Gardening
When we first saw the Tomato Tower we instantly thought of the urban and small space applications. Gardening is a growing trend and eating organically is a priority for many people. You can't get more organic than eating fruits and vegetables that are grown from your own garden.
The issue many times is space. Apartment dwellers are lucky to get a deck and if they do there is really no space for planting vegetables. Herbs are typically the only choice.
The Tomato Tower creates a very small footprint and allows you to grow flowers or herbs from the top while tomato vines grow out of the bottom. You're getting two planters in one.
I took a recent trip over to the L.A. Times home blog where Emily Green, author of The Dry Garden column, takes on a nasty topic: weeds. The topic of weeds reminds me of summer vacations and getting "punished" for who-knows-what. I can never remember why I'd get in trouble but the punishment was always the same - helping my Mother weed the garden.
I dreaded sticking my knees in the dirt, swatting at pesky insects and sweating in the sun as my Mother would shout at me to "pull by the roots!" For those of you that consider this task just as tedious as I, read on for some clever tips by Emily Green.
Though Green's tips are for those of you in the SoCal area of the country, a lot of what she says can be applied elsewhere.
A perfect project for spring, building a planter box for your patio is simple and easy. Customize it to the shape and size you need and compliment your backyard landscape.
Wooden Planter Boxes
For a rustic or sleek look, use wood to build a planter. It's possible to make almost any shape, but boxes in a square or rectangle are the easiest.
Work with deck boards or 2x6 lumber - the entire box shape including base and side can be assembled with these dimensions. A rim or lip can be built with planed 2x6 or you can switch up to 2x4 or 1x6.
Once you've built the box shape, remember to account for drainage and also soil retention. Line the box with heavy duty plastic or landscape fabric stapled into the inside. Poke or punch holes through the liner.
The Poinsettia is synonymous with Christmas and will remain beautiful and healthy for at least two months after the holidays have passed if you follow these easy steps.
1. Keep them in a sunlit room but not in direct sunlight
2. Ideal temperature is 65-70 degrees. Poinsettia will freeze if left in the cold.
3. Keep away from heaters and drafts
4. Water thoroughly then let soil dry to the touch before watering again
5. If you live in a warmer climate you can plant your Poinsettia outside once the weather warms up.
photo: codyr
Thursday, Oct 1st we'll be checking out the grand re-opening of Revival Home & Garden in Seattle as they've settled into a new shop at 1517 12th Avenue in Capitol Hill.
Their vintage selections are well edited and we're trying to find a reason to bring the Shipwood Table home with us.
See you there!
We love the smell of fresh cut grass like the next person and taking pride in a well manicured lawn is an accomplishment, but in the current age of water conservation there are alternatives to natural lawns that outweigh the real stuff in every aspect (except being alive).
Recently we spoke with Duane Ruth of SYNlawn which is one of the leading installers of high-quality synthetic grass. They've been in the business much longer than their competitors and have the jobs and reputation to back it up. They recently installed a commercial stretch of SYNlawn in Santa Monica which is notorious for having perfectly kept public landscapes that are always natural and thus take a lot of water. For all installations including commercial and residential they recommend a professional installation even for small jobs.
Chris from Apartment Therapy turned us onto a great new blog Our Brooklyn Roof Garden. The images found here make us long for New York again but we are still enjoying our outdoor space much more here in LA.
Our downstairs neighbors kept a nice courtyard full of fresh flowers and across the street the Jennifer Bartlett residence had a garden that any New Yorker would covet.
Our planter box (above) didn't come out quite as nice as we had hoped but next time we'll be sure to follow these great instructions from Danny Lipford for building a patio planter.
He recommends pressure treated pine and if you've got the right tools you could finish this project in an afternoon.
These paper stand planters are one to make use of objects that are considered a blight in many urban areas. Street corners in the west village are littered with abandoned paper stands, some of which have content that's questionable in a neighborhood with small children running around.
Many times these planers have been neglected for years and just sit empty, but this blogger has decided to beautify these paper stands and adding flowers to anything will accomplish that.
[via Mediabistro]
