Memorial Day

It’s close to the end of May and time to plan your Memorial Day weekend. Memorial Day is a time of remembrance and observance of the brave men who have served (and continue to serve) our country today and throughout the years. It is also a time for gathering. Even though it is not officially summer, it is the start of the summer season. Many people will be planning a gathering for at least one day of the Memorial Day weekend. If you are, make it easy and enjoyable. It will leave you time to reflect on what the day really represents.

Decorating can be simple. Use small American flags, which you can find anywhere, and place them around the back yard. You can also purchase red, white and blue, silk carnation bouquets at just about any discount outlet. Just having these two things around the backyard will make you and your guests remember what this day is all about.

One Dozen (12) Independence Day U.S.A. Flags 4-in x 6-in

Once you know how many guests are coming, you can begin to prepare. Most of the time, a Memorial Day gathering is a barbecue. But depending on the heat, you may not want to be standing around a grill all day. I usually do something simple on the grill, like hamburgers or hot dogs, and have the rest of the food already made and heated. By doing this, I spend less time at the grill and less time in the kitchen.

Patriotic Red White Blue String Light Set - 100 Lights

Most of the time I will make a pork or beef roast in advance. If you have a smoker, you can even do this outside the morning of the gathering. Because it needs to cook a long time, I will do it on a smoker or in a table top oven or slow cooker that I bring outside (to keep the house cool you can read ). Spice the roast the way you like or according to your favorite recipe, place in a pan or cooker with a little water and just let it cook for about three hours. That’s how you will end up with pulled pork or pulled beef. When it is done and cool enough to handle, I just start cutting and pulling apart. This goes a long way and people tend to really like it. I usually put out hamburger rolls for them to make sandwiches. You’d be surprised to see how many people it can feed.

I usually opt to make macaroni salad instead of potato salad since it is quicker and easier to make. It is also another dish that goes a long way. A pound of elbow macaroni can feed a pretty good crowd.

So that’s what is on my menu for Memorial Day with probably a few extras like chips and pickles. I learned the hard way to take the easy route. There are times when I do heavy duty cooking for gatherings, but in the summer as the weather gets hotter, people tend to eat less and this avoids having too many leftovers. And remember to take time out to reflect upon the real meaning of the day.

Memorial Day (Rookie Read-About Holidays)

What are you planning for Memorial Day? Are you having small or large gathering at your home? Tell us what makes it easy for you.

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Have you ever purchased flowers for your garden only to have them wilt and die? On many occasions I have given up planting anything for this reason. That is, until I learned a few tips for buying healthy flowers. Now I look forward to checking out all of the new plants that are available at the home and garden stores.

Tall or Short

When looking at flowers that you want to purchase, read the label to see how tall they are going to grow. This will help you determine what stage of growth they are in at the time you are shopping. If a plant grows to 15 inches and it is already 10 inches tall, it has almost reached it height potential. You want to choose a younger plant. Keep away from tall plants that are also thin. Pick a plant that is compact, short and bushy. These will give you the best growth.

Blooms or No Blooms

We all want the instant garden so we tend to pick a plant that is already blooming. This is almost like asking for guaranteed failure. If you want your flowers to survive, pick a plant that does not have flowers. These plants are still young and have a way to go before blooming which is what you want for your garden so that they will last throughout the season.

Final Inspection

So you’ve picked a short, bushy plant that is not yet blooming. Wait. You must do a final inspection to make sure that it is actually healthy.

1. The first thing you need to do is check the label and make sure that the plant is right for the zone you live in. Just because the store sells it doesn’t mean it will thrive in your area. I found this out when I bought hostas. I had them up north and loved how they thrived and spread around the yard. I went and purchased them in Florida and not one of them ever grew.

2. Feel the soil to see if it is moist. If it feels dried out, put it down and move on.

3. Look at the leaves. Is their color vibrant? Do they look healthy? If the leaves are droopy, dried out or have leaf burn, walk away and find another one.

4. Check the bark or stems. If they are cracked, start looking again.

5. Look underneath the container and check the roots. If the roots are coming out of the flower pot, then the plant is too big. Remember, you are looking for a young plant.

6. Check for bugs. You definitely don’t want to buy a plant that has bugs. You need to check the leaves and the soil for bugs.

It is a lot of fun to plant in the garden and see how everything grows as the season progresses. Now that you know how to buy healthy flowers, it’s time to go out and start search for them.

Do you have a favorite flower that blooms year and year with no problems? Let us know what it is.