Put On Some Sunscreen!

Happy June everyone!

It seems that time has flown by and now pools are open and the kids are looking for something to do. It is time for the kids to go to summer camp and Bible school and all the water activities they can cram in.

I am looking forward to helping again this year with the Rock Garden at our Community Center. Everyone of the plants are doing well.  Some have even survived when they shouldn’t have, so all is well.

But now let’s see what I have for you this week.  For whatever reason, my thoughts are turning to safety in the garden this week, and I feel that these tips are important.

Sunscreen

  I guess first of all is sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen!  Be sure to keep it in your garden tote and put it on before you go out, and then, if you are out that long, re-apply it after an hour or so.

  Yes, that is kid’s sunscreen that I have. I keep it for my grandson and I use it too. No sting, no worry about sweating it into your eyes. And it is gentle on your skin.

Wear your hat to shade yourself, and apply the sunscreen on your face, hands, arms, and legs. Don’t forget about the back of your neck, too!  See that spray can? 

 

 

 Yeah, I go the easy route.  And if you use the lotion , it feels good to put it on your skin anyway!

Wear your gloves!

  I know it doesn’t give you the same tactile sensation as your fingertips, but if you have ever run an old rusty nail up under your fingernail, you will wish you had worn a glove!  There are splinters around, and if you are like me, I am reaching under and around trying to reach without getting up.

Thorns can get you!   Spiders bite!   Earwigs pinch!   And when I run up against a slimy snail, I am so glad I have gloves on.  

You will be glad you did too.

Support Stakes Safety

 

And do you have any of those cute old salt and pepper shakers left around?  These can be set upon the tips of those stakes you have in your garden to support your taller plants from flopping.

These stakes can be dangerous when bending into the beds, so putting these little decorative items on top of the stake may keep you from injuring yourself. 

Poking your eye or scraping your cheek is not what you want to do!  Not to mention the kids in your garden.

If it is a salt or pepper shaker, they have a little hole already in the bottom, so they are good to go!  You could also try a colorful tennis ball or ping-pong ball with a hole drilled into it.

Stock Up!

Now is the time to check over the Big Box stores and get a few bags of topsoil or soil amendments that you may need for fall or early next spring.

Watch for a sale and get it stored in the back of the shed or garage now.

I am planning to prep containers in the fall so that next spring, I can dig up a plant for  our spring fundraiser sales and  just plop them into waiting containers.  I learned my lesson this year.

I won’t wait and do it all at once like I did this year. 

Feed the Hummers

 

And don’t forget our garden delight, the hummingbird. They are around a lot, feeding and getting ready for babies, and need to “fatten” up for themselves and the hatchlings.

Now that the heat is here, you may need to clean and refill your feeder every day.  I rarely see more than one or two, sometimes three, but they are fighting for their territory!  Keep the nectar fresh! 

I don’t know a lot about hummingbirds, but I understand from reading that they return to where they are born?  So I may be seeing the same family each year. Wow! 

I have seen films that show many hummers at a single feeder, so I felt I only got the grumpy or hoggish ones. But again, I have learned that those that congregate in large groups may be the younger birds who haven’t yet learned the territorial behavior.

Enjoy your garden whether big or small, in your yard or on your balcony. There is a “garden” in every container! And those hummers and butterflies will find it.

And that’s my garden hints and tips for this week. Have a wonderful week and enjoy the outdoors.