500 + PLANTS IN HER BROOKLYN APARTMENT

When I first move into  my new 424 square foot condo a year ago I thought that having an indoor garden would not be possible.  First off I have two cats what will chew on everything and secondly would I even have enough space.  Then one day I came across this video of Summer Rayne Oakes, a Brooklyn resident who has over 500 plants in her apartment.  This just blew me away.   If she can have that many plants that are thriving then why can't I.  I am suppose to be the professional landscape designer that helps others with their garden but have none of my own to speak of.

So I decided to try with a few.  That is what gardening is anyways right?  A science lab where you get to play, experiment and try various things.  In my case some plants are doing really well and other bit the dust.  Failure must happen in order to succeed.  Right?  The other benefit of this experiment is that you are bringing plants into your home that are good for the indoor air quality.  Now I don't intend to have as many as Summer does but enough anyways.  This video made by Barcroft TV shows her apartment and all her plants.



I am curious if you have every experimented with indoor gardening.  If so then comment below and let me know.  Do you have 500 + plants indoors?

COMPACT FULLERTON FRONT YARD MAKEOVER

As I have written here before, I love killing lawns and replacing them with plants and various other features.  In this case the homeowner's had already removed the grass and anything else that they did not want to keep.  They also a ton of colorful rocks that were left over by the previous owner that was perfect for repurposing.

In this case we added decomposed granite as the major pathway, California native plants, a dry creek bed and other fun accessories.  The homeowner's also built a light box of sorts to add another dimension to their garden.  The actual construction work for most of the garden was done by a referred licensed landscape contractor.

This video is a peak into the garden.  Enjoy!

You can see photos of this project here.

SMALL YARD BIG IMPACT

I tend to not be picky about the projects I take. You just never know whom you will meet and be designing for or whom they are connected to.  Sometimes even small yards can lead to bigger things. In this case the small yard was for a husband and wife in Cypress, CA.  Although the project was small the challenge was big.  They had lawn that they were not actively using and wanted to replace it with something prettier.  They had some rocks that they did not know what to do with.  Also they had no access to the street straight from the front door.

I started the process by having the site measured in order to have an accurate site plan.  It is a must that your dimensions are on point.  Having precise measurements ensures that there won't be discrepancies during installation.  From there I create a site plan using a digital drafting program called AutoCAD.  What I love about doing my work digitally is that I get to complete drawings in half the time than if if I was drafting by hand.  This also means that I won't be charging an arm or a leg for my services.

For this challenge we added a decomposed granite path with flagstone pieces soft set in between that leads from the front door to the street.  This way if there are multiple cars parked in the driveway then no one is having to squeeze their way to the front door.  We installed an overhead irrigation system California native plants and most plants survive better than being drip irrigated.  Plants in that are growing in the wild are never drip irrigated.  We created a dry creek bed with the extra rocks and added some California native plants as well as a few dwarf lemon trees.  Overall the homeowners are happy to have a eye catching yet drought tolerant landscape that is now the envy of the neighborhood.

FLOWERS MADE FROM BOTTLES

I don't recommend drinking water from plastic bottles since plastic is harmful to the environment. But if you do and are wondering what to do with those left over bottles. Well. You could either recycle them or turn them into a flower art that could even be a fun project to do with the kids.

The Lost Bean coffee shop has explored this idea by creating an interesting window display (see photos). Attractive, fun and creative. This is also something that you could do in your garden as an outdoor art project to decorate a bland wall with.

I would love to not only see and hear about the fun DIY garden things that you have made but also blog about it. Send me an email with photos and a description. Happy crafting!

OUTDOOR WALL ART

Recently I went back to a clients Costa Mesa back yard to take follow up pictures. The project had been installed over 7 months ago and I was curious to see how the landscape had turned out. Overall I was pleased and found myself intrigued by the outdoor wall art that was put up. The wall color which I actually like was existing and is softened not only by the plants but the cute art decor. This is a great way to add interest to a wall.

