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plants + gardening

wet specimen rose

by Kaylah Stroup June 16, 2022

Inspired by my pal Mickey, I decided to make a wet specimen from a rose out of my garden. This isn’t my first foray into the world of wet specimens. (This post is from ages ago but *ahem* you can see another wet specimen I made.) This was my first time ever trying to preserve a flower in isopropyl alcohol though! My dad gifted me this rose bush last spring so it felt like the perfect ‘very special thing’ to experiment with preserving.

Press play to watch the video below to see how it turned out.

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A post shared by kaylah stroup 💀 (@thedaintysquid)

I certainly wasn’t expecting the color to drain that fast! It’s hauntingly beautiful, right?! I’m so excited to change out the alcohol in a few weeks for some fresh stuff. I’m already daydreaming about a shelf full of wet specimen treasures from my garden!

If you want to try making a wet specimen flower for yourself, all you need is 70% isopropyl alcohol, a glass jar with a lid, and flowers of your choice! Tag me @thedaintysquid if you post any photos of what you make! xoxo

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my first tomato focaccia

by Kaylah Stroup October 15, 2021

This year I grew tomatoes for the first time. I mean, I grew A LOT of tomatoes. I didn’t have the best luck with larger varieties but my cherry tomatoes were a major success. I have eaten more tomatoes in the past three months than I have in my whole life. My favorite way to eat them is to roast them in oven with salt, pepper, olive oil and a boat load of garlic. Cooked up like that they’re literally perfect on everything.

On instagram I had been seeing photos of people’s beautiful focaccia art. I had never even had focaccia but I understood that it was some sort of bread-y thing that I could dress up any way I’d like. Seemed like the perfect way to use up tomatoes!

I followed this recipe. It’s not all that quick, requires some kneading and rise time. It’s enough work to make you feel like you’ve really accomplished something when you finally get to sink your teeth into it but easy enough that you basically can’t mess it up!

It turned out PERFECT.

ready to bake!

fresh out of the oven!

I hesitated sharing about my first focaccia here on the blog because it’s already been a few weeks and I guess I can see how it’s not really a big deal but you guys, I was SO excited about this darn thing. This year I’ve done more experimenting in the kitchen with things I’ve grown than ever before. (See: blackberry cobbler) It’s so satisfying. Gardening can be extremely frustrating and overwhelming but when things go right it’s truly the best. It brings me so much joy to know that I grew nearly everything in that meal. The tomatoes! The peppers! The onion! Right down to the herbs, those came from my garden.

Since this first one, I’ve made one each week! I’m obsessed. Each one has been better than the last as I learn what flavors I really like to lean in to. It’s been an awesome way to use up tomatoes but I’m also looking forward to experimenting with more artsy versions once my tomatoes are done for the season.

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2021 pumpkin patch

by Kaylah Stroup September 30, 2021

Our first summer at Stroup Mansion! What a magical summer it was. JK. I didn’t have the most fun. It was hot… and wet… and mosquito-y. I had grand plans of spending the whole season in the garden but honestly, all the beds I made in the spring were basically ignored for a few months while I hid from mosquitos in the house.

Spring was amazing and thankfully, fall is looking like it’ll be just as dreamy! I’m finally able to be back outside in my gardens, enjoying all the hard work I put in earlier in the year.

I made myself three main beds back in early spring. There is my large flower garden, a rose bed, and a fairly sizeable kidney bean-shaped bed which I really had no formal plans for. That bed kind of became a catch-all. Anytime I stumbled upon a cool plant that didn’t fit in my flower bed vision or somewhere else around the yard, it went into that bed.

I had read that the best time to plant pumpkins was early June so that they’d be ready in time for Halloween. It just happened to be around that time that I had the realization there was no way I’d be able to afford to buy plants to fill that bed. Not to mention the fact that I didn’t want to rush into filling it with perennials just to get it done. My dad had given me a bunch of miscellaneous gourd, pumpkin, and squash seeds he’d saved so that felt like a great place to throw those. They’d keep the bed intact so that it wouldn’t become overrun with weeds. (Listen, I ain’t weeding an empty bed. I needed the motivation of something actually being planted in it!)

All that to say, what was just a way to use up some seeds and fill space ended up being one of my favorite things to grow!

I get so much joy from walking around my pumpkin patch each morning, scanning for new growth. It’s wild how easy they are to miss in the mess of all the leaves. That large white pumpkin in the middle? I didn’t see that until I did one last pass of the garden before taking these photos! It’s the largest one I grew and yet somehow I never noticed it!

