Frugal Friday

OK, let's be honest here.  How many times have you gone out and turned your hose on to water something in the garden, only to get involved in another project and forget all about the hose that is running?  I know I have done it. I just did it the other day and I was outside the whole time and still I forgot it was on.   I just got involved it another task and the running hose slipped my mind.  It is easy to do, especially if you are trying to multi task and get other chores done while the hose is running.  I have been trying to think of a way to solve this problem.  Since I just did this a couple days ago, it is fresh in my mind, but other than putting sticky notes all over the place, including on myself, I didn't really come up with a good solution. 

So imagine my surprise when  I came in this morning, logged onto the blog, and saw the answer right there in front of me.  On the left side of the blog is a daily water saving tip widget. Most of the tips I have already seen and I know about them.  However,  today's tip was one I hadn't seen before.    It said to set a kitchen timer when watering with a hose so you don't forget about it.   How simple, easy and cheap is that?  And it is such a simple thing that I am sitting here scratching my head and wondering why the heck didn't I think of that?

 Most everyone has a kitchen timer and if you don't, they are easily obtainable at a hardware store, kitchen store, grocery store or discount store and are very inexpensive. You can take it outside with you and put it in your pocket if you are working in the yard.  If you are working inside, just take it with you and put it in what ever room you are working in.  When it goes off, you will be reminded to go turn off your hose. If you are like me and wear an old apron when working in the yard, just stick it in your apron pocket and you are good to go.    Which brings us back to the whole point of Frugal Friday anyway.  By watering our gardens in the most efficient way possible, we will not only save water, which is good for our water table,  but it will keep our water bills down as well, thereby saving us money.  And who doesn't want to save money as well as the environment?

So there you have it.  If you are like me and tend to forget the hose is running, invest in a kitchen timer and get in the habit of setting it each and every time you turn the hose on and soon forgotten hoses will be a thing of the past.

Frugal Friday!

It's time for Frugal Friday again folks.  I wanted to share a little story with everyone today.  I admit, I am a lazy composter.  I read and read and read about it, I know it is good to do and I know how to do it.  However, I find at my home it is easier to just pile it up and let nature take it's course regardless of how long it takes.  So my pile has been sitting there for a couple of years now.  I just keep piling stuff in on top and it seemed to be just sitting there doing nothing. 

So last week my daughter decided she wanted to add some new soil to her pot of chives.  Well, I didn't have any bags of top soil around, so she went out to the compost pile, dug around and low and behold, what did she find?  Black Gold!  That's right, the whole bottom half of my compost pile has now turned to black gold, or compost.  She was so excited as she was in the same camp as my husband as far as my so called compost pile, aka, garbage pile goes.  I kept telling them it would turn to compost, but I think they were skeptical as nothing much seemed to be happening.

So this weekend I will be removing all the compost from my pile and turning what is left and adding more to it!  It is so exciting to have free compost to use.  The best thing about making your own compost is that it comes from stuff you were going to throw out anyway.  So why not put it to good use?

Speaking of composting, I have mentioned this before, but I think it bears repeating.  If you aren't into having a compost pile and don't want to buy a composter, you can use what is called the trench method.  Simply go out into your yard or garden, dig a hole or a trench, what ever you have room for, and bury your kitchen scraps in the dirt.  Just be sure to dig down deep enough that it isn't easily dug up by the critters.  Your done.  It will decompose and turn to compost and enrich the soil right where you buried it.  You don't have to do anything.  This is an excellent way to provide extra nutrients to your existing plants and trees. 

I would like to encourage everyone to try composting.  It doesn't matter if you do it actively or passively, just do it!  It keeps a lot of waste out of the landfills and is good the the soil and the vegetation growing there.  Plus, soil that is amended with compost retains moisture much better than uncomposted soil.  So there is no down side to being a composter.  Stop by our booth at the Earth Fair on May 21st to find out more about composting.

