Courtesy of Sonnichsen Team July 2022

BIG IDEAS FOR

SMALL YARDS

Much like the interior of a small house, what matters most when it comes to a small yard is how you use it. Smart choices can maximize even the tiniest of outdoor spaces. If you’ve got a small yard – check out these big ideas!

• Create a container garden. It can be hard to garden in a tiny yard. Luckily whether you buy or build containers for your plants, you can reap the rewards of fresh fruit, veggies and flowers all summer long. • Grow up, not out; create a vertical garden. They take up almost no ground space and look beautiful as they climb up the exterior of your home or fence. • Build a water feature. You can create a small in-ground pond. Add a pump to create a small fountain and bring that relaxing, trickling sound to your space. THESE JOKES ARE NUTS! Courtesy of www.skiptomylou.org How do you make a peanut laugh? – You crack him up. Why did the nut work at the bank? – To cashew your check. What do you call a pair of nuts on the wall? – Walnuts! What did nut say chasing another nut? – I’m going to cashew. What is a squirrel’s favorite ballet? – The Nutcracker.

• Make room for an outdoor grill. They come in all shapes and sizes and can be freestanding or built-in. Consider creating a grilling area and surrounding it with plants and seating! • Learn how to espalier. Espalier is a pruning technique encouraging trees to grow up against a wall or fence, expanding two-dimensionally instead of all directions. It ’s perfect for growing fruit trees in a small yard. • Turn your front yard into the backyard . Don’t have a backyard big enough to try one of these ideas? Make your front yard your hangout space! Build a front patio and use screens and greenery to make it private.

Who eats nuts and bolts? – A squirrel that is late for work. Why did squirrel want a raise in pay? – He was paid peanuts. Which nut won the World Cup the most? – The Brazil nut. Which nut loves the game of chess? – A Chess-nut. Where can you learn more about nuts? – The internut.

ABSTRACTION PUZZLE Use the grid references to shade in the boxes and reveal six of the fifteen shapes below. Each shape has three letters assigned to it. When you have found the six correct shapes, discard one letter from each shape to reveal the hidden name, place, word or phrase.

Grid References: 1. A B C G I J K 2. B F I K 3. A B C E I K 4. C G I J K 5. B C G K 6. C E F G K Courtesy of www.puzzlechoice.com

Discard the middle letter of each group to find the answer: PACIFIC OCEAN

Answers: