Cool Things

I made some cool things that I would love to post pictures of, but, I know my mom checks my blog out every once in awhile and it would ruin the surprise for her. So I will have to wait until after Christmas to display my handywork.

It Melted

Finally got some snow and now it is all melted. I'm disappointed. Hopefully we get some for Christmas, it just dosen't seem right to have Christmas and not be white outside.

Let is snow let it snow let it snow

Woohoo! We finally have some snow. Just like it should be in December. And the temperatures are finally cold enough that it will stay for awhile. This week at night it has been getting below zero and during the day it has been below 20 degrees. The last couple of days I have woken up to frost on the inside of the windows in the house. I love it though, winter can be a beautiful time. I believe that all four seasons can be wonderful.

Plant Pick of the Month-Early December

Well it may sound cliche, but in the spirit of the season my plant pick for now is going to be the Poinsettia, Euphobia pulcherrima. Poinsettia's are a member of the Euphobiaceae family. The species name pulcherrima, means "most beautiful," and I say I have to agree. This species of Poinsettia is a tall, rangy shrub that grows to a height of 10 feet. It has large, dark green oval leaves that are toothed on the sides and pointed at the tips. Flowers are borne in winter, the actual flower is quite small, the bracts are actually modified leaves. Poinsettia is native to the tropical areas of Central America and Mexico. They like full sun but will tolerate some shade. I for one love Poinsettia's, they add such wonderful color in your home around the holiday season. They also hold a special meaning for me, my husband and I were married right after Christmas and the church was filled with Poinsettias, so they were the official flower of our wedding.

Plant Pick of the Month - November

Colorado Blue Spruce - Picea pungens - is a wonderful evergreen addision to any landscape. They have wonderful color and a nice triangle shape. The needles are short and hard, and they produce an appealing cone. They will shed some of their needles but not near as baddly as pines. You need to make sure you have ample room for them though, because they are not a small variety of tree. The can get about 25 feet and 30 to 60 feet high. They are a classic tree used for Christmas. And by far one of my favorites.

Plant pick of the Month-October

Autumn Purple Ash is a good tree to have is you want some great fall color. The leaves are green during the growing season and turn a pretty red-purple in the fall. Gets to be about 30 to 40 feet tall with about a 30 ft spreed. They make good shade trees and grow plenty fast. Aphids do tend to love ashes but not so bad on the Autumn Purple.

Natures Beauty

I am always amazed at what beauty there is in nature. We camped in Hells Canyon National Recreation Area over Labor Day weekend and had a wonderful time.

Plant of the Month Pick-September

Blue Mist Spirea or Blue Beard is a wonderful plant to have in any yard. It has beautiful blue flowers that come in early summer and stay till late summer. They can get to be about 4ft by 4ft. They can be cut down like a perennial every couple of years to keep from getting to wild looking. I have used them in quite of few designs because of their great color and their ablilty to adapt to many situations. They can take drought and full sun. I love this plant and would use it in my own yard.

Inspiration

This is a picture of my grandma and grandpa, mother, and my sweet little boy. All of them have been apart of my inspiration for my life. My grandma shared her planting knowlege with me and showed me a wonderful world of differnt plants. Grandpa was always into nature and took us fishing and hiking in the mountains all the time, he also has a lot of knowlege of plant and their care. And my mother has always been there no matter what, supporting me in everything I do. Philip keeps me on my toes and shows me new ways to look at the world around me.

Hot Hot Hot

It has been extremely hot lately. Boise broke a record today at 101 degrees. I am ready for fall and cooler weather. I think that all of my plants are ready too. This weekend is suppose to cool down a little so maybe I will beable to get outside more and enjoy it.

