{soon-to-be} vertical garden :: diy

i have been wanting to try a vertical garden for over a year now. last week, i finally found myself with the right supplies to give it a try. something to note is that the first picture above is NOT mine. i found it online, so that you can get an idea of where i'm going with this...

here's what i've done so far:

1. i filled a shallow wood box with spanish moss. this box was actually an unfinished tray in the wood section at the hobby store
2. i then layered soil on top of the moss and smashed down
3. using a painted wood frame, with the same "free space" as my tray, i flipped it over and stapled chicken wire along the back. what i mean by "free space" is if you have a 12x12 frame, you will need a 12x12 box.
4. then i used wood glue to adhere the two together
5. finally, it was time to plant my succulents!
6. lastly, i layered moss around the plants to keep the dirt from falling out once the planter is vertical
7. now, i wait. i think for a couple weeks, hopefully no longer. i have to wait for the roots to establish a grip so that when i hang my planters on the wall the succulents don't fall out.

what do you think? have you tried vertical gardens yet? i've seen them done in pallets, but i can't even imagine how heavy that would be. i'm not sure i have a wall that could hold one. 

i have a few other ideas for some, so we'll see where that takes me. xo

mossy school desk :: garden inspiration

since opening the shop, kind and generous souls offer to me the rich history tucked away in their attics.  some items are in beautiful condition and others... well, not so much.  but, because i have hope and optimism, i usually take anything they offer with thankfulness and decide i may use it for something someday.

my dentist gave me this desk.  it had been sitting outside, in his garden, for years and was falling to pieces.  the wood was rotting and he thought maybe i could use the iron legs for a project.  after staring at the desk for a couple months, i decided to leave it as is, but cover with moss.  what do you think?!

i imagine this under a big willow tree in a vine-covered yard, next to an old stone fountain.  it's magical and dreamy...  like a secret garden.  or the garden in 'great expectations'.  it belongs somewhere incredible.

if you are in town, you should stop by urban sassafras to check it out!  you will love it, i promise.

paint your pots gold :: diy

i love liquid leaf.  did you know it comes in silver too?  and copper?  and probably more colors than those.

anyway, today, i want to share with you a little project that adds rustic glam to your garden...

supplies:

• terra cotta pots
• liquid leaf
• paint brush
• strong tape (i used packaging tape)

the steps:

1. paint on the liquid leaf in any sort of fashion you desire
2. it dries quickly, so i found if i covered the pot with tape as soon as i finished painting, it peeled off best
3. after a couple minutes, peel off tape for a 'chippy' look
4. plant your favorite little greenery

paint your plants :: diy :: gardening

have you ever thought to take that bottle of spray paint, which makes you feel so powerful, and point it at your garden?  i tried this last weekend and i've been admiring my new red succulents ever since.  i was thinking that this could be the solution for all those brides that love a particular flower bloom but also want the flowers to be a very specific color.

i just love the unexpected...  and this will surprise anyone who peaks at your garden.

shade garden

look what "psuedo hubby" and i did this past weekend.  not only did we beautify an ugly spot in the yard, i have to admit, i felt pretty good about my 8-month-pregnant-self as i was planting & mulching!

before:

after:

may day

may is a special month...  lots of family birthdays, dinners on the patio, wildflower walks, mother's day, and of course lots of gardening.  to celebrate the first day of this great month, my son and i choose a few family members or close friends and deliver "may day" baskets.  this usually leads to a lazy day of visiting and drinking lots of ice tea - milk & cookies for "the monster"... we love it.

my enjoyment of this day started when i was a little girl and tradition was to leave flowers on the doorstep of a friend.  i would walk thru the woods behind my house and pick flowers (probably weeds), create my arrangement, then ring the bell and run off.  it was always thrilling to run fast so that i could hide before someone opened the door and found my gift.  when "the monster" gets a little older and fast enough, i plan on bringing back this tradition!

this year's baskets included:

• 3 different types of annuals to plant
• homemade pinwheels
• bug spray
• gardening gloves
• a brush to wash dirt out from under nails
• hand lotion