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In the 43rd installment and part three of flipping your grass into a beautiful water-wise garden, I discuss the perfect plants to grow. for either a personal garden lawn or community garden. Prepping Your Area But first, before planting your garden, design it. Do you want tall plants intermingled with smaller plants, all tall plants, all small ones, or a cascading effect of tall, smaller, and small? Install the water system. Even though you will grow drought-tolerant plants, you still need to establish them first, which takes regular watering. Drip systems work well for this because they allow you to meter the watering, thus ensuring the correct amount of water at the right time. Next, are you putting in rock, gravel, or dirt? Any substrate has advantages and disadvantages. Now, onto the good stuff. Here are tried and true plants to grow in your garden. The Right Plants for Flipping Your Grass 🌵 Cactus plants (of which there are many) take very little water and repel many pests due to their sharp stickers. 🏵 Yarrow is a great addition to any drought-resistance garden. Multiple bushy flowers are on each sturdy stem in beautiful colors, including red, purple, peach, yellow, and white, with different shades of those colors. 🌻 Sunflowers can make a rock garden shine and make a bold statement. Small and mammoth sunflowers can be used as a backdrop or centerpieces. 🌿 Aloe doesn't need much water, and it's medicinal. Have a sunburn or mosquito bite? Aloe vera helps to calm the itch and pain. 🌼 Rockrose has a perfume aroma and displays large, papery flowers. It is fast-growing, loves the sun, and doesn't need much water to thrive. 🏵 Brittlebrush is a bush teeming with yellow daises that need minimal watering and offer a bright addition to a water-wise garden. 🌸 Crape Myrtle puts on quite a show in summer with gorgeous, showy blossoms that linger into fall. The beautiful, dark bark contrasts with bright pinks, purples, reds, and snow-white flowers. 🌼 Bougainvillea provides an instant tropical feel to your garden. It features vibrant, often vining blooms that peak in summer and bloom from early spring to late fall in milder climates. 🏵 Marigolds, with their strong, aromatic scent and mustard blooms, do quite well in a water-wise garden. The bonus is that they keep away nasty pests, so your plants stay healthy without being food to unwanted insects. This is a small sample of plants that do well in deserts or without much water. Do you have a water-wise garden? Post your pics below! Happy Gardening!! Hi, I'm Julia Nielsen, your guru gardener of 30 years. I have grown over 500 species of plants and add to my collection yearly. I'm on LinkedIn, www.linkedin.com/in/julianielsen  so please check out my posts - like, comment, share, and hit the 🔔  for notifications. Enjoy gardening & murder mysteries; consider joining my newsletter, Musings & Mysteries. Visit my website, Jewels Writes and IG @hotmamagard

In Part One, I went into steps to kill grass in preparation for removing it for a garden.  In Part Two of the 42nd installment of Gardening Tips & Tricks, I will offer steps to cutting or digging out lawns to make way for a rock garden. Flipping Your Lawn: Step One There are several ways to remove grass: tilling, cutting, or digging.  Tilling - Sharp blades break up the soil, including roots, using a high-powered rotating motion. Depending on the time needed, you can rent a tiller to cut up the grass, making it faster and easier on your back. Cutting - A sod cutter is the next best thing if you don't have a tiller. Once you have cut the grass, you can shovel it out. Digging - If you have a small area to be removed, simply get a sharp shovel and dig out the grass. Note that it will take longer but save money. Early fall is the best time to remove a lawn, as it needs to be dry, or late Spring.  Use a sod cutter and a sliding device, such as a sled, thick plastic sheet, garbage can lid, or a contractor's bag, to save money and ensure a smooth, faster, and easier process. If you have a folding garden cart, this is the best, as it lays flat on the ground, allowing you to tip the layers of grass onto it - the cart then transforms into a wheelbarrow for easy disposal.  When you cut up a lawn, you will be removing the soil underneath as well, which makes it easier to dispose of the grass. To use for the garden, shake out the grass on the tarp to catch the dirt, and you can reuse it. This will be about 3-6 inches. TIP: If you have a Home Owner's Association, you may need permission to remove your lawn and flip it into a garden. Also, contact your city so they can mark utility lines with spray paint. Here is the step-by-step guide to removing the grass. 🏡 Slice the grass into vertical sections. When using a sod cutter, slice small sections of grass to make removing it easier. If you plan to transplant the grass to another area, cut slices of about 18 X 18 sections, as they transplant best. 🏡 Tilt the grass on its side. After you have cut the sections, place the blade in the cut. Tilt the tool away from you to give you more leverage to force the sod up.  TIP: Use a trowel as a knife to scrape off excess soil at the bottom of the sod. 🏡 Tip the grass onto the carrying device . When using a sled, tilt the device to the side to match the angle of the grass layer. TIP: To avoid breaking up the grass and reduce mess, slowly tilt down the device flat again. Slide the grass onto the platform.  That's it. Part three will discuss the best rock or dirt garden plants. Happy Gardening!! Hi, I'm Julia Nielsen, your guru gardener of 30 years. I have grown over 500 species of plants and add to my collection yearly. I'm on LinkedIn, www.linkedin.com/in/julianielsen so please check out my posts - like, comment, share, and hit the 🔔 for notifications. Enjoy gardening & murder mysteries, consider joining my newsletter, Musings & Mysteries. Visit my website, Jewels Writes and IG @hotmamagardener

