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Ideas from Fellow Homeowners

Planning a Spring Garden

January 26, 2021

If you are new to gardening, it is always best to start with a plan. Here are a couple simple steps to having a bountiful harvest or at least enjoy the process. Tools you will need include; pencil and graph paper, a tape measure and information about what you want to plant.

Planning Steps

Did you plant a garden last year? Did you take notes about what worked and what didn’t? This is helpful information so get it out and have it handy as you plan for this year. And, let this serve as a reminder or maybe a nudge (if you didn’t take notes in the past) to take notes as this year’s garden grows. Trust me, those notes will serve your future gardening adventures.

  1. Read through your notes from past years. Review what worked and what didn’t. Sketch your garden beds on the graph paper and make note of the size of beds you have.
  2. Do you have any seeds leftover from last year? What supplies will you need this year? Make a list. Decide whether to purchase online or from your local garden center.
  3. Start marking your garden layout where to plant which seeds or seedlings. Information you will need includes: sun exposure in each section of the bed(s) vs. sun exposure needs per variety, watering needs per variety and spacing per variety.

Now that is all the pencil and paper planning. But here are some resources to assist you with the decisions that go into the planning.

  1. Mother Earth News ~ you can sign up for regular information about when to plant and what to plant based upon your zip code. I find this very helpful since my planting seasons are much different than the rest of the US. Living in the Desert Southwest doesn’t mean I can’t garden, just that I need to know and understand my climate as it relates to planting.
  2. Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds ~ is a great resource to learn about the seeds you want to plant. They have broken it down by space, water and sun needs and so much more. You can also order your seeds directly from them if you are interested.
  3. Gardeners ~ has a large selection of tools and supplies for every type of garden and gardener.
  4. Farming My Backyard ~ wrote a post all about planning and what to consider throughout the year.
  5. Tenth Acre Farm ~ wrote a post all about starting your seeds inside so you have seedlings to plant.
  6. SchneiderPeeps ~ has a downloadable gardening notebook to help you keep track and make planning easier for next year.

Happy planning friends! And tag us on social media with a photo of your plans.

Phoenix City Guide

January 18, 2021

We are residents of the City of Phoenix, Arizona. Since we have a long weekend, we thought it would be fun to share some of our favorite spots in this great city of ours.

City History

Let’s start with a quick history of the area. The roots of the city run deep. The Pueblo Grande ruins date back to 700 A.D. and it is a great way to spend an afternoon for all the history buffs out there. Original residents built a canal system that ran almost 135 miles. What happened to them is a mystery, but you can visit the ruins to learn more.

Phoenix, as we know it, began to form in the late 19th century and was incorporated in 1881. Phoenix is known as the Valley of the Sun because of it averages 299 days of sun a year (for reference ~ most of the US average sonly 205 days of sun a year).

Things to do

Restaurants

No visit to any city would be complete without a great meal. Of course, Phoenix is the home to the corporate offices of the Fox Restaurant Concepts ~ the originator of many of todays nationally known creative and yummy eating spots.

Old school residents will know these spots as Phoenix staples ~ TeePee Mexican Food on Indian School and Durant’s on Central. You can’t help but feel the history in either restaurant. Durant’s has been in business in the same locations for over 70 years. My father in law used to tell stories of how Phoenix was built on deals made at the bar at Durant’s.

Now, my favorite place to go for a fabulous meal is Chelsea’s Kitchen. My family and I have been going there for years and it is always a fantastic experience and yummy meal. While everything on the menu is good, I would suggest going for brunch on the weekend and trying the Chilaquiles. I have tried chilaquiles at other restaurants and they just don’t measure up to Chelsea’s!

Museums, etc.

Heard Museum is a museum dedicated to Native American Art. You can learn the important and historical perspective of the Native American culture in the Southwest. The museum shop is not to be missed ~ they have some beautiful jewelry available!

The Phoenix Art Museum is the largest visual art museum in the Southwestern United States. They have both permanent displays and visiting displays worth seeing.

If you are intrigued by the desert in and around the Phoenix area then a trip to the Desert Botanical Gardens is a must. You can enjoy a sunny day walking through the flora and fauna, much of it native to the area. Don’t miss a meal or even just a snack at Gertrude’s, the award winning restaurant on the premises.

Taliesin West was the winter home and school for legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright. It is a wonderful place to learn about living with your surroundings.

Taliesin West

Shopping

Kierland Commons and Scottsdale Quarter, I list both of these together because they are right across the street from each other. If you are going to one, you might as well go to both. They have some national chains like Pottery Barn and Anthropologie as well as some local greats like Urbana. And there is a large selection of restaurants if you get hungry while shopping.

Old Town Scottsdale is also a fun shopping destination.

