Create Our Simple Container Gardening Flower Combos
Inside: With spring finally sprung and just in time for Mother’s Day, our DIY container gardening flower combos take the guesswork out of creating the perfect planter. A great gift for that someone special—which just might be you.
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Here We Go Again
Mom and I are at it again. Doin’ the DIY thing. Creating pots of flower pairings that are easy to put together. We’re just in time for Mother’s Day, which can include any special mother or motherly figure you want to honor. And, of course, your actual mother. Interestingly, Mom always gives me and the wonderful women who married my three brothers, gifts for the occasion. She’s like that, my mom!
It Starts With . . .
But back to flower talk. It starts with a sturdy pot, which can range from some gorgeous ceramic container to an affordable dollar store find. For our purposes, we chose the latter. So after a quick run to the Dollar Tree, we selected a typical plastic ten-inch pot and some lovely black dirt in the form of potting soil. I actually spent more on the soil than the pot, which spurred a discussion with Mom about the kind of people who get excited about dirt—namely us! I know, right? The people you meet in rural America. . .
Anyway, remember the previous post with that photo of lovely flowers? Those ended up in our container, plus, while we were at it—or, rather, while Mom was at it, with her hands plunged in the dirt and I snapped photos—we put together two more pots to offer a few options. By the way, these containers are for full sun, which means six to eight hours of sunlight per day. Note: If you are local reader, check out Sugar Grove Growers for their unique selection of plants on the cheap. That is where we purchased these.
Our Simple Containers
In the black planter we kept it simple with three Durango Marigolds from a four-pack and two small pots of purple calibrachoa. Mom placed the three marigolds in the back and the calibrachoa in front because of its trailing habit.
The cream-colored container is our thriller, filler, spiller selection. What do we mean by thriller, filler, spiller? The thriller is the plant growing in the center—you want your tallest flower here. For the filler choose plants which are shorter but tend to fill in the space around the center flower. Spillers are your plants that trail down the planter or basket, typically in front, though if you have enough room you could plant them all around the outer edge. We chose Bidens Beedance, Euphorbia Euphoric White, and Diascia Darla Deep Salmon.
Incidentally, this particular pot is self-watering. At the bottom it has a lower compartment which collects the excess water, which saves time by not having to water as often. An opening on the side directs water to the bottom for getting water to the root system quicker as well. Flowers always do particularly well for me in these containers. I bought mine at Walmart years ago, and recently I found them at Amazon.
In our clay pot we chose what some might consider an odd plant among the flowers—red cabbage. But wait, that’s not a flower. Yes, Virginia, you’re absolutely right. But if you’re a fan of planting succulents, you will probably be a fan of planting typical red cabbage in planters for ornamental purposes. I tried this by accident last year when I ran out of space in my vegetable garden for a couple of red cabbage plants and popped those babies into a container placed among my flowers. The purple-blue-green colors of the cabbage were attractive and the plant hardy, lasting the entire season with little from me but regular watering. No, I didn’t harvest any cabbage heads. They didn’t have room to spread out and it was late in the season, anyway, but they added beauty and interest to my container garden. In many parts of the country it’s getting too late to plant cabbage for food (at least until fall planting) which makes it a bargain if you can find them to transplant into your pots. Trust me, they’re lovely and add texture. Plus you’ll be the talk of all your gardening pals for your ingenuity.
More Sun-loving Varieties
You certainly don’t need to be limited by our choice of plants for our containers. Some other great suggestions include geraniums, vinca, marigolds, petunias, purslane, moss roses, and zinnias, though we’re only scratching the surface with these. Ask at your local garden center or nursery for more ideas, or see what catches your eyes and check out the stick stake for details.
Shade-loving Plants
Maybe you are sun-challenged where you live—or your gift recipient is—and you’d like a few ideas for the shade planters. Try begonias, impatiens, coleus, and torenia for starters. I often mix various colors of coleus in an old barbecue kettle grill, and it looks great in the shade. I also pair begonias with coleus that have complimentary colors.
Tips for Flower Container Gardening
- Read your stick stake! Pay special attention to light and water needs as well as height and growing behavior (trailing, spreading, etc.).
- Make sure your pot is big enough to accommodate your flowers. Also check to see your pot has holes in the bottom. (You’ll thank me after a downpour.)
- Don’t be afraid to squeeze the root ball when transplanting. What is a root ball, you might be wondering? The main mass of roots at the base of a plant. Cover the roots but don’t bury the stem or mound potting soil around it.
- Group like-minded flowers together. In other words, don’t mix shade lovers with sun worshipers. Or, mix them at your own risk!
- Pair complimentary colors and textures of plants together. If you’re not good at putting colors together, take note of hanging baskets and containers where you shop for plants.
