Home Improvement

Latest Paint Selections

It’s fascinating how the latest paint selections from various companies are shaping design trends for homes. The diverse range of colors, from deep blacks to calming blues and earthy tones, offers something for everyone’s imagination and style preferences.

Behr’s Cracked Pepper, a warm black, seems to be creating a unique atmosphere in homes, especially with the increasing preference for black tones among millennials. It’s interesting how dark colors like this can enhance the overall aesthetic by highlighting room accessories in both living and dining areas.

Benjamin Moore’s Blue Nova, inspired by a new star in the galaxy, brings a classic appeal with its mid-blue hue. C2 Paint’s Thermal Blue, on the other hand, provides a calming touch, reminiscent of the soothing qualities of the sky or a river – perfect for kitchens or bathrooms.

Valspar’s Renew Blue, with its green undertones, offers versatility in design styles, allowing for mixing and matching. Skipping Stones by Dunn-Edwards takes a step towards calming tones, deviating from the bold color choices of recent years.

Dutch Boy’s Ironside, a dark green, aligns with the growing trend of darker colors in home decor. It’s interesting to see how preferences are shifting towards these richer, more intense shades.

Glidden Paint’s Limitless, a modern neutral with a hint of yellow, stands out by breaking away from the traditional browns and greys. Its adaptability to various design styles is a testament to the enduring appeal of neutral tones.

Viridis by Graham and Brown, a muted green, brings a natural and relaxing vibe, making it an ideal choice for bedrooms and living spaces.

Sherwin-Williams’ Persimmon, with its earthy terracotta tone, adds warmth and rejuvenation to any room.

The variety in these paint selections not only reflects the evolving tastes in home decor but also offers homeowners a chance to create spaces that resonate with their individual styles and preferences. It’s exciting to witness how these color choices can influence not just walls but also the overall design of furniture, textiles, and home accessories.

Garden almanac

My Annual Garden Review

So, my annual garden review is a rollercoaster of wins and losses before I look at the new seed catalogs!

Let’s kick off with the radishes. Radishes are my nostalgic weakness. Every year I plant them, hoping for those crisp, peppery roots but, they have a mind of their own. Seems like they’re on a mission to shoot up and bolt before giving me anything to eat. Maybe it’s the memory of childhood radish love that keeps me going, but next year, I’ve sworn to myself, that a new direction awaits, stop planting them.

And then there’s the broccoli, playing hard to get with its tiny heads when it should be growing up big and strong. Those few hot spring days really throw them off. Time to reassess and find broccoli is not in tune with our unpredictable spring weather.

I planted melons with different maturity dates, but they decided to party together. Blame it on the weather, they say. It’s like they had a secret conference and decided, “Let’s surprise the gardener.” And they did bear not over 5 weeks but most over 2 weeks

Last winter wreaked havoc with its heavy snow, and our poor shrubs and trees bore the brunt of it. Lilacs a year later are still waiting for that pruning session.

Now, onto the cool-season flowers – calendula, surprised me with your lackluster performance, and those early tulips, what happened there? It’s like they decided to take a gardening vacation. And don’t get me started on the fruit trees – opened too early for the pollinators to get to them.

But wait, there are silver linings! Old carpet between garden rows and weed barrier cloth down the plant rows. Drip irrigation system under the barrier to conserve water and moisten the soil

.Tomatoes were a mixed bag, but Celebrity stole the show with many medium fruits. Lemon Boy, is a yellow tomato with a low acid content. Watermelons, especially the Clay County yellow ones were the sweet surprise. Summer squash – early bird and Rugosa Fruilana, you stole the nutty spotlight. And the winter squashes, Kabocha and Rogosa Violina Gioia, you’re the kings with that dry, stringless flesh.

The flowerbed has a perpetual fiesta with 4 o’clock, Mexican sunflowers, castor beans, amaranth, and blue salvia. Just a note – perennial salvia, you’re not invited to this party. Annuals, you rock!

Here’s to lessons learned, surprises embraced, and the ever-optimistic gardener in me gearing up for a new year of planting, pruning, and, of course, a few gardening mysteries along the way. Cheers to the green adventures ahead!

Flowers (annual and perennial)

All-American Flower Selections for 2024

Ready to dive into the floral wonders of the All-American Flower Selections for 2024? Brace yourselves – we’ve got some blooming beauties to chat about!

First up on the floral runway is the Burning Embers Celosia. The dark bronze leaves with veins that scream “notice me” in a stunning dark pink. These flowers are not just a one-night stand; they’re in it for the long haul, outlasting other celosias. Standing at a modest 9 inches, great for containers and always stealing the spotlight.

The Big EEZE Pink Batik Geranium isn’t your average geranium. Picture pink and white striations – it’s like they’ve got their own floral fashion statement. And here’s the kicker – they’re prolific bloomers. It’s like a floral fiesta happening all season long. Fun fact: the term “batiking” might sound fancy, but it’s just a super labor-intensive way to color fabrics. These geraniums are putting in the work to look fabulous!

Moving on to the Marigold Siam Gold. This golden beauty comes all the way from Siam, now known as Thailand. With flowers over 2 inches, they’re flaunting it above the foliage without needing any staking. Talk about a low-maintenance!

Now, let’s spotlight the Solarscape XL Pink Jewel Impatiens. These guys outbloom their impatiens peers, boasting large, shiny pink blooms on mounded plants that give downy mildew a run for its money. Solarscape impatiens are like the rockstars of the impatiens world – big blooms, rounded growth, and resistance to the mildew blues.

The Petchoa EnViva Pink Petunia – mounded plants with bright pink flowers and a yellow throat. But that’s not all; these petunias are heat-resistant, making them the true warriors of the flower bed. EnVira petunias are a series of these beauties, each showing off their vibrant colors and mounded growth habits.

Last but not least, we’ve got the Sure Shot White Petunia. Another series of petunias that are basically the overachievers of the bunch. Imagine 7-day flowers – yes, you heard it right. These white blooms are like clockwork, covering the plants in a pristine blanket of floral elegance.

So there you have it, folks – the floral lineup that’s ready to steal the show in 2024. Get those gardening gloves on, because it’s time to make your garden pop with color!