| How to Be Observant Posted: 09 Jun 2021 05:00 PM PDT Being observant serves a lot of purposes in life. It can keep you safe on the job, make you a better artist or photographer, and help you to pick up on little details that other people don't notice. You don't have to be as gifted as Sherlock Holmes to improve your powers of observation, though! Check out this handy list of simple tips you can try out to practice observing the world around you more closely. [Edit]Walk slowly and look around in all directions - This is a great way to start paying more attention to your surroundings. Try to get out of the mindset of just trying to get from point A to point B. Instead of walking as fast as possible to get where you're going, make a conscious effort to slow down your walking speed and take in everything around you.[1]
- Whether you're walking somewhere or sitting down outdoors, make an effort to look from side to side, behind you, and above you regularly. Take notice of what's all around you instead of only looking at what's in front of you.
[Edit]Take pictures of your surroundings. - Looking at things through a lens gives you a whole new perspective. Instead of just going from one place to another, take a camera with you or keep your phone out with the camera ready to snap a shot. Look for interesting buildings, objects, or scenes along your path and take pictures of them as you go![2]
- For example, maybe you notice a flowery bush or an old building with unique architectural features that you wouldn't otherwise pay attention to.
- If you choose to use your phone camera, make sure not to spend all your time staring at your phone. Sometimes phone cameras can't quite capture what our eyes can!
[Edit]Explore new places. - This gets you out of your regular haunts, where you aren't as observant. Take a new route to work or go to a new part of town on the weekend, for example. That way, you're not just on autopilot and doing the same old things without really taking in your surroundings.[3]
- If you take a new route to work, you're going to notice much more than if you go down the same street you've been down hundreds of times and know like the back of your hand.
- You can also expose yourself to new environments by trying a new activity. For example, sign up for a rock climbing class or take an art class.
[Edit]Get rid of distractions. - Distractions prevent you from noticing things around you. Put away your smartphone or any other device that's occupying your attention. Or, turn off your TV show or the music you're listening to. Look around you instead of giving all your attention to something else.[4]
- Distractions can also be dangerous. If you're watching a video on your phone while you're crossing the street, for example, you might not notice a speeding car coming your way.
[Edit]Pay more attention to others. - When you shift your attention outward you'll notice much more. Focus on observing other people. Pay attention to things they say, their body language, and how they behave. Look at the way and speed at which they're moving to determine if they're relaxed, in a rush, or in some kind of distress.[5]
- For example, if you see someone speed-walking down the sidewalk and almost running over other pedestrians, you can assume that they're probably in a rush to get somewhere.
[Edit]Ask yourself questions. - This helps you draw conclusions based on what you observe. Ask yourself things like: "How is this person really feeling?" "What is the difference between what he is saying and what he is really feeling?" and "How many people in this room are in a good mood?" Keep your mind busy and keep prodding yourself to discover what's really happening in a situation.[6]
- At first, switching to this inquisitive mode of thinking can be a little bit distracting. Don't ask yourself so many questions that you're not living in the moment.
- If you aren't sure where to start with this technique, simply ask yourself "Why?" For example, "Why is this person here in this park right now?" Then, make educated guesses based on their behavior.
- As you practice this more, you'll learn how to keep questioning a situation while paying complete attention.
[Edit]Use all of your senses to observe. - Engaging all your senses is the ultimate way to be fully observant. Use all 5 senses when you're in a conversation with someone, when you're observing others, or when you're taking in your surroundings. Notice sounds, smells, textures, and tastes of things around you, as appropriate.[7]
- Look around to observe and scan your surroundings and people's behavior wherever you are.
- Listen to pay attention to different sounds around you distinguish voices from background noise.
- Use your sense of touch to infer the moods of people. For example, if someone shakes hands with you and you find the person's hands sweaty, the person may be nervous.
- Use your nose to detect any smell that is out of the ordinary, like a sudden aroma of gas or smoke in the area.
- Pay attention to your taste buds to notice all the different flavours of a meal you're eating or of a beverage you're drinking.
[Edit]Watch a foreign movie without subtitles. - This helps you focus on details other than the story. Pick a foreign film that looks interesting on your favorite streaming service and turn off the subtitles. Pay attention to things like the characters' body language, tone of voice, and surroundings.[8]
- You can make it a game by coming up with your own storyline based on how the characters are acting as you watch.
[Edit]Train your mind with observational games. - Puzzles and games help you notice things more quickly. For example, play "Where's Waldo?" put together a jigsaw puzzle, or play Memory, the matching card game. Or, try a "spot the differences" identical picture game.[9]
- Putting in just 15 minutes a day into a mental game or puzzle is a great exercise for your brain and your observational powers.
