Garden Box and Containers Update

Here is the garden box as of today! I am happy these are finally planted. I had to cut multiple branches off of the cherry tomato plant because it was getting out of control and shading all of the other plants. I also planted Floradade tomatoes in the yard. These tomatoes were developed by the University of Florida to be extremely heat tolerant and disease resistant. I am excited to see how they do in our natural sandy soil. 

My Jersey asparagus has already sprouted after being planted last week! I have two sprouts. These are three year old roots.

My Luffa Gourd Plants! I put these in a hanging basket for the back porch.

 Garlic and Dutch Yellow Shallots:

 Broccoli (kind of looking sad):

 Sweet Onions:

Lemon/Key Lime and Orange Tree:

DIY Rustic Wall Mount Wine Rack

I am super excited about having this project finished. I did this one entirely on my own, except for the hanging (thanks babe!).

I started out with a pallet and disassembled it.

I then stained the wood with one coat of Wood Finish Minwax stain.

I played around with some pieces until I found ones that fit together well and also added a rustic feel. I ended up choosing the smaller pieces with some medium width pieces. I found some pieces that angled down and were perfect for the end pieces. I then used some left over wood to make the supporting back piece. I screwed everything securely and added wall mounts to the back.

Here was the hard part: choosing the actual mounts for the bottles. It was not nearly as easy as I thought it would be. However, I ended up settling on some rustic bed springs. The springs come in many shapes and sizes and are offered on many websites. You could also pull some from an old mattress or find some from craft stores or a used furniture store. I ultimately chose the largest ones that I could find on a website and purchased them for $10. I then spray painted them (since I could only find 'rusty' ones).

I tested the ability of the springs to hold a wine bottle and found that these particular springs would not stretch horizontally :( .  This left me with a look that I did not originally intend. After screwing the springs in I marked where the springs needed to be cut.

I used a dremel to cut the springs and my husband screwed a piece of wood for support into the wall where I wanted this wine rack hung. I am extremely happy with the way the the springs turned out and with the final look of this wine rack.

Here is the final result!

All of this was done for free, except for the cost of the springs, due to the products I have available at my home; but this project would still remain well below the price of a purchased rack if the products must be purchased.

Happy crafting! Feel free to comment with any questions or suggestions.

DIY Tipi/Teepee Garden + Garden Update

We have officially finished the walk-in Tipi garden! Well, we still a few minor adjustments to make, but for the most part it is complete. Here is how it all went down...

First we prepped the desired site by loosening the soil and removing the grass. I chose the area on the left side of the screened in porch, and also near a hose, for the garden site.

Next, we dug the holes needed for the garden beds.

Then we laid the landscape fabric in order to prevent weed growth.

After filling the beds with dirt and spreading mulch throughout the walkways, we prepared the tipis. For this we used wood, chicken wire, metal poles, zip ties, and a staple gun.

I then added some bulbs I had from the front yard garden and planted white marigold and purple zinnia seeds.

Here is the look of the garden as of now:

I used some left over stained pallet and fabric paint to make the markers for my vegetables. I recommend practicing first before painting on your final product. I did not, as can be witnessed with my markers. We then cut the markers with a table saw.

How cute are peas? They are my favorite plant so far. Just look at those tendrils!

The black beans are called Cherokee Trail of Tears. These beans have an amazing history and were carried by the Cherokee Tribe on that harrowing walk. Learn more here and here. I also have red bush beans and the Italian Rose beans are quite the lookers. I also have peas, slicing cucumbers, and a pickle cucumber hybrid.

I have hot peppers that include Hungarian Wax, Chili, Cayenne, and Poblano.
I am also waiting on the plant form of red and green Jalapenos, called Biker Billy Hybrid. These were some that my husband killed =|

 Here are the Sweet Peppers, Zucchini, Summer Squash, and Eggplants.

I also have 20+ strawberry plants, Loganberry, and I am super excited about the Seedless Concord Grapes.

I will update soon on my container gardening progress.

Happy gardening!