CasaSugar

Weird Furniture: Sprout a Couch

CasaSugar — Fri, 30 May 2008 12:00:57 -0700

We all know that money doesn't grow on trees . . . but furniture does! Well, in the ground, at least. That's right, you can literally grow your own lawn furniture. ReadyMade has instructions on how to grow an outdoor couch, which requires little more than some dirt, sod, and wooden stakes. Forget green sofas and mattresses, this couch will literally produce oxygen! Just don't try to have it recovered in five years, your upholsterer
might get a little freaked out. Oh, and "Note: Couch may require mowing."

And the Winner Is...

CasaSugar — Thu, 01 May 2008 14:00:09 -0700

Jastyck!

Congratulations to Jastyck, who won Smith & Hawken's 12 Months of Flowering Plants ($459). I hope she enjoys her year of flowers, and keeps them good to grow.

Garden Therapy: Seedling Surprises

CasaSugar — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:00:40 -0700

Look carefully. What you should be seeing in this picture is a row of feather-thin, red-stemmed beet seedlings, which poked out of the soil a week ago. However, you're also seeing a few much larger seedlings. At first I thought they might be sunflower seedlings, reasoning that perhaps I'd randomly tossed in some sunflower seeds when planting and completely forgot about it. But that didn't make sense.

Then I remembered that we'd put a layer of compost into the bottom of the garden box that we then covered with soil. Was it possible that there had been seeds in the compost pile that had germinated?

To find out, read more.

That's exactly what happened. While the compost we put in the garden box looked like it had finished decomposing - it was crumbly, dark, of a uniform texture, and had a pleasant earthy smell - apparently some butternut squash seeds had survived. Indeed, now our entire garden box is dotted with over two dozen butternut squash seedlings. I hope to transplant most of these to other containers, but I certainly don't need 24 squash plants.

Anybody out there need some?

Midday Muse: An Equine Topiary

CasaSugar — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:00:38 -0700

I spotted this fairy tale-esque horse topiary in a post Danny Seo recently wrote about Stella McCartney's new Beverly Hills store. This is just part of her lavish garden in the back of the store. I love it, but can't imagine having a manicured, shaped topiary at my house. Can you see one in your garden?

Souce

Casa Quickie: Steer Your Plants Clear of Heat

CasaSugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:00:39 -0700

It's one thing to place your houseplants in direct sunlight, but you won't do them a favor by putting them near a direct heat source (radiator, duct, oven). Doing so will dehydrate your beloved plant quickly; even if you water it diligently, the leaves will dry out. The same goes for air conditioners and vents. Plants can't handle extreme temperatures, so consider where you place them. If you happen to live in a professional kitchen, or some sort of sweatbox factory, at the very least make sure to insulate the plant by placing a thick board between the pot and the direct heat source.
Source

In the News: Farms Sprout in Suburbia

CasaSugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 07:00:40 -0700

The Wall Street Journal's "Green Acres II: When Neighbors Become Farmers" reports that a growing number of Americans are "turning grass into edible greens and maybe even greenbacks," by growing food in their front and backyards. Since 2006, in Boulder, CO, school-bus driver Kipp Nash has "uprooted his backyard and the front or backyards of eight of his Boulder neighbors," and spent his afternoons "planting, watering, and tending" these minifarms, growing vegetables like tomatoes, bok choy, garlic, and beets. Although not everyone in the neighborhood finds this suburban farming aesthetically pleasing, particularly not during the Winter months, the locally-grown food market has grown, leaving yard farmers with an opportunity to sell to nearby restaurants and other neighbors. Since land is expensive, and nearly a third of residential water goes to landscaping, the financial advantages of suburban farming are clear. But, environmentalists also support it because it "cuts the distance - and the carbon dioxide - needed to get food from farm to consumer." To see a video on the topic, read more.

Source

Sale Alert: 20% Off at Smith & Hawken

CasaSugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 04:30:19 -0700

Smith & Hawken is currently offering 20 percent off of metal furniture, outdoor pavilions, cedar and teak storage, and garden structures. The perfect deal to get your garden into shipshape for Good to Grow month! Of course, you've got to do a little gardening, too. But, if you win 12 months of flowers that shouldn't break the bank either! Here's a few items I wouldn't mind calling my own:

Source

Win 12 Months of Flowers!

CasaSugar — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 11:01:44 -0700

If you love gardening but have a hard time splurging on flowers for yourself, then do I have a giveaway for you! Smith & Hawken's 12 Months of Flowering Plants ($459) will keep you happy year long. Kind of like your favorite shelter magazine, you'll be delighted each month when beautiful blooming plants arrive at your doorstep. Ranging from White Amaryllis in January, Gerbera Daisies in July, to Hydrangea in December, each plant is chosen for its "singular beauty and variety of form and color." If you're interested in winning 12 months of flowers, just take our quiz! To enter, you must log in and take the quiz below. Your eligibility is not based on getting the answers correct, just by completing the quiz once you are logged in. You do, however, need to be a TeamSugar member and log in before you take the quiz. If you're not already a member, just register here for an account. One quiz entry per person; all repeat quizzes will be ignored. Contest ends Tuesday, April 29, at noon (PDT), and is only open to US readers. Click here for Official Rules.

Take the quiz

How Would You . . .

CasaSugar — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 08:07:34 -0700

Perhaps it's my love of Creole townhouses that has made me a sucker for scroll work, but I simply can't help myself when confronted with any wrought-iron intricacies. This Plant Stand ($4,500) from mid-19th century France is no exception; its shabby chic, white, wrought-iron scroll work and elegant basketweave details have completely swept me off my feet. Of course the two-tiered plant stand is parfait for Good to Grow month, but I'd love to give it more attention in my home somehow, make it a focal point.

For this latest How Would You, I'd like you to think about how you would fill this belle of the ball. How would you make this eye-catcher a focal point in your home? Would you use it as a plant stand in an unusual place? Hang it from the ceiling? Turn it into a chandelier? Top it with glass as a coffee table? Leave a comment below and let me know where you'd plant this antique stand.

Garden Therapy: Inspiration From the Garden Girl

CasaSugar — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:00:42 -0700

Two weekends ago I built a new garden box and planted it, and just this morning, my beet and zinnia seedlings were poking through the soil! It was so nice to see some of my hard work start to pay off. Gardening is an exercise in patience, and setbacks such as aphids or bad weather can sometimes frustrate even the most dedicated new gardener.

When I need outside inspiration, I often look to other gardening heroes for a quick boost of garden happiness. If you're feeling the need for a little inspiration, then check out this video from The Gardening Girl, Patti Moreno. She took a parking lot and turned it into a gorgeous urban farm. If that's not inspiring, I don't know what is!