Hiking

The City of Phoenix has 6,000 acres of open spaces within the city limits, called the Phoenix Mountain Preserves. This amount of open space is unheard of in urban America. There are hiking trails throughout the Mountain Preserves, each with differing ability levels.

Camelback Mountain

You can go hiking without leaving the city. As a matter of fact, most of these hiking trails are in the city center. Of course, Camelback Mountain is one of the most famous hiking trails. While there are 2 trails up Camelback, the Cholla trail is closed for renovations and that is my favorite hike in the city.

Just outside of town

We have been Kayaking on the Salt River many times and enjoyed each opportunity. Many times there are wild horses enjoying a cool drink of water.

Horses on the Salt River

Tonto Natural Bridge is a short 1 1/2 hour drive north past Payson, AZ. You can picnic or hike and see the bridge that nature has created. It is an easy day trip and a great opportunity to spend some time outside.

Tonto Natural Bridge

A little farther outside of town

And a trip to Arizona wouldn’t be complete without seeing The Grand Canyon. It is one of the seven natural wonders of the world and not to be missed. You do need to make a plan, though. The canyon is a 3 hour drive north of Phoenix. While you can make it a day trip, it would be more enjoyable to either stay a night at the canyon’s edge or in nearby Flagstaff.

There is a lot to see and do in and around Phoenix, AZ. We spend a lot of time in the great outdoors here in the desert Southwest and enjoy every minute of it. We hope you can visit (safely) soon and see the amazing and unique land we call home.

Planners are Planters, part 2

January 12, 2021

Here is the link if you need to reread part 1. In part 1, I created a list of ideas you might want to include in your backyard plan. Remember you need a plan to get the most out of your space and time in the backyard. You may have, even, thought of more ideas for your backyard than I listed as possibilities. If you did, that’s great. I’m glad you were being creative and thinking outside the box.

Now, with your list, let’s start creating zones. Let’s start with the big items. If you are putting in a pool or play structure (or both), you will need to decide where they should go first. Think of things like are they visually pleasing? Do you want to see them from a certain window inside the house? What spot in the yard makes the most sense? Do you need gas, electric or water lines, then make those as short as possible and place the pool or other large item in close proximity to the source.

Maybe you have a small space and you don’t want or need items like a pool or play structure. What you really want is a garden, a place to eat and a place to cook in your backyard.

Those zones fit perfectly together. You could even put a lovely table in the midst of your garden beds. As you can see in these two photos ~ the garden beds are on the edges of the yard while the table is in the middle. What a fantastic way to enjoy an evening, with or without company!

If you need any other assistance planning your backyard space to incorporate all that you want, I would suggest reaching out to a professional. You can find options online or locally. Yardzen is a great online option. Check out their website for details. If you want a local option, you can visit a nursery in your area, some have designers on staff. Of course, asking friends and family for recommendations is always a good place to start!

I hope this helps you start planning, not just what elements to include in your backyard plan, but also what you can accomplish in your backyard. You can grow your own food to nourish your family and friends. You can gather in community to share a meal and stories of the day while creating fabulous memories. After all, the backyard was meant to gather, create, and grow!

Christmas Traditions

December 11, 2020

When my husband and I were first dating, my grandmother asked us to take her on a drive around town in mid-December. The Arizona Republic, our local newspaper, had an article with a map attached that indicated homes and neighborhoods with Christmas light displays.

We had such a great time that a family tradition was born. For as long as we could, we included my grandmother. And to this day, we can’t help but think of her as we drive around town and look at the beautiful displays so many people put their heart and souls into creating.

Sometimes we have a plan, sometimes we just drive to the streets we know will be all lit up. We have shared this tradition with our children, friends and other family members.

We have found that when we go in the middle of the week, there is less traffic. However, when we go on weekend nights, the homeowners are often out in their yards wishing passerby’s a Merry Christmas. Sometimes they collect for a canned food drive or a toy drive. We have seen some people sharing hot cocoa and some give out candy canes.

Some streets have every house decorated. Sometimes it’s just one or two houses. We just love looking at the lights, the creativity, the effort of each and every person who chose to decorate their front yard. It is like a gift to us. They are spreading cheer from their front yard to our car.

Does your newspaper list homes and neighborhoods worth driving to for some Christmas cheer? If you are in the Pheonix metro area, here is the link for this years listing and map.

Grab a thermal cup of your favorite warm beverage (if your the driver, make it non-alcoholic!) and maybe I’ll see you somewhere on the streets of Phoenix enjoying the lights!

Not in Phoenix ~ search for light displays in your town. And when you find a listing (or maybe you create your own to share with others) let us know and we will post them on our social media channels.

