Let There Be Light: Make Use of Natural Illumination

A quick way to open up any room is by increasing natural lighting. Take down those heavy drapes and replace them with lighter fabrics for increased transparency. Consider installing larger windows or skylights for even more sunshine. If renovation isn’t in your budget, strategically placing mirrors can reflect light back onto itself for more space illusion.

The Open Floor Plan: More Than Just a Trend

Open floor plans have quickly become popular for good reason. By eliminating unnecessary walls, an open floor plan creates one large living space which accommodates various activities, be they cooking, dining or lounging. An open plan allows for easier interaction and movement throughout an open space environment. Furniture or rugs may help subtly delineate different zones within an open plan living area.

Furniture Feng Shui: Arranging for Openness

Furniture placement has the power to dramatically change the flow and feel of any room. For maximum openness in any given space, select multifunctional pieces that combine style with utility without overwhelming your space. Arrange pieces so they facilitate movement within your room as natural pathways do. Consider replacing bulky sofas with sleek low-profile seating solutions while leaving some breathing room between walls and furniture pieces.

Minimalism: Declutter and Simplify

Sometimes less is truly more. A clutter-free environment not only makes a room appear larger but also helps promote mental clarity. Follow minimalist principles by getting rid of unnecessary items while prioritizing important ones. Take advantage of built-in storage solutions to hide items out of sight. Celebrate clean lines and open surfaces, it will amaze you how much more expansive a room feels once it has less clutter.

Vertical Wonder: Make The Most of Height

Think vertical when expanding your home. Take advantage of vertical spaces by making use of tall bookshelves, hanging plants and wall-mounted storage units. High ceilings can be highlighted further with vertical elements drawing attention upward and creating an impression of grandeur. Lofted beds or high shelves also help make an area appear less congested.

The Color Palette: Light and Neutral Colors

Color can play a powerful role in how we perceive space. Light and neutral hues can make rooms appear larger and more welcoming. Whites, soft pastels, and gentle earth tones reflect light better than darker colors for creating the impression of more open areas. If you want something, color pop through accessories like cushions, throws, or artwork.

Mirrors: The Illusion of Infinity

Mirrors are the ultimate tool for creating an illusion of larger spaces. Large mirrors and mirrored furniture reflect light, creating the impression that rooms have grown considerably larger. Strategically place mirrors opposite windows to reflect outdoor views into indoor rooms for an almost limitless feeling. Similarly mirrored backsplash in kitchens or mirrored walls in hallways can help open up tight areas further.

Smart Storage Solutions: Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Clutter can wreak havoc in an otherwise spacious home. To combat it, invest in smart storage solutions that keep visual chaos under control. Under-bed storage bins, built-in wardrobes, retractable shelves or furniture doubled up as storage solutions like ottomans with hidden compartments can all help reduce clutter significantly.

Indoor-Outdoor Flow: Extending Your Living Space

Blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor spaces can make your home seem much larger. French and sliding door replacement can open up living space and create an effortless flow from interior to exterior space, opening onto patios, decks, gardens. Use similar flooring materials inside and outside for seamless transition. Outdoor seating areas, fire pits and garden lighting will help make these extended living areas functional and inviting.

Indoor Plants: Bring Nature Inside

Bringing nature indoors through plants is an easy and cost-effective way to add color and texture. When selecting suitable indoor plants for placement around the house, choose those which thrive under indoor conditions such as hanging plants or vertical gardens. Their greenery won’t take up floor space either. Plus, plants also improve air quality making your home feel fresher and more open.

Conclusion

Expanding your home is about more than simply making it appear larger, it should create an inviting, functional, and reflective lifestyle space. By employing natural lighting, open floor planning strategies, smart furniture choices, minimalistic design techniques and adding natural elements such as plants or flowers into the mix, your living area can become an airy sanctuary. Use these creative strategies and watch as it becomes your sanctuary of openness, comfort and style.

The post Transforming Your Living Space: Creative Ways to Open Up Your Home appeared first on InstantELLA.

So, whether you’re hosting a barbecue, enjoying a quiet evening with a book, or simply lounging with a glass of wine, your patio should be an inviting haven. But of course, you need to make your garden work for you first; your patio is meant to be space to lounge, but you still need to feel like you’re out in nature, too. So, with all of that said, let’s dive into some fun and practical tips to create an outdoor oasis that will make your friends swoon and your Instagram followers double-tap.

It All Starts with Choosing the Right Furniture

Now, you have to understand that the heart of any patio is its furniture. So, you’ll need to think about comfort, style, and durability. So, why not go ahead and start with a cozy seating arrangement? A sectional sofa with plush cushions is perfect for lounging, while a couple of stylish armchairs can create intimate conversation spots. Don’t forget a coffee table or an ottoman for placing drinks, snacks, and decor items.

If you love dining al fresco, invest in a sturdy dining set. A wooden table with matching chairs creates a rustic vibe, while a sleek metal set brings a modern touch. 

