It's All About Home With Jo Rae

portulaca

May is the time to:

PLANT VEGETABLES – beans, cantaloupe, cucumbers, eggplant, honeydew, okra, southern peas, peppers, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and watermelon.

PLANT FALL BLOOMING BULBS – Did your garden lack color last fall? Now’s the time to plant autumn crocus, resurrection lily, spider lilies, and yellow danford iris to brighten up your fall this year.

PLANT ANNUALS – Add a pop of color around your mailbox, sidewalk, and perennial beds with annuals. Petunias, geraniums, coleus, dahlia, and zinnias are great choices in sun. For shade choose impatiens, begonias, and caladiums.

PLANT CONTAINERS, WINDOW BOXES & HANGING BASKETS - I incorporate a few perennials with my annuals in containers. Raid your perennial beds for coral bells, lamium, purple heart, and trailing ivies. Make sure your containers have a thrill (adds height, generally in the center of round containers or the back of window boxes), fill (the core plants found in the center) and spill (trailing vines to spill over the edge). Pair complimentary colored flowers e.g., blue and yellow or pink and purple, along with your greenery. Margarita sweet potato vine adds a nice lime pop of color as a trailing option.

PRUNE – Spring-flowering trees and shrubs, such as azalea, dogwood, forsythia and lilac, within four weeks after flowering.

PINCH -Pinch back your mums from the center to prevent them from getting leggy by the time they bloom.

DIVIDE - Divide or transplant hardy perennials, such as chrysanthemum, aster, hosta, and spring blooming bulbs.

DIE BACK – Many spring-blooming bulbs like daffodils utilize foliage to replenish each bulb’s food supply. Allow the foliage to die back without removing it until at least eight weeks after flowering.

Click Here to Download May Gardening Checklist

Uses for Plastic Grocery Bags from Jo Rae Johnson on Vimeo.

REPURPOSE:

· Draft blocker: Sew a tube of recycled fabric and stuff it with the plastic bags, then sew up the ends. Placed at the bottoms of drafty doors it will cut down on the heating bills, saving even more energy.

· Parachutes: For action figures – Cut a square from the center of a plastic bag. Cut string into four equal lengths. Punch a small hole into the four corners of the square and insert one end of the string. Tie off. Tie the left side strings together at end and right side strings together. Put looped strands under action figures arms to secure parachute. Drop from deck or porch and watch them sail to the ground!

· Stuff pet beds or throw pillows that have thick fabric covers. Make a pillow for the pool using an old beach towel. (The towel is absorbent and the plastic bags repel water!)

· Sit on: Watching your child play ball? Don’t soil your clothes. Lay a bag on the bleacher and protect your clothing. Want some “padding?” How about covering a phone book with a plastic cover?

· Stuff a scarecrow with plastic bags instead of straw, using straw just around the cuffs.

· Wrap it! Use a newspaper bag to wrap a wine bottle – stuff tissue inside and add ribbon.

GARDENING:

· Fill your pots with bags (don’t block drainage hole).

· Cover outdoor plants to protect them from frost at night – remove in the morning.

· Wrap around your knees to protect your jeans from grass stains while kneeling.

· Cover your shoes when the ground is muddy.

· Use as a weed barrier – cover with mulch.

MOVING:

· Wrap breakables (glasses, vases, etc.) with several layers of plastic bags – use additional bags to stuff around and in between packed items

· Lay on carpet or on high traffic areas to protect floors when moving and people are in and out.

HOUSEHOLD:

· Protect desk or table surface during craft time

· Cover countertop in kitchen when rolling out dough

· Tie one onto handle of drawer in kitchen to put vegetable peels and food waste when cooking.

· Use them to scoop the cat’s litter box.

· Wrap homemade bread in a clean plastic grocery bag. It will stay fresher but still be able to breathe.

· Use them to pack lunches.

· Use to cover a plate “to go” from your home.

· Switch your trash container to a container that “holds” grocery bags. (I bought one at Publix Grocery Store). Never buy another garbage bag again!

HOME IMPROVEMENT:

· Line paint trays

· Wrap your wet paint brush in a bag and place in the refrigerator. You’ll save time cleaning the paint brush between uses on a project that takes longer than a day.

DONATE: (Check their policies first)

· Child’s Daycare

· Thrift Stores

· Church’s

· Food Pantry’s

· Library

· Dog Parks

· Animal Shelters

TRAVELING:

· Cover Shoes in suitcase.

· Wrap toiletries in bag.

· Keep in Diaper Bag for messy diapers and soiled clothing.

· Keep in Glove compartment for trash.

· Put in beach bag for wet bathing suits.

· Cover your car’s side mirrors and windshield wipers if you park outside in winter and you won’t have to scrape ice off in the a.m.

Reduce the Number of Plastic Bags You Get:

· Bring the plastic bags you already have to the store to reuse them.

· Keep your own cloth bags in your car. Take into the store or library.

· When buying just one or two items, throw them in your purse or briefcase or carry them to the car, “bag-less.”

MAY GARDENING CHECKLIST

Recycle & Reuse Those Plastic Bags

Welcome!