- Be brave and pinch off the flower heads after transplanting. Why? Because your plants will spread out and create more flowers. This is probably the biggest advice Mom gives customers buying flowers.
- Most of all, have fun with your flower project. Dig your fingers into the soil, and once you’ve put together your beautiful planter and washed the dirt off your hands, you might just discover a green thumb!
Do you enjoy container gardening? Tell us about it in the comments.
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Plant Shopping, Yard Jungle, and Other News Fresh From the Farm
Inside: My favorite shopping spree, taming the jungle that is my yard, and learning is for the birds.
My Favorite Shopping Spree
Certain things in life I just don’t get. I don’t understand “retail therapy” or spending the day looking at racks and racks of clothes. And don’t get me started on shoe shopping.
But mention plants, and just give me a minute while I go get my purse. I’m there. Case in point, Sugar Grove Growers where Mom works. I went there Monday with the idea of buying a few plants for a DIY project she and I are doing this week (watch for the post soon!) and walked away with a crate full. Plants, glorious plants!
If you’re reading this and you’re local, Sugar Grove Growers is celebrating their Grand Reopening on Saturday, May 5 from 10 – 3. Plenty of fun for the whole family with face painting for the kids, free popcorn and drinks, a drawing for choice of combo planter, gift basket or hanging basket, The Loft Vendors with handmade items, classes in mini flower arrangements, kitchen techniques, and a gardening class taught by Mom–“How to Garden Like an Expert: A Beginner’s Guide.” (Her classes are at 10 and 1.)
And did I mention plants?
Taming the Jungle That is my Yard
So I’ve been an outspoken supporter of spring this season, doing my fair share of complaining about northern winds and biting cold and the too-slow march toward the warmer side of life. We’ve endured weeks and weeks of what seemed like a wrestling match between bad weather and birds. And finally the birds won. Was there any doubt? I must say, I was beginning to wonder.
But all this is good, though a little overwhelming when I head outside with clippers in hand. My yard has exploded in growth. Hubs has even mowed twice already. Instead of stressing over it, I’m reminding myself of what I often preach–the little by little method. That’s how I’m approaching the work load. I have various projects in mind, which I’ll be posting about, and Mom and I will be redoing the infamous stump garden again this year. Stay tuned and see what’s growing on. (I know, pretty awful. I blame my dad for the bad pun gene.) As for now, I’ll keep plugging away. And weeding. And planting. And digging.
Learning is for the Birds
These days I’m not finding much on Netflix to get excited about, but we started watching Somebody Feed Phil, a foodie travel show starring Phil Rosenthal. (He created the TV show Everybody Loves Raymond and is married to the woman who played Amy on the series.) We’re three episodes in–so far, so good–but the one that got my attention takes place in Vietnam. Phil was getting coffee near a park where dozens of cages full of birds hung side by side on poles. After watching men haul in the cages and hoist them up on hooks, he went over to investigate. It turns out these avian enthusiasts bring in their birds to learn songs from other birds. The goal is to expose their birds to more songs to increase their repertoire. Meanwhile the men talk among themselves in this peaceful, lovely–and loud–setting. When Phil asked why he didn’t see any women in the group, a woman explained that it tends to be a man’s hobby.
What I found surprising about this hobby is that I thought most birds, aside from mocking birds, only knew their own specific songs and nothing else. Granted, I don’t know a great deal about our feathered friends, but the idea of learning from each other seemed like a good one. Like maybe we humans could do a little more of this ourselves.
What’s been happening in your neck of the woods? Tell us about it in the comments.
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What is a Sheet Pan Supper?
Inside: Have you heard of a sheet pan supper? Meat and vegetables roasting together on a baking sheet. Easy to prep, easy to clean, you’re going to love this simple supper!
If you spend any time on Pinterest, you will have likely heard of sheet pan suppers. It starts with your meat of choice accompanied by just the right vegetables to compliment the flavor. Roasting meat and vegetables together. Easy clean up–a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Simple food prep–meat and veggies in bite-sized pieces. Win-win. Great sauce to bring the flavors together–big win!
Admittedly, this particular recipe didn’t come together in the first or second try, like most recipes do for me. This time around it took six attempts, but I’m pleased with the results. The sauce alone took three tries to get it right–thanks to Hubs for some great suggestions along the way. (And for being patient when I said, “Um, we’re having the sheet pan supper thing again.”) The final two tweaks consisted of increasing the oven temperature and using andouille sausage in place of regular beef smoked sausage–and that by accident. Walmart was out of beef smoked sausage, and there sat the andouille, calling my name. Turns out it was the perfect fit for this recipe.