I’m very much looking forward to going wild with this next year! I’ve been hunting down varieties I’d like to add to my mix. (Y’all have you seen black pumpkins!?!) I’ve even been researching growing them on a trellis instead of letting them run wild in my yard. I just can’t wait to at least double what I grew this year.

I think a lot of the satisfaction in these does come from the fact that I just didn’t enjoy my gardens for a few months and yet was still rewarded with these precious little things waiting on me when I decided to emerge. Feels like such a sweet fall treat.

If I didn’t love tiny pumpkins, gourds, and squash before (I definitely did) I sure do now!

outfit details
sweater
turtleneck
jeans
boots

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lunch – a photo series

by Kaylah Stroup September 23, 2021

Taking full advantage of the end of summer, I headed to Lowe’s to check out their clearance perennials. I scored a handful of plants that don’t look so great today but will be beautiful again come spring. I also found a small pal to bring home, a praying mantis!

I placed him in my garden and got to work planting my clearance scores. Afterwards, I ran into the house, grabbed my macro lens and set out to get a few glamour shots. What I captured might just be my favorite photo series of insects that I’ve ever shot.

Shot with a Canon 7D mark ii and a Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro lens.

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Mom’s daylilies

by Kaylah Stroup July 14, 2021

Some of the very first additions to the beautiful garden I started this year were plants dug up from my late mother’s garden. There was nothing I was wildly excited about at the time. The things I brought home to my garden, I grabbed simply because they had belonged to my mom. I knew no matter what, I’d end up loving them but when the irises bloomed I realized I had underestimated just how important these plants would be to me.

Out of the handful of carloads packed with her flowers, these daylilies were honestly what I was least excited about. I had even considered putting them elsewhere in the yard because I wasn’t sure I’d want them in my flower garden. Once again though, the second they bloomed they moved straight up to the top of my favorites list. Each day more flowers open. It’s a wonderful sight.

I honestly don’t really have much more to say than that. I just wanted to share some photos of this special moment. Hopefully this is the first of many years of blooms. I hope that her plants can continue to grow and multiply in my yard so I can divide them and pass them on to folks I love.

Gardening is magic. ✨

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upcycled planter boxes

by Kaylah Stroup July 6, 2021
fiber glass tub

Shortly after we moved in, we discovered two giant fiberglass tubs (along with a boatload of other trash) behind our garage. The idea popped into my head almost immediately, I wanted to make them into planters!

The plan had been to cover them in wood somehow but soaring lumber prices and the fact that I always have about five hundred other projects going on meant that my beds just kept getting pushed to the back burner.

Recently though, I managed to score some free wood. We set aside some pieces for other things around the house, and the rest went to my little planter project!

I didn’t really have much of a vision for this project, just that it needed to be covered in wood. I didn’t want to see any part of the fiberglass tub. Luckily my dad was a huge help and absolutely nailed the design.

We made two since that’s how many tubs there were. The first was kind of an experiment. He led the way and showed me what to do. The second one though? We cranked it out in record time. It felt really good. DIY projects of this nature and power tools, in general, are still fairly new to me so when things just go hella smooth like this it feels damn good. The feeling of confidence that comes along with actually understanding a project and being able to do huge chunks of it on my own is wonderful.

I’m capable of many, many things. Things that I don’t even realize yet! That being said, it really helps to have such a handy dad to show me the way! I’m sure I could have done this completely on my own but it probably would have taken a heck of a lot longer.

DIY raised bed upcycle

After cutting and assembling, I sanded them down, carried them outside (holy smokes, yes, they are heavy!), and stained them. Before putting the top piece on, I lined the tubs with landscaping fabric to give me a bit of separation from the fiberglass.

Finally, I filled them with dirt and planted! One contains two types of radishes, as well as red onions. In the other, I planted a few of my tomato seedlings, basil and some marigolds.

I have them sitting on a big concrete pad that is in our yard. My plan for this pad has always been, literally since the second I saw it, to build a greenhouse here. Alas, those darn lumber prices have put a hitch in my giddy-up. For now, it’s the perfect spot for a few raised beds and our picnic table. It may not be the greenhouse I’ve been dreaming of but it’s still a cute little spot to grow plants!

raised bed DIY

Klaus LOVES looking at what’s going in the beds.

my first radish

Only seems right to include a photo of my first radish!

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20+ cute planters (that won’t break the bank!)

by Kaylah Stroup June 29, 2021

this post contains affiliate links.

black planter (comes in a set of three!) // white planter (comes in a set of five!)

