What I have learned so far:

1. This is a lot of work! So make it count for double the time & money: add nutrients while you mulch.

2. Apply it 2-3 inches deep to suppress weeds for the growing season. You still may get some, but usually they are easier to pull out of the loose mulch than the firm soil.

3. Make sure to leave your plants some wiggle room. Apply the mulch deeply, but leave it at least one inch away from the crown of the plant. Leave 2-3 inches of space all around tree trunks.

4. Do not apply hot compost (meaning mushroom compost or other nutrient rich sources) to woodland (e.g. ferns) or silver-leaved plants (lavender).

5. For garden areas in which you want to encourage self-seeding plants, use a garden fork to "tickle in" some compost over those areas. Christopher Lloyd talks all about this in his book Succession Planting for Year-Round Pleasure. He also covers many other aspects of ornamental gardens. (It is my favorite garden book\!)

6. If you are mulching with well-rotted mushroom compost, be sure to save some extra for patching you lawn, topping off your vegetable beds (or containers), and even your ornamental containers.

7. You know you are a real gardener when just thinking of rotted plant and animal material gives you excited butterflies in your stomach... as opposed to the queasiness that most people feel in their stomachs.

Any more tips from my fellow gardeners?

You will need

1"x4" MDF (32 ft)

1/2 birch plywd

Trim (40 ft)

Baseboard (3 ft)

All building supplies for the mirror/cabinet project approx. 40.00

Lights - 38.00 each on sale

New faux wood blind - 39.00

Paint - 5.00 (bought a mis tint from Rona)

1 can of brushed Nickel spray paint 10.00

we also did floating shelves in the water closet (another idea I got from a fellow Pinterester)

We only needed 2 shelves for this bathroom

but made 6 shelves

24X 8 inches with supports

1 sheet of 1/4 plywood, sanded on one side

10 1×2 pine boards

floating shelves supplies 20.00

when all was said and done the total reno for this bathroom was 190.00

Have fun with it and make it your own

The structure is built out of solid cedar timbers. Nearly every joint is mortise and tenon and held together using wooden pegs, as you see in the photos. All that remains is for the homeowner to add a table and a few chairs and a 'candlelier'.

We look forward to the plantings surrounding this garden room to fill in over the next few years as the garden fills in as we designed.

I took a bottle and melted holes in it for a dowel to go through. Then I melted a tiny hole just above the dowel for the birds to get the seeds out of. Please don't melt the bottle if you make this. Drill the holes. It's safer. I didn't have hubster or son to drill - "I don't have time now". So I was left to my own devices to figure it out. Drilling is better.

This was one really easy craft. Hopefully, the Goldfinches will find the thistle feeders soon. Hope everyone enjoyed this. i wish I had a picture of a bird on the feeder!

Best wishes, Linda