Courtesy of Dayla Fuller

GARAGE SALE TIPS Garage sale season is coming up and now is a great time to go through your home and select pieces you can sell at a garage (or yard) sale later this summer. As you go through the items in your home, group them by type. For instance, kitchen goods, decor items, clothes, books, games, toys, outdoor items, etc. as it will make pricing and displaying them much easier. Make sure the items you’re selling are clean and in good repair. When pricing items, remember, the goal is to create space in your home by selling unwanted or unused items not to gain a profit. If you’re unsure how to price a larger item, check your local buy and sell groups online to see what similar items are listed for. Remember curiosity draws people in, so place your big-ticket items in such a way that buyers have to walk through all the other items to get to what drew them in. At the end of the sale, items that didn’t sell can be donated to a local charity or thrift store or listed on an online sale site if you so choose. SHRUBS AND BUSHES FOR ANY GARDEN Low maintenance bushes and shrubs are great for those with busy summer schedules as well as those with less than stellar green thumbs. After consulting the plant hardiness zone map online, or asking at your local greenhouse, look for one of the following greenery options that are relatively easy to maintain regardless of how much TLC you provide. Obviously, where you plant them plays a part too, so ensure you follow proper planting guides for sun/shade, drainage, soil PH, etc. Azalea - great as a border or hedge plant with beautiful flowers. Barberry - grows four to five feet tall. Caryopteris - blooms later in the summer and into fall with blue flowers. Hydrangeas - known for the lovely flowers they produce. Spirea - resilient to drought conditions and has flowers that bloom all summer long. • May is "Get Caught Reading Month" - what's on your TBR list? • Have you ever heard the saying, "A warm January, a cold May"? • May has two birth flowers: the Hawthorn and the Lily-of-the-Valley symbolizing hope and the return of happiness respectively. • The full moon in May (May 23, 2024) is called the Flower Moon representing the abundance of flowers that bloom during the month. FUN MAY FACTS