Sunday Bits #17 (raised beds, garden sheds, spring planters)

My spring planter from my old blog, the island homestead.

What a great week I have had. I got to spend some time with my daughter and the grandbabies, the reno has reached the halfway mark, and I got my hair done!

The kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities arrived the other day. Will take the fella several days to put them together, but they are here and look as great as I had hoped! Did you know that with all the supply chain issues, you need to order your cabinets 4 to 6 months ahead of time? I had already forgotten what ours looked like!

The highlight (hah!) of my week was getting my hair done! Like so many others, I pretty much stopped going to the salon during the pandemic. I tell you, it sure felt great. Nothing makes a gal feel better than a day at the salon. I am sticking with my long, natural hair, still waiting for those silver highlights to spread naturally... but dang, they are taking their time. So, I decided to do a money-piece on one side, a nice chunky strip of silver on one side. It is age appropriate, works with my natural 'silvery highlights' but adds a wee bit of fun. Bye bye mousey hair!

Here are some of the great articles I found for you all this week. The gardening bits are really practical, really really good, and the other bits are pretty great, too ; )

Gardening Bits

If I was still on the island, I would now be pulling my over-wintered spring pots out of the hoophouse and potting up my front porch pots with spring blooms from the nursery. Tis that time, my island friends! We are still a ways off of that here on the prairies, a few weeks of hard winter yet to come, but our time will come. Till then, we dream and plan.

To make these pots, you do not have to have potted them up yourself last fall, but rather pick up forced pots of tulips, daffs, grape hyacinths, irises, pretty much any bulbs at all, from the nursery. Put them in big pots, add some sticks and greenery (lamium and ivies are hardy enough for the light frosts) and ta da, you have an amazing spring planter. See this post for many great ideas of how to put them together.

Creating raised beds. I love the mulching idea mentioned in this article, for both veggies and flowers, can be used in any type of bed. I am, however, dead set against recommending people use landscape fabric anywhere except on top of the soil. On top, it will help warm up soil and work as an actual weed barrier, keeping the weed seeds from germinating while you grow your food. Remove the fabric in fall when veggies are harvested. Under the soil it offers zero benefits, the weed seeds will blow into the bed regardless, but most importantly, it impedes the soil life from bettering your soil.

Here is yet another great article about raised beds. Why they are amazing and how to make them. If you have a good amount of soil under the bed, going up just 6 inches is fine. If, however, you live on the island (which is all rock) your beds will dry out much to fast to grow anything well. Save water and time by making them 12 inches deep instead.

Love all of these cute garden sheds. What is it about pictures of beds and greenhouses that so enthralls?

Foodie Bits

Make a cream soup without the cream! This is a great idea if you are, like me, trying to lose weight and eat heart smart. Just as tasty without all the extra calories and fats : )

A simple, yummy orange and cranberry scone recipe! I absolutely love scones. Our good family friend, whom we have known so long we consider a brother, makes the best scones that I have ever had, bar none. Though I will not ever be able to beat his scones, I always save the recipes and think on the good memories. Leaving Dave and Jan behind on the island broke our hearts.

Crafty Bits

Okay, this pinecone wreath is actually super duper cute! I have never been lucky enough to have a pine tree on my property but can try with spruce cones instead. Might work?

Homey Bits

I just love this house! The exterior colours are pretty unique, not really my style, but I just love all the interior bits.. and that kitty is so adorable going after the lights. Cheeky!

Check out this fabulous French style house tour. Love this house inside and out, the butler's pantry, and the barn plus barnyard are amazing, too.

One more house tour this week. Check out the amazing kitchen, that gorgeous backsplash, the curtains (want!) and the lovely hues with that blonde wood. Such a beauty.

Have you heard of Swedish Death Cleaning? Sounds morbid, I know, but makes sense. My mom was a bit of a hoarder (not like dangerous style, you would not know it unless you looked in every single cupboard that was filled to the brim!). It took forever to clean out the house when she went to the nursing home. I think I have most of my junk pared down, did most of the purging during the move, and hope not to accumulate too much extra for the kids to deal with as I age in place. Such a burden to put on the kids.

Do you have telescoping curtain rods and constantly fight with them getting stuck? Did you know there is a simple answer for that? I had no idea but this is genius. I am looking for new curtains for my living room bay window so curtains have been on my mind ; )

Did you see this strawberry basket idea in the February Potager post? Cute, eh?

Wishing you all a really great week!

Happy Long Weekend ~ Tanja