I sing my song, I’m a child, in an attached video on this blog post. I also talk about the art projects that I’ve been working on. I call it Ditch Art and encourage others to try it out. I explain some ditch art techniques in the video after my song performance. I have gone into more detail explaining techniques in a previous video that I made on the subject in the fall of 2020.
I have also included my poem, Two Nights of Rain, at the end of this post (with videos between the stanzas). I was sure we’d get a killing frost tonight but it looks like the garden may get to keep green and growing for a little while longer. It might not frost tonight, but it will be a gamble to not pull in the harvest, though. I wrote Two Nights of Rain on September 29, 2023.
Ditch Art makes weeding the garden a lot more fun. If you do not have a garden to weed, you can find ample art supplies in ditches that you drive past on your way to hiking spots. You can also make ditch art with freshly fallen leaves (that aren’t dried out yet). You can even make ditch art from garden leaves that will hit the compost pile eventually.
When we harvest the garden, tomato leaves and other plant matter just go to waste. Why not pull out the watercolor paints before you pitch the greens into the compost? NOTE: If you use spray paint for your “ditch art,” the greens will not be compostable after the art project.
I have a friend who regularly digs up and relocates weeds and native plants that she comes across in gas station parking lots or other lots that will end up controlling their weeds chemically. She later eats parts of these weeds. I have never thought that this was a wise thing that she does. Somehow she hasn’t died yet.
You don’t know what kind of chemicals you are exposing yourself to when foraging in this manner. When it comes to Ditch Art, your exposure is minimal. However, you may consider wearing dish washing gloves or latex gloves when painting in this fashion. I wear gloves. It saves being covered with acrylic paints (which can also be very toxic).
If you choose to use spray paint when creating Ditch Art, you will need to wear a ventilator mask. You likely have many masks kicking around your home these days. Spray paint is toxic, as is indicated on each can of paint with the skull and cross bones symbol. No one should have to suffer physically for their art. Art should be fun and safe.
I just used acrylics (on the leaves to stick them to the paper), and watercolor paint (poured from jars onto the leaves and paper), and a spray bottle full of water to make this art. It cost little (I used paint from the dollar store). The paper cost a bit, though – that came from Michael’s craft store.
Two Nights of Rain
It’s tough to let the flower garden go
and let the fall, then winter, settle in.
I’ve brought plants in to crowd my windows, so
I’ve kept reminders of how things have been
outside (where I’ve been dining every day
these past few months amongst the flowers there.
A couple nights of rain will come our way.
The rain is great – the garden needs the care.
The cloudy skies will keep the frost at bay,
but days will stay quite cool without the sun.
The sky will clear the way for frost some day
quite soon – once these two nights of rain are done.
A killing frost is three whole nights away
so, though there’s rain, I’ll cherish every day.
mountainbrideblog 