creative little daisy

On spring and other things

I've been spending lots of time here, on the back porch and it's pretty darn wonderful. I wish it could be spring for 8 months of the year. Not 12, just 8. Yes in my ideal weather world, we would have mostly spring. I also love fall so I'd like about 3 months of fall. And just so things don't get too boring I'd take half a month of summer and half winter.

I know with the winter much of the country has endured, I have absolutely no right to complain about anything weather related, so I'll stop.

The first stretch of warm days sends me straight to the garden center, usually just like a kid in a candy store. It's taken me a long time, but I think I've finally accepted that I'm lazy when it comes to caring for flowers. This year I practiced great restraint and only bought a few blooms, opting instead for super easy, super hardy asparagus fern and sweet potato vine. No matter how hot it gets and how much I ignore them, these two plants never let me down.

I also wanted to do some sort of container herb garden. Home Depot had herbs and vegetable plants on sale, 5 pots (3"?) for $10. I came home with rosemary, parsley, cilantro, and a basil variety and got busy searching pinterest for herb garden ideas.

(The Vintage Wren)

Man, I love pinterest!  And galvanized pails. 

I gathered up several that I had around the house and in the shed.

I drilled holes in the bottoms, and along the bottom of the sides of all my pots.

I took these photos with my phone and they look like they have a soft filter applied. Nope, it's just pollen on the lens. Nothing is safe. Achoo!

An upside down flower pot placed in the large tub helps to elevate the second pail and also to save on the amount of potting soil needed. 

Then I just added potting soil and placed my herbs with plenty of space left for growth. I also scattered some seeds in the open spaces, to extend the life of my little herb garden. Along with the herbs, I used a couple of the sweet potato vines for some trailing interest.

I think I'll search pinterest one more time for some cute plant marker ideas to replace those not so cute plastic guys.

I can't wait to start snipping my herbs for all the gourmet meals I cook. (Wink)

As long as we're in the backyard, let me show you one more thing.

My last post, I mentioned Lola, the chihuahua mix I rescued from beside the road. I'm pretty sure someone had abandoned her, but not before abusing her. She's very skiddish around most men, especially Mitch. She's terrified of him and since he's never given her reason to fear him, I think he must remind her of someone who did.

Anyway, Lola took about one day to make herself right at home. She loves it here, but she's also a bit of a roamer. Our backyard is fenced in, but the slats are spaced so that she could walk right through. She could and she did every chance she got, running like the wind through the hood. We tried lining the inside of the fence with some plastic chicken wire type material. She would root underneath or just push it down and go over the top, so I could only let her out on a leash.

Then I happened upon this picture on pinterest.

Wha...? Kind of crazy huh? No, I didn't get this for her, but I did search for similar, less dangerous looking options and came across the Puppy Bumper.

Genius I tell ya'!

Lola and I are in love with her Puppy Bumper.

In love! She can roam freely around inside the fence and I don't have to be right there with her every minute.  She tested it out pretty vigorously to begin with.

She gave it her all, trying to get through, over under.... no luck. She wasn't going anywhere. Ha! Now that she's used to it, she will poke her head out to look around, but doesn't really try to squeeze through anymore. She goes nuts when she sees it and knows it means she gets to go out. It doesn't seem in the least bothersome to her and she hasn't tried to bite or scratch it off.  It was 25 bucks and worth every dollar!

I have in no way been compensated to say that. The Puppy Bumper folks have no idea I exist, but Lola and I are so glad I found them!

 

Dang it's hot and other ramblings...

Is it as hot where you are as it is here in the stinkin', sweaty, humid beautiful southern US? If you walk outside after around 10am it feels like sticking your head in an oven. Seriously. I prefer warm weather to cold, but a nice comfortable spring would have been nice.

Since I last visited this spot, there have been changes. Large and small. I've done some sewing, mostly skirts for Bayleigh. Talk about your instant gratification. I made three in one day. In a matter of a couple of hours. No pictures, sorry. I had some computer issues, as in both my laptop and desktop decided to die within days of each other. Nice.

I do have pictures of our little garden. We did two beds this year instead of one.

 We should be able to have a 'mater sandwich in a few days. Yum!

 Bayleigh and I love to go out every day and see what's growing.

She got a trampoline for her birthday. It's right beside the garden and at least once a day she jumps and I pull weeds.

We've been blowing bubbles again this year. I don't know who loves it more, me or her. Or is it she or I?

Bayleigh got a tattoo. Yea we went to Myrtle Beach for bike week and she got her first tat.

I kid! We didn't really go to bike week and she didn't get a tattoo. Not a real one anyway. But she has temporary ink all over. On her arm, on her leg, on her side. It isn't pretty at church I tell ya, but she loves them. She wants to be like her mommy. That's so funny to me. Growing up, that's not something I ever heard a kid say. I want a tattoo, like my mommy. Times they are a changin'. Alyssa only has one, by the way. I think that may have sounded like Bayleigh wanted to be covered in tattoos, like her mommy. Not covered, just one.

I've seen some really interesting ones on pinterest and have even given thought to getting one. I think I'm too old for that though. Too old and not nearly cool enough. I'd want something small but meaningful. Alyssa wants us to go together and get one. We'll see. What are your thoughts on tattooed grannies?

Speaking of pinterest, are you pinning? I'm so addicted. That's probably part of the reason I've not posted in a while. Most of my computer time is spent on Pinterest. I think I should be sufficiently inspired enough to keep me busy for the next six years. If only I could stop pinning and start doing.

On the topic of doing... don't you love how I flow from topic to topic? Mitch, Alyssa and I have a big project ahead of us.

 

Alyssa and Bayleigh will be moving back home. We are going to convert our unfinished bonus room above the garage into an attic apartment. It will be almost entirely DIY. We will probably have to get some professional help with a few things like electrical and maybe building the stairs. Right now we just have fold down attic stairs.

We are thinking of starting a separate blog with updates about the progress of our tiny budget reno. Are you interested in following along? We'd love to hear suggestions about making the most of a small space. It's 11' x 22'. We aren't sure yet if everything will be upstairs or if we will close off part of the garage as well. If you've done anything like this and have words of wisdom, we'd love your input.

 

Worms Not Welcome Here!

I guess I neglected to make myself clear when I planted my little garden and as a result, some big fat green ugly guys have set up camp and taken to munchin' on my maters.

See him there? He's the fat green guy. You can't miss him. He's about 2 inches long and as big as my thumb.

No? Look closely. He's there.

See him?

Come a little closer.

 

He and a few of his buddies have crashed my garden, 

nibbling on green tomatoes

 

and pooping on the leaves. Yes, I said pooping on the leaves.

 

How in the world do you handle such blatant disrespect?

You get a really long stick and pry them off. Yes pry, they hold on for dear life. And they should.

Cause once they are peeled off and flung to the ground.

I step on them. 

 

Ewwwww.... he has  florescent green guts!

But he won't be eating any more of my tomatoes!