I love Spring! The days are getting longer. The sunshine feels warmer. Everywhere I look I am surrounded by life. It’s a time of newness and rebirth. I feel re-energized and alive being outside. Today, I took some time to appreciate and capture what early Spring looks like in my garden. Enjoy! Continue reading “My Garden Now: Spring Awakening”
I love Spring! The days are getting longer. The sunshine feels warmer. Everywhere I look I am surrounded by life. It’s a time of newness and rebirth. I feel re-energized and alive being outside. Today, I took some time to appreciate and capture what early Spring looks like in my garden. Enjoy! Continue reading “Spring Awakening”
If you are like me and love to start your own seeds, you are probably familiar with the usual seed starting vessels – plastic trays and pots, soil blocks, and peat pots. But some of the best seed starting vessels, in my opinion, can’t be purchased from the store. They actually can be made from items you probably have in your recycle bin or compost right now. Continue reading “5 DIY Seed Starting Vessels”
Spring is officially here bringing new life to the garden including the return of my favorite feathered friends. I don’t know about you, but I love wild birds. What these small creatures endure, how far they travel, and their nearly constant motion amaze me. After a rainstorm, I often go outside and listen to their fluttering movements as they frantically forage for food. And I love finding easy ways, like making bird feeders, to entice them into my yard. Continue reading “Easy Garden Project for Kids: Pinecone Bird Feeders”
Here is what I’m working on in my garden now – spring soil amendments! Continue reading “My Garden Now: Spring Soil Amendments”
Here is what I’m working on in my garden now – spring soil amendments! Continue reading “Spring Soil Amendments”
Have you ever wondered how green leaves can turn bright orange, yellow and red? I honestly never gave it much thought. Then, while on a walk with my son, he picked up a leaf and curiously asked me “why do the leaves change color?” I had no answer. Why exactly did the leaves change color each Fall? After a bit of research I found not only the cool science behind this wonder of nature, but also an awesome garden experiment to help explain it to kids. Continue reading “Fall Garden Activity for Kids: Why do Leaves Change Color?”
I can’t think of anything quite as fascinating to watch grow as sunflowers. From seed to flower and back to seed again, the entire life cycle of this summer flower is not only beautiful but also serves many important purposes. As a gardener, I love sunflowers because they are easy to grow, attract beneficial insects, provide a pop of color to the garden, and produce delicious seeds. But there are many other great reasons to love sunflowers, such as… Continue reading “The Lifecycle of a Sunflower”
This year I found myself with extra room in the garden to plant whatever my heart desired. I’ve always wanted to try my hand at growing corn, but never had the space or the right seeds. Corn is one of the most commonly grown GMO crops in our country, which makes finding truly GMO-free seeds difficult. After coming across packets of these elusive seeds at a local market, I knew exactly what I was planting in my extra garden plot. Continue reading “5 Things I Learned Growing Corn”
It’s about time I wrote a post about one of my favorite things to photograph in the garden – insects. Yes, flowers are beautiful and vegetables colorful… but insects tend to make a particularly interesting photo. Although they can be hard to photograph, because they are on a micro scale and move, if you get a great shot it’s worth it! Here are some of my favorite shots from this summer. Enjoy! Continue reading “Summer Garden Insects”
Ever wonder what makes your salsa verde green? Surprise! It’s not green tomatoes but instead a delightful fruit called the tomatillo. You can purchase tomatillos at the grocery store (typically located near the peppers), but if you have the space I suggest growing your own. With few pest and disease problems tomatillos are easy to grow organically, prolific (which means tons of yummy salsa!), and fascinating to watch grow inside husks that resemble tiny green lanterns.
Continue reading “How to Grow Epic Tomatillos”
I don’t like the idea of adding chemicals to our environment. And let’s be honest – if you are spending the time to grow your own fruits and vegetables you shouldn’t either. Synthetic chemicals and toxins, found in common pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers are undisputedly bad for humans and the environment. Yet despite a mountain of scientific research that shows their harmful effects, over 80% of products sold in gardening centers still contain them. What’s worse – these products are marketed as “safe”. Continue reading “6 Ways to Make Your Own Organic Fertilizer”
