Fingers Crossed !

WordPress works great, and then it doesn’t.  Here’s my story:

Up until a month ago, my WP domain was Tutoringyoudotorg.WP.com    Well WP changed my domain name to Tutoringyoudotorg.comstaging.com  without warning and without my consent.  Just what does comstaging  even mean ?  The nice lady at WP texted that it meant that some business accounts have been retro-fitted with this non-sensical domain name.  I told her I liked the old one much better and wanted to switch back.  No can do was the reply.  My only recourse was to switch my domain name to tutoringyou.blog   15 minutes ago, I pulled that switch.  I am now tutuoringyou.blog  like it or  not.

If there is an admin person lurking here, wth ?  All throughout the blogosphere I’m known without the staging.com part. And, I would like my old self back please.  As this is a business account, which I’m paying huge $$ for (and haven’t even earned $1 yet) I think you might seriously consider my request.  I don’t want to lose anyone following my blog nor lose access to their posts.

So my fingers are crossed that you will do the right thing and restore my good name to the blogosphere.

Sincerely,

Dennis-the blogger known as:

tutoringyoudotorg.wordpress.com

OK. This Looks really Healthy.

Truth be told, I haven’t tried it yet.  It doesn’t have coffee….or chocolate in it.  That’s ok.  Not everything has to have c or c.  So I’m gonna wait for one of you to try it and tell me if  it’s either really good or really bad, like medicine.  I can wait.  I got all day !

Lemon Turmeric Smoothie with Chia Seeds | A healthy breakfast smoothie made with bananas, fresh lemon juice and zest, yogurt, chia seeds and turmeric!

Oh.  Here are the not c or c ingredients:

Lemon Turmeric Smoothie with Chia Seeds

Ingredients
Vegetarian, Gluten free
∙ Serves 2
Produce
  • 3 Bananas, frozen
  • 2 tsp Lemon, zest
Canned Goods
  • 1/2 cup Coconut milk
Condiments
  • 2 tbsp Honey
  • 1/4 cup Lemon juice, fresh
Baking & Spices
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric
Nuts & Seeds
  • 2 tbsp Chia seeds
Dairy
  • 1 cup Yogurt

You can whip this up in 5 minutes and enjoy something healthy for a change. j/k

glutenfreewithlb.com

Problem Solving Perennials

For every problem area in your landscape, you'll find perennials that not only survive but also thrive in the conditions available. Simply match the preferred growing conditions of each perennial to your site. #gardening #gardenideas #perennialtips #perennialflowers #perennialgarden #bhg

Perennials offer possibilities for every growing situation. As you contemplate digging into perennial gardening, approach it from the standpoint of solving landscape problems. There’s a perennial that will thrive in every growing solution.

drought slope garden

If you have a slope too steep for mowing, you can trade turf for perennial groundcover. Near downspouts and low spots in your yard where water gathers after downpours, moisture-loving perennials can transform an eyesore into a beauty spot.

Where lower rainfall dictates water restrictions, tap into the world of xeriscape plants, which grow and flower profusely with little moisture. Natural deposits of acidic soil can support lovely perennials that will make you grateful for the locally low pH. Stop fighting to grow grass beneath shade trees—plant shade-loving perennials instead!

You can even find perennials that serve as lawn stand-ins—tidy, ground-hugging plants that withstand foot traffic and stay green year-round. In municipalities where surface runoff adds charges to your water bill, incorporating a rain garden filled with moisture-loving perennials will dissipate roof, driveway, or patio runoff into the soil and can reduce your water fees. Use this list of perennials adapted to various growing conditions to draft solutions to your landscaping problems.

<img src=”https://static.onecms.io/wp-content/uploads/sites/37/2019/04/17201950/red-cardinal-flower-lobelia-cardinalis-03abb76c.jpg” alt=”red cardinal flower lobelia cardinalis”>

red cardinal flower lobelia cardinalis

Perennials for Wet Soils

If your garden bed is down in a ditch or next to the downspout, you’re probably stuck with soggy soil that drowns plants. There are plenty of varieties that can withstand (and even thrive) in that much moisture.

