How To Plant Beautiful Flowers Year Around

Building a Garden with Flowering Shrubs & Beautiful Flowers

It’s always helpful to use a planner to watch your garden’s growth and to keep track of what is growing each season. By recording the seeds you planted, you can see which plants are faring well and know which ones are in bloom. Secondly, you will need to study the appropriate flowers in your area. What grows in Southern Georgia isn’t necessarily going to grow well in Wisconsin. Utilize a combination of hardy perennial wild flower seeds, annuals, and container plantings to add color and life to your garden. For cooler regions, look to foliage for added color and dimension to the garden. We may not think of lush greenery as interesting but when it’s cooler outside with no spring color, that lush green can add life to our home. Another trick is to ensure the beauty of the garden by planting at least two items that will grow together in harmony. You don’t want one plant to overpower another but to rather be gracious roommates.

These 17 Beautiful Flowers produce year around color from HGTV.

Beautiful Flowers for Your Garden Planters and Flower Beds

Always be sure that your garden area is filled with plants that will do well with the amount of sun and shade your area provides. Our next suggestion is to incorporate plants that are native to your area, it promotes healthy support of local plants and foliage so that they continue to thrive. Those of us working closely with the land can respect the importance of supporting the growth of the natives! A few suggestions for your year round garden include:

Spring Flowers Varieties 

• Pansy
• Tulip
• Peony
• Snowdrop
• Daffodil
• Crocus
• Hellebore
• Grape Hyacinth

Summer Blooms

• Coneflower
• Zinnia
• Bee Balm
• Black-Eyed Susan
• Hydrangea
• Guara
• Nasturtium
• Verbena
• Marigold
• Hibiscus

These summer gardening tips will help you have beautiful flowers!

Fall Flower Types

• Asters
• Mums
• Begonia
• Sumac
• Beautyberry
• Goldenrod
• Russian Sage

Winter Landscaping and Flower Types

• Camellia
• Holly
• Firethorn
• Chokeberry
• Winter Jasmine
• Cotoneaster
• Nandina

Read our best winter gardening tips here. 

The Best Gardening Tips for Container Plants

If you wish to utilize containers in your gardening, you can plant just about anything in those to spruce up your window boxes and decorative containers. Some plants really should be in containers, such as any kind of mint, because of their invasive nature. There is nothing worse than planting an invasive plant in the ground and having it completely take over your garden. Here are out top picks for your containers:

Beautiful Flowers for the Spring

o  Cineraria

o  Oxalis

o  Heuchera

o  Edibles (Oregano, sage, thyme, mint, parsley, lemon balm)

Summer Flowers for Container Gardens

• Ageratum
• Coleus
• Double Impatiens
• Ivy
• Petunias

Fall Flowers

• African Daisy
• Snapdragon
• Twinspur
• Sweet Alyssum
• Coral Bells

Sunflowers make gorgeous container flowers!

Winter

• Yucca
• Japanese Pieris
• Boxwood
• Japanese Sedge

Year round gardening is possible with a little know-how and some tenacity. Be sure to consult your local gardening center to help with finding the right plants for your area. Even picking out the right sunflower will ensure a successful and beautiful garden that will brighten your home no matter what season you are in. Gardening in all seasons will teach you plenty about your property and how to care for the soil in ways that will ensure healthy gardening in years to come.

For more beautiful flowers and gardening tips on Stagetecture, click here.

Summer Recipe: Easy Caprese Salad with Pasta

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Caprese Salad Ingredients:

1 pound fresh cherry tomatoes
2 tsp dried oregano
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
¼ cup + 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 package dried pasta (16 ounce); you can use any kind small pasta you like
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
½ tsp black pepper, freshly cracked
8 ounces fresh mozzarella; you can use either small balls or cubed mozarrella
½ cup fresh basil

Caprese Salad Directions:

1. Make sure to preheat your oven to about 450 degrees F.
2. Prepare you ingredients by halving the cherry tomatoes (tip: use yellow and red ones to add color to your plate), cutting the mozzarella, slicing the garlic and shredding the basil leaves.
3. Line a 15x10x1 inch backing pan with foil and arrange the tomatoes in it, taking care so the halves are with their cut sides up. Sprinkle them with the oregano, the salt and the slices of garlic. Next, drizzle the ¼ cup olive oil over them. Put the pan in the oven and let the tomatoes roast uncovered for about 25 minutes or until they get a light brown color and a shriveled look. Take the pan out and set it aside.
4. While the tomatoes are roasting, prepare the pasta following the directions on the package. Drain them and pour them into a large bowl. Add the remaining olive oil, the vinegar and black pepper. Toss to coat everything. Now you can let the pasta cool down to room temperature. Stir from now to then.
5. When the pasta has cooled down, you can add the tomatoes and the drippings from the pan, the fresh mozzarella and the basil leaves. Toss once again to combine well.

