Eightymillion

A DIY craft and photography blog. Dogs included.

DIY Outdoor Inspiration: Mini Makeover Using Fabric Landscaping and River Rocks

This project was pretty simple.  It revolves around one grueling task.  Pulling weeds.  Having three dogs I don’t use chemicals in any area within the yard.  When it came time to empty my Grandma’s house I wanted to have items that I could use.  These six river rocks were from her front yard.  I positioned them along the garage and then took a step back to observe the view.  It’s like they were meant for this space. 
I’ve had them for a couple of years in this location.  I took the photo above at the beginning of Spring this year.  Doesn’t the space look terrible? The white rock was here when I moved in.  I added the mulch and over time with the rain the mulch ran everywhere.  And then the weeds came.
I use the fabric landscaping in the garden every year.  So I decided to use it here as well.  Why didn’t I think of this earlier?  Anyway, I pulled out the weeds one last time and raked the leftover mulch and white rock mixture out.  Removing all of that made the space a little deeper.  I cut a strip of fabric to fill the space and returned the rocks back into their spot.  Looks better already.
I have a love/hate relationship with mulch.  So, I flipped a coin on weather or not to use it again in this space.  
The weight of the rocks and mulch do a good job of holding down the fabric.  I added two garden pins, one at each end, for additional security.  I’m happy with it.  {For this year}
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Before I end my day to relax with my boys I want to share a picture of what I used this space for the year I moved in.  
Have you ever seen those cans of wildflower seeds they sell in the garden center?  They cost around four or five dollars.  Just sprinkle and water.  I was in complete disbelief that anything would actually grow.  
And then I got a forest of flowers!  And several bees came along with them.  They grew taller than me and took over the sidewalk.  I had to use fishing line to hold them back up against the garage. This was a one time experiment.  Never again will I buy a can of wildflower seeds. 
This was a table arrangement that I made from the wildflowers.  Pretty?  Sure, but they are called wildflowers for a reason.

DIY Garden Inspiration: Recycled Dog Kennel

Last year we scored a handful of dog kennel panels from a neighbor and recycled them to serve as a barrier around the garden. I say barrier because that’s what we need to keep the dogs out of the food source.  Something tall to prevent them from jumping over. We grow a lot of tomatoes and onions which aren’t good for their belly.  Chicken wire wasn’t doing the job, so we needed to try something else. 
These were perfect! 
It took us a couple of weeks to get the dirt ready to plant.  No rototiller here.  We use a shovel to turn the dirt.  It’s very relaxing and a great stress reliever. 
Almost ready.
Every year I use the fabric landscaping in the garden.  Love this stuff!
This collection of plants and flowers was my Mother’s Day gift this year.  I like using starter plants for the tomatoes, green peppers, various hot peppers, cabbage, and broccoli.  The spinach and collard greens are started from seeds.  There is limited space inside the house and three nosy dogs who would probably dig in the pots if we would attempt to start everything from seeds.
While we were planting Disco was having fun rolling in the grass with his football.
Our neighbor allowed us to chose the panels that we wanted.  We found a gate in the pile and it works great.  Adam positioned the plants according to their height and away from the door.  In previous gardens we were stepping over plants to water other plants and realized we didn’t leave ourselves enough leg room.  Another benefit of using the fabric landscaping.
Everything is growing except my spinach.  I’ve had trouble with this in previous years.  Not sure what I’m doing wrong, but oh well. Next year I’m planting kale in it’s place.
I’ll be sharing more pictures as the garden progresses.
If you have dogs and need a solution to keep them out of the garden, look for a kennel.  Check your local paper, recycling center, or Craigslist for a used one.  Some use the kennel to contain them in one place.  We’re using it to keep them out of one place.
So, do you plant a garden?  

DIY Recycling Inspiration: Galvanized Vintage Basin Into a Flower Pot

This basin was given to me from my mom (last summer).  My dad was going to throw it out because it was just taking up space in their garage.  I immediately said “YES” and knew right away what I wanted to do with it.  
I wanted it to take up space in my garage!  Truth be told it did get lost (buried) among everything else .  It wasn’t until this past April that I was able to pull it out and put it to use.  I had the idea of placing a plant inside of it, but wasn’t sure if I should replant one in the bottom?  Or just place the pot inside?  I chose the second option.  Less dirt and much easier. Keep things simple, right?
I cut the hose that was attached to the bottom.  It was long, unattractive, and the dogs kept pulling at it.  The basin rests in the corner of the deck where it can still drain down in between the wood panels.
To give the plant some height, I placed the top of a plant stand in the bottom.  One leg was already missing and it was headed for the garbage so I pulled the remaining ones off.  I hate to throw something away if I can find a use for it elsewhere.  It worked perfect!  You can pick up these plant stands at your local dollar stores.
I never realized the rust until I edited the photos for this post.  It may of come from what was in it while in the garage, but I’ll definitely bring it back in for the winter.  I have no experience when using metal items outdoors, so if there is something I should treat it with please share in the comment section below.  Thanks.
This was the other project I was using the double impatiens for.  Remember the post where I transformed the vintage beverage crate into a flower pot?  I used the same plant there as well.  If you missed that post, click here.
As I water the plant everyday I check the drain so that water doesn’t sit in the bottom of the basin.  So far so good. As the plant blooms it expands over the sides.  Exactly what I hoped it would do.
P.S.  This basin would also make a great place to grow an herb or salsa garden.  I’m considering that for next year.  I found a helpful resource in regards to planting food in them.  Completely unaware that you should paint the inside to protect the plants from any possible metal reaction.  Learn something new everyday.  Here’s the link from eHow Home:
 http://www.ehow.com/how_5730657_garden-galvanized-tubs.html?ref=Track2&utm_source=ask

DIY Outdoor Inspiration: Recycled Tire Table

It’s been very cold and damp here.  Not to mention the amount of rain we’ve been getting.  Perfect weather if your a vampire, but I still have some weeding to do in the garden.  In the meantime I’ve got some additional outdoor projects that need some attention.  
This is a continuation to my earlier post, Outdoor Recycling Inspiration.  If you missed it, click here. I had planned to share a collection of the other projects after their completion.  Due to Mother Nature’s inconsistency I’m only able to work on one project at a time.
Last summer I asked a local dealership for four used tires from him.  He looked at me kinda funny.  I explained to him what the plan was. He picked out four and loaded up my trunk.  He wouldn’t accept any money for them.  Instead I went back there this past winter for two new tires. This will also allow me to make another tire table with the old tires.  I used three for the base of the table.  My dad and uncle usually have odd pieces of wood sitting around.  I took measurements for a table top and a piece was cut.  It looks bare.  Needs some color and design.  Wouldn’t you agree?
Old colorful rulers?  Mosaics?  Handwritten quotations?  Magazine clippings or newspapers? Although they won’t hold up being outside. I’m taking suggestions here.  Something to give it a vintage look.  Leave me a comment below.  I’ll post a follow-up when it’s completed and I’m enjoying lemonade on my deck.