Five Easy Decorating Ideas

1. Welcome them at the front door with a beautiful, festive wreath. You can choose from permanent, that will last for years, or a fresh, fragrant wreath. Our fresh wreaths are dipped in a preservative to make them last longer. We have a great selection of both permanent and fresh wreaths to choose from. Use a garland of greens to frame the entry. Add lights to make the garland sparkle. Attach a festive bow to your porch light to match the one on your wreath.


2. The mantle is the focal point of the living room. The beautiful and realistic permanent holiday greens available today are perfect for decorating the mantle. They won't dry out and are easy to shape just how you want them. Add a few candles, berries, ribbon, and old world Santas. Place poinsettias at the base of the hearth on both sides to add a lot of color. Be sure to move them away when you are using the fire place.



3. When decorating the Christmas tree, string the lights starting at the trunk and work your way out to the end of the branch and back in. Your tree will be beautiful and the stings of the lights will be hidden. Place decoration throughout the tree, not just out on the ends of the branches. Balls, bows and ornaments placed deep in the tree add depth, making the tree look much fuller. Hang all of the same kind, size, and color of an ornament or ball at a time, such as all the small red balls, to ensure they are evenly distributed throughout the tree.



4. A beautiful center piece is perfect for your dining room table. Choose from a fresh, fragrant arrangement or a permanent design that will last for years to come. Add festive, coordinating place mats and candles and your dining experience will capture the magical feel of the holidays.



5. Bring the holiday celebration into every room. Kitchens and bathrooms are a great place to put scented candles and smaller seasonal knickknacks, such a Santa and whimsical snowmen. Place a small poinsettia next to the kitchen or bathroom sink. Use simple permanent branches of greens to lay on a bathroom or kitchen counter, end table and night stand. You can add a few berries or ribbon.

Fall Gardening

Fall, the most important season in the garden

Spring seems to get all of the attention, which is understandable because everyone is anxious to be finished with winter and get back out into the garden.

Fall has traditionally been viewed as the end of the line, basically time to pick the tomatoes and rake leaves before everything freezes. In reality though, fall is the most important season in the garden.

Spring is a growth season, while fall is an establishment season. In spring, you get amazing foliage growth and flowering, while in fall you get spectacular root growth and an extended period of time to settle in.

Fall means a second chance for gardeners to do all those things we didn't get around to in the spring. If you feel the urge to work in the garden, but are not quite sure what to do, this reminder list should help. Enjoy the process.

Planting . . . Planting hardy trees, shrubs and perennials in the fall gives you much stronger and better established plants the next spring or summer. Be sure not to plant too deep. The cooler weather of fall creates a perfect opportunity for plants to establish in a low stress environment.

Clean it Up . . . Fall cleanup is an important endeavor, and is necessary to keep your yard running at top speed. Just remember that whatever you don't clean up now will still be waiting for you in the spring, and will probably be much more difficult to deal with. As perennial plants begin to die back for the winter, clean up old stalks and foliage that are no longer serving an ornamental purpose. Pull up and discard the annuals as they die back.

Give your trees a boost with tree nutrition . . . As the temperatures cool, and even after trees lose their leaves, tree roots are in their most active growth period. Give your trees and shrubs a nutrient boost about one month after the first killing frost, but before the soil freezes.

Weed Control . . . Little fall weeds become big spring weeds. Many of our common lawn weeds sprout in the fall, grow a healthy root system in the winter, and then explode in the spring. By applying weed killer in the fall, you can get many weeds when they are young, before they become difficult to eradicate.

Water trees and shrubs . . . Plants, especially evergreens, should be well hydrated entering winter. Deep soak them weekly until the ground freezes.

Rake leaves. . . Rake leaves and other debris from your lawn, making your yard more attractive. Moreover, removing leaves and debris prevents mold and other diseases from forming over the winter months. A thick layer of leaves can create a dense blanket over the lawn, keeping it from "breathing" and growing into its full potential. An easy way to remove fallen leaves is to spread the leaves out and mow them with a mulching mower. Mow again, this time bagging the chopped grass and leaves. Put the grass and leaves on your garden and till or turn them in. This is a great source of organic material.

For Beautiful Roses . . . Deep soak weekly up until the ground freezes. After the leaves fall off the trees is the time to winterize your rose bushes. Remove any diseased leaves from or around the plants and discard in the garbage. Mound soil, compost, soil pep or tree leaves 12"-14" deep on the base of each bush. Rose collars from Pinehurst are an easy way to keep the mulch up around the stems. Don't prune or fertilize roses until late spring.

Take time to relax and enjoy the beautiful warm days of fall in your yard.

For all your gardening needs visit Pinehurst Floral & Greenhouse at 4101 Poleline Rd., Pocatello, ID, and pinehurstfloralandgreenhouse.com.

Gardening and Your Health

Gardening Improves Your Health

Turn on the television at any time of the day and you'll be bombarded with ads for pills, powders, drinks, and exercise gizmos that promise to help you shed excess pounds. But before you shell out $50 for the "Chub-Buster 5000," get out your gardening gloves. Better health can be as close as your backyard.

Spring and summer gardening can be a great whole-body workout to shed extra winter weight. Weight-bearing activities such as digging and lifting can build muscle, and aerobic activities such as raking, mowing and hoeing can burn calories. A 180-pound person will use 202 calories during 30 minutes of digging, spading and tilling. Even 30 minutes of cutting the grass on a riding mower burns 101 calories.

There's even more good news for green thumbs. According to a 2000 University of Arkansas study that compared many forms of exercise, yard work is most significant for preventing osteoporosis in women age 50 and older. Researchers compared yard work to bicycling, aerobics, dancing and weight training. Yard work and weight training were the only two activities shown to be significant for maintaining healthy bone mass.

The Fruits of Your Labor - The best part of gardening may be the edible rewards. A summer's bounty of fruits and vegetables contains fiber that may reduce your risk for colon cancer, as well as antioxidants and phytochemicals that may reduce your risk for heart disease and some cancers. Fruits and vegetables are also low in fat, which can help with weight loss. The American Dietetic Association recommends that adults get at least three to five servings of vegetables, and two to four servings of fruits each day.

Why Valentine's Day is So Special

What could be more glorious than a day devoted to the hope, yearning and elation of romantic love? This is a great time to express yourself, and beautiful flowers make it easy.

Whether you’re dreaming of a new love – or showing admiration for the one who’s already made your dreams come true – Valentine’s Day is sure to be filled with red hearts, luscious sweets, and fresh, fragrant flowers. It’s a time to express heartfelt appreciation for lovers young or old. A day to reward true friends, family members and exceptional husbands and wives. But most of all, it’s a day to celebrate love.