Serve up this Caprese salad with our yummy Sausage Lasagna Recipe!

For more healthy meals on Stagetecture, take a look at this delicious pear salad recipe!

But there’s no fun when accidents happen. Although there are only a few isolated cases that are linked to fireworks, but then it should not be taken for granted. Safety precautions are needed and should be observed at all time.

Safety Tips to Ensure Fireworks Safety this 4th of July Holiday

To ensure fireworks safety this 4^th of July, here are some helpful guidelines:

Only buy fireworks from authorized dealers

Safety starts from where it begins. Always buy from authorized dealers or retailers for your fireworks. These stores know exactly how to use, distribute and preserve the fireworks, Also, these stores ensure that the fireworks you buy are authentic and passed the safety standards. You can be sure that it will fire and work as desired. The National Council of Fireworks has essential fireworks safety tips on their site.

For Fireworks Safety: Know the Type You’re Buying

Fireworks are created in various ways. There are those that fly and fire while others are a fountain of fire. Whatever fireworks you have, it is very important to know exactly how it works. You have guidelines on how to use it on its label. This procedure should comply strictly. If it’s too small for you to read, ask for assistance from the store you are buying it. Here are some backyard fireworks tips to ensure your family stays safe.

Designate a Person in Charge of Fireworks Safety

This person should be a responsible adult who can handle the fireworks very well. He or she must be an experienced individual who knows how to do it. The person-in-charge doesn’t have to be an expert about fireworks but someone who don’t drink and fire. Also, it is important that this person is in-charge of the safety materials like fire extinguishers and water.

Bear in mind that not all areas allow fireworks without asking permission to designated authorities. It’s a sure fun-filled 4^th of July experience that you will definitely remember.

For more 4th of July ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

30 Fun Beach Activities for Kids this Summer Vacation

Keep the kids occupied this summer on the beach with these fun activities:

1.) Take beach pictures and build a sandcastle:

Make it a competition between two different sand castles, or give the kids a time limit to finish. Need kids beach toys? WE love this one with a zipper bag.

2.) Oil drilling:

Tell the kids they have five minutes to dig as deep in the sand as they can – the winner is the deepest.

3.) Summer vacation activity: Build a Sandman:

Build a traditional snowman model…using sand. This one works best if you bring a carrot for his nose. Then sit back and watch the double takes. Build a sandman with these cool beach shovel and pail sets.

4.) Sand sculptures:

You can get really creative with these, sculpting turtles, aliens, or anything you want. Decorate with shells and pebbles for added effect. There’s some inspiration here.

5.) Everyone loves body-boarding:

A body or boogie board for a child should be less than £20. Check out this site for tips on how to teach your kid to body-board.
Once they’ve got the hang of body-boarding, you might want to try surfing. There are some good tips about modifying an adult longboard to suit children here.

6.) Beach activities – Try castle battles:

Two teams build a sandcastle each, about 20meterss apart, and place a flag (or towel) on top. Each team has to get the other’s flag. Very simple and a lot of fun.

7.) Play beach games like Sand Bullseye:

Draw three circles in the sand and collect some stones and shells – players have to throw the stones into the circles for points (one for the big outer circle, two for the middle circle and three for the center circle).

8.) Ping pong race at the beach:

Dig a series of sloping channels of equal length and big enough to take a ping pong ball. Put a colored ping pong ball at one end of each channel and race each other blowing the ball down the channel to the finish.

9.) Beach volleyball:

Bring your own net or improvise with windbreakers or picnic baskets.

10.) Nostalgic Beach activities: Cricket or rounders:

Bringing a soft ball and a bat is best for either game, but if you’re playing impromptu you can improvise with what you find on the beach – a piece of driftwood for a bat and a crumpled drinks can for a ball.

11.) Beach activities treasure hunt:

One of the oldest and best – hide objects and coins in the sand for the kids to find. Get a pre-made treasure hunt for kids, here.

12.) Bowls:

Invest in a set of plastic bowls and bring it to the beach with you, or improvise with a few plastic bottles and a tennis ball.

