The Great Wall of china

I've noticed that in Goodwill stores, flea markets, yard sales, etc. there always seems to be a plethora of mismatched plates.  I buy them - even the broken ones  I often find a group of four to ten plates all taped together for two or three dollars.  Sometimes they're chipped, but that's okay.  The broken and chipped ones I break even further to use in mosaics.  The intact ones are used in the Great Wall of China.

Okay, technically none of these plates are china, but they do form a wall.  Why spend the big bucks at the big stores for border material when you can spend a couple of bucks?  Plus, these look so much cooler.  Then there's the eco-friendliness of using something that may have very likely ended up in a landfill one day.

I like to find ones with plenty of color and funky patterns - the more out of date the better as far as I'm concerned.  So far, three different people who have seen my Great Wall have mentioned their "grandmother had that very set!"

Plain white ones are great to find, too.  Especially if you have a child who loves to paint anything she gets her hands on and has discovered glass paint that you can bake on in the oven.  Stay tuned for photos of that craft project.

And what garden is complete without a Buddha and a pre-teen worker bee?  One allows me peace and the ability to focus.
The other, not so much.  Guess which is which.

It's still a work in progress, but it's getting there.  Now if I could just figure out what to do with a bunch of old frying pans.  Ideas are welcome!

Funky, DIY garden markers

 Oh, how I wish I could claim this idea as my own.  But alas, I have to credit Linda from the Garden Web for her creativity.  I was happy to come across it, since one of the things I've been collecting at flea markets are old license plates.  My thinking is that you never know what you could do with them.  And now I know!

Another cute idea for garden markers comes from Jessica at Window Ledge Arts.  For the DIY instructions, click here.  Thrift stores and flea markets always have dozens of spoons and other utensils.  The letters were

made by a metal stamp kit.  Jessica recommends using older spoons since they're thinner and easier to pound flat.

Fern (now, how much more perfect of a name could have if you're an avid gardener?), from Life on the Balcony made these super easy garden markers out of river stones.  These as so easy, you can let the kids go wild with them.  Imagine the colors they'll come up with.  Plus, what a great idea for Christmas gifts for the gardeners in your life.  My kids love to make gifts for people.

And now, I'm off to start cutting up license plates...

Backyard tea

In the south, tea is a given.  I should also point out that tea in the south is always iced tea.  No need to specify unless you go to a restaurant and want hot tea.  Your waitress will then look at you like you grew another head.

"You sure you want hot tea, hon?  In July?  In Tennessee?" 

The other thing about tea in the south, and the reason it's sometimes called "Southern crack," is because of the proportion of sugar to cup of brewed tea.  Approximately 5 to 1.  Am I kidding?  No, this stuff is like syrup. Now I'm not criticizing or anything, 'cause my husband and my kids love the stuff, but I can barely swallow it.


So, I make my own version.  And my kids have come to call it "backyard tea."  It comes by this name honestly, since the main ingredient comes right out of the backyard.  Here it is in spades, barely visible aside the oregano jungle.  This particular variety is called chocolate mint.

I also have pineapple and orange mint.  These two are a little more under control as they've just been planted this year.  The small plant you see in the front is coconut thyme - smells delicious, but I wouldn't recommend making tea out of it.

Making this lower cal version is easy.  Grab a handful of the mint of your choice.   This is chocolate mint in the pic.  I managed to find my way out of the oregano to take this photo.  Put this handful into a pot of cold water, turn on the heat until it boils, then take if off the heat and let it brew for a good hour.  I use honey to sweeten - but only two tablespoons for a whole pitcher.  If you like your tea syrupy, I suggest you go to Milo's, 'cause this herbal concoction ain't for the weak-minded. It's delightfully refreshing, low cal, all natural, and best of all, free.

Oh, and when I went out to pick the mint, I was harassed mightily by this volunteer squash plant.  Those free range vegetables have such attitudes.