However, you also need to consider the climate in your area and choose materials that will withstand the weather. For example, teak, wrought iron, and all-weather wicker are excellent choices for durability and style. By all means, don’t pick cheap garden furniture that might quickly break; you want something strong, durable, and, yes, reliable too.

You’ll Need to Clean the Patio Area and Surroundings

All right, so this might need to happen before buying furniture, but this one definitely needs to happen before you start decorating! So, it’s crucial to start with a clean slate. It’s out in the elements, after all, so cleaning your patio area thoroughly will not only make your space look fresh but will also help your decor stand out more vividly. 

Ideally, you’re going to want to begin with a general tidy-up, just those basic things, but it might even be in your best interest to focus on a deeper clean. But how? Well, it could really help to look into power washing services since these can blast away all the grime and moss. 

Start Adding Pops of Color

Now, this is defintiely going to be the fun part,so now it’s time to bring in some color! Honestly, there’s just so many different ways to do this, you could opt for some throw pillows, rugs, and outdoor curtains are fantastic ways to introduce vibrant hues and patterns. You could even mix and match colors and textures to create a lively and inviting space. For example, you might want to think of bright blues, sunny yellows, and lush greens that complement the natural surroundings.

Embrace Greenery and Plants

Nothing breathes life into a patio like plants. Actually, it shouldn’t just be the surroundings, but it also needs to be this space. They add color, texture, and a sense of tranquility. So, you’re going to want to choose a variety of plants to create a lush, layered look. 

Is that all? Well, potted plants are great for flexibility—you can move them around as needed and switch them out with the seasons. So basically, it helps to get a plant that doubles as a house plant, such as a lemon tree or even a white bird of paradise.

But it’s not just about tall plants either, for example, hanging plants can add a vertical element, making your space feel more intimate and cozy. If you’re feeling crafty, a DIY vertical garden or a collection of wall-mounted planters can add a unique touch.

Think About Personal Touches

By all means, your patio should reflect your personality and style. If you want it to look Pinterest-perfect, that basically means that you can’t do anything that’s generic! So, you’re going to want to add personal touches with decor items that tell a story or bring you joy. For example, you could look into incorporating elements like a vintage lantern, a quirky statue, or a collection of your favorite garden gnomes. These are just merely examples, but don’t let this look like a boring home improvement store vignette. 

The post How to Create a Pinterest-Perfect Patio for Your Outdoor Living Space appeared first on InstantELLA.

It’s common knowledge that gardening is hard work so try and spread your tasks out rather than attempt them all at once. Here are a few jobs to put on the list.

Clean Your Tools

You can’t keep your garden trim and tidy without the use of your tools. If you want your tools to do a good job, they have to be well maintained. If they’ve been sitting in your shed covered in mud and grass all winter, you may have some work to do.

Wash your tools clean with water and brush off any stubborn dirt. When your tools are clean, oil them to prevent them from rusting. Try and remember to wash them clean after each use.

Kill Weeds

It’s common for weeds to show up as spring starts. You may begin to notice them more obviously as the weather gets warmer. They’re usually found in lawns and flower beds, and even in the cracks of patio stones.

It’s vital to use weed control to kill any weeds in your garden. Not only can they quickly take over and spread but they also steal essential nutrients from your lawn and plants. 

Tidy Flower Beds

Along with the rest of your garden, your flower beds go through harsh winter weather like wind, rain, and snow. If you find debris in your flower beds, remove it and dispose of it. You may spot fallen, dead leaves or trash that has blown in from neighboring gardens.

Once you remove this debris, your flower bed has a better chance of getting sunlight, water, and nutrients to the root of your plants. You can also trim the edges of the beds to make it look neater.

Get Rid of Pests

Gardens are like havens for some pests but pests are always destroyers. From the smallest bugs to caterpillars, rats and everything in between- no-one wants to find pests in their garden. Fortunately there are ways you can deter pests from making a home in your garden.

The best way to do this is to make sure that your garden is clean and tidy. This eliminates the chance of pests finding food or places to hide. You can use pest repellants but these can harm your plants so using natural methods is favored. For instance, putting broken eggshells into your soil is a great way to keep slugs away. There are other methods to check out, so if you’re worried about any damage to your garden, consider looking into Mosquito Control to get your space back from aerial insects!

Trim Bushes and Trees

Spring is the perfect time to trim back bushes and trees. It’s likely that they’ve overgrown throughout the winter and may be causing a hazardous obstacle in your garden. Similarly, overgrown trees can be a danger to life in strong winds or could cause damage to your property.

You can easily trim bushes yourself with the right tools. However, trees can be more complicated. You may need to contact a professional to cut down large branches if your tree is particularly tall.

