Thursday, April 16, 2015

Spring Gardening and Favorite Sunscreen

Hi there! Have y'all started gardening yet? We spent a recent weekend fertilizing the grass, putting down Preen to prevent garden weeds, and planting Zinnia seeds. 



I know I've mentioned Preen before, but since it's almost summertime, I thought it deserved a repeat mention. Here's a pic so you know what I'm talking about...


preen weed preventer review


You just sprinkle it on the mulch around your flowers and it prevents any weeds from coming up for 4 months! Now, you do have to pull the existing weeds first, but other than that, you just sprinkle it on and lightly water it in and that's it!

Be sure to keep the Preen off the grass though. It'll kill grass. Also, try not to disturb the flower beds after you apply it. If the area gets disturbed frequently (from walking on the mulch, digging, etc.) it won't work as well. 

Anyway, I've been using it for years and I really don't have to pull weeds. Love this stuff! It's about $15 at Home Depot or Walmart. I'm sure you can get it on Amazon too. 

Like I said, we also planted some Zinnia seeds. I had three pouches of seeds in my cart before I noticed some of them had a little pic of a flower pot with a check mark on it. I assume that means they'll do well in pots and since I'm only planting them in pots, I had to switch a couple out for the checked kind. :) 

Are you ready for the pretty pic of what my flower pots look like right now???




Hee hee! I usually don't have the patience for seeds, but last year I had some Zinnias, and after the flowers bloomed, I sprinkled the dried, spent flowers (which contained the seeds) into a pot filled with soil and was really surprised at how quickly they grew. In just a couple of weeks I had pretty good sized plants. I'll try to keep you posted on these. 

I will say that I was really disappointed in the amount of seeds per packet. Most only contained about 6-7 seeds. What's up with that?

Here are a few more pics from around the backyard...

The bottle brush tree is beginning to bloom and the plumbago in front of it is going to be covered in little blue flowers soon. 


knockout roses and bottle brush tree




I always look forward to this Saint Joseph Amaryllis blooming. It's proven to be very hardy and comes back every year like clockwork... 









A closer look at some roses and the red bottle brush blooms in the back. 



Speaking of spending time outside, I recently got some new sunscreen I wanted to share with you. Big surprise, it's Neutrogena brand! I promise y'all I'm not getting paid to endorse their products, I just really love them. :) 



The one complaint my family has about sunscreen is how their skin feels sticky after applying it. So, I did some research and kept coming back to this stuff. The "ultra sheer" Neutrogena is non-greasy and very light weight. It doesn't really feel like you have sunscreen on and it absorbs into the skin quickly. We usually start with the cream and then follow up with the spray every couple of hours. 

Here's another really good one we like...




This one is by Kiehl's. It's oil free, lightweight, fast drying, non-greasy, paraben free, and non-comedogenic. What else could you ask for in a sunscreen? :) 

Do you have a favorite sunscreen to share? I'd love to hear about it! Hope everyone has a great day and thanks so much for stopping by!

~Lisa



16 comments:

  1. Don't worry your pretty little self about those zinnia seeds. I thought the same thing last year when I opened the package...hardly anything in there. You will have tons of flowers and I have them coming up from where the seeded themselves. Your amaryllis is so pretty! Ours is just about to bloom. Your flower beds are gorgeous.

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  2. Ooh, I'm glad you reminded me about Preen. I just put in a ton of new plants in the front yard and I can't wait for them to fill in and start blooming like crazy! The weeds are coming up through my freshly laid mulch though. :( I think I will pull them and then use some Preen to save my back in the future!

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  3. I have never tried Preen, but I am definitely going to try it this year. Thanks for the recommendation. One of my least favorite tasks is pulling weeds! Can't wait to see your pots all full of flowers :)

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  4. I use Preen and I love it too. I always clean the beds out each Spring then sprinkle the Preen before putting down mulch. Your yard looks great. I love your flower combination.

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    1. Thank you, Jennifer! Preen is the best! :) By the way, I just got your comment, so that's why I'm just now replying. So sorry about that! I've been having problems with Blogger and lost hundreds of comments. Hopefully it's fixed now. :)

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  5. Hello there! I just love your gardening tips and pictures! I wil lhave to tell hubby about that weed preventer...thanks for the tip! Looking forward to see how your Zinnia's grow!!

    I love using the baby sunscreen from Coppertone that has an SPF of 50. It's the only one that doesn't break me or my daughter out. Sensitive skin is awesome...not!

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  6. Wow, Lisa, your flowers are beautiful! I shared your info about the Preen product with The Man, because he does the yard work.....he was very interested, because he sprays for weeds all the time.

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  7. Your backyard is so pretty! I love how you've edged it in flowering plants. I've seen the commercials on TV for Preen. It looks like a good product. My husband has a lawn care business on the side so he maintains our yard. We use a professional service for our grass though. My husband used to do ours but now has a company do it that has all of the chemicals on their truck etc He has gotten so busy with his own customers that he doesn't have time to service our own except the grass cutting part! I hate weeds! Thanks for the suggestion about the sunscreen. That looks like a good one. We may give that one a try since it doesn't leave a sticky residue.

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  8. I love your back yard! How many times have I sad that? :) Love bottle brush trees ~ my daughter had one at their house and it was always so beautiful.

    Thanks for the hints re: sunscreen. I can't stand the sticky, icky feeling either. Will certainly check them out.

    Have a wonderful weekend!
    xo
    Pat

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  9. Oh your yard is just lovely!! Ive been doing lots of gardening in our little courtyard. Got lots of seeds started. And just a few flowers so far. Planted sweet "tater" vines. I have cosmos and begonias to plant today. And this year trying my hand at a few herbs! Do you do any? Im starting with parsley and chives!

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  10. Your yard is beautiful! I have never used Preen but I think I need some! I am going to get it when we can get outside and start working. The lawn is finally greening up but not fully there yet. It is still cold here- although it is warm today. xo Diana

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  11. Your flowers are so pretty! Thanks for sharing about the Preen Weed Preventer. That sounds like a great product. The sunblocks look great also. I hope you have a good weekend.

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    1. Thank you, Kendra! That Preen is such a big help in the summer. It's like it does all the work for you. :)

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    2. Lol...I meant to say KIM, not Kendra! Sorry! :)

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  12. Your yard looks gorgeous LIsa... I always enjoy your pictures! You should see our two shrubs out front... they didn't make it through winter! I have no idea why!!! I love yard work and gardening but I sure don't have a green thumb! Thanks for sharing, friend!
    Kendra @ www.joyinourhome.com

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    1. Thanks, Kendra! I know a lot of people who lost shrubs this year. It was a harsh winter for some. A few lost shrubs that were 20 plus years old. Yikes!

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