Be it a flower or a vegetable, gardens are a wonderful place to introduce children to growing plants and enjoying nature. Gardens should be a place that children feel welcome in and enjoy being a part of. Adding an easy to make and affordable DIY garden hopscotch path is the
Tag: Garden
Easy Peasy Homemade Blueberry Jam
I love making jam. There is nothing like popping open a jar of jam in the deed of winter and tasting all that yummy summer goodness! Many folks tend to over look this easy peasy homemade item out of fear that it is either too hard to make or canning
Ladybug Release and Care Tips
Ladybugs have been valued as farmer’s helpers since medieval times, so it was only logical when we decided to combat our aphid problems this year, we decided to release ladybugs to help us. Aphids are one of the most destructive insect pests. They can destroy plants in a snap, thus
Why You Need to Make a Toad Abode
Sadly, most folks aren’t very keen on toads. Many consider them ugly and gross. People avoid them because of the myth that a toad can give you warts. The reality is that toads cannot give you warts. In fact, toads are knight in shining armor who come to your rescue,
How to store Garlic, Onions and Tators (long term)
Weather you grow your own or buy in bulk, you will be faced with how to properly store garlic, onions and potatoes long term. There is nothing worse then spending quality time growing or hard earned money purchasing food and then having it go bad. There are two things I
Time for Fall Vegetable Gardening!
I know, I know…. But it is still summer! But now is the time to get your fall vegetable garden growing before Mother Nature sends the first frost. Of course frost dates vary depending on where you live, but here in Michigan, with our shorter growing season, we are already
Homemade Bee Condo (For Mason Bees)
I know a few of you are thinking “why would you want to build a bee condo!?!?” Well, because if you garden, plants need to be pollinated in order to reproduce. Many plants depend on bees or other insects to help with pollination.When a bee collects nectar and pollen from
Mosquito Repelling Plants
Spring is here and summer is right around the corner, and that means more time outside enjoying nature, gardening, and BBQs with friends. That also means the mosquitos are back. Yes, I have already seen a few and I don’t want to see anymore! As you may or may not
Ring of Fire Hot Pepper Collection
I really enjoy gardening, the smell of the dirt, the feel of it on your hands, ahhh, the joy of spring time. Recently Clovers Garden contacted me about their Ring of Fire hot pepper collection and wondered if I would like to try it. Clovers Garden ships ready to plant
“Christmas in November” Giveaway
I am so excited to team up with Mary from Mary’s Heirloom Seeds to celebrate her reaching 7,000 likes on Facebook! In honor of this milestone, she is THRILLED to sponsor another Giveaway for Mary’s Heirloom Seeds. This is their largest giveaway opportunity yet. You have a chance to win
How to Can Green Beans. Yes You Can!
A few years back, my mother gifted to me her old (aka missing pieces) pressure canner. After purchasing a few parts we had that bad boy back up and ready to go. I can honestly say I love that old piece of metal. It allows us to preserve so much
What Tators Taught Me
The potato is an important staple food in many peoples’ diets. Potatoes are rich in vitamins B and C, potassium, protein, complex carbohydrates, and fiber. Talk about a lot of wonderful packed in a small thing! Since potatoes can be prepared so many ways, you can eat them year round
Why Urban Farms Matter
Recently the oldest country kid brought home a flyer from 4H for a free event at an urban farm that is located within driving distance from us. We are lucky enough to live in a tiny village (population less than 1,200) and have our own garden, but not everyone is
Easy Fabric Flower Pot
I like terra cotta pots as much as the next farm girl, but they can tend to be a little on the boring side some times. And sure, there are a million and one ways to paint a pot to give it some pizzazz, but why not think “outside the
Homemade Garden Markers
Every year we plant a garden. Every year I try to label everything, so we can remember when things come up, what they are. But it seems, every year, those darn markers get lost, broken, or just unreadable. We have expanded our garden this year, fenced it in and built