It’s so damn hot here (110 degrees heat index), it’s hard to take pleasure from the outdoors. Even the pool is stifling, so indoors and air conditioning are the order of the day.  But looking at this picture from last spring, I get a little reminder of when my garden looked fresh and new.  This year, though, in an effort to save time and money, I didn’t re-do many of my backyard pots.  Instead, I used a lot of mint and oregano to add greenery, and I resorted to this inexpensive boost of purple and gold (LSU!).  I spray painted some thin dowels, topped them with plastic Christmas ornaments, and voila, instant beauty.

With my bent for crapsmanship, you know it really couldn’t have been that easy!  In fact, the color of the ornaments faded within a couple weeks, but a squirt or two of purple and gold spray paint solved that dilemma.  Now when I’m looking out over the pool and pots from the comfort of my air-conditioned living room, I enjoy the pop of color from this easy project.