Got a small garden but big dreams of floral abundance? Don't despair! Plenty of stunning annuals thrive in narrow spaces, adding pops of color and interest without overwhelming the area. Here are some of my favorite picks, all chosen for their compact growth habits and adaptability: Suncredible Saturn Sunflower: 🌻 This dwarf sunflower variety won't steal the show with towering height, but it will charm you with its abundant, 4-inch blooms. Expect it to reach about 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide. It prefers full sun 🌞 and moderate watering 💧. Paint the Town Magenta Pinks Dianthus: 🌸 These vibrant dianthus boast eye-catching magenta blooms with blue foliage, making them a colorful addition to any narrow garden bed. They reach a height of 6-8 inches and spread about 1 foot wide. They prefer full sun 🌞 and well-draining soil but are drought-tolerant once established 💧. Profusion Zinnias: 🌼 These low-maintenance zinnias offer a profusion of colorful blooms in various shades. They typically reach 1-2 feet tall and 1 foot wide. They love full sun 🌞 and regular watering 💧. Sweet Alyssum: 🌸 This charming groundcover produces delicate, fragrant flowers in white, pink, and purple shades. It reaches only 4-6 inches tall and spreads about 1 foot wide. It prefers full sun 🌞 to partial shade and moderate watering. 💧 Remember, choosing the right plants is only half the battle. Consider vertical gardening with trellises or hanging baskets to maximize your space and create a truly lush and inviting garden oasis. 🪴 What are your favorite annuals for small spaces? Share your tips and experiences in the comments below! 👇 *******************************************************************

In the last fifteen years or so, digital content marketing has risen up in the ranks of marketing and promoting a company and its product or service, via the blog. What started out as Mommy bloggers posting their latest tips on juggling three young children and their Etsy business, or their love of food or DIY projects, has now become one of the top tools for marketing a business. The Importance of Blogging Now I see blogs for nearly every company’s website I visit, and for good reason. Content marketing pulls in traffic, and gets readers engaged in a product or service that then allows them to gain knowledge, resulting in an informed decision on what to purchase or continue learning more about for expertise on a given topic. Done right, digital content marketing can increase a website’s traffic substantially - if you have the right SEO keywords, placed in the right area, coupled with a dynamite meta description. Long gone are the days of simply stuffing as many keywords into a blog or article, so Google or other search engines will pick those up and rank them. It’s now a matter of the K.I.S.S. Principal. After all, who wants to read a blog that has so many redundant words that make reading it confusing and turns them off from continuing further? Not your customers. When using digital content marketing, here are some simple rules to live, er, write by: Keep it short and sweet, unless it’s technical writing and your clients or customers are already experts in the area. A blog post of about 250-300 words can be all you need for a product description or information on a topic that is then sourced accordingly. Ensure you have not just credible sources, but ones that are easy for readers to peruse, not just a wall of text that may attract a scientist or philosopher, but make your customers run the other way. Use anecdotes to appeal to your target audience. A short anecdote or story at the beginning of an article can pull in a reader, helping them feel relatable to the topic at hand.  Get to the meat of the topic fairly quickly, ensuring to post benefits or advantages of your product or service over the competition. Why are you different? What makes you unique and better than the other guys? Keep visitors engaged by including infographics, short videos, images, memes, whatever gets the reader to stay on your site. Always, always invite a call-to-action at the end of the article with contact information. This is your invitation for readers to check out your business, a kind of opening the door to your home and allowing a visitor in, type of feel; doing this allows them to see what’s behind closed doors and if they want a part of it. Last, but certainly not least, a promotion, special, coupon, or sale campaign can further increase traffic and customers - especially if you’re a new business that needs customers and clients. Write what people are looking for, in their language, and in a relational tone. Online digital marketing is, after all, the top way to build your customer base and clientele; and the more you utilize its power, the bigger your presence gets, and the higher your ROI becomes.  Contact Me So, now you know the simple rules of digital content marketing, ensure you hire the right person who knows content marketing best practices and can lead a dynamic team to implement these...and I know just the person....😏

