Musical junk wheelbarrows in the garden

I've been debating on passing on plants in the yard this summer. The weather just hasn't cooperated and I was thinking how easy it would be to NOT put the pool up and NOT plant anything that required care. Maybe this was the summer to go camping more after all...

All fine and dandy until I sat out there this afternoon and gagged at my surroundings. Weeds + no blooms =  closing my eyes while getting abit of sun helped but... you know. Kinda like sitting inside your home with no cool junk.

Once a gardener always a gardener I guess.

So I got up and started 'thinking.'

It appears I collect wheelbarrows these days. I didn't even know that until now. Here.. allow me to give you a run down.

#1 wheel-less wonder

#2 cement clad crusty old beater that weights 5000 tons

#3 plastic special

#4 vintage cutie pie with fun splashy colors

 

So just in case you're thinking, "What an ugly wheelbarrow for a garden!", this is what it looked like last summer. (click HERE for more)

Anyway, I was struggling to weed behind that white one in the weed bed. You see, it's an old relic with no wheel.

Which makes weeding behind it extreme grunt work. Not fun. So with my vast collection of wheelbarrows, I chose another to replace this crippled one so I could wheel around a healthy one upon desire.

So before you scroll lower, let's see if you can guess which one I replaced the white one with. Was it #2, #3 or #4?

 

And just in the knick of time, muscle arrived! Miss S is our neighbour and I love her and her laugh and her hair.  And she's wicked on film. She can't take a bad pic. Anyway, she wanted to lug this thug away for me.

You ROCK Miss S! Goodness she's cute. I want her hair. And her muscles.

Weeding now was officially a breeze!

So... which wheelbarrow did I choose anyway?

 

Tadaaa! Did you guess #2, the big crusty mammoth? Honestly, even I thought I may have gone abit too far this round, but bear with me here and see if I can't convince you.

Whoops! The added wheel sits uphill. This won't do.

No worries. A little digging will level this out just fine.

 

I was kinda getting into it at this point so I went all out and did some fresh edging with a half moon edger and clippers? Lawn sheers? Whatever.

 

Well now... if ithat isn't just the cutest beginning.

Those light green plants are from last year's wheelbarrow growth. They rooted into the ground from up above and I left them.

Wait, let me convince you further because you're missing out the BEST detail.

Ready? You're gonna get jealous...

I added this cute little colorful birdhouse...

... to marry it up with all the paint splotches on the wheelbarrow.

Yeah it's crusty, but it's also ART. I love it!

And the day just kept getting better. Miss S wanted to mow my lawn next.

AND she moved the trampoline to do under that too!

I never move the tramp because I can't so this was a major treat. xoxoxo Miss S!

After this feat, I got a visit from my other neighbors, R and C. (I'll ask if I can reveal them)

I had told C my dream of what I'd like to do to the front yard but couldn't due to my woa is me neck. So she talked to her hubby and I will be getting help starting this weekend!

Ouch. Will you still follow me?

So Weed Fest #2 is well under way! I've gotta ditch all the weeds and rocks before Saturday because I'm getting help with cutting newly shaped beds AND help with a new soil delivery when we're ready!

This has been a 5 year dream of mine. I'm totally amazed these plants even give me the time of day due to the extreme soil neglect.

And that long skinny boring border will be all pretty and curvy soon. :)

 

Which brings me back to my once upon a time veggie garden turned dirt sandbox. With new upcoming topsoil coming in, this garden may have a flying chance yet!

But it's not quite ready...

Ohhh yeah. MUCH better. This is gonna be fun. :)

Dream yards... with a challenge for you

The above shows the footwear I was wearing yesterday. We've been digging in the garden, but not in the way you may think. Seems our septic tank needed some attention. More to come on that...

Although we were 'forced' outdoors, it was a pleasure to be out there. I truly think the sun gives me happy medicine. And it makes me think of all the prettiness to come.