Plant Summer Seeds and Bulbs

If you like to look out at an array of color in your garden when summer arrives, it’s time to start planting. There’s a wide variety of flowers that will be ready for summer if you start planting now. For instance, lilies, crocuses, and iris are all ideal for a colorful garden and work well in the same space together. If you have a raised bed to use, even better. Additionally, if you want a quick way to get a lush, green lawn this summer, consider installing sod. Choosing the best sod for your Florida property (or elsewhere) can help you avoid the long wait that comes with seeding. Sod establishes quickly and gives your yard an instant boost of greenery, letting you enjoy your outdoor space sooner.

Clean Your Patio

Like the rest of your garden, your patio has likely taken a hit through the winter. It may look dirty and covered in debris. The good news is, patios are often easy to clean, especially if you have a jet wash to hand. Remove the debris and jet wash your patio to remove dirt and grime.

If you have any stubborn stains left, you can remove these with soapy water and a brush. Look over the stones to check for any cracks or holes. It’s important that these are fixed as soon as possible because they can weaken your patio flooring and invite weeds and pests to stay in your garden. Of course prevention is the best cure, so keep any of this from happening by investing in some Edmonton acrylic patio covers, so it stays clean from the get go.

Garden Sustainability

Your garden is a natural environment so it only makes sense to keep it as natural and as sustainable as possible. One of the ways you can do this is to start collecting rainwater. Your plants, flowers, and lawn will need to be watered during the summer but that doesn’t mean you have to do it with your hose pipe.

You can also think about starting to compost. Compost offers your plants rich nutrients and the best growing environment. It takes patience to create your own compost but it’s certainly worth it in the long run. Moving beyond soil and water management, planting native species is also a meaningful way to support a sustainable garden. Native plants are naturally adapted to your region’s climate and ecosystem, generally requiring less water and fewer chemical inputs, while providing vital support for local pollinators and wildlife. To assist with this, reputable providers such as Direct Native Plants typically offer a wide selection of native trees, shrubs, and perennials specifically suited to help you create a thriving, eco-friendly landscape.

Clean and Treat Garden Furniture

You’ll never use your garden furniture more than during the summer months. Whether you’re spending time alone in your garden or entertaining guests, your furniture must be in good condition. Start by cleaning your furniture with some soapy water to remove the dirt.

Once your furniture is cleaned, you should treat it. You can do this yourself or hire someone to do it for you. Treating your furniture will ensure it can stand the test of time by avoiding damage from the sun or spillages.

Invite The Right Wildlife

Although it’s important to keep pests away, the right kind of wildlife should be welcome in your garden. By planting wildflowers, you’ll encourage bees into your garden which is a must for the environment. 

You can also use bird feeders and bird baths to welcome all different kinds of bird species to your garden. They’re fascinating to watch and beautiful to hear on a summer morning.

If you’ve enjoyed reading this article, take a look at the rest.

The post 10 Ways To Prep Your Garden For Summer appeared first on InstantELLA.

Really, who doesn’t love that? While it’s easy to achieve a riot of colors during the spring and summer, maintaining a colorful garden throughout all seasons requires thoughtful planning and strategic plant choices. Oh yes, there might be a lot of work that needs to be put into this, but at the end of the day, it’s entirely worth it! So, here’s exactly what you need to do in order to achieve a beautifully vibrant and colorful garden through all seasons!

Install Your Lawn The Right Way

Improper lawn installation can mean your grass isn’t always greener. There’s not a lot worse than a lawn that starts turning yellow or brown – especially during the winter. You can combat and prevent this with Hydroseeding & Sod Installation Services that help you install a much healthier lawn. 

The combination of hydroseeding and sod installation means your lawn is installed with better irrigation and easier access to all the nutrients in the soil beneath. As such, it requires less maintenance yet can appear much greener and more luscious. When winter rolls around, you’ll have healthy grass that’s not patchy, creating a very vibrant garden space! 

Select a Diverse Array of Plants

One thing you really need to keep in mind is that the key to a colorful garden year-round lies in diversity. So, you’re going to have to choose plants with varying bloom times, foliage colors, and textures. Just by incorporating a mix of perennials, annuals, shrubs, and trees, you can ensure that different sections of your garden are in bloom at different times, providing continuous visual interest. If you know that there are certain seasons that you struggle with, get specific with your search. You can shop fall garden plants with ease, keeping your place looking lovely every season of the year.

You can either go to your local plant nursery or even check out some online seed shops to get the best deals and basically any variety you’re after. Usually, when shopping online, you’re going to have no information on when to plant and how to care for them, something you don’t tend to get when at a plant store. 

Pick Evergreens for the Winter

Fall is basically known as fall because of the fall of the leaves. So when winter comes, all the leaves are gone, and so many lawns are barren during this time. While many plants shed their leaves during the winter, evergreen plants maintain their lush foliage throughout the year. Incorporate evergreen shrubs and trees with colorful leaves or interesting textures to add structure and visual appeal to your garden during the colder months. 

