Meg's Home & Garden

05/23/2026

Here’s my annual PSA about not using w**d barrier. 🌱

Thank goodness I had help from two friends this week (the pink hat crew!) removing old w**d barrier from this garden bed. It was a BIG job made a whole lot easier with extra hands.

In this case, the w**d barrier had stopped doing its job long ago. It was buried under years of accumulated mulch — probably 6+ inches deep in some areas — that had decomposed into soil. Weeds were growing on top of it, roots were tangled through it, and the fabric itself was full of holes.

What started as a “w**d prevention” product eventually became a messy layer that had to be dug out by hand.

Check out my handy list of reasons not to buy w**d barrier for use in perennial gardens. 👇

05/16/2026

First impressions matter. 🌿

I recently helped prepare this property for sale by tidying up the landscape. Even small improvements can make a big impact when selling a home. Check out the before and after!

05/02/2026

My client’s viburnum hadn’t bloomed in years.

There was nothing wrong with it — the landscaper was just pruning it at the wrong time and cutting off the flower buds.

I kindly asked my client if I could take over the pruning and… look at it now!! It’s covered in flowers, smells amazing, and the bees are loving it!

I see this a lot. Landscaping companies do a great job with overall maintenance. But pruning different plants at different times isn’t part of their business model. To stay efficient, everything gets pruned at the same time.

Pruning isn’t one-size-fits-all — timing it for each plant really matters.

This is where a gardener comes in.

I time pruning based on what each plant needs — so you’re not cutting off next season’s blooms. 💕

04/28/2026

This is so wonderful and inspirational, that I wanted to share. I hope you’ll take a moment to watch it. 💕

https://fb.watch/GMi0iyVVPy/?fs=e

04/24/2026

Gorgeous? Yes. Low effort? Not exactly.

I specialize in low-maintenance gardening… so when clients ask about peonies, I gently warn them—they’re a bit high-maintenance for what you get.

That said, if you already have them (or have your heart set on them), here are a few tips:

• Stake early. Put hoops/supports in place while the plant is still small. Wait too long, and you’ll be wrestling a floppy, top-heavy mess that turns into a frustrating (and back-breaking) job.

• Deadhead after blooming. Peonies drop a carpet of petals that’s pretty for about a day… then turns brown and mushy. Cutting off spent blooms keeps things tidy and helps the plant put energy back into its roots and next year’s flowers.

• Leave the foliage. This is the hard one. As tempting as it is to cut everything back—DON’T. The leaves need to stick around all summer to store energy for next year’s flowers. You can cut them down once they yellow/brown later in the season. Until then, it’s a lot of green. Not exciting, but necessary.

Peonies put on a beautiful show—but it’s a lot of work for a pretty short time.

04/19/2026

04/18/2026

Big trees don’t start big. 🌲
Spring is the best time to deal with the small ones—before leaves make it a tougher job. Message me if you’d like a hand!

03/29/2026

This is what “going the extra mile” looked like on Friday… 🐾

We started with a walk in the woods, which included a stop at the marsh. (Bailey’s favorite place to make questionable life choices. 😅) The groomer was supposed to come… but didn’t.

So before I could start cleaning, Bailey got a sponge bath on the couch while his siblings supervised.

Not exactly in the job description…but making sure everything (and everyone) is taken care of is always part of what I do. 💕

03/22/2026

Granite Repair… Gone Wrong (Then Right!) 😅

I recently tackled repairing hairline cracks and hard water damage on my own black granite countertop — and let’s just say, it was a process. What I thought would be a quick afternoon project… turned into a few weekends of trial, error, and learning.

This isn’t a how-to video, but I’m sharing 3 key tips I learned along the way that could save you time (and frustration) if you’re thinking about taking on something similar.

Plus — you’ll see the before & after! 👀

Even though this wasn’t for a client, it’s a great example of the kind of detail and persistence I bring to my work.

And if you’re thinking about DIY-ing granite repair… my tips may help you out!

03/14/2026

PRO PAINTER’S TIP 🎨

If you struggle to pick paint colors you like, here’s a simple trick.

Paint swatches at the store are usually organized in rows that show the same color from lightest to darkest. For example, the swatches I’m showing here are 213 C2, C3, and C4. They’re essentially the same color — from lighter (C2) to darker (C4).

Here’s why this helps:

Sometimes it’s really hard to see the undertones of a very light color. For example, maybe you’re looking for an off-white that leans brown instead of yellow.

Look at the darkest color in the row/strip (in this example, C4) — the undertones are much easier to see. If I you like that deeper color, there’s a good chance you’ll also like the lighter versions of it.

It’s a quick way to narrow down paint colors without feeling overwhelmed by the wall of swatches.

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I’m currently helping a client choose a wall color to complement existing green marble flooring. I selected several swatches I thought worked well and put them on a key ring so he can easily compare the options.