  • Lobelia or Cardinal Flower: Brilliant red or dark pink flowers in late summer to early fall
  • Goatsbeard: Lacy, white flower plumes atop 3- to 5-foot-tall plants from early- to midsummer
  • Joe Pye Weed: Large mauve blooms; up to 6 feet tall in late summer
  • Rodgersia: Course texture; flower plumes in spring or summer
  • Sweet Flag: Long-lasting swordlike foliage

<img src=”https://static.onecms.io/wp-content/uploads/sites/37/2019/02/02083626/astilbe-de2ee3f7.jpg” alt=”astilbe perennials shade flowers”>

astilbe perennials shade flowers

Perennials for Shade

As much as we love hostas, we know it can be boring to fill in a shady corner of the yard with just one plant variety. Flowers like astilbe, bleeding heart, and phlox can also do well in shade and make excellent planting partners for hardy hosta.

<img src=”https://static.onecms.io/wp-content/uploads/sites/37/2016/05/28193211/anemone-white-flowers-c67c9a90.jpg” alt=”anemone white flowers”>

anemone white flowers
Anemone

Perennials for Alkaline Soils

In certain areas of the country, soil’s acidic balance can be off-kilter, resulting in what we call alkaline soil. Alkaline soil doesn’t let much moisture in and has a weak soil structure that just can’t keep certain plants happy. You can still work with this type of soil without investing in pounds of soil amendments—just look for these plants.

<img src=”https://static.onecms.io/wp-content/uploads/sites/37/2019/05/28193612/baptisia-purple-flowers-f35939a5.jpg” alt=”baptisia purple flowers”>

baptisia purple flowers
Baptisia

Perennials for Dry Soils

Typically, dry soils contain a lot of sand, which doesn’t hold moisture very well. You need especially hardy plants that don’t need consistent or large amounts of water. Try some of these.

  • Blue Fescue: Ornamental grass with bluish-green foliage
  • Catmint: Fragrant foliage and lavender-blue flowers in early summer
  • Baptisia or False Indigo: Pealike blue flowers in late spring followed by attractive seedpods
  • Liriope or Lilyturf: Dark green grass-like foliage
  • Penstemon: Desert species have bright flower colors, upright shape
  • Gaura: Airy white or pink flower stalks from midsummer to fall
  • Yucca: Rounded clump of upright foliage

<img src=”https://static.onecms.io/wp-content/uploads/sites/37/2019/05/28193948/zebrina-tree-mallow-flowers-e23db4f1.jpg” alt=”zebrina tree mallow flowers”>

zebrina tree mallow flowers
Mallow

Perennials for Full Sun

While all plants need some amount of light to grow and thrive, some are more delicate than others and get scorched if they are placed in full sun. Some plants, however, do super well in hot and sunny spots in the garden.

<img src=”https://static.onecms.io/wp-content/uploads/sites/37/2019/03/27205052/liatris-blazing-star-purple-blooms-32d4ddb4.jpg” alt=”liatris blazing star purple blooms”>

liatris blazing star purple blooms

Perennials for Acidic Soils

Just like alkaline soils, acidic soil is a result of a lack of balance of nutrients in the soil. Instead of having too little acidic content, acidic soil has too much, which can be a result of organic matter, excessive rainfall, or too much fertilizer. But, you can still grow gorgeous flowers in acidic soil.

<img src=”https://static.onecms.io/wp-content/uploads/sites/37/2019/05/28194236/yarrow-pink-flowers-fb5b938b.jpg” alt=”yarrow pink flowers”>

yarrow pink flowers
Yarrow

Perennials for Clay Soils

You know if you have clay soil—you come out of landscaping projects with sticky boots and a sore back from shoveling the dense earth. Because it is so dense, clay soil can block plant’s roots from getting water, which chokes them out. Some plants actually do well with these conditions.

<img src=”https://static.onecms.io/wp-content/uploads/sites/37/2019/05/28194856/gaillardia-blanket-flowers-57185587.jpg” alt=”gaillardia blanket flowers”>

gaillardia blanket flowers
Blanket Flower

Perennials for Sandy Soils

Sandy soil is high in sand content and doesn’t hold nutrients or water well. It’s also more lightweight and fine than other types of soil. If you have sandy soil, you don’t need to be limited to desert plants alone.

