{top 5} grow it, don’t throw it

{top 5} grow it, don't throw it

You’ve probably seen it, if not on Pinterest then elsewhere, growing fruit and vegetables from your scraps.

It’s intriguing idea that I would love to investigate. Our lovely chooks eat most of our scraps but they don’t eat everything. And who doesn’t love popping out to the garden to grab what they need for dinner.

So I did a little digging {so to speak} and found some ideas for growing your own produce from the leftovers:

  1. Spring onions and leeks: Pop them in a glass or jar of water  in a sunny window. Change the water regularly and you will get several clippings of regrowth. More here
  2. Celery: Cut off the base and pop it in the dirt. It looks a little bit of sun and lots of water. Tips here
  3. Avocado: Wash the seed and let it dry overnight.  Peel off the brown outer skin and stick four toothpicks in the centre at equal intervals.  Place in a jar of water with the flat side of the seed down and the pointed side up, leaving one-third of the seed in water.  Store in a dark place. Roots will grow in the water and a stem will rise from the top of the avocado seed.   Get the full instructions here.
  4. Sweet potato: Wash well and cut off one end and stick in toothpicks at even intervals.  Place the cut end in a jar of water and in a light-filled corner. Vines and roots will start to grow. More here.
  5. Garlic: Cloves of  garlic can be planted like seeds. Get the how-to here

A Google search will throw up many more possibilities including pineapple, apples and more.

Have you grown anything from the scraps?

{friday freebies} what’s not to love about a green holiday?

{friday freebies} st patrick's day round-up

I’m all for a holiday that paints the town green. St Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, get lucky with these great printables.

  1. Free party printables at Living Locurto
  2. Cupcake toppers by the tomkat studio at hgtv
  3. Treasure tags from The Crafting Chicks
  4. Drink labels from One Charming Party
  5. Printable banner by the tomkat studio at hgtv
  6. Prints from the tomkat studio
  7. Gift tags from hello, good gravy

{images from their respective sources; the tomkat studio by Vicki Lynn Photography}

{juicy stuff} digging it

{juicy stuff} digging it

I got all inspired recently and took a trip to the store to get some lovely produce type plants to fill the sad and empty pots that constitute my veggie garden.

Spring is the perfect time to get out in the garden, the days are getting longer and everything is green and lush. Now I just have to remember to water my fledgling seedlings!

  1. Vintage yellow tools from Dish Dash Kitchen Co
  2. Trowel and Cultivator from Nana’s Mercantile
  3. Calendula salve from From My Hearth
  4. Upcycled apron from Paisley Path
  5. Garden gnome from Fernwood Gnome
  6. Garden markers from me2
  7. Vintage watering can from sushi pot parts

What are you turning your green thumb to this spring?

{images from their respective sources}

happy st patrick’s day

For this blogger, it would be a bit hard to go past a day that celebrates all things green. This is a bit of a better late than never post, St Patrick’s Day has snuck up on a me a bit, and yesterday kicked my backside like nobody’s business. But here is a quick round-up of some last minute St Patrick’s Day ideas.

  1. I wish I was more organised and did these for the small ones’ lunchboxes today ~ maybe afternoon tea instead. Printable to make a little goodie bag from One Charming Party
  2. Giving myself a plug ~ a freebie from last year, a sweet Irish-inspired card.
  3. Rice krispie treats masquerade as gold bars over at Twig & Thistle
  4. Kathleen also has some St Patrick’s coasters
  5. And team them with beer labels from the Benign Objects

Have a happy, and green, day.

 

lime light: bluecaravan

I have another “collection” site this week in lime light, this time because I think this is such an exciting venture.

Bluecaravan is a relatively new Australian site, bringing together contemporary handmade, fair trade & ethical products in one online marketplace. The great thing is, it features so many great Australian designers and artisans, some of whom you may already be familiar with. And what a great philosophy.

Jen, from Bluecaravan, describes it thus:

Bluecaravan is an online [ethical] Design Market. We support an enormous range of handmade, sweat-free and fairtrade products that you can buy directly from the designers, artists and artisans themselves.

The good news about Bluecaravan is that style and substance are no longer distant cousins. All our sellers are handpicked, and their products design based – so you’ll be left with more than just a warm glow…

My vision for Bluecaravan is to re-package old ideas about ‘ethical products’, and respond to the problem that consumers find it difficult to ‘find’ good ethical design. Although there may always be a place for loose-fit hemp fashion, ethical shopping need to speak to a much wider audience who are keen to spend their dollars more consciously.

The bottom line? Products made by designers, artists and artisans have a quality like no other.

Our goal? To create a thriving community that supports emerging designers, and in turn supports the growth and development of ethical businesses.

Browsing the site, there are so many lovely things, it was hard to pick a selection {a cliche but true}, but I have tried to select items that show the variety available at the site. Some other designers who have already featured on the blog like ruby victoria letterpress, EcoInspired and Needle vs Thread are also at Bluecaravan.

Top row: Purple Lily Business Card Holder by Seventh Sphere; Set of four gift tags from paper tree design; Granny Smith baby shoes by pedrosprout

Bottom row: Valley tealight holders from Kanimbla Clay; Stationery set from Earth Greetings; Love bunny pendant from Honeybee

Head on over to Bluecaravan.

PS. Some late news. My apologies

The winner of the giveaway of a print from Filmless Photos was Deb from Two Cheeky Monkeys.

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