

SUNFLOWER KNOWLEDGE

• Most sunflowers are heat and drought tolerant, making them easy to grow.

• Tips for the brightest blooms in the neighborhood:

• Plan sunflower seeds about and inch deep in well-drained soil in a sunny spot.

• Plant a few seeds each week instead of sowing them all at once.  That way, you’ll have sunflowers all season.

• Leave at least 12 to 18 inches between plants.

• To deter birds, spread netting over the planted area until seeds germinate.

Water deeply and infrequently.  Fertilize sparingly.

Gather flowers for bouquets early in the morning, when buds are just beginning to open.