May is the last month of spring, and probably one of the best ones. We are already into the much-loved summer mood but we still have the time to enjoy this awesome summer-is-near feeling. New clothes, new mood, home redecorations (no, velvet is not acceptable in May) and the best of them all: garden makeovers. And if not garden, then patio, backyard, called it as you wish, it’s all outdoors and it all has to be beautiful and joyful, full of colors and aromas. In other words, whether you are a vegetable, flower, herb or even a barbeque person you have to make your home’s outdoor look stunning. And you have an amazing partner for the accomplishment of that exciting assignment: Burpee.com with an endless variety of gardening products together with an incredible Couponology exclusive 20% off Burpee promo code.
Gardening Essentials
The good gardener starts by gathering all the equipment needed before starting the action. You know, that equipment that you’ve probably missed somewhere in your garage, or these tools that spend all winter lost in your garden because you never minded storing them properly (look who’s talking now!). Trust me, starting over with dust and stain won’t get you anywhere. So, first off, you need a good pair of gloves (my fellow ladies out there wouldn’t dare to damage their mani) and a garden tool bag – with a 10% off discount – otherwise all these new tools you are going to buy today, will have the same end as the ones you bought last year: lost, stained, useless.
Then you need some tools to prepare but also to maintain your garden. I started with the Garden Tool Set that includes a dibbler, planter, fork, trowel and weed puller for just $43.95; but to be honest, it’s not only the great price that made me choose it, it’s just that is so much better having someone else collecting the five essentials tools for you. Then, I bought a spade, a pruner and a hedge sheers, which I think are the main tools you are going to need while planting and afterwards. All set to move on now!
Action!
You got the basics and it’s time to get into action. Start from preparing the soil, removing all unwanted plants from your garden, clean up the space so that it looks beautiful and ready to welcome all of your new seeds and plants. Now, it’s time for you to decide if you are going to move one with seeds, plants or maybe a combination of them. I chose the latter; plants to get a little bit of color and optimism that there is something growing in your garden and seeds so as to feel proud when the first leaves appear on the scene. For example, you can get some garden ready vegetables like the Baby Boomer Hybrid tomatoes which are not nice to see but they are also much easier to be consumed (you know, no cutting, just washing and the salad is ready). You can now get 3 pants for less than $17, and except for that, tomatoes is one of the easiest vegetables to plant and grow plus the current season is perfect for them. If you prefer vegetables that can grow in containers, you can go for the Burpee exclusive, the Pepper, Sweet, Tangerine dream that comes in a 3-plant package for just $15.95.
Vegetables and fruits are good, and they may look more useful than flowers – as long as you like a healthy diet – but for me, flowers is all that matters. A beautiful garden needs to be soaked by flowers of all colors, sizes and types. One tip here! I always choose to plant flowers that grow in different seasons in order to make our garden look nice all year long. The same can be done with planters on your terrace. The choice of the flowers is absolutely subjective so you can just have a look at the endless list and choose the ones you love. Me, I chose the gorgeous Sunflower Ms. Mars (another Burpee exclusive) because I love it when something is extraordinary and the color of this one, it’s absolutely that. Then, I got a couple of bulbs of one of my faves which is the Calla. I know a bulb can grow a bit slowly but it absolutely worth it! Also, this flower can be decorated indoors since it looks stunning in vases. No! Of course I didn’t stop here, but if I go on I’ll won’t stop.
That being said, just get online and choose among the greatest variety of plants and seeds. The day is longer, the sun is out and it’s the perfect period to start your gardening adventures. Boots, hat, gloves and here we come garden darling! 
September… You can already feel it in the air, you are already in the new-season-update mood and you surely need a motivation to be happy about it! None of us wants to let summer go, but it’s not up to us. So, as I’ve said before, the best way to cheer up is to do some shopping; all-time-classic-guarantee. But after your gorgeous self and your wardrobe, you also need to update your favorite place on earth: your home! Because after the cloudy fall days spent at work, all you need is a beautiful atmosphere to relax with your friends and family. It’s time to get rid of all those summery decorations and lift the spirits with some new add-ons to your cozy palace. J And since I just love making people smiling – and shopping – I’m gonna share with you the way I chose to make my home’s transition from summer to fall easy; with the aid of Plow & Hearth of course!
When summer comes to an end, the first image I create is my buddies gathered in my living room, me sat on a rocking chair with a glass (monogrammed of course) of wine and the smell of burning wood all over the place. And for this simple reason, when I start thinking of fall home shopping, I unconsciously start from the fireplace. So, I started from a couple of accessories, because honestly, it’s much easier to get new ones than trying to clean and maintain the old (burnt and dirty) ones. Also, if your days are as hectic as mine and you are not in the mood of mixing and matching, then you’ll probably also get the Portfolio Fireplace Screen, Tool Set, Wood Holder and Hearth Center set which is absolutely gorgeous and combines both traditional and modern tastes. Now, you can get this one and save big with the Couponology exclusive 15% off Plow & Hearth promo code. Also, if you want to avoid all that dirt from the charcoal spreading around your house, then you need a nice and high-quality rug, like the hand- tufted Fire-Resistant Wool Pine Cone Rug that comes in green and chocolate colors.
Now that you have updated the fireplace, you understand that you need to do some changes to the rest of the room too, right? You can’t enjoy the warmth of it while sitting on light blue covers or drinking your tea in a mug with a fish on it. So, first off you need to get some new throws and pillows for your sofas and armchairs. Here, I can’t but share my favorite one, which is the Luxurious Faux Fur Pillow and Throw set, which is absolutely amazing. I don’t know if it had to do with the luxurious image of fur (faux of course, because we love animals), the relaxing color or just the photo that has a Yorkie in it, that I chose to buy it, but now I can proudly (since it was my choice) tell that the pillow is so comfortable and the throw so soft (plus it has again a Yorkie on it) that I just love it! But since pillows are never enough, especially if your puppy needs at least three to settle down, you might also like the Autumn Leaves Hooked Wood Pillows that will certainly get you smoothly into the new season mood.
But wait! Shopping needs no rush! Focusing on the fireplace doesn’t mean that you don’t need to make some changes to the other rooms or to your garden as well. If you want to let your home “wear” its autumn collection then you have to do it right. So just get online at PlowHearth.com and choose among an endless collection of indoor and outdoor living products that won’t only make you love September but also save you tons while allowing you to have the cutest house on earth! After all, it is your very own palace, so, shouldn’t it be as stylish and cool as you are?
