JM Perez

492 posts

Poet, Writer and Published Author. Insatiably passionate about gardening, Health and Wellness. I enjoy collecting Vintage and Antique choice pieces.

Christmas Holidays Home Decor DIY: Projects

DIY: Winter Bird Wreath

JM Perez By JM Perez1 min read589 views

Last year I made a simple Owl Wreath for Christmas. For this year, I decided to make a Winter Bird Wreath.

Winter Bird Wreath.
Winter Bird Wreath.
Winter Bird Wreath.
Winter Bird Wreath.

Materials Needed:

  • Wreath (I used a Foam Wreath)
  • Yarn
  • Bird (you can find one at a craft store)
  • Tiny Pine Cones
  • Ornamental Red Cherries
  • Felt Balls
  • Glue gun
  • Hot glue sticks
  • Choice Fabric for Bow
  • Decorative Frosted Needle Pine Branch

Step by step:

  • Once you’re done wrapping the yarn tightly around the wreath until it’s thick and all covered, hot glue the end
  • Glue the Felt Balls on the wreath, closely next to each other (use different sizes)
  • If you were lucky to find a bird already on a Needle Pine Branch, hot glue it on the felt ball at the top; otherwise get creative
  • Gather your Ornamental Red Cherries, Tiny Pine Cones, Decorative Frosted Needle Pine Branch and arrange them to your licking
  • Hot glue the arrangement on the bird’s abdomen and hot glue the finish product on the felt ball at the top
  • Use your Choice Fabric to tie a bow on the wreath and voilà!

Now, up to working on my Spring wreath.

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JM Perez By JM Perez
Insects Weather Nature Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

The Wind has Settled Down

JM Perez By JM Perez2 min read504 views

What a change and what a lovely day! The winds have finally settled down, the dirt has hardened a little from the little rain we had on Monday and the thick grey clouds melted away.  There was no damages to the plants and structures; but a backyard covered with so many tumbleweeds. I didn’t mind as I was happy to see a beautiful blue sky, the mountains covered in snow and some of my late blooming perennials.

Snowy Mountains.
Snowy Mountains.

I was so delighted to see my Mums all in bloom. They are easy to grow, low maintenance and late bloomers. I am growing mine in containers along with other Fall perennials. They have remained green for a very, very long time and just recently burst open with bright colors ranging from red to yellow. More information here.

Chrysanthemums.
Chrysanthemums.

I love Dianthus and mine seem to surprise me every day with a new color. I love the varieties.

Dianthus.
A few Dianthus variety.

As I was walking around my Rose Garden, I saw a huge dried up stem which snapped as soon as I pulled on it to expose a tiny cream-colored larvae. According to the website fs.usda.gov (USDA Forest Service – US Department of Agriculture), adult flat headed wood borers are small to relatively large beetles with small antennae and a characteristic oval body shape and they are called metallic wood borers because they are iridescent or metallic looking underneath and sometimes on top. Larvae are white, legless grubs similar to bark beetle larvae, but the body shape is elongated, and the head area is different than bark beetle larvae. They attack stressed, dying, or dead trees and can also attack freshly cut timber before it is dried.
For more information, click here to download the PDF file.

Flat Headed Borer Larva.
Flat Headed Borer Larva.

Can you see the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug below? I wouldn’t have noticed it if it wasn’t for my husband. What a clever attempt to camouflage and blend into its surroundings.

Brown Stink Bug.
Brown Stink Bug.

Happy Gardening and discoveries in your Yards.

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JM Perez By JM Perez
Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Getting Busy on a Windy Day

JM Perez By JM Perez1 min read551 views

What do you do when it’s windy and the day is slow? I could watch TV, a Movie, listen to Music, read a Book and so much more. What I love to do on a windy day when gardening is not an option, is simply walk around my garden and take pictures of my beautiful flowers. This morning I went around my Rose Garden and captured a few images with my camera. There are a lot more Roses which are yet to bloom.

Just Joey Hybrid Tea Rose Bud.
Just Joey Hybrid Tea Rose Bud.
Spartan Floribunda Rose.
Spartan Floribunda Rose.
Pink Rose.
Pink Miniature Rose.
Pristine® Hybrid Tea Rose.
Pristine® Hybrid Tea Rose.
Eutin Floribunda Rose.
Eutin Floribunda Rose.
Sunblest Rose.
Sunblest Rose.
Red Rose.
Red Miniature Rose.
Iceberg Floribunda Rose.
Iceberg Floribunda Rose.
Camelot Hybrid Tea Rose.
Camelot Hybrid Tea Rose.
Sun Sprinkles Miniature Rose.
Sun Sprinkles Miniature Rose.

Happy Gardening!

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JM Perez By JM Perez
Garden Improvement Primitive Repurposing DIY: Projects Flowers Shrubs & Trees

DIY: Garden Trellis

JM Perez By JM Perez1 min read536 views

The weather is great today, making it is a good day to get busy in the garden.
I got to bury the legs of the Garden Trellis that my husband build a few years back. This trellis will support the young vine (Common Jasmine), as well as provide proper training and maintenance.

This simple/primitive garden trellis was built using old pieces of some baseboard we removed from the house when we were doing the upgrades, a medium size screw to hold the top together as well as some twines.

Garden Trellis for  Common Jasmine.

Materials/Tools Needed:

  • Old baseboard pieces
  • Jute Twine
  • Wood Screws, Power Drill, Drill Bits
  • Stain (for the Wood) or Paint/Spray Paint

Step by step:

  • Get your baseboard and cut them into three pieces of your desire height
  • Hold the three pieces and screw them together at the top
  • Paint/Stain the finish product (you could paint/stain the pieces of wood before or after screwing them)
  • Let dry
  • Wrap the twine around the tripod, keeping it nice and tight and it’s ready to be used.
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JM Perez By JM Perez
Fall Garden Decor

Simple Decor for Halloween

JM Perez By JM Perez2 min read466 views

Are you done decorating for Halloween? Here at my Home, we enjoy looking and admiring other people’s decorations. We will drive around just to see what’s happening on the other side, but we are just so unmotivated to decorate our own yard. It’s in part due to the fact that we are not into scary stuff. We always display Matilda, the good witch greeter to welcome friends and guests (as you can see her sitting pretty in the front yard).

Matilda (good witch), Porch Greeter.
Matilda (good witch), Porch Greeter.

We also swap out the solar lights in the front yard to blend in with the season. I recently bought a few Mosaic Solar Light Garden Stakes and as you can see, the colors are perfect for the season. At dusk when they turn on and light shines through the orange mosaic glass, the luminosity is not only enchanting, but sensational as well.

Mosaic Solar Light Garden Stakes.
Mosaic Solar Light Garden Stakes.

We love our Fall Flag which almost looks 3D with the Scarecrow sporting straw hair.  The flag is part of a set and the best thing about it is that it’s weather-resistant and compliments everything else in the yard.

Fall Garden Flag.
Fall Garden Flag.

We have a black Tinsel Cat, which is a favorite of my kids, especially my daughter. We swapped her original eyes to pink googly eyes and gave her a pink bow as well.

Black Tinsel Cat.
Black Tinsel Cat.

All the products above were purchased from Collections Etc. The site carries a huge variety of items and I am fond of their unique selection of Solar Powered Lights.

Do you go all out decorating your Home and Yard for Halloween?

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JM Perez By JM Perez