More Frugal Friday

Here is a Frugal Friday gardening tip for all the gardeners and cooks out there.  Grow your own herbs!  I have been doing this for years so I was not up on the prices of buying them in the little jars in the grocery stores.  Once I had a look, I was shocked!  Wow,  if you figured out the cost per pound, it would be astronomical!

Luckily, I have been growing my own herbs for several years now.  The good news is that they are fairly easy to grow and just about anyone can grow some herbs.  You can grow them in your garden, in containers or even on your window sill.  What I do is grow them over the summer out in the garden, then harvest them, dry them and then use them throughout the winter.  However, I didn't realize how much money I was saving. Even though some of my herbs I buy as potted plants, such as basil, it is still worth it to grow your own.  Several can be easily grown from seed as well and some, such as rosemary, mint and  chives, come back year after year.  So this works out really well for me.

Another benefit is that the fresh, home grown herbs taste incredible and smell fabulous out in the garden. I love being able to go out my back door into the garden and gather a sprig of rosemary for my chicken, some basil leaves for my spaghetti sauce and a leaf of mint for my iced tea.  And in the dead of winter, I love being able to cook with herbs that I grew over the summer and dried.  It brings memories of those summer afternoons in the garden during the cold winter days.

Frugal Friday!

Here we are at the end of the week already. It is amazing how fast the time seems to fly. I was reading the Winterizing Guide put out by the Town Crier and I noticed there was an article on getting your trees ready for winter. It said a layer of mulch 2 to 3 inches thick is helpful. Well luckily, we still have FREE MULCH! That's right. It is free to anyone here on the hill. Many people have already taken advantage of this, but we would like to see even more people jump on the mulching bandwagon.

Now that we have the first snow under out belt, and it is melting, this is a good time to talk about doing some composting. The ground is a little moist and that makes it perfect to start adding some compost to your trees or garden. I have a very simple method.

You will need a container for your kitchen counter. You can buy a fancy, schmacy one, but I use an old stainless steel mixing bowl and an extra pot lid. As I cook through out the week, everything for the compost goes into the bowl. Onion peels, egg shells, coffee grounds, tea bags, banana peels and so on. You know the drill. You can even put a little card board in there like the rolls from your toilet tissue.

Once your container is full, go out to your yard and dig a hole large enough to hold the contents of your bowl. Be sure it is deep enough that nothing can come along and dig it up easily. I usually try to go down about a foot or so. Dump the contents of your container into the hole. I then chop it up with the shovel a little bit and then cover with dirt. That's it, you are done. The contents will slowly decompose and provide nutriets for the plants and you can wash out your container and start all over again.

This is a simple, easy, cheap and quick, way to provide wonderful compost for your trees and garden without the hassel of keeping a large compost pile somewhere in your yard.

So there are two things you can start doing right away to help your garden and they will cost you nothing but a little time.

It's Frugal Friday!

Ok, here we are in the middle of October and the weather has been beautiful so far. This is wonderful news for gardeners and their gardens. Working in this beautiful weather makes even garden chores seem pleasant. This is also a great time to plant trees, bare root roses or shrubs and bulbs. Fall planting gives plants a chance to establish roots and eliminates the need to water during the winter months. Come spring, your plants have had a head start and reward you by springing to life.

Since we are trying to be frugal while gardening, now is the time to clean, oil, sharpen and put away those garden tools. By taking care of them, they will last much longer than if you don't. Who wants to keep spending money on the same things over and over again just because you let them sit outside all winter long?

If you do have some tools that have seen their better days, why not recycle them into the garden? Even household items that have outlived their usefulness indoors, can find their way into the garden to continue being useful. Old tool handles can become stakes for vines. Metal headboards can also be used as supports for climbing plants. Clam shell contains, like the kind muffins come in, can be re-purposed into mini greenhouses for winter seed sowing.

Old pantyhose and T-shirts can be used to tie up plants and old shower curtains can find a new use as tarps out in the yard. They are great to lay out on the ground when you are raking leaves and need to move them to the compost pile. Simply pile them up on top of the shower curtain and then pull it over to the compost pile. If you use your imagination, I am sure you can come up with lots of uses.