With over one hundred house plants in my collection, hunting down cute planters has become a sport to me. I am constantly on the lookout for snazzy pots to add to my collection! Here are a handful that are already around my house and some I’ve got on my wishlist. Nothing on this list is over $50.

  1. set of three speckled planters
  2. matte black planter
  3. black + speckled tan planter – set of two
  4. white drip planter
  5. black + white raindrops – set of two
  6. striped planter trio
  7. smoked white planter – set of two
  8. terracotta pots with legs – set of two
  9. pink terracotta planters – set of two
moon face planter
moon face planter
butt planter
butt planter // planters with tiny legs (a set of three!)
cute planter round up!
  1. beaded planter
  2. two-tone geometric planter
  3. unglazed terracotta planter – set of two
  4. white and gold planter – set of two
  5. footed planter
  6. embossed planter
  7. dotted planter – set of two
  8. trio of pots with metal stands
simple black planter (set of five!)
tooth shaped planter
tooth planter

Remember, drainage is essential! Most of the planters shown in this post already have drainage holes but if you end up with one without, it’s super easy to drill your own. Check out my how to drill holes in planters tutorial.

Still not satisfied?

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easy seed organization!

by Kaylah Stroup June 17, 2021

this post contains affiliate links.

how to organize seeds
Teva flatorms for LIFE!

If you’ve been following me for a while, my head-first dive into gardening this year probably isn’t much of a surprise. Now that I have a yard of my own, gardening basically consumes my every thought! I am HOOKED.

Early in the year, I started purchasing seeds to start indoors. (I bought this little greenhouse. HIGHLY recommended. Makes such a big difference when starting seeds indoors.) At first, just storing the individual seed packets inside a tote bag was fine. The more seeds I collected, the more I realized that organizing them would be essential if I didn’t want to waste fifteen minutes sorting through seed packets every single time I wanted to find one specific thing.

seed organizer

After a quick search, I ended up finding this photo organizer. Sixteen four by six containers that all fit neatly into one larger box. It is PERFECT for organizing my seeds. Half of the containers are for my flower seeds and the other half for my veggies. From there, I have them grouped by other categories such as perennials or tomatoes. (Gosh, I have so many tomato seeds! I can’t help it!)

Knowing exactly where each kind of seed is stored makes it so much easier to see what I have and make sure it gets in the ground at the right time. It helps prevent me from accidentally repurchasing things I own. (Do you know how many times I ordered radish seeds because I kept not being able to find them when I’d look? Too many.) It’s also super easy to store when I don’t need it and tote it out to the garden when I’m ready to plant! Honestly, can’t recommend it enough!

I feel like this organizer plus a couple packets of seeds would make the perfect gift for a budding gardener or new homeowner!

Perfect gardening shirt from RedBubble. Check out some of my faves here + don’t forget to use code ‘RBC-G21-thedaintysquid’ for 15% off.

Happy gardening! xoxo

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garden view – june 2021!

by Kaylah Stroup June 16, 2021

Welcome to my garden! It’s very much still a work in progress but I just have to document how beautiful she is in her first spring! I’ve been working my buns off to get this baby in shape. She’s a bit bare in some spots still but I am still so proud. My garden is off to one heck of a wonderful start. Let me tell you a little about it!

My dad and I built the arbor from reclaimed wood from the kitchen… and that kind of started the whole bed. I wanted to build an arbor for clematis to grow on. I figured after we finished it that’s when I’d decide on placement. My dad, on the other hand, had a different idea. We did a tiny bit of assembly before he wanted to get it placed in the ground which meant picking out a spot for it immediately. After we got that finished, I spent the next week or so digging out the massive circle-shaped bed.

heuchera
garden visitors – dragonflies!

My plan for this bed is all flowering perennials. I’m envisioning it packed to the brim with plants. I want this bed to be something that truly takes time to view. Each angle providing you with a peek at different showstoppers!

We met a woman working at a local garden center that recommended going a different garden center every week for a year and buying whatever was flowering at the time so that you’d never be without flowers. While I haven’t committed to the every week thing, I have definitely been inspired by that idea. I want flowers of all shapes and sizes blooming all the time.

