What is your favorite part of Spring? For me it's planning what will grow in the containers on my porches, and searching out new ideas for making my outdoor space beautiful. Being a long time apartment dweller, my growing space is limited. I have learned over the years to make the most of my small spaces and limited sunlight. It almost always turns out beautifully. Last year I took a break as it wasn't a very good growing year. I bought my produce from the local Farmer's Market and called it good. I didn't have much luck with growing anything, not even flowers. I was so disappointed that I questioned even this year's container garden plans, but then as I was scrolling facebook I found a few fun ideas for making my little outside spaces look really nice, and on a trip to the Home Depot I found cool self-watering containers called "City Pickers" that pretty much sealed the garden in place.
These containers are the coolest thing. They come with everything except the plants and the dirt, and the best part is they are on wheels! No more lugging heavy containers from place to place on the porch! Yahoo! This coming weekend I will be visiting my favorite garden center to gather the needed dirt fertilizer, and cages for the tomatoes. I have my plants started, but they are still babies. The herbs on the other hand, well, they are ready for the great outdoors. If they spend much longer on my kitchen windowsill they might decide to take over! My spaghetti squash and pumpkins will be ready for the new containers though. They are just about on to their second leaves and have begun to vine. These containers, as I said are self watering, you fill them up every couple of days and they plants are able to drink as needed. For me that is huge. There are many nights in the summer where I am busy, busy being active and standing around watering is the last thing on my mind. So this is a wonderful option.
My other beautiful thing has been my flower baskets. I got this idea from facebook. I have a friend who is an avid gardner and Goodwill shopper. Where she finds the time I'll never know because she is BUSY. Anyhow, she posted some pictures of her beautiful flower baskets. She found the baskets at goodwill and planted flowers in them and they are beautiful!! So of course I tried it and it was so easy. I lined my baskets with a plastic grocery bag that I snipped drainage holes in and filled them with dirt and flowers - right now I have primroses and pansies in one and fuschias in the other out front. I gave one as a birthday gift which was a big hit and I'm planning on a couple more for mother's day gifts for my mom friends and my nail gal wants one for her salon! I've also found a copper tea kettle that I planted baby pansies in and an old speckle-ware coffee pot that I planted oregano in. It all looks awesome and my outside spaces will be that much more beautiful.
As far as ornamentation goes I'm in the process of building my second garden totem. The first one I made is a mother's day present for my mom. Shhh don't tell her! The second one is for one of my neighbors and Kaysie and I are going to build ours together. It's just a matter of finding some glassware that will sparkle in the sun and building it using a product called Gorilla Glue - that stuff is strong! A rebar from Home Depot or Lowes and there you go, instant beauty sparkling in the sunshine!
Those are my grand ideas that were borrowed from my facebook friends for making your outside spaces beautiful! My porches will be places of peace to curl up with a tall cool iced tea and a good book or a little knitting. I can't wait for that!
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