Now is also a perfect time to add a layer of mulch to your garden if you haven't already done so. And guess what? We are giving it away, free of charge! What could be more frugal than getting something great for your garden for free? Adding mulch to your garden will help it retain moisture over the winter months as well as protect plant roots from harsh winds and freeze and thaw cycles. The mulch will also slowly decompose over time, enriching your soil with wonderful compost. Compost rich soil retains water better as well, thereby reducing your need to water as often come summer.

So get out there and enjoy this beautiful weather and get some autumn gardening done before it is too late!

Garden Companions

When gardening, it is always important to remember that just as in real life who gets along with who. Just like in a real neighborhood, certain plants in a garden get along better than others. When planning a garden, try to keep this in mind to increase your chances of success. According to homeandgardensite.com, here are some suggestions for what to plant with what and what to keep seperate from each other.

Companion Planting:

To become a successful organic gardener you need to promote vigorous health in your gardens using various methods; companion planting, composting, mulching, proper watering and using only organic substances; to name a few.

This page will introduce you to companion planting using herbs, vegetables, flowers and even a tree; the willow.

You can help your plants by putting them with neighbors they grow well with. There are also plants that don’t do well together. These pages will help you to grow stronger healthier plants. Strong healthy plants also repel harmful conditions because disease and insects are often drawn to weak plants.

Some plants have substances in their leaves, flowers and roots that attract or repel insects. When you are determined to grow organic it is very important to attract beneficial insects to your garden. For instance, Tachinid flies can destroy squash bug larva. To attract the flies you could plant dill, parsley, fennel or buckwheat, sweet clover, goldenrod, wild carrot or amaranth. Other times repelling a certain insect will be the chosen means of attack. Tansy (fever few), nasturtiums or borage will repel squash bugs.

The following is a guide to help you experiment with what companion plants will work for your area and garden. Also, organic means of control aren’t always 100% effective. The results you are striving for will be a bountiful but healthy harvest, not complete eradication of certain pest.



Alyssum, Sweet - Attracts hover flies which eat aphids.

Anise – Attracts predatory wasps, which prey on aphids and it is also said to repel aphids. Improves growth of any plants growing near it.

Bachelor's Buttons - This plant has a nectar high in sugar content so it is very attractive to hover flies, ladybug, lacewings, and beneficial wasps.

Basil - A good companion with tomatoes; basil improves their flavor and growth and also repels flies and mosquitoes. Keep basil away from Rue.

Bay Leaf - Put a fresh bay leaf in your storage container of beans and grain it will repel weevils and moths. A good mixture to add in your garden would be bay leaves, cayenne pepper, tansy and peppermint for a insecticidal effect.

Beans – Beans will enrich the soil by ‘fixing nitrogen.’ Legumes (beans and peas included) add nitrogen to the soil. Goes well with corn and squash.

Bee Balm - Plant with tomatoes to improve their growth and flavor.

Beets - Beets add minerals to the soil. Good companions would be lettuce, onions and brassicas.

Borage - Plant with tomatoes, squash and strawberries; repels tomato hornworm. Great for attracting bees and more than 100 beneficial insects. Borage may benefit plants growing with it by increasing resistance to pests and disease. Borage will self-seed.

Brassicas – Brassicas are good neighbors to chamomile, peppermint, dill, sage, and rosemary. Some brassicas are broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale and Brussels sprouts.

Buckwheat – Referred to once as, “organic Round Up,” because of it’s quick growth it smothers weeds, even thistle and burdock. Buckwheat accumulates calcium, and attracts bees and hoverflies.

Caraway - if you have hard, compacted soil plant caraway to help loosen it up. Also attracts beneficial insects.

Catnip - Repels flea beetle, aphids, Japanese beetles, squash bugs, ants and weevils. Even mice don’t like to be around it. Mints are invasive, be careful.

