Category Archives: Gardening

A Greenhouse for Small Spaces

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When I was younger, living in an apartment or places with smaller yards, I always had excuses for my lack of gardening.

Small Greenhouse

I wanted to grow fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs, I really did! But with small yards, it is difficult to do any real gardening. I often had wood or concrete patio or deck spaces, as many apartments do, not allowing for me to really dig in and get a garden started.  I was younger, living in an apartment or places with smaller yards, I always had excuses for my lack of gardening. I wanted to grow fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs, I really did! But with small yards, it is difficult to do any real gardening. I often had wood or concrete patio or deck spaces, as many apartments do, not allowing for me to really dig in and get a garden started.

Image: Overstock.com

If you are in the same boat, take a look at this contraption – the Palram Plant Inn. This small greenhouse is just 4×4 feet, a perfect size for small spaces. Not only that, but the bottom portion is storage! This allows you to hide all those tools, extra soil, etc. to keep your yard clean and compact.

While, to me, it seems a little on the pricier side, consider all the money you will be saving on you fresh lettuce, cucumber, strawberries or garden goodies of your choice. Organic gardening is much healthier, and will save you time, gas and money overall! This small greenhouse seems like an all-around win!

Printable Seed Packets

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Packets of seeds are a great gift for new home owners, garden lovers or even at weddings.

But like anything in life, a little extra personalized effort is always a great way to go when gift-giving. That is why I am loving the idea of personalized seed packets. This idea opens up so many creative possibilities, such as initials or monograms, quotes, birth dates, images, etc. Not to mention the type of seeds given – a birth or funeral could give tree seeds, a new home owner could be given fruit or vegetable seeds, a birthday could be given a favorite flower and the list goes on!

Below you will find a couple options to get you started in designing your very own printable seed packets. Click on the source links to get further information on each. Think about using colored paper (you could print in color on newspaper or even used printer sized scrapbook paper) or adding embellishments post printing for a little extra style.

Seed Package

Source: www.erinvaledesign.com

Seed Packages

Image Source: justsomethingimade.com

Seeds

Image: weedsandwildflowersdesign.com

Make your own? I would love to see what you all come up with for your own seed packet designs!

Wicker Baskets

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Since wicker baskets are an economical option when it comes to container gardening, you should definitely try this method. It is a cost-effective way of growing plants and flowers in containers. Using these wonderful planters also helps keep your environment clean and green.

Wicker Plant Containers

Wicker is an inexpensive and ecological material. It is also sturdy and durable, making it suitable for container gardening. Such planters can withstand perennial blooms as well as annuals which you can plant and replace every year to give a fresh look to your garden or patio.

Water won’t hurt wicker either. The water-resistant quality of wicker means it can stand up to rain without rotting or getting mildewed. Watering plants in wicker baskets regularly will keep them hydrated and healthy.

Wicker is also eco-friendly, as it is made from plants that are naturally abundant. It’s an excellent choice for any garden or container where greater durability is needed. You can easily move your plants outdoors during the summer months to take better advantage of the sun and fresh air, but bring them back indoors during winter so they don’t freeze.

More Wicker Planters

Image Source: WestCoastGarden.ca

Wicker baskets are available in many designs, shapes and sizes. You can buy them online or from a retail store near you. However, make sure that the basket has solid construction and does not tip over easily when filled with soil and water.

If you want to create a wicker basket garden using your old baskets then simply decorate them according to your choice and preference before turning them into planters by filling them with potting mixture along with the desired herbs or flowers of your choice. You can use any type of wicker basket for this purpose and they will make a beautiful addition to your garden or patio.

 

 

Making Seed Tapes for Lettuce and Carrots

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Making seed tapes for lettuce and carrots- perfectly spacing the seeds so you don’t have to thin later!

Seed Tapes

You will need:

  • Newspaper
  • Scissors
  • Marker
  • Seed packet
  • Ruler
  • White flour
  • Water
  • Elastics / string

In a nutshell:
Cut two-inch-wide newspaper strips.

