I have to say I'm feeling a little bit in awe today. Readers Digest contacted me a couple of weeks ago to ask if they could add a gardening post to this blog.
Reader Digest I said? As in the REAL Readers Digest? Apparently so. Well, I said, please do I'd be most honoured because I must confess I'm a big fan of RD.
I grew up with my grandfather (also a big fan), buying all sorts of interesting, weird (sometimes wacky), books and cassettes from them. Over the years I discovered James Last, David Attenborough, the World Atlas, nature, world culture - all thanks to Readers Digest. I used to get great excitement from another new book being delivered in pristine condition, wrapped up in cardboard, carefully being unwrapped to reveal another wonderful and colourful world within it's pages.
So today I present a post from the one and only Readers Digest:Gardening is a fantastic hobby for creative people. Especially now that the weather is warmer, a beautiful garden provides the perfect setting for gathering your thoughts and coming up with new ideas.
What's even better is how gardening can help you focus your thoughts and come up with new ideas. It isn't a surprise to discover many writers and artists are big gardeners as well.
If you want to create the perfect garden to boost your creativity, check these fun little garden projects.
Use Lemongrass as Mosquito Repellent
You want to fill your garden with plants that add plenty of practicality. Lemongrass is definitely among the top plants to do just that.
Not only is it a tasty plant, which you can use in your cooking later on, you can keep mosquitos away with the scent as well.
Keep the Bugs Away with DIY Tiki Torches
Furthermore, if your garden has an active bug community, you might want to find a few natural ways of keeping the bugs you don't want to visit at bay while you enjoy your time in the garden.
Put your empty wine bottles to good use and create your own bug candles with them. Fill the bottle halfway with citronella oil and add a Tiki Torch inside the bottle. Just light it up and you won't notice the bugs!
Paint Your Flower Boxes with Glow-in-the-Dark Paint
Want to add a light, beautiful glow to your garden? Then paint your flower boxes with glow-in-the-dark paint. This will create the perfect dim lighting to your garden, making it a beautiful spot for late night chats or thinking sessions.
If you have any leftover paint, then use it for painting a few old bowling pins. You can have a lot of fun bowling at night in your own garden!
Plant a Sunflower House
If you can get sunflowers to grow in your garden, you'll definitely want to add them to your selection. As sunflowers can grow to significant heights, you could plant them in a circular formation, leaving room for a little chair in the middle.
Just remember to support them with beams as they'll need it - this is why many people choose to plant sunflowers so they grow up a wall or fence.
As the sunflowers reach their full height, you'll have a beautiful sunflower house.
This is something fun for the kids to play in - not to mention a private garden for you to spend some quality time in on your own!
Add a Small Pond
If you love the wildlife and you don't mind having a few bees and butterflies in your garden, then you should add a small pond to backyard. Even the tiniest of ponds will immediately start attracting bustling wildlife to your garden.
Take the time to r esearch the plants that attract "good pests," too.
Plant Summer Cypress Grass
If you want to ensure your garden looks beautiful even as the weather cools down, the summer cypress or Kocia Scoparia grass is the perfect plant. It will look especially beautiful in a stone garden, as it turns into a beautiful bright red colour as the temperature drops.
Just be careful with the grass spreading across your garden. It germinates pretty fast so you'll need to keep an eye on it.
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Do you have any creative gardening ideas of your own?Cover photo courtesy of Oxfordian