How I Turned My Landscaping iPhone Photos Into Affordable Canvas Wall Art

Back in 2019 I changed offices at work and had the opportunity to "spruce" things up a bit. The furniture is all standard and I'm not allowed to change anything, so I wanted to add some color and remind myself of my happy place out in the yard at home. I was able to print some super affordable custom canvas wall art using photos I took of my own yard on my iPhone - nothing fancy! It turned out super great and I got a lot of compliments at work. People couldn't believe 1.) that I took the photos myself, and 2.) that it was so inexpensive. 

I knew I wanted a variety of textures and colors, but I didn't want photos of flowers necessarily. I didn't want people to think I was narcissistic and just have photos of my yard hanging on my wall, so I went with detailed shots that you can't really tell are from my yard personally and could just be stock photos. I think that's why people can't believe they're mine because they are not the kind of photos most people take of their yard. 

I ended up going with these photos:

Rhamnus frangula ‘Fine Line’ Buckthorn

Asarum europaeum (European Wild Ginger)

Picea orientalis 'Skylands' oriental spruce new growth

I used a website called Easy Canvas Prints (not sponsored) because they let you choose custom dimensions for your canvas wall art. I decided to do a triptych (fancy way of saying 3 pieces of art that hang as a set together) with each one being 12 inches wide and 36 inches tall. 

The custom 12 inch by 36 inch canvases were approximately $28 each. Shipping was $12 and tax was $7. This site is hilarious, they make it look like you are saving 93% but they've had that promotion going on for years. Either way, the ACTUAL price is still a bargain. If you have certain dimensions you want in canvas but don't see them on a site you are looking at, try a custom option like this, I was able to get exactly what I wanted and it turned out great. The print quality was fantastic even with iPhone photos, very good detail. 

I had them ship directly to my office so I wouldn't have to carry them in my car and up the stairs. Let UPS do the work! They arrived and I hung them with command hooks because they are very light weight. 

Here is the final product:

Custom dimension canvas prints from iPhone photos of plants in my yard

Set of 3 wall canvas prints of my own plant photos

Crocus Vigil 2016 Started Without Me!

Last year I stood watch eagerly anticipating the emergence of my first crocus flowers after planting bulbs in the Fall of 2014. I didn't have to wait long, as little tiny sprouts emerged the 2nd day of my vigil. Those first shoots emerged on March 8, 2015 - and the blooms peaked on April 5.

This year, we've had a warmer winter, and I was anticipating an earlier emergence along with the face that they already have roots grown in rather than being grown from bulbs. But I wasn't expecting them this early!

As of today, February 19, 2016 I already have shoots emerging. Because I was ALL OVER my crocus watch last year, I have photos basically every couple days covering the month from first emergence to peak. Judging from those photos, I'd say these sprouts are already 5-7 days old but not quite 10 days old. Then again, there is no real way of knowing because they could have emerged and paused or emerged very quickly based on the weather.

February 19, 2016 crocus already emerging, high of 63°F today

Keeping an eye on other parts of the garden, I noticed a lot more rabbit damage, and a few other plants trying to wake up. The pale blue iris leaves are starting to emerge, and there are some fat buds on the wild ginger. An unknown evergreen succulent is also a nice surprise that the rabbits seem to be leaving alone.

Unknown succulent that hitchhiked from Dayton on the iris clumps

Siberian Iris plotting for an early spring

European wild ginger - Asarum europaeum - buds looking like little lobster claws

Say Hello: 4th of July New Additions

Welcome home new additions! I got a back seat full of plants coming home from my parents' house. Lots of new fun for the shade garden in the side yard, and some Shasta daisies to help hide the utility boxes in the front. I got up at 7am today and did 3 hours of yard work - whew!

Ostrich fern - Matteuccia struthiopteris

Ostrich fern - Matteuccia struthiopteris

Got a clump with 2 heads from my dad. I put them in my side yard in the place where a Hosta died last Fall. It's a little floppy, and I don't like that it touches the house, but hopefully when it puts up new fronds they are more upright. When a few more of these come in, it will definitely make the side yard look more like a nice forest floor.

Shasta Daisy - Leucanthemum × superbum 'Becky'

Shasta Daisy - Leucanthemum × superbum 'Becky'

Got 2 clumps from my dad to take home with me. I planted them on the neighbor's side of the utility box with their permission (they pretty much said I could do whatever I want). They are nice and tall and don't require staking. They spent the night in a garbage bag so hopefully they root in before the weather gets too hot. It should be upper 70's low 80's all week, so I think they've got a shot.

Japanese forest grass - Hakonechloa macra

Japanese forest grass - Hakonechloa macra

This little sprig doesn't look like much now, but hopefully by next year it will be a nice 3 foot wide bushy bamboo-ish grassy clump. I want to use Japanese forest grass in several places around my side yards, and it all starts with this bunch I got from my dad. It's not much to look at now, but it's alive!

European wild ginger - Asarum europaeum

European wild ginger - Asarum europaeum

I'm really excited to see what this European wild ginger does in a couple years. I got this clump from my parents' house. It was all over their side yard - I guess it pops up all over the place - here's hoping it naturalizes and mixes in well. So far my side yard plants are all neatly plopped down, and I'm trying to get used to the idea of them touching and overlapping and blending in to create an overall lush bed.


Shenandoah Switch Grass - Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah'

Shenandoah Switch Grass - Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah'

Got this for $1 from Lowe's sale table, looked like shit, fungus on leaves, only 4 stems, planted in part shade to hopefully hide electric meter. It's worth a shot for only a buck! I won't get too attached until I see that it's growing again. It probably should be planted in full sun, but if I can get it rooted and up to 3 feet it'll do wonders for hiding the meter. It's a little more out in the open right by the garage so not really deep shade. 

Cut a tiny piece off the larger of the two Karl Foerster for the back side and moved the iris to block the shorter Comcast box

Moved some more Siberian iris to the backyard for full sun rehab

Side yard looking much more lush with the fern. Just need a few coral bells to mix in. Thinking about hiding the AC with a boxwood.

Other side of the wet shade garden, hoping to add some astilbe next year