Chrissy the Scrub Land Baroness

March, 2019

     When I was young, I was bullied. A lot. Things were different then. I have forgiven the chick who was always trying to fight me, because I am a grown up and she, well, she works at a car dealership. I have also forgiven the chick who was always calling me a "scrub" (she thought she was so much better than I was, economically, it seems.) She is a waitress now, and I have come to embrace the term Scrub and all it stands for.

Future Campsite

     When I was younger and trying to understand how the world works I would always ask my father the good questions. Not about dating and romancey stuff, but about science/history/religion/life. I used to spend time with him on the weekends at his repair shop, and sometimes we went out on service calls. I remeber once, as we were driving past the cattle farms on the east side of the county, asking him who owned all this land and how come they didn't do anything with it? His answer was vague, something about rich people that hoarded land from others. That kind of answer was right in character with him, as he grew up on a dairy farm and knew the value of land, or at least, Michigan land. Anyone who has scoped the price of acreage here in Florida knows that you can't buy anything but swampland for less than about 12k an acre. Many estimates are even higher than that number.

Climbing Tree

     When I was a teenager, I really started learning how the world works, and I took an interest in the biosciences and ecology. It was sometime during that time that I had the dream of becoming one of those land barons, so that I could preserve plant and animal habitat. Of course, back then I wanted to buy rainforests so the pretty little parrots and iguanas had their home to live in (thanks a lot, Ferngully!) But now that I am a grown up, I believe in protecting habitat locally. I try to support local parks amd state parks. I try to practice sustainable living ideals - so I have, indeed, turned into the scrub who hangs the laundry on the clothesline.

Rat Snake

     This year I have done something amazing, completed one of my lifelong goals - I have bought some bug out land. I have a piece of the local scrubland for myself, out on the eastside of my county. Though it's only an acre and a half, I am now one of those reviled land barons.
          Scrub Land Baroness.

Punch-bowl Gardening

     I love Cannas. They are beautiful and edible and easy to grow. They are easy to grow, but you have to give them what they want, and what they want is water and sunlight.
     So I am developing a whole new style of plant nursing which I invented, and I am going to call it Punch-Bowl Gardening.
     The technique is simple. Head to your local charity-based thrift store and buy a few punch bowls. Believe me, these large bowls are there in abundance and no one else is buying them! Make sure you don't spend more than $3.00 per bowl, as that kind of money means you are buying an antique and not just unwanted glassware. The bowls can have chips on the edges, no big deal. We are buying them to reuse and recycle, not necessarily for looks.

     Then pot on your Cannas, Taros, or other water-loving plants as you normally would into whatever kind of pot that you have handy. I am using black nursery pots that I have scavenged or begged for. When I plant Cannas and other bog plants i like to put a layer of cypress mulch into the bottom of the pot, then medium, then manure and plant base as the top layer. I use aged rabbit manure, the moldier/gummier the better. Then place the potted plant into the punchbowl sitting out in your garden, and fill the punchbowl up with water. Whenever you water your plants or when the punchbowl is empty, refill to the top.

     The advantages - easy to keep thirsty plants happy and gives wildlife a place to grab a drink (frogs, lizards, butterflies). Disadvantages - mosquito growth and high winds can sometimes knock plants over if very full of water. The easiest way to treat the mosquitos is to add BT to the punchbowl, which inhibits the larval form of mosquito. That is also the most expensive way. Hardest way to treat the mosquitos is to dump the water out twice a week, run a scrub brush around the inside, then refill with clean water.
    If you've enjoyed this post and now want to buy some mosquito dunks loaded with BT from amazon, please use Amazon Smile and donate to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention for me. I want them to get the proceeds for any sales, not me or my plant blog.

The back yard garden, featuring aquarium Cannas, Punch-Bowl Cannas, and non-draining pot Cannas

Another Canna for Sale

     While this particular Canna is small and easily transportable, I have several more of this variety that are more than 6 feet tall with lush and thick foliage. This canna produces bright red flowers that are attractive to hummingbirds. As I am sure you know, Cannas love full sun and water, and make great pond plants. This would be a fantastic Mother's Day gift for any mom on your list. $5.
Have many other beautiful plants that are attractive to hummingbirds and bees, including sage and ginger.
     Thank you for your interest! Feel free to ask questions.
   - Knotty Pots

Buy this plant from me - Dwarf Red Canna

This morning I snapped a quick picture of this dwarf, red Canna. This is its first bloom of the season.
As you may know, Cannas love full sun and plenty of water. It's difficult to overwater them! Cannas can be placed into a pot in a new or existing pond, or planted out in the ditch that might exist in your yard.
I was thinking $5 or a trade/barter would be a good price, as this is a 100% organic offering of an edible plant beautiful enough for the front yard.
Thank you for checking out my plants. More offerings to come in the future. Ok to ask questions, even dumb ones.
-Knotty Pots
Chrissy

Knotty Pots Method for Making Pots

     I don't really recommend using heavy planters in hanging baskets. After all, this is Florida, and we are known for having high winds during the rainy season.
     However, I am all for using your own creativity to beautify your house and home. This is the tutorial from the original Knotty Pots book for making planters from molding plaster, which is probably plaster of paris. She has some recommendations for adding simple textures, painting, and sealing the planters.
     The third image has her advice for making beads from the same plaster.
     I have no personal experience with molding plaster planters, but there is a lot of information on the internet about molding hypertufa, which would be much lighter (and more fragile) for a hanging planter. Perhaps smaller, thicker plaster planters would be more sturdy.
     Make sure you read my disclaimer about these images before you start, here. These images are provided for informational purposes only, and I am not profiting from them in any way.

Knotting To It

      In order to learn to macrame, one must first master a few basic knots. Really though, if you can tie your shoes then you can do macrame. The basic granny knot is the most frequently used knot in macrame, as it is the first half of the square knot. The second half of the square knot is another granny knot, just reversed. Since square knots make up most macrame, learning that one mode will get you pretty far.
     From the left are a few more explanations of knots that might help you do some macrame,or it might drive you crazy from its complication. As with gardening, cooking, and any other pastime, you can make macrame as complicated or as simple as you wish. People have been making knots since they began working with textiles, so there are some great historical pieces of remarkable complexity out there.
     Please see my discussion on these images here. I am in no way making a profit by displaying these out-of-print images.