May 2nd, photo of the day: My Newest Model

For those of you familiar with my blog, you’ll remember the garden planter I designed and built after I found out I had been wait-listed for the local community garden. For those of you who are new -Welcome!- and you can read all about my adventures into carpentry HERE.

The planter has been all set up since I built it in March, full of dirt and ready to go. I’ve just waiting for the weather to warm up! My little starts have been making forays out onto the deck during the day to acclimate, and I finally decided it was time to put their little feet in the ground on Monday.

Since my three-foot by three-foot planter isn’t large enough to warrant a full-sized scarecrow, my mom made a smaller version for me. This fellow is also my newest model for my photography, and he’s a dream to work with! He doesn’t move after I position him, he’s willing to give any pose a try, and he doesn’t talk back. :)

Guardian of the Crops

Keeping the birds at bay

Here is another one she’s made:

My mom is super creative. I keep telling her that she needs to make these guys and sell them. No two would be alike, because she uses unique materials for each one.

What do you think? Would you buy one of these creative creatures to add a little character (literally and figuratively!) to your own garden?

A garden of my own

“A garden requires patient labor and attention. Plants do not grow merely to satisfy ambitions or to fulfill good intentions. They thrive because someone expended effort on them.” -Liberty Hyde Bailey

Back in January I was so excited to sign up for a plot in the community garden here in Renton. Our apartment is small, and though it has a little deck, we don’t get much light there. I was looking forward to being able to plant and grow veggies to eat, as well as the community of other people who shared my same goal.

If I lived in Medford, I could grow goodies in my parents backyard. My mom usually has something growing back there that’s good to eat. Or, I could have raided my sister’s garden patch. Last summer I helped my niece, Emmaline, to plant and grow her own veggies.

But all that is hard to do when you’re a 7 and half hour drive away.

Last week was the orientation meeting for the community garden, and when we got there I got the sad news. I was only on the wait list. The wait list?! Gah. The guy doling out plots said he would call me if something opened up, but it’s been about 4 days now and he hasn’t called.

So today I took action.

I drew up this plan:

The Plan

I designed it to sit on and hang off of the deck railing, which will allow two of the three planter spaces to get more light than they would it they just sat on the deck itself.

And today, Isaac and I went to Home Depot to give it life.

The guy who helped us was great, he showed us different types of wood I could use, and cut the pieces into the lengths I needed.

The basic shape

6 hours later = completion

Three planter spaces, 3 feet long

It's new home

I’m pretty impressed that it worked out so well. I really wanted it to work, and it does! Also, I’m pretty tired. It’s mentally draining  -but in a good way- to figure something like this out!

It’s so cool to see my idea turn into something real!

Bring it on, Spring! Now I’m ready for you!