Awesomeness :: Repurposing and Bird Baths

Thrifted light fixtures and old bits of china. More on how-to here.

{Photos from Re-Nest.}

A Bit of Awesomeness : Repurposed Flatware

Must have!

From the top . . .

daisy chestnut
monkeysalwayslook (second and third photo)
RRDesign13
countryfolkheart

The Cold Frame Summit Talks :: Part 1

Being married to a skilled and very talented carpenter makes the most beautiful designs, materials and craftsmanship available to you at all times. Attention to exquisite details and a sense of things lasting forever and forever are a big part of how his mind works.

So when I brought up the fact that I had in mind a very basic design for a cold frame, that I would pull together from materials sitting around our property, I knew I had a little battle ahead of me. You see, gardening (for me) is about testing or switching out variables from season to season and playing around with the different things that nature offers to get something growing. I was thinking about leaning some old windows at an angle at the base of our house and putting bricks or cinder blocks (not the prettiest, but great for thermal mass) on the sides, throwing some soil in and growing greens months earlier than they would be ready in our raised beds.

This set off alarms with Corey - The windows wouldn't last for more than a few seasons! They need to be at a certain angle! My experiment was pure chaos in his mind. Instead, he had a door that would work out just right - he could craft something, put the door on a hinge, cut pieces of plywood for the sides, etc., etc. He is all about the planning and being precise from the start, I am all about getting out there, giving it a go and learning from that point onward.

We're working on meeting in the middle. More soon . . .

Yeah. That's Right. Compost Your Old Leather Gardening Gloves (!).

A few fun things that you can toss into the heap. Who knew?!

Paper napkins
Pet hair
Post-it notes
Lint from behind the refrigerator
Jell-o
Wool socks
Leather wallets
Toenail clippings
Outdated yogurt
Lobster shells
Kleenex tissues
Felt waste
Unpaid bills
Ivory soap scraps
Dust bunnies
Theater tickets
BBQ'd fish skin
Elmer's glue
Burlap coffee bags
Milk (in small amounts)
Dead bees and flies
Dirt from soles of shoes or boots

Excerpted from Small Town Living's Feb 09- March 09 issue.

Container Gardening for the Sweltering South

Plant swap find - my container hosta.

Boxwood as backbone.

Glazed, fancy pottery. A late season sale purchase didn't hurt the purse.

Salvation Army pottery find for hens and chicks - $2.

Galvanized tin bucket for petunias.

Elvis Costello, Weezer, Loudon Wainwright and Frank Black have been keeping me company while I get a few things done in our Sugar Hollow Deck Garden. After a few years of container gardening (one of my all time favorite ways to garden, by-the-by), I have a few tips that I hope can save you some precious time and Benjamins - while keeping the frustration factor as low as possible. 'Cause you don't want to run away from the experience pulling your hair out, right? Right.

1. Treat yourself to some backbones. Good for quick greening up of a space. Little evergreens, boxwoods, hostas, ivy - all surprisingly interesting when potted up in a container garden space.

Keeping-it-cheap - I find my little boxwoods and shrubs at The Big Home Improvement Stores for a few dollars. My hosta found me through a plant swap. Ivy can be propagated easily through cuttings. Quick growing vines like morning glories and hyacinth bean are easy to start from seed and fill out vertical spaces.

2. I love the look of terracotta. However, it is a losing battle during the really hot months. And the smaller the container, the more difficult it will be to keep things watered.

Keeping-it-easy - Put (or keep the plants) in the plastic container you bought them in. Use these as inserts for the terracotta pots. They'll retain water while you enjoy the look of the terracotta. Kick back with container garden cocktail with all of the time and energy you save on watering.

3. Containers don't need to be expensive. I use old bushel baskets, galvanized tin containers and thrift store finds.

Keeping-it-cheap - Check out my post on transforming galvanized buckets into a salt-of-the earth container for your garden goods.

4. If you can afford them, buy glazed containers. Real deal pottery. These can get pricey. I usually wait until the end of the season and treat myself to one or two - at 40% off. But they withstand winters, retain moisture and can add another depth of character to your garden.

