Wagon Succulent Planter

Today, I did a quick bit of gardening.  We bought a dozen small succulents yesterday and in less than an hour, I turned this wagon into a lovely, little garden.  All of the succulents called for roughly the same amount of sun, moisture, and drainage. We picked this wagon because it leaks out the bottom and succulents require good drainage.  So though this will not last forever, it has enough drainage to sustain the succulent garden for a little while.  If you are using a newer wagon, I suggest drilling holes in the bottom to ensure the plants do not get waterlogged.  

I do not have much of a DIY because it is pretty self-explanatory.  Lay out some potting soil, dig some holes, place plants in, pat down around the edges, and give a nice watering!

I also included some cuttings from another succulent plant and will add more to fill in the holes.

And that's all! This is a quick way to make a garden that is easy to care for.  It can brighten up any outdoor area, especially if you have a lot of concrete and little grass.

Saturday Afternoon

Glimpses of Our Saturday Afternoon

This Saturday, there is laundry drying in every corner of the apartment.  Somehow it's been weeks since we last washed our clothes.  Jeans are in the windows, dresses hang from the rafters.

While Amy is busy writing another paper (unfortunately, being finished with her thesis does not mean being finished with her degree), I have been making cupcakes!

The sun is shining on our bean plants which keep taunting us with bulging but not-quite-ready-to-pick pods.

Today has simply been lovely!

Hooray For The Internet!

I have one more week before my dissertation is due and thought I would take a pause from the hard work to share some lovely things I have found on the internet this week. The weather here in Prague is making it impossible to get any work done anyways - too hot! 

These dresses <3
via Fancy Fine

This little man sniffing for morsels is too cute!
via Freckled Nest

I could really use a nice tweed suit, so amazing.
via They Roared Vintage on tumblr

Red barn doors, love these!
via Keltainen Talo Rannalla

Love sinks with legs.
via HGTV

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cupcakes - these are a must try!
via Culinary Tuesdays

Before and after of a bar made of reclaimed wood!
via Design Sponge 

Hair, shoes, and outfit are divine.
via The Vintage Valley

Porcelain and rope hanging planters. Lovely!
via Etsy

Hope you enjoyed!

<3 Amy

Sowing Beans

Sowing Beans

My First Attempt at Container Gardening

This past week we had our first signs of spring in Prague.  The windows have been open more in the past two days than they had been since we moved in in October.  Though I am housebound by another late-winter illness, I've been trying to make the most of the sunshine.  

The previous tenants left some dead or nearly dead plants in the gutters outside of our window where they weathered the winter.  I wanted to plant something in them that was easy and would provide a bit of greenery.  The only kinds of seeds that I had around were some dried beans in the cupboard.  

It seemed obvious enough that I could plant beans and get bean plants--after all, the beans are the seeds.  However, I did some checking around to make sure.  Here are some tips:

Do not try to plant chickpeas.  They are not a very productive plant with just one seed per pod.

Make sure you are using the nicest-looking beans.  No cracks or discoloration.

Try to use organic.  Traditionally-farmed beans may come from Monsanto which may breed them to grow better with specific chemical pesticides.  Also, Monsanto really hates you using their seeds for free.  You do not want to get on Monsanto's bad side.

Look up the needs of your specific beans on a gardening website, such as Weekend Gardener.  

For now, our beans are growing on the windowsill.  When there is no more chance of frost, they will be moved outside.  Hopefully, in the coming months, I will have good news to report on this experiment!