You don’t have to add a lot of these, but adding a few (and even some winter flowers) is going to massively help out in making your garden look and feel lively when your neighbors are entirely dead. 

Plan for Year-Round Blooms

So, this is one of the biggest things you’re going to want to pay attention to the most! You’ll want to just go ahead and do some research and carefully select plants that bloom in each season. So, you might want to think about getting some spring bulbs, summer annuals, fall-blooming perennials, and winter-flowering plants that can create a seamless transition of color. 

You can even consult with local nurseries or gardening experts to identify plants that thrive in your specific climate and soil conditions. Also, something else that a lot of avid gardeners do is to get a greenhouse and, basically, every season, try to grow some plants. 

It’s worth landscaping your garden so that you can plant the right blooms in the right areas. Take a look at Eden’s Garden Design for potential services in landscaping so that you can take advantage of successfully growing plants and flowers in your garden.

Consider Seasonal Foilage

So, one thing you have to know if you don’t already, is that foliage can be just as captivating as flowers! So, this means that you’re going to want to just go ahead and choose plants with leaves that change color throughout the seasons. 

For instance, maples exhibit brilliant red and orange hues in the fall, while certain varieties of barberry shrubs showcase vibrant foliage in shades of red, orange, and purple. This is just an example, but it’s ideal to pick something that has some vibrancy, as this is going to help out massively in creating that colorful, magazine-worthy garden! 

There Needs to be Strategic Planning

Not just planning, but planting, too! Basically, this means that you’re going to want to create focal points by strategically planting groups of colorful flowers or ornamental grasses. Honestly, it’s going to be focal points that really become the show-stopper in your garden. Plus, it’s those luxury gardens (like show gardens) that always have some type of beautiful focal point, so wouldn’t this be something that you’d like too? So, by clustering plants with similar color schemes or complementary hues, you can intensify the visual impact and create a cohesive and harmonious garden design.

There Needs to Be a Lot of Maintenance 

When it comes to any garden, especially one that’s meant to be vibrant all year round, you’ll need to keep in mind that it’s a lot of work. While it’s not a full-time job, you can expect at least once a week that you’ll need to go out to the garden and get some work done. So this can include doing things such as pruning and deadheading, keeping your garden well-watered, fertilizing as needed, and addressing pest and disease issues promptly to ensure the health and vitality of your plants. But, of course, you could always hire a gardener to get the job done for you. 

The post What You Can Do for a Colorful Garden in Every Season appeared first on InstantELLA.

But what if I told you indoor plants are easy to look after & keep alive? More importantly, what if I showed and proved to you that if you looked in the right places, made the right selection of plant and followed the correct method of propagation, you could in fact start and expand your indoor plant collection for free, giving you that indoor beauty & fresh air you always dreamed of?

Read on to find out about a few very inexpensive & free ways in which I obtained some of my most prized indoor plants. The method of propagation in almost all these cases, barring one, was propagation by rooting in water.

Stems Damaged In Thunderstorm

Citronella (Pelargonium Citrosum)

The Citronella plant known by a variety of names including  mosquito plant geranium, citrosa geranium & pelargonium citrosum is a well-loved plant that produces lavender blooms in summer and is essentially prized for its citrusy scent, which is thought to have mosquito-repelling properties. This should not be confused with the Citronella Geranium plant that produces citronella oil – the active ingredient in citronella candles.

Truth be told, I bought my original Citronella plant as part of a 3/$10 deal on summer herbs at my local Lowes. It was a cute little size in a 3” pot with large parsley shaped leaves. Since I bought it for its mosquito repelling properties, I placed it as a centerpiece on a bistro table outdoors on my shaded patio. Sadly, 2 weeks later a big and unexpected summer thunderstorm hit and knocked the plant over. The tallest part of the stem with a few leaves broke off in the tumble. Some secondary stems also came apart from the main plant. I didn’t see anyway I could save these since they were just broken pieces of stems without nodes for propagating opportunities.

Just for the sake of the scent though I put them in a small glass bottle with water to keep them fresh and brought this indoors. After a week or so, the arrangement still looked fresh and by the third week, I started to notice small roots emerge! Such a wonderful, unexpected surprise. By week 4, I had replanted this with the original plant in the same pot but you could easily replant in a new pot & place in a new location too, as a second plant!

In summer Citronella makes an ideal plant both indoors in containers or outdoors in flower beds but need to be dug up and taken inside before the first frost.They need an area with well-drained soil and full sun and are hardy in United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) plant hardiness zones 9 through 11.

Floral Centerpiece Decor – Cutting

Purple heart (Tradescantia Pallida ‘Purpurea’)

3 years ago, I was attending a training conferences & at the end of the conference, we played a Q&A game. The prizes were many but one of them included the winner taking home the centerpiece table decoration– a beautiful floral assortment bouquet. A member from my table won one of the rounds and since coming up with the answer was a group activity, she offered to split the prize as well. I came home with a cutting from a robust matured Purple Heart plant.

