Inspirations by D

Entertaining Outdoors

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Hey friends, I hope that you are having a wonderful and blessed day, if not,
then I hope these lovely and inspiring outdoor spaces cheer you up a bit.

As you are well aware, I am in the process of
giving our little outdoor space a bit of a make over. It is a long process due to weather,
but hopefully it will get done before the end of the summer, I hope.

It only needs cleaning up, painting, planting...well you get the idea.
It's not an expensive project, just time consuming, but we'll eventually get there.
In the mean time, I wanted to share these inspiring outdoor entertaining ideas.
Aren't they lovely?

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This spring and summer open your doors to the backyard or even balcony if
you have the space, as an extension of your home. The presence of a grand table
with plenty of chairs transforms an open space into an outdoor dining room.
Accessorize with what you have on hand, candles, jars, cans, lights,
banners, tablecloth, runner and flowers. You'll enjoy it and so will your guests!

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via: littlemissmomma

via:littlemissmomma

via: littlemissmomma
These last three are from Ashley at Little Miss Momma and she creates the loveliest outdoor
entertainment spaces, simple and beautiful for a gathering.

I hope that you enjoy browsing through them as much as I have.

Which one inspires you the most?

Linked to:
Craftberry Bush
Salt Tree
The Dedicated House

Planting Pinata Lavender

www.inspirationsbyd.blogspot.com

This past weekend I stopped by my local hardware store to look for supplies for a project.

As we walked up and down the aisles, I noticed that they did not have all the supplies I needed.

I decided to head over to the gardening section of the store.

And there it was, Pinata Lavender. I love lavender for their fragrance and the little things

you can do with them when harvested. I just had to get some for my garden.

I posted below how to plant and care for these for those interested in planting lavender.

inspirationsbyd.blogspot.com

These are a mounding perennial which means that they grow and bloom over the spring,

summer and into fall, then die back to the ground in winter returning in each spring from their roots.

A great tip for planting this type of lavender in borders is to plant them either in the center

or toward the back since they tend to grow taller than other flowers and plants.

To make a huge visual impact, plant the same variety and color perennial in one area.

This is commonly referred to as a mass plantings.

In combination planters, use tall perennials as the centerpiece surrounded by mounding

varieties with contrasting flowers and foliage. Then add trailing varieties to cascade

over the edge of the planter. Annual flowers can be added to fill in between blooming cycles.

Prepare the area for planting by conditioning the soil. Loosen the soil and incorporate an organic soil conditioner according to directions.

Dig a hole 2 times the width of the root ball and a depth slightly less than the height of the root ball. Allow the top surface of the root ball to rest 1/2 inch higher than the soil line.
For container grown plants, carefully remove plant by squeezing container and slowly removing the root ball. Never pull on the plant trunk. Instead let the root ball slide out by tipping the container. If the plant is heavily rooted, loosen roots by gently pulling a few away from the root ball. This encourages stronger root growth. Set root ball in hole making sure the top of the root ball is slightly higher (1/2 inch) than ground level. Place soil mix under root ball if too low. Back fill soil mix around plant to ground level and tamp lightly removing all air pockets.
Water thoroughly to settle the soil around the plant. Add more soil mix around plant if necessary after watering. Apply root stimulator to encourage new root growth and fast establishment.
Add a 2-3" layer of mulch around plant to conserve soil moisture and eliminate future weeds.
Fertilize just before and during the plants active growing cycle. Fertilization should begin just prior to new growth and end three or four weeks before the first frost.
Choose an all-purpose fertilizer recommended for flowering and/or foliage plants. Frequency will depend on the type of fertilizer. Liquid (water soluble) and granular quick release fertilizer, require more frequent application; slow release granular fertilizer requires less.
Perennials are pruned to increase flower production and new growth.
Perennials that go dormant should be allowed to die back. Prune them in late winter or early spring. This encourages new growth and flowers.
Perennials that do not die back completely can be selectively pruned in early spring to remove dead and damaged limbs.
Removing old flowers prevents the plant from setting seed and encourages new blooms.
Always water slowly and deeply making sure the root ball is completely saturated.
Don't water at night if possible. Watering in the morning helps prevent disease.
Plants in containers may require more frequent watering than plants in the ground. This will depend on plant variety, pot size and soil.