Chamomile - Improves the flavor of cabbage and onions. Attracts hoverflies and wasps.

Chervil - Radishes will grow better and increase in flavor when planted with chervil.

Chives - Carrots will grow better and improve in flavor when planted with chives. Repels aphids.

Chrysanthemums – To kill destructive root nematodes (not to be confused with beneficial nematodes) plant C. coccineum type.

Clover – A good cover crop to improve soil. Also attracts beneficial insects. There are many different types of clover, each one with qualities that benefit certain conditions.

Coriander - Repels aphids, spider mites and potato beetles and enhances flavor and growth of many vegetables.

Corn - Produces large amounts of pollen to attract beneficial insects. Sweet corn does well with pumpkins and beans, sometimes referred to as “the three sisters.” Indians grew beans around the corn to climb up the corn stalks and squash on the ground around the corn; with each one benefiting from the presence of the others.

Daisy - Attracts beneficial insects.

Dill - Cabbage will grow better and stronger when planted with dill but don't plant it near your carrots. Reported to help control squash bugs. Swallowtail butterfly caterpillars will eat dill.

Fennel - Attracts beneficial insects that are looking for nectar but can inhibit growth of many plants so plant away from the garden.

Flax - Plant with your potatoes to repel potato bugs.

Four-O’-Clocks – Four-O’-Clocks are will attract Japanese beetles but are deadly to them. People shouldn’t eat them either, watch your little ones around Four-O’-Clocks.

Garlic - Roses benefit from garlic since it repels aphids. Repels Japanese beetles and other insects, good for planting near raspberries.

Golden Marguerite - Attracts ladybugs, lacewings, hover flies, tachinid flies and miniwasps.

Gopher Purge - Gophers and moles don't like the odor. Roots spread about 20 feet.

Horseradish - Plant along with your potatoes to keep away potato bugs. To keep horseradish contained, plant in bottomless pots near the potatoes. Blister Beetles don’t like it either.

Hyssop - Good companion plant to cabbage and grapes because it repels cabbage moths. Don't plant near your radishes though.

Larkspur – Like Four-O’-Clocks, larkspur attracts Japanese Beetles which is also poisonous to them. Larkspur is poisonous to humans.

Lavender – Deters moths, aphids and fleas. Used for ages as sachets to keep moths from clothing.

Leeks - Companion for celery and carrots since it enhances flavor and attracts beneficial insects.

Lemon Balm – From the mint family, which are invasive. Sprinkle around squash plants to deter squash bugs. Rub the leaves on your skin to repel mosquitoes.

Lettuce - Likes to grow with carrots, radishes, beets, broccoli, cabbage, onions and cucumbers. Planting amongst corn will give shade to the lettuce during the hotter months.

Lovage - Good to grow with most plants since it improves their health and flavor; also attracts beneficial insects.

Marigolds - Plant among your tomatoes to ward off nematodes. Plant those with a strong scent. Cucurbits (cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, gourds) will benefit from marigolds planted around them to fight off squash vine borer and cucumber beetle. Seed heads scattered around them help also. Beans and cabbage do not grow well around marigolds.

Marjoram - Improves the flavor and increases vigor of all vegetables.

Mint - Repels white cabbage moth and ants. Also improves the health of cabbage and tomatoes. Helps in controlling ants, rodents, flea beetle, and aphids. All mints are very invasive.

Nasturtium – Helps control squash bugs, cucumber beetles, and whiteflies. Use as a trap crop for aphids. Tasty in salads.

Nettles, Stinging – Spray a “tea” of stinging nettles as an insect control. Soak 4” of nettles in water, strain and spray. “Tea” improves health of the plants that are sprayed.

Onions - Repels carrot flies

Ornamental Grasses - Clump forming grasses provide shelter in all seasons for beneficial insects. Studies have shown dramatic increases in numbers where these grasses are growing.

Parsley – Use as a “tea” for repelling asparagus beetles. Parsley gone to seed will attract parasitic wasps, which are very beneficial.

