Enjoy the Outdoors...Fun Summer Happenings

There are always days when we prefer to stay home and enjoy our own little backyard retreats.  But there are also times, when we crave some outdoor relaxation away from home.  Our Hampton Roads area offers so many outdoor events to enjoy during the summer months.  There are events for the family. for couples, and things to enjoy solo. Music, art shows, nature walks.  The options are endless, but we thought we'd share some of our favorite finds.

Summer Music Series at Norfolk Botanical Gardens.  Great music and beautiful surroundings.

Chalk the Walk at the Virginia Beach Boardwalk.  Fun for all ages.  Who doesn't like sidewalk chalk, right?

First Landing State Park.  It's not just a place with trails...special events are happening almost daily.

Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge.  Take a tram through the refuge and learn about some of our coastal wildlife.  Relaxing and beautiful.

The Adam Thoroughgood House in Virginia Beach.  Take a step back into colonial history.  Tour the home and then stroll through the beautiful gardens indicative of the time period.

The Chrysler Museum of Art.  Visit this fabulous art museum and follow it up with a stroll through Norfolk's Historic Ghent and Hague areas.

For Spirtual Growth and Holistic Health, visit Edgar Cayce's Association for Research and Enlightenment.  Home to some beautiful meditation gardens.  

Wherever you decide to go, this summer enjoy the outdoors and all the beauty it has to offer.

Sabotaging the Slug Society

Slugs!  Those slimy, slinky, slithering, stretchy garden residents that can sometimes destroy your plants and make you long for an easy way banish them from your gardens forever.

We've asked around, researched books and the internet and even tested some of the solutions.  And now, we'd like to share them with you, our loving readers.  Why?  Because we know how bothersome it can be when a party of slugs choose to make a buffet out of your hostas or some other plant!

Beer.  Yes, beer!  Take some saucers or shallow bowls and fill them with beer.  Set them around the plants that are being damaged.  In the morning, expect to see your containers filled with swollen, drunk, dead slugs.

Copper.  It shocks slugs.  If they are eating the plants in your containers, glue some pennies around the containers.  In your beds, add some copper flashing at the edges.

Hair.  Human hair.  When you clean out that hairbrush, take the hair and place it around your plants.  The slugs will get tangled in it when they try to get to your plants.

Citrus.  Slugs love oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruits.  Throw the rinds into your beds and collect them in the morning.  Hopefully, you will capture some slugs and you can dispose of them as you wish.

Coffee.  Surround plants with coffee grinds. It's good for your soil and bad for your slugs.

Vinegar.  Keep a spray bottle filled with white vinegar handy.  If you see them, spray them!  Just remember, vinegar can harm certain plants.

These are some of the easiest methods.  Typically, most people have some of these items available.  Give them a try and let us know what worked best for you.  We'd also love if you share some tricks that have worked for you.  Happy Slug Hunting!

Enhancing Your Landscape With Professional Design

For many homeowners, making the decision to hire a professional landscaping company isn't always easy.  Many people do not understand the value that a well designed landscape can add to their home.  A well designed and maintained landscape adds impact and dimension to your home's appearance.  A professional understands how to compliment the architecture of your home and bring your personality into the design.

An expertly designed and installed landscape will aesthetically improve your home's appearance, much the way your interior furnishings do.  The difference, however, is that landscaping is a true capitol improvement.  Interior furniture and fixtures are not.  The financial benefit of a professionally designed and maintained landscape can add a 10% to 40% value to your home.  That is more than reason enough to consider such an investment!

A well designed landscape is more than plants.  It includes proper placement of plants, fences, decks, patios...it is the creation of exceptional outdoor spaces.  It is more than just a look.  It is an extension of your home.  Added living space, added recreation space, and added investment.

When designing a landscape, a professional will consider the flow of your yard and how you access the various areas.  A professional will see your vision in stages and have the ability to foresee how your landscape will grow and change with your budget.  Before you hire a professional, be certain they know your budget and how you intend to stage the various projects to complete your overall look.  With this information, a professional landscape designer will know what projects should be completed first to give your home the most value.

