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.
17 Apart: Growing Celery Indoors: Never Buy Celery Again Remember when we tested and shared how to grow onions indefinitely last week? Well, at the same time, we've been testing out another little indoor gardening project first gleaned from Pinterest that we're excited to share the successes of today — regrowing celery from it's base. We've figured out how to literally re-grow organic celery from the base of the bunch we bought from the store a couple weeks ago. I swear, we must have been living under a rock all these years or just not be that resourceful when it comes to food, but we're having more fun learning all these new little tips and tricks as we dive deeper into trying to grow more of our own food. This project is almost as simple as the onion growing project — simply chop the celery stalks from the base of the celery you bought from the store and use as you normally would. We let our celery base hang out in the saucer of water for right around one week, give or take. Update 2: Here's how we are looking at almost 3-4 weeks of growth:
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.
How to Grow Green Onions Indefinitely I'm officially dubbing this the week of Scallions and Pinterest. Mary and I separately came across 2 trending ideas for using and growing green onions on the highly addictive bookmarking site, Pinterest, last week — we couldn't wait to try them. When I came home over the weekend with a bunch of scallions, Mary exclaimed, "did you see this scallion/ginger sauce I pinned — you should totally make that!" I had been planning to make this ginger scallion sauce from Lottie + Doof since I first set eyes on it. It's a great little accompaniment that could be used in so many ways. So, back to scallions and Pinterest. All I can say is... it works! This is it guys — place a bunch of scallions with their roots in a glass full of water, then place in a sunny window. Here's a shot of some of the green onions with 2 that I chopped down to the roots. This is what they looked like not even 2 days (left) and 4 days (right) later as they literally regrew themselves: P.S. Discover More:
Garden as Sacred Space | Nature - Beauty - Sanctuary RECIPES 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.
Chicken Enchiladas aka the best enchiladas ever! Thank you so much to Laura, at Tide and Thyme, for introducing me to this recipe. Seriously - they were so so good I can't even tell you. So good in fact, that the leftovers are really calling my name, and I'm trying so hard to resist.... OK so on to the recipe. Seriously, make these ASAP! Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauceadapted from Tide and Thyme, orginally from America's Test Kitchen 1 medium onion, chopped fine2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped fine1 teaspoon canola oil3 medim cloves garlic, minced3 Tablespoons chili powder2 teaspoons ground cumin3 teaspoons sugar1 15-oz can tomato sauce1 cup water1 large beefsteak tomato, seeded and chopped1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 large breasts)1 cup extra sharp white cheddar, shredded1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillascooking spraysalt and ground black pepperPreheat oven to 425. Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Reduce heat to 400.
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.