BOOK SALE & STRAWBERRIES

Yesterday (Saturday) was my town library's semi-annual book sale. Katherine and I went and this is what I hauled home with me:

I also got a huge coffee table-sized picture book of Ireland for my Becky. Book's in her room and I didn't feel like making the trip upstairs for a photo!

There was a rack of  "costumes" and one of the library ladies told Katherine she could take what she wanted, free, because she always goes to the sales. One of the items she took was this vintage bathing suit! It's by Rose Marie Reed and I have no idea what vintage it is. Katherine was hoping one of my blog friends might have some info on this.

I was asking my neighbor a few days ago where she bought her strawberry plants last year and we had a nice neighborly chat. Next day her son brings over this single plant in an adorable ceramic "can". I went to a local gardening center yesterday and got twelve more, so now I have a baker's dozen!

(sticks for cat prevention!)

And, speaking of cats, Calico likes to climb up the ladder leaning on the back of my little shed and survey her world from there!

I'M READY!

I'm ready . . . for the garden! *sigh* If it was only ready for me!

REDNESDAY

I've been eating delicious cherries this summer, have you?

REDNESDAY - OPEN FOR FUN!

Happy Rednesday! And, yes, we are ALWAYS open for fun here! I don't know why, but I've been in a very crafty mood lately. Probably because I can't go out and garden yet, or yard sale, either.

Here is a "book" that I made using the back of a Ritz Cracker box! I hurried and didn't finish the edges or the inside covers. Only four pages so far, as I just used what was in my stash, but I couldn't wait to show you the idea.





Why don't you try one? We all know that "everything tastes (looks) better when it sits on a Ritz"!

This tablecloth was picked up at the thrift store last week. I just love the red pin stripes with the turquoise roses! It has a stain on it, which I hope to get out.


I decided this year to try my hand at paper pots for starting seedlings. They look like they'll work just fine, and they're biodegradable!
Thanks to everyone who voted for my entry in the Want2Scrap contest. I didn't win, but that's okay, there were so many beautiful entries!

Don't forget to check back tomorrow (or Friday) for Easter Swap partners!

REDNESDAY

But, better late than never! I was shoveling dirt back into my barn garden.
Over the past month, I took all the plants out and either relocated them or put them in pots. Then Mister put in a drainage pipe and rebuilt part of the stone wall.

flickr photo

I had asked him to dig out a boulder (or "very large rock") for me, and he decided to dig out all the dirt and screen it, because the soil was very rocky.

Then, I began with a layer of leaf mold a few inches deep, then covered that with a few inches of soil, and wetted that all down with the hose (so the cats wouldn't use it for a bathroom).

There's a lot more to do . . . putting the rest of the soil back, mixing some perlite and manure in it, and then replanting the bulbs and potted plants. I'm tired!

flickr photo

MY GARDEN NOTEBOOK

This is the garden notebook that I've been keeping for five or six years now. I saw a "professional" one for sale in a garden catalog at the time, but didn't want to spend the money on it - it was quite pricey! So I decided to make my own. I've adjusted, added and deleted to it over the years. In this 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" 3-ring binder I keep info and records in it. Pretty bland cover, but it serves its' purpose.

The tabbed pages were pretty plain also.

About a month ago I made this seed record notebook so I could remember what I have and which seeds I wanted to buy. Separate from the binder, so I can take it to the store if need be. I put the picture on the front to remember what's in it.

And that little picture got me thinking - why not decorate my 3-ring binder? So, I set to work on the tabbed pages in it! Here is the "welcome" page ~
(Yes, I am the Garden Queen! I may not know what I'm doing half the time, but I'm still the Queen!)

Here's the first tab, "Bed Designs". I couldn't decide which pic to put on it, so I put one design on the front and one on the back.

After I made the pages, I realized that I should edge them with tape because this book goes outdoors with me and I flip the pages a lot. I bought a set of colored masking tape last year and used them here. Unfortunately, the tape doesn't stick all that well. I might change it out for scotch tape.
Instead of drawing one graph of the whole yard, I have it broken down into "beds" so I can show every flower planted!

The second tab is called "By the Moon". The past few years I've been trying to do Gardening by the Moon, which is gardening according to the cycles of the moon. (Learn more about it here.)

This tab is for "Sowing Logs". I keep a record of the seeds I sow, whether indoors under grow lights, or "winter sowing" outdoors. (Learn more about winter sowing here.) I'm not winter sowing this year, and am just starting my indoor seeds around now.

After that is "Seed Needs", which is the info I put in the red booklet.

Next is "Companions" for Companion Planting. I've made a few charts for which plants complement other plants, both flowers and vegetables, and for crop rotation. I have a very small veggie garden so I'm not as serious about this as someone with a large garden might be.

Behind that will be a section for Square-Foot Gardening that I haven't made yet. I just starting to get into that. (Learn more here.) Next is the "Miscellaneous" tab that I haven't decorated yet.

Then comes the "Monthly To-Do" section. It has monthly tabs behind it to remind me of what garden tasks need to be done each month.

"Alpha Plant Care" has alphabetical tabs so I can keep special growing or maintenance info on individual plants. Not all plants! I'd be making an encyclopedia if I did that!

At the very back of the binder I keep this dear drawing that Teen (now 18) made when she was a wee little thing!