top secret diy moss

To complete my diy bench I want to grow moss on the sides of the cylinder blocks. I've been researching recipes to grow your own moss and found recipes that run the gamut of 2 to 7 ingredients. I wanted to only use what I have on hand and the moss + beer + sugar formula sounded like a winner until I realized we don't keep sugar in the house! Maybe brown rice syrup will work?

diy moss recipe

I found this recipe here.

Things you will need: Handful Mosses, One Can Beer, Plastic Spoons, Spatulas, 1/2 teaspoon sugars

Step 1: Put a handful of the moss you want to grow into a blender.

Step 2: Add 1/2 tsp. sugar and one can of beer (the cheapest brand). You can substitute buttermilk for beer if you want.

Step 3: Blend just long enough to mix the ingredients and break down the moss. 

Step 4: Spread the soupy mixture with a spatula or paint brush over the ground or rocks where you want the moss to grow.

Moss prefers a cool, dark area. It can take 3-6 weeks to grow the moss according to what I have read.

I am executing my top secret experiment with maple syrup, my roommate's beer and my roommate's blender. Oops. 

diy garden bench

I spent a sunny afternoon making a diy bench a little prettier. Here are the before and after pictures.

How to create your own garden bench:

2 found cylinder blocks or some variation

Random sturdy piece of wood

Stack'em up and voila! You now have a place to park yer arse!

weeds on earth day

Happy Earth Day! I've been on vacation in Vietnam for the past 2 weeks, which was an extraordinary experience. I came home to lots of sprouted seeds - the bok choy, collards, kale and carrots are doing great! I wish I could say the same for myself. I celebrated earth day by calling in sick (not a lie, I am sick.) I did manage to spend some time outside for the vitamin D. It's also helping with the reentry back into the New York lifestyle. I miss Vietnam.

Leaving for 10 days =

The backyard is green, green, green right now. The ivy has exploded, climbing vines are bursting with shades of green. It's going to be magical. And tons of weeds, weeds, weeds. Last summer I used a diy "green" weed killer that was very effective. I encourage a green weed killer - why would anyone put chemicals into the earth? We eat, drink and live from that earth! Show her the love!

diy green weed deterrent 

mix white vinegar + organic dish soap + water in a spray bottle. (I just guess on the measurements.) Spot spray directly on weeds. Several applications might be nessesary. 

diy lemon vinegar weed deterrent

4 ounces lemon juice concentrate + 1 liter (1 quart) white or cider vinegar

I also spent the afternoon making the garden bench look pretty which I will post later.

babysitter needed for baby basil, will pay with beet juice

I can't believe it's only Monday. I'm glad it's only Monday because I have a lot to do this week. I am leaving on Thursday to vacation in Vietnam for 10 days. I need to line up a babysitter for my wee little bitty baby basil while I'm away.

My first batch of seed starter basil roasted next to the pipe that heats the upstairs apartment -- only one lone plant is pushing through. The second planting I started a week later, adding a plastic bag to create a greenhouse, those little basils are thriving! Removing bag because of a little mold build-up.

Other highlights to my Monday evening have been running around the yard with Mica after watering my outdoor seedlies; beet, carrot, ginger juice; and enjoying the last bit of my birthday flowers from my Jojo. I love the deep purple, such a gorgeous color!

parsley root, park benches and fresh juice

I started my weekend with juicing delicious orange juice and getting dirty in the yard. I planted container vegetables including an eclectic mix of cosmic purple carrots, southern collard greens and bok choy. 

Being dedicated to cleaning up our urban yard, I decided all the cement slabs that make up the pseudo-mosaic around the slate square patio need to be removed. I also cleaned up more cigarette butts and garbage that has accumulated since my last clean-up effort a month ago. Oh the joys of urban living! Apparently neighbors who live on the floors above think whatever goes our the window magically disappears into the clouds.

I had my furry friend keeping me company. Mica loves to tear around the yard to help aerate our "lawn." I say "lawn" because it's really just moss and renegade herbs that have scattered throughout the yard. Every foot or so there's a little patch of parsley oregano or dill. If I wasn't so disgusted with the leaching from what is under our topsoil, it would be quite the herb garden already!

Also pictured is some tentacled, dusty weeds, including a good-sized parsley root and the site of a future planter box.

blue curly dwarfs... smurfs?

Today marks the end of record rainfall for New York - yay!! I hauled my purchased bags of dirt to the backyard, gathered up my cigar box-o-seeds, broke in my new birthday gloves (thanks Mom!) and started some container plantings! I only planted in one container - dwarf blue curly kale (code for smurf food) and tomorrow morning I'll plant seeds in the remaining containers while the sun is out and warming up the dirt for the little seeds. 

Big thanks to the neighbors mom for giving us the containers! Coming up this week - planter boxes!!