Terrarium Centerpieces
The other week, my good friend Stephanie and I planned out a craft weekend. Our mission: Terrariums. Not the kind you keep lizards in, but the kind you can seal up and watch the moss grow. Terrariums are meant to be long lasting, so you can even make some months before the wedding and still have them thriving in time for the big day. So lets get down to the nitty-gritty of how you can actually make them: Step 1: Materials • Glass containers in whatever size you heart most. • Good dirt and rocks. • Figurines or decorative rocks to place inside. • Horticultural Charcoal. • Moss (another one of those things you can find outside, but can also order if you don’t live somewhere it doesn’t grow naturally). • Spray bottle (for misting after wards). Step 2: Wash out your containers and rocks (you never know what animal has probably peed on them outside). Step 3: Then start your layering your base. Step 4: Add your moss, and give it a couple shot glasses (depending on the container size) of water.
DIY Succulent Pallet Table | Far Out Flora
Max with the new Succulent Table. Can you believe that our latest DIY project was once just a couple of junky pallets and some scrappy table legs? Crazy…if I didn’t have photos, I wouldn’t believe it myself. Not too long ago, we whipped out a coffee table sized succulent table out of an old shipping crate. Now we scaled it up. The pallets. First bit of advice, deconstructing pallets are a big pain unless you have the right tools…and our hammer and wall scrapper wasn’t quite doing the trick. Couple good planks. Love the scares of time left on these chunks of pallet wood. Attaching the legs. After pulling apart two pallets, we used the 2 x 4 sized boards to make a rectangular frame to attached the appropriated table legs. Dry run for fittings. Like TV magic (and 2 days later), the table was more or less put together. Megan with some semps. After a weekend of slivers and sweat, we finally got to plant this baby. Getting messy. Packing them in. Yeah, we didn’t hold back on jamming them.
PlantSF
The Lazy Lady’s Guide to DIY: Hanging Herb Garden
At some point near the middle of March, I always decide that I’m “done” with winter. The sweaters and jackets get pushed to the back of the closet, the flip flops come out, and I inevitably freeze my butt off for several weeks until the weather catches up with my warm-weather state of mind. Likewise, my cravings for fresh herbs and veggies are always a little ahead of the season. Growing your own herbs is a great way to save money and avoid buying too much at a time and letting most of it go to waste. What you’ll need: Tin containers with snap-on plastic lids (tea, cocoa, and coffee cans are a good bet), coat hangers, pliers, scissors, herbs (I bought basil, rosemary, dill, and cilantro for about $2.50 each), masking tape, coffee filters, a nail, a hammer, X-acto knife, scrap fabric or paper, and glue or spray adhesive. After you’ve emptied and cleaned your cans, remove the bottom of the can with a can opener. Slide the bottom inside the can, holding it up from inside. Happy growing!
Creative Organic Gardening - Permaculture gardens
(permanent culture) is an approach to everyday life that integrates plants, animals, landscape, structures; people who purposely design all the facets of their lives to enhance environmental sustainability within a permanent, sustainable agricultural and cultural system - a diverse, complex eco-system, where the all of the elements interact in mutually beneficial ways to produce a whole which is greater than the sum of its parts. The art of designing garden areas that are modeled on the relationships found in natural ecologies. Permanent is from the Latin "permanens" - to remain to the end, to persist throughout. Culture is from the Latin "cultura" - meaning the cultivation of land, or the intellect. Permaculture is sustainable land use design. Elements in a system are viewed in relationship to other elements, where the outputs of one element become the inputs of another. Planting a Permaculture Garden The use of patterns found in nature are key to permaculture design. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
My Tiny Plot
Garden as Sacred Space | Nature - Beauty - Sanctuary
Growing a Vegetable Garden at Epicurious
Read the seed packet Most people don't read the instructions and then wonder why the plants don't thrive. You'll get tips on planting, nurturing, and harvesting your vegetables on better labels. These recommendations come from seed experts who have run trials to determine the best growing conditions for each variety of plant. Try this compost mix to improve your soil Alys Fowler, author of Garden Anywhere (Chronicle Books, May 2009), shares this compost mix for vegetables: 4 parts multipurpose potting soil, 1 part vermiculite, 2 parts composted fine bark, and 1 handful per pot of slow-release organic fertilizer, such as bat guano, sea kelp, or fish manure. Plant root vegetables with plenty of space The larger the space between them, the bigger the vegetables grow. Grow flowers to attract "good" insects Nasturtiums, California poppies, and marigolds all invite helpful pest-eating insects such as ladybugs, hoverflies, lacewings, and ground and soldier beetles to your garden. Recycle Containers
Why I Use Epsom Salt in the Garden
*Why I Use Epsom Salt in the Garden*By: LL4e14 June 2004 I wanted to show everyone what a difference it makes with and without with only water being added all of these plants was planted on the same day and time. I am showing you ones I am growing with the sq. ft. method. All of these photo's were just taken today. I do have several baby tomatoes now. However now the non Epsom salt plants will be fed it also this was only to show those what a difference it makes. In the Garden House Plants Mix one teaspoon per gallon of water and feed to the plants every two to four weeks. Garden startup Sprinkle approximately one cup per 100 square feet. (10’x10’) and mix into soil before planting. Tomatoes Apply one tablespoon per foot of height for each plant every two weeks. Roses Apply one teaspoon per foot of height for each plant every two weeks. Evergreens, Azaleas, Rhododendrons Apply one tablespoon per nine square feet (3’x3’) over the root zone every two to four weeks.
Create your own Vertical Garden - Living walls and Vertical Gardens
Vertical gardening is a fun, creative way to grow plants in urban spaces! Below is just a sample of what you can create with ready-to-go planters and kits. The first few images are of GroVert Vertical Gardening Systems by Bright Green. There are two different sized panels (10 and 45), and each are planted, then hung on the wall using their included mounting bracket. The last images are of living walls made from felt pockets. If you’re looking to build one yourself, you can visit Urban Zeal Planters (uzplanters.com) to see all your options.
Indoor Water Gardens - Martha Stewart Home & Garden
As anyone who has snorkeled can attest, the cool aquamarine light underwater casts an enchanted glow on everything in its domain. Perhaps this explains the allure of water gardens. Small freshwater gardens are fun to create and simple to care for. And all you need are a few floating or submerged greens in a vintage aquarium, an apothecary jar, or a sleek glass cylinder. You'll find appropriate containers at antiques shops, garden centers, or in your own cupboards. Aquarium suppliers and specialty nurseries sell a variety of suitable plants. Those that can remain entirely submerged in water, such as anubias and parrot's feather (Myriophyllum), are known as true aquatics. When choosing plants, keep in mind that some will need twelve hours or more of bright light daily. Rinse gravel thoroughly to remove dust, which can cloud the water, and salt, which can damage roots and leaves. After a few weeks, begin fertilizing the plants with tablets made specifically for water gardens.
