San Francisco resident Marque Cornblatt of Gomistyle recently started documenting his indoor urban gardening efforts and he presents some really neat ideas and suggestions. Despite the fact that he does have a little yard, he got tired of sharing his harvests with the neighborhood raccoons and decided to take his garden indoors. He replaced traditional pots with big black plastic storage bins from Office Depot because of efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Marque experimented with growing vines, including tomatoes, pole beans, cucumbers, and peppers, by creating hanging planters from plastic one-gallon jugs.

These soon got replaced by more black plastic bins with holes drilled in them (as seen in the top picture). This is such a great way to maximize his window space and conserve water too. Here's a closeup of his lovely thriving cukes:

My favorite part is that Marque is admittedly no master gardening. He just experimented to see what works best. He even begins his blog post by saying: "Let me begin with a simple admission. I don't know much about gardening. Until a few weeks ago, I had never planted a seed, or maintained houseplants. My thumbs weren't green, they were red and swollen from playing Xbox. " That put a smile on my face. He plans to post updates and details as his garden grows.

Summer is over in my area. Almost 5 inches of rain have already fallen at my house. To cope with the seasonal change outdoors, I rely on fresh flowers indoors. I keep them everywhere, and they are also all over my Day of the Dead Shrine. Because cut flowers are so expensive and persihable, I use a quick and dirty trick to milk an extra day or two out of the vase life. Take a pair of sharp scissors, as sharp and pointy as you can find, and just trim all the wilted petals from the back. This flower not only has ugly petals, powdery mildew is growing on it- ICK! Carefully cut all the damaged parts of the flower off. Finally, give the stem a fresh cut at the bottom and voila! As you can see in the photos, removing all that gunk from the flower even made the sun come out for a moment!

This clever acorn bird feeder from Kate at design*sponge is not only adorable in its shape, but also creates a squirrel-resistant feeder. Brilliant!

Last week, I posted about a 3D painting done on a wall, made to look like the letters were growing. Naturally, it reminded me of the Moss Graffiti tutorial by Helen Nodding that we ran in CRAFT Volume 04. With rainy season just around the corner, here's the full tutorial for you to check out and start making your own moss milkshake to create with.

Moss Graffiti
Try this alternative to spray paint, and leave your mark in the way of gardeners past.
By Helen Nodding

The possibility of growing moss graffiti occurred to me during one of those dull days at work when your thoughts wander. A quick internet search showed me that I wasn't the first person to ask the question "How does moss grow?" In fact, many genius gardeners had even come up with a recipe for a moss milkshake! Next I wondered if you could use this recipe to grow your own designs and create a kind of moss graffiti, and it would appear that you can!

MATERIALS

Several clumps of garden moss
1 can of beer, or pot of natural yogurt, or 12oz buttermilk See which works best for your location.
½tsp sugar
Blender
Plastic container with a lid
Paintbrush and spray mister

NOTE: For indoor growing, you'll also need compost and a seed tray.

DIRECTIONS

Step 1: Gather moss.
First gather together several clumps of moss. You can find moss growing between the cracks in paving stones, near leaky drains, on trees … basically, moss loves damp and shady places. Mosses do not have roots but use rhizoids to attach themselves to surfaces, meaning that you can easily collect moss by hand or with a spatula.

Clean off as much of the mud as possible by soaking it in water.

Step 2: Make the moss milkshake.
Put the moss in a blender and add beer (or yogurt or buttermilk) and sugar. Blend just long enough to create a smooth, creamy consistency, like a thick milkshake. Pour the mixture into a plastic container.

Step 3: Create your design.
Find a suitable location onto which you can apply your moss milkshake (a good indicator is somewhere that moss is already growing). Paint on your chosen design (either freehand or using a stencil).

Step 4: Tend your graffiti.
If possible, try to water your masterpiece daily with a spray mister. Soon the bits of blended moss should begin to recuperate, maintaining your design before eventually colonizing the whole area.

Learn about mosses at craftzine.com/go/moss.