- You can also play an easy observational game by doing this: grab a pen and paper and quickly write down everything you can think of about the room or space you're in without looking around.
[Edit]Meditate daily. - Meditating helps build awareness of your mind and body. Sit down for 10-15 minutes every morning and/or evening, make sure you're comfortable in a quiet room, and listen to the breath rising and falling out of your body. Focus on relaxing one body part at a time until you find yourself in a state of real relaxation, and are able to notice all of the little things around you while keeping your eyes closed.[10]
- As you meditate, you let distractions out of your brain and become more aware of your surroundings and your own state of being.
[Edit]Do a scavenger hunt. - These are a great wait to be on the lookout for things throughout your day. Pick an object or something else to look for and take a picture of it or make a note of it every time you see it throughout the day. When you're all done, consider why each of those things is there or how they got there.[11]
- Your scavenger hunt could be looking for something as mundane as fire hydrants or as unique as art by a certain graffiti artist, for example.
- You can also look for certain activities or scenes throughout the day, such as people playing sports or drinking coffee.
[Edit]Keep an observational journal. - This helps build a habit of observing details in daily life. Carry a notebook and writing utensil with you wherever you go throughout the day. Write a note every time you observe unusual sights, sounds, or occurrences.[12]
- For example, if you go to a nature park on a Saturday, take your journal with you and make notes about how new bird noises you hear sound and how plants you've never noticed before look.
[Edit]Take up drawing. - Drawing helps you gain a new understanding of things you see. Do a drawing activity at least once a week to help improve your visual observation skills. Sit down with a piece of paper and a pencil at home or somewhere else and sketch out something that's in front of you. Try to include as many details of what you're looking at as possible in your drawing.[13]
- For example, you could sit down in front of a sculpture or a work of art and try to draw it yourself.
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| How to Get Hydrangeas to Bloom Posted: 09 Jun 2021 09:00 AM PDT Hydrangea blossoms are beautiful—when they decide to cooperate and actually show up. Some species need year-round care to prevent them from holding a grudge against you and refusing to bloom. Not all flowering issues can be solved during the same growing season, but putting in the work now can give you lovely flower displays for many years to come. [Edit]Prune at the right time of year. - Double-check that you didn't prune away the flower buds. Many hydrangeas bud from old wood, so to get flowers you'll need to keep the stems intact over winter.[1] These species are Hydrangea macrophylla (bigleaf, mophead, lacecap, or mountain, with 4in/10cm+ leaves); H. quercifolia (oakleaf, with oak-like leaves); and H. anomala (petiolaris) (the climbing hydrangea vine).
- You can safely prune these in late summer, right after the flowers fade and strong shoots form. Remove no more than the top ⅓. Climbing hydrangeas bloom mostly from the top, so prune cautiously.[2]
- Other hydrangeas flower on new growth: feel free to prune back H. aborescens (smooth or wild hydrangea) or H. paniculata (grandiflora) in late winter or early spring.[3]
[Edit]Give hydrangeas enough sun. - Transplanting to an area with enough sun may help with flowering. This is particularly true of bigleaf hydrangeas, but even easier-blooming species need sun.[4] Transplanting is best done when the plant is dormant in the fall or spring, or winter in regions without frozen ground.[5] Different sun levels are suited to different species:
- Full sun to partial shade: H. quercifolia[6], H. paniculata[7]
- Partial shade: H. macrophylla[8], H. aborescens[9]. An area with morning sun and afternoon shade is ideal. If full sun is unavoidable, keep the soil consistently moist.
- Partial shade to full shade: H. anomala[10]
[Edit]Prolong blooms with sun protection later in the season. - Partial shade after blooms appear may protect the flowers. Some hydrangea varieties have much longer-lasting blooms in partial shade, fading slowly to purple or green instead of a quick brown fade in full sun.[11] So even though sun is needed to get your plants to flower, putting up a patio umbrella or sun shade in the afternoons once the flowers appear could be a worthwhile experiment.
[Edit]Protect hydrangeas over winter. - Protect old wood hydrangeas over winter to save flower buds. The bigleaf and oakleaf hydrangeas (H. macrophylla and quercifolia) can lose their buds to winter damage. To protect against harsh winters, build a chicken wire enclosure around the hydrangea plant. Fill it loosely with shredded leaves to a depth of 10–12" (25–30cm).[12]
- Most buds die below -10ºF (-23ºC) without protection.[13] H. macrophylla is temperamental and can also lose blooms to sudden temperature changes.[14]
- Other species are either winter-hardy or do not have winter buds.
