Washington County Weekend Post e-edition
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/537183
7 - 5 - 1 5 • W a s h i n g t o n C o u n t y P o s t R e t a i l • 1 1 However, it does require some work and patience. Lora, a Master Garden, offered several tips for anyone looking to start an interactive fairy gar- den based on lessons she's learned and things she wishes she knew when she was getting started. • Building any fairy garden requires a cost outlay for a sturdy container, soil, plants and items to dress it up. Don't think there is a direct correla- tion between the size and the price. Fairy gardens are tiny, but their budgets aren't. Lora spends about $75 a year on hers. • Drill holes in the bottom of your container to allow for drainage. • Packing peanuts are much lighter than soil. If your fairy garden is tiny, portability won't be a problem, but if it is big enough for a child to play with, keep weight in mind and take steps to limit it by using filler material in your container. • Read plant tags. Lora and Daisy visit garden centers to look for plants with potential. Together they read tags to find information about height, spacing, water needs and flower color – and then nego- tiate with one another to decide what will fit into their design. • Trim, trim, trim. If a plant starts to get too big for its set- ting, trim it back instead of let- ting it become overwhelming. "Just give them a little haircut to keep it orderly," Lora said. • If something works, stick with it. If it doesn't, don't. Daisy loves the smell of mint so some is planted every year. (In fact, Daisy tested me within moments of meeting her by having me touch a plant with my finger and identify it by scent. Thankfully I passed!) Several varieties of miniature sedum have done very well, Irish moss can be dug out and transplanted to Lora's flower beds over winter, and herbs didn't make it through the off- season. The red clover makes a dramatic statement on Jack Frost's side, but must be cov- ered at night to stop rabbits from eating it all. • Develop a landscaping plan. Incorporate rock pathways, flat grassy areas, water features, and plants of various heights. Tiger jaw cactuses look delight- fully imposing on Jack Frost's side, and sanvitalia (creeping zinnia) adds beauty to the fairy's home base. – plus it looks like a daisy, another imperative for Daisy's garden. • Have fun. It's obvious that Lora and Daisy both delight in their fairy garden, and you should to. For Daisy, the "Rainbow Fairy" books provid- ed a great hook, but fairy gar- dens can take on any theme from woodland wonderlands to camping vignettes. Gone Gardening Mid- to late-summer is peak carnival and fair season. During this time of year, empty fields and parking lots are transformed into entertainment won- ders featuring rides, foods and plenty of games of chance. Carnival games are a fun diversion. Thousands and thousands of fairgoers test their luck at these games when car- nivals roll into town. Games often seem as though they are stacked in the house's favor, but games are not impos- sible to win. A few pointers can increase any player's chances of winning. • Ring toss: The object of this game is to throw a ring and have it settle around the neck of a bottle. For the best chances, toss the ring so that it remains as flat horizontally as possible. Think of throwing it as you would a Frisbee®. • Milk bottle pyramid: In this game, participants have to throw a softball to knock over milk bottles stacked in a pyramid. It seems easy, but sometimes the weight of the softball is not in pro- portion to the weight of the bottles. The ball may be filled with cork, and the bot- tles may be weighted on the bottom. Aim for the center of the two lowest bot- tles and throw the ball as hard as you can. • Basketball shot: In this game, the rim of the basketball net is likely smaller than regulation and the backboard may be stiffer than players are accustomed to. In addition, the ball may be overin- flated so that it is more bouncy. Try a high arc that will help you swish the ball. Otherwise, aim for the top of the square on the backboard so that the ball will bank right into the net. • Whack-a-mole: This game is fun because a player can go after whichever critter pops out of the hole. A key advantage to this game is never to raise the mallet higher than the height of the mole. This ensures a faster swing and a quicker resetting to hit the next mole that pops up. • Balloons and darts: To counteract potentially dull darts, look for the shini- est, thinnest balloons. Those are the ones that are inflated the most. This will increase your chances of popping a bal- loon. • Frog toss: Young children are drawn to this game because they get to launch a rubber frog into the air and throw it toward a lily pad. The chance of getting wet combined with pounding a mallet can make this game quite attractive. To improve your odds of winning, make the frog as small as possible by folding its legs underneath the body. Aim high so that the frog is launched in a high arc and has a better chance of landing in that lily pad cup. Carnival games can be entertaining. Players have a greater chance of taking home a prize if they learn some secrets of each game they play. Turn carnival game odds in your favor