The Moss Graffiti recipe was previously published in Interlude Magazine, Issue 2, and Craftivity, edited by Tsia Carson, Harper Collins, 2006.

About the Author:

Helen Nodding is an artist who lives and works in London. As well as her own work (storiesfromspace.co.uk), she often collaborates with the London-based group Spacehijackers, who explore and critique the use of public space.

Individual Strawberry Rhubarb Buckle
By Katie Goodman

I think whoever made the decision that strawberries and rhubarb go together is an absolute genius. I love the sweetness of the strawberries with the tanginess of the rhubarb, and that's why it was an easy decision to plant both in my garden. Both are perennials (meaning they come back year after year) so it's a well done investment the first year.

The best time to plant rhubarb is during the early spring, but wait until the ground has thawed first. Rhubarb can be purchased as a plant at local nurseries, but is also available as roots. Rhubarb does best in full sun areas of the garden, but it can be grown in partial shade as well.

We didn't see many strawberries our first year gardening, which is typical, but we did see lots of rhubarb! Rhubarb is ripe and ready to harvest when the stalks are red at the base, with lots of red radiating up towards the top. You want it to be mostly red, with little green. Discard the leaves, though, because they're poisonous.

Extra rhubarb can be frozen for use during the winter months. Simply cut the rhubarb into the preferred size for baking, approximately ½" chunks, place on a cookie sheet, and freeze. After the rhubarb has frozen, remove it from the sheet and place it in a labeled freezer storage bag.

The distinction between a buckle and other fruit desserts (cobblers, crisps, crunches, etc.) is that the batter is on the bottom and it's topped with the fruit. The most commonly seen version is the Blueberry Buckle, but that doesn't mean you can't experiment with other fruits.

I like to make this dessert in individual ramekins, especially when entertaining, because it isn't something that dishes up especially pretty when it's baked in one large size. The presentation is so nice when done in an individual serving size, and they also cook faster this way.

For tips on growing strawberries, check out this great article.

Marque Cornblatt of Gomi Style crafted these sweet miniature gardens in Altoids tins. Marque used tiny succulent cuttings and small herbs in organic potting soil, and suggests misting them a few times a day. My favorite is the little garden he made for Buddha:

There are tons of cool project ideas that involve Altoids tins, and this is a great twist.

Backyard gardens are becoming really popular — and for good reason. It's green to grow your own food, it's a great hobby that's fun for adults and kids, and homegrown produce tastes so yummy!

With a landscape project for the rest of the backyard taking up the bulk of our time last summer, I only grew herbs. I know I've saved a lot of money by planting fresh herbs, at $2–$4 per small plastic pouch each time you buy them versus $5 max for a plant that keeps on giving. Herb gardens are simple and an easy way to get started with gardening if you think it might be something you're interested in.

Now that we've had that experience under our belt, we decided this spring that we wanted to grow a vegetable garden. It's probably too late in most places to start anything for the summer season this year, but I hope to offer some helpful tips and ideas for next spring and summer (or for this fall if you are planning on a fall garden).

I think the best advice I could give anyone planting a garden is to plant what you eat. I love being able to go to the garden for cooking inspiration. Some of the things we love most and use often in cooking are: fresh herbs, asparagus (a perennial planted in spring), lettuce (spring), tomatoes, green onions, and bell peppers. Other produce we planted for some variety are: sugar snap peas (in the spring), rhubarb (perennial planted in the spring), and honeydew melon.

This is a delicious recipe that used my garden's zucchini, parsley, green onions, and basil.

See more Weekend DIY projects in CasaSugar's roundup.

Collin Dunn at Treehugger writes:

What do you do when you want to grow your own food, but live more than a mile above sea level in Colorado? That's the question my dad wanted to answer when he started this project about a year ago: Living at 7,750 feet above sea level, with a summer growing season of about 80 days between killing freezes, how can you grow your own food? His answer: A geodesic dome solar greenhouse.

Here's a neat outdoor couch made of bricks, dirt, and grass! I would love to go to a BBQ featuring this fine piece of "furniture."