This evergreen perennial has dark purple foliage that can grow about a foot tall but spreads easily and can grow up to 24 inches wide, so it’s the perfect plant to add a beautiful pop of color to your yard. It’s also an excellent container plant, growing well in hanging baskets on your patio or inside as a houseplant.

I debated rooting my cutting in water or directly in soil. My mother-in-law said the second was hassle free but then again, she admitted she had never done this specifically with a purple heart. So, I went with what the winner & others did with their cuttings – rooted in in water and patiently waited for roots to form. They did and today I have a container full of healthy Purple Hearts. How did I do this? Once rooted, I planted my original cutting in soil, where I let it grow, undisturbed through one whole season. It grew strong but long and leggy. I couldn’t bear the look of it so took a big risk cut off the entire length of the stem down to about a few inches and then redivided this stem into smaller sections, repeated the successful step of rooting in water and then planted these smaller new cuttings spaced out in the container, giving it a wholesome, fuller look as the plants began to grow out through summer.

Not forgetting the person who was generous enough to share her purple heart with me, I recently gifted her a cutting from my established plant since hers sadly did not make it. And so, the circle of kindness comes full circle and it didn’t cost a thing!

On Clearance At Nursery

Pothos (Epipremnum Aureumis)

Anyone who owns a Pothos (and I assume there are quite a few of you, given this is a common, easily available favorite) knows it’s a hassle free, low maintenance but fast growing plant. You can propagate several new plants from just a few cuttings from the original. I started off with a $3 Pothos plant purchased at Walmart 5 years ago, that has now multiplied from cuttings into several new pots. Last I counted I had 4 full bursting containers of Pothos – 2 placed outdoors, 2 indoors. I also have cuttings rooted in water in 2 glass bottles decorating my bathroom that have got many compliments. Maybe you’d like trying this too! All this is in addition to that original mother plant. I grow all of my Pothos plants in containers which are brought indoors in winter.

There are a variety of pothos cultivars that offer diverse colors and patterns on heart-shaped leaves. Although they do not have a bloom they rapidly transform in shape, starting off as  a small cluster of leaves and then bursting into dazzlingly long vines of verdant green that are hardy and nearly indestructible making them suitable for a variety of home décor & design ideas.

Neighbor’s Yard Sale

Spider Plant (Chlorophytum)

This is by far one of the favorites from my collection, not only because of its beauty and limited seasonal availability but because of the sentiment surrounding the circumstances by which it found its way to me. An elderly couple in my neighborhood was having a yard sale. When we got to the house, we discovered the couple was actually selling their house to move into a smaller apartment by the end of the month. I looked around at the beautifully landscaped yard and spic and span house. I hoped that the couple didn’t have to move, having spent these many years caring for this home. After making a few purchases, the old lady told me the apartment location they were moving into did not allow plants & would I be interested in taking and looking after her pair of indoor spider plants, each in an almost 16 inch/ 10 gallon set of flower pots. This was an unexpected request and I didn’t know what to do with them, but she spoke so fondly of them, I didn’t have the heart to say no.  So, I hauled them away, plants, planters, plant stands, caring instructions (I made as much metal notes as possible) and all and it was the best decision ever.

Spider plants can tolerate a wide range of conditions, but they prefer moderate to bright indirect light, with temperatures above 50oF and moderate humidity.  You should water them liberally through the summer and mist them occasionally. During winter, cut watering back. Established, container & root bound, spider plants produce baby spider plantlets throughout summer that root easily & quickly in water when detached from the mother plant.

I have propagated several pots of spider plants (I’ve noticed they do better in outdoor hanging baskets in shade)  and given them away as gifts to family, friends, colleagues and school teachers as end of year appreciation gifts.   I am also a Catechist at my 4^th Grade Sunday School at church. Every summer I distribute these baby spider plantlets among my students and help them to root, plant and take home as part of a nurturing activity to teach them human beings are responsible for nature and caring for our Earth. The kids have fun and the lesson is well received. Last year I added a variegated version of the spider plant to my collection and the 2 fit together perfectly.

My Local Gym

Striped Wondering Jew (T. Zebrina)

The term ‘Wandering Jew’ is used for several different plant species within the Tradescantia genus which includes at least 75 different herbaceous perennial species, including the spider wort & Purple Heart plant I mentioned earlier in this blog post.

The Striped Wondering Jew is native to Mexico and gets its name from its zebra-like leaves. Its leaves are paired, creamy white in the middle of each half, and silvery green on the edges. The leaves develop a purple patch on the upper surface and underneath and are asymmetrical at the base. The plant has a trailing habit and looks best grown in hanging baskets, window boxes, containers placed on high shelves.

