Green and Thrifty

Oh, my goodness, baby seedlings are the most cutest things ever, apart from baby animals and baby humans, okay, so baby things are cute all round. I can tell you that the tiny greenhouses worked, as these seeds are up and practically running around, while the control seeds only just popped out of the potting soil yesterday. Still, these mini greenhouses have limited usefulness, as the tiny seedlings are already pushing against the ceilings of their first homes. This week I planted tomato, capsicum and snowpea seeds. The snow peas I'll plant when they come up (I find if I direct plant them the ants and birds try to dig them up and eat them), and the tomatoes and capsicums I'll pot on until they are big, healthy plants and the ground has warmed up.

I have been building up my vegie garden beds this week. My vegie garden is on a slope, and every time I add fertiliser or compost or mulch to these beds it all ends up in a pile at the bottom. The plants on the bottom end are very happy, and the plants at the top are starved of nutrients and water. I have been collecting bags of rocks from Paul's place and hauling them home in the back of the car then barrowing them down to the bottom of the garden to build a drystone wall around the vegie patch to level it up.

There are a lot of weeds visible in my new garden bed - I put them there on purpose. I dug great big mats of chickweed out of the paths and threw them on the surface of the new bed where it will become a delicious green manure for the new garden. Here's to equality for all the the tomato plants this year as they start life on a level playing field..

This is Sticky the Stick Insect. For the last two winters he has turned up on Paul's verandah and lived on the plants there. Paul sometimes collects a buffet of different leaves for Sticky to sample. Every morning Paul gives Sticky a tiny high-five with his finger, and Sticky pats him back with his little arms. Here Sticky is waving to us all.

Why is Sticky featured in this Green and Thrifty post? Because, if like Paul, you can find joy in the insects visiting your verandah, you will not need to spend money and resources on other kinds of entertainment. And who can resist an animal who looks like a stick? Such talent. Who needs Netflix when you have stick insect?

Now, for Mending Club..

I had to reinstitute Mending Club in order to get my pyjamas patched, because apparently I need extrinsic motivation to get to the mending basket. So thank you all for letting me use you as a crutch to complete domestic tasks.

Unfortunately, when I got close enough to sew the patch on, I realised there is another area that needs patching. My bum seems to be wearing a hole in my PJs. It's all the sitting around and reading I do in my pyjamas while drinking tea, I expect. So, there will need to be another Mending Club next week for the next patch. 

Meanwhile, Madeleine sent me a photo of the extremely cute coat she made for her extremely cute dog. I love seeing what you are all up to, and I am so impressed, because I can mostly just hand sew in a straight line. 

Madeleine writes: Thought you would enjoy seeing Rosie’s new coat.  In the end I didn’t use the leftover fabric from the blinds.  I decided the foxy flannelette would be more cosy than linen and she now matches…ahem….the wee wipes!

The wool strap is the tie from a vest top and the button it attaches to is also from said vest top.  Lining is an old scrap of organic cotton blanketing.

That is such a cute and thrifty coat! Madeleine's blog is also very cute and thrifty.

I would love to hear about any mending projects you have been up to, or what has been green and thrifty at your place this week, including any critters in your house or garden that give you joy (my mum used to have a large huntsman spider she called Fred that she allowed to wander around the house..). Tell us all!