2011 was without a doubt an exciting year full of garden therapy. It all began with some Proposals for a New Year which really launched the Weekend Project series of tutorials that go up each and every week. It took a little while to get a groove going, but now Garden Therapy is loaded with crafty/garden-y/foodie projects that will hopefully inspire you to dig in. After all of the blood, dirt, and paper cuts it was hard to choose the best of 2011. Nonetheless, here they are.
1. Garden Therapy Handmade Shop Opens!
Opening the new Etsy shop to sell a hand crafted line of floral throw pillows was by far the most exciting thing that happened this year. The Studio Blooms line of throw pillows started from flowers grown in my gardens which were then photographed in macro, blown up to mammoth proportions, and printed on fabric using the giclée technique. Each pillow represents a piece of artwork for your home, yet artwork you can cuddle up to and read a book on. Every step was carefully (obsessively?) planned out and executed, so the final cushions are truly show-stopping.
A labour of love that took well over a year and a half to launch, it’s been a great success so far and I have very high hopes for 2012. Look for new designs, new products, and new locations where you can buy Garden Therapy Handmade in the coming year. And remember, each design is a limited edition so please snap them up before they are all gone.
2. Free Printable Canning Labels
It seems a shame to put so much love into a a jam, jelly, or pickle to then just label the lid with a sharpie. These printable canning labels are also meant for the canning jar’s snap lid so it get’s recycled when the lid does with no sticky glue to soak off the glass jar. Oh, and did I mention they are free? Yup, just download and print ‘em on label paper. You’re welcome.
3. The Natural Skincare Series
While making bath and body care products isn’t technically gardening, these projects all honour nature by using only natural essential oils, colourings, and other ingredients. Tutorials for handmade cold process soap, bath bombs, sugar scrub, bath salts, and lip balm were incredibly popular and made amazing holiday gifts. Good news, there will be more recipes and tutorials to come in 2012!
4. Candles in Many Shapes and Forms
The first candles to be posted were these Citronella CAN-dles. And while no bugs bit me while they were alight, I was bitten by the candle-making bug! Soy and beeswax jar candles followed which were beautiful in their simplicity. The real star of the show, however, was the beeswax flower jar candles, where a 3-dimensional beeswax surprise hides under the lid of these. A perfect holiday gift, although so far, those who have them have not wanted to burn them and watch the flower melt away. To that I say, light away and make more…and here’s how.
5. The Grinch Tree, Whoville Party and & Holiday Decorations
Speaking of the holidays, the Grinch tree was the singing Who’s that warmed up my Grinchy demeanour this holiday season. Feeling a little blue and growly before the holidays, I didn’t want to put up a Christmas tree this year. The compromise was to decorate a tree that mirrored the feelings, and the Grinch tree was born. And just like the movie, my spirits warmed up and the true meaning of Christmas was revealed: to make festive holiday planters and decorate the house and throw a Whoville-themed party! Thanks, Grinchy.
6. Wreath Making
There is always a wreath on the Garden Therapy front door, and maybe another few scattered around the garden. Tutorials for Making an Evergreen Wreath, Lavender Wreath, and Halloween Hop Wreath were easy and fun projects that didn’t cost a penny. Love!
7. Halloween Planters, Jack-o-Planterns, & Rock Spiders
Now that Hop Wreath wasn’t the only Halloween decoration this year. Scaaary planters with severed hands, witch’s brooms, and kale (OK, not too scary) were unique natural decorations. But nothing was as fun as the Jack-o-planterns and DIY Rock Spiders (sorry, Elisabeth, I know they freak you out).
8. Concrete Garden Projects
Being lucky enough to receive a review copy of Concrete Garden Projects: Easy & Inexpensive Containers, Furniture, Water Features & More
meant a fun afternoon making modern planters and leaf-print stepping stones. I’m totally addicted now!
9. Jammin’ Recipes
Not as much canning happened as normally does, but there were still some fantastic recipes this year: Winter Marmalade, Black & Blue Berry Jam, and Bourbon Cranberry Sauce topped the list.
10. Tangerine Tango
The final highlight of 2011 was the announcement of Pantone’s 2012 colour of the year, Tangerine Tango which will undoubtedly be a popular colour in fashion and home décor (already seeing it everywhere!) but there are also some pretty cool plants that can spice up your garden. Also cool, a set of Studio Blooms pillows rocks out in Tangerine Tango. Hmmm. That is a really great way to start of 2012.
Thank you to everyone who has visited in 2011 and I so very much hope that you will be back this year. Happy gardening!
I’ll be linking this post to these wonderful parties.