13.) Fill a bucket relay:

Place small plastic beach buckets about ten meters from the water, one bucket for each team. The aim is to be the first to fill the bucket with water from the sea, using only hands to carry it.

14.) Frisbee:

Have one person in the water and another on the sand and toss your favorite frisbee back and forth. We love this glow in the dark frisbee!

15.) Limbo:

Get two people to hold a stick, or tie a ribbon between two trees, and have players go under it as it gets lower and lower. This is great for the beach as the soft sand means no-one’s afraid to fall.

16.) Squirt ball:

Bring water guns and a beach ball to the beach, and draw a line in the sand for each team. Place the beach ball between the two lines. Players have to use the squirted water to get the beach ball over the other team’s line.

17.) Beach Activities: Enjoy the sand with sand memory:

Draw two 4×4 grids in the sand (or smaller for younger children), and get the other team to look away while you place shells on some of the squares in one grid. They have five seconds to look at where the shells are before you cover the grid with a towel, then recreate the pattern on their own grid.

18.) Jewelry making:

Look for shells with holes in them and thread them onto a cord to make a necklace.

19.) Sand art:

Draw pictures in the sand using hands, sticks or shells. You can draw a frame first that each child has to draw their picture inside, or judge the best picture.

20.) Speech pics:

Sit with your back to the players and describe an image in your head or one you have on a piece of paper. Players have to draw their version of it in the sand – the winner is the one whose picture is closest.

21.) Seek and retrieve:

Assign a part of the beach as a boundary, and tell everyone to bring back the most interesting thing they can find within the boundary area. Bonus points for whoever gets back first.

22.) Fly a kite:

If it’s too windy for volleyball, get the kite out and fly it on the beach.

More Beach Activities:

23.) Sharks and minnows:

Get everyone into the water and designate one person as the shark and the rest as minnows. The shark stands in the middle of the group. On ‘go’, the shark has to catch the minnows.

24.) Towel tag:

Dip a towel into the water and roll it up, then tag people by throwing the towel at them. If the towel hits them, they’re ‘it’.

25.) Beach Activities – Try a foot race:

Have a race at the water’s edge, where the sand is wet and harder to run on.

26.) Beach ball bash:

Stand in a circle and hit the beach ball to each other, counting out loud how many times it can be hit without falling. Try and beat the record, or have players shout out something as they hit the ball.

27.) Sand hopscotch:

Draw a hopscotch grid on the sand and use shells as markers.

28.) Beach activities: Moat and bailey:

Build a sandcastle a couple of metres from the water’s edge just before the tide comes in, and get the kids to protect it for as long as possible from the water. They can build a dam of shells, rocks and seaweed, or try a moat for the tide to go into.

29.) Sand Twister:

Draw a Twister board on the sand, using symbols such as crosses, squares etc instead of coloured circles. Assign ‘right foot, square’ and so on.

30.) Collect beach treasures:

See who can find the most interesting beach treasures. From seashells and starfish to beach glass.

For more travel ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Creative Ways to Save Money on Outdoor Furniture

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Save money on outdoor furniture at yard sales

Whether you’re checking ads in your local paper, sifting through items on Craigslist, or using a yard-sale app like Rumgr to find private citizens selling outdoor furniture in your area, this tactic could help you to find amazing deals on the pieces you want for your outdoor space. Sure they might be slightly used, but sometimes you can get them for the fabulous price of “you haul” (read: free). And even if you have to shell out a few bucks to paint pieces or buy new cushions you’ll still save a ton over brand new furniture.

Sample sales can find you deals on patio furniture

Many women rush to sample sales for their favorite fashion designers, but have no idea that furniture stores frequently pull the same stunt in an effort to clear out floor samples and replace them with new stock. So check in with your local patio furniture store to see if and when they are hosting sample sales. The pieces may have a little wear and tear from the showroom, but you’ll pay a fraction of the cost for virtually unused furnishings.

Discount warehouse stores

You may be aware that you can find many home goods at discount stores like Target and Wal-Mart, but you may not have realized that this often includes outdoor furniture. Besides the fact that you can get an entire outdoor setup at a great price, you may also have the option to buy items piecemeal so that you don’t have to overspend for items you don’t want and you can replace a piece that is damaged without having to buy the whole set again.

Online outlets for outdoor furniture

The internet offers a plethora of opportunities to save on just about any product you can think of, outdoor furniture included. And if you can find Cabelas promo codes for your hunting gear it’s a good bet that you can scope out online coupon codes for patio-furniture e-tailers. At the very least you’re bound to find sale items that aren’t in stores and even observe lower prices in general.

