Add Two Weeks of Nurturing

What a difference two weeks of attentive nurturing produces in the month of April!

Photos tell the story best.

 

 

Happy Spring!

A Child-Friendly Little Town

Planning my Little Town of Parsley, I always keep in mind that I want to share it with all ages. Wouldn't it be more fun if anyone could walk through it, as well as circle to view it? And, if my little grandson wants to visit the farm and the animals, I know that I must have easy access for his enjoyment.

A dry bed that can work for walking and weeding

The Dry Bed

I determined a human-size walking path for the the little garden. The width was more than I think looks good for the scale of the buildings; however, here was a good place to begin for everyone to adjust to the path. I knew that plants would eventually cover the edges and creep to take up the awkward visual space.

Underneath the layout, I had used landscape fabric to prevent weeds. I dug down to the fabric level - which was only about two inches - where I previously planned pathways/waterways. Filling the outline with paving sand, I wet the sand and tamped it to the firmness that I wanted in texture.

If you want to do something similar, be sure the sand is PAVING sand.

The next day I was off to Lowe's to use my Christmas gift card. Here I purchased items for hardscaping and landscaping.

More paving sand, egg rock, pea gravel, Moisture Max Garden Soil

This tray was packaged as "Drop and Grow." I could divide it and save$.

I added the pea gravel first and then lined the edges of the dry bed with egg-size rock. I will mix a few egg rock in the bed so that the rocks appear to have been washed along. I can fill the gaps of the sides with the pea gravel. I continue to walk on the bed to tamp it further.

Add pea gravel. Add egg rock along sides and randomly in bed.

I followed a natural flow of water from heavy rains we usually experience.

At the end of each section, I used rock to appear as if water came from underneath them.

I continued to firm the edges so that moss and other plants would hold the soil from washing into the beds.

My plant purchases: Silver King Hens and Chicks; Sedum "Lime Zinger"; Viola "Silver  Gem"; Sedum "LimeLight"; Hedera "Spetchley Gnome" (Miniature Perennial Ivy)

Snowflake Creeping Phlox

Silver King Hens and Chicks - I use these to mimic cabbages in the gardens.

Packaged as "Drop and Grow," various types of sedum that I divided

Packaged as "Drop and Grow," various types of sedum that I divided

Packaged as "Drop and Grow," various types of sedum that I divided

When I divided the various types of sedum, I saved all the "debris" to plant.

Hedera "Spetchley Gnome": miniature ivy on the arbor

I will "test the waters" now - waiting for several days of rain. Wish me luck. See you soon!

Town Construction: Stamp Houses

Imagine a Little Town residential construction site. The builder for this dream is Heather Donohue at heatherdonohue.wordpress.com

heatherdonohue.wordpress.com: Search under the stamp category.

Before: styrofoam, pins, glue, and vintage stamps

Here are little stamp houses/bird houses that you can make and wear as a pendants.They require a little more work than the ones above; however, Heather Alexander gives you easy to follow steps to construct them from stamps and other materials.

Chirpy Birdhouse Pendant by Heather Alexander

Heather suggests making your own little birdhouse pendant by decoupaging a tiny handmade house with your own paper memorabilia.

Materials:

• 3/4" thick piece of wood (maple)
• 1 silver 1/2" eye screw
• 1 vintage postage stamp
• assorted paper ephemera, 1" square or larger or stamps
• rubber stamp(s) and ink
• decoupage medium
• spray sealer
• black permanent marker or paint
• glue
• table saw or jigsaw
• awl
• drill with 1/16" and 1/4" drill bits
• 1/4" round hole punch
• scissors
• 100-grit sandpaper or sanding block
• pliers
• paint brush

Heather's EASY Tip: Try making these birdhouses using dice as the body of the house. Drill the door hole on the number one (1) side.  She says that no awl is necessary as there is already a perfectly centered guide.

Step-by-step instructions, along with here photo images, are at Jewelry Making Daily.

You can also purchase Heather's work at Art by Heather.