The Planting Plot

This weekend, Josh and I basically bopped around on our Saturday, meaning we had plenty to do on Sunday. As we walked into HEB to do our weekly shopping (yes we do have a grocery schedule) we noticed that they were selling small fruit and vegetable plants. In that moment, my horticulture major, love of flowers, and general repressed hippie joy spewed forth in an exclamation of exaltation.

"Josh! We can grow them in pots and eat them!" I cried with wild excited eyes. Since they seemed to bring out unanticipated joy and looked to be pretty inexpensive, Josh consented to look. I think it was mixed bag on whether or not we would be purchasing until I successfully identified a strawberry plant without looking at the tag. Having impressed my husband and acted like an excited child at the grocery store, we left with an heirloom tomato and a strawberry.

This naturally meant that we needed pots to plant them in, soil, and a cage to support the tomato. We headed over to Home Depot and successfully acquired a pot and some dirt. As we were strolling through the store, attempting to determine if they had cages (no dice) we also noticed small cacti with colorful tops.

"Josh, those would be awesome on our porch!"

I got to pick two. As we were looking through the cacti, Josh noticed a hanging basket of succulents.

"Look Heather, we have that one! It would look way better in a hanging basket!"

Never one to turn down a planting opportunity, I agreed and we headed across the street to Lowe's to purchase a cage and a hanging basket. As we drove home sandwiched among our plant purchases I mentioned to Josh, that we really should have gotten some rocks to put in the bottom of our pots for drainage. Josh turned to me with a gleam in his eye and pointed out the window.

"Like those rocks?"

Lo and behold out side the window in an abandoned driveway were hundreds of white rocks.

"I don't know...should we? Is that stealing?"

"I don't think anyone would care if you got a few rocks..."

"PULL THE CAR OVER! LET'S STEAL SOME ROCKS!"

So there we are on the side of the road piling small to medium stones into our new pot as though we were robbing a bank. All shifty eyes and hurry ups. As we jumped back into the car, Josh asked me how I felt.

"I feel like a total BA! We just stole rocks without getting caught!"

So yes, our brand new tomato is planted on stolen property, and I'm sure the fruit will taste all the sweeter for it.

DIY: Floral Wedding Favors of Awesomeness

"I used to think a wedding was a simple affair. Boy and girl meet, they fall in love, he buys a ring, she buys a dress, they say I do. I was wrong. That’s getting married. A wedding is an entirely different proposition. I know. I’ve just been through one. Not my own, my daughter’s."  

-Steve Martin (Father of the Bride)

These words from the classic Father Of The Bride embody exactly what I wanted to avoid putting my father through in my own wedding. I knew it was going to be pricey, I knew there were things I would have to hire out (for instance, I can't simultaneously dance and DJ), but I did intend to do everything I could DIY, thus, the flower adventure began.

While part of this project may have come from my desire to use my degree (Horticulture) for something useful, I do like to DIY and garden, and the process of propagating cuttings is actually relatively simple. So without further ado, here is the DIY for the dreamers, tea drinkers, punch sippers, and the generally awesome. 

PHASE ONE: Growing

1. Build beautiful Flower Boxes (ask Josh).

Materials Collection

Epic Drill Pic

Two down!

Three down! (with artful stacking)

DECORATIONS!

2. Plant succulents in the boxes. 

Freshly Planted

It's a Patio Garden!

3. Grow succulents until they get a little bigger.

Growth Chambers of Awesomeness 

4. Cut off pieces of the succulents using a clean (remember, this is plant surgery) sharp knife or scissors.

5. Dip the cuttings in Dip'n'Grow for 1-5 seconds.

6. Plant the cuttings into cactus soil.

7. Keep cuttings well watered.

8. Once the cuttings have rooted you are ready to begin phase two: Planting

PHASE TWO: Planting

1. Choose a vessel for the new plants. Remember it should be an appropriate size for the plant, and should match your intended decor. Also, heavy metal containers are discouraged.

Set-up

2. Loosely dispense cactus soil into the container, preferably with a cup. You DO NOT want tightly packed soil.

Planting, Like a boss.

3. Use your finger to make a hole in the soil in each container to plant your cutting into.

4. Carefully remove your cutting from the tray by grabbing the plant at its base and gently pulling it free of the soil, making sure to preserve the roots. 

5. Plant your cutting into the hole you made with your finger and brush soil around the base if needed.

The goal. Cheesy smile not necessary, but encouraged. 

6. Water plants in with a spray bottle, being careful to make soil moist, not wet.

7. Hold up your beautiful baby plants in triumph.

8. Repeat approximately 170 times, or for however many cuttings you have.

Triumphant Gardeners.

You have now successfully planted your very own Baby Plants in Cups (BPICs). Welcome to the big leagues. On Wednesdays we wear pink.