How to Arrange Flowers Like a Pro

 I love flowers...all types, all colors, all sizes. But when it comes to arranging them, I fall short. If you are in the same boat as I am, perhaps you will find the post at The Nest helpful. Click on any of the photos below and start arranging those pretty cut flowers like a pro!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Spring Garden Clean Up

With the temperatures warming up and everyone having been cooped up all winter, we are all itching to get outside. Here's a link to some great tips on getting that flower bed ready to start bringing some color to your yard. Simply visit Jami at An Oregon Cottage for a checklist of making this job simple and fun. Click on the photo above, gather up those garden gloves and shears and get started. You'll be so happy you did when you see the results of your labor.


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Needles-n-Pins Stitcheries: Wintering Plants and Gardens

Now that fall is here and some of us need to get our gardens and flowers ready for old man winter, I thought I would share some ideas on how to get those gardens ready for the winter season and bring some of those plants inside.

Many people talk about bring their geraniums inside for the winter. I don't have any geraniums, but several people I know do bring them inside. The Weekend Gardner has the information for you to do this. 

Now many of you have vegetable and flower gardens over the summer that need to get ready for the long sleep ahead. The Farmers Almanac has some really good tips for this. 

Most of us in the north country have greenhouse for our growing of vegetable. If you are one of these people here is some ideas from Experimental Homesteader on getting your greenhouse ready for the winter.

Last but not least....let's not forget your lawn. In order for your lawn to make it through the winter and be ready for the spring there are a few things that will help it make it through the winter that you can do and Do It Yourself has all the tips for you.

So whether you have vegetable garden, flowers or lawns all these need to be prepared for the winter. I don't know if I am quite ready to be talking winter here tho.........I think I will enjoy more of the fall for now. 

Happy gardening! 

Colleen :)

Needles-n-Pins Stitcheries

Needles-n-Pins Stitcheries Blog

Needles-n-Pins Stitcheries: The Perfect Porch

I love my back porch. I spend as much time out there as I can just enjoying the quiet and sounds of the birds and nature. It isn't a real big porch, but I can put a few flower pots out there and put my chair out and sit in the sun. Living up in the north country we soak up as much sun as we can so when the sun is shining I try to take a little time to sit on my back porch. 

This article from The Country Register of Minnesota is on having a screen porch, but some of the ideas could work for an outdoor porch also. 

A porch is a quiet place to sit and relax. It is a place where people often sit and read the morning paper, or perhaps their favorite decorating magazine, while enjoying a cup of coffee. If offers the sights, scents and sounds of the outdoors along with the comforts of indoor living. A three season room or screen porch is an extension of your home. Decorate this space with the same gusto and creativeness that you would when decorating any other room of your house.

ADD ACCESSORIES

Use outdoor furniture with indoor features, such as pillows and throws. Toss a quilt over the back of a chair. Yard sales, flea markets and thrift stores are perfect places to find these items.

REFLECT YOUR PERSONAL STYLE

Make sure your patio fits your personal style. Treat it like any other room of your home. If your home is decorated in the primitive or country style, be sure to incorporate those tastes into your outdoor patio.

BRING THE OUTDOORS IN

Potted flowers bring the elements of the garden up onto your porch or patio. Choose coordinating colors to go with your furniture or theme. Place potted flowers inside crocks and wooden boxes. Add garden-themed items such as vintage watering cans, birdhouses and gardening tools.

DON’T HAVE A PORCH OR PATIO?

Create your own special space by placing furniture in a secluded area in your yard. It will create the perfect spot to sit and enjoy your favorite magazine!

 Reprinted in part with permission from The Country Register of Minnesota

So if you have a screened porch or just an outdoors porch and area have fun decorating it to your style and enjoy it while we can before the winter comes again. 

Have fun decorating! 

Colleen :)

Needles-n-Pins Stitcheries

Needles-n-Pins Stitcheries Blog

Needles-n-Pins Stitcheries: Garden Art

Now that we have the tools for our gardens and know how to plan them, we now need some art for our gardens. Garden art always adds something special to our gardens and I always enjoy looking in all the nooks and grannies of a garden to see all the neat fixtures. 

Here are some "finds" that I found from the wonderful stops on Etsy.


Every flower garden needs some daisies and EarthStudioMetalArt has this great rust metal daisy. Would look great in a southwest garden. 

Patty at PatsGardenArt has these cute metal garden flowers and I love all the colors. These flowers would fit into the garden area pretty good. 

Now....every garden should have bumble bees in them. Bumble bees are a gardens friend and helps all the plants grow and pollinate. MyGardenGoddess has these cute stepping stones for your garden. Just add them in your garden and follow the path....

So you can remember what you planted where in your vegetable garden why not use these garden markers from FromArtisansHands. I sure could use these because before the veggies come up I can't remember what the rows have in them and I love the colors of these markers. :)

And last but not least.....every gardens "good luck" charm....the ladybug. When I was a child my grandmother use to tell me that ladybugs were good luck to have in your garden so why not put this ladybug from LANDDelements in your garden to bring good luck to it. :)

Now you can get busy planning your gardens, planting your gardens and add "goodies" to your gardens. 

Good luck with your gardens and have fun!:)

Colleen :)

Needles-n-Pin Stitcheries

Needles-n-Pins Stitcheries blog

Needles-n-Pins Stitcheries: Let's Plant Those Gardens

Well May is here and it is time to really get busy and plant those gardens. Whether you are a flower gardener or a vegetable gardener there is planning to do. I collected a few tutorials from Pinterest to give you a few ideas on how to plant that garden this year. When I was searching for these tutorials I was amazed at all the different ways to garden. Here are a few I found.....

If you need to have a raised bed for your flowers or vegetables (which I would need) The Home Depot has a great tutorial on how to build one of these.

Do you grow herbs? Do you have a limited amount of space to grow your herbs? How about this cute idea from Home Talk.

Do you have a little place on your deck or porch that needs a little sprucing up with some flowers? Try this idea from Melissa atThe Inspired Room.

Now if you are short on space Apartment Therapy has a wonderful tutorial on how to grow vegetables, flowers, herbs, etc in a small space! What a great idea!

Then last but not least for those of you who really wan't to get elaborate with your flowers how about trying this out! I think it looks amazing and would love to have something like this in my yard, but then the moose would just eat the flowers and drink the water! LOL! Flea Market Gardening has the instructions on how to do this. 

So if you love to garden and love those flowers and vegetables, Spring is here so you can get started planting those gardens. 

HAPPY GARDENING!

Colleen

Needles-n-Pins Stitcheries

Needles-n-Pins Stitcheries Blog

Handmade Spotlight - Spring Flowers and April Showers

Who's ready for some spring flowers? I am!!

If you're spring flowers aren't popping up yet, check out this gorgeous treasury of Spring items.

You can find it by clicking here.

Tuesday Tutorial - Felt

Felt is so versatile and so easy to work with.   It is great not having to worry about fraying and hemming.

Today there are so many beautiful things being made with it,  too.   Here are some tutorials I found around the web.

I love these penny purses from Penny Rugs and More.

Here is a beautiful flower made from felt at Yoonie At Home.

Here is a lined felt storage basket from Gingham Cherry.

Make some pretty felt roses at Mama Moontime.

And if you want to try your hand at making penny rugs,   this blog has loads of information for you along with some free penny rug patterns.    Craft Stew

I hope you have been inspired to try something new with felt today.
Thanks for visiting.
Bette Shaw
www.byyourhands.com

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