These plants are not easy to come by. After looking around for a while, I was forced to look to eBay and ordered about 5 cuttings online. The cuttings arrived a few days later and while they were healthy when I first got them, they didn’t root vey well. Having had success with the root-in-water method, I thought this would work for this plant too. But the stalk is so terribly tender it started to rot.

I quicky removed them from water and discovered when I researched online that a Wandering Jew clipping root better in soil. I followed instruction on how to do this and while I had lost half the cuttings from water rot, the 2 that survived seemed to do well in the soil filled starter pots. After a week, I began to see new growth and the leaves took on a healthy look with the required glittery surface. Success!

Not long after, by a stroke of luck, I noticed my local gym had acquired a full basket of trailing Wandering Jew of their own, proudly displayed on the front-customer desk. I shamelessly asked if I could have a clipping or 2 and the staff member on duty said ‘sure, help yourself!’…. music to my ears. Today I too have a pretty red planter bursting with trailing wandering Jew which I proudly display at the entrance of my patio.

Broken stems found in a Grocery Cart

Speedy Jenny OR Baby Bunny Bellies (Tradescantia Chrysophylla)

I must warn you that this is a seasonally grown plant and found around Easter time (March-April) and not very easily available. Like the striped Wandering Jew, this belongs to the Tradescantia  family. It looks a lot like the Wandering Jew with smaller leaves. Where the defining factor of the Wandering Jew is the shiny glittering look of the leaves, what defines the bunny bellies plant is the soft fuzzy surface of its foliage that feels like a rabbit’s belly!

This plant was my most recent conquest and happened literally by accident because I found a couple of broken stalks left behind in a shopping cart, I picked up on one of my grocery runs. I knew I recognized the plant and looked around the garden section for a basket I could buy because here was the evidence it does exist! But I sadly couldn’t find any left. They were all sold out even before they got there. The tragedy!

Luckily the broken off stalk was quite long. So, like I did for my Purple Heart stem, I was able to divide it into multiple smaller cuttings. I repeated the same propagation process by rooting in soil that I had followed for my striped Wandering Jew and it seemed to work even better for this plant since the stem was not too tender & I could really stick it into the soil. I noticed new growth in a couple of days. Once established, I quickly placed it outdoors with better access to sunlight than my sunny kitchen window and it really took off. Each time the stem got too leggy I cut it back and re-rooted these clippings in soil so that a few months later, I now have quite a full trailing basket of little bunny bellies. A true Easter Miracle that taught me that nature is beautiful and resilient if looked after in the right way with love and care!

Ending Thoughts

So, there you have it –6 different ways you could obtain indoor plants & grow and expand your houseplant collection inexpensively, virtually free of cost! Exchanging cuttings with friends, and finding plants in natures are another inexpensive & smart ways to build your collection. But irrespective of the cost, Indoor houseplants are easy to care for and I hope this will encourage you to take the dive and start your own collection soon! If you have other ideas or suggestions on how to inexpensively obtain house plants, please comment on this post, I’d love to hear them.

The post Inexpensive Ways To Start & Expand Your Indoor Plant Collection For Free! appeared first on InstantELLA.

Wood pallets are flat, wooden structures that are usually used for shipping large orders of objects as a way to stack them one on top of one another. You might have seen them while walking down the aisles of superstores like Costco and Walmart, containing the extra items the store has in stock.

But what you may not know about these wood pallets is that they can actually be used in so many other ways beyond just shipping, including creating your own cute home décor.

Why Small Businesses Should Love Valentine’s Day

The nice thing about them too is that you can buy them from suppliers, like Challenger Pallet, or you can go to the superstores and find ones that have been discarded or on sale.

Here are five ways you can use these wood pallets in your home and create cute out of the ordinary.

A rustic pallet wall

10 Creative Ways to Reuse Wood Pallets

If you want to add a nice and cool focal point to a room, you can take some pallets made of wood and break them down to construct a pallet wall.

This would be a great use for some of the more well-used pallets that you find, because the more beat up the wood is, the better and more rustic the wall will appear.

A cute entryway bench or sofa

40 Fantastic Ways Of How To Reuse Old Wooden Pallets

Does your entryway just need a little extra something?

A great and affordable way to make that entryway look more presentable is to construct a bench or sofa out of wood pallets.

Not only will it look super chic but it will be super affordable and you can customize it to the size and appearance of your liking.

Some nice planters

DIY Vertical Pallet Vegetable Garden on Wheels

Everybody loves plants, but sometimes it’s hard to find a place to put them while keeping them well-contained.

A great DIY idea that takes care of both of those issues are some planter boxes built from wood pallets.

If you need to know how to put them together it’s very easy to hop online and find several ways on how to build them.

A great-for-entertaining deck cooler

64 Creative Ideas And Ways To Recycle And Reuse A Wooden Pallet

Whenever you have company it’s good to have a place for everyone to be able to just reach over and grab a cold drink, and this deck cooler is a great way to have that available.

