Basil

Basil: Is easy grow just pinch a bit and use...the plant will grow tall if not pinched back every so often and the new leaves always taste better. Usually by the end of our summer the aphids take over the plant and we just pull it up and put it in the compost. * Basil is a annual*

My favorite way to eat basil is with tomatoes. Making a big batch of spaghetti sauce is great!!

You can also put basil, tomatoes on goat cheese drizzle a little olive oil then place on a cracker.....Yum!


Happy Gardening...

Lynn

Egg Shells and slugs...

We have been placing crushed egg shells around our strawberry plants to get rid of the slugs...I have to say I am not sure if this is working or not....I think the roughness of the shells is helping to inhibit their movement but not repelling them from eating our wonderful strawberries. I have read that you have to have 2 inches of egg shells to keep the slugs from moving over to the plants.

We will have our chicken coop built in the matter of weeks...so we will have many eggs before to long. I think I will keep trying the egg shells because I don't like using anything not organic...do you have any advice about slugs or how you keep them off your strawberries.

Happy Gardening..

Lynn

Adding coffee grounds to your garden beds...

I have been reading a lot about composting and what you should and should not add to your compost bins...but I have found that somethings can be added directly into your garden beds such as coffee.

Spreading coffee grounds around some of your garden plants is a good idea. The coffee grounds will add nutrients to the soil as they break down and will benefit your plants. Now I am not saying you should run out with a fresh filter of coffee grounds warm from the pot or pour a few fresh cups into your plants soil.

I would recommend putting your coffee grounds in a bucket and placing a little compost on top mix together then add to your garden plants..I know that lettuce loves this mixture. Tomatoes do not!

Coffee itself has a pH of 5-5.5 right out of the cup.

Do you ever use coffee grounds in your garden?

Happy Gardening...

Lynn

Baking soda and your garden

I have been trying to find way's to use what I have in the kitchen to help our garden plants...and I have found that I can use a mixture of baking soda to control black-spot and powdery mildew.

1 tablespoon of baking soda

1 gallon of water

1 teaspoon liquid dish soap (cheap)

I mix this together and put in a spray bottle.

I use this once a week. * Don't use on a sunny day*


You can use this on strawberries and roses


Happy Gardening...

Lynn

Flower pots...

I Love to find those cheap orange pots at the garden center...I bring them home paint them with out-side paint or even spray paint...I let them dry add some pebbles for the bottom, then potting soil and a beautiful plant...Enjoy!

Don't have money for the orange pot? How about painting a margarine container or any kind of round container. Just make sure there are holes in the bottom for drainage.

Other things that can be used as a flower pot...

plastic buckets

old wheelbarrows ( might find one at a flea market?)

plastic ice cream container

hollowed out log,

old wooden box

teapots or tea cups

glass jars

Happy Gardening...

Lynn

Egg-Heads

We used to love doing this with our girls....making egg-heads.

1 egg with the inside blown out

craft glue

plastic google eyes

water (spray-bottle)

grass seed (herb seeds work to)

cotton ball

a red permanent marker

Give the egg head a hole on the top off it's head

We then place a cotton ball in the hole that we made, put a little grass seed on the cotton ball and water....next decorate the face with eyes and a mouth. We cut our egg carton and place the egg-head in one section of the carton. Place in a sunny window....their hair will start growing in a few days....make sure your children keep the cotton ball watered with the spray bottle....and don't forget to give them a haircut when needed.

Happy Gardening...

Lynn

Gardening with children

We have teenage daughters now but we have always had our girls out in the garden. They still help us transplant plants, water and of course eat what we pick each evening. Here are a few ways to get your children involved with gardening....



1. Let your children have their own garden...help them draw up a plan and let them color where they are going to plant their vegetables.



2. Help them get their soil ready for the plants new home. I hate watching children get excited about planting their plants and then watching them dig a hole in clay dirt. Try to get the beds ready before hand....the children should not have to use a shovel...they should be able to dig with their hands in the nice composted soil.



3. Select vegetables that are easy to grow.



4. Always select vegetables that the children like to eat...why plant tomatoes if they don't like to eat tomatoes?



5. Have Fun!!! It should not be work....making it fun...will make them want to grow another garden next year!!



Happy Gardening!!



Lynn