What is Junk Gardening and How to Get Started

When a little touch of whimsy just won't do. This is a growing passion among gardeners that has grown over the last few years.

Below is my personal copy of the magazine. I keep it along with my other magazines I use for ideas.

My First Copy of Flea Market Gardens

 This section of my garden is where I'm planning my next up-cycling project. I am going to start with the bird cage I bought from a thrift store. It was gold but I painted it with primer and then added yellow. I was just going to give it a rust treatment, but I decided against it. I wanted this side of my garden to be more chic less rustic.

I really got started after finding a Flea Market Garden magazine. It became one of my favorite garden decor magazines (wish there were more articles), but that's were Pinterest came in. I pinned all the ideas I wanted to recreate. Another book that has lots of ideas is Garden Junk.

Junk gardening is all about the creative use of found objects being used in your garden or outdoor space. It has become so popular there are many blogs and even a few magazines dedicated to just that. It is whimsical, fun and there is never a dull moment trying to create your next piece of yard art. Who does Junk gardening? I would say anyone and everyone who is an artist at heart and loves more than just a touch of whimsy. Most junk gardens are created by people who have an artist soul. They create these masterpieces and looking at them can bring the same joy as they felt when they created them.

 Watch this old toolbox went from

Photo Credit

to this very whimsical garden container.

Photo credit: Junkgardening magazine

 More up-cycled garden decor from blogger Carlene at Organized Clutter. Her garden looks anything but junky.

Photo Credit

Photo Credit: Organized Clutter

Photo Credit

Photo Credit

It's really up to each individual how much or how little to add but it is definitely still trending in 2017. Bicycles, chairs, ladders, and wheel barrows are all common in up-cycled/junk garden decor.


For more garden ideas check out my one of my favorite gardening magazines.

Do you Junk Garden?  We would be glad to hear from you ,just leave your comments below

Angelic Garden Statues

Some of my favorite statues for my garden are angels and cherubs. To me they are so adorable when nestled in with lilies or other greenery.

Angel and Cherub Statuary

Angel and Cherub Statuary

Angel and Cherub Statuary

Angel and Cherub Statuary

Easy Herbs to Grow at Home

Please include attribution to www.chadwicks.ie with this graphic.

Seen it on Pinterest: Garden Totems

I found a project on Pinterest called garden totems. I love them because it adds a little whimsy to my garden and I love my garden. I'm always looking for recycled projects for garden decor.

 I had a pretty large collection of glass but, I wanted a few pieces with a little more details. I ended up just doing a piece to experiment with the process. I love how the smaller one turned out but, now I'm ready for smaller and more colorful pieces.

This is a temporary setting for right now, I plan to relocate them later.

My version

Quote

How to Compost Without a Compost Bin

This info-graphic is handy tool for knowing what scraps to scrap for composting.

Source: Fix.com

Inspirational Quote

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Inspirational Quote

Anyone who visits my blogs know that I love quotes. I consider most of  them nuggets of wisdom and others are just little words to brighten your day..enjoy. 💚

Update Your Garden This Fall

Traditionally people never think of Fall as a time for adding to the garden. Most people only think of clean up and preparing the garden for Winter, but I'm here to share with you some secrets to make use of Fall Weather.

• Freshen up your garden by cleaning out dead or dying plants. Turn over your soil, check the PH and make any necessary changes to the soil.
• Prune trees and shrubs. It's better done now when its cooler.
• Add mulch, mulch not only protects during winter but adding mulch also adds vital nutrients to your garden as it breaks down. Keep mulch 3 to 4 inches deep and keep it away from the plant leaves, stems, and base to prevent disease.
• Separate full and thick perennials and use this to fill in sparse areas of your garden.

Fall is the ideal time for garden work because of the cooler temperatures and is less stressful on transplanted plants and also not as much water is needed as opposed to the Summer months.

Gardening Tips For Small Yards

If you have a tiny yard and would like a simple but well-maintained garden, you only need two things - determination and know-how.  Here are some tips on how to keep your garden by the yard looking spruced up and glamorous.

1. Deadheading
Keep your border free from wilted flowers and dried leaves. Deadheading or removing dead flower heads will encourage the plants to produce more blooms longer. Many perennials and some annuals benefit from having spent blooms removed

3. Pinch out tops.
Certain plants - especially foliage plants like Coleus - respond with a spurt of growth when their tops are pinched out. Pinching out makes the plant much bushier because more blooms are produced. Fuchsias are prone to becoming leggy unless they are pinched out.

Desktop Gardening

Who would have believed that you could plan and order your whole garden from your desktop just a few years ago?

It makes it so easy to get exactly what you like for your garden by logging on to the Internet Garden stores and being able to choose your plants according to color, size, type, season and more.

Planting By the Moon

As plants are approximately 90% water, it is believed by many gardeners that all planting should be done according to the phases of the moon.

The moon affects the movement of water on the earth and this is their reason for believing that the moon also has an effect on the growth patterns of plants.