Not all DIY is about indoors. I love the outdoors and love a good excuse to just get out there! So... I want you to do the same, with a challenge in mind. Read on....

It's time to do a little dreaming. Some realistically possible, some pure dream mode. How could you twist these dreams into a possible reality in your own yard?

(the following pictures are linked to their source)

I could easily modify this to work in my vegetable garden...

I want to find 'just the right dresser' to try this!

What a clever simple idea....

What a sweet little building! I already have the birdbath.... well, the house in a way too...

Me? Pink?!? I do believe I could be easily converted if I was offered this sweet place.

But I know the crate experience is still near and dear to my heart when I see this.

Seriously stunning backyard. The massive picnic table under the lantern-ed tree awaits... add a fire pit and I'm there!

Yeah...

Yes please. I had that vine on my last home front porch. May have to investigate a new one....

Got the boots, now I just need the rest. Check out that floor!

Simply lovely.

Like a ray of sunshine.

How fabulously junky!

I do believe I've just fallen in love with tea pots.

And succulents alongside old typewriters.

Is it possible to be inspired and depressed at the same time? :)

Here's a challenge. I want you to think of one dream plan for your yard this summer. Then go about creating it. We'll do a 'dream yard' link party mid summer with your inspiration. Sound good?

I found an arbor created from branches in a magazine I'd like to emulate. So I'm going to be on the lookout for the right stuff to make it happen.

Here are a few images from my own 2010 yard to prove it's do-able.

More FJI outdoor ideas are HERE.

So.... what's your DIY backyard dream plan?

More tips and junk in the garden

Ever notice when you return after even a short vacation, that your garden looks like it's gone crazy on you?

June

August

Water tip - load your veggies with water daily and you'll have the sweetest produce EVER. The lettuce is amazing this year. It's so crispy and so perfect it looks fake.

May - dreary.

August - what wheelbarrow?

Flower planting tip - stuff your planting areas silly so you get a grand overgrown type of explosion when your flowers are at their best.

Container planting tip - drill holes, then cover the holes with rocks before adding your soil to provide the best drainage possible.

Shelter tip - try planting some flowers near something else that offers partial shade so your flowers survive the hottest part of summer, as well as protection from heavy rain.

The grapevine has made a big impact on how well this wheelbarrow gone mad is doing. I have to keep snapping new growth back, but it's worth the tinkering. The planter looks amazing.

I added the old wagon wheel for abit of extra junk appeal. :) Notice the status is being held upright by the handles from the wheelbarrow?

Pea planting tip - snap peas are cool.. you get flowers first, then food! :)

Did you know snap peas bloom before bringing you pods? I didn't! What a bonus!

The peas went so crazy on me, I needed to borrow one of my old rusty headboards to hold them up!

May ho hum.

August awesomeness.

But not everything went flawless in the garden this year. My lovely row of deep garnet geraniums (below) simply stopped blooming. The green was gorgeous but the blooms went bye bye.

Annoyed, I started chemical feeding them with the plan on doing it once a week. And watched them daily to see if there would be progress.

Week one (above) - the entire bush was littered with the buds!

Week 2-3 (above) - in full bloom! 

Holey chemical feed, this stuff really works! 

Flower blooming tip - keep those pretty blooms booming with chemical feeder once a week.  (I used Miracle Grow, mix granules with water)

My sweet neighbour Kenny watered all these flowers and veggies while we were camping. I'm paying him back with some chocolate bars and gum. Don't kids take the coolest payment ever? :)

How's your own garden progressing? 
How do you keep your flowers blooming?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In other news...


I'm back in the saddle this week. I feel like I've missed so much! Thanks for allowing me to enjoy my little holiday with my son. :) Stories and pics to soon follow. We did start a new DIY project just today so more on that too!

Thanks for the amazing SNS these past two weekends!  Scroll down or click HERE to visit all the incredible projects.  There are TONS!  Next weekend is kitchen islands.

And how's your Gitter Done project coming along??? Linkup goes up late Tuesday night. See ya then!