Other than continuing to fill the bed up, my other big plan to place flat stones on the inside grassy area of the circle. I don’t want to have to worry about keeping the grass in there mowed. Right now, I still have a space large enough to sneak the lawnmower in but that probably won’t be for much longer. I’m sourcing the rocks from my parent’s creek which has the major positive of being free but it also means spending the time finding them and hauling them. I’d love to get it done before the end of this growing season but honestly, who knows. There are always five hundred other projects going on…

dianthus, iris

I have plans for many different kinds of beds on my property. Obviously, I’m growing veggies. I have my perennials. I’ve been dreaming of a cut-flower bed for literally years. I also really wanted a memorial garden for my mom. After she passed, we planted a tree for her at my parent’s house. I pictured myself doing the same here with maybe a little bench to sit on, some pretty flowers, etc.

Now that I’ve started this bed though? It doesn’t feel necessary. There’s no one tree that I feel represents my mom to me so buying something random for a memorial bed doesn’t feel special. What is special though is replanting flowers from her garden in mine.

My dad has given me free rein of all her flower beds. For the last month or so I’ve been working on digging up her plants and bringing them home. Things I thought weren’t so exciting or that maybe I wouldn’t really want – like iris – have brought me so much joy as they bloom. I didn’t expect flowers to feel so important but here we are!

lavender, clematis

foxglove

I’m so excited to see how this bed is looking in another few months. Shoot, I’m excited to see it in another few weeks! It’s been so exciting to watch some of the plants I got in the bed first lose their nursery pot shape and start to spread a bit. This is truly the most satisfying hobby! xoxo

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About Me

Hello!

I'm Kaylah! Renovating a 150-year-old home in Northeast Ohio. Likely found in my garden.

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I also always take two shots because I’m an inst I also always take two shots because I’m an instant photo hoarder and it physically pains me to not have these photos in my collection. 😛
Guess who got a new multi-tool! I’ve been carryi Guess who got a new multi-tool! I’ve been carrying one of these for years so I’m super stoked be to be partnering with @leathermantools & showing you how I use it regularly! The scissors are clearly my most used tool but it also has a screwdriver, tweezers, bottle opener and more! They just released four new colors. I chose slate! Check out some of the others through the link in my stories.

 #leathermantools #ad #leathermanmicra
I went to throw my Valentine’s Day roses away ea I went to throw my Valentine’s Day roses away earlier this week and realized that they were growing! Believe me, I am no stranger to water propagation but I have never noticed this happening before!! 

Apparently roses bred specifically for cut flowers are less likely to grow well unless grafted but baby, we’re gonna try! 

Have you ever successfully grown roses from cut stems from the store? My experience with propagating roses is limited (meaning the one time I tried, in dirt, I failed) so I’m trying not to get too excited about this. I doooo love experimenting with plants though!
went hunting for old furniture for the house. thri went hunting for old furniture for the house. thrift store said nah but have this instead. 🤡🍆
A little ✨clean with me✨ reel to introduce you A little ✨clean with me✨ reel to introduce you to @CleanChoiceEnergy! #ad Seriously so simple to sign up for clean, renewable energy! With CleanChoice Energy every kilowatt of electricity your home (or apartment!) uses is replenished onto the grid with clean energy from regional wind and solar farms. Learn more about clean energy! 

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found a rusty old pocket knife in the front garden found a rusty old pocket knife in the front garden so of course it’s gotta go in *~the treasure box~*
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Now to win the lottery so I can afford to get this fire place in working order. 🙃🔥
another grouping of books I’ve read and enjoyed another grouping of books I’ve read and enjoyed lately! what about you? read anything wonderful lately?! 📚✨ as always, photos in my stories for your screenshotting needs (or in my saved stories, if you’re seeing this more than a day later.)
My little cardboard lovers just got an upgrade fro My little cardboard lovers just got an upgrade from @carlsonpetproducts! #ad It even has a removable scratch pad on the top which Professor really loves. Buuut mostly, they’ve just enjoyed being little creeps and popping out when I come into the room. 😤

I’m gonna share a couple more cute pictures + a link in my stories!
A couple of *~looks*~ this view has had ✨ Now, 2 A couple of *~looks*~ this view has had ✨ Now, 2020 before we bought & 2016

Not the most exciting angle in the house but I just LOVE seeing now vs then shots. She’s lived so many different lives! Sadly, I don’t really have any photos of the inside earlier than 2010. 🤷🏼‍♀️

copyright 2023 the dainty squid / kaylah stroup. please contact me about photo usage.


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THE DAINTY SQUID
  • blog
    • all the posts!
    • stroup mansion
    • some of my favorite posts
    • plants + gardening
    • beauty, fashion + hair
    • reviews
    • window shopping
    • explore everywhere
  • about me
  • contact