windowboxwoodenflowers-FB
At this time of year the hardest thing for me to do is be patient, because by nature I am NOT a patient person. When the skies are sunny and the temperatures soaring, I want to be in the dirt. And when I say “in” the dirt, I mean IN the dirt. I am probably the messiest, dirtiest gardener you have ever seen. By the time I am done “playing” in the gardens, I’m covered head to toe in glorious dirt! I find it in my hair, pockets and even my bra! Tim calls me a “full bodied gardener” and he’s not referring to my girth… but come to think of it he could be I suppose… but I digress!
 
Anyway, Mother Nature always tempts me to start planting before I should. I know she means no malice, but if I give into her teases and taunts, I’m apt to stick plants in the ground too early only to lose them to frost! I actually have a whole month to wait until I can start adding a few flats of annuals to my mostly perennial gardens, but each spring I’m like a 6 year old waiting for Christmas. Seriously, could time trudge any slower?
 
I have learned over to years to content myself with garden projects that don’t involve planting. We start cleaning beds, spreading mulch, and checking for winter damage. There are bushes to prune, benches to paint and in general, giving the yard a good “Spring House Cleaning.”
 
I also use this time to create non living decorations for the gardens. There are plant markers to be made, wee bits of whimsy to create, and it’s time to peek in on our fairies.
 
One of my favorite projects I’ve made is our Window Box Wooden Flowers. Try as I might, I always had trouble growing flowers in our window boxes. They are quite shaded, and it seems I was always over or under watering them. It seemed I was replacing my flowers throughout the summer! Plus, our house is set back quite far from the street, and I always wanted large blooms so they could be seen.
 
Finally, I solved my problem. I plant ferns in the box, which are quite resilient, then add painted wooden flowers in colors that blend well with my natural flowers. You can now see them from the street, I can’t kill them, and they add that touch of whimsy that I love so much.
 
If you would like to make your own wooden flowers, you can check out our tutorial HERE.  I’ve got a couple of new projects planned for the next few weeks. You can be sure I’ll share them with you!
Do you have any garden/out-of-door projects for this spring that don’t involve “planting” plants?