Making Home: gardening

Showing posts with label gardening. Show all posts

Thursday, May 24, 2012

You are my Sunshine

Sorry I've been a bit absent this week.

Honestly , I just didn't feel much like writing.

Lots of craziness going on in my life right now.

Fortunately , all good.

I have sold my building and getting out of a franchise is no easy task !

Plus I've been looking for a vendor space to move my ReStyle business to.

I have a few leads , but kinda nervous to take that step.

I've got so much inventory to work with and ideas for all of it ,

so I know it won't give it up.

Just have to decide which direction to go with it.

Plus...

I've been a bit crochet crazy the last couple weeks.

My projects are getting better and better.

Working on baby stuff for the nieces.

I'm not sure if it's going to be a surprise or not.

Knowing me , not .

I can't keep a secret !

So if I give them to them early , you can bet your bootie ( pun intended ) I'll be sharing them here also .

Today I going to share something that makes me happy no matter how crazy my life gets .

Some of my garden .

I hope you're not thinking , oh no , not another garden post ,

Please don't think that :)

You know I have a Moon Garden , I've written about it many, many times.

But I also made a " Sunshine Garden ".

Remember my old table by the garage ?

I change the displays seasonally.

If you missed those posts , you can see them here and here.

This display was half way inspired by this " Pin"

From greenwellies.tumblr.com

I loved the old metal containers repurposed as planters.

But I wanted more colorful plants out front.

No need for two Moon Gardens.

I used an assortment of yellow and orange flowers -

hence , the " Sunshine Garden ".

It's not all in full bloom yet , but it's getting there.

I used other old junk too ,

ladders , chairs , wooden crates.

I debated painting these chairs yellow , what do think ?

Succulent display on an old step ladder.

Some of them even have orange , yellow and red tips.

I can't wait till it's all in full bloom !

I also have to share one of my latest crochet projects.

Sorry I take terrible pictures !

This one was taken with my phone , so it's even worse.

But these flip flops for Addie turned out SOOOO cute !

Have a fantastic weekend everyone.

We are off to the Trailerhood II for the long weekend .

I would really , really love it if you would like to follow my blog

AND / OR

Follow me on Pinterest

Linking this post to some or all of these fabulous parties :

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Wine Corks , Pinterest and the Garden ....

Is this a wine cork craft post ?

Is it a Pinterest post ?

Is it a garden post ?

Why yes...

It's all of the above :)

You know I have an abundance of wine corks...

And I'm all about my garden these days...

So...

I had this "pin"....

From smallgardenlove.com

And ....

All these corks....

Soooo....

I assembled my materials.

Corks, bamboo skewers and a permanent marker.

Easy Peasy ...

Insert skewer into cork.

I found it works best to insert the skewers in the hole made by the corkscrew.

Write the name of the plant on the cork with permanent marker.

Plant it in the garden .

Super Sweet 100 - grape tomato

Roma

These beautiful plants are courtesy of my brother-in-law Roger.

Aren't they fabulous ?

So there you go...

A garden/ wine cork / Pinterest post :)

If you would like to follow me on Pinterest , that would be lovely.

Believe it or not ,

I have a Wine board and a Garden board.

And many , many, many more ....

Linking to some or all of these fabulous parties :)