Visit your landscaper's website, look for testimonials and large photo galleries.  Does your landscaper have a blog that give you information to assist you in caring for your landscape?  Is your landscaper always available to answer your questions?  These are the things that set a landscape designers apart.

Handsome Hostas

Because of their immense ease, love for shade and desire for moisture, hostas are a favorite for gardeners when searching for a plant to fill those areas that do not get the benefit of full sun.  Their foliage patterns and textures add interest to garden areas where sun loving flowers won't grow.  Of course there are varieties that can tolerate some amount of heat and sun, but its the way they can enhance those areas of your landscape that once seem neglected and boring that makes them a true favorite and a staple in area landscapes.  Leaf sizes, colors and spreading ability are part of the selection process and with so many available varieties, you are sure to find one or two or even three varieties that will compliment and enhance your landscape.  In addition to the leaf, the flowers produced by certain hostas are prized for their fragrance, just one more item that deserves attention when choosing the hosta that will best suit your desires.

Aphrodite Plantain Lily.  Deep green glossy flowers with tall, white, very fragrant flowers.

Patriot.  A common hosta, appreciated for its defined variegation.

June.  Golden yellow leaves edged with a bluish-green make this hosta a winner.

Frances Williams.  Huge blue-green leaves, edged in a lighter green.

Striptease.  Golden leaves edged in bold green, produces pale purple flowers.

Deja Blue.  Another one with blue-green leaves, this one is edged in gold.

Great Expectations.  A color changer.  Chartreuse centers that go from yellow to white as fall approaches.

Tokudama Flavocircinalis.  Gorgeous leaves with very interesting texture.

Pathfinder.  Thick white foliage, edged in green.

Wolverine.  Long, narrow, blue and yellow foliage.

Whirlwind.  Another color changer, with leaves that grow upright.

Silver Threads and Golden Needles.  A cute, miniature hosta.

Golden Prayers.  Smaller hosta with lovely golden leaves.

Daybreak. Golden foliage, tolerant of light.

Sun Power.  Another light tolerant hosta, this one likes morning sun and afternoon shade.

Sum and Substance.  Enormous, bright green leaves.

Blue Mouse Ears.  Adorable rounded leaves.

Chartreuse Wiggles.  Long narrow leaves.  Not your typical hosta shape.

Aureomarginata.  Another big leaved hosta, leaves can grow up to 12 inches long.

Tracy's Emerald Cup.  Loved for its interesting cup-shaped leaves.

Yes, it's easy to find varieties of hostas that will work for you.  The tough part is deciding on your favorites.

The Flavor of Peppers

They are easy to grow, flavorful, sometimes spicy and add instant flavor to your summer dishes.    Not only are they great additions to your recipes, but some varieties are better know for the hot sauces they are used in or the colors they add to flower beds and containers.  There are almost as many reasons to grow peppers as there are available varieties.

Some peppers can be down right hot, so hot that you need to take extra precautions when handling them.  Others are priced for their color and beauty and others are known for traits you may not even be aware of.  Peppers don't require a lot of space and are great for beginner vegetable growers.  They do well on farms, in suburban backyards and on urban patios.

Ancho 211 is a mildly hot, heart shaped pepper that serves well for chiles rellenos.

Holy Mole is another mildly hot pepper, developed for the famed mole sauce.

Tabasco Pepper.  I'm sure you can guess why this one got its name.

Pretty in Purple Pepper.  With its lovely purple color, this one is both an ornamental and an edible.

Thai Hot Pepper.  Extremely hot, long, thin fruits.  Not for the "faint of heat."

Cayenne Pepper.  Well known for in its powdered form to flavor a variety of dishes.

Habanero Pepper.  An intensely piquant variety of pepper.

Red Savina Pepper.  Bred from the Habanero, this one is larger and hotter.

Scotch Bonnet Pepper.  Similar to the Habanero in heat, the Scotch Bonnet is a slightly sweeter, Caribbean pepper.

Jalepeno Peppers.  Named after the city of Xalapa in Mexico.  Great for homemade salsas.