Love August

Well I have been enjoying the month of August. It has always been one of the best month's and not just because my birthday is in August. It has always felt like the last true month of summer, maybe that stems from all the years of going to school. The best part of the whole day is right before the sun goes down, there is always a beautiful sunset and the temperature starts to drop. So far this month I got to go home for a visit, Philip got to be in the Little Buckaroo Rodeo. That was the highlight of his year. I also had my birthday, got way to spoiled by everyone. And now I have another trip to look forward too. Yeah, August is a good month.

Plant of the Month Pick-August

Well for the month of August I decided to go with Idaho's State Flower the Syringa or Mock Orange. It was offical adopted as the state flower in 1931. This has to be one of my all time favorite plants. It has very showy flowers that smell wonderful. They bloom in early summer and are white in color. There is a couple different varities, one with double blooms. Syringa is a great plant for drier areas with lots of sun. The get to be about six feet tall so make sure they are planted where they can spread a little and be beatiful and full.

Plant of the Month Pick-July

Rose of Sharon, one of the pretties flowes around. This shrub also comes in a grafted tree form, which makes a great patio tree. The shrub gets to be about six feet tall and wide. They start blooming about now and continue into late August. There come in different colors from the pink you see left to blue, white and a peachy pink. They attrack butterflies which is a quality that is always welcome in my garden.

Plant of the Month Pick-June

Sweetgum trees have beautiful, glossy leaves, brilliant fall color, and are easily recognized by thier star-shaped leaves and its woody, spiny, ball-like fruit. Sweetgums are one of my all time favorite trees, they give you great shade and can do well as a street tree. Easy to maintain and easy to enjoy.

In pioneer times the sweet, balsamic resin was used as a treatment for sores, chest colds, and even dysentery. It also was made into a type of chewing gum. In the past, Sweetgums had commercial value in the making of soaps, adhesives, and pharmaceuticals. Today its wood remains valuable for lumber and veneer.

Add Some Color

Plant perennials and shrubs that you can easy cut flowers from and beable to bring some of the wonderful color and fragrance indoors. These are peonies and coreopsis from my yard.

Mulch

Mulching around your plantings is very important. You can mulch with rocks, bark, or other medium. Mulching helps keep moisture in the soil where it is needed. It also helps to keep down weeds, and can also make your landscape more appealing.

My plant of the Month Pick - May

Dianthus is one of my all time favorite plants. The name Dianthus is from the Greek words dios ("god") and anthos ("flower"), a very fitting name for such a great plant. They are easy to grow, hardy, and give you a great color show. There are over 300 types of Dianthus. They perfer a cool climate, and rich, well drained soil. Water them during dry periods, once or twice per week. The species are mostly perennial herbs, a few are annual or biennial. This flower would be a great addition to any ones garden.

Why I am Here

I started this blog with a purpose in mind. If anyone has questions about plants (indoor or out) let me know I am available and happy to assist you.

Let me tell you a little about myself and my background. My love for landscaping and plants started at a very young age. I used to help both my grandmothers plant annuals and thier gardens. I loved walking around grandma's yard and seeing how all the plants were growing and changing. At my own home I had my older brother T.J. make me a couple of raised planting beds and started a small flower garden from seeds. In High School I got active in FFA and did several Floraculture contest. I managed the High School greenhouse for two years and loved every minute of it. When I decided that I wanted to go to college in the Horticulture field I choice Boise State University. I couldn't believe how much I loved school and never wanted it to end. After I graduated I worked for a landscape maintenance company for two years and did mainly flower planting. After that I work in a local nursery and it was there that I decided that I would like me own business. So for the last four years Color Me Green has been around. First we were a landscape design and build company but Travis and I both decided that we would be happier if Color Me Green was strictly a design company. So now I am doing something that I love.

My family and my biggest supporters Travis and Philip. Travis and I have been married now for 5 years, he has always pushed me to do more with my landscaping and designs. Philip is 3 and very full of it, he enjoys being outside and plants just as much as me.

Okay, so I really have been slacking on this blog. Sorry about that, life just gets hetic you know.

Coming Soon!!!!!

Color Me Green Landscape Design will soon be up and running.