9 Essential Practices for Organic Gardeners

This article from Bonnie Plants tells you the 9 essential things to do if you grow organically in your garden.

9 Essential Practices for Organic Gardeners

Gardening is Good Therapy!

Here is a great reader submitted tip for Gardening as Therapy.

Gardening is Good Therapy

How to Sharpen and Maintain Gardening Tools

This is a great article from Mother Earth News on how to maintain and sharpen your gardening tools.

https://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/gardening-tools/how-to-maintain-gardening-tools-zbwz1604zsto?utm_source=facebook

Tomato Growing FAQs

Here is a great website that answered all of my tomato questions!

https://www.tomatofest.com/tomato_questions_s/128.htm

Seeds, Seeds, Seeds

I LOVE seeds and sometimes I get excited and buy way too many.  I think I have a problem but each seed packet represents a new plant(s) and that is thrilling for me, especially in the spring when it is almost time to plant outside. I even joined a seeds of the month club and that is what my children gave me for Mother's Day last year!! I was in the garden center at Menards yesterday and I had 10 or 12 seed packets in my hand and then put them back because I have so many seeds already.  It is such a hard thing to do.  I will just use the seeds I already have at home!  Happy Planting!

Best Gardening Books: Top Ten List

I love books and books about gardening help me learn to be a better gardener.  Here is my Top Ten List:

1. 
2. 
3. 
4. 
5. 
6. 
7. 
8. 
9. 
10. 

Herb Garden 2019

I am so excited to get started planting and the weather is not allowing me to.  So I have picked up a few herbs for this years herb garden.  This will help me with my impatience and I get fresh herbs to cook with...A Win-Win!!!

Best Seed Companies

As a gardener who strives to only plant heirloom and/or organic seeds in the garden, I have found a few companies that are the best for seeds.  

Here are my Top Ten(in no particular order):

1. Heirloom Gardener: https://www.heirloomgardener.com/
2. High Mowing Seed Company: https://www.highmowingseeds.com/
3. Seed Savers Exchange: https://www.seedsavers.org/
4. Seeds Now: https://www.seedsnow.com/
5. Burpee: https://www.burpee.com/
6. Seeds of Change: https://www.seedsofchange.com/
7. Seeds from Italy: https://www.growitalian.com/
8. Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds: https://www.rareseeds.com/
9. Johnny's Selected Seeds: https://www.johnnyseeds.com/featured/heirloom/
10. Mary's Heirloom Seeds: https://www.marysheirloomseeds.com/

      

Order some catalogs today, or visit their online catalogs for faster service, and start dreaming of your spring garden!

Grow A Love Garden - From Growers Exchange

Bible Verses about Gardening

Here are some Bible verses that mention gardening.  

https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Garden,-Natural

Small Greenhouse Seed Starting

This year I am trying seed starting a couple of different ways.  I am putting them in my small green house in a south facing window for tomatoes.  Hoping that this works!  I am thinking I need to add a grow light!

April Garden Chores 2017

April is a busy month getting the garden ready for the big growing season.  Here is a list of the chores I am completing this month.

1. Expand garden area by putting down weed barrier and constructing a new fence.
2. Relocate some containers to the new area for better production.
3. Build and add new raised beds.
4. Plant peas and beans in raised beds.
5. Keep up with seed starts...thin out and transplant into bigger pots. 
6. Start some warm weather vegetable starts int he greenhouse.  
7. Plant some herbs in the greenhouse.
8. Clean up strawberry pallet area.  Add replacement plants to the area.
9. Move the old raised bed dirt to the new raised beds I construct.  

Bean Teepee

I constructed a bean teepee and then it added in the small raised bed.  I am going to plant beans this weekend!

Greenhouse Growing Begins

I am so excited that I got my new to me green house constructed with little to no issues.  It is now being used and I already have seed started and some herbs growing in it!  

Container Garden Updates 2017

I have been working on the new expanded garden area.  I have relocated some o f my containers to make the area more productive.  Bonus...It looks more colorful, too!

Strawberry Pallet Update April 2017

Some of my strawberry plants did not make it this winter, so I purchased some replacements.  I  cleaned up the pallet area and planted them on Saturday.  

Let the growing begin!

Garden Area Enlargement and Fence Construction

This last week I spent several hours expanding my garden area and constructing a new fence.  It was very affordable since the plastic lattice was already at my house...left by someone else a few years ago.  I am so excited for my new area.  I am now in the process of amending my raised beds and planted and building some new raised beds.  I have 2 already constructed from found items in my yard!  I love that I am being frugal and getting more growing space in the garden!!!  Here are a couple of pictures of the fence and new raised beds.  

Great Article: Life Skills Developed in a Garden

I read the most amazing article about things you learn in a garden!  Check it out!  Here is the link: 

8 Life Skills from a Garden

Here are the Lifeskills mentioned in the article:

1. Faith
2. Confidence
3. Patience
4. Commitment
5. Independence
6. Bravery
7. Contentment
8. Surrender

Greenhouse Love

I was fortunate enough to buy a greenhouse a week ago.  It is used but it is mine!  I will be putting it back together soon and then the growing will begin.  I will post updates of the progress and the adventures of growing in a green house!  Here is a stock photo I found of the green house...the company is no longer around so hoping it all goes back together correctly!!!

Fall Garden Update 2016

Now is the time to start planting your veggies for fall harvests!  Here is a great article explaining what to do and when to do it! 

Fall Garden Vegetables

Here is what I have planted so far in my fall garden:

• broccoli
• carrots
• beets
• turnips
• lettuce
• kale
• arugula
• peas
• bush beans
• cilantro

These are growing alongside the vegetables that are still producing in the garden like cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, and herbs. 

 

My pumpkins are also coming along strong!