Gardening - grace grits and gardening

a simple Lavender Nosegay

July 28, 2015 By Talya Tate Boerner

Nosegay is one of those silly sounding words that back in seventh grade would have given my best friend and me the extreme giggles. During those Keiser Junior High days, everything was extraordinarily hilarious and something as simple as a funny word (such as nosegay) would often push us over the edge earning us a trip to the principal’s office for classroom disruption. I call those the Giggle Box Years. And though I may seem to be rambling, I do plan to tie all this together, you’ll see if you keep reading. Promise.Continue Reading

During the dog days of summer, my garden is the boss of me.

July 20, 2015 By Talya Tate Boerner

Right now, this time of year, my garden is the boss of me. It’s a fact. I plan my day around watering and deadheading and weeding and watering again. The dog days of summer are tough ones on new plants that aren’t well established. Babysitting. That’s what I’m doing.

Webster defines the dog days of summer as: 1) the period between early July and early September when hot sultry summer weather occurs in the northern hemisphere; and 2) a period of stagnation or inactivity. Check and check! The origin of the phrase (first known use in 1538) came from their being reckoned from the heliacal rising of the Dog Star (Sirius).Continue Reading

Vintage Coffee Tin Succulents. My new fav!

July 3, 2015 By Talya Tate Boerner

There’s a saying in the South that if it isn’t nailed down, we southerners will monogram it. I have my own saying. If it isn’t nailed down, I’m gonna plant something in it. My newest obsession is planting succulents in vintage coffee tins. And if you think about it, the tins are already monogrammed with the company’s label/artwork. Love, love, love.

Here’s one of my favorites—Summer Girl Coffee. How perfect is this? Technically I’m a “summer girl” born almost on the 4th of July. And I’m guzzling coffee while you read this.

Look at the history on this can. “Roasted and Packed by the H. D. Lee Mercantile Company”. H. D. Lee Mercantile was founded in 1889 in Salina, Kansas. This was the first company to manufacture overalls and the zipper fly jean. Today the company makes Lee Rider but no coffee to my knowledge.

Here’s my other favorite.

I chose this one mainly for the colors and the little old Aunt Bea looking lady on the front.

I found these two tins at Long Ago Antiques on Huntsville Road in Fayetteville (one of my favorite places to shop for antiques and vintage items). Similar tins are available on Ebay, often in a group of four or five. Prices vary so look around. Tip: look for ones without lids to save a few dollars.

To preserve the value of vintage tins, I prefer not to drill drainage holes in the bottom, so I added a layer of charcoal in the bottom instead. (Buy the charcoal at your local nursery—it’s not lump charcoal used to grill.) Some of the old tins come with holes rusted in the bottom which solves the drainage issue. Succulents don’t need that much water, so I find they survive quite well with charcoal.

Top with pebbles or moss for aesthetic purposes. I think the rock highlights the plant better.