Looking for spring outdoor furniture? These outdoor furniture tips can help.

Outdoor Furniture Maintenance Tips:

You maintain your car through regular inspections, your home through regular cleaning, and even your body with a daily vitamin courtesy of coupon codes for Puritans Pride. So why wouldn’t you maintain your outdoor furniture? If you leave it exposed to the elements year-round then you shouldn’t be surprised when you have to replace it. Instead, keep it handy during the times of year when you actually use it and then cover it or move it into the garage the rest of the year. This will save you the time and expense of buying new items every summer.

For more outdoor living ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

The Best Year-Around Pet Care Tips

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Personalizing Spaces

Pets enjoy a comfy home just like we do!  It’s a great idea to personalize your home space taking their interest in mind too so that they actually feel loved and at home. How to personalize your pets home might provide some interesting ideas.

Prepare Well For Travel

Traveling seems such a task during summers. I am sure when traveling with pets it becomes all the more bothersome for oneself and dear animals. How to Move with your Pet might provide some precious insights and give you some invaluable tips to follow during long trips and journeys.

Happy pets translate into happy us, for don’t they follow the same rule. There is nothing more satisfying than a happy and cheerful pet. Do share your thoughts on our Best Summer Pet Care Tips Roundup post.

Looking for more Pet Care Tips on Stagetecture? Take a look through our pet archives.

Choosing Summer Paint Colors

Summer Color Ideas – Tidal Tones:

Tidal tones like ocean blues and greens help to refresh spirits and clarify ideas, no matter how far you may be from the beach. Combine these colors with rustic furniture and decor for a comforting, vibrant ambiance. Add in a splash of grey for a neutral tone amidst the brighter colors.

HGTV has 10 Tips for choosing colors for your interiors to take a look at.

Image via: Home Decor Ideas

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Paint Colors Tips – Earthy & Airy:

For a soft, airy feel, try a mix of whites, light blues, avocado greens, and neutral browns. These earthy tones, combined with bamboo flooring and blinds and green leafy indoor plants, bring nature indoors on those days where it’s simply too hot to be outside.

Benjamin Moore gives some great ideas for choosing the best colors for your home.

Home Colors – Summer Sunsets:

Oranges, yellows, and pinks provide the perfect palette for a sunset themed room. Try painting the walls pale yellow and save the dramatic colors, like burnt sienna or bright pink, for accent pieces and trim. This is an ideal theme for a room which may not receive much natural light in order to brighten it up.

Image via: Coastal Views

Home Interior Ideas – Coral Reef Colors:

Coral is a warm color evoking a soothing, tropical vibe reminiscent of the islands. Pair coral colored walls with relaxing blue and green décor like pillows, candles, etc. Add seashells or glass bottles filled with sand to complete a truly coastal experience.

Consulting with a professional color expert will help you to select the right colors and themes for you and your living space.

For more color ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Recipe Round Up: 5 of the Best Summer Drinks

1. Summer Drinks – Pink Cadillac Margaritas

Pink Cadillac Margaritas, finds its place in top 5 because of its great mix of citrus flavors with that of alcohol. Citrus defines summer perfectly and well alcohol brings in a depth to any drink. Enjoy this gorgeous Mexican summer drink with friends and family and make it a part of your beautiful summer evenings!

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2. Fruit Drinks – Lime & Sorbet Margarita Cocktails Recipe

Now this one is a perfect party recipe! The ingredients and simple and readily available and the resultant summer cocktail is a refreshing and soothing one. Lime blends terrifically with tequila and believe me you can really impress that someone special with your culinary skills this summer. Just whip up the Lime & Sorbet Margarita! The Food Network has 50 Summer Drink Ideas you have to see.

3. Summer Drinks – Frothy Strawberry Summer Milkshake

This one is for all those kids who cannot yet take a sip into alcohol based recipes. Frothy Strawberry Milkshake, brings the goodness of milk, yumminess of strawberries and the freshness of cold vanilla ice-cream. Dear kids this is the ultimate thirst quencher and energy revitalizer this summer! Our Delicious Drinks Pinterest Board has more great milkshakes, smoothies and cocktail recipes.

4.Blackberry Crush & Watermelon Cocktail

With a great flavor of herbs & fruits and a punch of vodka, the Blackberry Crush & Watermelon Cocktail forms a great summer drink. It is the kinds that you can serve at summer weddings and grander parties. Your guests will be asking you for more so cater for it. Liquor.com has all of the cocktail recipes you could wish for.