More the Merrier Monday@DIY Home Sweet Home http://diyhshp.blogspot.com/
So Very Creative Party Time @ So Creative http://soverycreative.blogspot.com/
Meet Me Monday @ You're Talking Too Much http://youaretalkingtoomuch.blogspot.com/
Amaze Me Monday @ DittleDattle http://dittledattle.blogspot.com/
What's in the GunnySack@The Gunny Sack http://www.thegunnysack.com/
Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/
Make the Scene Monday @ Alderberry Hill http://alderberryhill.blogspot.com/
Make it Yourself Monday @ An Original Belle http://anoriginalbelle.blogspot.com/
Show Me What You Got Linky Party @ Our Delightful Home http://www.ourdelightfulhome.blogspot.com/
Party Time Tuesday @ Northern Cottage http://www.northerncottage.net/
Trash to Treasure Tuesday @ Sassy Sites http://sassysites.blogspot .com/
Cowgirl Up Creative Linky Party @ The FarmhousPorch http://farmhouseporch.blogspot.com
Show Off Your Stuff @ Fireflies and Jellybeans http://firefliesandjellybeans.blogspot.com/
Primp Your Stuff Wednesday @ Primp http://micheleravendesigns.blogspot.com/
Your Whims Wednesday @ My Girlish Whims http://www.mygirlishwhims.blogspot.com/
Good Life Wednesday @ A Beach Cottage http://www.abeachcottage.com/
Rock & Share @ The Shady Porch(a pinterest party)http://theshadyporch.blogspot.com/
Tablescape Thrursday@ Beteen Naps on the Porch http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/
Thursdays are Your Days @ 52 Mantles http://www.52mantels.com/
Show and Tell Friday@ My Romantic Home http://romantichome.blogspot.com/
Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/
Inspiration Friday@ At the Picket Fence http://www.atthepicketfence.com/
Pinning and Singing on the Weekend@ 5 Minutes Just for Me http://5minutesjustforme.blogspot.com
Potpourri Friday @ 2805 http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/
Fabulous Friday @ Faith,Trust and Pixie Dust http://michellelunt.blogspot.com/
Weekend Bloggy Reading : Link Up @ Serenity Now http://www.serenitynowblog.com/
Fridays Unfolded @ Stuff and Nonsense http://www.stuff-and-nonsense.net/
Shine on Friday @ Happy-Go-Lucky http://happy-go-lucky-harvey.blogspot.com/
Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/
A Pinteresting Link Party @ Here's to Handy Andy http://herestohandyandy.blogspot.com/
Tutu's and Teaparties : A Pinteresting Party @ http://tutusandteaparties.blogspot.com/
Sunday Showcase Party @ Under the Table and Dreaming http://www.bystephanielynn.com/

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Welcome (to my ) Gnome

Are you sick of garden posts yet ?

I really hope not.

Cause it's that time of year .

There are few things that make me happier than playing in the dirt !

And ... with as crabby as I have been lately , I really need my " dirt therapy" !

Warning - if you have an aversion to Gnomes , STEP AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER now !

So , you know I have been really digging ( pun intended ) mini- gardens lately.

Here is my latest one .

This one has a variety of succulents in it.

They must be rather trendy right now , cause every garden center I go to ( and I go to a LOT ) has an awesome variety to pick from.

I added a little gnome and my thrift store mushrooms ( you may remember seeing those in my terrarium post )

I feel the one thing that separates a mini garden from a container garden are the ornaments.

It sits on my "chippy" chair by the door.

Across from my white table ( that table has too many posts about it to even link to).

The mini - gnome garden inspired my summer table display.

Warning - here they come again !

Gnomes EVERYWHERE !

Little ones...

Hanging ones....

( the big one looks kinda creepy in this picture , trust me , he is not )

Sleeping ones...

BIG ones...

( see not creepy at all )

Flowers are mostly impatiens ( one of my go-to flowers )

The plant on the chair is a dahlia .

I'm really loving the combination of mini hostas in the red pot.

Oh , and the white "fluffy" flower is called Diamond Frost .

LOVE it !

On a side note , that little sleeping gnome was made by my dad back in the 70's.

Ceramics were all the rage back then .

He must have made a dozen sets of these for people.

Not quite an antique but defiantly on the verge of vintage :)

So ...

what do you think of my Welcome Gnomes ?

Too much ?

Too kitchy ?

Wait...

is there such a thing as too kitchy ?

