Pots, Pots & More Pots

I ventured South last weekend to Garden Essentials located in Turlock, which is the mecca for affordable ceramic pottery in the Central Valley. I was on the hunt for some pots for my patio makeover, and boy did I go to the right place!

The place stretches for what seems like miles (in actuality it's probably a couple of acres. . . ) and is filled to the brim with pots, pots, and more pots! These affordable gems are imported from China and Vietnam and come with easy-on-the-wallet price tags. In fact, a large majority of their pots are priced between $5 - $100!

Have you purchased any pots at a hardware or gardening store lately? I have, and they're not cheap! I paid half of what I would have paid at Lowes and came home with some really unique items!

All of the ceramic pots above were under $29!

Here's a peak at a corner of the patio where the new foo dog statues resides next to a potted Japanese maple tree. (We got the foo dogs from Garden Essentials as well!) Notice the surf board?! I'm still deciding if I should hang it on the wall, or just leave it propped up. 

We have a large variety of succulents. . . 

 I love me some birds of paradise! Lets just keep our fingers crossed these decide to bloom sometime!

This adorable little pot was only $4.99!

More succulents. . . 

The back patio wasn't the only spot to get a little face-lift by means of new pottery and plants. . .

The front of the house got a little love too! We potted a bougainvillea in a cobalt blue pot and I think it looks gorgeous. It adds just the right amount of color and curb appeal that we needed. 

Garden Essentials is located at 

6242 Taylor Court in Turlock, California

(209) 656-9528

If you live in the area and are looking for affordable ceramic pottery, this is your place!

High Style, Low Cost Centerpiece Idea with Our Fine House

Horay, it's Friday! Another one of my stylish blogger friends has stopped by to share a project with you!

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Hi Everyone! I’m Jen from Our Fine House where my husband and I blog about our DIY projects and design ideas. I’m so excited to be guest posting at JPM Design. Mary is a favorite blogger of mine and I was honored when she asked if I would be interesting in taking part in her Guest Blogger Series.

Today I’d like to share my Succulent Centerpiece with you. With the warm weather approaching, I know that we will be entertaining outdoors often, so we will need a nice centerpiece on our outdoor table. Since we have a ton of succulents in our backyard, I decided to take some clippings and create something beautiful for our table. I’ll provide step by step instructions, for those of you who have never worked with succulents before. They are surprisingly easy to grow!

When I saw these vases at Ikea, I knew they would be perfect for succulents. At the price of 3/14.99, it was a steal!

First, I placed river stones in the base of the glass. This allows the soil to drain. Succulents are very drought tolerant and don’t like a lot of water. It’s best to only water succulents when their soil is very dry.

Next, I poured the soil. It’s best to use soil that is specifically for cacti and succulents. If you don’t have any handy, you can mix regular potting soil with an equal amount of sand.

When taking succulent clippings, it’s best to use sharp garden clippers. Let the clippings sit out for about a week. This allows the clippings to “scab over”, which will help them root and avoid disease once they are planted. If you’re nervous about working with succulents, you may want to purchase Rooting Hormone. It’s easy to use and will help your clippings take root. It’s not completely necessary, but may give you a boost of confidence, especially if you are worried that you didn’t let your clipping sit out long enough.

I also happened to have some moss handy, so I added that as well. Moss can easily be purchased at any gardening store or you may even be able to gather some yourself.

To add a bit more texture and interest, I nestled a few river rocks in the vase as well.

And there you have it! A beautiful centerpiece for our outdoor table.

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What an easy, cheap way to create a centerpiece. I am a huge fan of succulents and have tons of them in my yard. They grow like weeds (which is a good thing in their case!)  I may just have to try this out. Julie from Belle Maison created a succulent centerpiece a while back and I have wanted to make something similar, ever since!

Happy First Day of Spring!

via Country Living

via Domino

via fourwallsandaroof

 via The Estate of Things

via Centsational Girl

via Lime in the Coconut

September 21st

It's officially the last day of summer and today I picked the very last blossom in my yard. I was saving it just for today! We inherited a bazillion rose bushes when we moved into our new home. While the boy has proceeded to rip some of them out already, I have managed to convince him to keep a few. Granted, I have to admit, I am not a huge fan of rose bushes, they are so thorny and oddly shaped, etc., but the second I saw them start to bloom I fell in love! All summer I was fortunate enough to have bouquets of flowers adorning my dining table, bathroom counter, living room end tables, etc. We have a large variety too; pink, white, red, purple, yellow, and even a very unique rose that I am not able to identify (I've done a little bit of research online but am still unable to figure out what type of rose it is.) Nonetheless, it is soooo beautiful with its pink tips, yellow undertones, and white petals. Awwww, if only I could enjoy these pretties all year round! Oh well, I am already looking forward to spring and seeing my favorite blooms pop up again!