Posts tagged ‘garden’
Let there be life
- Tulips! (And dandelions, but we can ignore those)
- Green onions sprouting in pots
Homes that are truly for the birds: how to
So the daily blogging thing comes and goes on here, as you may have noticed. Work has been crazy, life has been crazy, the house is a mess, the computer was under repair …. and to be honest, what I really needed for awhile was to disconnect from the world a bit. I love being connected. I love people. But sometimes, between Facebook, Twitter, blogs, LinkedIn, news feeds, Google Reader, work emails … the amount of information is overwhelming. Sometimes, I just need to disconnect for a bit and recharge.
What better timing and chance than this beautiful Easter weekend? Two full days of sun, warm temperatures, warm soil and a relatively free schedule. I buried myself in the garden, and enjoyed alfresco lunch with my long lost husband who has been overwhelmed with work and grad school. Weeding, pruning, planting herb seeds (slow bolt cilantro, three kinds of basil, dill, tarragon, thyme, rosemary, oregano, lavander), green onion bulbs and wildflowers. Building a partial fence around our back garden so the dogs can’t destroy it now that our backyard is fenced in. Where they previously ran rampant and destroyed, is now a beautiful black iron fence and even better, green things are returning to the garden! (Still much work is needed, so please only look at the fence :))
One dog was particularly glad to accompany me with so much time spent outside:
Back to the main theme, though: birdhouses. I was inspired when reading the April 2010 edition of Country Living and looking at the stunning gardens that were featured. One included four birdhouses, of different shapes, painted the same color and installed on stilts amidst the garden. It was beautiful. I decided I had to have birdhouses, and then about fell over when I saw the price (especially as I was wanting 5 of them).
So, I was determined to semi-make my own. Sure, you could make your own entirely from scratch, but this is much easier.
What you will need:
4 unfinished wooden birdhouses, similar sizes, with different shapes. I found mine at Michaels, where there were about 8 designs to choose from, and all sold for $4.99 regular price. (Though they were on sale for $3.99 when we bought them)
1 can Rustoleum (or similar brand) primer
1 can Rustoleum paint (I used 2 cans because I wanted 2 different colors)
1 can Rustoleum clear gloss sealer paint
1 tube water resistant epoxy glue
2 packages 72-120 inch adjustable closet rods (we found some at Home Depot. For $13, you get 2 6-foot-long poles that can be easily driven into the ground. This was much cheaper than the $15 birdhouse poles we found at WalMart, and saved us about $19 per birdhouse)
Large black trashbags
Layout large black trash bags, forming a safe place to spray paint. Put birdhouses on top of trashbag. Spray first with 1-2 coats of primer paint, thoroughly covering bare wood. Let dry for 45 minutes. Then, spray 2 coats of desired paint color, with 2 minutes of drying time between coats. Then, let houses dry an additional 30 minutes, and spray 2 coats of clear coat, with 2 minutes in between each coat. Let dry for an additional 1-2 hours.
Position poles where you would like your birdhouses to be, with the open end driven into the ground, and the plastic-capped top facing the sky. Your soil and location will depend on how far you want to push down your poles. Mine are implanted 1 foot into the ground, leaving 5 feet of pole out of the ground. With bird houses, the structures measure about 5-feet 8-inches.
After you have your poles positioned where you want them, mix water-resistant epoxy and apply to the plastic capped end of the closet rod, and to the underneath of your birdhouse where it will be attached to the pole. Attach to the pole. It can take up to 5 minutes to set, so stay near the pole for 5 minutes to make sure the house affixes. Repeat with all houses, and voila! You are finished!
(Pardon the terrible lighting in these photos)
Breaking ground, clearing the weeds, refreshing and recharging
The weather finally warmed up here in Northern Missouri, and I’m proud to report my daffodils are in bloom!
Although later than I was hoping for, the weather was finally dry enough to begin work on the garden. And oh, there is so much work to do. Clearing out dead branches and dead plants from the previous year (left through winter to provide cover for bugs, bees, spiders …), pruning, weeding, watering, planting, mulching, moving, dividing ….
Oh. My. At some point in life, I need to live somewhere that has a climate conducive to gardening year round. There is nothing, nothing more stress reducing than getting your hands dirty, getting a great workout and standing back to admire the fruits of your labor. One blog I was reading recently referred to always finding a plant growing from seed to be a little miracle, and I agree. The thrill of running to the garden every day to see what new miracles have transpired is absolutely priceless.
At work, we are going through a reorganization of sorts. Leadership has changed, and we are evolving and redefining our mission, purpose and job descriptions. It’s been a time of uncertainty, growth and opportunity. And not unlike the first few days in the garden in the spring. As we clear old branches and spent flowers that no longer support the main plant or future growth, so we must continue to do in organizations. As we experiment with new gardening tips and plant species, so we experiment with new things in the work place, encouraging those with promising results to thrive and ridding ourselves of ones who just don’t fit in the garden. Eliminating old growth to encourage new. Clearing out the clutter to see the original plant – the greater picture.
It’s been refreshing, intimidating and challenging (in good and bad ways) to go through these changes at work, dredging up the same feelings I have at the beginning of each spring. I stand back, look at my garden, and think, oh there is so much to do. So much to clear. So many things to sort out. What was I thinking taking on this big of a project? Where do I start?
But then, you do. You take a step forward. You carefully prune away a branch you know won’t be missed. You rid yourselves of the obvious weeds. You monitor and nurture new growth. Before you know it, you’re hooked. Things start making sense. Plants are thriving, healthy, working together to create a beautiful landscape.