[Edit]Protect against spring frosts. - Throw on an insulating cover for late frosts. After protecting your hydrangea all winter, it would be a shame for the last frost to destroy your dreams of flowers. If the temperature drops after you've taken off the winter cage, cover the plant with cloth, burlap, or heavy paper. Avoid plastic, which can damage the plant.[15]
- As with winter damage, this only applies to H. macrophylla and H. quercifolia. Other species can survive and flower after all but the most extreme winter conditions.
[Edit]Avoid over-fertilizing. - Reduce fertilizer if blooms are poor. If you're getting a wonderful green explosion with hardly any blossoms, you may have added too much nitrogen to the soil (in the form of compost or commercial fertilizer).[16] In many cases, adding no fertilizer at all will give better results. If your soil is poor or the plants are struggling, use slow-release fertilizer a couple of times during the growing season.[17]
- One exception: if, while blooms are growing, the central leaves begin to yellow, throw in some fast-acting fertilizer.[18]
[Edit]Water frequently. - Hydrangeas do best in soil that stays moist, but not soggy. Most hydrangeas love it when you soak their soil regularly.[19] Keep the soil loose and wet to the touch pretty much all the time.[20]
- Give hydrangeas in full sun much more water than ones in partial shade, and even more if their leaves start to droop.[21]
- Poor-draining soil can rot your plants' roots. If a test hole filled with water doesn't drain within 15 minutes, try amending the soil with compost, peat moss, or similar, or build a raised planting bed filled with loamy soil. If clayey soil can't be helped, make sure to water less.
[Edit]Preserve moisture with mulch in dry conditions. - Spread a layer of mulch in summer. For hydrangeas, mulch is mostly important for trapping moisture.[22] If hot, dry weather is expected, add organic mulch to the soil before each hydrangea begins blooming.
- Keep the mulch about from the stems to prevent them from rotting.
- If you have alkaline soil, try pine needles or bark as a mulch. These make the soil a little more acidic, which hydrangeas prefer.
- Mulch is often used to insulate roots over winter as well, but unfortunately, it is not likely to save the flower buds on hydrangeas (for old wood blooming varieties).
[Edit]Change blossom color with soil additives. - Some bigleaf varieties can bloom blue or pink depending on the soil. Soil acidity can affect the flower color, but although hydrangeas slightly prefer acidic soil, this is unlikely to be a big factor in whether it blooms at all.[23] But if you do succeed in getting your H. macrophylla to bloom, you can try a science experiment to change its flower color from year to year:
- Test a sample of soil pH with a kit from a gardening center.
- A pH below 5.5 encourages blue blossoms.[24] Lower the pH with compost, coffee grounds, or other organic materials, or using sulfur soil amendments from a garden store.
- A pH above 6.5 encourages pink flowers.[25] Raise the pH by adding wood ash, lime, or some high-pH fertilizers.
- If your soil is acidic but your flowers aren't blue, you might need to add aluminum sulfate to the soil.
[Edit]Treat fungal diseases. - Disease is not a common cause of flower issues, but check for severe damage. Hydrangeas are fairly disease-resistant in most areas, but a severe fungal infection could damage it enough to interrupt flowering. Look for unusual colored spots on the leaves and flowers.
- Treat green, yellow, or brown spots with a fungicide. Ask the staff at a gardening center for advice on local fungus identification and products.[26]
- Powdery mildew and black spots are signs that your hydrangea is getting too much shade and not enough air circulation.[27] Consider transplanting.
- Many fungi come from excess moisture. Watering in the morning so the plant dries faster can help.
- If you aren't able to treat a disease, get rid of the infected plant as soon as possible to prevent the disease from spreading. Dead or dying plants that look badly discolored often aren't salvageable and can ruin any other hydrangeas you have.
- A few varieties of hydrangea bloom in early spring on old wood, then a second time on new wood throughout summer.[28]
- If you want to change the bloom color of a variable-color hydrangea variety, you can use a low-phosphate fertilizer (12-4-8, for instance) to encourage blue blossoms, or a high-phosphate one (25-10-10) for pink flowers.[29] Take care—read up on the fertilizer section above to avoid preventing any blooms at all.
- A lot of bigger hydrangeas, including the popular Annabelle variety, have heavy flowers. Tying the stems to stakes can help prevent them from sagging.[30]
- New hydrangeas can take as many as five years to bloom. If you're looking for something quicker, choose bigger, more mature, or flowering hydrangeas from a gardening center.[31]
- Hydrangeas can be grown in pots, which allows you to move them to better growing spots if needed.
- If you're in an area with lots of hungry deer, you might need to use a deer repellent spray on your precious hydrangea blossoms once they do flower. Deer do tend to stay away from oakleaf and climbing hydrangeas.
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