On a recent trip to "Home Goods" I found a package of 6 egg cups for $3.99. I knew immediately what I wanted to do with them- make a living arrangement with succulents of course! One of the reasons I use succulents a lot is because they're "plants you can craft with". If you leave the root systems intact, you can use recycle the same plants through various arrangements over time so it never gets boring. I'm lucky to have a big collection of succulents in the greenhouse here at Conservation Garden Park to work with but I do the same thing at home. My personal collection of … [Read more...]
Home Organization 101 Class Summary
January 23, 2013 by · Leave a Comment
Last week's class featured Professional Home Organizer, Ann Hendrickson, who taught us many tips and tricks for getting and STAYING organized at home. I chatted a bit more with Ann to ask her what our "virtual" Club readers should know even though they couldn't attend the class in person. Below are some takeaway points Ann wanted everyone to remember from the class. We hope the tips will help all of us on our journey toward less stuff and more peace. Key Takeaway: There is no way around the clutter, only through it. If you're just "organizing" clutter into Rubbermaid totes it's … [Read more...]
10 Awesome Plant & Seed Catalogs
January 18, 2013 by · 2 Comments
Whether you're an experienced seed grower or just want to purchase some unusual plants, catalogs (and their accompanying websites) offer us a fantastic opportunity to obtain worthy plants that aren't otherwise widely available. I love curling up in my comfy chair with a blanket, something hot to drink, and a pile of garden-related catalogs! Ah, but what catalogs should you subscribe to? See the list below for some of our favorites: Plant Catalogs: 1. High Country Gardens After some ups and downs in the fumbling economy, High Country Gardens closed their retail and catalog … [Read more...]
10 Home & Garden Trend Predicitions for 2013
January 14, 2013 by · Leave a Comment
I think 2013 will be a year where the most important "trends" are in the way people behave as it relates to design rather than the design itself. I'm excited to see the DIY (do-it-yourself) movement that's ALWAYS been a trend in Utah continue to gain in popularity nationwide as people work on building their skills. The 'trendy' styles used as the training ground for those skills are interesting but the skills themselves are the real win! The Jordan Valley Home & Garden Club was founded specifically to help individuals gain confidence while building real-world skills they can use to … [Read more...]
Club Class: Home Organization 101
January 10, 2013 by · Leave a Comment
This month's class will be "Home Organization 101" and will be taught by Ann Hendrickson, a professional organizer. According to Statistic Brain, "Get Organized" is the #2 most popular New Year's Resolution (lose weight/get fit being #1). Most of us are trying to fit too much stuff into too little space and, as a result, are feeling the pinch! "Getting organized" can be overwhelming, STAYING organized can seem downright impossible! Ann will be teaching us how to clear out the excess stuff that's clogging our lives and homes. It can be a daunting task to sort through the trappings … [Read more...]
13 Must Grow Plants for 2013
January 7, 2013 by · Leave a Comment
Like the plant nerd that I am, I wait with baited breath each season to learn about the new plant releases for the year while plotting the various and assorted ways I intend to get my hands on them. However, just because a new plant is introduced in a given year does NOT mean it will be widely available on the market which leads to frustration. Case in point- Dianthus 'Green Trick' or, in the US, 'Green Ball'. It's just an annual form of Dianthus but it looks like moss on a stick. I want it. Bad! Even though I work for a public garden I suspect I'd have a hard time getting my … [Read more...]
Events: The Salt Lake Home Show- Ticket Giveaway!
January 3, 2013 by · 9 Comments
This morning I had the opportunity to attend the preview for this weekend's Salt Lake Home Show at the South Towne Expo in Sandy. The January show is new this year but looks to be pretty amazing! I have been involved with the Spring Home & Garden Festival held in March (and I will be again this year) so it rather goes without saying that I never miss the chance to attend the Home Show! The show runs Friday, January 4 through Sunday, January 6th. On Saturday, January 5th, Ty Pennington of "Extreme Home Makeover" and "Trading Spaces" fame will be teaching on the main stage! … [Read more...]
Create A Living Arrangement Kit
January 1, 2013 by · Leave a Comment
The "January Blahs" are here in full force! However, if you're craving green, living things, you could try your hand at creating "Living Arrangements" which are a hybrid of the traditional cut flower arrangements and the blasse' houseplant. When you add the two together, you get a whole that's so much more than just the sum of it's parts! To personalize you home, I recommend living arrangements rather than dusty fake flower arrangements as they are inexpensive and provide seasonal interest. In fact, instead of spending lots of money on a fake flower arrangement, you could put those … [Read more...]
