Start Christmas Shopping Now

Christmas is not that far away. It will be here before you know it. Why not start Christmas shopping now. Shopping is easier than ever. You don't even have to leave your house. Just shop online. You can even have your gifts delivered to the person you are buying for. There is something out there for everyone. Avoid all the chaos of the malls & stores. Relax & stay inside, where it's warm. You don't have to deal with all the hectic traffic or the icey roads. Try it, you'll love it!

WINTERIZE....WINTERIZE....WINTERIZE

"Flag" Your Personality

Are you fun? What about a nature lover? How about crazy about adorable birds? Are you feeling "Froggy"? Why bot display a flag that displays your personality as well as your interests & hobbies? There are even flags for all the different holidays. Have fun with it!

Winterize Your Yard

Perennial - comes back every year
Annual - only lasts 1 year
Make sure to fertilize your lawn.
Clip the tops off of your perennials.
You're supposed to pull out annuals, but why not wait? A lot of my annuals come back every year, or at lest for a year or two.
Don't cut grass too short or let it be too long the last time you cut it.
Ask your local plant/tree nursery about how to winterize your plant, tree & bushes.

Winter Decorations

Get out your winter decorations. Try creating a winter wonderland or show your playful side. Like I said before....Have fun with it!

Fall is fast approaching

It seems like we just summerized, but now it's time to get ready for a colorful autumn. It's my favorite time of year.

Fall isn't just colorful leaves, it's also time for "Boo"tiful items in your home & yard. Before you know it, it will be time to dress the turkey. While you're at it, dress up your home. Inside & out.

Why not try composting? It's fairly simple. Put all your veggie & fruit trimmings (stems, leaves, cores, etc) in a pail & take them out to a corner of your garden. Just mulch them into your garden & watch it grow.

Here's a quick & easy checklist.

1) Prepare for Halloween

2) Save your raked leaves & place them in lawn bags & decorate as pumpkins or jack-o- lanterns.

3) Decorate pumpkins as ghosts, goblins, witches or turkeys. Yes, I said turkeys.

4) Thanksgiving gives you a chance to show how thankful you are for your blessings & loved ones. Be creative in you decorations. Express yourself & have fun with it.

5) Relax. Don't stress yourself out. Always remember that stressed spelled backwards is desserts. Treat yourself. That's what diets are for....later.

More Summer Ideas

Let’s talk about shade. Who wouldn’t enjoy a relaxing siesta under grape vines? That’s right, grape vines. They’re fairly easy to grow & you not only get the shade from the hot sun, you get a yummy treat too. They grow quickly & with the right care, they will thrive & surprise you with their beauty. No kidding, once they start growing, you will see amazing growth every single day.

There are several different varieties of grapes. You should not only check out what is available in your area, but also find out what type would thrive in you area. Just because a certain type is available, it doesn’t mean it will grow well. Most local plant nurseries will answer your questions & help you figure out which type or types are right for you. We have a couple of different varieties growing together on our backyard trellis.

Try making preserves. If you do it correctly, it’s delicious. If you grow enough, you can even make homemade grape juice.

Currants are another idea for trellises. They are not as big, but they are pretty & edible too. You can pick them & then dry & crush them to use in recipes.

SUMMER IS HERE!!

That’s right, it’s summertime. You may be ready, but is your yard? Why not? It’s as easy as 1-2-3. Well, maybe a little more than 3, but it’s still easy. Here’s how….
1-Clean up the yard, trim off the dead winter foliage & fertilize.
2-Make sure you get the summer plants & décor to make your yard look sunny & inviting. Make it an oasis.
3-Games. That’s right….games. Who wouldn’t like to play a relaxing game of croquet? What about horseshoes? Games make people want to come over & hang out in your beautiful yard.
4-You should take pride in your yard & home. Come on, show off what you have. Highlight that beautiful garden or pond.
5-You can make your boundaries interesting & unique. You have a beautiful garden; why not put a beautiful border around it to keep it from being stomped on. Your garden isn’t boring, why should your border be?
6-This is the final & most important step….Make your yard show your personality!

Do you have any ideas? Blog us & let us know. If you’re having a hard time coming up with ideas, blog us with your questions & we’ll try to help.

Don’t be afraid to try something new & exciting. Some of the best ideas come from trying something new.

Pond Essentials & Extras

Do you have a Koi or fish pond? Make sure to use a fish safe pond liner. Make sure you check with your city’s zoning restrictions on ponds because they are a lot like the pool zoning restrictions. For example, most cities require a 6 foot fence with a locking gate.

Pond Essentials
Use “Pond” plants in your fish pond. They are beautiful to look at, but they are also vital for your fish.
A pond water test kit is a must. Ponds require some level of salt, so don’t forget the salt test kit & special salt.
Use the right type of fish food for your type of
fish. Koi are not goldfish.

Pond Extras
Make feeding your fish a fun treat. Use an old bubblegum or toy machine (the kind you find inside of grocery stores) to put the fish food in. It’s great entertainment for kids & guests, plus it offsets the cost of the fish food.
Try a pond fountain. They are a beautiful addition to any pond & your fish will love the shelter of it.

Natural rock is a wonderful idea for your pond. It looks great & is not that expensive. Natural plants love to grow on the rocks & in the crevices.

About The Pond
Most of the pictures in the posting where just taken of our pond in northern Utah, so the plants are just starting to grow back in. The first picture is from last year. We plan on starting a series of postings on how we built this pond three years ago. Also we will be doing a series on how to winterize the pond this fall to keep your Koi safe.

Ceramic Animal Containers

Our adorable ceramic turtle containers have other animal friends. E-mail us frog2hop@comcast.net or call us 801-653-9931 to find out what animals we can order for you. Collect them all. You'll have everyone talking about them.

Welcome to our blog

We have created this blog site to get feedback from our current & future customers. This is a new eBay store & we will soon introduce our website store. We would love to hear any comments about our store & products from you. Let us know if you are interested in a product that we don't currently carry & we will try our best to get it. We strive to bring you unique & interesting quality products at a reasonable price. We look forward to hearing from you very soon. Thank you.