Grounds for the Ground (Q of the W)

     I don't drink coffee.  Just felt the need to confess that.  Brad does, and his grounds and filters go in our little compost bin.  I do tutor.  I tutor at Starbucks.  Kind of weird to tutor in a coffee shop when I'm not a coffee drinker, but I work with it.

    The back of our townhouse.  Ho hum...for now!

Compost bin is hidden behind the bush by the grill. 
(I stood against the neighbor's house to snap this.)

      Yesterday, after lamenting about the poor soil quality in the planting areas of our tiny backyard (I'm not kidding, it's itty bitty) in my last post, I went off to tutor, and I saw a sign. Literally a sign at Starbucks stating they give away coffee grounds to gardeners.  So I asked for some without admitting I am not a gardener.  The girl bagged some up and handed them to me.  (I'm not too happy about the double plastic bags, but I plan to use them again.)

Bag of grounds in front of slowly growing pumpkin plants

     I came home and quickly researched how to use them.  There are a variety of ways, but I chose the easiest.  Sprinkle around plants and then water.  Hm.  People had some really good ideas to share on this site.  (Could I start asking my neighbors for their grounds?  Would I?)

 Brad's new sedum plants with a blue larkspur, trust me, the coffee is there 'round each one.

My new delphiniums and daisies (flea market buys).

     Anyway,  I tried it. My hands got brown, and my garden smelled good.  After using it up, I came inside and called another Starbucks, one closer to home, but I was told they only give espresso grounds, and they were "out."  It looks like each store has its own policy.  I'm not giving up.  I tutor today too, and I plan to call "my" shop and request they hold some for me. A bag or two a week might be just what our clay laden dirt is in need of.  (Mulch would be nice too, but the builder is supposed to supply that...)

     Tying this to the Question of the Week, 

what little green change have you implemented lately?

Our new flowering vine (bought with the sedum after our bike ride on Monday), 
and the new trellis bought last night at Lowe's.  
Got my fleur di lis and hopefully in a year or so lots of color and camouflage!
I'm hoping, of course, all these perennials take off.
 

A carnation plant that might be heading back to Lowe's.  
Truth, it had some brown on it when I bought it last week; 
my greenthumblessness is not entirely to blame!