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. It was fun, cheap, and easy, and while we were creating them I realized how awesome they would be as centerpieces at a wedding. They are totally unique, creative, and beautiful. We each made four of them, which just goes to show they are not even that labor intensive. 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). - Paula Hayes - Eco Sphere
5 Easy to Grow Mosquito-Repelling Plants As the outdoor season approaches, many homeowners and outdoor enthusiasts look for ways to control mosquitoes. With all the publicity about the West Nile virus, mosquito repelling products are gaining in popularity. But many commercial insect repellents contain from 5% to 25% DEET. There are concerns about the potential toxic effects of DEET, especially when used by children. There are new DEET-free mosquito repellents on the market today which offer some relief to those venturing outdoors in mosquito season. Here are five of the most effective mosquito repelling plants which are easy to grow in most regions of the US: 1. Citronella is the most common natural ingredient used in formulating mosquito repellents. Citronella is a perennial ‘clumping’ grass which grows to a height of 5 – 6 feet. Gardening centers usually sell citronella as small plants in pots, ready to transplant to a larger pot or into raised garden beds on the ground. 2. 3. 4. 5. Catnip is a natural mosquito repellent.
rolled paper flowers {tutorial Welcome to flower week – five days of simple and delightful flower projects. I could probably do three weeks of flowers because there are so many different ways to create them, but I’ve limited it to five of my current favorites. Before we get started, let me make a few disclaimers: 1. I find inspiration for projects all over the place {online, in shops, in magazines}, then figure out how to re-create them on my own. Each of these projects are my adaptation of something I’ve seen elsewhere. 2. 3. Okay, so let’s begin. Here’s what you’ll need: :: paper {either cover or text weight} :: florist wire :: scissors, pencil, glue gun STEP ONE: cut irregular circle This circle is approximately 8 inches, but you can do any size you wish. STEP TWO: cut spiral Start at the outside edge and cut in a spiral fashion to the center. I like a sort of bumpy shape so that the petals end up a bit irregular If you aren’t so sure about your cutting skills, feel free to draw your spiral before cutting.
How to Turn a Pallet into a Garden Good news and bad news. I had planned to film a short video showing you how to make a pallet garden, but the weather didn’t cooperate. I was stapling the landscape fabric onto the pallet when it started drizzling and got really windy. That’s the bad news. So keep reading my pallet loving friends, instructions on how to make your own pallet garden are just a few lines away… Find a Pallet The first thing you need to do is–obviously–find a pallet. Don’t just take the first pallet you find. Collect Your Supplies For this project, you’ll need the pallet you found, 2 large bags of potting soil, 16 six packs of annual flowers (one six pack per opening on the face of the pallet, and two six packs per opening on the top of the completed pallet garden), a small roll of landscape fabric, a staple gun, staples, and sand paper. Get Your Pallet into Shape Once you’ve dragged your pallet home, give it a once over. Let the Stapling Begin! Lay the pallet face down. Now for the sides. Caring For your Pallet
Plant companions How To Make Newspaper Seed Pots Okay, this is my new favorite project. I’m so excited to share it with you! It’s easy, it’s practical, and it’s just so very Earth-friendly. Fellow farmers, this is hands-down the best way to start your spring seeds indoors. Spread out a full sheet of newspaper and then carefully split it in half, along the crease. Take one of the halves and carefully split it in half again, along the other crease. Orient your sheet so that it is taller than it is wide, and then fold the bottom edge up to the top. Your sheet has now been folded in half to make a rectangle. Along the bottom of the rectangle, fold the creased edge over about an inch to make a small flap. Turn the paper so that it is now facing you lengthwise. Lay your can on the newspaper so that it hangs over the edge of the folded side (over the flap). Keeping your fingers on the seam to prevent it unwrapping, turn the can on it’s end. Continuing to hold the seam with one hand, begin folding down the excess newspaper to create a bottom.
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.
