Shawna Coronado's Blog, page 11

How to Rebuild a Perennial Garden Bed

My front side yard had really gotten to a point of disrepair last season and want to show you how to rebuild a perennial garden bed. I decided to rebuild the garden so it presents better, will be drought tolerant, and is easier to maintain. I’ve been using till-free planting techniques for years and below I have a little guide on the steps I used to plant this garden in a till-free fashion. Note I did not double-dig or raise the bed or do anything complicated. I dug the holes, added some amendments, and mulched well. It’s that simple.

Steps to Plant the Garden

Dug holes for the perennial plants
Added a thin layer of rotted manure and old leaves around the holes
Planted the plants with a bit of organic fertilizer tossed in
Layered cardboard down on the ground to act as a weed barrier in between plants
Covered the cardboard with Organic Mechanics® Hardwood Bark Mulch
Watered the garden in well

Plants Used in the Garden

Plants used in this garden bed require full sun, are mostly drought tolerant, and all the perennials are very easy to maintain.

Allium Millennium
Coreopsis Cosmic eye
Phlox ‘Glamour Girl’
Speedwell ‘Blue Skywalker’
Veronica ‘White Wands’

Special thanks to Walters Gardens for providing the plants for this delightful How to Rebuild a Perennial Garden Bed experience and the Organic Mechanics Soil company for providing my organic worm-casting filled mulch I used over the top of the cardboard.

The post How to Rebuild a Perennial Garden Bed appeared first on Shawna Coronado.

Fish in the Garden Sculpture Makes a Big Splash

Someone needs to sit me down and have a trout intervention because I have a total addiction for the Fish in the Garden sculpture art. Who knew that fish could be so darned fun in the garden? You first saw my passion for fish jump to the forefront when I let my no-mow grass go without a haircut to look wavy-like-a-lake so that the fish could swim across (below). Fish swimming in my little grassy lake, get it? ::nudge:nudge::

Then this season I had a bare patch in the garden and YOU ALL KNOW THAT I CANNOT HAVE ONE SQUARE INCH EMPTY. My gawd, what would my garden come to if there was bare nakedness just revealing itself through the mulch. The world would screech to a horrifying halt, right?

Which means, of course, that the bare patch (see below) had to be filled with my latest Fish in the Garden obsession: FISHIES. Yes. Little fishies. They are about half the size of the large fish sculptures and are simply adorable. I love the Fishies in Salsa Red as they really add a big BOOM of impactful color in a small garden space. Here they are swimming through a raised bed in my back garden filled with an enticing mix of plants – I planted some new plants alongside my new fishies. Ferns combined with tropicals combined with zinnia drift about in the wind. The combination reminds me a bit of how it might look if you were swimming through seaweed in the ocean and fits the fish art theme well.

New Plants in this Garden – 

Colocasia ‘Thailand Giant’
Colocasia ‘Distant Memory’
Coreopsis ‘Cosmic Eye’
Hosta ‘Cool as a Cucumber’
Zinnia ‘Pop Art Rouge’

Special thanks to the Fish in the Garden designer, Tyson Weiss, who’s a full-on garden art genius and fisherman extraordinaire. Also thanks to Clause Home Garden and Walters Gardens for providing the magnificent plants!

 

The post Fish in the Garden Sculpture Makes a Big Splash appeared first on Shawna Coronado.

Design a Pink Elevated Bed Container Garden

Dreaming of spring? Me too! One of the fun projects I did this season was to design a pink elevated bed container garden. Popping with Pink Foliage Power, these plants make a perfect part-shade container garden and look lovely in a small container or in a larger elevated bed. These gorgeous plants are from the Wave Petunia company. The soil is from Organic Mechanics and the elevated garden bed is by Gronomics.

We are steps away from spring – so very very close – and I can’t wait for the warmer weather to get here so we can plant up all the elevated beds with herbs and flowers. You’ll note in one of the photos below the little bee that’s loving the flowers in this garden. I highly recommend that you let your coleus go to flower once in a while to help nurture your local bee family like I did here in the garden. Watch the video below filmed in my back garden to learn all the specific plant varieties and growing tips I recommend for you so you can learn how to design and plant your very own Pink Power container garden.

