gardening | kimberly ah

May 08 2013

Getting Started…

I headed over to the garden plot this afternoon to tackle the weed situation in our plot. As you can tell from above, things were pretty weedy…but our plot wasn’t the worst one, so that made me feel a little bit better as I kneeled down and started pulling. Most of the weeds came out relatively easily, but several of them were really rooted. I have callouses on my hands from all the tugging. I kept thinking, as I was bending over, the drivers sitting at the light on Harlem must see me like one of those “old lady butts” that used to be popular garden decorations. (Do you remember those? No? Maybe it was a regional thing? If you don’t know what I’m talking about, here’s an example of one.)

I found this tiny, soft carrot during the weed pulling.

After weeding, I started hauling mulch to our plot. The community garden had a huge mulch delivery that we are all welcome to use. I hauled five buckets to our plot, which was dirty work, thanks to a mulch avalanche onto my feet and the fact that I was doing everything with my tiny garden spade instead of a proper shovel.

After two hours of weeding and hauling, I had this to enjoy:

There is a plant in the corner (garlic maybe?) that I didn’t weed out. I’m not sure what it is and I know I don’t want to keep it, but it’s so big that I think I’ll need a shovel to get it out (instead of my tiny gardening spade). Naoto and I will be back at the garden this weekend to take care of the mystery plant. We’ll plant our seeds and tomato and pepper plants then, too. I am really excited! I’m looking forward to more afternoons of dirty feet and dirty hands this summer!

Tagged adventures, community garden, forest park, garden, gardening, summer

May 07 2013

7 Comments

adventures, gardening, Sweet Tooth, Those Were the Days

Sweet Tooth

This past weekend, I met up with my parents for some garden shopping. We met in our usual spot, Peru, Illinois, which is kind of a halfway point for us. (It’s a bit of a longer drive for me, but it’s worth it because that area has great thrift stores!) We usually go to the same ol’ places but since I was on the hunt for tomato and pepper plants for my garden, they took me to Rural King–“America’s Farm & Home Store”. I did get some plants and some seeds here (more on that later) but I fell in love with the store for other reasons.

Reason #1: the free popcorn and coffee. When you walk in the Rural King door, you are welcomed by the scent of freshly popped popcorn and a pot of coffee. Isn’t that so sweet and old-fashioned? My mom and I helped ourselves to some popcorn while we poked around the candy aisles.

Reason #2: the vintage candy selection! Where else can you get seeds for your garden, parts for your tractor, food for your chickens AND old-timey gum and sweets?! I could have bought one of everything, but I decided to narrow it down to a few things (mainly because I didn’t want my candy bill to out-do my garden bill…so embarrassing…)

Here’s a rundown of my choices:

Chuckles, a sugar coated jelly candy introduced in 1921. (There is an interesting review of the Chuckles flavors here.) I am familiar with Chuckles, but I can’t remember ever tasting them, so I’m looking forward to breaking the package open this week.

Teaberry gum, my faaaavorite gum of all time. It was introduced in 1900 was popular in the 60s. (Has it been on Mad Men?) If you’ve never tried it, I think you should–it’s sweet and has a slight wintergreen flavor…it’s hard to pinpoint…it’s not super minty, it’s just wonderful. And I love the packaging and all of its vintage pink goodness. I found the commercial below and I may have spent a good amount of time this morning perfecting my Teaberry shuffle…

Clove gum is another old gum…there’s not much to say about it except that it’s reeeally clove-y. It’s not bad, but I think one pack would have been enough to walk down memory lane.

Beemans gum is from the 19th century. I’d forgotten what it tasted like. For some reason, I was thinking honey (BEEman…turns out he’s the inventor of the gum and not a bee) but it’s a nice light mint flavor…different than Teaberry, but almost as good!

And finally, Sky Bar. I’d never seen this one before and I am most excited to try it. It’s made up of four sections with four different fillings: caramel, vanilla, peanut and fudge. According to the Necco website, the Sky Bar is still the only candy bar to offer four different flavors. I had a very healthy lunch today (involving roasted cauliflower) so I doubt this candy bar makes it through the afternoon.

I think my favorite part of the old-timey candies is that their packaging is usually the original design…no one felt the need to update it to keep up with the “cool kids”. It’s charming and tasty and while I’m eating it, I just can’t help but think (in an old granny voice): They don’t make things like they used to.

Tagged adventures, food, garden, gardening, memories, shopping, vintage

May 06 2013

3 Comments

Forest Park, Oak Park, gardening, homemaking, snail mail, what's for dinner

Scenes from the Balcony

Last week spring hit…hard. One could argue that summer hit because we had temperatures in the 80s and I got a little sunburn from enjoying breakfast on the balcony. (I need to be more careful!) For two whole days, I did nothing but sit outside and write letters, read gardening books, eat breakfast, lunch & dinner and enjoy the fresh blooms on the trees. It felt good to soak up some Vitamin D and breathe in the spring air. This week, it’s supposed to be warm and sunny again. But this week, instead of sitting around dreaming about gardening, I will be weeding out the garden plot, finalizing the planting plan. And that sounds just right to me.

