This morning I was outside picking lettuce at 5 am. 🙂  Honestly, I can’t believe my lettuce is still viable with the weather being in the upper 80’s lately but who am I to question things… right? 
This supper is going to be epic for growing vegetables I tell ya. I hope you have lot’s of veggie starts in the ground already. If not, hurry and plant some winter squash seeds because if the weather keeps up, we’ll all be swimming in butternut squash this winter. {Which would be AWESOME in my opinion.}
Yesterday I stopped by The Home Depot to pick up some spray paint and before heading into the store I stopped by the discount plant section to see if there was anything good.
Guess who went home with a dozen blue hydrangea plants for $4.50 each? Me!! The funny thing is blue hydrangeas were on my list of perennials I wanted to plant this year. I guess it’s true, if you can hold out long enough eventually you’ll find what your looking for at a price you are willing to pay.
I forgot to tell you about this side table/nightstand I picked up at a garage sale last weekend for $1.00. I think all it need is a coat of paint and some knobs. What do you think? Trash or treasure?
And last but not least, I decided to paint our old desk white for my office makeover. I think it will brighten up the room and make it a wee bit more feminine.
What have YOU been up to lately?
Is your lettuce still alive? Can anyone explain why my lettuce is still alive and kicking when the temps are in the upper 80’s? Don’t get me wrong, I love picking lettuce, but I still think it’s kind of weird.
~Mavis
Sherle says
I may not be able to fully explain why your lettuce and mine with mid to upper 90’s is still growing just fine other than to say that if the roots are kept cool and there’s enough water they can grow for quite some time. I just picked lettuce and a bunch of leafy greens a couple of days ago.
Mavis Butterfield says
90 Degrees!!! Wowza!
suzanne hissung says
Shade works wonders. Not sure if thats your case but lettuce and greens can go a long time in only 2 to 4 hours of direct sun/ light shade in the PNW. I hope your prediction is right for a long hot summer. Tomatoes, squash, & peppers, yes please.
Robin Wright says
Try chalk paint on that night stand. google it. The stuff is forgiving and doesn’t stink.
Helen in Meridian says
The Passionate Penny Pincher had a recipe for chalk paint in her blog this week. You may have all the ingredients or most of them. Also remember to rub bar soap on the runners of your drawers to make them slide more smoothly.
Elizab eth in Upstate NY says
Home Depot has a markdown section? Ours has a locked dumpster that all iffy plants are dumped. Employees get fired if they dumpster dive. NOTHING plant wise here is marked down! Now Lowes is different. Picked up a blue hydrangea there for $3. Now it’s blooming PINK!
But Home Depot has a “wonky wood” section where I’ve gotten great deals. 75% off reg price.
Mavis Butterfield says
It makes me crazy when they toss plants. I was at The Home Depot and actually watched them throw away oodles of potted raspberry canes and when I asked if I could take them they said NO. Soooo lame. I was happy to get the hydrangeas for half off. All they needed was a little water and they perked right up.
Kristina says
I believe hydrangea color is controlled through soil pH. They need too much water to grow easily where I live in CA, so I’ve never looked into it in any depth, but I think you can google what soil amendments you need to add to get blue blooms next year. I do so envy those hydrangeas. Beautiful. Sigh.
Cari says
Yes. It is a ph issue, or sure. If you are a coffee drinker, all you need to do is sprinkle some of the used coffee grounds around the base of your hydrangea. I have literally turned a pink hydrangea blue during the bloom period. You don’t need much – the amount from 1-2 brewed cups is enough. If you don’t drink coffee, grounds should be easy to obtain, just ask around.
Renay says
I blow my driveway which has a never-ending supply of Douglas fir needles and their cocoa crispies and many end up by my hydrangea. It has the most beautiful blue/purple color blooms I have ever seen!
Teckla says
Yes, color is determined by how alkaline or acidic the soil is. If I remember correctly the blue color prefers acidic soil and pink the alkaline. So enjoy reading about all the stuff you do!
Mavis Butterfield says
Yay! Our entire backyard is VERY acidic…. Wahoooo! Thanks for the tip.
Ellen in Clackamas says
about the lettuce…yes, it has been 90 degrees where I live too and I am still getting lettuce and chard. What I have been doing is hanging an old sheet on 4 4 ft pieces of re-bar stuck in the ground and then flinging an old sheet over the top…instant shade cloth! And then I water right before I go to bed so the roots are really hydrated when the sun come up the next day. We’ll see how long that can last. The tomatoes, cukes and squash are sure loving it!
bobbi dougherty says
oooo, wait. are hydrangeas on the approved list? lol What a great find.
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes!
Chris says
That lil side table is great and for only a buck – good for you! Perfect for a bedside table or next to a favorite reading chair. If I found a similar table, I may inlay a cool mosaic on the top – smash some old colorful cheap plates (garage sale finds). Then go to an antique store for the knobs.
Melissa Doroquez says
The nightstand is a total treasure! And I love the white on the desk, I just think you are crazy for spray painting in the house with carpeting around you. But, I am a messy DIY’er so ‘GO YOU!’
Mavis Butterfield says
The desk takes 3 people to move and I wanted to start before my husband came home and said NO. 🙂 🙂 🙂