New Feature: Thelma’s Thursday ‘Therapy’ Thought
Posted by debi on May 10th, 2007 filed in R & R
A dear Navy friend volunteers to join us with some crafty ideas each week!
First, let me introduce myself. I’m Thelma and I’m a craft-a-holic. (Everybody say, “Hello Thelma!”)
I have been crafting since mud pies as a child. At about age two, I “painted” the knobs on the chest of drawers with cream underarm deodorant.
Because I do so many crafts, I’m not an expert like Martha Stewart, I’m not hyperactive like Ty Pennington, nor am I swishy like Christopher Lowell. What I lack in talent, I make up for in enthusiasm and productivity.
I believe that doing something with one’s hands keeps one from smoking, drinking (a lot), eating (all the time) and/or abusing oneself (in whichever way you want to take that). So I try to have something to do all the time. Even when at sea. Now that I am retired, whooooo boy, I can really indulge in crafting, as you will come to learn!
Debi asked me to offer some little tidbit weekly. Hopefully, you can take away something from these little projects and find yourself enjoying a slightly calmer life. Even at sea.
We missed a deadline to make something for Mother’s Day, as most of you are far enough from Mom that the gift wouldn’t make it in time. But we will plan for next year. Instead, this first time, we will concentrate on SELF.
Nothing lightens the heart like something growing. And you can grow some awesome stuff starting now. Even on the ship. (Ok, if you are actually underway at this time, this may have to way until your next port of call, but keep this in mind.)
From the dollar value store get a big plastic bucket, or pail. From your super Sam-type mart, buy a bag of potting soil, the size of bag that will fill your bucket. You shouldn’t spend more than 6 bucks (even in California) for the soil.
In the area where you find the soil, pick out a few seeds. You’ll want marigolds and dwarf sunflowers, spinach and leaf lettuce if you are feeling frisky, and you can get an already growing plant if you read the tag and make sure you can take care of it. (You can ask me here, I will answer here.)
Altogether, you shouldn’t spend more than 20 bucks, maybe less, depending on where you live in this great Country:
Bucket, 1 dollar, soil, 6 dollars, a pack each sunflower, marigold, lettuce, spinach; 2 bucks, 2 bucks, 2 bucks 2 bucks, already growing plant - five, maybe. 19 dollars, total. (Disclaimer: You can get the soil and seeds in the Exchange and perhaps you should have gone there first, eh?)
You are clever, find a way to poke a few holes in the bottom of your bucket; the roots need some drainage. Place part of an old tee shirt on the bottom of the bucket to keep the soil in and the water running out and fill with dirt to about three inches from the top.
Place the sunflower seeds in an X pattern across the soil. Make a smiley face with the spinach and lettuce seeds in the “crotches” of the X. But don’t mix the seeds; keep them separate by quarters of the X. Sprinkle the marigold seeds around the edge.
Cover this all with handfuls of soil, to about the thickness of a pencil. GENTLY water. A personal soda bottle full of water will be enough today. You won’t see water out the bottom for a few days. Every day, gently sprinkle that soda bottle of water over the top of the dirt.
If your bucket is near some sun, but not dead in it all day, or even under some fluorescent lights, in about five days you will see sprouts. And next Thursday, we will discuss how to tend to them. Maybe by then the water will start to run out the bottom. Before that happens, you will want to make sure your bucket is in such a place that the water running out won’t ruin anything. A large Frisbee under the bucket might do the trick.
By the way, if you bought an already growing plant, probably should have put that in first. But you have to tell me what that plant is so I can help you tend it.
You are on the way to being a bucket gardener. We can call you Erle Stanley, Howard, Constant, Senator Randy, Marvin (think Monopoly), Ashley, Dana, Natural, Accidental, Night or Yankee - from a quick Google of the word “gardener”).
Good luck and happy growing!
Have a question for Thelma? Post them in the “comment” section and she’ll get back to you…feel free to post comments and ideas there, also.
{Big Wave} Thanks so much, Thelma…see you next Thursday!
4 Responses to “New Feature: Thelma’s Thursday ‘Therapy’ Thought”
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
May 10th, 2007 at 11:10 am
Now this is really nice, I like this. I’m interested in growing things but have no idea how to do it. This is a really good idea on here, thank you Thelma, so glad you are doing this! I have a quesiton you might answer sometime…how do you grow herbs in the house or do they have to be grown outside? We live in an apartment complex and I would really love to grow stuff like parsley and basil and others but I don’t know how to do it. Do you have any ideas for me? Thanks so much!
May 12th, 2007 at 3:57 pm
Hello there Miss Thelma you seem like such a nice lady. I can’t wait to see what other stuff you will come up with. My old granny used to say that when you get your hands in dirt and you spend a little time growing things it is closer to being in church than being in church, because God likes to see people filled with the glory of his most natural creations. You seem to be filled with some glory yourself with how you tell us how to do something like this with a bucket. Yes I just love this. See you again soon.
May 13th, 2007 at 8:09 am
Rachel, You CAN grow herbs in the house. The Brits do it all the time. You don’t need anything fancy, either. Old coffee cans work well, and you only need one small bag of potting soil (non specific — sometimes the bags are marked for special needs plants: violets, cactus) and some seeds or plants. I recommend buying the plants as the hard work is done and you know what you are getting. Buy plants that look like they are alive and don’t have any flower on them, yet. Rinse the coffee can, poke a few holes in the bottom, for drainage. Put a coffee filter, paper towel or old piece of fabric on the bottom inside to hold in the dirt. Put in two handfuls of dirt, then the plant. Fill gently with dirt to about an inch from the top. Water slowly until water runs out the bottom. Place in sunny spot. A window ledge is good. Water gently, once a week til water runs out the bottom. After about 6 weeks, harvest some of your herbs. Harvest regularly. The more rootbound your herb gets, the more herb it will produce.
Maybe in the winter, it will grow slower, but you can mix up some liquid fertilizer and pour that in once a month. I like to really dilute my liquid fertilizer because I am going to eat the herbs later and am just a bit sceptical of what is in the fert. Good luck and enjoy,
Jenn, thank you for your kind words. I do a lot of weeding on Sunday mornings!!
May 16th, 2007 at 3:23 pm
I wasn’t the one asking about the herb growing but I thank you for posting the answer because it is something I definitely want to do. You made it seem very easy. Thanks.