Pennyroyal – Deters fleas, mosquitoes, ticks, gnats, flies and chiggers; rub the leaves on your skin.

Peppermint - Deters white cabbage moth, aphids, flea beetles and squash bugs. Mints are invasive, be careful when introducing into your garden. A better method for use would be to grow in another location, cut stems and leaves then sprinkle around area you want it's repellent effect.

Peppers, Hot – The roots of hot peppers help prevent root rot and fusarium diseases. “Tea” from hot peppers helps repel insects.

Petunia – This pretty flower is also beneficial in controlling asparagus beetle, leafhoppers, certain aphids, tomato worms, and Mexican bean beetles.

Radish - Repels cucumber beetles so plant with cucumbers and squash.

Rosemary - Companion plant to beans, cabbage, carrots and sage. Repels cabbage moth, bean beetles and carrot flies.

Rue - Repels Japanese beetles in roses and raspberries.

Sage - Companion plant for broccoli, cauliflower, rosemary, cabbage and carrots. Deters cabbage moth, beetles and carrot flies. Keep away from the cucumbers though.

Summer Savory - Plant with beans and onions to improve their flavor and growth. It deters cabbage moth and bean beetles.

Tansy - Plant with fruit trees, roses and raspberries and cucurbits. It deters Japanese beetles, stripped cucumber beetle, squash bugs and ants. Tie a bunch up and hang as a fly repellent. Tansy can become invasive; be careful about letting it go to seed. Do Not plant anywhere that livestock feed, can be toxic to them.

Tarragon – Repels many pests, use generously around your garden.

Thyme - Repels cabbage worms, carrot flies and attracts beneficial insects.

Tomatoes grow well with basil or parsley or carrots.

Willow - Willow (including pussy willow) are valuable because they produce pollen early in the spring for provision for beneficial insects.

Wormwood (Artemisia) - When planted as a border it helps keep animals and many bugs out of the garden. Can improve flavor and enhance growth of plants.

Yarrow - Attracts beneficial insects.

Zucchini gets along with beans or radishes.



UNHAPPY NEIGHBORS: Often space is limited in your garden; try your best to keep these away from each other.

Beans don't mix well with Garlic and Onions (Will inhibit plant growth)

Beets and Pole Beans (Will inhibit plant growth)

Carrots and Dill (Will inhibit plant growth)

Corn and Tomatoes don't mix well. The tomatoes may attract worms that feed on corn.

Cucumber and Sage (Will inhibit plant growth)

Peas don’t get along with Garlic and Onions (Will inhibit plant growth)

Potatoes and Pumpkins (Will inhibit plant growth)

Potatoes and Tomatoes can be attacked by the same blights so don't plant together.

Squash and Potatoes (Will inhibit plant growth)

Tomatoes and Potatoes can be attacked by the same blights so don't plant together.

Turnips and Potatoes (Will inhibit plant growth)


When planting your garden, keep your neighborhood in mind and plant things that get along well together. If you keep this one simple methond in mind, you will have a happier, healthier garden and your harvest will be much better for it. Remember that plants are just like people and some compliment each other and some rub each other the wrong way.

It's Frugal Friday!

I know I have been remiss in my Frugal Friday postings, however, water business before pleasure and I have been keeping busy at the office. So today offered the opportunity to catch up on my blog posts and I am going to take advantage of it.

I know many people think that frugal gardening involves having a lot of junk sitting around in your yard under the auspice of art. But that just isn't the case. I think that frugal gardening is all about re-purposing and recyling things and giving them a new and useful life. And no, I am not talking about toilet planters!

Here's an idea I thought was lovely. Turn an old bird bath or better yet, a two or three tiered fountain, into a planter. Since a bird bath generally isn't very deep, you could set a small planter in the middle of the bird bath and plant some annuals. Then in the bird bath, add soil and plant something like moss, that will provide an carpet of green. If you use a plant in the pot that trails or vines, you will create a lovely, antique, drippy look which goes perfectly in a bird bath.

