Getting a Grasp on Grass

"Sitting quietly, doing nothing, spring comes, and the grass grows by itself."

                                                                                    -Zen Proverb

Yes it does!  And if you don't do something about it, it will grow into a behemoth and ruin your design!  Now I am a lover of ornamental grasses and use them whenever possible.  They are elegant, fairly inexpensive, add height or width (depending upon which grass you choose) and have winter interest.   And while they are low maintenance, NOTHING is no maintenance.  So here is a what you should be doing now that spring is here.

This is a Pampas grass  I planted to hide some electrical stuff that couldn't be buried.  As you can see, it's pretty beaten up and has exhausted its winter beauty.  



 























 To encourage earlier growth, and give it a tidier look, you need to cut it back to about 4-6 inches.  Simple.











 Every few years, you also need to divide your grass.  If you don't, you will have a monster on your hands. Look at this mess (not sure who the dude with the duck bill was).













 
 


Dividing is simple.  Decide how much you want to save, knowing that your grass will grow 1/3 to double every season.  Then slice your shovel right down into it.  Dig down as far as the root and dig it up.  The delightful result of all your sweat is that you now have another beautiful ornamental grass to replant!  







Easy, easy and necessary.  Don't delay, you'll feel like a champ!   Look at all that new growth just waiting to take off!  

Posies, Picture Frames and Plastic Eggs

 “Spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world.”
~Virgil Kraft

Ah...it's springtime and almost Easter.  I love this time of year - so full of possibilities with every day looking a bit greener and fresher than the one before.  After two months of dormancy, I'm a bit crazy with all the fresh air and jobs to do!!

Anyway.  It took awhile, but I finished the project I began last time I posted.  (Yea! That's one down.) And I wanted to show you the final result. 

Of course you've been faithfully following my blog, so you recognize this mantle from seasons past - always a joy to redo.  This Easter, my client requested I make it over for an event she is hosting in this space (stay posted for blog photos to follow).

My challenge with this project was scale    - that fireplace is HUGE!  I also wanted to add the colors of spring but have it 'go' with the earthiness of a barn.  As you saw in my last post, I worked on the idea of painting, distressing and moss-ing up some old picture frames.  I loved the finished project, but needed another frame to tie it all together.  So I had the idea of taking another picture frame, putting plywood in it and painting the plywood with chalkboard paint.  This would provide the focal point needed.  I threw some left over grapevine over the top of it, added a few springs of forsythia and surrounded it with the other frames.  And it works!




These adorable votive holders (courtesy of Pottery Barn), gorgeous pot with some colorful spring flowers, and a few eggs thrown around make a nice grouping.

















Another consideration in this fireplace, is the hearth.  I moved the heavier cast iron pot and fire irons to the left in hopes the sunlight streaming through the windows would help to soften their bulk.  On the right, I made this little egg tree.  (Now, I've got to confess, I've never been a big fan of plastic eggs hung in trees; in fact I usually make fun of them.  But these eggs were so beautiful and colorful, I had to eat crow a bit and give it a try; hopefully with a bit of flair.) I found this old milk container at a local antique market (LOVE it!), and used dogwood branches because of their great shape and tiny branches. Great color and unexpected sparkle.






The final piece was this cute little bunny nest.  I found a dusty old wreath, added a few new (clean) vines, moss and feathers to make a nest.  It is large enough to fill this space and hold it's own against the egg tree.

 So there you have it.  A few old picture frames, a couple posies and a smattering of plastic eggs.  Fun, inexpensive and unique. 

 

Picture Perfect

I don't know about you, but I find it way too easy to fall into a rut and do the same things over and over again, even seasonal decorating.  When it is your business, that is unacceptable.  So this spring when a client asked me to re-do the mantle in her barn, I set out to come up with something new and different...and I did.

I started off with some frames I found laying around my garage (we all have those).  I removed whatever was in them, dusted them off, painted them flat white then painted two of them a springy blue and two of them lime green.




          
                                                                                                                                                               

  





 I wanted them to look a bit weathered, so as the frames dried, I gently wiped off some of the paint.  You can see the end result here and how easy it was.  Once they dried, and I played with them a bit on the mantle, I realized they just weren't quite right; they looked too clean and frankly, were a bit boring.  So I decided to give them a bit more character.

  Somehow I came up with the idea of adding moss to them...and it worked!  So I  hot glued the frame and pressed on bits of moss to different spots on each frame, making sure not to put them on the same on each frame. 

 I loved the result!  It gave the frames a unique look and added needed dimension.

But...

 It got to be too much of a good thing, and to do it to all four frames was just too uniform.  So I wrapped twine around two of them and added just a touch of moss to the twine.  On this frame, I glued a plastic egg in the corner.  Too cute.  I'll show you the final result next time. 

So have fun, be creative and see what you come up with on your own!