Video here – https://youtu.be/S4aZellRqXc

Special thanks to Wave Petunias for providing the herbs and flowers used in this Design a Pink Elevated Bed Container Garden video. Visit www.wave-rave.com to learn more. Thanks to Gronomics for the beautiful elevated beds and Organic Mechanics Soil for the worm casting filled organic soil.

 

The post Design a Pink Elevated Bed Container Garden appeared first on Shawna Coronado.

Shocking Contrasts: Chartreuse and Silver Living Wall Garden

Hands down, my favorite garden of the season to design and build was my chartreuse green and silver gray living wall designed mostly with perennials from Walters Gardens which captivated passers-by and filled my garden with a bit of color contrast happiness. Silver in the garden is a real game-changer.

Plants Included in Design –

Hakonechloa grass ‘All Gold’
Heuchera ‘Twist of Lime’
Hosta ‘Blue Ivory’
Hosta ‘Island Breeze’
Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’

One of the super cool things about using perennials in your containers or living wall gardens is that you can plant the perennials in the ground at the end of the season, allowing them to hibernate through winter, then reuse them in the spring for another planting project. A great way to have fun in the garden and also save money.

Secret to the Soil

It’s all about retaining moisture when you plant a living wall — lifting the plants up above the ground so that they receive more air flow means the soil can dry out. Be sure to use a moisture retentive mix to help ensure your success.

My favorite homemade mix formula –

1 part organic potting soil with worm castings
1 part organic rotted composted manure
1 part plain compost

If you want more information on how to grow living walls, please reference my book Grow a Living Wall; Create Vertical Gardens with Purpose. Special thanks to Walters Gardens for providing the plants for my chartreuse green and silver gray living wall and the Organic Mechanics Soil company for providing my organic worm-casting filled soil.

The post Shocking Contrasts: Chartreuse and Silver Living Wall Garden appeared first on Shawna Coronado.

Metallic Silver Heuchera in Container Garden Design for Big Impact

Silver metallic heuchera is rocking my socks off this season. I love growing heuchera in general as it’s a fantastic shade to part-shade plant for northern gardens, attracts butterflies and hummingbirds, survives remarkably well in drought and heat, plus it has the beautiful bonus of being a colorful foliage plant. This makes it the perfect selection for perennial beds and heuchera in container garden design is fantastic.

Plants Included in Design –

Heuchera Dolce ‘Silver Gumdrop’
Heuchera Fun and Games ‘Hopscotch’

Using perennials in your containers can save you a LOT of money as you can plant them in the fall, then pull them out after the long hard winter and reuse them again.  If you keep the heuchera in the ground, they often frost heave, so it’s a good bet to mulch your heuchera before winter and also add compost in the spring after a particularly cold winter. Below is a video that shows you how I put together these delightful container gardens.

Heuchera in container garden designs really work. Special thanks to Proven Winners for sending these terrific plants out for me to try in the garden this season. They look great in my zinc containers and play well with all the other perennials in my garden. Love. Love. Love.

The post Metallic Silver Heuchera in Container Garden Design for Big Impact appeared first on Shawna Coronado.

Delicious Pineapple Ginger Almond Milk Smoothie

I have been kicking it up a serious notch in the smoothie department. Flavor. We need more flavor and anti-inflammatory smoothies made in my kitchen will have the healthful beneficial ingredients that are no dairy and no grain. The myth that seems to be prevalent is that anti-inflammatory is not flavorful. The truth is that you can add lots of flavor with some of your favorite spices and you will be LOVING your smoothies. Below the recipe learn how to grow basil. It’s a strong flavor ingredient for smoothies and truly takes the flavor to new levels.

Making the Smoothie Recipe

Start by growing some yummy fresh sweet basil for your  delicious pineapple ginger almond milk smoothie. Frozen pineapple gives your smoothie an ice cream like consistency. You could even freeze your almond milk into ice cubes for a frostier version. Use almond milk or coconut milk – both non-dairy milks work extremely well in the blender and taste delightful.