OK, so this is hokey and a bit cliched. But, you get my point. I’ve been overwhelmed and invigorated by life’s tasks recently, from the office to the garden. Little by little, though, it’s starting to make sense. I’m starting to see the flowers through the weeds.
Welcome, spring.
The Jewel Box
My previously mentioned step-brother’s wedding was so much fun, and the wedding location was a gardener’s/photographer’s dream. Set in The Jewel Box, an art deco green house in the middle of the beautiful Forest Park in St. Louis, you couldn’t ask for a much more picturesque location.
"To Cultivate a Garden is to Walk with God"
This trip, coupled with this beautiful weather, is inspiring me to get out in my garden and finally chop down some of the old growth, lay some new mulch, plant seeds … if only the ground would dry out before the rain starts again!
Bugs and gardens and glass, oh my!
While in St. Louis for my step-brother’s wedding, we had some downtime between the ceremony and the reception. We stopped by one of my favorite stores – The Bug Store Homestore, a mix of pots, garden implements, iron work, art, blown glass … fun, beautiful and inspirational.
The window display. We picked out one of these to bring to my mom.
I really wanted this for our garden, but Matt (AKA the practical one) didn't think this was a wise take home for a road trip in a small car.
And a little somethin’ somethin’ for my walls:
If you live in St. Louis or happen to be near by, it’s definitely worth the stop!
Seeds for spring
Snow is predicted for here tonight through tomorrow – a total accumulation of 3-5 inches. We’ve had about 2 times more snow than normal and ridiculously cold weather. I’m home sick today – for the second time in two months. I needed a pick me up.
So, it was time to order seeds for the spring’s garden. Just the pick me up I needed. I can’t wait to get my hands back in the dirt, to have small bouquets of brightly colored flowers, and to make delicious food with fresh herbs and veggies from the garden.
I ordered everything from rareseeds.com, and can’t wait for it to get here! The company is based in Missouri, so the seeds are semi local (regional anyway), non genetically modified, and will enable us to eat local food grown from our garden. Happy.
Here’s the stash that’s on it’s way to our house in the next few days:
Yellow prairie coneflower
Blue flax
Siam Queen Thai Basil
Genovese basil
Slow bolt cilantro
Dill bouquet
Purple coneflower
Feverfew
Oregano
Tarragon
Thai sweet basil
Yarrow
Contender Buff Valentine Bush Bean
Royalty Purple Bush Bean
Amarillo yellow carrots
Cosmic purple carrots
Snow white carrots
The only things remaining to purchase are 6 tomato plants (variety of roma and heirloom), and a bag or two of onion sets for growing green onions.
By the way, seed gardening is such a bargain. I will be getting between 150-300 seeds of all of the above and the total cost was only $35. Woohoo!
Garden plans
As I stare out our French doors to see a sea of white coming down – another 4 inches, bringing us to a grand total of more than 30 so far this winter – I find solace in looking at seed company Web sites and making plans for this spring’s garden.
We have twoish gardens at our house, depending on how you count it. The largest one runs across part of the front of our house, around the corner and all up one side. It’s about 10X4 feet in front, and 45X4 feet across the side. It’s made up mostly of perennial flowers, with a few strawberry plants as well. Last year, I threw in some chives, green onions, burgundy beans, several types of herbs, egg plant, squash plants, peppers and a couple of tomato plants on the side, too.
Here’s a few pictures.
Ignore the dead planters under the window - I was in the process of replanting when this photo was taken.
Closeup of one part of garden - hostas and native plants
Air conditioner? What air conditioner?
One last look
One of my first gardening goals, when the ground warms up, is to expand the side garden to run all the way alongside our fence. This should add another 20 X 4 foot strip of garden. Things I learned I do not want to plant next year: Peppers (our unseasonably cool summer meant a pitifully small harvest), egg plant (didn’t produce as much as I was hoping for) and squash (took up too much space). Things I definitely want to plant even more of this year: roma tomatoes, green onions, herbs of all kinds but especially cilantro and basil, burgundy beans and green beans, carrots, native perennial wildflowers. I am also aiming to plant less cherry tomatoes, more roma tomatoes. I love cherry tomatoes but they aren’t as versatile – not good for sandwiches or cooking sauces. Bring on the romas!
I love native plants and perennials because they are beautiful, environmentally friendly and require less upkeep. They have survived the crazy swings of temperature and conditions that can be found in Missouri, are reasonably naturally pest-resistant, and are beneficial to the dwindling bee population. They are beautiful in your garden and good for your concious, too. To read more about why you should go native, click here.
For a list of native options, click here.
The other garden we have is in our backyard, and is about 8 X 12 feet. Last year, I had it have more herbs and vegetables, but it also has a few perennials in it. The perennials I feature in the backyard, and to some extent the vegetable and herb plants, are all very tall. This is so I can have a beautiful view from my kitchen window.
This year, we have a newly added fence which means our dogs can technically get into this garden. I need to figure out a way to protect it before spring gets here. Because of the nearness of dogs, I am going to move away from vegetable planting this spring in this garden, and move toward things that won’t be as enticing for them to eat. I’m thinking about sticking with some herbs, but laying down more wildflower seeds.
Does anyone have any wildflower-type plants they would recommend? What are your plans for spring?
Lovely view
View part 2
Modern mind, vintage heart 