Use the same method for planting in an old fountain. Check Craigslist, Freecycle, thrift shops and yard sales for fountains that are still beautiful to look at, but perhaps have developed a leak or the owners are just tired of them. I saw one on Craigslist for $10. It had no pump and had 2 tiers. Perfect for planting. These make wonderful, classic additions to a garden. And by using them as a planter instead of a fountain, you will eliminate the need for running electricity and possibly water out to the fountain. This will enable you to locate it any where you like.

If you are lucky enough to find a fountain with two or more tiers, you can make a combination planter and bird bath. Having these types of creative features in your garden also helps provide habitat for wildlife. The birds will appreciate the water to bath in and drink and the cool carpet of moss makes a nice place to stop and rest for a minute.

If you have any ideas on re-purposing an item, feel free to let me know. If you have pictures, feel free to send them in and I will post them here on the blog. Let's see how creative we can get!

Frugal Fridays

It is now after Mother's Day, so I am hoping it is safe to start planting. I have lettuce coming up as well as peas. I put 4 cucumber plants in and one kicked the bucket already, so I am hoping the other 3 hang in there. I have had to cover them several days and nights. I am chomping at the bit to get everything in.

I am also chomping at the bit to get started on some garden projects. My first one is a fairy chair. I found an old wooden chair from the thrift shop in the village. I lined the seat with wire and planted it. I put one strawberry plant in the front and filled the rest with morning glory seeds. I love morning glories and I am hoping they actually grow. The chair is in a sunny spot, but that means the soil is going to dry out very quickly. Once the seeds sprout and are a few inches tall, I will mulch the whole planter to help retain the moisture. Once the morning glories come up, they will grow up and over the chair and down and around the legs and through the garden. It should look very nice.

I did spray paint the chair green prior to planting it. I am hoping that the chair blends in with the plants and it will eventually look like the morning glories are floating in air. Since the garden the chair sits in is full of mint and vinca, there isn't much flower action going on there. So the morning glories will give the mint garden a shot of color all summer long. Stay tuned for pictures.

Frugal Friday

I know, I know, there is a foot of snow on the ground and they are calling for more in the coming week and here I am posting gardening projects. I have faith that someday it will be spring and we will be able to get in our gardens. I just don't know when that day will be!

That being the case, I will make today's post short, but sweet. The above picture, which Jeanne from Suffolk in the UK, was kind enough to let me use, represents this weeks gardening tip. I especially liked this picture because up until now I had only seen old wheelbarrows filled with dirt and planted like a planter. This picture shows how you can use old galvanzied containers (actually any type of pots would work for this)and fill the wheelbarrow with pots instead of just planting it outright.

Not only does this look adorable, but it is the perfect solution for those who wish to grow some veggies in containers. You can then wheel them around to take advantage of the sun throughout the day. This might work really well for those with very shady gardens. Personally at my home, the driveway gets a lot of the sun that would be great for growing veggies. However, removing it doesn't seem like a very practical idea!

If you don't have any old galvanized containers, they are easily obtainable. You can check yard sale, Craigslist, eBay and thrift shops. If worse comes to worse you can usually pick them up new at feed stores and they ocassionally have used ones as well. It isn't hard to get this "look" and it would definately fit in with our rustic backdrop of the forest here in Pine Cove.

Frugal Fridays

Since spring has arrived we will all be spending more time in our yards and gardens. So I thought it would be fun to share things you can do in your garden that do not cost a lot of money. It is easy to have a beautiful garden when you have a large budget, however, when money is tight it takes a very creative person with a good eye to make an enticing garden with found or disgarded objects. And before you read any further, I am not talking about the basic old toilet as a planter kind of yard art. I want to share things with you that I think are clever, imaginative, attractive and most of all CHEAP or FREE. If I wouldn't put it in my own garden, I will not put it on this blog.