Keeping-it-cheap - Wait for October or November to make your purchase or visit local thrift shops for unique finds.

5. Plant wisely. Certain plants are more rewarding than others during our summer months.

Keeping-it-easy - My thoughts on what has worked during the thirsty months of July and August are here.

6. Watering can start to bite you in the ass. I know it is hard for me to keep up with it. Think about ways to cut back on feeding the water monster (with the right containers) or consider an on-the-fly container irrigation system.

Keeping-it easy-and-cheap - This idea from Gayla at You Grow Girl for a pop bottle irrigation system. Going on vacation? Put your beloved plants in an inch or two of water in your bathtub.

Garden Blog Lust: Empress of Dirt

She's crafty. She's thrifty. She's the Empress of Dirt. With her garden budget of $100 per year, she makes the magic happen.

Artful, unique pieces introduced to the garden take on a new life. Mirrors, old shutters, ladders, wood stoves, trivets, mosaics. She already has me rethinking my approach to thrift shops.

But I wish I had her vision. With such a cool sense of the possibilities in the mundane or the tossed aside-s. I'm hoping it is something I can learn. With a watchful eye on the Empress of Dirt's next move. Through keen admiration. And, maybe, through simple . . . osmosis.

Garden Blog Lust: Bottle Tree at *Digging*

Love it. Love it. Love it. Love it.

Must have one. Must have one. Must have one. Must have one.

It is Pam's Bottle Tree. Pam has a jaw-droppingly divine blog about her gardens in Austin, Texas called Digging.

I'm off to dumpster-dive for blue bottles.

Green: The New . . . Ah, Uh . . . Blue

The past few years, I have obsessively collected thrift store containers for my garden in all shades of blue. Then, a blue bird bath. Then, mosaic work with blue. There is a blue garden bench in the works, too . . .

But I am moving on. Which I think is healthy. A little balance. Except now I'm all about green.

I found the two green planters (top center and right) while thrift/antique store hunting this past weekend. The multi-pot piece is from last year's Ten Thousand Villages collection.

Here are a few more green planters from Ten Thousand Villages. And look-it - a green birdbath! Gulp. I'm a goner.

DIY - Galvanized Tin Containers

I had mentioned in passing, in my Recycling in the Container Garden post, about using galvanized tin buckets for containers. Last year, not sure how to create drainage holes, I just filled the bottom of each bucket with gravel and then soil. Not the best option for outdoor containers. Any deluge would result in my flowers drowning . . .

Creating drainage holes in these buckets doesn't need to be a huge production - as I learned last weekend. AND, it doesn't need to involve any major power tools. Even better!

I ended up just taking a common nail and a hammer to the bottoms of each bucket. Took no time at all and very little on the elbow grease end-of-things.

You'll just want to make sure to use these containers in shade or part shade. Full-sun will heat up the metal and bake your precious plants.

These buckets were $3 finds at our local Dollar General. A little Martha Stewart-ish - they look terrific with blues, purples, greys and pale pinks in the container garden. Fabulous on the eyes; easy on the wallet.

Recycling in the Container Garden

I've become a thrift-store skulker. Forever on the look-out for my next container gardening treasure. I get light-headed when I hit it big. We live in a college town - which means a lot of transient folks who readily send all of their gardening toss-offs to the local Salvation Army.

Some of my proudest finds have included wrought iron plant holders; the odd, lonely saucers or plates that make for unique container drip trays; galvanized tin buckets; a copper teapot; tea cups; baskets; and a stockpile of terracotta and several blue-glazed pots.

It all started here. Gayla's article broadened my mind to the various possibilities that existed within other people's junk. It also includes very helpful hints on how to transform those recycled treasures into usable containers.

Drainage can certainly be an issue with pots that were not initially meant to hold plants. I have drilled holes in some of the pieces; others I filled with about an inch or two of gravel at the bottom before the soil and the plant(s). Ferns, pothos, baby's tears, spider plants and jades do well in the gravel-bottomed containers; but if you can make the time to find a drill with a masonry bit - I highly suggest it. Especially if they are going to be outside for the season.