  1. Identify the name of your seeds.
  2. Mark the seed’s location with a marker according to the type of seed.
  3. Prepare the glue: add one tablespoon of flour.
  4. Add two tablespoons of water.
  5. Mix and apply glue on each location marked with a pencil.
  6. Plant the seeds.

But you’ll want to check out this great tutorial on how to make your own seed tapes.

Add Magnesium to Soil

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Magnesium is the fourth most abundant element in our bodies and essential to life. Magnesium is also essential to plants and is a key component of chlorophyll, the green pigment in plants. It is is part of the structure of both proteins and nucleic acids. Magnesium aids photosynthesis by activating carboxylase enzymes and it affects cell wall formation by activating peptidase enzymes.

Green Bell Peppers

Magnesium Deficiency in Plants

Magnesium deficiency is not uncommon in many soils and because magnesium is quite soluble it is easily leached from the soil. Also, many agricultural chemicals (such as ammonium nitrate), which are applied to crops, interfere with the uptake of magnesium by plants. The addition of calcium and potassium in excess of need can also deplete soils of magnesium. Some alkaline soils have a low pH and these at times will cause magnesium to be unavailable to the plants. Just as with calcium, high soil temperatures will affect the availability of magnesium to plants.

Magnesium deficiency in horticultural crops is manifested by a yellowing of leaves between the veins beginning at or near the tips and progressing inward toward the center vein until only a few vestiges of green remain. Such leaves are very brittle, the tips and margins tend to curl upward, and the plants are stunted in growth.

Adding Magnesium to Your Garden Plants and Soil

You can purchase Magnesium Sulfate from any garden center. Or you can make your own:

Mix 1 teaspoon epsom salts in 4 cups warm water, spray on plants and then again 10 days later.

On tomatoes, peppers and roses especially. Adds magnesium to soil.

Goldfish in Rain Barrels

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Mosquitoes are a common problem in many areas because they breed rapidly and can carry disease. While there are chemical ways of reducing the mosquito population, these should only be used as a last resort because not only do they kill mosquitoes, but also destroy other beneficial insects.

A good way to reduce your mosquito population is by using goldfish. These fish eat mosquito larvae and can keep your area free of mosquitoes without the harmful effects of chemicals.

Gold Fish in Rain Barrel

 

You can put Goldfish in your rain barrels to eat the mosquito larvae. Clever. Plus, fish poop is good for your plants. 😉 Be sure to follow the directions for acclimating the fish to their new watery home. And you might want to keep some fish flakes on hand in case there is not enough larvae to feed your gold fish.

Sheet Moss – Hypnum Cuppresiforme

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Sheet Moss – Hypnum Cuppresiforme.This moss has an interesting history! But I mostly just like the way it looks. Sheet Moss - Hypnum Cuppresiforme

Sheet Moss, also known as Tree Moss or Rock Moss, is a plant in the Hypnaceae family. It is distributed throughout the world in temperate and boreal regions. Sheet Moss grows on trees, rocks, soil, and any other substrate that provides sufficient moisture and nutrients.

Sheet Moss is an important part of the ecosystem in many areas. It provides habitat for small animals and invertebrates, and its leaves are an important food source for grazing animals such as deer and elk. Sheet Moss also helps to stabilize soils and prevent erosion.

Humans have also used Sheet Moss for centuries. Indigenous peoples used it for insulation and bedding material. In more recent times, it has been used as a packing material. Horticulturalists use Sheet Moss to create moss gardens, and it is also popular in terrariums and vivariums.

If you are lucky enough to find Sheet Moss growing in your area, don’t hesitate to take a closer look. This fascinating plant has a lot to offer!

You’ll find a great care guide for sheet moss on Bantam.earth. It covers just about everything you’d ever want to know about sheet moss.