5.Refreshing Watermelon Granita

A Watermelon Granita, is a wonderful thing. I say ‘thing’ because it is a dessert as well as a drink! So I don’t know where to really put it! Watermelon combines beautifully with lime, sugar and ice to form a mouthwatering dessert drink that you just have enough of!

This recipe roundup was an interesting thing to do as it made me relive the great recipes here at Stagetecture. The best part about these summer drinks is the fact that the ingredients are the readily available summer fruits and herbs, that add a beautiful seasonal flare to these recipes. So go enjoy these summer drinks and let us know what you thought about this Recipe Roundup post!

Click here for more summer cocktails on Stagetecture!

Garden Ideas to Enjoy your Home Garden this Season

Image via: House to Home

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Relaxing Home Garden Summer Ideas:

If you’re like me and lead a very busy lifestyle, juggling work and family life, gardens are ideal for getting away from it all, relaxing for a few moments after a long week. A hammock, hanging swing or lounge chair coupled with your drink of choice and even a good book can afford you the opportunity to be at one with nature. One handy piece of advice though is, when choosing a tree or branch on which to hang your garden furniture, check that these are sturdy and can safely carry your weight; employing a tree surgeon to make sure there are no rotten branches means that you can be certain your summer enjoyment will not be met with a surprise fall.

Taking out and dusting off the gloves and trowel, buried deep in the garden shed or garage after a long winter, also offer something to do whilst enjoying the garden this summer. Some of us are better than others at this, but the green fingered amongst us would argue that starting up a vegetable patch or tending to those flower beds is not only a good source of physical exercise but also an excellent way of relieving stress. Making this a part of your daily routine this summer can do wonders for your well-being, not to mention the sense of achievement you will feel when you pick your first green beans or tulips.

Image via: Outdoor Living.Pinterest

Garden activities to look forward to:

Excitement abounds, when getting kiddies involved in the garden. Every new nook and cranny represents a place for children to learn and discover. Hunting for worms and bugs, building a butterfly house or a bird bath are all things that children and adults alike can enjoy together whilst exploring the garden. Traditional sources of amusement such as tree houses and playground sets can also make for hours and hours of outdoor fun.

And finally, anything of enjoyment should be shared with friends and loved ones. Having a BBQ or garden party and inviting your family and friends is a fantastic way of involving others in the enjoyment of your garden this summer. You can use the vegetables grown in your vegetable patch such as lettuce and peppers to make a salad or place on the grill. The joy that care free laughter from children playing, the wonderful smell of meat (or vegetables) on the grill and the constant flow of good conversation will make for warm memories once the last leaves have fallen from the trees and the last evidence of a summer well spent are finally gone.

For more outdoor home ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Summer Recipe: Roasted Pepper Salad

Image via: Italian Food For Ever

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Summer Recipe: Roasted Pepper Salad

Ingredients

10-12 large bell peppers (use red, yellow and orange for a colorful dish)

Salt and pepper

1 clove garlic

1 to 2 teaspoons quality balsamic vinegar

Extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup small olives, rinsed (optional)

1 tablespoon capers, rinsed (optional)

Basil leaves, for garnish

Image via: Martha Stewart

Directions

You can roast the peppers directly on a grill or on the burner of a gas stove, but also in an oven. To grill them or roast them on a burner, just place them directly over high heat and as soon as a side gets black and a little puffy, turn them over using tongs. If you choose to roast them in an oven, just place them on a baking pan (lining it is recommended to prevent too much mess) and broil them, watching out to turn them as soon as a side becomes charred. Whichever way you choose, a good tip to peel them easily is to place them into a bowl as soon as they are done and still hot. Seal the bowl using plastic wrap and let the peppers sit for about 10 minutes, until they are cool enough to handle, but don’t let them cool completely. Now you should be able to simply peel them effortlessly. While peeling them, remove the stems, ribs and seeds also.

Slice the prepared peppers into 1 inch thick strips and place them into a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss carefully to combine.

Crush the garlic to make a paste (use a little salt to help) and add it to the bowl. Add capers and vinegar.

Drizzle generously with the extra virgin olive oil and toss the ingredients again so everything gets well combined.  Serve at room temperature after adding olives and basil for garnish.

Roasted peppers keep well in a glass container when they are covered in olive oil in the refrigerator. Make this easy Summer Recipe for a late summer BBQ party for everyone to enjoy. Make sure to use only high quality vinegar, oil and olives, since the best ingredients are essential for a salad to taste great and fresh.