Great Pinterest and Instagram gardening projects

Hoop your coop

Hula hoops are back! But these won't give you a stitch in your side. Instead, they're decorating homes and weddings -- and adorning gardens. Wire one with flowers and greenery and hang from a tree or adorn with moss and hang on an exterior wall as a statement wreath. You can even add twinkle lights to brighten your nighttime cookouts. Details at the Wedding Chicks Pinterest board.

Mermaid gardens

Move over, fairy gardens, there's a new terrarium in town: Mermaid gardens are becoming a "thing," with succulents, sea glass, sand, pebbles, plastic aquarium plants and mermaids, and seashells "planted" in everything from fish bowls and clear glass vases to hollowed-out tree stumps and broken terra-cotta planters. Details at Greenwood Nursery's Instagram page.

Garden graffiti

If you're a rule follower like I am, the very term "graffiti" will make you twitch. But use moss as a medium instead of permanent marker, and I can see the allure. All you need is moss, buttermilk, a baby diaper, a measuring cup and spoon, and a paint brush. Rip open the diaper and remove its gel-like crystals, and put everything into a blender to make "paint." Brush your design onto an exterior wall or "canvas" of your choosing (as long as it's your own!) and wait for moss to grow, spraying with water to keep it moist. Details at diyprojects.com's Pinterest board

Hedgehog planter

Lay a plastic bottle on its side and cut away its top wall, wrap its spout with jute or burlap to create a snout, and glue on button eyes. Then fill it with soil and plants, and wait for your pet's coat to grow. Details at the Praktic Ideas: Brilliant Designs Pinterest board.