Windowsill Sprouting my way through the Winter. My orchids are dark speckled and bruised from the cold. The flowery Lantana shrubs are like coarse twine unraveled in a pile on the ground. The tall ornamental grasses, which I love for their swaying grace, stand in stiff bunches like little scarecrows scattered across the lawn. My herbs…oh, let’s not even go there (I think thyme and cilantro are barely holding on). Then there’s the pile of dead and crispy Christmas trees strewn around the fire pit. My windowsill, on the other hand, is more alive than ever- with lentil sprouts galore! Tricking yourself into thinking its springtime is one way of looking at it, but sprouting lentils is also a great way to add a super fresh, nutrient packed component to a meal or salad. Lentils help cleanse and stimulate the kidneys and adrenal system, strengthen the heart and circulation and increase energy and vitality. You can choose any variety of lentils you want – brown, green or red – but just make sure they are whole, not split or in “dahl” form.
Gardening Take Two We’re approaching our last frost date here in south eastern Idaho, and that means we can finally start thinking about our vegetable garden. Who remembers when I wrote about our gardening plans last year? I told y’all about how my parents kept an incredible garden using the Jacob Mittleider method. In short, the Mittleider method combines the best features of soil-based gardening and hydroponic gardening, but without hydroponic expense! The method is based on maximum utilization of space, time, and resources. I’ve received a lot of questions during the past year on how Square Foot Gardening compares and I really couldn’t say. Here are the garden plans I drew up last year. Last year we built 14 grow boxes; 8 inches deep, 4 feet wide, and 8 feet long. Dr. 50% blowsand 50% peat moss75% fine saw dust 25% fine sand50% perlite 50% peat moss or saw dust50% fine saw dust 50% styrofoam pellets After some shopping around, my husband came home with a good rear tine tiller, but no front tine tiller.
Choose the Best Spot for Your Garden Curbly-Original When I was a kid my grandpa was the gardener, and I would toddle around with him looking at the plants, smelling the plants, and picking the plants...even when I wasn't supposed to. I never knew how much he taught me until I started my own garden. For a garden, the two most important elements are soil and location. First - Sun exposure. the best sun is morning sun, it's that perfect cool morning light that wakes the plants up and gets them growing everyday. The best way to deal with sun exposure is a nice easterly facing garden plot, with a good shade element on the west side. Second - Space. Third - Drainage. Finally, if you've got these three major points covered, then stay tuned for our "good soil vs bad soil" post coming up tomorrow and you'll have all the tools for a healthy and rewarding garden. From the Farm, Tagged : design, garden, Green Couch Design, How-To, lawn, Curbly-Original Techniques : gardening Room : outdoor Decor Element : Plants & Garden
Potatoes What are we doing in the garden right now? A whole lot of stuff, but let's consider the humble potato. We only grow fingerling types for Manresa. They are tastier and more useful for the chef. We can start harvesting them earlier than standard-type potatoes as well. I buy my seed potatoes from Ronniger's in Colorado. When the potatoes arrive, I cut up the larger ones (I know they tell you not to, but hear me out here). All the tubers get put in a single layer in seedling trays (open at the bottom for air flow). I like to grow potatoes in 15 gallon pots. First, we disinfect our stash of used pots with a mixture of one part bleach to 10 parts water. We then place only 4 inches of potting soil into the bottom of each pot. Once the soil is in the pots, we simply push five tubers into each one, about two inches under. The pots are then placed in our large unheated hoophouse and watered well. These gorgeous Purple Peruvians were photographed freshly pulled last spring here at the farm.
Mother’s Day Terrarium by Nicole Balch of Making It Lovely by Guest A terrarium that you’ve assembled would make a great Mother’s Day gift, but if the lucky recipient enjoys gardening or crafting, you could also consider giving her all of the components to make her own. I’ll show you how I put mine together below. I have two young kids, so I wanted to add some color and sparkle to my terrarium. The billy buttons are one of my favorite elements too, because I think they look a little like Seuss trees in a landscape. Materials The project can be completed from start to finish (including clean up) in less than an hour. • Glass Terrarium • rocks and stones as filler • rocks and stones as decoration • activated charcoal • potting soil • plants (ferns and mosses) • preserved moss • billy buttons (Craspedia) How to Make a Terrarium Start with a clean and dry glass vessel. Next add a thin layer of charcoal to keep your terrarium’s environment healthy and mold-free. Add a little more dirt around the plants to create an even, level surface. Tips - Nicole