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Life of Bunny

A Bunny Chafowitz Blog

Tart and Sweet

Tart and Sweet

September 2, 2014 by Bunny Chafowitz Leave a Comment

How to keep that beautiful bouquet fresh and lovely?  To a quart of water add two tablespoons each of white vinegar and sugar.    The vinegar will help inhibit bacteria and the sugar nourishes the plant.  Be sure to cut the stems at an angle and pop the flowers into the solution.  Cut the stems every day to allow the water to be drawn up by the flowers.

Gardening, Quick Tips, Techniques Tagged: Bouquet, cut flowers, fresh

Hi, I’m Bunny and I’m a Thrift Store Addict

Hi, I’m Bunny and I’m a Thrift Store Addict

September 1, 2014 by Bunny Chafowitz Leave a Comment

Yes, I confess.  I go to the thrift store most every Saturday.  It’s the thrill of the hunt that lures me in.  What treasure can I find that used to be another’s trash?  There is a certain sense of satisfaction when I rescue something and give it new life.  Like my most recent project – a candlestick topiary.  This unique planting is simple yet elegant and only cost $3.00 to create.

[Read more…]

Attracting Birds and Butterflies, Container Gardens, Garden Decor, Gardening, Propagation, Repurposed Treasures, Uncategorized Tagged: container gardening, propagate, Repurpose, thrift store

The Slippery Slope

The Slippery Slope

August 5, 2014 by Bunny Chafowitz Leave a Comment

Yeah – a slippery slope to nowhere! At least for the ants that love to take over your hummingbird feeder.  Ants are attracted to the nectar in the feeder and, being the highly social bugs that they are, will quickly “tell” all their little friends when they’ve found this seemingly never-ending source of food.  Foil them by smearing the string or wire holding the feeder with petroleum jelly.  Ants find it nearly impossible to cross a barrier with this sticky substance.

Gardening, Quick Tips Tagged: ants, hummingbird, petroleum jelly, Takeaway Thursday

When “Exceptional” is Not a Good Thing

When “Exceptional” is Not a Good Thing

August 3, 2014 by Bunny Chafowitz Leave a Comment

This is serious folks

It’s bad news: 58 % of California is in what is called “exceptional” drought.  I can’t write about the drought with any authority but I can share with you some of the ways I save water around the home.

  • Save the water you steam or boil vegetables in.  Let it cool and water your plants.
  • Same with hard-boiled eggs.  Some of the calcium in the shells will leach into the water which is good for plants.
  • Place a gallon bucket in the shower to catch water while it’s warming up.
  • Drop an ice cube on the floor?  Don’t toss it in the sink!  Put it in the dog’s bowl or a potted plant.
  • Have an aquarium?  Next time you clean it, water the plants with the water.  Plants absolutely love fish poop!
  • Rinse fruits and vegetables in a bowl of water instead of under running water.
  • Remove part of your lawn, create planting beds, and fill with drought-tolerant plants.
  • Drive your car onto the lawn when you wash it.  Use simple soaps, like dishwashing liquid, which the grass can easily neutralize.
  • Use the garbage disposal sparingly.  Start a compost bin to throw those veggie and fruit scraps in.
  • Use mulch in garden beds.  It helps the soil retain moisture.

My husband teases me sometimes because I’m a bit of a fanatic when it comes to not wasting water.  But I don’t mind because I know that I’m doing the right thing for me, my plants, and for my community.  Saving water might seem like a pain in the butt but once you start doing it, it becomes routine and a matter of habit.  Remember – Every Drop Counts.

This is serious folks.

 

Gardening Tagged: drought, tolerant, Water

Wash Me!

Wash Me!

July 22, 2014 by Bunny Chafowitz Leave a Comment

You usually see “Wash Me” written on the back window of an extremely dirty car, right?  A dirty car is a eyesore but dirt on a plant actually affects its health.  In their natural environment, plants are routinely cleaned by wind and rain. But when we bring plants inside the house, it is up to us to give them a bath.  Why take the time to do this?  Leaves dirty with dust, grease, and other nasty stuff won’t absorb as much sunlight as leaves that are clean and this affects their ability to photosynthesize. Wash your plants every couple of months using a soft cloth or sponge and warm water. If you have a lot of houseplants, group them in the shower and gently spray away!