In the Trailerhood ... I think not :)

Linking to some or all of these great parties :)

Tablescape Thrursday@ Beteen Naps on the Porch http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/
Thursdays are Your Days @ 52 Mantles http://www.52mantels.com/
Show and Tell Friday@ My Romantic Home http://romantichome.blogspot.com/
Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/
Inspiration Friday@ At the Picket Fence http://www.atthepicketfence.com/
Pinning and Singing on the Weekend@ 5 Minutes Just for Me http://5minutesjustforme.blogspot.com
Potpourri Friday @ 2805 http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/
Fabulous Friday @ Faith,Trust and Pixie Dust http://michellelunt.blogspot.com/
Weekend Bloggy Reading : Link Up @ Serenity Now http://www.serenitynowblog.com/
Fridays Unfolded @ Stuff and Nonsense http://www.stuff-and-nonsense.net/
Shine on Friday @ Happy-Go-Lucky http://happy-go-lucky-harvey.blogspot.com/
Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/
A Pinteresting Link Party @ Here's to Handy Andy http://herestohandyandy.blogspot.com/
Tutu's and Teaparties : A Pinteresting Party @ http://tutusandteaparties.blogspot.com/
More the Merrier Monday@DIY Home Sweet Home http://diyhshp.blogspot.com/
So Very Creative Party Time @ So Creative http://soverycreative.blogspot.com/
Meet Me Monday @ You're Talking Too Much http://youaretalkingtoomuch.blogspot.com/
Amaze Me Monday @ DittleDattle http://dittledattle.blogspot.com/
What's in the GunnySack@The Gunny Sack http://www.thegunnysack.com/
Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/
Make the Scene Monday @ Alderberry Hill http://alderberryhill.blogspot.com/
Make it Yourself Monday @ An Original Belle http://anoriginalbelle.blogspot.com/
Show Me What You Got Linky Party @ Our Delightful Home http://www.ourdelightfulhome.blogspot.com/
Party Time Tuesday @ Northern Cottage http://www.northerncottage.net/
Trash to Treasure Tuesday @ Sassy Sites http://sassysites.blogspot .com/
Cowgirl Up Creative Linky Party @ The FarmhousPorch http://farmhouseporch.blogspot.com
Show Off Your Stuff @ Fireflies and Jellybeans http://firefliesandjellybeans.blogspot.com/
Primp Your Stuff Wednesday @ Primp http://micheleravendesigns.blogspot.com/
Your Whims Wednesday @ My Girlish Whims http://www.mygirlishwhims.blogspot.com/
Good Life Wednesday @ A Beach Cottage http://www.abeachcottage.com/
Rock & Share @ The Shady Porch(a pinterest party)http://theshadyporch.blogspot.com/

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Sping Fever

Like so many out there , I am ready for spring.

Not just ready ,

I *NEED*SPRING !

The seed catalogs have been arriving

and don't even get me started on Pinterest !

Oh my , the ideas I have.

You may recall from past posts, I am more of a flower gardener that a veggie gardener.

I am determined to do a better job with my veggies this year !

Please remind me of this in August when it's 90 degrees with 100% humidity , will ya ?

Anyhoo...

My first and most important project/goal is to build a raised bed.

Hubs is fighting me on this , so I may have to have Ryan build it as my carpentry skills are severely lacking.

I want a raised bed for many reasons.

#1 - I have a need for boundaries.

I am a border FREAK !

#2 - You have more control over soil quality.

Soil quality is so important.

You are starting with fresh soil and can emend it as you need too.

In my neck of the woods , the county has compost piles free for the taking, that's right FREE dirt !

#3 - Raised beds reduce weeds.

Since you are starting with fresh soil you don't have to deal with weed seeds already in the soil.

#4 - I just like the way they look.

You know I'm nuts about design.

I may be growing veggies , but it still needs to be attractive.

My raised bed will be in my back yard, next to my Moon garden and close to my "new" deck.

Here are some great raised beds I found via Pinterest.

google.com

I love everything about this pin.

The blue shed.

The design.

And don't you love how it looks like the beds are made of twigs ?

LOVE

http://www.bhg.com/

Love the obelisks !

I will still probably use tomato cages , but these are fab !

Cucumber trellis to shade the lettuce garden...

floridavegetablegarden.com

Or something like this.

Great idea .

Let the cucumbers grow up and shade the "cool" crops like lettuces.

Great space saving idea.