Delicious Pineapple Ginger Almond Milk Smoothie   Print Vegan Pineapple Ginger Smoothie Recipe Recipe Type : Vegan Smoothie Author: Shawna Coronado at www.shawnacoronado.com Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 2 mins Total time: 7 mins This is a super delicious pineapple ginger flavored smoothie that is healthy as can be. Try it today! Author: Shawna Coronado at www.shawnacoronado.com Ingredients 1 cup frozen pineapple ½ cup almond butter 1 handful shredded basil 1 ½ cup almond or coconut milk ½ t vanilla ½ t turmeric ¼ t black pepper 1 t raw ginger, chopped (add more to taste) Instructions Throw it all in a blender. Blend'er up. DONE! This is a super delicious pineapple ginger flavored smoothie that is healthy as can be. 3.4.3177

Growing Basil

Want to know how to grow basil? With a strong aroma, basil can contribute to your garden with aroma as well as bold foliage. An additional benefit is that it is useful for adding seasoning to Italian, Greek, Mexican, and tomato dishes. Basil looks attractive in cut flower arrangements. Beyond making a gorgeous statement in your garden, basil is also a nutritional powerhouse.

Growing Tips

Basil prefers a sunny location that gets at least 6 hours of sun per day. Grow from seeds or transplants in well drained soil that is richly amended with rotted manure or compost. To start from seed, wait until two weeks after the last frost, and then place seeds onto prepared soil and cover with 1/8 inch of soil. Basil requires an organically rich, well-drained soil, part-shade to full-sun conditions, and consistent watering. Kellogg Garden Organics All Natural Garden Soil for Flowers & Vegetables is a good choice that I used last summer (right and soil below).  If basil bolts in late spring and summer, simply cut off the flowering stem at the base of the plant as the flower can get quite tall, but is not attractive.

Advice and Care

Store fresh basil sprigs in a glass of fresh cool water on the counter, out of direct sunlight. To freeze basil, chop the leaves and place them in an ice cube tray, then drizzle olive oil over the tops of the leaves until you have a full tray. Freeze. Use the basil olive oil cube for flavorings in sauces and stews.

Special thanks to Kellogg Garden Organics for providing soil to me this season – the soil worked very well with my herbs, particularly the basil. Those beautiful bamboo cutting boards were provided by Totally Bamboo. The featured board is the ‘Pro Board Long’ and I love the cross-hatch design. Glassware is from the beautiful La Rochere bee series. Spices are from Frontier Co-op – the pepper and turmeric are wonderful additions to a flavorful smoothie. Thrilled for all your help in putting together this delicious pineapple ginger almond milk smoothie ever.

The post Delicious Pineapple Ginger Almond Milk Smoothie appeared first on Shawna Coronado.

How to Design a White and Silver Living Wall Garden

You all know that living walls are amazing and have been my passion. I’ve been working to reduce my osteoarthritis pain levels and growing “up” instead of flat-on-the-ground can make an astounding difference in pain levels if you have chronic pain or an inflammatory condition. This white and silver living wall garden inspired by the Wave Petunia company is also quite beautiful and was a bright spot in the garden all season long.

Watch the video below filmed at my home garden to learn all the specific plant varieties and growing tips I recommend for you so you can learn how to design a white and silver living wall garden. Happy garden designing my friends – I can’t wait to see YOUR gardens!

Video here – https://youtu.be/q514vn7_1Pg

Special thanks to Wave Petunias for providing the herbs and flowers used in this How to Design a White and Silver Living Wall Garden video. Visit www.wave-rave.com to learn more. Thanks to GroProducts for the stand-alone living wall and Organic Mechanics Soil for the worm casting filled organic soil.

The post How to Design a White and Silver Living Wall Garden appeared first on Shawna Coronado.

Garden Furniture Color Fun Glodea Product Review

Color can be so creative and enticing in a garden and I wanted to make a big FUN splash with color in the garden. GloDea® asked me to review their garden furniture. The company began in 2008 when Ignacio Santos, founder and lead designer at GloDea®, together with designer Fabian Ramos started handcrafting GloDea®’s Chair X36 in a friends garage. This developed into a full line of amazingly colorful garden furniture. When the GloDea company approached me, I fell in love with the bold colors and unique look of the furniture and couldn’t wait to review the unique pieces.

The Review –

Glodea sent out four of their Chair X45’s in Purple Berry and one Living Table X45 in Purple Berry. The chairs arrive loosely assembled, flat in a box, and include a little wrench tool you can use to loosen the slats and place in position. I found it a bit challenging to get all the slats lined up just perfectly. There was some cursing and a bit of gin involved. However, once you get the chairs sorted, I found them IMMENSELY sturdy. Super strong.

