Showing posts with label Gardening. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gardening. Show all posts

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Garden Metamorphosis

What do you get when you combine hard work, plants, water, and lots of sunshine?  A garden that would make Michelle Obama proud!





The Foss Farm/Garden metamorphosis has been an ongoing project, but really ramped up Memorial weekend, when we transformed a spa deck into raised bed planters.  We couldn't be more thrilled with our decision.  The spa had been well-used, but we really wanted raised bed planters, so our son offered to take the spa off our hands so we were off!





Break up the hard dirt

 Recycled the deck wood to make three planters
 Lined with plastic, filled with magical planting mix (recipe below)

Added drip system, then plants







Add water, sunshine, weeding as needed



Blueberry picking in the rose garden



I'm linking up with these wonderful parties
Serenity Saturday
Metamorphosis Monday
Seasonal Sundays



Please leave me a comment.  I love to hear from you, and read about what you are up to as well.

Happy Summer!
~CJ

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Rancher's Table

Here is my table dedicated to our Bard Rocks & Americana Chickens- Beyonce, Natasha, and Pearl.

So, we (and I mean my City-Rancher husband) have 3 chickens that delight us (me included) by frolicking in our garden, and laying 3 eggs a day, two green and one brown.  When I saw these Bordallo Pinheiro Hen & Rooster salad plates at Ross, $3.99 each, I had to buy them. I know nothing about them except that they are adorable, and look like they had a majolica finish that I've always admired. Later, I find 6 salad plates on eBay for $60.  Score.

I found the rattan chargers at a thrift shop in Santa Barbara, never imagining that I would use them so often.  I love the rustic foundation for the Portuguese pottery.


The yellow flowers are from Trader Joes ($3.99), and clippings from the garden, held in jelly size mason jars, nesting in a vintage beverage caddy that I've had for years.  Last week, Susan at Between Naps on the Porch, inspired me to not only purchase the mason jar caddy she used for her centerpiece, but to remember this wonderful piece that I haven't used in a while.


Basket of leftover eggs nesting in leftover centerpiece leaves.  The little egg cups are tiny flower pots set to grow herbs on the window ledge.  

 The brown plate framing the showcase salad plate is from the .99 Store, simple and durable.










Love the stalks of corn around the edge.  Next time I use them, I'll dig into my Thanksgiving decorations for some Indian corm, or serve fresh summer corn.
The large green goblet made of recycled glass, and found on Goodwill.com, sits next to a new water glass picked up as a set of 8 from Ross, $6.99.  I love the dots, sort of vintage and whimsical.

 








By the way, meet Beyonce, Natasha, and Pearl, pecking under the Lemon Tree, making a delightful mess.
 And in the rose garden

Here's to another beautiful Spring Day, celebrating being In and Out My Nest.  Thanks for stopping by.

Join me at 

Tabletop Tuesday.







Sunday, January 1, 2012

Wild Living in 2012

Thanks for sharing your New Year's R & R Weekend!  Love the Southern traditions, recipes, great pictures of projects and babies!  Cindy's pictures of New Year's Eve dropping the Walleye Fish in the streets of Ohio had me laughing all morning.  That's a town that knows how to throw a WILD party!

I'm leaving you with a photo taken in the small town of Port Clinton on the shores of Lake Erie (near where I live.) Known as the "walleye capital of the world," the citizens of Port Clinton know how to party on New Year's Eve. Times Square has their ball drop at midnight...well, the people of Port Clinton drop a giant fiberglass walleye fish from the sky!

Photo Courtesy: Bill Gordon, Cleveland.com

Speaking of WILD, yesterday afternoon, my husband came into the house to get the camera, saying "Did you notice that the birds are silent?"  He raises finches and love birds in 6 big aviaries in the back yard, so to have them silent is a sure sign that a hawk is in the yard.
Sure enough, a little hawk was perched above one of the cages.  He took pictures of a hawk v.s. squirrel throwdown that definitely had me rooting for the hawk (squirrels eat from our fruit trees, and garden to the point that we have almost given up.)



Then again this morning, the little hawk was hiding in the trees above the cages.  Patient as a.....hawk.

 Hummingbird flies by above the top wire. What is she thinking?!
Another little bird perches way too close by.  What is she thinking?! Beautiful morning though!
A few years back we had our backyard certified as a National Wildlife Habitat, and now proudly feature the sign amid flowers and critters.It used to be a difficult process, but they have it online now so it really is a snap.  What a great excuse reason for your yard to look a little wild at times, plus it reminds you to watch out and protect the simple wildlife that needs to survive in our otherwise "city" yards.
It is gratifying to see the butterflies, birds, squirrels (not really....we do not appreciate these rats with tails that hijack our vegetables and fruits, but I digress) and seasonal flowers and fauna.


A Certified Wildlife Habitat is a place that welcomes birds, butterflies and other local wildlife. All you need to do is provide the four elements animals need most: food, water, shelter and places to raise young.

From my wild life to yours!

The Praying Mantis by Ogden Nash
From whence arrived the praying mantis?
From outer space, or lost Atlantis?
glimpse the grin, green metal mug
at masks the pseudo-saintly bug,
Orthopterous, also carnivorous,
And faintly whisper, Lord deliver us.





  






Our latest aquisition: 2 Amercaunas and 2 Plymouth Rock Chickens.
Please consider joining the National Wildlife Federation, for a New Year's Resolution that is easy to keep!

Happy 2012, and may your life and yard be ever wild!

~CJ

Friday, May 20, 2011

Ode to Marvel's Garden

When my mother retired from a lifetime of teaching, she became the librarian of the Newport Harbor Orchid Society, a long way from the one room schoolhouse she attended in remote Dead Man's Gulch, Montana.
Mom next to the Schoolhouse picture in the National Park Museum

Ohhhh, the beauty of her garden and orchids, nurtured and tended by a real farmer's daughter, Marvel Hoagland Carlson Ferrin, my mom.

Enjoy!