Tags: Best of, Garden Therapy Handmade, projects
January 03 2012 | Canning and Garden Therapy and Garden Therapy Handmade and Gardening and Growing Food and Projects | 22 Comments »
This weekend’s project is a going up a little bit late. With New Years Eve 2011 just now behind us, perhaps we are all moving a bit slower than usual. Nonetheless, this pinecone birdfeeder project is super simple & family-friendly and will get you outside for a little garden therapy, even in the cold. It seems like the right way to start off the year.
Materials:
- Dried, open pinecones
- Peanut butter
- Garden wire, twine or ribbon
- Mixed birdseed
- Plastic containers or plates, spoons, and scissors
Instructions:
1. Pick out a pinecone that has dried and opened up.
2. Tie a length wire or twine around the perimeter of the top third of the pinecone and secure firmly. Close the loop at the top by tying a knot or twisting securely, so that the pinecone feeder won’t fall out of the tree when birds are sitting on it.
3. Using a spoon, spread/smoosh/smear peanut butter into the crevices of the pinecone. You don’t need a whole lot of peanut butter; just enough glopped around it will allow the birdseed to stick.
4. Pour birdseed into container. Place the peanut butter-covered pinecone in the seed and toss the seed over top and all around. Really get in there and pack the seeds into the crevices and stick it to the outsides. The finished product will look like a little seed ball.
5. Decorate with ribbons if you would like, then hang them in the trees and wait for the birds to come. It won’t be long.
I’ll be linking this project to these wonderful parties. Happy New Year!
Tags: bird feeder, family, pinecone, weekend project, wild birds
January 01 2012 | Gardening and Projects | 15 Comments »
If you are having a New Year’s Eve bash this year, infused vodkas make a festive basis for some fabulous cocktails. Or perhaps you are lucky enough to be attending a soiree held by someone else? A fruity infused vodka makes a perfect hostess gift and is much more original than wine. Start them now and they’ll be perfectly flavour-infused by the big night.
Berry Infused Vodka Recipe
Ingredients:
- 3 cups of berries such as blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, strawberry
- 1 lemon
- 1 whole vanilla bean
- 1L (750ml) of inexpensive vodka
Directions:
- Using a vegetable peeler, peel off 3-4 strips of lemon rind. Use the back of a paring knife to remove as much pith (white stuff) as you can. Pith = bitter. Add rind to a large mason jar.
- Add berries to jar and mash lightly. Spilt vanilla bean in half an add it as well.
- Pour the entire bottle of vodka over the mixture, seal with a lid and shake. Leave in a cool, dark place for 3 days.
- After 3 days, strain the infused vodka through a fine strainer or medium cheesecloth into a bottle. Repeat straining in a finer cheesecloth for a clearer liquid (optional).
New Year’s Eve Cocktails
Blueberry Nights
- 1 oz blueberry infused vodka
- 1/2 oz brandy
- 1/2 oz ginger syrup
- 3 oz soda
Blackberry Royale
- 6 oz champagne
- 1/2 oz blackberry infused vodka
- 1/2 oz simple syrup
- garnish with floating cranberries
Strawberry Refresher
- fresh mint leaves, muddled at bottom of glass with…
- …the juice of 1/2 a lime
- top with 2 oz strawberry infused vodka
- 3 oz ginger beer
- 3 oz soda
- 1 1/2 oz Midori melon liqueur
- 1 1/2 oz raspberry infused vodka
- 1/2 oz elderflower liqueur
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- sugar for rimming
- melon ball for garnish
I’ll be linking this project to these wonderful parties.
Happy New Year!
Tags: blackberry, blueberry, cocktail, infused vodka, new years eve, raspberry, strawberry
December 28 2011 | Projects and Recipes | 14 Comments »
Inspired by the festive Grinch Tree that graces the Garden Therapy house, we threw a Whoville-themed holiday open house for friends and neighbours. A little kitchy, with many natural elements, and a retro vibe all rolled up into one makes for this theme.
The party table was loaded with retro ribbon candies, scotch mints, nuts in the shells, colourful shortbread cookies, and lots of nibblies. Vegetables were served in vases, and the cheese, of course, was accompanied by a selection of homemade preserves.
Old Grinchy took center stage.
Natural yew, cedar, and ivy decorated the mantle with a simple string of lights, a few pinecone balls, some scrabble tiles, and a dried Schubertii Allium seed head.
The final decorations were crystal ornaments hung from our bare bulb chandelier. Inside some of the glass balls were mini pinecones, mushrooms from past foraging, and owl feathers from the Snowies at Boundary Bay.
It was a wonderful party with plenty of laughs.
Here’s to happy holidays all around. Merry Christmas and sleep well with the thoughts that gardening season will is just around the corner.
