Turns out, a Dutch canopy is in fact different from the standard canopy. While it does provide shade, and coverage as do all canopies, this one is different in shape. You have definitely seen them, as they are shorter in width than the standard sort, making them cuter, and in some cases nothing more than truly decorative. Mainly, I am familiar with them from their presence on store, or shop fronts, often with the business’ name printed across the front. If you still can’t conjure up a visual, think Parisian café, and you will get it. However, they can also be seen on houses, frequently to provide protection from the sun to window boxes. Or, just for a burst of colour to frame windows. Quite a sweet addition to a garden area for sure.

And while boot scrapers are not a new thing, making your own is trendy right now. You could attribute it to tightening of purses strings, and austerity measures, or maybe conserving has finally seeped into modern culture. No matter, a shoe scrapper is an undeniably useful tools, and you can make one from wood in under two hours, and when it is done you can revel in the notion that you made it, and it is of real use.

The materials involved are:

• Hammer
• Chisel
• Log
• Saw
• Glue (suitable for wood)
• Sturdy, dense slate tile

From that list I think you can tell that it will be rustic, basic, but naturally attractive. Don’t be surprised if you get compliments.

So what could this useful, basic tool be you ask. The planter’s yardstick is what I speak of. It is created out of a four foot long by four inch wide board. One side remains untouched, but the other gets alternating notches carved out. It requires both shallow and deep v shaped cut outs, with the distance between the two variants based upon what it is you are planning to plant. The board itself has notches every six inches, and then the planter choses the proper length to base the guide upon. Take for example tomatoes, insert seeds into the ground every three notches, and lettuce seeds can go in at every single notch. Spectacular, we know. Once you have used one you will feel lost without it. No room for confusion, or misjudgement with proper planting distances. With the mystery, and math out of the equation your mind can go to more enjoyable things. This also makes for a wonderfully useful and thoughtful gift for other gardeners in your life, not to mention an extremely inexpensive one.

Now, should you have a walk in garden shed, just a protected work bench, or are using the entire garage to house your garden materials, all of them could use some revising. Think over the last year, and identify what you used most, can they be made more accessible? Or are their things up front and center that you rarely use, so they could put away until they are once again in need to make a place for more popular tools? I personally have way too many pots cluttering up my counter space, and am in dire need of revamping my seed supply.

Take January to get your garden “office” in order, and then reap the benefits for the rest of the year. It can be a tremendous benefit, and save you lots of grief later on down the track.

To get them to last, you will need to plant new bulbs every couple of weeks. They will produce lovely white blossoms that are extremely fragrant. Approximately four weeks after being planted. After they have bloomed they should be replaced, as they will not do so again. While it will require you to be attentive, the results will be well worth it. Any guest visiting your home will be surprised to see these springtime babies thriving in winter. You will be able to find specific directions on how to coax the bulbs to bloom easily online.

Turns out it has evolved from a Mexican legend, yep that surprised me too. Anyway, it is said that a young Mexican girl was searching for something to show her appreciation to the Virgin Mary on Christmas Eve, but she is poor and thus unable to acquire anything that she believes to be appropriate. Thus she sets out empty handed to attend church, but is visited by an angel en route.

The angel directs her to collect a handful of weeds, which she does with some hesitation. With the weeds in her possession she enters a church and leaves them as an offering. As she deposits them on an altar, they transform into gorgeous red poinsettias. From this folktale, the Mexican’s renamed the flower the Christmas Eve Flower.

All you need are a set of those kiddie plastic bowling pins, your remaining small pumpkins, and some prizes. If you do not have those toy pins, and are not sure you will enjoy the game enough to invest in some, two litre bottles work as a replacement for the pins.

Place the pins in the traditional configuration, declare a line for rolling the pumpkins, and set some rules for scoring points. No need to let on that you got the idea for this elsewhere, play it off as though you came up with it on the spur of the moment if you like. It is guaranteed fun.

Now, I should point out that these arrangements should not be left out to succumb to the elements if it is raining, or snowing. But, while we are still approaching such weather they can be left out. They look stupendous at an entryway, or front door, which also makes them easy to grab should the weather take a nasty turn before you expect it to do so. But, if this is what you have in mind, it is probably prudent to use plastic urns, as they will be simpler to move about.

To get started, fill the inside of the urn with florist’s plastic foam. Conceal that with a decorative moss, and secure. Use any weather proof, or weather resistant fabric for trim along the edge, and then organize flowers, vegetables, pinecones, dried berries, or any other seasonal item that tickles your fancy.

Hopefully, you will be so pleased with your handiwork that you will look forward to your next creation when the seasons once again change. It can be an excellent way to bring some life into the space inexpensively.

Upon further prying, I learned that it does exist, and is it is classified as Solanum Integrifolium. It grows between three to five feet tall and creates a fruit that looks very much like a tiny pumpkin once it reaches maturity. Through out its growth process it goes from a dark green to a orangey red and then ultimately to that definitive jack o’ lantern orange.

It is truly adorable, and makes a great conversation piece should you grow it. However, it is not in fact a type of pumpkin, but is an ornamental eggplant. But, I think that just adds to its curious nature.

So what is it that has captivated homemakers and gardeners, why it is the activity of canning and preserving home grown produce. Though this process has never totally fallen out of favour, it has lost its previously popular status within the last fifty years to be sure. At no point, had this looked as though it would take a turn, and yet now that is exactly what is happening.

Apparently, the reason for this resurgence is due to many things that are going on today. First, it creates an additional way to make use of the items grown in both small and large family gardens. Thus, it produces greater variety in the pantry, lowers the supermarket bill, and uses up bits and pieces in some cases that may have previously been discarded.

Second, there are a growing number of communities that contain individuals who are becoming increasingly wary of what exactly comes in store bought items. These include not only fresh vegetables and fruits, but those used in premade products as well. The way that large masses of both veg and fruit are grown and harvested have been placed under society’s microscope, and the magnified information has not been well received in some locales. Growing, harvesting, and preparing one’s own foods can eliminate any concerns regarding this altogether.

Therefore, plenty of people are gravitating towards canning and preserving what they have readily available. Then there are those that have added new varieties of fruits and veg to their already existing garden menus that are best suited for creating jellies, jams, salsas, chutneys, and sauces. Some sticking with traditional recipes, and others compiling all new ones to keep things interesting and to update those that are no longer appealing.

And, it has prompted others to gather the implements and items necessary to set up vegetable patches from the garden centre. Along with the act of collecting recipes for making apple butter, hot pepper jelly, bread and butter pickles, and thousands of others. At this point, it seems only prudent that it be mentioned that it is critical that proper canning and preserving techniques be followed. Otherwise microorganisms can infiltrate the packaging and multiply within the container, and botulism becomes a risk.