Showing posts with label plants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label plants. Show all posts

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Saturday at the Flea Market

Everyone who lives in our corner of the south knows that Saturday is Trade Day in Collinsville, Alabama. You can buy anything and everything there. My parents were taking me there when I was young and now here I am grown and taking my own little girl. Everybody loves Trade Day!
It doesn't matter what route you take to get there (everyone has their favorite and swears it is the fastest), you know you have arrived (almost) when you hit bumper to bumper traffic coming from all directions. That's ok, though. If you love a flea market, it is worth the traffic.
When we got there it was beginning to rain. We decided to wait in the car a few minutes to see if the rain would stop. I am so glad we did! Hoards of people were leaving because of the rain. When the rain let up (after about 15 minutes), the sun came out and the crowd was cut in half.

I've bought everything here- you name it. The fruit trees in my yard were bought here. Many of the flowers in my flower beds were bought here. However, it isn't just a place for buying plants. People are selling animals: chickens, goats, ducks. We bought 4 guineas since out flock has been decimated by hawks and owls. There we people selling sunglasses, purses (designer knock offs), shoes, handmade hair bows for little girls, and t-shirts. You can find sports memorabilia, a guy selling handmade cheese and jellies, a man selling hand-dipped incense directly across form a man selling hand-dipped corn dogs. (I found that amusing for some reason.) Collector coins and knives, furniture, home made ice cream, snow cones, pet supplies, musical instruments, and some things that you may not be able to identify (ha!).  There is even a girl who will read your cards and (supposedly) tell your future.  I passed that one up, but, to each his own. :)
My husband loves to look at the chickens. My little girl loves the goats (and ice cream) and I love the plants.  The whole family is happy at Trade Day.

We spent a couple hours looking around, but in the end we only bought 4 guinea keets and some plants for the garden. I lost a few in the cold snap 2 weeks ago, so these can help fill in the gap.

So, if you're looking for something to do on a Saturday, take a trip over to Collinsville. Your whole family will have a good time.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

A Rack for Seedlings- for under $100!

It's that time of year (FINALLY) and I've been so busy I haven't blogged in a while. I got more seeds started this past weekend: peppers, eggplant, some herbs and flowers. Hopefully they will sprout soon and move to the grow rack (seed rack, whatever you call it- I have always called them "grow racks" and, to me, that is what they will always be).
Speaking of which, my old rack that I used for my seedlings finally bit the dust. I loved it, though. It was a wooden, A-frame type rack. My husband built it like one I saw in a gardening catalog. I could unfold it and use it throughout the growing season, then take it down and store it through the winter. I used it for several years, but it is really worn out now.
If you have looked in any catalogs lately you know how expensive a these things can be- at least $200, and often twice that. My husband is working long hours now and didn't really have a great deal of time for building another. So, what to do?
 I did a little shopping and this is what I came up with.  I went to Walmart and bought a metal shelving unit for about $49. My husband put it together. I still had the lights from my old rack (also purchased at Walmart a few years ago). He attached them to the shelf with chains and- TADA!- instant grow rack!
Not gorgeous, but it works! I  know the wires are a little unsightly (they are plugged into a surge protector). I can stand to look at it for a little while- until my seedlings are ready to plant. It isn't as tall or as wide as my old rack, but I think I can make it work.
If you have to watch your money (or even if you don't but would rather spend it on something more fun than a grow rack) this is definitely an option.
Now, if only the warmer days would come soon so I could do something about those ugly, empty  planters on my deck.....