Tags: Christmas, party, projects
December 25 2011 | Projects | 9 Comments »
I’m proud to say that all of my holiday shopping is done, wrapped, and mailed. I know, I know, many of you may be cursing me right now. But I’ve been preparing for this all year. Those of you who follow Garden Therapy know I love to make things inspired by the natural elements found in the garden: jam, pickles, candles, soap, bath bombs, etc. Now there all sorts of pretty little jars of homemade goodness all over the house, stashed for when some wonderful person invites us to dinner or has a need for a gift. When the holidays come around, I focus on making a few very special things for the people in my life and pull together gift boxes filled with homemade treasures.
If you are looking to pull together some last minute gifts for loved ones, for hostesses, or friends and co-workers, here is a selection of tutorials or recipes that you could work on one evening and have done in just a few hours. Many of the materials you just may have around the house. I’ve added a few suggestions or notes here to help get you on your way.
- Homemade Bourbon Cranberry Sauce Recipe - all of these common ingredients you should be able to pick up when you do your regular shopping. Plus there are some printable labels in this project that will really finish it off with style.
- Soy Beeswax Jar Candles - if you have some old candles you can remelt them and pour them into the jars – just grab some wicks at your local craft store.
- Beeswax Flower Mason Jar Candles - this project is best done if you have a wicks and wax store you know of where you can buy the supplies. But it’s easy once you have all the materials and looks impressive.
- DIY Bath Bombs - know where to buy citric acid and witch hazel? Then you’ve done most of the work! Use ice cube trays as the mould and you’ll end up with cool rectangular bath tablets.
- Simple Sugar Scrub Recipe - only 3 ingredients needed: almond oil (check your natural food store, mine came from Trader Joe’s), sugar, and essential oils. Easy peasy.
- Easy Homemade Bath Salts Recipe - you probably have everything you need at home. If not, check your drugstore. Skip the lavender flowers if you don’t have any and use mint or chamomile tea leaves instead.
- Gardening For Your Front Door: Making Fresh Wreaths - get outside and clip some of your shrubs, wrap around a wire hanger (like in this project), and secure with a string of Christmas lights. A pretty and festive gift.
The final icing on the cake is the wrapping. Pretty bows, candy canes, cheery messages are an important part of spreading holiday cheer. It’s what makes the receiver’s eyes light up, and communicates the effort that went into the homemade package. Since most of these projects are in mason jars, here are some printable holiday labels and matching tags.
Please enjoy these labels as our gift to you. Print on label paper and cut out with a large craft punch or scissors. Add some ribbons, raffia, or tissue paper and you are all set to dress up your projects.
Wishing you all a wonderful holiday with your friends and family.
Tags: handmade holiday gifts, labels, project, projects, weekend project
December 21 2011 | Projects | 9 Comments »
Love those awesome fizzing bath bombs but don’t want to spend $6 a piece? It’s easy to make your own with natural ingredients that soften your skin.
As this recipe is part of the Natural Skincare Series the ingredients are natural and safe. While there are many other recipes that recommend using synthetic fragrance and coloring, there are many options available that are 100% natural and will not harm you when absorbed into your skin. You can feel confident that when you use these natural products, or give them as gifts, that they are healthy for the body.
Ingredients / Materials:
- 2 cups baking soda
- 1 cup citric acid
- 100% pure witch hazel
- spray bottle
- 10-20 drops of 100% pure essential oils (do not use fragrance for any bath or body products)
- natural colorant (green=spirulina, yellow=turmeric, purple=ratanjot)
- plastic moulds
Instructions:
1. In a large bowl, measure in the baking soda, citric acid and mix well.
2. Add a 1/2 teaspoon of coloring and mix well. Add more colouring if you want a deeper colour, but keep in mind that too much coloring will leave a ring in your tub, so go easy. The color will become more pronounced when you add the witch hazel anyhow.
3. Add 20-30 drops of essential oils and mix well.
4. Using a atomizer or spay bottle filled with which hazel, spray the entire surface of the powder mix and mix with your hands. Keep spraying and mixing rapidly until the mixture holds together when scrunched with your hand (think of making snowballs).
5. Working quickly, firmly press mixture into moulds. You can use soap-making moulds, chocolate moulds, ice cube trays, or even plastic Christmas tree ornaments that snap into two parts. The key is that they are plastic and large enough for the bath bomb to combine and set.
6. Gently tap the mould so that the bath bomb releases and carefully lay on a towel or tray to dry. To make a round bath bomb, over-fill two moulds and press them together firmly before tapping the mould to release the bath bomb.
7. Let the bath bombs dry for 30 minutes or until they are firm and won’t fall apart.
Tip: use the extra powder from the bowl and counter and shake it into carpets or rugs, then vacuum. Instant deodorizing!
