Kludged

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It's been almost impossible to grow greens in the summer heat. I've had marginal success by spritzing them with water two or three times a day to keep them cool, but the trade off is that the water droplets might burn the leaves, killing my salad dreams anyway.

So, using a couple pieces of spare rebar and an old plastic trellis, I ziptied a ramshackle shade that may be the most hideous kludge I've put together yet.

Sagging in the middle and braced by PVC, I hate this thing with a passion. Sure, it works, but will the neighbors think? I'm just going to break down and drive over to Home Depot for some 2x2s and have done with it.

Here's my threadbare lettuce patch as of now. I'll be planting some more stuff here, so hopefully I'll be show off some after pics later.

Ramshackle Modern or Just Half-Assed?

Continuing our series of 'Best "x" Ever', we present the compost bin I built. I put it together from scrap wood and leftover hardware cloth (not added as of photo). Here's my dilemma: I enjoy the ramshackle style I've seen on the blogs Dinosaurs & Robots (esp. the shackitecture photos) and Ramshackle Solid. However, I also can't escape the fact that I put this bin together as I went along, no measurements and as little cutting as possible. So, the look, in particular that skewed beam in back, is not really an aesthetic choice so much as is laziness. On the other hand, I do enjoy it.

On the other other hand, it'll rot away someday anyhow.