With the sun shinning - green grass - and the warmer air, we know it's time to prepare for this year's blossoms.

This weekend I went to my local garden center to find some pretty urns & containers to plant my flowers in.

Well...I was not about to spend a years worth of garden expenses just to buy the pots! I guess if I want the natural looking containers, I will have to make them myself - on the "cheap" of course =)

To experiment with a few vessels, buy a bag of quick mix (cement mix). You will need a large bucket or wheel barrow to mix the cement.

This technique will allow you to make beautiful rounded bird baths, or flower bowls.

* A pile of sand will be your mold

* Decide what size you want the finished bowl to be

* Dig a hole that size in the sand hill. Make sure the inside surface of the mold is smooth

* Prepare the concrete mix

* Use a scoop or garden tool & press the mixed cement into the hole. You must work fast, because the mix will set up fast

* Smooth out the surface as you would icing on a cake

* If you'd like to add a few decorative touches, you can do that at this time. I would suggest things such as: pressing a few marbles into the surface - small stones - colored glass - little mirrors - bits of tile - broken bits of china, etc. The designs possible are only limited by your imagination

* Allow to dry for a few days. In hot weather, you may want to cover the bowl with a piece of plastic to let it cure a bit slower

* Remove bowl from sand - hose off & put it to use

You'll have so much fun watching all the new visitors to your garden

* You can buy a huge 94lb bag of portland cement for under $6! At this price why not make several & sell a few for extra money!? They cost between $35 - $60 in garden centers & your getting away with approx. $2 each!