It only takes a couple pallets to put it together, and you can also make sure to have it be the size that you need and want.

And once you’ve built it, it’s a great excuse to have friends over and put it to good use!

A fun lemonade stand

Orlando Lemonade Wedding Inspiration from Wings of Glory Photography + Dogwood Blossom Stationery

Are your kids begging you for some extra money? Have them help you with this lemonade stand and they will be able to be entertained as well as have a great way to earn some cash!

This is a DIY the whole family can contribute to and customize to their liking and then use every summer to sell some refreshing lemonade and make some spending money.

The post 5 Ways to Use Wood Pallets in Your Home appeared first on InstantELLA.

Check out these three garden types and how they can work for you and the natural wonder you have in mind.

Urban Garden

10 steps to start an urban garden

Bringing your urban garden to life is all about getting creative with your space. You can use sections of your patio or balcony, your rooftop, and even the railings of your deck or fence (Pressure washing can clean them up if they aren’t at their best). Use pots, hanging baskets, and window boxes to house your vegetation while still leaving room for you to move around and spend time in those outdoor spaces at home.

Flowers always work beautifully in these areas, usually being places that get plenty of sunlight while still getting protection from the harsher elements like wind and hail. They also add to your curb appeal in a way a new coat of paint never could.

Looking for something a bit more practical? You can pair up things like beans, carrots, and squash or lettuce and herbs in the same containers. You’ll have fresh vegetables for dinner without being overrun. Need some seeds or garden supplies? No problem, you can usually find some good deals here at your local store.

Family Garden

How to Plan a Farm and Garden to Feed a Family

While this garden may not technically be meant for a large family of parents and children, I like to call it a family garden because it can take up a large space in the yard and function as a place everyone can work in and benefit from.

You have the option of making a fun design statement here by planting straight into the ground or putting in some beautiful raised beds to keep the yard looking tidy and your garden easy to navigate. With this garden space, you also have more options in what you can plant. For instance, if you like to bring summer out in your garden, planting a palm tree is an ideal choice. Look for palm trees for sale online to find one that fits well in the space you have. Palm trees also provide a lot of shade for flowers, plants and produce in your garden.

You can keep it simple with a few rows of carrots, tomatoes, and green beans, or you can dream big with rows of corn and tiers of strawberries. Not into edible plants? Stock up on some fun trees and bushes to compliment your blossoms. With a big garden like this, you’ll get big results, but you’ll also need to manage the weeds carefully and consistently.

Community Garden

Best Practices in Community Garden Management to Address Participation, Water Access, and Outreach

If you live in the big city where you don’t even have a porch to place a potted plant on, a small plot in a community garden is exactly what you need. There are a variety of community plots with a variety of rules, but many of them are free or have a minimal fee for use.

You can still plant whatever fruits and vegetables you would like, but you have the added perk of interacting with a fun gardening community. You’ll be rubbing shoulders with gardeners who can give you the best advice to grow beautiful flowers or delicious cucumbers–advice you might not get anywhere else.

This is a fun place to not only bring your ideas to life but get inspired by the ideas around you. It will get you outdoors in a way you could never get back in your seventh-floor apartment.

The post What Goes in Your Garden Space? appeared first on InstantELLA.

Indoor: Hanging or Potted

These are the 15 easiest indoor houseplants (that won’t die on you)

If you’re afraid of what the weather could release on your plants in wide open spaces, take it slow and start with a plant that is perfectly content to remain within the controlled environment of your home or within easy reach on your porch step.

Ornamental

3 Benefits of Bringing Plants into Your Home

• Orchid – these stunning blossoms are surprisingly low maintenance with several varieties and colors to choose from.

• Succulent – likely the hardiest plant you can get, these majestic little guys are especially great indoor companions that won’t shed on your side table.

• Aloe – if you’re looking for something useful but not necessarily edible, aloe plants are a must. You can easily use them to treat burns and rashes or add some moisture to your hair and skin.

• Asparagus Fern – growing these indoors will require some humidity, but keep them well watered and you’ll have a happy, berry-filled fern.

Edible

5 Veggies You Can Grow Indoors!

• Cherry Tomatoes – these are easy to grow if you’ve never done your own tomatoes before. They’re small enough for a hanging basket as well.

• Herbs – a few sprigs of rosemary, sage, mint, and/or oregano will look great on your windowsill and taste great in your cooking

• Peppers – whatever variety you choose, soak the seeds first and keep them moist as they grow. You’ll also want to keep your pepper tray in a warm location.

Outdoor

If half the reason you want a garden is to spend more time with your feet in the dirt and the sun warming your back, there are some beauties you can take on that will fill your garden near to bursting with minimal. An important part of your outdoor garden will be weed control, so be sure to prepare your soil well and give it some extra attention.

Invest in your favorite perennials (flowers that will rebloom each year), but you might want to take on an annual seed or two as well.

