I found your blog a few weeks ago and have been going through every single one of your posts (and there’s a lot)!! I absolutely love what you have done with your house. I wish I could start doing my house, but unfortunately we have housemates who would probably mind the disturbance. We’re buying another house soon and will hopefully be able to decorate that without any complaints, except from our puppy!

Everyone loves you in Australia! Keep up the good work!

Cheers,
Amanda

I love your arrangements-very pretty! The pink and green is my favorite, I love that combination. My favorite go-to place is also the grocery store. Today I’ll be picking up a dozen roses for $5.99 as I saw it in the weekly circular and I’ll be splitting them up too…..

At the end of winter, all the ladybugs wintering in my attic wake up and bang against my kitchen window. I redirect them to those plants with whiteflies. Whiteflies also like the color yellow – so you can buy fly strips, or make your own by simply putting glue on yellow paper. I’ve also heard spraying your plants with a solution of dish detergent and water will help keep them at bay.
Remember, be careful to always water those plants from the bottom & don’t overwater – this will help keep the whiteflies away.

For the first time, I am forcing blossoms inside from my neighbor’s dogwood tree. They look pretty with just the buds–can’t wait to see them bloom! You may have noticed this idea in the February BHG.

I heart grocery store mixed bouquets. I feel like they last forever! I got a bunch of white mums with yellow centers (looked like big daisies) for a party and split them into little bouquets around the house afterward. Most of them lasted 2 weeks! I’m also working on a cutting garden but we don’t have much full sun and I’m trying to maximize that for veggies. I need a bigger yard!

Hey Bridget B,

We wish we could be more helpful but we’ve never had that problem. Perhaps you could water your plants less since it seems like soggy soil would be attractive to critters who like to breed in moist environments. We only water our plants deeply once every week or two. We’ve heard numerous experts say that’s better than more frequent watering- and plants often die from overwatering so it’s a safe way to go (not to mention less effort). Maybe you can google “natural fungus gnat remedies” or call your local nursery and ask someone there what they recommend. Good luck and let us know what works so we can spread the word!

xo,
Sherry

Quick question: how do y’all deal with the little fungus gnats that seem to be attracted to live plants? I took your advice about bringing plants into the house, and while they look great, the bugs are a downer.

Love your site.
Thanks!

Love the pink and green together.