My thought is the seating pieces are really an artistic expression in the garden. The chairs are not built for fluffy-butt comfort, but they are definitely fun and creative and sitt-able (this is a word I just invented). They’re great fun if you have a barbecue and friends over as they are the center of conversation and beautifully architectural. The table is very strong and can also be used as extra seating.

Colors available in the GloDea® line include natural wood stains, black, and more than a dozen other colors bursting with boldness or subtlety depending on your needs. I review the chairs and table with two strong thumbs up if you are seeking a creative, fun, and sculptural idea for your garden space. Special thanks to the GloDea® company for allowing me to try this furniture out at no cost – I’ll be donating the furniture to the community this season.

The post Garden Furniture Color Fun Glodea Product Review appeared first on Shawna Coronado.

Lucca Italy is a Fantastic Walking Tour Destination

Visiting Lucca is very much like stepping back into time. Unlike Rome, which is a large bustling metropolis with honking horns and constant sirens, Lucca offers peace and quiet with an old world feel. Lucca Italy is a fantastic walking tour destination. In the early morning, as the light is just starting to touch Lucca’s walls, I found solace on my morning walks. I would step away from my amazingly quaint hotel, the Alla Corte degli Angeli, and wander the stone streets alone before breakfast, listening to the community coming alive with the friendliness of a small village. This is a fond memory of my time spent there.

Walking for wellness is easy in Lucca; there’s no need to rent a car if you are staying in Lucca proper as the streets and surrounding walls are a delight. Walking tours are very common and a guided tour through the city center can easily end with a home cooked meal consumed cafe-style on a street table outdoors at a local restaurant.

One of the most delightful and captivating things about Lucca is that it is the home of Giacomo Puccini, the famous Italian composer who was born in Lucca in 1858. He composed La bohème, Tosca, and Madame Butterfly. Lucca is filled with music and our walking tours to Casa Natale and the Puccini Museum told the story of Puccini and his upbringing in the small town of Lucca. Delightfully, we also walked to attend a performance with opera singers that featured his most famous pieces. Filling your ears with history definitely warms the heart.

In the late afternoon, the light bounces off the buildings and creates a golden light which makes the town glow with warmth. Besides an  immense selection of local Tuscan wines and olive oils, you will also find some astounding handy crafts such as hand-loomed scarves and custom painted tiles. My favorite experience in Lucca, however, was truly the walking. Around every corner you will find a delightful view, which urges a traveler to take a few extra steps to find the next bend. Lucca Italy is a Fantastic Walking Tour Destination. Old churches, beautiful streets, and a warm people add to the simple beauty of Lucca. I found my heart unexpectedly captured and my soul healed with good food and lovely memories.

Special thanks to #LuccaPromos for helping me discover that Lucca Italy is indeed a fantastic walking tour destination. I loved the experience and am grateful for the press tour. Staying at the Alla Corte degli Angeli hotel was a highlight of the trip – beautiful place with a delightful restaurant and breakfast. I enjoyed the #LandofPuccini and learning so much tour on the #Lucca #guidedtour experience was wonderful. Thank you.

The post Lucca Italy is a Fantastic Walking Tour Destination appeared first on Shawna Coronado.

How to Plant a Pizza Garden

 

This season I partnered with Wave Petunia to create a whole series of “how to” design and gardening videos for wellness and beauty for all of my wonderful peeps. “How to Plant a Pizza Garden” is the first in the series. Designing gardens that are both beautiful and nutritiously sound is a great step towards a wellness lifestyle. This garden features all the herbs and vegetables you might use in making a pizza; it smells delicious and I’ve thrown a few extra flowers in for the sake of – well – flowers. Happily, this garden has been one of my all time favorites.

Utilizing tools such as the VegTrug elevated beds means that the garden is accessible and easier to garden if you have chronic pain or another condition. Watch the video below filmed in my front garden, to learn all the plants and tips for growing a pizza garden on your very own patio.

Video here – https://youtu.be/R8V0kDHKFds

Special thanks to Wave Petunias for providing the herbs, vegetables, and flowers used in this How to Plant a Pizza Garden video. Visit www.wave-rave.com to learn more. Of course special thanks to Organic Mechanics Soil for that terrific soil filled with worm castings and VegTrug for their amazing elevated bed with cold frame. LOVED the products and the results.

The post How to Plant a Pizza Garden appeared first on Shawna Coronado.