Mr. Bee and I have really been working hard to get our garden spruced up for the growing season. This post will kick off a series of posts on the buzz in my garden. The grocery store doesn’t have to be just for milk and eggs — it can also be a great source for pottery and plants. I stopped into Albertson’s grocery store recently and right at the front door were two beautifully
hand-painted pots from Mexico.
I couldn’t believe the price of them either. About the same time I spotted these, I had just picked up two hibiscus trees for less than $20 at Kroger. I knew the bright red flowers would be the perfect punch for the pots. So, I went ahead and purchased the pots knowing that if I went back for them later, they wouldn’t be there. When I transplanted the hibiscus plants into the pots I gave them a good dose of plant food and added sweet potato vine and wave petunias. That was about three weeks ago and now the hibiscus plants are covered in red blooms. I saw my first hummingbird the other morning so this is a good sign.
The other thing I purchase at the grocery every year is ferns. The Kroger’s carries Boston ferns each spring for $10 each. They are healthy and huge. Here’s a tip on how to keep them alive all summer and well into the Texas winter months — don’t leave them in the hanging pot they come in. I always transplant the ferns into big pots with fresh potting soil from the nursery. I add in a little plant fertilizer, then keep them watered all summer long. When everything else has stopped blooming because the heat is stifeling, I can always count on a little green from fern.
Hospitality is in my DNA. I founded Home with a Twist, a daughter’s twist on her mother’s traditions, in memory of my mother to celebrate her life and the gifts she shared with me. Mother loved to celebrate life’s occasions – big and small.
