Post by Maria on Jan 25, 2007 21:27:24 GMT -5
Is the winter getting you down? Think ahead to spring and planting time. Here are a few ideas to keep you busy and thinking GREEN.
1. Install a cold frame. A cold frame is essentially a miniature greenhouse, and it allows you to plant a little earlier because you can protect the seedlings during cold snaps. Purchase a kit or make a simple cold frame by setting straw bales in a square and placing old windows over the top. On a sunny day, the temperatures inside the cold frame can rise quickly, so be prepared to prop the top open for ventilation. And on very cold nights, cover the cold frame with a blanket. Plant cold-hardy lettuce and spinach in the ground in your cold frame and/or use it to harden off seedlings you've started indoors.
2. Add a trellis. Whether it's covered with climbing roses, morning glories, or even gourds, a plant-covered trellis is eye-catching. Build your own trellis or purchase one and install it in a sunny spot. Consider adding a trellis to a sunny porch so the plants' foliage will provide cooling shade in summer. Use a trellis to screen unsightly views or to create a private sitting area in your yard. If space is at a premium, grow vegetables on trellises, too. Pole beans and vining cucumbers are good candidates, as are indeterminate tomato varieties, which can grow to a height of six feet or more.
3. Embrace garden crafts. Build a bird feeder, bluebird house, or bat house. Make mosaic stepping stones and create a walkway to your herb garden. Paint some terra cotta pots to complement your house color. Build flower boxes for your windows. Add color to your winter garden by painting a fence, shed, or wall a bright, unexpected color. If you're so inclined, paint a mural! Make a silly statue out of clay pots. Weave a trellis or fence from willow or other supple twigs. Browse secondhand stores for inexpensive treasures. A wooden chair with a broken cane seat can be converted into a unique planter by securing a container where the seat was. Paint a mailbox, install it in your garden, and use it to keep small tools and supplies handy yet protected from the weather.
4. Sharpen tools. I know, B-O-R-I-N-G, but you'll be glad you did.
5. Garden Catalogs are a good thing start to ordering now!
1. Install a cold frame. A cold frame is essentially a miniature greenhouse, and it allows you to plant a little earlier because you can protect the seedlings during cold snaps. Purchase a kit or make a simple cold frame by setting straw bales in a square and placing old windows over the top. On a sunny day, the temperatures inside the cold frame can rise quickly, so be prepared to prop the top open for ventilation. And on very cold nights, cover the cold frame with a blanket. Plant cold-hardy lettuce and spinach in the ground in your cold frame and/or use it to harden off seedlings you've started indoors.
2. Add a trellis. Whether it's covered with climbing roses, morning glories, or even gourds, a plant-covered trellis is eye-catching. Build your own trellis or purchase one and install it in a sunny spot. Consider adding a trellis to a sunny porch so the plants' foliage will provide cooling shade in summer. Use a trellis to screen unsightly views or to create a private sitting area in your yard. If space is at a premium, grow vegetables on trellises, too. Pole beans and vining cucumbers are good candidates, as are indeterminate tomato varieties, which can grow to a height of six feet or more.
3. Embrace garden crafts. Build a bird feeder, bluebird house, or bat house. Make mosaic stepping stones and create a walkway to your herb garden. Paint some terra cotta pots to complement your house color. Build flower boxes for your windows. Add color to your winter garden by painting a fence, shed, or wall a bright, unexpected color. If you're so inclined, paint a mural! Make a silly statue out of clay pots. Weave a trellis or fence from willow or other supple twigs. Browse secondhand stores for inexpensive treasures. A wooden chair with a broken cane seat can be converted into a unique planter by securing a container where the seat was. Paint a mailbox, install it in your garden, and use it to keep small tools and supplies handy yet protected from the weather.
4. Sharpen tools. I know, B-O-R-I-N-G, but you'll be glad you did.
5. Garden Catalogs are a good thing start to ordering now!