Tagged coffee, food, forest park, garden, gardening, home, homemaking, mail art, snail mail, summer

Apr 30 2013

10 Comments

Forest Park, Oak Park, gardening, summer manifesto

Guess Who Got a Garden Plot?

Spoiler alert: I DID!

Shortly after posting this on Thursday night, I got an email welcoming me to the Forest Park Community Garden! They assigned me to plot #6 so Naoto and I went over on Sunday afternoon to check out our space and get a feel for the garden. Plot #6 is in the middle of the garden and it’s looking pretty weedy right now. But, hey, it also came with a few tomato cages!

This week I will be trying to decide what we are going to grow and (hopefully) picking up a few plants or getting a few seeds started here at home to move over to the garden. And we have a gardening orientation on May 11th…just in time to start planting full force. I’m looking forward to the orientation because both times Naoto and I have visited the garden, it’s been deserted…it will be good to get to know some of the other gardeners in our community.

The garden is within walking (& biking) distance of our apartment. It’s located at the corner of Harlem Avenue and the Eisenhower Expressway, tucked between those two roads, an alley and an apartment building. It’s very “urban gardening”…kind of a weird spot, but it totally makes sense when you think about open space in a city.

I’m definitely excited to get started and to hopefully (crossing fingers, crossing toes) enjoy some fresh vegetables throughout the summer. And so far, Naoto is just as excited as I am–I hope our enthusiasm continues through the hot summer!

Are you a gardener? What is the best thing you’ve grown? Do you have any advice for two newbies?

Tagged food, forest park, garden, gardening, homemaking, summer

Apr 10 2013

5 Comments

celebrations, crafty adventures, gardening, Office Supplies

Garden Stamp

Shortly after I decided I had to sign up for the community garden (application still pending…) I came across this “From the Garden of” Stamp Activity Kit from Yellow Owl Workshop. I immediately bought it (which is very unlike me…I firmly follow the one day waiting period for all online purchases). I already have two Stamp Activity Kits (the Gift Tag and the Place Card, both gifts from Naoto) and I love them, so I figured having a garden stamp on hand might come in handy if I get to grow vegetables this summer. I optimistically imagined Naoto & I giving some fresh tomatoes and cucumbers to our friends in a brown paper sack complete with a hand-stamped tag. (Realistically–or pessimistically as Naoto calls it, I fear we will grow a garden of weeds and have nothing to offer anyone.)

My parents, on the other hand, are veteran gardeners with many years of success in their gardening gloves. My dad’s vegetable garden is enormous and overflows with produce throughout the summer. They give away a ton and can several vegetables each year. And he and my mom have quite the collection of perennials throughout their yard. Just when they think they don’t have any room for another plant, they fall in love with a new variety and magically find a place for it. (I talked my mom into buying an anemone just yesterday.)

So naturally with all that extra produce, I figured my dad could use some garden tags this summer. Using the green ink that comes in the kit (which, incidentally, is similar to StazOn because it works on pretty much any surface), I stamped a few tags (Martha Stewart for Avery manilla tags 4 3/4in x 2 3/8in, which are apparently discontinued…) and added them to his birthday gift (pistachios and this). It was a quick little project and one I hope to repeat for my own garden!

Tagged celebrations, crafts, diy, forest park, garden, gardening, office supplies, parents, rubber stamp

Apr 05 2013

3 Comments

adventures, Forest Park, Oak Park, gardening

Hopeful Gardeners

Today I mailed off an application for a garden plot in Forest Park’s Community Garden. Ever since we saw their float in the Forest Park St. Patrick’s Day Parade, I’ve been thinking and planning and wanting to participate in gardening this summer. I’m lucky to have an east-facing balcony where I can grow flowers and herbs, but I don’t get enough sun for serious vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers and green beans.

Naoto and I talked things over (because he will have to help me in the garden on the weekends) and he was up for the gardening challenge (even though he has never grown anything in his life!) I’m excited to (hopefully) have a little outdoor activity for the summer. We won’t hear anything until the fifteenth, so until then we are crossing our fingers and considering what us newbie gardeners might be able to handle this summer. Any suggestions? Tomatoes are a must!

Tagged adventures, forest park, garden, gardening, summer

Mar 30 2013

6 Comments

celebrations, gardening, homemaking

Daffodils

Every spring I look forward to picking up a little bunch of daffodils from Trader Joe’s. I know when these bright stems show up in the store, real spring is just around the corner. My first experience with a bouquet of daffodils was years ago when Naoto and I were “just friends”. I wasn’t feeling well–I had a bad spring cold–and he showed up at my door with tea, honey, an orange, some vitamins and a tiny bouquet of yellow cheer.

Last weekend Naoto bought three bouquets for the Fondue Fun Night, but they didn’t bloom until my birthday. Huge explosions of sunshine popped up throughout our apartment, making the sting of the snowfall just a little less painful.

It’s the little things that make me smile…especially as I wait (not-so) patiently for spring.