Fellow landscape designer Rebecca Sweet found goodies belonging to her family that she put up as art in her back yard. Telling a tale of her past (right picture). Inspired by her photo I decided to sift through my parent's garage in hopes that I might find somethings worth hanging on my outdoor wall. Alas all I found were some empty suitcases, old shoes and used electronics. Oh well but I do wonder what you have hiding in a box that might work well as outdoor wall art? Do share! owner of Harmony in The Garden has an office shed in her home in which she decorated one wall with found things that she got from her parent's old garage. Tools n things that are vintage and un

5 TIPS TO REDUCE YOUR WATER BILL

I count myself amongst most Americans who are living upside down. Where you owe more on your house than what it's currently worth. Yep! I am right there with you. But just because the economy has gone to shreds does not mean that your wallet has to. Consider these 5 tips to give you ideas on how to reduce your water bill and add a little more "green" to your wallet. These tips may even add some "green" to your property value.

Tip #1 - Kill Your Lawn
Let's face it and accept the reality that lawns are a waste of money and valuable real estate. The amount of water you spend to water the lawn and money you spend to mow and fertilize it is not well spent. You could rather use up that valuable real estate to create a low water meadow garden or create a habitat attracting California native garden. You will become the neighborhood trend setter and the local wildlife will love you to pieces.

Tip #2 - Harvest Rainwater and Greywater
If mother nature is giving us free water then why are we not harvesting it? If you are going to have to use water to wash your cloths in then why not use the left overs to irrigate your garden with. Think for a minute and try this on for size... Get a large decorative pot in whatever color suits your fancy. Cut a whole at the bottom of the pot where a spigot will go into. A small hose attaches to the spigot. Put some mesh with thin holes at the top so the bugs don't get in and whoa-la! Place the pot under the gutter or attach a hose from the washing machine that leads outside to the top of the pot. You could even have the water connected to your irrigation system.

Tip #3 - Understand What You Have Planted
My mother is the classic person that always over water's her garden. As often as I tell her that the plants in her garden don't need much water she still insists on watering more often then necessary. By understanding what is planted in your garden and how much water each plant will need will better help you in using the right amount of water. If you have hired a designer then he or she should tell you all the details about the your plants and if you have had an irrigation system installed then your contractor should educate you on how to use it.

Tip #4 - Plant California native plants (assuming you live in California)
California native plants are from... Guess where? They are already adapted to the California climate and the gnarly clay soils that we have. They require much less water then any other type of plant material and the local wildlife love them. If you must have grasses in your garden then try these California native options.

Tips #5 - Sweep it
I have a front porch on the second floor of a condo complex and I would not dare use water to wash my front porch in. I just grab a broom and sweep. Gives me a good upper body work out and helps save our precious resource. Just imagine that the water you use to wash hardscape with is going into the storm drain and possibly destroying our watersheds.

Photos are of a lawn less garden I designed in Costa Mesa, CA.

REUSEING IN YOUR BACKYARD

The most thrilling part of my job is when I get to be creative. Especially with the things that are already existing in the garden. One such case was with a client that had a bunch of old big concrete pavers in side yard that we reused in her back yard and subsequently planted in between them. This was a great solution and it allowed for movement through the garden with spaces for her to plant some edibles and anything else that suited her fancy. Most of the plants that we used in her garden were either California native or edible.

The bench that you see in the picture to the left was her old concrete driveway that would have otherwise collected dust in the landfill. Now this client has a nice space to sit with her morning cup of coffee enjoying the bird songs. If you really think about it there are many things that can be reused. Maybe perhaps your parents have a garage filled with antique treasures that they no longer have need for that you can re-purpose on your garden.

Do you have a really long and narrow side yard with not a whole lot of room. Then how about using some old pavers and bricks to make a path. All you have to do is set the pavers in the ground (without concrete and mortar) and use mulch as the grout. This gives you the option to be able to plant and also have a path way.

The really nice part is that you don't have to spend a lot of money. All you need is to think outside the box and color outside the lines and you just might have (find) something in your garden that has many different uses to take advantage of.

