It became clear to me in the last week or so, that since I had planted more kinds of seeds than I usually do, I was having trouble remembering what I had planted, and where. Now that the seedlings are coming up, it's easier to tell what veg is where, but I still wanted a handy way to see what I was growing quickly, rather than having to consult my chart (which requires running into the house). Also, I wanted people walking by to know what they were looking at. And, I wanted to add beauty to the garden.
I didn't want to just go out and buy something - rather, I wanted to invest time and talent in some sort of way to the garden. I love homemade things, whether it be cookies or paintings, and I love looking around at things that I (or loved ones) have made.
I spent some quality time researching how other folks have marked their garden. There are some great ideas out there, but what I decided on ultimately was to paint stones. I went to Home Depot to see if they had large river rocks on the cheap. They didn't, but they did have lots of paving options. I finally chose something called a 'rumbled' brick.
I bought 30 of them. They were about $.50 per brick.
I already had lots of paint on hand, as I like to paint. But you could just buy craft paint (acrylic) at the craft store. A small bottle will go a long way. I had all the colors I needed already.
You'll also need various brushes, I like very thin ones for better control, and some sort of palette or a tray where you can put the colors, and mix them if you need to. A paper plate would work.
I went online and printed out pictures (clip art or cartoon pictures, not real pictures) of the plants in my garden. I find it's easier to paint if I have a picture to look at, rather than painting just from memory.
IMPORTANT: When painting or creating, you must give yourself permission to just try it and possibly fail. If you mess up, big deal. Turn the brick over and try again on the other side. Or paint over it with white or black and try again on top of that. Or, if all else fails, buy another brick for a measly fifty cents. No sweat. When I started my first brick, Tom said to me, "you are a fearless painter." Well, not really - but the stakes here are very, very small, so it was easy to give myself permission to try. I'm an amateur artist and it shows, but it gives me pleasure, makes my brain work differently, and makes things in the house personal. I believe my kids will remember, someday, that instead of just going and buying more stuff, their mom took time out of a busy schedule and did something that made her happy, and that made their environment more pleasurable.
I decided to paint a picture and words, but you could do either or, or anything you want to, really.
And it was fun! And I was really pleased with the results.
And they look really nice in the garden, out amongst the plants.
They look nice around the beds, too - and will look even nicer once the plants come in.
I didn't want to just go out and buy something - rather, I wanted to invest time and talent in some sort of way to the garden. I love homemade things, whether it be cookies or paintings, and I love looking around at things that I (or loved ones) have made.
I spent some quality time researching how other folks have marked their garden. There are some great ideas out there, but what I decided on ultimately was to paint stones. I went to Home Depot to see if they had large river rocks on the cheap. They didn't, but they did have lots of paving options. I finally chose something called a 'rumbled' brick.
I bought 30 of them. They were about $.50 per brick.
I already had lots of paint on hand, as I like to paint. But you could just buy craft paint (acrylic) at the craft store. A small bottle will go a long way. I had all the colors I needed already.
You'll also need various brushes, I like very thin ones for better control, and some sort of palette or a tray where you can put the colors, and mix them if you need to. A paper plate would work.
I went online and printed out pictures (clip art or cartoon pictures, not real pictures) of the plants in my garden. I find it's easier to paint if I have a picture to look at, rather than painting just from memory.
IMPORTANT: When painting or creating, you must give yourself permission to just try it and possibly fail. If you mess up, big deal. Turn the brick over and try again on the other side. Or paint over it with white or black and try again on top of that. Or, if all else fails, buy another brick for a measly fifty cents. No sweat. When I started my first brick, Tom said to me, "you are a fearless painter." Well, not really - but the stakes here are very, very small, so it was easy to give myself permission to try. I'm an amateur artist and it shows, but it gives me pleasure, makes my brain work differently, and makes things in the house personal. I believe my kids will remember, someday, that instead of just going and buying more stuff, their mom took time out of a busy schedule and did something that made her happy, and that made their environment more pleasurable.
I decided to paint a picture and words, but you could do either or, or anything you want to, really.
And it was fun! And I was really pleased with the results.
And they look really nice in the garden, out amongst the plants.
They look nice around the beds, too - and will look even nicer once the plants come in.