Saturday, February 11, 2012

The Beginings of our Urban Garden...and other Musings

Happy Saturday Morning to Everybody;)  Thought I would take a moment and share what I started this morning....


I might have been a bit eager to start this early in the season, but it says that lettuce greens prefer cooler weather and to start as soon as the soil can be worked.  I found the seeds at the supermarket yesterday.  $2 for 4500 seeds....that's alot of salad!  Just sayin'....not complainin' ;)



This stack of findings will be turned into planter benches so I can have room for more plants upward.  It is a pretty big patio, but will be bigger if I use the up space.  I didn't take a picture of the railing along the patio, but I am going to put planter boxes along that also to make use of that space. And, I will have a small herb garden shelf in my kitchen. 

With all this and the backyard use downstairs, we should have a pretty sizable harvest for the space we are working with.  I am just crossing my fingers that it all comes together;)

Among my other fancies and occupations of late, I have been thumbing through the creative world of Steampunk.  David and I were/are fans and participants of the Ren Faire Movement in the earlier part of this century (that is cool to say, isn't it Katie?;))  I loved making costumes for myself, David (the ever beloved hubby), my mom, etc.  Ren faires are hard to come by nowadays, commercialism having taken over the enterprise, making it harder to find and participate in the events.  Steampunk offers a new way to participate in a costuming genre that incorporates a Victorian Era bend, recycling of found things, budget minded events, and your unlimited creativity.  The new Grunge of the 21st century taken to higher level of fit.

Back to my point....I picked up this stack/pile/wad of clothing this morning....
Not the best picture I have ever taken, but it does the job.  Linen, wool, silk, rayons, funky buttons, etc.  Here's the story behind this.... We're broke.  I am utilizing resources around the city to feed, house, clothe, and medicate us (okay, medicate sounds wrong....but you get the idea).  It is enough of a hit to the ego to know that you are "broke", ( I have NEVER, nor will allow, the word "poor" to be used when describing my household and its members  Poor is a word you use when you have given up hope.) but to look like you are broke?  Not happening.  So, with that, I will be "redesigning" these garments in Steampunk spirit.  Who knows...maybe it will look impressive when I show up for band photo shoots (yes, Katie...you can pass on my info...I would love the exposure!)

With that in closing, I will stop bending your ear and let you be on with your day.  To all that commented and gave input on my photo blog...a great big Thank You!!  You gave me alot of supportive comments and ideas for the site, and reminded me of things that I overlooked.

Enjoy your weekend and Happy Quilting to All!!



7 comments:

Liriopia said...

ONLY LETTUCE? Honey, you can start peas, radishes, broccoli, cabbage (actually any member of the cole family) and tomatoes now, too. They all love cooler weather, well except the tomatoes. But they will grow and get really big and be ready to set flowers as soon as it warms a bit. All of them can be started directly in the garden, too! I am assuming by Ren Faire you mean Renaissance Faire? I am sure you can turn what you have found into better costumes then some I have seen. You have the touch, LOL!

Liri

Katie said...

You are definitely not "poor." I think that's a state of mind. Broke is a fact, but you've obviously got some plans to keep that from getting you down. I think Steampunk stuff is fascinating, so I'll be interested to see what you turn that pile of clothing into. And I'll pass your info along to my cousin, but be warned: this is no ordinary band, it's a jug band! (No, not boobs, they play clay jugs and washboards and other such instruments. It's actually quite cool.)

Marsha B said...

Your garden starts are impressive! You will have some wonderful things in your garden and unlike the store bought stuff, it will have some great flavor! It will be fun to see what you do with the clothing, creativity is the most important ingredient! Have fun.

---"Love" said...

Glad to know it's warm enough somewhere to think about gardening; it's in the 20's in Texas tonight! Sounds like your creative juices are streaming again; have fun! ---"Love"

a good yarn said...

Plant a seed and all that. It's good to make a start and before too long you'll have a flourishing garden. I have grown all manner of things successfully in pots. Broke? Try thrifty and resourceful. Your Depression Era forebears would be delighted! ann :-)

Ruth said...

Yes, I would say you are very resourceful. Since my DS/DIL live in Dayton - about 1/2 hr away from Salem, I know that there are a lot of artistic things going on around your area. McMinnville has 2 markets every week and maybe Salem does as well, where people sell all manner of fresh veggies and crafts. That might be something to keep in mind.

Beth said...

Steampunk is so wonderfully fun and funky, and you are just the person to create unique clothing.
I look forward to seeing what you create.
I really want to start a garden this year. Do you think that I can start seeds inside?