Garden Grunt

If only I had a yard big enough that this chicken wouldn’t look obscenely odd in.

It’ll have to wait…..

Happy Planting…and incorporating garden art that makes me jealous.

kk

Garden art can add just that lil extra touch to your outdoor living space….like a colorful container…

Or create a massive focal point…

But is there a point when you can have too much garden art?  Or when it’s not “art” anymore?

We’ll be discussing this and more tonight on Worldwide Amplified at 6pm CST.  I would love to know your take on “Garden Art”.  Join me!

kk

I’ve been featured on Living Walls and Vertical Gardening!! Such an honor!  You NEED to check out their website…so many other cool gardens there!

Happy Planting….and maybe vertically!

kk

I found this antique chicken feeder in Winterset…it was so cheap I HAD to have it.

And STUFF it full of flower power.  How’s that for re-purposed!

Happy Planting!

kk

I FREAKING LOVE THIS FERN!  Whatever it is.  I had to have it. Found it at Harvey’s Greenhouse in Adel.

Gotta tell ya though…mine ain’t looking too well.

It’ll come around.  It has to.  It must.  I will have a great garden this year.

Convinced? Yeah…me neither.

Anyone know what this guy is called?  Completely escaping me!

Happy Planting

kk

I love the color green.  Almost all shades of green.  Jay and I finally found the time to paint our Adirondack chairs that we’d had for almost a year, and this is how they came out.  I’m just not so sure I like it yet.

The chairs don’t really POP like I’d like them to.  They seem to just blend in with the background.  Jay’s suggestion is to plant purple fountain grass in the galvanized buckets.  That may help.  But I’m thinking I’ll still need a little something more.

Any suggestions?  Please don’t tell me I’ve gotta paint those chairs again!  Talk about tedious!

Happy Planting…you know I’ll be shoving some grasses in some buckets…

kk

I can’t even remember how I stumbled across this…but I’m tickled to death that I did.

Let me introduce you to the Woolly Pocket:

There different applications…different upgrades…and different colors.  But I HAD to have one.  And it arrived last week.

I purchase the lined, brown, wool Wally as I really wanted to hang  it inside my house. (EEKK!)  It’s really woolly.  Reminds me of Woolrich.

Here’s a snapshot of the guts:

And the info card accompanying:

THIS is how I stuffed it:

Just so you know…it’s kinda slim pickings in these parts to find decent houseplants.  (a note if you happened to see the ruffled leaves, by now I’m sure you have) I hope that my lack of “indoor” green thumb does not make them worse.

I wanted to zoom in so you could see this middle beauty.  I’m kicking myself for apparently throwing it’s tag away, but it smells wonderful!  And was told it will repel bugs (should have gotten 20 of them!).  Eventually its fuzzy foliage will rise a little and droop some.  I’m anxious to see this fill in, I would have preferred to have packed the pocket full, but someone (Jay) advised otherwise.

I’d love to hear your Woolly Pocket adventures…and to know what goodies you’ve stuck in em!  Please share!

Happy Planting!

kk

I love magazines! So if you’re a gardener and want to get my attention, get yourself in a magazine! I’m like a magazine hoarder, got archives from 2005 of Garden Design. Here a 3 of my favorites so far this spring:

1. Urban Farm~Sustainable City Living

This magazine is great for throwing overwhelming amounts of information at you in regards to urban gardening and “doing it yourself.”  They also have 2 other publications along the same mentality.  Here’s a sample of what they offer…and there’s so much more:

Urban Farm

Meet the Chicken Keeper~article

Permission to play in the DIRT~article

Mission: Eat Local~article

2.  Grow Veggies~special issue by Birds & Blooms

I like “special issues” because most often the content is more specific and saturated with goodies.  Birds & Blooms seems to put out 2-3 special editions that are thick, and I mean thick. Chalk full of awesome, relevant information.

Grow Veggies~Birds & Blooms

Homegrown on your own~article

10 Seed Starting Veggies~article

Avoid these 5 Common Mistakes~article

3.  Garden Ideas & Outdoor Living~special issue by Better Homes & Gardens

And for the cottage gardener in you, Better Homes & Gardens’ special interest publications are always keepers.  Usually highlighting on gardening trends, you’re bound to find helpful tidbits within.

Garden Ideas & Outdoor Living

Grow Apple Trees in Pots! article

Stuff we like

30 Money Saving Secrets~article

Happy Planting!

Katie

Just so happened to have my camera with me on a recent stroll through Target and managed to snap off a few pictures.  Target’s grooving this spring with some of their new garden trinkets.  Take a gander!

Color Packed Watering Cans $20

Matching Flower Pots and Bags that Collapse

Smith & Hawken Gardening Gloves

Now…I didn’t try these on…but had to take a picture.  I’m wondering what your hands will look like after a few mid summer wears.  I know how~complete with a circular suntanned spot~right on your hands.

And onto my ultimate favorite! This piglet watering can was awesome!  Gotta have it!  Asked for it for an early birthday present (December 4th).   Her tail wags!

Miss Piggy's Side Profile

Miss Piggy's Snout

And in case you’re curious..I’m not going to use it…I’m going to display it.  Love it!  You better hurry up and hit Target, these garden goodies won’t last long.  Maybe the gloves…you’ve probably got time on that.

Happy Planting!

Katie

I’m not sure how you garden, but I grunt a lot.  Not because the load is heavy, or I’m having a hard time getting down in the dirt (although that sometimes is the case), my grunts generally come subconsciously while I’m contemplating my next garden move.

Sometimes I’ve gotta get down and dirty to figure it out…sometimes I just have to sit back and ponder, visualize.  But whatever the task…whatever the garden…I’m happy to be doing the grunt work to make it pop.

Through this grunting, I hope to enlighten you with tidbits of garden inspiration, what NOT to do based on my struggles and possibility some general, useless information~

• Garden Trinkets bringing a little extra character to your space.
• Getting to the roots of garden matters
• sometimes It ain’t Garden Science
• No, YOU do it yourself
• and Spring is my favorite season but sometimes we gotta discuss the other three.

Thank you for the read and may your gardening journeys be filled with plenty of gruntin!

Happy Planting

Katie