It Happened 2

We had another nice turn out in honor of our second Happening. This one was for Planter Boxes to go along with Square Foot Gardening. The treat department took a slight hit as Mike changed the rules a bit. However, big thanks go out to Tyn for bringing a nice drink/snack combo. She rocks!

At least one person was not too pleased with the chocloate cookies provided!

The host laid down the law, not letting any drinks leave the Happening. However, Joe discovered a loophole . . . If you open your soda while on the premises, you can't be stopped. The last thing I heard was 3 tops being popped, but I can't be sure.



First things first - we went over some safety tips for using the chop saw. Be sure to hold that wood securely. We don't want bits and pieces flying all over gOD knows where!

We set some in the group on the task of mixing up the various soil. Mel's Mix calls for equal portions of vermiculite, peat moss, and compost. We had compost from several different sources. (ie: mushroom compost, tree compost.) Mel says it's best to mix these together to ensure a wide variety of nutrients. The day dragged on a tad longer than we had thought and some of the younger members were bored silly.



At least two guests were wide awake!

Participants helped each other, as always. Even Gussy got into the helpful act, keeping an eye on Coco as she slept alone in the car. Some friends didn't find this the least bit amusing!

All in all, the finished products looked great. Don't worry, Tyn. I won't mention your "square" box.





Roll Call for the second Happening: Ian, Kari, Tyn, Coco, Megan, Joe, Andy, AmeriCorps Annie, her boyfriend(I'm an ass and forgot his name!), Jackson, Cynthia, and Pat (at the front steps)

Thanks again for making it another success! Mike Conger

We’re Making Planter Box Gardens!

Mel Bartholomew has perfected planter box gardening with his Square Foot Gardening technique. Instead of traditional rows, a square foot grid is utilized. Mel asks, “How would you like a garden filled with beautiful flowers, fresh herbs and luscious vegetables, but no weeds and no hard work? No more heavy digging or all-at-once harvest. Less watering, weeding, and thinning. What's left is a picture perfect garden you will be so proud of.”

We have a friend who swears by Mel’s process and has had good luck with his plantings. He says all of Mel’s claims are true!

I’ve wanted to start a garden for some time now, but haven’t wanted to deal with all the unknowns. That’s the beauty of Open 2 Anything, though. We help you along the way, answer questions you might have, and challenge you to do most of the work.

Redwood, Cedar, treated vs untreated wood? Forget that madness, we’ll have all the supplies purchased beforehand and ready to go when you arrive. We’ll even send you home with your own bag of soil (Mel’s Mix.)

If you’re afraid to use power tools, someone will assist you. If you’re game, you’ll learn to use a chop saw, table saw, and power drill. It’s really not that difficult!

2ft X 2ft planter box will run you $10.00 (including soil mix)
2ft X 3ft planter box will run you $15.00 (including soil mix)
Need a box bottom for the patio? That will be another $2.00
The boxes themselves are damn cheap to make ($3.00 - $4.00)
It’s the soil mix that is rather expensive. If you want to skip the soil mix, we’ll figure out a fair price for your box. No worries!

So, we’re really going to need to know who’s coming to this Happening. I need to purchase the correct amount of lumber and mix. Please email me with the number of boxes you wish to make, the size of the box, and if you want our soil. (I recommend you use Mel’s Mix.)

We’ll be providing drinks again, but if you’d like munchies, it would be great if you brought something to share.

Again, I’ll email you directions later. Our Happening is in Montecito Heights on Saturday, August 11th from 10:00 – 4:00. You won’t need to spend too much time here, so feel free to stop by when you’d like.

Soft Sculpture

A few years back, I created a soft scuplture for a modular design assignment. I wanted to try and perfect the figures, and this is just the beginning. These are filled with rice, but I suppose stuffing might be a better idea. I'm just a bit too lazy to sit there and stuff them. The eyelets were another time saving device as I hate to hand sew ANYTHING! The technique I use to sew these leaves the tiniest opening (about half an inch.)

The uniqueness of this design might not be so apparent at first. These are donut shaped figures - which can't be sewn in the traditional right-facing fabric manner. I sew them in the same manner in which I sew scrunchies. (a bit hard to explain here) Won't someone please bring that fashion back?!?!? I love sewing those things!