I think we have all seen articles on recycling items into our gardens. Here are a few of my favorites off the top of my head. I love old shovels painted up as signs and old rakes turned upside down in a planter and used as a stake or a trellis. Old ladders make a great place for a morning glory or a clematis to climb up. I also enjoy seeing old wheelbarrows made up as planters. Same with all sorts of containers turned planters. A pair of old boots filled with flowers by a garden gate, an old galvanized wash tub or bucket now containing plants, a bottomless chair turned planter, a dresser with the drawers pulled out and flowers spilling out from one drawer to the next. Old bed frames containing a flower or vegetable "bed" or a set of bunkbed headboards or footboards used as a trellis or a small fence. One can never have too many old watering cans sitting around a garden, planted or not. If you want to add some whimsy to your garden, then start looking around your house for items you can use as a planter. This is an especially great way to have a container veggie garden.

When considering an object to use as a planter, you have to think about drainage. All it takes for many items to be turned into planters is a few minutes with a cordless drill. Drilling a few holes in the bottom of an object is usually the easiest way to go. However, should you want to plant in an object that you are unable to drill drainage holes into, just put a layer of styrofoam peanuts inside the object before you add the dirt. The styrofoam peanuts will allow the water to drain out and keep your soil from becoming soggy.

In my mind, old items in a garden give it a sense of antiquity and age. When I think of gardens I admire, they are usually the ones that are very full and overgrown and look like they have been around for many, many years. Nothing is prim and proper and perfect. The garden bench has peeling paint, the clay pots are covered in moss and the ivy runs wild up the trees. It would also have many hidden areas that one has to discover as they walk through it. Using arbors, garden gates, evergreen plants, trellises and outdoor furniture can give your garden a sense of having rooms. The perfect garden to me is not one where you can see the whole garden from standing in one spot. It should have to be walked through, touched and discovered.

Another benefit to having a garden is that it will attract the local wildlife. Adding birdbaths, feeders, houses and plants that will protect or provide food for animals are all items that should be included in your garden plan. Nothing is more enjoyable or calming that sitting in your garden listening to and watching the antics of the birds and animals that have taken up residence in your yard.

So today let's talk about turning an old wooden chair into a planter or if you have young children or grandchildren, a fairy chair. First thing you need is an old chair of course. This can be an old wooden dining room chair, an old wooden rocker or a wicker chair. The most important thing is that it has no seat or if you are handy that you can cut a round hole in the seat. Prep your chair by sanding, priming and painting it if desired. Proper preparation will help your chair to last longer out in the elements. Once the chair is preped, you are ready to start on your planter.

There are a variety of methods to do this. The most common one is to use chicken wire or hardcloth. Form a basket out of your desired material that will fit into the missing seat area of your chair. The top edges of this wire basket will then be stapled or nailed down with U nails to the rim of your chair seat. This will create your planter. Be sure you attach your wire basket very securely to your chair as the soil will be heavy.

There are also a couple of other ways to do this if you don't prefer using the wire and staple method above. You could use a wire basket with a coconut liner to hold the soil. These baskets can be found a places like JoAnn's and most big box stores. Remove the chain hanger and then secure it to the underside of the chair.

The simpliest method is to find a basket that is the same size as the hole in your chair and push the basket down into the hole. No matter how you do it, you will accomplish the same basic look.

Next you need to line your planter. You can use a layer of newspaper or for a more natural look, go with sphagnum moss. Simply line your basket with the moss until it is about 2" thick and then add nice rich soil that is amended with compost. Your chair is now ready to plant whatever you wish in it. Some ideas are herbs, flowers or ivys. Trailing or climbling flowers like petunias and morning glories always look great. Just remember to plant according to the amount of sun your chair will get. When finished, water thoroughly and add mulch. Remember to water your chair regularly as it will dry out quickly. You will soon be rewarded with a beautiful new element in your garden.

Go ahead and try this project and let us know if it works out for you. We would love to post pictures of our customer's garden projects throughout the summer months. If you have any ideas for garden projects, we would love to hear about those as well. Feel free to leave a comment or drop us a line at info@pcwd.org.