Liv Floral

10/18/2026

10/17/2026

The rain this past week was beautiful. The tropical storm brought rain to Utah and after the long dry summer, it was a welcome sight for me and the garden. Enjoying these last few weeks of blooms before the frost comes.

10/15/2026

Especially with the first frost not too far away, you’ll definitely want to remember this one. As long as they have reached their mature size, tomatoes can ripen inside on the counter.

10/13/2026

Cathedral Bells Rose brags a 30-40 petal count and the bloom can be up to 4 inches across. This is a year one shrub that I planted from bare root and I have been so impressed at its growth and blooms so far. I look forward to seeing it at its full size and putting on more flowers over time. She’s one of my absolute favorite roses in the yard this year.

10/12/2026

Fall foliage is one of my favorite to work with.

10/11/2026

After enjoying the summer, weather and sunshine, Once temperatures are hitting close to 50°F, my house plants need to come inside the house. Cleaning them off is an important step to avoid bringing in any insects and to clean off any dust and dirt that may have accumulated on the leaves or trunks.
1. I spray a light amount of 70% rubbing alcohol in crevices and corners of the plant, including the back of leaves- if you have a delicate plant or soft leaves, skip this step, or do a test patch/leaf before spraying the whole thing down. Rubbing alcohol can damage or burn leaves if used improperly or in excess. But I do use it on my fiddle leaf figs, ficus, jades, and snake plants, and my plants don’t have issues.
2. after about 30 seconds of letting the rubbing alcohol sit, I come in with soapy water (some dawn dish soap and cold water) and a rag and wipe the front and back of every leaf. The soapy water will drip into the soil below, which can help eliminate any bugs hiding in the dirt.
3. Rinse off all leaves well, including the front and the back of the leaves and the trunk. Short exposure to rubbing alcohol and soap is t an issue but letting them sit for a long time can cause issues and leave residue on the leaf.
4. I like to use this opportunity to give my plants a nice soak before I bring them in. I also use this opportunity to fertilize them one final time before bringing them inside.
5. wash any trays or water catches and the outside of pots.
6. Let the plants drip dry or dry off the leaves with a cloth.
7. Bring them inside. Most houseplants come from a tropical climate and get stressed or even have cellular damage if exposed to temperatures below 50°F .
Note: deep watering plants before bringing them in will make them heavier. Skip that step if you don’t feel confident about bringing them in when heavier. Or make sure to get them in lifting them safely.
Cleaning house plants using this process, doesn’t guarantee that no bugs will come in, but I find that it resolves the majority of issues and gives them a nice fresh start for the season of being inside. 

10/11/2026

Removing all the buds off a year one lily, before the flowers open, allows the plant to put all its resources and I regularly into developing a strong root system and storing energy in the bulbs for future years. Do not cut the foliage down or remove leaves. This ensures maximum photosynthesis potential.

10/09/2026

Poor thing wandered in and was making itself quite at home. Fortunately we helped this katydid make its way back outside.