Spring seeds

We've been collecting toilet and paper towel rolls for a few months now...
Tomorrow we have an afternoon project to do with our friends from the neighbourhood... We'll be choosing veggies and flowers to plant ...

Do you think 70 seedlings will be sufficient ?

What are you up to this week?

Have a lovely Tuesday
Char.x

A HOW TO on SQUARE FOOT Gardening.

SAVE money...SAVE water...SAVE energy.

Hi, I know I was going to catch up with you all this weekend...but our Mamas and Chicks Show is coming up(April 29th) and I am settling questions to 60 vendors all day long...so it's taking MUCH of my desired time to blog,create and visit your Worlds...

ANYWAY...I am now here and am going to tell you about the Square Ft Gardening seminar which I went to last week.
It was GREAT...we learnt that you basically can grow a garden in 20% of the space of a regular Veggie garden.
That means you need 20% of the water! and 20% of the energy! AND it will yield 3 harvests!!!


Square ft Garden example from HERE





I took notes(very messy ones)...but the seminar was only one hour in length...and I think a lot was crammed in...which is why the lady giving the seminar handed us a sheet of paper at the end with ALL the info on which she'd just discussed...

SO...The 10 basics of Square ft Gardening are :

1. LAYOUT - Arrange your garden in squares, not rows (as shown above). Lay it out 4' by 4' areas.
2. BOXES - Build boxes to hold new soil mix above ground - only 6" deep.(lay weed barrier under boxes)
3. AISLES - Space boxes 3' apart to form walking aisles.
4. SOIL - Fill boxes with special mix : 1/3compost(made from many different ingredients),1/3 peat moss,1/3 coarse vermiculite. No need to use existing soil.
5. GRID - Make a square ft grid for the top of each box to organise the garden for planting.
6. CARE - Never walk on the growing soil. Tend your garden from the aisles. Few, if any, weeds sprout and are easily pulled with fingers. Soil stays loose and friable. Easy to protect from weather.
7. SELECT - Plant different flowers,vegetables, or herb crop in each square ft,using spacing of 1,4,9,16(show's in diagram below). Crop rotation happens naturally.
8. PLANT - Conserve seeds. Plant only what you will use during each season. NO waste.
9. WATER - Idealy water by hand from a bucket of Sun -warmed water (hose or drip system ok)
10. HARVEST - When you finish harvesting a square ft,add compost to replenish nutrients and re-plant with a new and different crop.



Spacing Chart from HERE

LOCATION

You must try and pick a spot where your garden will get at least between

6 and 9 hours of Sun a day...

Stay clear of trees and shrubs as roots and shade may interfere.

Have your Garden close to you house for convienience.

Your Existing soil is NOT important as you won't be usiing it.

And it mustn't be in an area which will puddle after rain-fall.







The MIX.

SOIL - Fill boxes with special mix :

1/3compost(made from many different ingredients),

1/3 peat moss,

1/3 coarse vermiculite. No need to use existing soil.

I've been reading that people think there's NOT enough compost and too much Peat...which means that the water and moisture levels are low and the soil feels dry...so you could up the proportions of compost. I guess it really depends on WHERE in the World you live.

Grid made from wood slats.



SEEDING

What is stressed that when planting your seeds you put a pinch of seeds in the hole you make and when they start shooting you just snip the top of all but one in that group.

Flowers do really well amongst the squares of vegetables...and what could be better than fresh flowers in your house.

Refer to the spacing chart above for how many of which vegetables should be growing in each square depending on their size.

Look at the yield you can get. Phot from HERE

All in all, I think this is the way I may be going...we don't have an area too large where we can have veggies which will get the rays of the Sun all day...and I would LOVE to give our girls a couple of grid squares which they choose what they would like to gtow...and take care of.

I am hoping to add this mix to baskets for the front of the house and grow lavender and herbs.

These grid boxes don't have to be just the regular 4x4ft beds...you can stack them...make them 2x6...or an L shape...

The Deck could have individual 1x1 ft containers..

Have you ever dabbled in Mel Bartholomew's Square Ft Gardening?

Here's a little Video by Mel himself!

and this one:

BUT there are also many websites to check in to like THIS ONE.

I hope you've understood my babble...

I'm looking forward to getting started.

NOW we have Spring happening here in Canada...we can get on with planting.

HAPPY DAYS...

How does YOUR Garden Grow?

earthy HUGS

Char.x

Goodbye Winter...HELLO Spring!

 I really must start by saying HURRAH...SPRING is HERE!!!!
Although from my pictures below...we really don't seem to be getting much "Spring" as of yet!
Those where taken from our walk the other day...crisp,white snow...and high contrasting  silhouettes.

Here's a family portrait I finished before the weekend. I'm really excited about being able to schedule Photo sessions in my new/future studio....this way I'll be able to use better lighting and gain better contrasts. Trust me, I appreciate the commissions I received...but trying to create depth from a flat image, can sometimes be a challenge.
I love the little Baby...she really is JUST as bright eyed as in the picture!

SO happy to be in Spring....but sad to loose all these shadows and bright days, snowflakes and snowmen.



 What will you miss about Winter??

So...we say finally..."Goodbye Winter"...and HELLO Spring!
I will be starting my seedlings soon...herbs, tomatoes,peppers...what are you growing this year?

Until tomorrow's Monday Mentions...bon nuit...
Char.x

tick...tick...tick...

time is ticking on...our Mamas and Chicks Show is coming up in April again...

there were MANY prototypes prior to this poster...but it eventually came together.

This was my original drawing, but this is our 4th year organising the Show and I thought a re-vamp was neccesary.

so I started to stylize and define the lines...oh, and this Mama was suddenly expecting another little one...

