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How to Make an Air Pruning Bed 1


How to Make an Air Pruning Bed 2

Repair Pants with Fabric Glue


DIY Wooden Garden Signs

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DIY Wooden Garden Signs

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 I was shopping for some natural-looking garden signs to add to my garden, but struggled to find something that I liked. I already had some old lathe and extra bamboo stakes laying around, and thought it would be perfect for making some simple wooden signs! It's biodegradable, unlike those plastic labels you get with the typical nursery plants. I had some garden twine (jute, I believe) to tie the bamboo stakes to the lathe. Perfect! I did purchase some special paint markers, since regular Sharpies do tend to wear off in the rain throughout the growing season.  Here's how I did it: Materials: Lathe Bamboo stakes Garden twine, jute or similar Paint markers Spray polyurethane (optional) Process: 1. Cut the lathe into desired length. I eyeballed about 3-4". I cut a few with a hand saw, but quickly switched to a battery-powered circular saw! 2. Sand edges and any rough faces. 3. Cut bamboo to desired length. I cut about 12" pieces using a circular saw, which did splinter t...
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How to Make a Natural Rooting Hormone Using Willow

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Big box stores sell a small jar of synthetic rooting hormone for only a few dollars, but many people want to avoid exposing themselves to this. A DIY alternative is willow water. Have you ever tried to cut down a willow tree, only to find a few months later that it is sprouting everywhere? This tree just wants to grow and roots so easily. You can take advantage of this natural tendency for rooting by making willow water. The magic behind this phenomenon is in 2 compounds that are found in willow trees: salicylic acid (the stuff in aspirin that helps with resistance to pathogens) and IBA (indolebutyric acid, which stimulates root growth).  First, find a willow tree...any variety of willow will work here. Willows love water, so check by ponds, rivers, and streams. The best time to collect would be early spring or summer. If you're collecting in the summer, you'll need to remove the leaves. Focus on getting the new growth - the ends of the branches that are thin and pliable.  Nex...
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How to Collect and Prepare Stinging Nettle

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My daughter learned to identify stinging nettle when she was only 2 years old. We were out for a walk in the woods, when she started screaming, staring at her hand in confusion. She had grabbed a stinging nettle plant. 😥 After the sting died down via lots of mommy kisses, we looked carefully (with our eyes only!) at the plants around us, learning how to identify the pointy mint-like leaves and the prickly hairs on the stems of stinging nettle.  "Is this one stinging nettle?" I asked, pointing at some garlic mustard.  "No!"  "Is this one stinging nettle?" I asked, pointing at some nettle. "Yes...owie!" Nettle is best eaten in the spring, when the leaves are young and tender. I wear thick gloves and use scissors to harvest, dropping them into a plastic shopping bag. I wear long pants or boots to prevent my legs from brushing inadvertently against the plant. You can collect nettles at any time during the growing season for tea.  Nettles are typical...
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