RE-PURPOSING - CRAFTY FOR THE HOLIDAYS

re-purposing is the art of taking something old and making it new again. Whether you refinish the object or take it apart and give it a new life. It's always fun to not buy new and simply re-purpose. Below are some re-purposed items.
A small town in England turned their old phone booth into a mobile 24/7 library. You could even take a bunch of old water bottles and create neat things like this bus stop. However if these are out of your league and too big for you then enjoy these much simpler things that you can make in your own back yard.

Take those old shoes that you just don't want anymore and use them as planters. For an even more creative idea cover the shoes with buttons or beads for a bit of extra bizzazz.
This is where I really wish I had kept all the old floppy disks. Totally could have re-purposed them. Maybe it's time for you to rummage through the attic.

This holiday season consider that the state of the economy may not leave you with much of a shopping budget, but that should not stop you from giving the neatest gift. Try getting a little crafty. From re-purposing items to making your own holiday cards these ideas will not only save you money but the fact that you took time to make it, ads a special touch that something store bought can't do.

FLYER PLANTER

I recently saw this on a twitter post of a friend and thought it was neat and rad to share. Think about all the old things that you have collecting dust in the garage and how you might be able to re purpose it and turn it into not only a work of art but a planter. If I had this old newspaper holder it would have done double duty for me as a planter and a small side table painted to what ever color suits my fancy.

Visit the artists website.


Reduce - Reuse - Recycle

USE RECYCLED / BUY RECYCLED

You can take old yogurt container and old jars and turn them into pots to grow herbs or small shrubs.

The picture to the left is a vase made with the following...

• Old milk jar
• Hemp string
• Hot glue gun
• Craft paint in your favorite color
• Any variety of flowers that suit your fancy

Use the hot glue gun to wrap the jar with the hemp string. If you don't like the color of the string then you can paint the string (after you have glued it on the jar). Fill the jar with water and put your favorite flower in it. If your jar has a wider opening then you can put some fertilizer and herb seeds. Once the herbs grow you can use then for cooking.

The US Federal Trade Commission explains terms you will see when shopping for recycled products.

• If a label says "Recycled," the package must also tell you exactly how much of the product is recycled unless the product contains 100 percent recycled materials.
• "Recycled" products are made from materials that have been recovered from discarded items. These items are then (1) melted down; (2) pulverized, crushed, or ground up; or (3) rebuilt, reconditioned, or remanufactured. Items such as glass, metal, newspaper, plastic bottles, and aluminum cans typically fit into (1) or (2). Items such as used auto parts, printer cartridges, and some appliances fit into category (3). Products in the (3) category must state that their recycled content came from rebuilt, reconditioned, or remanufactured parts if it is not obvious that it contains used parts.
• "Post-consumer" material comes from previously used consumer or business products, such as plastic bottles, glass containers, aluminum cans, and newspapers. Therefore, if you buy copy paper that ways "50% post-consumer material," you know that half of the content is from recycled substances.
• "Pre-consumer" material is manufacturing waste. A plastic bottle manufacturer, for example, may collect and recycle the pieces of plastic trimmed off during manufacturing and recycle them into making other bottles.
• Product labels that claim the item or packaging uses less material or has less waste is only meaningful if exact information is provided. For example, "uses 35 percent less waste than our previous package" tells you much more than "35 percent less waste."
• Claims on product labels that say "environmentally friendly," "eco-safe," or similar statements are too vague to be meaningful. You need specific information on how or why the product is good for the environment and how to evaluate the claims.
• When you do buy products, make sure you buy those that are in containers or packaging that you can recycle in your area. A product label may say "recyclable," but if the item is not collected in your area or you have no way to recycle it, then it is not "recyclable" for you.

Other ways to green your life...

• Buy earth friendly garden products.
• Use earth friendly cleaning products, recycled toilet paper, napkins etc.
• Buy fruits and vegetables from farms or farmers markets and organic foods.
• Buy body, face and hair products that are organic (vegan friendly).
• Buy office paper made with recycled content.
• Buy organic cotton clothes and bed sheets.
• If you are going to buy promotional business products why not buy green.