Indoor herb kits are very popular but most people try them and fail at growing vigorous herbs. The companies get you pumped up by telling you that they will sell you everything you need -- pots, soil, seeds, etc., but they typically don't mention the most important one: foot candles of light, or exactly how much light is needed to properly grow herbs indoors. In this post I give you a few important tips to grow herbs successfully and abundantly indoors.
Growing aromatic herbs indoors is a wonderful practice, but people often fail at it not because they have a black thumb but because they simply do not create the necessary growing environment. For example, even your sunniest window during the winter is insufficient for proper growth. Read how to produce summer-like herbs indoors at The Passionate Gardener by Shane VanOosterhout.
I received information that the average blogger is anything but carbon neutral. In fact, annually, a blog can generate an average of 8 lbs. of carbon! So, I am working to make this pretty, pink blog a greener place to read. I am joining the "1 blog, 1 tree" movement and having a tree planted to neutralize the carbon emissions caused by my blog.
What do you do to minimize your carbon footprint? How can you improve?
Oh yeah, it's time. If you plan on gardening this year, better get your seeds early. I ordered my seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds last night. Find out why this isn't your average seed catalog.
Join me as I cook my way around the word's 193(ish) countries in alphabetical order. First stop Afghanistan, last stop Zimbabwe.
At the heart of this project is my goal to prepare authentic meals using fresh, homemade ingredients that reflect the culture, geography, history, beliefs and values of each country I visit. And I will eat and try ANYTHING once. I have yet cook in a country whose food I didn't appreciate and enjoy. Along the way, I toss in a few off-the-map surprises I hope you'll check out!
Hello! It's that time of the week again! This week's herb is also a well-known one, although it is mainly known for its scent, it is one of the most versatile herbs in the world: Lavender.
This year, I promised myself that I would can tomatoes and pickles. Yesterday, I canned my first batch of kosher dill pickles, and I will share with you how easy it is to can your own food.
This post is about our first foray into backyard gardening (with kids). We built a bed, planned out our "crops" and planted some seeds! Honestly, we could use all the advice we can get.
Information on how we plan out our vegetable garden using crop rotation and companion planting instead of harmful chemicals. With tips on a great tool to help with the layout and a couple of indispensible books.
My attempt at gardening with my toddler came up a little short this year. But what a joyful experience it is to watch children explore their world with enthusiasm and wonder. Got some great photos, a few sprouts, and a lot of memories. All it took was dirt, some hard labor, and a few seeds. So, how does YOUR garden grow? Are you a newbie with a probationary green thumb, like me? Or are you a master gardener with advice to share? Come and join in my gardening trials at Toddler In Tow. I look forward to talking "green stuff" with you!
I had the opportunity to see Joel Salatin speak about sustainable farming. Mr. Salatin is the owner of Polyface Farms, “a family owned, multi-generational, pasture-based, beyond organic, local-market farm.” If you saw the film Food, Inc, you would also remember Joel as the fast-talking farmer with suspenders and straw hat. This post is a recap of his talk, which provided examples of how our country's food regulations systems are ruining our food.
Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, Poison Sumac, the mere mention of these names send most people checking their medicine cabinets for calmine lotion....is there a reason this weed exists?
I discovered some mosquito larva in a couple of centimeters of water sitting in a RubberMaid tote in our back yard and ask the question - should they stay or should they go? On the one hand, this is a great chance to observe an insect lifecycle in action. On the other ... they're mosquitoes.
Every human in any modern and civilized country should have the skills to live a reliable and sustainable life without dependence on anyone but themselves. Whether having self-preserving skills for a way of life, or having the knowledge for emergency situations, it is vital to anyone’s life to know how to live without consumerism.
Conserving water with a rain barrel sounds great, but buying one can be expensive. I take a look at some of the online instructions on how to make your own rain barrel and find out what it's really like to 'do it your self'. Detailed information on parts, costs and how we did it.
It's been a passion of mine to start my own business. I love to turn people's trash into treasure. I got into to this years ago when I started doing little projects for my mother in law. She owned a store in Brunswick, Ga. called "The Old Country Store" where she sold crafts and old furniture. She inspired me to do more. She was my biggest fan along with all my other family members. Now it's time ...for me to put what I love to do, to work for again.
If you are a devoted gardener, you are most likely to always be on the look-out for new creative gardening gadgets and crafts. This post lists three really cool ideas on how you can recycle old used things into something awesome for your garden.
It doesn't matter if you are planting something you started from seed, or if you bought a bunch of plants from your local greenhouse (support local businesses!). It is all the same. Some people really object to the idea of buying a plant from a store, just to plop it into a bigger pot. Get over it, really. If that is all that you can do, then do it and be proud of your little bit of greenery.
All throughout the spring and summer I'll be posting delicious warm season beverage recipes. There is nothing like sitting outside on a warm spring or hot summer day waiting on a cool breeze and a cold drink in your hand. So why not try something unique and heat quenching at the same time? The first of the many beverage recipes I'll be posting is a Lavender Lemonade. This is something I just know I'll be looking forward to making during the hot Texas months to come.
We are conditioned early on to think Big when it comes to gardening. Big area, Big yeilds, Big amounts of labor, etc, But it just isn't what the frugal small square foot or eBucket gardner is all about.
Until I realized I had to ditch the big farm mentality I often wondered if my gardening was worth the effort I was expending.
Now I realize it is and I am satisfied! Gardening is a pleasure.
Article about a family who turned an unused in ground pool into a greenhouse, fish farm, and chicken farm. This project now provides them with vegetables, herbs, fruit, eggs and fish to feed their family. The project is called the Garden Pool and uses solar power, hydroponics, aquaculture, biofiltration and poultry farming all combined into a self sustaining system.
In the last few weeks our garden has really taken off. Right now we have zucchini, tomatoes, basil, onions, garlic, carrots, green beans, and of course eggs (thanks to Cheeky and Sally). So I am trying to make meals that revolve around what we already have here are a few I have come up with this year and links to a few others. Here are a few great recipes to use your garden produce. I hope you garden is as blessed as ours!
