Squirrels gone wild!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you have to deal with Squirrels? I love the little critters even though they can be quite the pest. They love to sit in my flower boxes and dig up bulbs and seedlings only to take 1 bite, check the window to see if I am watching and then throw what ever it happened to be away.
They used to know instinctively when I was about to harvest the tomatoes too, because for years, they would snatch the prettiest fruit just ahead of me. I love to watch them play in the trees and I have even taken care of a baby that my cat Orchid brought to me.

It was an infant and I have no idea where/how she got it, but it was hairless and she brought it to me laid it at my feet and waited for me to take care of it.

Today, there seemed to be a multitude of the little acrobats playing in the oaks and busily planting acorns for me to pull out of my flower pots. This picture of the squirrel with the coffee, just reminded me of how fun it is to watch them chase each other and play all day as though they haven't a care in the world.

Then I realized that when I put my total trust in the promises of God, I have the ability to be as care free as those pesky little squirrels.

Tuesday's Tightwad Tip

I can't believe it is already Tuesday again. It seems as though the world keeps spinning faster and faster and the older I get, the faster it spins.

Want new plants... Cheap or better yet Free plants?
There are so many websites and garden clubs now available, that you could literally fill your yard with free/ traded plants.
The easiest way is to start plants from cuttings. My Grandma taught me to root roses by putting a piece in the ground and putting a "mason" jar over it. When I bought my property she started many plants for me from her yard. Her Sister was also really good with plants and she would root gardenia's year round in a bucket behind her kitchen door and start seeds in dixie cups for the church bazzar.
When you start cuttings, they most important thing is to keep them from drying out. Take a 5-6" clipping and put it in moist sandy soil and keep it shaded and it is amazing what you will be able to grow.
If propagating your own plants seems too much, check into some of the gardening sites on the web.
Blossom Swap, Plant Traders, Daves Garden and Garden web all have very active communities of people who love to trade plants, seeds and cuttings. There are always those willing to share what they have or know with someone who is really interested.

Another really good way to be cheap is to grow your own herbs. The basics that you really use the most often are your best bets. Most of them are also easy to grow annuals and don't take a tremendous amount of care. Try Basil, oregano, Thyme, cilantro and dill. They are very easy to grow and taste great when added to your dinner. I don't know what they cost in other places, but here a tiny package of basil or mint is well over $3.00 and if you don't use it all relatively soon, it goes to waste. If you have it growing, you can simply harvest what you need and leave the rest to be ready in time for your next menu.

If you have any good tightwad tips, leave me a comment and I will share them when I do my next frugal posts.

Happy Penny Pinching.

To Yard Sale or Not?

Today was like yard sale heaven! Several of the churches in our area were having their huge annual sales and the weather is glorious ( there is nothing in the world like April at the beach). There were also a lot of individual sales today.
Late last night though as I was laying in bed, I thought to myself...
"Self you have enough of your own junk, you sure don't need to go and buy somebody else's junk!" LOL So, in a flash of willpower of an unbelievable strength, I resisted the urge to get up and go searching for things I don't need and have no place for. I decided I would stay home and plant instead.

I have been redesigning my front yard for several years. Each time I get it planted, somehow we decide to change something. This time though it is staying! My husband and I built 4 new flower beds in the front yard and I filled them with seedlings that I had grown last year.
We planted Brugmansia, Hibiscus, Tall bearded iris and more daylilies that I thought possible. I cannot wait to see it all bloom. I am still new at blogging, so as soon as I figure out how to post pictures, I will add some.
Till then, you just have to imagine....



A Kiss of the sun for pardon
A song of the birds for mirth,
One is nearer God's heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on the earth.
Author Unknown.