Gardening, Indoor gardening, Takeaway Thursday Tagged: clean, healthy, Houseplants, wash

It Is A Good Day To Die

It Is A Good Day To Die

July 20, 2014 by Bunny Chafowitz Leave a Comment

I love to watch old episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation.  You can learn a lot from that show.  Worf teaches us, for example, that in Klingon culture, any day you die in battle is a good day to die.  So, before crushing my arch nemesis in the battle for garden domination, I first say, “It is a good day to die, my friend.” [Read more…]

Bad bugs, fungi and viruses, Gardening Tagged: kill, snails, Worf

I’m Not Talking About Jerry Garcia!

I’m Not Talking About Jerry Garcia!

July 8, 2014 by Bunny Chafowitz Leave a Comment

Remove spent flowers to encourage plants to produce more blooms. In gardeners’ parlance this is “deadheading.” The goal of a plant is to grow, flower, set seed and die. Deadheading prevents the plant from setting seed so the plant will produce more flowers to again try to set seed before it, theoretically, dies.

Gardening, Techniques Tagged: bloom, deadheading, seed

Succulents – The Ultimate Survivors

Succulents – The Ultimate Survivors

July 4, 2014 by Bunny Chafowitz Leave a Comment

Oh Baby, it’s hot outside!  Summer in the Central Valley of California typically means day after day after day of 95 degree + heat.  (Right now we are in the middle of a 10-day 103 – 107 degree stretch!) No wind, no rain…just heat.   Errands, gardening, and outdoor chores are done very early in the morning or well after the sun goes down (good landscape lighting helps with the latter).  If we can help it, we don’t go out during the day except for the short foray from the air-conditioned house to the air-conditioned car to get to the next air-conditioned building.  In short, we adapt to our environment.  And we humans are not the only ones to do this. [Read more…]

Container Gardens, Propagation, Succulents & Cactus Tagged: Cactus, drought tolerant, Succulents

Hades’ Girlfriend

Hades’ Girlfriend

June 1, 2014 by Bunny Chafowitz Leave a Comment

Hades, god of the Underworld.

What in Hades does Hades have to do with gardening or cooking?

It’s dark in the Underworld – not easy to garden with no sunlight at all.  Cooking in the Underworld – probably a lot of barbecue, but that’s it.

Well, legend has it that Hades had a girlfriend, a nymph named Minthe.  Hades loved her dearly.  Unfortunately for Minthe, Hades’ wife Persephone, did not.

Oh my. [Read more…]

Cooking, Cooking with herbs, Herbs, Invasive Tagged: container gardening, herb, invasive, lamb, Mint

It Sure Does Look Pretty But…

It Sure Does Look Pretty But…

May 26, 2014 by Bunny Chafowitz Leave a Comment

The morning glory vine I’m holding in the picture to the right looks benign.  In reality, however, it is one of the banes of my existence.  You see, it’s not my plant; it belongs to my neighbor.  My neighbor, bless his heart, does not pay attention to his beautiful “little” vine.  Ipomoea purpurea makes its way over to my yard from under the fence and systematically attempts to invade and conquer everything and anything it can.   Yes, it is beautiful, but it can take over in a heartbeat and smother all that you hold dear in your garden. [Read more…]

Gardening, Invasive, Weeds Tagged: invasive, morning glory, weed

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About Bunny Chafowitz

Bunny Attacked by Morning Glory

Bunny Chafowitz hops around Fresno County, California, where she is (among other things) a Master Gardener.

She also loves to cook — and anyone who has eaten her food can tell you one taste of her cooking will have you thumpin' for more.

When not being attacked by Morning Glory, Bunny writes primarily about her gardening activities, but will also include posts about her cooking.

Recent Posts

  • WHO Am I?
  • Tart and Sweet
  • Hi, I’m Bunny and I’m a Thrift Store Addict
  • The Slippery Slope
  • When “Exceptional” is Not a Good Thing

Recent Comments

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