LinkedIn, a dynamic platform with over 850 million members, stands as the epicenter for professionals seeking daily inspiration, industry trends, and career advancement opportunities. Did you know that a staggering 40% of users visit LinkedIn daily to stay ahead in their careers and share impactful content? Harnessing the potential of LinkedIn for AI-driven marketing discussions not only broadens your reach but also brings forth a myriad of benefits. ✨  Engagement Amplification with Bullet Points:  Elevate your content by making it reader-friendly. Implementing bullet points not only enhances readability but also ensures that your insights are easily absorbed by your audience. Increased engagement is just a bullet away! 📈  Visual Storytelling for Maximum Impact:  Visuals speak louder than words! For small to medium enterprises with up to 50,000 followers, incorporating images into your posts can significantly boost engagement per impression. Paint a compelling visual narrative that captivates your audience. 🤖  AI Post Generators: Crafting with Efficiency:  Overcoming writer's block? AI tools like Jasper, Taplio, or Anyword are your creative companions. Beyond inspiration, these tools help structure your ideas, optimize content for SEO, and elevate your engagement levels. Let AI streamline your content creation process, saving you time and effort. 💡  Benefits of AI-Assisted Content Creation on LinkedIn: Enhanced Productivity:  AI post generators hasten each step of the writing process, allowing you to focus on strategic aspects of your content. Improved Engagement:  AI tools refine and rephrase your writing, ensuring it resonates with your audience and boosts overall engagement. Performance Metrics:  Gain insights into your content's performance. Understand what works and refine your strategy for optimal results. 🔍  Social Listening for Real-Time Insights:  Tailor your content to current trends using social listening tools. LinkedIn's competitor analytics feature provides additional insights, guiding you toward topics that align with your audience's interests. In conclusion, leveraging AI on LinkedIn is not just a strategy; it's a journey toward unparalleled marketing success. Enhance your engagement, streamline your content creation, and stay at the forefront of your industry with the seamless integration of AI in your LinkedIn marketing endeavors. Let's continue this transformative AI conversation on LinkedIn! 🚀🔗

As we welcome the beautiful season of spring, it's time to prepare our gardens for a flourishing year ahead! Here are some essential tips and tricks for your spring garden cleanup and prep: 🍃 Clear Out Winter Debris: Remove any dead leaves, branches, and debris accumulated over winter. Clear out old plant material from last year to make way for new growth. ☀️ Inspect and Prune: Check trees and shrubs for winter damage and prune accordingly. Trim back overgrown branches to promote healthy growth and shape. 💧 Check Irrigation Systems: Test your irrigation system to ensure proper functioning after winter. Clean or replace any clogged or damaged sprinkler heads. 🌸 Prepare Soil and Beds: Loosen and aerate soil in garden beds to improve drainage and root growth. Add compost or organic matter to enrich the soil and provide plant nutrients. 🌱 Start Seedlings Indoors: Begin planting seeds indoors for vegetables and annual flowers. Use seed starting trays or containers with good drainage and adequate light. 🌿 Mulch and Weed Control: Apply a layer of mulch to retain moisture, suppress weeds, and regulate soil temperature. Stay on top of weed control to prevent them from competing with your plants. 🌻 Plan Your Planting Schedule: Research and plan your garden layout and planting schedule based on your region's climate and frost dates. Consider companion planting to maximize space and encourage natural pest control. Let's get dirty and create stunning, vibrant gardens this spring!  P.S. Let me know if there are topics you would like me to address this planting season!