Tagged celebrations, garden, gardening, home, homemaking, memories

Jan 04 2013

1 Comment

crafty adventures, gardening, Office Supplies

Hello 2013 Calendars

Thank you to everyone who commented on yesterday’s post. I think I need to remember this: Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good (Voltaire). The cards are never going to be perfect, but if I do them in a meaningful way, by doing what is important to me (writing personal notes and letters, fancy-ing up the envelopes, getting them out early in the holiday season) and let go of perfection (feeling like I have to make them for everyone) then I can consider it a job well done! (I also responded to each of you in the comments section.)

And now, on to the calendars!

On New Year’s Eve I shared my sadness about leaving my 2012 calendars behind. But now that I’ve cracked open my 2013 calendars, I’m excited for a fresh start in the new year. There is nothing like a nice clean calendar just waiting for possibilities!

For my wall calendar, I went with Rifle again. This little Garden number is smaller than the Botanicals of 2012, but it happens to be the perfect size to cover the outdated intercom in the kitchen (which is why there is a calendar hanging in the kitchen in the first place). My favorite month is March–a barometer, which is a perfect coincidence because my dad collects them and his birthday is in March. I’m hoping the garden calendar inspires me to spend a little more time on my container garden during the summer (oh and with my poor houseplants this winter)!

I have another calendar for our bedroom, but it’s a bit of a DIY that I still need to finish–pronto! And, I just ordered one of these calendars from K is for Calligraphy for my desk…there should be no trouble knowing what day it is in 2013!

For my planner, I settled on the Paper Source Date Book. This is my third year using this particular datebook…so -yawn- I guess it works just fine. The design is just really tired to me but I’m hoping to jazz it up a bit with some washi tape and some other Japanese calendar stickers. I have a whole stash of stuff to make the planner more “me” and less Paper Source. I’ll come back next week and show you how it’s coming along.

What kind of calendar do you have for 2013? And how many calendars is too many?

Tagged calendar, garden, gardening, homemaking, office supplies, organization, washi tape

Sep 27 2012

4 Comments

gardening, home is a 1970s apartment, homemaking

Home is a 1970s Apartment | The Autumn Balcony

My friend Peggy gifted us her old wicker loveseat last week. I am in love with the thing…it will be a perfect spot to cozy into with a good book next summer (and hopefully a few times this fall). New furniture means musical chairs–moving things around to make it work on the balcony. Since the spring, we’ve had a separate dining and seating areas out there. The wicker seat gives us more seating options for guests and makes it feel a little more living room-y out there. I love it.

Saturday, Naoto and I spent some time outside in the breezy sunshine trying to spruce things up on the balcony for fall. It’s that awkward time in the season when you have fall mums mixing with summery blooms, but–to me–the more blooms the better. (My mom was saying that she hasn’t bought a mum yet because her pink and purple petunias are still blooming like crazy…I told her I solved that problem by killing my petunias off in August!) Next spring, I think we will move the bird feeder and switch around the chairs and loveseat, but for now, we’re going to keep things as is (since most of the furniture will be coming in soon for the winter). I would also love to paint the floor grey–it’s this weird pale hospital-y green now–and get an all-weather area rug and outdoor pillows to make things even more comfortable out there.

The balcony is five by twenty feet, which is both big and small to me…big for an “urban” apartment and small for a girl who dreams of a country home with a wraparound porch. But it works for us to have a little cafe table for two and a seating area out there.

We were super-lucky to furnish and decorate the whole balcony with second hand furniture (the love seat, the green chairs and the black plant cart), sale items (the cafe set, shepherds hooks and all of the pots and plants) and gifts (the bird feeder and all of the bird houses were all made by my dad). We almost bought some stuff at Ikea when we first moved in, but my parents found the green chairs and table on Craigslist for half the price of ONE Ikea chair…isn’t that crazy?! We are so thankful to them for keeping an eye out for good second hand stuff!

Just for good measure (because all of the other posts have before & afters), here is what the balcony looked like when we first moved in…isn’t it amazing what a few flowers and some furniture can do?

Tagged decorating, gardening, home, home improvement, homemaking

Sep 25 2012

5 Comments

gardening, handmade=happiness, homemaking

handmade is happiness #2

Our first autumn here, I asked my dad for one of his handmade bird feeders for a Christmas gift. I thought it would make a great addition to our balcony and it would give Presley and me some birdwatching opportunities during the winter. My parents have several feeders in their yard and it’s always fun to spot new birds when we visit. It turns out he was already building me this feeder and he brought it up to me that Thanksgiving! We didn’t fill it this summer because the birds are messy, leaving seed shells all over the balcony. (And, between you & me, last summer, some of the bird seed fell on the grass below our balcony and grew into crabgrass! Oops!) Once the temperature drops, we will fill it up again. Presley and I are already looking forward to cardinal-watching this winter!

Here’s a close-up of the little chickadee drawings on the side.

My dad has been building bird feeders and bird houses for as long as I remember. And he is generous to give them to our family and friends. Besides the feeder, we have three of his bird houses on the balcony.

The one made with reclaimed wood,

the barn-style

and the Colonial house-style (also made with reclaimed wood). This one sits on the floor, and is meant more for decoration than an actual bird home.

And, even though no birds have taken up residence in any of the houses, I still have hopes that someday we will have a little neighbor or two out there!

Tagged decorating, garden, gardening, homemaking