The Oasis (From the front and side, as of July 1st)

 Sometimes I see people stop and look gap-jawed upwards toward me.  The first time, I thought I'd accidentally wandered out into the sidewalk-line-of-sight part of the patio in my skanky summer night gown sans bra.  (I often hang out on my patio in skivvies, but usually am careful to stay out of random jogger's field of vision.)  But it didn't take me long to realize it wasn't me.  Or, perhaps, wasn't just my rolled-out-of-bed scariness.  Patio gardens like mine are actually pretty rare in this stark apartment community of mine.  Three floors up, The Oasis stands out as a lovely bit of greenery in a sea of white washed empty patios.  You'll occasionally see bikes hanging from racks, or an odd pot or two, but usually nary a vegetable or bird feeder is to be seen.

One day on my way back from somewhere, I decided to stop and gawk, putting myself in the shoes of tidy dog-walkers whose patios were are as barren as the Sahara.  (OK, so I was plotting exactly exactly where I could hang out less-than-kempt without being seen.)  I took some photos for good measure.  This was a couple weeks ago, and things have since grown and been moved, but you get the idea.

I wish more people would hop on the bandwagon.  That way I wouldn't risk getting gawked at in my garden-witch-just-rose skivvies, watering and drinking tea, when a random jogger happens by.

Or maybe they're just afraid of geting in trouble for putting holes in the wood.  Ooops.  I didn't think about that.  (No, really, I did.  I just don't care.  :D)

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How to Make Perfect Patio Bird Bath

I'm not a famously patient person when it comes to getting things done.  When I decide that I want something, I either buy it (not very often) or make it (my preferred approach if I have the ability, tools, and parts).  So last week, when I decided I needed a birdbath, I did some quick research to see what was out there for patio birdbaths.  There were some I liked, but I could only laugh at the cost. So I set about to make my own.

And it turned out to be incredibly easy!  And cheap!  So in case you're so inclined, here was my process.

Disclaimer: I'm a jewelry maker, so I have tools and decorative chain on hand.  But if you don't, don't let that stop you.  Use whatever you have in tool boxes, junk drawers, and n the back of the closet!

What you need:

Two pairs of pliers. I have jeweler's tools, but any pair will do just fine.

About 4 feet of small but sturdy chain.  This will be what wraps the bowl.  I used some ugly cheap stuff I've had for years.  You can use any kind of chain you have, including an old dog chain.

A foot or two of sturdy chain.  This is the piece you are going to use to hang the bath.

An old bowl.  The shallower the better.  I also like the clear bowl so I can see when its empty or dinner without having to climb on a chair.

Preparing the Chain

Separate the chain into four separate chains. You do this by opening the last link of the chain. Grip the link with one set in your not-dominate hand. In the other hand, slightly bend the ring to the right. NEVER pull the two ends apart unless you plan on throwing the ring away. If you have never done this before, here are some excellent step-by-step directions.

Using the same method as above, unhook a link from the big chain.

Slide the ends of all four small chains on the link.

Close the big link and spread out the chains like an X.

Making the Base

Set the bowl on top.

Open the bottom link of the big chain and slide the other end of the four small chains through it.  Close the loop.

Straighten it all out and give it a few light yanks to make sure all the links are properly tightened.  Better to have it fall and crash on your patio than fall several stories on some poor soul's head.

Step back and admire your handiwork!

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The Beginnings of a Patio Garden

Before I came back to MI, I got my patio garden off to a start.  I didn't have time to make it pretty, but that doesn't matter as much as actually having things growing:D

Gerber Daisies from Harris Teeter, a sock grass man Torin made at school, a variety of morning glories (to be spread out in different pots later), and a white pot with a moonflower that hadn't sprouted yet.  You can see my hummingbird feeder in the background.  I have no idea if hummingbirds come through my area at all, but better safe than sorry;)

Before I had found a community garden plot, I went on the assumption that I wouldn't have one.  So the terra cotta pots have pole bean and wax bean seeds that hadn't sprouted yet.  I think I'll leave them - what's more fun then going out to the porch an picking some yummy treats?  I have no idea if the smaller pot is big enough, but let's just call it an experiment!

The metal wash bin has a variety of salad fixins - a lettuce mix, green onions, radishes, etc - and two types of nasturtiums (which are edible too!).  There are some cucumber seeds under the wire cage - I'll let the healthiest plant climb up the cage instead of the porch.  Once the greens are over with, I'll fill it with later season crops and/or flowers.

 

Lettuce, spinach, flowers, parsley, dahlias from Harris Teeter... I would have to look at the seed packets to remember what is where.  There is another bird feeder there too.

See the cardboard underneath?  Well, the last apartment I lived in (about 5 years ago) taught me a lesson in remembering to be aware of drippings... the stuff that falls between the wooden floorboards on unsuspecting neighbors below.  It was a incident involving one of those small blue wading pools full of water on the patio, Torin, and neighbors coming in with groceries at just the wrong moment... I don't like to speak of it now.  :D  So, in a preemptive move to avoid patio wars, I used some giant cardboard strips left from new mattress packaging to prevent an invasion of dirt and compost raining down on the neighbor below. 

 

Finally, some basil.  Basil needs more light than my patio is able to provide, I think, so I took a different approach.  I bought one of those kitchen rod hanger sets from Ikea, bolted it to the outside rail, and wired the pots to it so they wouldn't blow off.  I'm going to do more of that, I think... the pots already have holes in the bottom, and the rods are pretty inexpensive!

I'm going back this weekend, so I'll have an update on how things are doing soon.  I'm such a geek - I can't wait to see how many true leaves have emerged!

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