I’ll be linking this project to these wonderful parties.
Tags: bath bomb, essential oils, handmade holiday gifts, Natural Skincare Series
December 16 2011 | Projects | 30 Comments »
As part of the Natural Skincare Series, here is an uber-moisturizing, exfoliating sugar scrub recipe that will wake up your skin and your mind with two energizing scent choices: lemongrass/ginger or rosemary/spearmint.
Materials:
- small 1/4 pint (125ml) jam jars
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 3/4 cup sweet almond oil
Lemongrass Ginger Recipe Ingredients:
- 3 drops of lemongrass essential oil
- 1 drop of ginger essential oil
- 1/4 tsp turmeric for coloring
Rosemary Spearmint Recipe Ingredients:
- 2 drops of rosemary essential oil
- 2 drops of spearmint essential oil
- 1/4 tsp spirulina for coloring
- 1/4 tsp crushed dried mint leaves and bergamot petals
Directions:
1. In a bowl or large 1L measuring cup mix together the sugar, oil and recipe ingredients.
2. Spoon mixture into small jam jars and smooth out top.
3. Optional: download and print these freebie canning labels to dress them up!
I’ll be linking this project to these wonderful parties.
Tags: essential oils, Natural Skincare Series, project, sugar scrub, weekend project
December 16 2011 | Canning and Projects and Recipes | 17 Comments »
Making fragrant jars of homemade bath salts couldn’t be easier. In vintage mason jars, bath salts look beautiful on display and make wonderful gifts. Here is a recipe to make your own as part of the Natural Skincare Series.
Materials:
- Epsom salts
- 100% pure lavender essential oil (not fragrance)
- dried lavender
- vintage mason jars
Directions:
1. Fill each mason jar about halfway full of the Epsom salts.
2. Add just 10-15 drops of essential oil, replace lid, and shake.
3. Remove the lid again, add 1 tablespoon of dried lavender flowers, replace lid and shake (again)
4. Add more Epsom salts to full the jar then (you guessed it) replace the lid and shake shake shake.
Tags: bath salts, essential oil, handmade holiday gifts, lavender, Natural Skincare Series, projects
December 16 2011 | Flowers and Harvest and Projects and Recipes | 9 Comments »
The Christmas tree that graces the Garden Therapy house this year is not a huge, lush, extravagantly-adorned spectacle as it has been in the past. Nope, this year we almost didn’t put up a tree. I was feeling a bit grinchy and will admit that the holidays have been difficult in the past, the last few years in particular. So this year the plan was to just skip Christmas all together, keep busy through the winter and pop out on the right side of Spring, ready to get diggin’ again.
You’re a rotter, Mr. Grinch / You’re the king of sinful sots / Your heart’s a dead tomato splotched with moldy purple spots / Mr. Gri-inch! / You’re a three-decker sauerkraut and toadstool sandwich with arsenic sauce!
But then and idea hit me. Like a vision appearing before me it was suddenly clear as day: a Grinch Tree. A tree design that celebrates not just the joy and wonder of the season, but celebrates the difficulties and challenges as well.
If those little Who’s could sing their hearts out in tough times, then so can I. I bought a potted cedar and rigged it up by pruning and re-attaching some branches so that the ball on the top would hang over just right. The perfect green ball and ribbon were easy to find.
The decorations are a combination of simple white lights, wooden ornaments, felted acorns, and kitchy silver disco balls. And the base is wrapped simply in burlap with a big green bow.
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Tags: cedar, Christmas, creatures, grinch tree, handmade holiday gifts, holiday
December 12 2011 | Garden Therapy and Projects | 34 Comments »
This winter we are incredibly lucky to have a large number of Snowy Owls visiting right now in Delta. Snowy Owls are normally found in the Arctic where their main meal is a small Arctic rodent, the lemming. Due to a decline in the lemming population (which happens approximately every 4 years) the owls have migrated to locations like Boundary Bay in Delta looking for food.
These magnificent birds are a beautiful sight to see, yet there are many warnings around that caution visitors so that the owls are protected. Please, if you do go to see the owls, maintain a respectful distance from them. If they start flying away, you have gone too close. To ensure they are not disturbed view them only from the dyke (do not enter the marsh area), keep quiet, and don’t go as a large group or bring children or pets. Stressing the owls will not only drive them away, but also threatens their survival.
That being said, seeing Snowy Owls and their habitat is a rare treat that anyone interested should get out and enjoy. Bring binoculars, a telephoto lens and/or a spotting scope so you can get a good look at them from a distance. For more information on the Snowies and where to find them, please check the updates at the end of this post.
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Tags: creatures, owls, Reifel, Vancouver
December 10 2011 | Photography | 19 Comments »
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