Repurpose Those Tools

For those of you who enjoy using vintage farm implements and old tools as decor in your home,  here is a neat idea.  Although I can't take credit for this neat repurpose idea, I do have to use it as I thought it was so cool.  I bought this vise new a week ago but am still on the look-out for a vintage one, perhaps larger to accommodate larger books.

Frugal Decor - Green Is The Way

So I've been on a "green-kick" for quite awhile.  I guess it started about a year ago.  I was first on a mission to find green depression glass pieces in plates, bowls, candy dishes, vases, candleholders, etc.  Green keeps popping up on the design sites as "cool", "contemporary" and "trendy".  I've been seeing green used wonderfully in rooms as paint accent and focal wall colors.  When you think of GREEN, you think of FRUGAL - no?  I do.

My green frugal finds keep emerging lately, as though waiting for me to happen upon them.  A quick stop at the Salvation Army, one I have not visited in a few years, had me purchasing two small McCoy planters.  One in a bright, ice green which I gifted to my mother for her kitchen that showcases the color, and also a jade green one which I kept for myself. - as though I don't have enough green, pottery pieces sitting around.  Oh well, you can always rotate your "finds" to keep things interesting and new.

Vintage McCoy Planter in Jade. 

While at a flea market this past weekend, I happened upon a Hull Pottery swan planter.  Or is it a goose?  I'm not sure. The important thing is, MORE GREENS!  This piece has a nice variation of green tones and adds a whimsy touch to a room.  I mean really, where can you find unique items like this anymore bought new?  You can't.  And you can't buy something new with such character for under $5.00 either.  Talk about frugal!

My Hull goose planter in green.  Nice colors in this whimsical piece.

I've been an advocate for flea markets, yard sales and estate sales for decor purchases as evidenced by my website.  See my page on vintage decor.  If you want to make a big statement without incurring a big charge, you need to go frugal with your decor.  You will create a unique, one-of-a-kind-space with pieces that have a history, and some sought after appeal and value.  It's a win-win.

The bright green adds a nice pop of color among this collection of salt-glazed crocks.

"Wild" Impatiens

I have to reiterate my Love of Impatiens!  I can't get enough of them.  They are absolutely my favorite flower due to their care-free style; meaning I have to do very little "caring" to keep them looking great.  They "maintain" themselves (for the most part), shedding spent blooms and replacing them with equally brilliant ones.

Pretty In Pink

This annual loves the climate and soil of my property so much that it has become a perennial for me in Pennsylvania - Zone 6a (Use this zone finder to find yours.) Yes, I have "wild" impatiens popping up all over the place.  Imagine if I could get them to overtake my entire yard.  Now that would be an incredible carpet of color?!  I think somebody needs to work on a hybrid Impatiens groundcover.

Spilling from the center of an old tree trunk.

The nights have gotten somewhat cooler recently and those cooling temps really do the impatiens well.  They look so vivid and perky in the mornings this time of year.  I can expect this color to continue right through fall until the first, hard frost - practically two full seasons of color!

Popping up from some gravel along my front walkway.
A welcomed  "guest" as opposed to the pesky weeds.

If you've never planted Impatiens before, you must give them a try.  Just be sure you have a nice, shady location for them. Perhaps you too will find that you have "wild" Impatiens the following year.

A flower head catching some morning sun rays.  Leaves still wet with dew.

A bounty of color growing from an old tree stump.
Welcomed color in a predominately green "zone".

Simple Beauty

 

A "Sunny" Property

While taking photos for the new green living section of the website, I realized just how many celestial sun items as have as yard decor. I thought I'd run out of "suns" for site photos but I had more than enough. Thought I'd share a few that may not make the cut but I enjoyed nonetheless.

Mid Day Sunlight On My Begonias

A celestial plaque adds interest to my fig tree planter.

A weathered and worn terra-cotta sun meshes well with a similarly weathered and worn  vintage gate.

A glow-in-the-dark plant stake absorbs and stores sunlight for later.

Black-eyed Susans

My black-eyed susans (rudbeckia) are doing extremely well this year.  I remember having issues getting them to take off initially.  In fact, I had some totally die, never to return.  I guess they are liking this location as this is the 3rd year in this spot and they are doing very well (and getting better each year as they should).  I even got a few babies off of them which I've transplanted while staying in the same area to retain the soil type and amount of daylight these seem to favor.  Now, if I could only get my purple coneflower to do the same!

Black-eyed Susans add late Summer color to the property. 

Free Landscape Border

I recently posted about using cut sections of a tree trunk to create a border around a few of my landscape beds. Another easy idea is to use found tree branches from the woods.  I especially love finding really old pieces that have begun to hollow out and have a lot of neat characteristics to them such as moss or lichen growing on them.

I recently did a quick landscaped area behind my garage to tie it in with other areas of my property.  Free mulch from the township was also used.  I am fortunate that our township accepts tree limbs and branches once a month during the Spring and Summer which they grind down for township residence use.  Since I have such a large property with many landscaped areas and beds, the free mulch helps me build up the foundation layers which I later may cover with nicer mulch.  I'm leaving this area a bit more natural with a woodlands look.  Allowing native plants and flowers to fill in, such asiatic dayflowers.

A natural, woodland approach

Blue Asiatic Dayflower

Ajuga and Spirea will fill fill this bank with purple and pink color next year.

Another area behind the garage which I did months ago is bordered with found rocks and field stone from my property.  I also used some cool, old branches as well, to define areas and add some interest.  I transplanted some ajuga groundcover which is taking off nicely already. I always get pieces of it popping up in my gravel driveway so now they have a better home. To the right are other little guys that always grow from my gravel near their parent Spirea. These pink spireas are quite prolific. I have them everywhere and have lately begun massing them together to see if I can create entire banks of color (such as in the bed above.)

Purple/Blue Ajuga.  An excellent groundcover with wonderful colored green and red-purple leaves.

So, landscaping does not have to cost a fortune.  All of the items above were free from my property.  I'm sure you can create a similar landscaped area of your own with branches, rocks and plants found around your property.  You may even be able to get free mulch from your township or municipality.

RAIN, RAIN, DON'T GO AWAY

One of my large, rhododendrons; leaves wet from some steady rain.

Yes, I love the rain.  I'll admit it.  After MANY hazy, hot, humid days with sporadic thunderstorms producing short, rain bursts with little precipitation, it's nice to have a day of steady showers.

If you are like me, the "fun" of watering plants slowly diminishes as the season goes on.  I'm always "gung-ho" in the Spring when my first container plants have been built and hanging baskets strewn the property.  This good watering practice of course continues into the early days of Summer when watering is essential for survival.  My care seems to slowly taper however, and a "I'll get to it when I get to it" mindset takes over.

Since my watering skills have slackened, I'm always glad when the rains come to help free me of this task.  Perhaps the rain is aware that I'm busy typing blog posts and working on the website and is offering a bit of reprieve.  Regardless, "Thank You RAIN for coming today!"  Hopefully it will chase away the humidity and bring some cooling temps for awhile as well!

Raindrops reflecting light from my camera's flash.