You will also need to make sure and sterilize your pots - as you will not be privy to their horticultural history. Gayla recommends 1 part bleach to 10 parts warm water in your bathtub. It sounded like she has also had luck with more environmentally-friendly all-purpose cleaners and hydrogen peroxide. Scrub the pots out and let dry.

Among the many exciting things about spring is - The Garage Sale. I have to admit - it is my favorite form of 'recycling' these days and I plan to be out there hunting with the best of them this season.

Garden Goods . . . from the Office (?!)

Simple office 'throw-aways' can make for light work in your garden. Here are a few suggestions:

Cardboard
*Use for mulching pathways between raised beds or create new pathways in your garden a la Ruth Stout.
*Use as the bottom layer in a lasagna bed (more on that later . . . )

Newspaper
*Can also be used for bottom layer in a lasagna bed - but I only recommend this for flower beds.
*Use a shredder and make newspaper mulch to place around plants (again, just flowers).

There is concern that the inks used in the newspaper printing process leech harmful stuff (i.e. lead and cadmium) into the soil. I have heard that more and more newspapers are using soy-based ink for their b/w. Might be worth a call to your local newspaper if this mulch idea interests you.

Office Mates
*Create a small compost-makin' stock pile from others' trash. Mine includes coffee grounds (we have lots of in-house coffee drinkers), tea bags and fruit scraps.

I'm all ears for additional suggestions - post your ideas!

Worm Poo - in a (Recycled!) Bottle

Recently, I have been hearing more and more about the immense value of worms and their castings in the realm of gardening. Also known as vermiculture, the practice focuses on breaking down compost piles by way of a worm feeding-frenzy.

I feel as if I have a-ways to go with this next endeavor . . . and was delighted to hear about a young company called TerraCycle. Egads - a short cut?! Yes, indeed. And it is righteous.

They are bottling worm poop in, get this, recycled plastic bottles. A bit about them from their website . . .

"It all started in 2001 when two Princeton University students set out to change the way people do business. Inspired by a box of worms, these students had a dream: a company could be financially successful while being ecologically and socially responsible. Co-founders Tom Szaky and Jon Beyer were determined to turn the worm box concept into a real-life, commercially viable process. That summer, they developed prototype equipment and proved their concept was feasible by reprocessing solid waste from dining halls at Princeton University."

They need help collecting soda and water bottles and offer free space for gardening groups on their website. Check it out for further details . . .

DIY - Terrarium

With January and February leaving a BIG hole in my greenhouse-haunting life - I have turned to these little gems for getting me through the gray days. Just lift the top and get a satisfying hint of dew, soil, life!

What's even better, they don't need to cost a pretty penny.

What You'll Be A-Needin':

• Glass container (I've used Salvation Army finds - vases, little fishbowls, I've heard of people using cookie jars, mason jars, just as long as it is clear glass)
• Cover for container (I just placed pretty plates on top - you may need something more secure . . . .)
• Gravel/stones/something to provide a little drainage
• Soil
• Activated charcoal (available at aquarium/pet stores - helps suppress smells)
• Plants
• Interest pieces (rocks, pine cones, funky little figurines)

Layer in the following way from the bottom to the top - gravel/stones, activated charcoal, soil, plants. Sprinkle with a little water, cover and you are done! You may need to water every month or so. And just make sure to give the plants you have chosen for your terrarium the light that they require.

My terrariums have moss, a small fern and baby's tears in them. The baby's tears do well, but are invasive. I just keep giving them haircuts . . . I have found this site to be inspiring and it has helped me get a better sense of plants to try out. I have not ordered anything from them - but the plant names accompanied by photos are a good resource for learning what is what.

http://www.glasshouseworks.com/terrariumplants.html

I was recently watching a show in which John Lennon and Yoko Ono were being interviewed in their New York City apartment kitchen. In the background, on a large windowsill, was an incredible terrarium. A very modern-looking HUGE rounded-bottom vase with a narrow neck. It looked like there were small trees (!) in it, along with ferns and the like. It was stunning and made my heart ache - for the funds and the where-with-all to have something like that in my little house.

In the meantime, I drool over these (also available at glasshouseworks.com under *Wardian Cases*).