Free pollinator-friendly planting guides. It's National Pollinator Week! The birds and bees and butterflies and bats could use a hand. Plant them a playground!
The history and how-to of terrariums <<Centsational Girl. I'm fascinated by terrariums. I've made a few myself, but they suffered from my lack of attention span in regard to houseplants...
Using QR codes in the garden. How close did you look at the plant care tags on your nursery purchases this spring? Chances are they may have been stamped with quick response codes.
Holy cow-plops! Check out the local Manure Share program via the University of Illinois Extension. Find local farmers who want to share their sh*t.
Streaming "Dean of Green" podcasts. Don Schmidt, biology professor at Illinois State University, does a weekly 10-minute gardening segment for our local public radio station. Always informational and entertaining!
Helpful hint on sucking it up through nasty garden chores. Jenny Peterson of J Peterson Garden Design shares a video tip for how she makes the clock move faster while doing unpleasant garden work. I may use this the next time I'm digging up dandelions!
Friday, June 24, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Children's Garden Party at the ISU Horticulture Center
Don't miss the annual Children's Garden Party coming up next week at the Illinois State University Horticulture Center!
Ever wonder what life was like for kids 100 years ago on the farm? This is your chance to find out! Come help plant the Children's Garden, work on garden crafts, participate in farming activities and games, and enjoy refreshments. Make sure to wear your gardening clothes!
Contact Jessica Chambers with any questions at Horticulture@IllinoisState.edu or 309-438-3496.
For more information on ISU Hort Center events, visit http://horticulturecenter.illinoisstate.edu/events.
What: Children's Garden Party!
Where: Children's Garden at the ISU Hort Center
When: Wednesday, June 29, 2011 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Ever wonder what life was like for kids 100 years ago on the farm? This is your chance to find out! Come help plant the Children's Garden, work on garden crafts, participate in farming activities and games, and enjoy refreshments. Make sure to wear your gardening clothes!
Contact Jessica Chambers with any questions at Horticulture@IllinoisState.edu or 309-438-3496.
For more information on ISU Hort Center events, visit http://horticulturecenter.illinoisstate.edu/events.
Of Crushes and Popcorn Lit
During a recent conversation detailing the celebrity crushes of some folks I know, a friend of mine made the comment, "At least those are normal crushes; I crush mainly on fictional characters!", which to be honest made me scratch my head a little. Wha? How? It seemed strange to me...but then my next questions were: 1) what books was she reading, and 2) where could I find them? (*putting on my Meg Ryan voice* I'll read what she's reading, yes?)
Monday, June 20, 2011
Glorious Garden Festival Garden Walk
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| "Sarah Davis" taking a stroll through her restored garden. |
Every June the local Bloomington-Normal garden shops and nurseries put on a Glorious Garden Festival/Walk in partnership with the University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners, and if you're a garden voyeur like me, it's a peeping-Tom opportunity not to be missed. The event always starts on the lawn of the The David Davis Mansion, one of our most prized local landmarks (read: "BloNo's method of laying claim to Abraham Lincoln fame"), and continues throughout the gardens of various nominated residents in the community.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Big Wooden Planter That Currently Lacks Dirt and Plants
So in a strange turn of events, I've come to be the owner of this raised vegetable/flower planter.
Or "big wooden planter that currently lacks dirt and plants," as it were.
It previously belonged to my soon-to-be-sister-in-law (STBSIL) who lives in Chicago with my already-brother-in-law, JA. JA and STBSIL were recently compelled to vacate a much-loved apartment due to a dispute with their downstairs neighbor, but there is no room for the planter at their new place. So my father-in-law who built the thing in the first place called to ask if I might be interested in having it; naturally, I was (interested, that is. Hullo!), and I accepted without giving much thought as to what I actually might plant in it.
It occurs to me now it's almost too late in Zone 5 to plant most veggies and that it's gonna take a whole lotta dirt to fill this thing and also that, over the course of the next month or so, I'll be out of town for a couple weeks here and there…so for the near future it may just have to remain as is. Might make a nice spider hostel…or rabbit trap. Remedial level bean bag toss game?
--M
Or "big wooden planter that currently lacks dirt and plants," as it were.
It previously belonged to my soon-to-be-sister-in-law (STBSIL) who lives in Chicago with my already-brother-in-law, JA. JA and STBSIL were recently compelled to vacate a much-loved apartment due to a dispute with their downstairs neighbor, but there is no room for the planter at their new place. So my father-in-law who built the thing in the first place called to ask if I might be interested in having it; naturally, I was (interested, that is. Hullo!), and I accepted without giving much thought as to what I actually might plant in it.
It occurs to me now it's almost too late in Zone 5 to plant most veggies and that it's gonna take a whole lotta dirt to fill this thing and also that, over the course of the next month or so, I'll be out of town for a couple weeks here and there…so for the near future it may just have to remain as is. Might make a nice spider hostel…or rabbit trap. Remedial level bean bag toss game?
--M
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Welcome!
Welcome to the blog home of the Floral Avenger! It is my hope this will be a place for me to flex my writing muscles and share with you the things that make my passion percolate--gardening, music, crafts, entertainment, nature. Office supplies...rainbows... Whatever shiny thing that's captured my attention for the moment. I hope it's good reading and fun for all of us. Cheers! --M
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