Some people also believe that by planting according to the lunar cycles you will get tastier fruits from your plants and bigger, more vibrant colors from their flowers.

Frost Damaged Plants

The best way to protect against frost damage, or to reduce the effect that frost might have on your garden is to choose the best plants for your climate conditions. If you are living in an area that is susceptible to frosts then your best course of action is to choose plants that are frost-tolerant.

By planting in areas that are exposed or where frosts occur more frequently you will increase the chances of losing plants to frosts so it is wise to plant in sheltered spots or areas other than where there are frost pockets.

You can offer some protection to your plants by wrapping them in Hessian cloth (I've included a link from Amazon for a good quality industrial strength garden cloth) or frost cloth until after the period of frost has passed. Hessian cloth is basically a type of burlap.

There will be times in such climates where it is not possible to know when there will be a frost and these out of season frosts can kill a whole plant

The appearance of wilting leaves, and leaves that have a water logged look can be a sign that your plant is suffering from frost damage. Another sign of frost damage can be the appearance of brown patches on the leaves.  Other signs are shown when the shoot tips on your plants start to die back. If the flowers on the plant don't open fully or they become discolored and then start to die off, then these are also signs that frost damage might have occurred.

There is no treatment for frost damage other than to remove the damaged portions of the plant in an effort to make it look a little healthier. If the damage is too severe then you may lose the plant. Sometimes frost damage is not noticeable for a few days after a frost has occurred especially if the frost was a light one.

The Time of the Harvest Moon

A harvest moon occurs at a specific time of the year. The moon officially turns full when it reaches the spot opposite to the sun. The harvest moon happens on 13:59 Greenwich time on the Saturday nearest to the fall equinox, which is September 23rd. Once in every three years we get the same full moon in October, but the one in September is called the harvest moon because farmers can continue their harvest late into the night by the light of the full moon. The same moon appears three days in succession, but the one that appears on Saturday is the one that receives this name.

A BACKYARD FISH POND

Water gardens and backyard ponds are for butterflies, frogs, birds, fish, you, and the whole family. These ponds may be small, may even be no larger than 3 to 4 feet in diameter. These may be built in patio containers and barrels. Drawing wildlife in your backyard may be done by adding water gardens and ponds. These will not only provide enjoyment and interest but also a natural and relaxing environment as well. A fish pond in your backyard may become the focal point of your backyard conversation. So spice it up with this tips and techniques.

 Where to Put Up a Backyard Pond

Place your fish pond in a place where you can best view it from, whether from a deck or the patio. Make it coincide with the natural surroundings. Do not place the pond where the sun can overheat it. Nestle it in a shaded place but not under the trees, unless you want to constantly be removing leaves and debris from the trees. This technique will also provide less maintenance to the pond. Expose the pond to sufficient sunlight only since some aquatic plats grow well in full sun and others do not.

 Landscaping

It is best to slightly elevate the soil surrounding the pond so that excess water will not enter into it. Plan the drainage system of the pond, making sure that it draws the water away from your house. Landscaping the surroundings around your pond will provide a natural dwelling place for birds and frogs that need water and land. Make sure that electricity is available if you plan to use lights, filters, or a water re-circulating device.  

Using Pond Liners

 Pond liners are used to keep water from leaking into the soil. It is almost always necessary for ponds even if it they are situated in clay soils. Pond liners come in different shapes and sizes. They even include built in waterfalls or any design based on your preferences. They are durable and convenient. Consider a poly vinyl chloride liner (PVC liner) in building larger ponds.

Moon Cycles

We give the parts of the moon cycle different names, according to how the moon appears to us. In order of appearance:

1. New (also called the Dark Moon) - not visible
2. Waxing Crescent
   
3. First Quarter - commonly called a "half moon"
   
4. Waxing Gibbous
   
5. Full - we can see the entire illuminated portion of the moon
   
6. Waning Gibbous
   
7. Third Quarter - another "half moon", but the illuminated part is opposite of the First Quarter
   
8. Waning Crescent
   
9. New - back to the beginning

From Spring to Fall with Perennials

To make a garden work from Spring to fall you should always plant Perennials with beautiful fall foliage, so that when the Spring and Summer blooms are spent, the fall foliage can take up the slack. Another tip is to plant taller plants in the back but still keep in mind the theme of Spring to Fall.

Some Perennials with very pretty foliage are; ribbon grass, maiden grass, Japanese iris, hostas, lady's mantle, astilbe, and a variety of heather's.

Contemporary Landscape by Lincoln Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Traditional Landscape by Atlanta Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers Home & Garden Design, Atlanta - Danna Cain, ASLA

Hostas

Maiden Grass

Ribbon Grass


Ground covers are good plants to use in the very front and they spread rapidly. See the funny video below.

Decor Ideas for a patio

Rustic pieces and lanterns make good focal points on a patio. These over-sized lanterns add the perfect touch against the stone, and the little stool adds a touch of whimsy.

Merry Christmas

Traditional Friggy Pudding Recipe

Click picture to enlarge recipe.
This is an updated Friggy Pudding recipe.