Thanksgiving Table Scape

November 17, 2020

Thanksgiving is next week and it is my favorite holiday! My love language is Acts of Service (want to learn more about love languages ~ here’s a link). I love to serve my family and community. Feeding them a yummy and nourishing meal is my favorite way to serve them. I think I get that from my Italian grandmother ~ her first question when you walked into her house was, “are you hungry, can I get you something to eat?” My husband quickly learned to ALWAYS accept. Personally, I think that she helped me land the guy, but that’s another story for another day!

Later this week, I will share some recipes and ideas for the big meal. But for today, I wanted to share an idea for the table settings.

Thanksgiving Table

I choose to keep to muted colors with only a few orange pumpkins for a pop of color. I might not even go with them when all is said and done. This year has felt full of hard edges and I wanted to set a mood of comfort by keeping the decor soft, muted and cozy.

Table Cover and Candlesticks

I started with a linen table cloth that I folded in half and used as a runner then layered it with a gauzy scarf. Both I have had for years, sometimes you just need to try things you have in new ways. This set the stage or foundation of my table and definitely put that feeling of soft at the forefront of my table scape. Next I used some brass candle sticks I purchased from Target, I tried to find a link but they don’t seem to be available. I’m sure you can find similar ones at other retailers. The white pumpkin salt and pepper shakers are from World Market, but again there isn’t a link available. I wouldn’t copy this and my actual table my look a little different when the holiday finally arrives, the point to this post is to try new things in different ways, to inspire you to be creative and work outside the rules of traditional table settings.

Table Setting

For my table setting, I, again used what I have. The gold placemat was from a few years ago, purchased at Sur la Table. The filigree and gold elements of the placemat adds to the soft and muted emphasis of the theme I am trying to accomplish this year. Next I layered a wood charger, again from World Market (also from several years ago) along with my everyday dishes from Sur la Table, a simple linen napkin and my grandmothers silver.

Layering, thinking outside the box, using what I have, a nod to everyday and keeping tradition present through thoughts of my grandmother are my focus this holiday season. Those elements bring the theme of soft, cozy and comfortable alive. 2020 hasn’t been easy, everyone has had their own struggles this year. I like to focus on what we have in common and I do believe that is one thing that has been common for each of us ~ we have all struggled in our own way with our own difficulties this year.

Thankful

I hope you find the blessings and feel full of thanks this coming holiday. I know I will be focusing my attention on what truly matters ~ being grateful for family and the opportunity to take more memories with them!

And, lastly, I am grateful for you. It has been my pleasure and privilege to share my BKYD Life with you!

Meet Caroline Van Slyke

October 26, 2020

I recently had a lovely interview with Caroline Van Slyke of Boho Farm and Home. Caroline is a midwest girl loving life in a historic cottage in Downtown Phoenix.

Caroline is a serious gardener, you might even call her an urban farmer. She began her gardening journey in a larger home on a larger lot within the Arcadia community of Phoenix.

While in Arcadia, she became a part of Edible Arcadia. Edible Arcadia is an opportunity to tour a few private gardens and learn about how to garden in your own home. Before long, visitors were asking if she would host events in the evening so working spouses could attend with the intent that they would then understand and support a home garden of their own.

Caroline loved the idea of gathering and educating and, so, the next chapter in her garden journey began. Her husband was very supportive, even jumping into the kitchen to create farm-to-table dishes to share at these events.

When her oldest child left for college, Caroline decided it was time to downsize. They moved into a historic home in Downtown Phoenix. The home had sat vacant for years. Not only did the house need some TLC, but the yard did, too. Caroline needed to bring in top soil to have a garden that would actually produce and provide like she had in her previous home.

Caroline faced more than just soil challenges. She now had a smaller yard and really had to make some decisions about what to grow. Her garden beds were smaller and she had less room for fruit trees. It was just the next step in her urban gardening journey.

Caroline and her husband have continued to host farm-to-table dinners in this new space. However, with the onset of Covid, they had to cancel one scheduled for March. But this time at home has brought other opportunities.

Caroline has used this time to be more intentional with her garden and yard. She has really put in a lot of thought around what to grow and where to grow it in her yard. One of her trees was not fairing well, so reluctantly, she removed it. While it seemed unfortunate, it turned out to be a blessing. Removing the tree opened up the yard and provided light in that area. She is now able to plant some vegetables that need more light.

She is now planning for her next dinner. And, if you are in the Phoenix area, you are invited. Caroline has really thought how to host a dinner while maintaining social distancing. On Friday, November 6, she and her family will host Twilight Tapas and Paella in the Garden. The cost is $65 per person and will include dinner and music, along with social distanced gathering. If you would like to join, click this link and purchase your tickets.

I would like to thank Caroline for spending time talking with me! My husband and I have purchased our tickets to her upcoming dinner, I look forward to meeting Caroline and to each of you that are able to make it. I know it will be a beautiful evening!

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