Ornamental

The 15 Best Annual Flowers You Need to Plant In Your Yard

• Phlox – these are small but gorgeous and will grow best as cuttings or transplants rather than from seeds. A similar but no less delightful flower is the pansy, which grows as a biennial or annual depending on its care.

• Sunflowers – you’ll want these in a place with plenty of sunlight that’s also sheltered from the wind.

• Cosmos – these delicate-looking annuals are planted by scattering the seeds, just be sure the frosts are over before you do.

• Poppies – these are perfect to start planning when it’s a bit cooler and wetter, which might explain their prominence in the United Kingdom.

Edible

21 Best Crops for Your Edible Garden

• Lettuce and Salad Greens – start with something basic that you can add to any meal, plus it’s easy to harvest.

• Radishes – if you like radishes, these do well when planted early and it’s too cold for other plants and can thrive in less-than-perfect soil.

• Cucumbers – give these plenty of sun, water, and space, and you’ll have so many cucumbers that you’ll be giving them away.

• Raspberries – these are perennial and one of the easiest berries to grow. You won’t have any berries the first year, but every year following you’ll have brambles ready to keep producing.

Before setting your heart on any of these darlings, check to see which types grow well in your area, how much space they’ll end up taking, and if you should make any special preparations for specific plants. Once that’s in place, you’ll take on the title of a gardener with ease.

The post Starter Plants for the Beginning Gardener appeared first on InstantELLA.

9 Vegetables you can grow indoors no matter what the weather

And not all of us just have a greenhouse lying around at our disposal. So, some friends at Sugar Producer Magazine, the pros in sugar producers, have compiled this awesome list of plants that you can grow right from your own kitchen.

Tomatoes

Small Space Indoor Vegetable Gardening

Tomatoes are a great food item to grow inside. All you need is a pot, good soil, and a source of light. Start the seeds for the tomatoes in a muffin tin or egg cartons, and then move them into a pot once the sproutlings are about 2 inches tall.

Carrots

The 16 Best Healthy, Edible Plants to Grow Indoors

Who doesn’t love carrots and a little ranch for a good healthy snack? Just make sure you have a deep enough pot for this crop. You’ll want about 8 inches of soil for short carrots, and about 12 inches for long carrots.

Leafy Greens

How to grow your own vegetables year-round without a garden

Leafy greens, like spinach and lettuce, are a great kitchen crop. You can start as many as 15 seeds in one wide pot (or a long pot that fits the length of a window sill). Once they are grown, you can pull leaves off as you need them and more will continue to grow back.

Yellow Squash

Growing Squash Indoors

A good source of light, a large pot, good soil, and plenty of water will make this plant a wonderful crop to grow in your home this winter. If it has everything it needs, you’ll be able to produce enough squash to last until the outdoor growing season.

Herbs

How to Grow Herbs Indoors

Herbs are a great window sill plant. They need good sunlight and an appropriate amount of water (this is dependent upon each variety of herb), and then you’ll have great flavor to add into your cooking. And let’s be honest, live herbs can get expensive at the grocery store, so growing them on your own is a great way to go.

The post 5 Veggies You Can Grow Indoors! appeared first on InstantELLA.

Do you incorporate plants in the interior design of your home? Maybe it’s time that you do.

Our friends at Rooftop Real Estate Management, a property management company, know just how plants can improve the interior of a home, and they’ve compiled this list to share with you.

Beautification

9 GORGEOUS WAYS TO DECORATE WITH PLANTS

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that plants can improve the look of your home. This is why people plant flower gardens in the front of their house and not in the back where no one can see them. Take advantage of the unique look that plants can add to your home. Whether you like flowers, succulents, trees, or shrubs, there’s a plant out there that will fit with the design that you already have.

Use plants as an accent piece. They don’t need to take up the entire room, just a small spot on a shelf or window sill can liven up your living space.

Stress Relief

Why Indoor Plants Make You Feel Better

Imagine yourself in a quiet meadow, grass and flowers all around you, a gentle breeze flowing, and fresh air filling your lungs. Now imagine yourself in a crowded street, hurrying to get to your next appointment, the smell of engine exhaust in the air.

The first scenario likely felt calm and relaxing, where the second one probably stressed you out just to think about. This is how plants can relieve stress in your home. They are reminiscent of being immersed in nature and that calm, peaceful feeling that it brings.

Place a plant in each room of the house or in such a way that no matter where you’re standing in your home, you can see or feel the presence of your plants. This will help cultivate that feeling of calm that you feel in nature.

Air Quality

Do Indoor Plants Really Clean the Air?

It’s a fact: plants improve air quality. They reduce carbon dioxide levels, increase oxygen, reduce the levels of certain pollutants in the air, increase humidity, and reduce airborne dust. After reading those alone, tell me why you wouldn’t want plants in your home.

The post 3 Benefits of Bringing Plants into Your Home appeared first on InstantELLA.