Here is the plan I found to use.

ana-white.com

The writer of this blog post made hers for under $10.

I don't know if that's possible as she found her boards on sale.

But the plans are easy to follow and I like the materials she used.

Last year I planted too many tomatoes.

I wasn't my fault .

REALLY!

I bought 3 Grape tomato plants - only 3.

Then Hubs bought another one.

Then his brother gave us 3 more.

We had grape tomatoes coming out our ears !

They really produce.

And they are the sweetest.

These are my favorite.

Yellow Pear Tomato

I am going try to keep it to 3 plants this year.

We'll see...

I always plant a few cucumber plant.

I love cucumbers.

I plant the "bush" variety because I don't have a lot of space.

I don't can or make pickles so there is no need to have lots of plants.

Two gives me enough with a little left over to share.

I also plant a few Eggplant.

Just a couple.

Hubs doesn't like them as well as I.

I plant a few peppers , this times for Hubs as they bother me:(

I'm going to plant some onions , some mini pumpkins and herbs.

I would like to plant some lettuce and spinach , we eat a lot of spinach, but I haven't had much experience with them.

Any suggestion would be appreciated.

I'm also going to plant some new varieties of flowers.

For sure these-

Queen Red Lime Zinnia

Yesterday I gave in to my need to dig in the dirt.

I planted some Datura seeds that had been given to me.

Datura is one of my favorite flowers .

But it's almost impossible to find them locally at any greenhouses.

They are also difficult to grow.

They will self seed if you let them , but they are very late to emerge.

So I wanted to give them a jump start ( really so I can enjoy them longer ) .

They are so beautiful and a MUST for the Moon Garden.

Have you started any seeds yet?

Got your garden all planned out ?

I would LOVE to hear about your garden!

Linking this post to :

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Monday, August 29, 2011

I am a lazy gardener. And no, this is NOT a picture of my garden. This beautiful garden photo is courtesy of BHG.
This photo is an example of a french potager style garden . I LOVE potager gardens and I'll tell you why. For those of you not familiar with potagers , a potager by definition is a garden that combines both edible and ornamental plants; a vegetable garden that is utilitarian in nature but designed with beauty in mind; much like an English kitchen garden, but often formal and symmetrically designed in the French fashion. That is why I LOVE potager style gardens. They include beauty and function.
Potagers are very similar in that respect to the English Cottage garden. They just tend to be a little more on the formal side.
Now don't get me wrong , I love having fresh vegetables right outside my door, but shouldn't"t it be an attractive vegetable garden?
My grandparents always planted a row of glads and zinnias in the front of their garden. Perfect for a vase on the kitchen table.
My mother-in-law always planted marigold to keep pests away. Function and beauty.
I had my own version of a potager garden one year at the dairy farm and I LOVED it ! Unfortunately, I was the only one.
I took 4 very large tractor tires and positioned them in a square, in the center of the square I placed a round decorative piece that was once part of a barn cupola , it was SO cool ! In each of them I planted vegetables surrounded by flowers. At the entrance I placed and arbor with two smaller tires on each side. In these I planted squash and gourds to climb the trellis. It didn't get weedy , I could mow the path in between the tires , it was BEAUTIFUL ! I would just sit in a chair and admire my handy work !
Alas , one of the afore mentioned moves ( to town ) and my wonderful son ( he really is , but he has never really appreciated my garden skills) insisted we remove it ! No large tractor tires for him to mow around ...
Fast forward to present day.

Again, I am a lazy gardener. I start out in the spring designing an attractive garden , with flowers intermingled with my veggies. But it's Iowa , and it gets HOT and HUMID and I get REALLY lazy and by August , this is what MY garden looks like.I'm not the best photographer in the world, my flowers don't show in this picture. I do have cleome and cosmos planted around my tomatoes, cucumbers , peppers and eggplant.
It may not be the beautiful potager that I envisioned this spring but we have plenty of tomatoes and peppers for our omelet each morning and enough share with our friends. In the end , I guess that's what matters most.
Till next time...