  • Artemisia: Silvery foliage is the key feature of this perennial
  • Blanket Flower: Long bloom season of orange-red daisies marked with yellow
  • Baptisia or False Indigo: Shrubby plant with spikes of blue, yellow, white, orange-red blooms in spring
  • Lavender Cotton: Herb with fine texture in silvery gray or green foliage
  • Thyme: Groundcover with pinkish-purple blooms
  • Yarrow: Adapted to full sun and dry soils with wide range of bloom colors
  • Yucca: Succulent with spiky foliage and trusses of white bell-shape blooms

<img src=”https://static.onecms.io/wp-content/uploads/sites/37/2019/05/28201048/hens-and-chicks-sempervivum-tectorum-9a5767da.jpg” alt=”hens and chicks sempervivum tectorum”>

hens and chicks sempervivum tectorum
Hens-and-Chicks

Perennials that are Salt-Tolerant

You may get a high salt content in your soil if you live by a coast, but you can also get areas of salty soil from winter deicing and plowing. If you can’t get the salt levels balanced, lean on these salt-tolerant garden plants.

<img src=”https://static.onecms.io/wp-content/uploads/sites/37/2019/05/28201909/ornamental-allium-purple-flowers-207a1051.jpg” alt=”ornamental allium purple flowers”>

ornamental allium purple flowers
Ornamental allium

Perennials that are Deer-Resistant

Deer are beautiful backyard visitors, but nothing is more frustrating than having them eat the flowers and vegetables you’ve worked so hard to grow all season. If you’re methodical about the plants you choose, they’ll leave your garden alone.

<img src=”https://static.onecms.io/wp-content/uploads/sites/37/2019/05/28202532/lupine-lupinus-purple-flowers-e8fa7fa3.jpg” alt=”lupine lupinus purple flowers”>

lupine lupinus purple flowers
Lupine

Perennials for Cool Climates

Some plants love the hot and humid air of Southern states, while others do just fine in the more temperate Northern states. You can find colorful flowers in the North that you’ll appreciate having in your garden.

  • DelphiniumLong spikes of blue, purple, pink, or white flowers
  • Globeflower: Yellow springtime blooms with feathery centers
  • Japanese Primrose: Moisture-loving plant with globes of pink, purple, or white blooms in spring
  • Lady’s Mantle: Chartreuse blooms over blue-green foliage
  • Lupine: Upright spikes of pealike blooms in many shades
  • Monkshood: Fall bloomer for shade
  • Poppy: Crepelike blooms in spring in shades of orange, red, pink, or white

Related: Cold-Climate Shade Garden Plan

<img src=”https://static.onecms.io/wp-content/uploads/sites/37/2019/05/28202827/daylily-flowers-f1bf8b71.jpg” alt=”daylily orange flowers”>

daylily orange flowers
Daylily

Perennials for Hot Climates

Explore the world of tropical plants that love the humidity. The sun won’t burn these hot climate plants—they just can’t get enough of the heat.

How To Attract Hummingbirds: 38 Simple Tips (2019 Guide!)

How to attract hummingbirds to garden

Quick Links: 38 Tips For Attracting Hummingbirds

The biggest lesson that I have learned?

It’s that attracting hummingbirds is a bit more complicated than just hanging a nectar feeder and waiting for the birds.

The rest of this post is dedicated to thoroughly answering the question:

“How do you attract hummingbirds?”

In fact, I share 38 tips, tricks, and techniques that will make your backyard an attractive habitat for hummingbirds.

As you can probably guess, much of the advice centers around building your yard with the three core needs of hummingbirds:

Food, water, and shelter.

And as they say, “If you build it, they will come.

https://birdwatchinghq.com/attracting-hummingbirds/

(My only regret in re-pinning this article is that Hummingbirds are unique to the America’s and Canada also.  However, food, water and shelter are requirements for the  bird population world-wide.  I hope all can benefit from this post.)

Back from Vacation

And ready to get at it…not.  Truth be told, I’ve got a touch of vacation blues.  OK. Florida is hot…and humid…and crowded, but I  miss it.  Walking on St. Pete beach in the early  morning looking for sea shells with my grandkids was one of the simple things that makes life worth living.  The 4 day visit to Disney World was the icing on our Florida cake.  It makes me wonder why I stay in Chicago year-round.

I don’t want to bore you with a bunch of family photo stuff, but just check out this everyday happening on St Pete Beach, the daily afternoon thunderstorm.

IMG_0370

 

 

 

IMG_0371

That Nasty looking cloud produced about 3″ of rain in an hour.  And of course, much thunder and lightening.    Other than that, just sun, humidity and people.  And I miss it.

I also missed most of your writing, poetry, remarks, etc.  for 10 days.  I also missed contributing to the blogosphere and commenting on your work.

So where to start ?  So much to do , so little time to do it !  I guess I’ll just dive in, and lose these Florida blues.  It’s good to be back.

%d