I know NOTHING about graphic design...but my eye kept telling me to strengthen the image.

I always loved the fact the chicks were dressed up...but they needed defining too.

I had these drawings of the Mama and Chick from a while ago...see how sketches can always be used somehow down the road...hmm, perhaps I'll go through some old sketch books.

If you are from Toronto,Canada...and you would like to participate...we still have 15 spots left!

Are you at any craft fairs this year?

Good night all...I am beat...again.

Char,ON

A few things I love this morning...

I love her Spirit...she's so happy most of the time, but boy does she ever make sure you know if she's not. She's nearly 3 and wants to do everything I do (love it!)
She dressed herself this morning...in her favourite colour...of course!

Spring colours...so fresh and vivid. There's nothing as beautiful as the colours our Mother Nature creates.

And this morning I am in love with my very productive husband, he's putting pot lights in the kitchen, there's a little mess which comes with it, but I love him all the same.
He just finished putting 6 pot lights in the family room...what a difference it makes. Lovely mood lighting too as he's placed them on dimmer switches.
I have a thousand errands to run this morning, and realize that I could have extended this post with more pics but have little time...maybe you can share your loves for today?
Bye for now.
Charlotte,Ontario

Feeling drained...

So here in Canada children have been enjoying Spring Break/Half Term/March Break...but not us,we've been coughing all week which has proven to be exhausting...I am cursing "Play centres" right now, as we went last weekend to the girls cousin's Birthday at one...and now look a week of this!
This drawing(which I am pleased I finished this morning) is how I am feeling, even though you would love to just curl up in bed and sleep all day by your self when you're feeling like this(if you could) as a Mum, it's pretty much impossible. You have to keep everyone fed, and the house and laundry clean...and noses blown etc...etc...So, we have to comfort, care and love, because this is what we were given by our mothers...which is why we become confident strong women...my darling husband leaves for work every morning early, before the girls are awake and then works so hard and sometime doesn't return until after the girls are in bed...he's missing out being with the girls all day...but I'm 100% certain he has not missed the multiple of weeks they have been sick this year already!
We're having people over for Dinner tonight...which I am supposedly prepping for this afternoon...wish me luck and send me some energy...please. Thanks friends.
Charlotte,Ontario.

***THURSDAY thankfuls...

**Not to make you all jealous, but look what arrived in my mailbox yesterday evening!**
A package full of goodies from RIKRAK
I won their 2nd anniversary giveaway and got to choose colours for the clutch and wallet and the 2 iron on birds...love them all...my daughters thought it was for them...well, the birds are,but the rest is purely for my joy.
Thanks again RIKRAK...you can visit her awesome RIKRAK Studio Blog where she's always posting new and exciting projects along with some great interviews of other creative beings...
On another note...I would just like to say thank you for all your awesome comments and making visiting your blogs and websites such an inspiring daily journey, and to all our new followers.
AND a big Thanks and appreciation to when my children are well-and not sick...they both have colds which are keeping them(and I) up at night, making my day extremely unproductive.
We moan and groan when things are not great...but forget to comment when all is well.
Have a wonderful SPRING day(I know...but it's almost upon us).
Until later or tomorrow...
Charlotte,Ontario

My Spring muse...

Before I start on my little muse...I WON a gorgeous pair of earings last night made by TASCHA. I absolutely adore her work, you must check it out if you don't know who and what she does...The Giveaway was so much fun...Tascha gave us a clipping of a painting and we had to go to her Etsy store and find the matching picture.Yay, and I won them!

Well, our little one has become my Spring muse due to us doing crafts in the morning when her sister is at school...she's my Life Model for the Spring until I find a life class to do...I may dedicate Spring to concentrating on my weaknesses. For example, HANDS...and FEET...proportioning...I just need to approach them in the same way I do when drawing a face...practice,practice,practice...

What are your challenges within what you create on a daily bases??
Thanks for popping by and I appreciate all your comments!

Tam will be back soon...she's just getting used to life with 2 little ones.Love ya Tam!
Charlotte,Ontario

Spring changes...

It's not always easy to capture a true proportioned image of your little ones as their moving around...hence the very Picasso-esque proportions...I promised a sketch of Ashley this afternoon, so we'll see.This was done whilst they were having lunch...I would have loved to have spent longer on it...but she was gone!
It shows that I have to practice and do more life studies...perhaps I'll go back to Life-drawing class in the near future.
Until later...
Charlotte,Ontario

Spring Days...

These are what Spring Days are expected to be...not more snow...or at least what I am used to. It's funny,I have been here in Canada for 9 years and I'm still expecting snow drops and bluebells in March...but no...we don't see them up here until May!
Don't get me wrong I love the 4 seasons we get and can't wait until our little ones are able to ski the Winters with my husband and I...I LOVE the Autumn in Canada and the Spring...Summer is extremely hot and at this precise moment I can not imagine just dressing in shorts and a T-Shirt...we have had -14 degrees since mid-November 2008...that's 3 full months already of below zero...I think we deserve some warmth and flowers SOON!
I'm looking forward to getting those wellies on and the umbrellas out,to seeing colours in nature and feeling the Sun on our bodies.
Sweet dreams...I'm off to catch my Zzzz's and pray for Spring!
Charlotte,Ontario

MARCHing into SPRING...

Spring is our new March theme...I'm so excited about all the new colours...thanks TAM!Hoping little Beth is doing well, you'll be able to go for Spring walks this month.
Let's hope it warms up here in Canada...I have to dash and pick up Ash...
Until tomorrow...
Charlotte, Ontario