DIY: Canned

I took the top photo at Dirt, a charming and innovative florist on North Bishop Avenue in Dallas. The owner really didn't like me taking this picture, probably for fear that I would copy this cute idea. Her intuition was correct... Above is my interpretation of a tin can planter, which cost way less than $28 to make.

Succulent Books

DIY: Terrarium Tutorial

Succulent terrariums are so easy to maintain and just as easy to make. They hardly need any water or attention to thrive, just a sunny windowsill. Here's my simple how-to:

How to Make a Succulent Terrarium:

Before you begin, select your container. You can use something as simple as a mason jar or glass bowl, which you may already have laying around the house. For more traditional terrarium vessels, you can find them at floral shops or specialty stores. The one I'm using here is from Terrain, which offers an amazing selection.


Materials:

•  Glass container with wide opening
•  Selection of succulents
•  Gravel or Pebbles
•  Charcoal
•  Cactus Soil Mix
•  Spoon or Mini Shovel
•  Newspaper, for easy cleanup


1.  Choose your succulents. Select plants that vary in height, color and texture. I bought a couple extra so that I would have options once I started arranging.

2.  Place a layer of gravel or pebbles on the bottom of container; this provides drainage.

3.  Place a layer of charcoal over the pebbles; this helps control moisture.

4.  Place a layer of Cactus Soil Mix, a fast-draining soil that retains little moisture.
 
5.  Arrange Plants. Remove plants from pots, gently tap off extra soil and place roots in the new soil. Be careful not too over-handle. Succulents have very delicate leaves that fall off easily when touched.

6.  Admire your creation! Place your terrarium in direct sunlight every day for at least five or six hours. Water once every two weeks. The water should freely drain to the bottom. After watering, there should not be more than an inch of water visible in the gravel at the bottom.

* Optional: Place a layer of sand or pebbles on the top layer of soil for a finishing touch.

Field Trip: Terrain at Styer's

It's always a good feeling when you can finally put a face to a name. That's how it felt when I visited Terrain with my mom and Rachel for my birthday this past weekend. Because there's only one store (located in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania) I have only ever shopped with them online. I can say now that the experience is a whole lot better in person.

As soon as we pulled into the driveway we knew the two-hour drive (plus traffic) had been well worth the trip. Pumpkins, flowers, and a plethora of seasonal plants awaited us, and that was just the parking lot.

The shop itself consists of sprawling adjoined rooms, with each nook devoted to a different category: canning, terrarium, kitchen, bath, tabletop. The use of skylights and natural materials made it hard to tell where the outdoor ended and the indoor began. We looked at each other with wide eyes and broad smiles each feeling the same inspiration overload, which is never a bad thing if you have the time to enjoy it.

Room with a View

Our balcony garden is starting to fill in nicely. I chose a cooler palette for the window boxes this year: 'black heart' sweet potato vines, purple ageratum, miniature yellow petunias and and the one boxwood shrub that survived my winter garden experiment.

I added a few more edibles too: kale, red mustard, frisé, strawberries, 'white currant' cherry tomatoes and cucumber. The cucumber is by far the most entertaining to watch. It's taking over the balcony railing and is already bearing dozens of small prickly cucumber buds.

Making a Mark

Popsicle sticks have always reminded me of arts & crafts and glue-covered fingers. But now I look at them and think "plant markers."  To make these I bought a bag of wooden sticks (the tongue-depressor size), carefully cut the bottoms into points and painted them with chalkboard paint. Done!  Or so I thought... I took it one step further and used rubber stamps & a white ink pad to label the plants I'm growing this season.

**Bundled up, the leftover markers make a great little gift for my fellow city gardeners.

Greenprints

It's finally time to start plotting a garden for this upcoming season. The bleak balcony over the winter months has left me eager to plant even more this year, with a focus on easy-to-grow edibles.

Forcing Spring

At this point in February it seems like Spring can't come soon enough. Dreary skies, slushy sidewalks and yet more snow in the forecast. On the upside, without the balcony to tend to my houseplants are getting a little more love and attention from me. They remind me that spring is really just around the corner... and I'm encouraging the optimistic sentiment by forcing paperwhite bulbs indoors. The bright green shoots make me so happy that I'm willing to overlook their pungent scent.

Winter Garden

This is the first year I committed to planting a winter garden. It took some effort at first to get excited about evergreens, but when I came across the charming miniature varieties I got a boost to follow through with my plan. It's still somewhat bare compared to our garden this past summer and could use something draping down, like ivy... but once the harsh days of February arrive I know we'll be thankful to see these little tufts of greenery against the snowcapped rooftops.

Extra-Terrarium

The last terrarium I made was enclosed and didn't hold up very well, most likely because I hadn't given my mom the proper instructions to maintain it (sorry, Mom!). This time I created a desert terrarium for my good friend Jess, a lover of succulents and a native Arizonian. I imagine it will thrive well considering it requires very little attention, just full sun and a little water from time to time.

I've had this terrarium sitting on my kitchen table for a few days and have become really attached to it. Luckily it was fairly easy to make and I have enough leftover supplies to make another.

Note: Petco wound up being a great place to find gravel and sand (used for small pet cages & aquariums). After experimenting though I decided to use sheet moss as the ground cover instead.

Still Growing Strong

Between packing, painting, moving and unpacking, I haven't had much spare time to work on my creative projects. I hope to have more down time soon, which will most likely coincide with the onset of cooler weather.

In the meantime, I've really been enjoying how much the garden on our balcony has grown since I planted it back in May. The sweet potato vines are reaching down towards the ground, and to my surprise we even have sweet potatoes peeking through the soil. They've gotten so big that the geraniums have backed down in submission.

The nasturtium didn't survive the heat wave in July and the lavender drowned due to lack of drainage, both of which I promptly replaced with low-maintenance succulents. On the other hand, the tomato plant is actively producing a bounty of sweet cherry tomatoes, excellent for pairing with bocconcini. :) For a little while the morning glories looked like they might not make it but have showed a lot of resilience and are coming back strong-- and finally bearing flowers!

With the gardening season so short-lived, it has me thinking that I need to get more creative in the Fall and Winter so we can still see green when we look outside our window.