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peonies & ants

By on May 10, 2012 in room to grow

I wasn’t aware of the affinity ants held for Peonies until I was lucky enough to inherit one on the side of my little rental house. I eagerly awaited the unfurling of petals that spring and pounced as soon as they opened. But before I could even finish collecting the white blooms, I screamed and flung the flowers to the ground as at least a dozen or so ants disembarked from the blooms and crawled up my arm. Upon closer inspection I was furious to see that the petals of my peonies were home to an entire colony of ants. Continue Reading →

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diy wedding florals 101

By on April 4, 2012 in diy projects, room to grow

With Rachel’s upcoming nuptials upon us, there has been a lot of wedding talk between all of us at the By and By. It was requested I discuss the topic of wedding flowers. Full disclosure: I am by no means a florist, and having had only one wedding, I am not an expert either. But I am happy to share what I do know and if it helps any other budget bride {and if you’re like me, a clueless bride} out there than it will have been well worth my time. Given my background, there was no question that flowers would be an important wedding element for me. I originally thought the only way to go was to hire a florist to do bouquets, boutonnieres, and tabletop arrangements. However, once planning was in full force and deposits were being paid every which way, I quickly realized it wasn’t worth going broke for floral arrangements. I investigated my options and realized I had few. Continue Reading →

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new year, new plants!

By on January 9, 2012 in room to grow

You’d think the cold weather would slow me down, but the bare trees and brown grass just motivate me further to fill my home with growing things. I finally took the plunge and brought home three air plants. These are decidedly more difficult to find this time of year, but if you can get your hands on one, I’d suggest it to anyone. As air plants are new territory for me {these are decidedly out of my hardiness zone 5 range of knowledge!} I spoke with an extremely kind and patient woman at the nursery and she assured me these would be easy as pie. She suggests medium light {these are great on windowsills} and a good spritzing of water from a spray bottle once a week. I can attest, it’s as easy as that. Continue Reading →

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christmas cacti

By on December 14, 2011 in room to grow


The holidays are here and it’s time for Christmas Cacti to make their appearances in nurseries, floral shops, and supermarkets everywhere. This year I have already treated myself to my annual grocery store holiday plant, a well spent $3.99, if you ask me. The Christmas Cactus actually begins it’s show closer to Thanksgiving, depending on the exact species you find, and ends later in December. Continue Reading →

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wardian case {cat proof} terrarium

By on October 26, 2011 in diy projects, room to grow

Now that’s it getting cold again {at least in Kansas}, you can keep a little bit of summer inside.

I’d been searching for a Wardian case like this for a little over a year. They went from expensive and difficult to find even online to abundant and affordable. I found mine at a local store for about $40, but stores like Crate & Barrel have caught onto the craze and now offer a range of sizes starting at about the same price. Continue Reading →

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summer-ready cacti

By on May 23, 2011 in diy projects, room to grow




A tiny terra cotta planter filled with cacti on my kitchen windowsill made the slow arrival of spring in Kansas just a little bit more bearable. Now that its warm enough {when temps stay near 50° F or warmer} this guy is calling our patio home, where he can flourish until its time to come inside again. Continue Reading →

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terrariums 2.0

By on January 24, 2011 in room to grow

I am off work this week, and in lieu of being productive {i.e. getting oil changed, bathing dogs, backing up files}, I’ve chosen to enjoy myself – in the nerdiest ways I know how. First on my nerdy to-do list? Make a terrarium with mom. Let the nerdy fun commence!

And while I’m not exactly an authority on terrariums yet, if you’ll recall, this isn’t my first rodeo either. I stepped gently into the world of terrariums by experimenting with moss {do I sound cool, or what?!}. Mr. Moss had been a success {yep, he’s still just sitting there} and 6 months later, I decided it was time to step up my game and terrarium-ize tropicals. Fortunately for my vacation state of mind, materials and process are nearly the same as Terrariums 1.0, so for more detailed info on process and resources click here and for newer info, skip on down to tips and tricks. Continue Reading →

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diy: felt & yarn wreath

By on December 22, 2010 in diy projects, room to grow

I was dead set on decorating with live greens this year until I discovered that I can’t bring them into my home without overdosing on Benadryl. The side affects weren’t worth it. My alternative? Yarn and felt wreaths. These materials scream warm and cozy and are inexpensive and easy to find. I found the project to be a little time consuming, but simple and fantastic to do in front of the TV if you need to keep your hands busy like I do. Continue Reading →

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gifts: for room to grow

By on December 20, 2010 in collective efforts, room to grow, shop talk

This week’s gift guide is for the girl that doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty and has a knack for all that is natural – she’s the green thumb.

She’s the type of girl that wants to be surrounded by green year round. During the winter months, she’ll get an early start to spring with an assortment of seed-starting trays and squash seeds – this year she can grow what she eats. And while she’s waiting for those to sprout, she adds green to her home with a Wardian-style terrarium case for a small tabletop. Later, whether she’s out for a walk to look at lights or working in the yard, she’ll want some durable, waterproof boots in just the perfect hue as well as a cozy plaid flannel shirt – functional can be stylish. Continue Reading →

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fall container garden

By on November 8, 2010 in room to grow

It’s not too late to start a fall container that will give your porch or balcony beautiful color for your fall gatherings. And with a little care your efforts will last in most climates, well into December. Most garden centers and any nursery will be carrying cold weather plants for your pots. Mums are a popular pick and come in many colors. Many mums are already bloomed out, so if you do decide to buy mums choose a variety that is a late season bloomer still in bud. Continue Reading →

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