So, after half a dozen attempts, a new dish is born–Sweet Chili Sausage Sheet Pan Supper. Ready to give it a try?
- ½ medium head of cauliflower
- 1 large red pepper
- 1 medium onion
- 13.5 ounce andouille sausage, fully cooked (I used Johnsonville)
- 4 tablespoons of no sugar added (or reduced sugar) catsup
- 2 teaspoons of chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon of allspice
- ½ teaspoon of molasses
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of sweetener
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Line a 13 X 18 inch baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Cut up the vegetables into bite-sized pieces and place on baking sheet.
- Slice the sausage into approximately quarter-inch slices and add to the vegetables.
- Mix everything together to form a single layer. (You don't want to overcrowd the pan.)
- Roast for 40 minutes or until the cauliflower starts to brown and remove from oven.
- While the meat and vegetables are roasting, prepare sauce by mixing together the catsup, spices, molasses, oil, and sweetener in a bowl.
- Mix the sauce into the meat and vegetables and roast for an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove from oven and serve.
- Enjoy!
A few notes. . . Since most aluminum foil won’t fit the pan, it’s helpful to take two sheets and fold them on one end to form one long sheet. If not on a special diet, you can use regular catsup and sugar in place of sweetener. You might also want to substitute diced potato for the cauliflower, though the cooking time might vary. Any fully cooked sausage would work well with this dish, so feel free to experiment.
Let me know if you try the recipe and if you made any substitutions. Enjoy!
Do you have any favorite simple suppers? Tell us about it in the comments.
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Make Our Simple Egg Fast Chai
Inside: Looking for a hot beverage to get you through the morning hours or maybe an afternoon pick-me-up? Try our egg fast chai. Only four ingredients and a blender, and you’re good to go!
Have you heard of egg fasts? If you’ve been hanging around keto or low carb circles, you’re probably familiar with the term. For me, a few days on an egg fast helps break a weight loss stall, so I like to do them every so often.
What is an Egg Fast?
What is an egg fast? It’s a diet consisting of eggs, cheese, and healthy fats followed for a short period of time. Basically, for every egg consumed, you eat a tablespoon of fat such as butter, mayonnaise, coconut or olive oil. You can also eat an ounce of cheese (full fat) per egg. While that might sound limiting, if you do a search on the topic in Pinterest, you will find many creative recipes other egg fasters have come up with that are actually pretty good. I recommend Snickerdoodle Crepes from I Breathe I’m Hungry blogger Mellissa Sevigny for starters. She also explains the diet in more detail and offers an egg fast meal plan with shopping lists if you are interested. I’ve tried lots of good recipes from this blog, both egg fast and keto, so you’re in good hands with her.
My Chai Recipe
I’ve also done a lot of research into bullet proof coffee and tea, a whole other topic in the world of ketogenic diets, but when I discovered there was an egg fast coffee, which I also like, I decided to try my hand at an egg fast chai. I keep wanting to call it a “latte,” but it’s really not because, strictly speaking, a latte has milk, and this doesn’t, even though this chai boasts a lot of frothy goodness. Thank the egg and butter for that.
This recipe has several elements I love. For one, it’s so easy to make. Right up my alley. For another, this chai kept me satisfied until lunchtime. But probably my favorite thing about my egg fast chai is that the taste reminds me of eggnog, which I absolutely love! Sometime this summer I’m going to try a cold version to see if it has the yum factor as well.
Have I convinced you yet? On to the recipe, then. . . .
- 1 cup of your favorite chai tea, brewed
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 1 tablespoon of a stevia-erythritol blend sweetener, such as Truvia
- Cinnamon for garnish (optional)
- Start a cup of your favorite chai tea to brew.
- While waiting for the tea to steep, add egg, butter, and sweetener into a blender.
- Once the tea is finished brewing, add it to the blender and blend on high for approximately 30 seconds.
- Pour into a large mug and sprinkle cinnamon on top.
- Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds to make it hot again.
- Enjoy!
A few notes before I go fix me a cup. . . . Yes, I do use raw eggs. I’ve heard it said your chances of being hit by lightning are greater than getting a bad egg, but I thought I better put out the warning anyway. (How many folks eat raw cookie dough?) Also, in one version I did experiment and put a tablespoon of heavy whipping cream (though heavy whipping cream in not permitted on egg fast) in the mix, but I actually didn’t like it as much. I thought it would make it more eggnog-like, but the cream only made it less flavorful. If not on an egg fast, try the cream and see what you think. Obviously my current favorite chai tea is Twinings Chai, which you can find here. It also occurred to me that an orange spice flavored tea might be a good option. If I do more experimenting, I’ll let you know.
Do you like chai tea? Tell us about it in the comments.
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