Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Slob Chic Horticulture.

Over the course of the summer I've kept an eye out for columbines, clematis and balloon flowers in various lush neighborhood gardens. I was waiting for the blooms to fade and seed pods to form to gather a few and brighten another corner.

It's kind of cool as you are doing it the ancient way rather than opening a packet from a store. Another aspect of my Slob Chic approach turns on leaves. The area around my office is dropping crab apple leaves and some other sidewalk exotic I haven't pegged yet. It's dropping lots of seeds now too.

Since these leaves compost easily, I mulch the impoverished soil of the elderly ornamental strip along the sidewalk. Why toss these into the recycle stream when they are free and useful here?