My friend Goli recently went on a solo backpacking trip. When she returned she discovered that an unexpected heat wave had taken a toll on some of her plants. I volunteered to show her two very simple ways to keep her houseplants watered while she's off on her adventures. Cotton strips buried in the soil of each plant slowly wick water, keeping the root zone moist without leaving them soaked. A crafty little setup like this is super easy, and it's way cheaper than a house sitter!

Setting your plant directly into a tray of water might seem like a good solution when you are out of town, but that technique can easily "drown" the roots. Roots love oxygen, so sopping wet soil can cause rot, mold, and infection to set in. Using a simple wicking system means the dirt will have just the right amount of moisture. But always choose cotton — polyester just won't work the same.

Lacking a yard? Try this vertical vegetable garden by Instructables user pippa5.

if you want to liven up a local vacant lot or other area but don't have easy access for guerilla gardening, make some seed bombs and throw them over the fence.

From the site:

Lately I’ve been drinking SoBe Lifewater 0 Calorie after my workouts. It comes in these really cool spiral shaped bottles. The bottles are really sturdy and I’ve been trying to figure out what (other than recycling) I could do with them. I thought the first thing I’d try was an herb garden.

I live in a townhouse, and I don’t have a lot of yard. What I do have is really really shady, so I can’t get much to grow back there. I do love using fresh herbs, so this was a good solution for me.

Instructables user velvel shows us how to make these inverted tomato planters with a water-wicking system for balcony gardening.

I had never seen seed tapes before, but here's a handy way to make your own seed tapes for fast planting of all kinds of seeds. Instructables user DebH57 reports that this is a kid-friendly activity as well!

Here's a clever use for recycling your cardboard coffee sleeve: turn it into an inexpensive way to give away garden seedlings or cuttings.

As we see more and more empty, abandoned street newspaper boxes, street artist Posterchild converted this one into a lovely planter with a simply-shaped plywood insert.

Instructables user FriendOfHumanity made this cheeky handlebar garden for a bike. Never lose your bike in a crowded rack again, and park it in the sun or shade depending on what plants you grow!

Materials:

Orchid
Sphagnum moss
Small amount of dirt or coco fiber
Fiskars Floral Shears
18-gauge floral wire
Board

Directions:

Step 1: Wait until the orchid you want to plant has finished blooming, then cut the stem at the base. Remove the plant from its pot and shake loose any bark or dirt from its roots.

Step 2: Loop a length of wire around 2 opposite corners of the board. Twist the 2 ends of the wire together in the back.

Step 3: Next, lay a pile of sphagnum moss on the center of the board. Then add a handful of dirt on top. Add the orchid to the pile on the board. Cover it with a second handful of dirt, and a final layer of moss.

Step 4: Secure it to the board with wire. Wrap wire back and forth, starting at one of the pre-wired corner. Lace the new length of wire across the moss and orchid several times. Tug the wires tight to cinch them down and hold the plant against the board firmly. The board can be hung indoors or out.

Brookelynn Morris is one crafter who is as diverse in her crafts as she is prolific. From fiber to mosaic to floral arrangements and smart crafting, you never know what amazingness will sprout from her creative mind. Brookelynn has contributed projects to 9 out of the 10 volumes of CRAFT, and a look at her author page gives a window into the wide range of her talents. Here is just a sampling from the pages of CRAFT before we check in with Brookelynn. From the tasty felted fruit that graced the cover of CRAFT Volume 02, she diversified to Custom Seat Covers in Volume 04:

From the simplicity of marzipan cake decorations in Volume 05, she switched gears to represented for the smart crafting movement with her LED Hula Hoop project in Volume 06:

Brookelynn taught us the folk art of making your own herbal, medicinal tinctures in Volume 07, and gave us a window into the ancient art of Bonsai in Volume 08:

What has Brookelynn been up to lately? Here's what she shared with us:

"The biggest thing that I have been working on lately is the upcoming release of my first book, Feltique. It's packed with projects that use needle felting, wet felting, commercial felt, and fulled felt. The entire process has been amazing, and I am really excited."