Spring is around the corner when blooms brighten our gardens and smiles, but let's not forget the spring essential garden maintenance that keeps our perennials thriving! 🌷🌿 1. Now is the time to carefully observe your plants' water and sunlight needs. Adjust watering schedules as temperatures rise and be mindful of plants that might need extra shade or more sun. ☀️💧 2. Don't forget to assess spacing! Some plants, like roses, require ample circulation for healthy growth. Prune back any overgrown branches to prevent overcrowding and ensure each plant has room to flourish. Also, don't mulch too close to their base or they won't thrive! 🌹🌱 Which brings me to ... 3. Mulching is key to retaining moisture and suppressing weeds. Choose organic materials like wood chips or shredded leaves for most perennials but avoid mulching too close to the base of plants susceptible to rot, like lavender or lamb's ear. 🪵🍂 4. Check your water hoses! 💦 Sometimes, dirt can clog up the hose and prevent any water from coming out. Inspect each hose or tube to ensure water is coming out of the holes. Also, invest in a volume controller that you can twist to get more or less volume. 5. Check your sprinkler system too. Inspect each head and repair or replace any that are broken or not giving adequate pressure. 6. Start getting weeds early! 🏡 Spray or pull to get weed growth under control. Also, if you have a garden that butts up against grass, invest in a grass barrier that goes down at least 9 inches to prevent the roots from invading the garden. By addressing these key maintenance tasks now, you'll set your garden up for a spectacular summer display! 💪🌻

Today’s post will display some of my plants, what they are, when I planted them, and how well they’ve done and are still doing. Note* These are easy summer perennials, so let's dig right in. #1 is of my clematis - Pink Beauty. I planted this in 2021 and it has thrived, climbing up the trellis attached to my garden box. Clematis like shady roots, and blossom sun, meaning they do best when their flowers get most sun but their roots are shaded by other plants in front of them. They are a perennial. #2 is a purple onion I bought at the store last year and I decided to plant it after it started growing roots in our fridge, haha. It’s now the biggest onion I have ever grown and has done amazing in my garden box - hopefully, it doesn’t compete with my cucumbers!! 🥒  #3 is my snapdragon (mixed) that has been on the east side of my house for years! It comes back every year because it gets protected by the house foundation. They’re perennial for cooler climates. #4 is Lemon Lace Elderberry and is my favorite bush! I planted 3 of them 5 years ago and for the first time, they cross-pollinated and gave me berries!! Their light lime color displays lacy white flowers in the spring and have a very mild sweet aroma. #5, #6, & #7 is my west garden, which has a variety of Clematis on trellises, geraniums that were planted this year (annual), and Paint the Town Fuschia Dianthus that grows each spring and looks stunning. I also have some succulents (desert plants)🌵growing where they get very little water and they love it!  #8 is another Clematis but it’s so gorgeous I had to mention it. This is Ruby Red and blossoms in late spring. It’s been snaking up our trellis for 4 years now and is a beautiful contrast with the cherry wood. #9 are just some of my roses. This one is Downton Abbey’s Edith’s Darling, and I have 6 of these planted in a few gardens. They make the areas pop with small, sweet-smelling blossoms that tickle your senses but aren’t too perfumy.  #10 is a full pic of the Lemon Lace Elderberries. You can’t tell that 3 bushes are in that area, but they are! They love lots of water but can get scorched by the hot sun. Okay, stay tuned for next week, when I display some more of my favorite plants and ones that aren’t doing so well, especially after our very bad windstorm yesterday. ****************************** Like, comment, and share, and don’t forget to hit that notification bell for when I post. If you love gardening and want to know more, or just beginning, join my Gardening Tips and Tricks group. Be sure also to join my newsletter, Musings & Mysteries where I post weekly chapters of the 2nd book in the Summer‘s Mystery series. Need help with job stuff, join my Job Seeker Support, Sucks, & Sucesses. Head over to my blog, where you can learn more about me and my content.  jewelswrites.blogspot.com