Olivia Harvey is a freelance writer and award-winning scriptwriter from outside Boston, Massachusetts. She’s a big fan of scented candles, getting dressed up, and the 2005 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightley. You can make sure she’s doing okay via Instagram and/or Twitter.
Did you know you can recycle coffee grounds for plants to use in your garden?
Horticulturists praise coffee grounds for acidifying soil and enhancing plant growth.
Coffee grounds are slightly acidic (5.5 to 6.8 pH), so certain acid-loving plants like azaleas, rhododendrons and gardenias love them.
They contain about 2 percent nitrogen, 0.06 percent phosphorus, and 0.6 percent potassium by volume, according to the University of Wyoming Extension. They also contain many micronutrients including calcium, magnesium, boron, copper, iron, and zinc.
Here’s how to use them in your garden:
After you’ve had your morning cup of joe, save the used coffee grounds in a plastic container. You should have enough grounds after about a week or so to use in your garden.
To use them as a soil amendment for your plants, rake back the mulch to expose the soil. Then, use a small garden trowel to spread the coffee grounds around the base of the plant. Only spread the grounds about a quarter of an inch thick.
And then, of course, rake the mulch back just to protect the soil and keep the weeds down.
Add a thin layer of grounds to the plants about once a month, and you’ll see a much healthier plant with many more blooms.
By the way, if you don’t have coffee, you can also use tea leaves just be sure to take it out of the tea bag first.
Did you know you can recycle coffee grounds for plants to use in your garden?
Horticulturists praise coffee grounds for acidifying soil and enhancing plant growth.
Coffee grounds are slightly acidic (5.5 to 6.8 pH), so certain acid-loving plants like azaleas, rhododendrons and gardenias love them.
They contain about 2 percent nitrogen, 0.06 percent phosphorus, and 0.6 percent potassium by volume, according to the University of Wyoming Extension. They also contain many micronutrients including calcium, magnesium, boron, copper, iron, and zinc.
Here’s how to use them in your garden:
After you’ve had your morning cup of joe, save the used coffee grounds in a plastic container. You should have enough grounds after about a week or so to use in your garden.
To use them as a soil amendment for your plants, rake back the mulch to expose the soil. Then, use a small garden trowel to spread the coffee grounds around the base of the plant. Only spread the grounds about a quarter of an inch thick.
And then, of course, rake the mulch back just to protect the soil and keep the weeds down.
Add a thin layer of grounds to the plants about once a month, and you’ll see a much healthier plant with many more blooms.
By the way, if you don’t have coffee, you can also use tea leaves just be sure to take it out of the tea bag first.
We’re transforming a shed into an art studio for homeowner Linda Johansen.
Linda is native to Mobile, Ala., and has settled in Fairhope, Ala., after adventuring around the world with Delta Airlines. She has gradually redone her home one room at a time but needs a little help with her shed — and we’re happy to help!
For prep, we didn’t have to do too much. Linda helped us out by cleaning out as much as she could so we could get right to the renovation.
We start by removing the siding that faces the street to close up the door. By closing up the door, both security and more room for Linda’s shed.
We also remove the small concrete ramp leading to the door. It’s rare if the slab of the concrete floor and the ramp are poured at the same time. Since there’s no line between the ramp and the concrete slab, I’m using a saw to score it so the ramp has a clean break.
Linda has the original kitchen cabinets that came with her home. Like us, Linda hates to waste perfectly good furniture. So instead of getting rid of the kitchen cabinets, we’re refinishing and putting them in Linda’s she-shed!
Chelsea and Linda took to sanding the old cabinets and painting them a fun shade of blue. This shade of blue is actually color matched from one of Linda’s pillows and makes the space pop more!
To add more of Linda’s personality to the shed, we’re building a free-standing potting bench. It enhances the appeal of the shed from the outside while also allowing storage for Linda’s garden tools.
With the potting bench in place, Linda’s shed is now a home for all of her hobbies!
When we first saw Linda’s shed it was attractive on the outside but had yet to reach its potential on the inside. Linda needed a space for her creative side to paint and garden as she pleases.
By covering up the door facing the street, we created more wall space for functionality. The refinished cabinets add a pop of color and creativity to this artist’s shed. And the potting bench on the side of the shed adds even more of Linda’s personality to her hobbies!
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Olivia Harvey is a freelance writer and award-winning scriptwriter from outside Boston, Massachusetts. She’s a big fan of scented candles, getting dressed up, and the 2005 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightley. You can make sure she’s doing okay via Instagram and/or Twitter.