"I met some new friends who taught me how to spin with a drop spindle. They showed me an amazing technique where you ply the yarn as you spin it. Mind blowing, but simple. Spinning is addictive!

I've also been planting my garden, and working on projects that really capture the woodland vibe. I made a forest faux cake for my springtime table."

"Because temps are warming up, but I still live near the chilly Nor Cal coast, I've been working on light scarves. My favorite one is a scarflet of lightweight ruffles from a thrifted wool pancho. It looks like an Elizabethan collar."

"I love riding mountainboards, and springtime means time to ride. A mountainboard is basically a giant skateboard, with inflatable tires and mounts to strap your feet in. It's perfect for dirt roads, and I try to hit the trails at least two or three times a week."

Hot! Thanks, Brookelynn!

Brookelynn has already contributed some great content to Craftzine (my favorite being her gorgeous Ikebana tutorial) and starting this upcoming Monday, May 18th, she is going to be our guest blogger for the week, bringing us fresh content every day. Stay tuned!

Brookelynn will be also be co-hosting the Needlefelting Playground with Miss Moxie at our Maker Faire Bay Area in San Mateo on May 30th and 31st. Stop by, meet Brookelynn, and play with wool!

Special thanks to Michelle Feileacan Photography for the top picture and to Stella the adorable boxer for modeling the scarf!

Recently, Pam of Gingerbread Snowflakes changed out her winter themed blog banner with a spring one. She asked readers for input on what banner image she should use, and when I saw her option with these fantastic punched tin butterflies, I immediately cast my vote. Now she has a tutorial up for making those very punched tin butterflies. They are beautiful, and would make a great addition to any garden!

As our Crafting with Nature month draws to a close, plant some veggies! This weekend Seattle Tilth is having their edible plant sale where you can score some awesome organic veggies and herbs and learn about food gardening and composting. Via New World Geek.

Back in CRAFT Volume 09, the multi-talented Brookelynn Morris opened our eyes to the wonders of growing a garden hydroponically. Brookeylnn shares instructions for a simple and compact system, perfect for the urban gardener. The introduction to this DIY explains the benefits of a hydro system:

"Why hydro instead of soil? Growing hydroponically has tons of advantages. It actually saves water! This project uses the same 5 gallons of water over and over again for a whole week. If you were watering into dirt, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to collect and recirculate the water.

Hydro also saves space. In a typical soil garden, the lettuce plant will only grow as big as the 4" pot will let it. With hydroponics, the roots of the plants will actually grow right out of the pot, allowing the plant get as big as it likes. Or at least as big as it can before you eat it!"

Brookelynn teaches us the basics of the setup, then gets us going starting a tray of yumminess from seed. We learn how to mix the growing media as well as the nutrients to feed the plants. The whole system takes up such little space that you no longer need a sizable property to grow your own flourishing garden. Water is the key!

In honor of Earth Day, we're sharing this project with you in our Digital Edition, so you can get started setting up your own hydro veggie garden. And to pick up CRAFT Volume 09, head on over to the Maker Shed. This Green Craft issue features resources for the eco-crafter, Michelle Kaufmann's elegant herb dryer, furoshiki fabric folding, great ideas for recycling cereal boxes, a vintage book stash box, a mosaic table project, precious metal clay jewelry, a primer on using Google Sketchup, and so much more.

Instructables user laxap writes:

Growing tomatoes needs a lot of sun. In warm and rainy days, diseases can appear (such as Early Blight, I think). The plants must be protected from the rain, not from the sun. This instructable shows how to build a robust shelter that resists to wind (and to snow).

Instructables user jholland made a how-to for this lovely tower of flower pots. It's great for when you have limited square footage, and also has an interesting illusion of looking like the pots are balanced on each other.

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Instructables user Marcos used an old tire to make these trug baskets, shown above holding flowers (but they can also hold much heavier things, like tools).