Gardening – Page 2

Tree Planting Tips: Planning Your Garden

May 15, 2014 by Danielle 5 Comments

Anyone that heads out to a nursery to shop for a tree knows that these awkward, spindly bunch of branches has the potential to grow into something great. Adding a tree to your yard is a big commitment because the tree will serve to separate, bring together and stand in place for several years to come.

Tree planting is the first and most important step to adding a tree to your garden, so it is important that it is done right and that every home gardener know about the common mistakes to avoid.

We recently started adding trees to our community garden, including a Valencia orange and Anna apple, and after much research on the types of trees we were going to plant, the next step was planting the trees right! [Read more…]

Filed Under: For the Home, Gardening, Uncategorized Tagged With: community garden, fruit trees, gardening, gardening tips, tree planting, trees

Growing Healthy Eaters and Snap Peas from Seed

April 23, 2014 by Danielle 5 Comments

This post brought to you by Miracle-Gro. All opinions are 100% mine.

My son is obsessed with the outdoors. He’s the ultimate bug catching, fossil digging, mud puddle making boy. It’s pretty hard to get him indoors so we try our best to keep him busy. Since I started up our garden beds again he’s been begging to plant his favorite snap peas in the front yard. How can a mother say no? And growing snap peas from seed is fairly easy.

I handed him a trowel, some gloves, some Miracle-Gro Organic garden soil, and some snap pea seeds. And what he did next was pretty darn awesome. Not only did he plant the seeds, but he proceeded to water them daily, check them for bugs, and give me progress reports on their growth.

This experience definitely made me one happy and proud mama. He’s learning how to grow his own food and he’s requesting more and more variety in the seeds he plants. [Read more…]

Filed Under: For the Home, Gardening, Outdoor Crafts and Activities, Uncategorized Tagged With: garden, gardening, gardening with kids, kids activities

Starting a Community Compost Site Featured on Someday I’ll Learn

April 23, 2014 by Danielle 1 Comment

Composting is a great way to reduce the amount of garbage and waste you create, improve and add to the soil that you garden with and it benefits the environment too. Starting a community compost site is an even bigger win because when there is a public option, more folks have a way of joining in and starting to compost for themselves.

To learn more about starting your own community compost site, check out my post on Someday I’ll Learn for great ways to get going today!

Do you compost at home? Looking to expand?

Filed Under: For the Home, Gardening, Uncategorized Tagged With: community compost, community garden, compost, composting

Gardening With Kids: Creating a Beautiful Butterfly Garden

April 2, 2014 by Danielle 3 Comments

Want to attract more butterflies to your yard? By creating a butterfly garden, you allow the butterflies to have a space to eat, rest, and flutter around so they feel comfortable fluttering about throughout the year!

Gardening with kids has come to be one of my favorite hobbies these days. Not only does it give me much needed momma time with my two little ones, it also is a great way to teach them new and wonderful things.

I’ve also found that while we spend time gardening, we’re also growing something greater. We’re growing an amazing bond and a safe place for them to come and talk to me about just about everything.

When the family and I headed to the store last week we saw some awesome 5-gallon lavender plants among a few other plants they were selling.

As soon as I saw them I immediately when to go scout them out and found one I loved. My husband already knew I was on the hunt for a lavender plant to help entice the butterflies to come visit more often.

We also have some kangaroo paw and other flowering plants that do so as well. But I love the smell of lavender and had to have a place for it. There are some great plants to bring into your yard to entice the butterflies to visit. Here are a few to check out:

Butterfly-Friendly Plants For Your Garden

Attracting Caterpillars

Borage
Cilantro*
Fennel*
Grasses
Hollyhocks
Lupine
Milkweed
Nettle
Thistle

Attracting Butterflies

Alyssum
Aster
Bee balm
Butterfly bush
Calendula
Cosmos
Daylily
Delphinium
Dianthus
Fennel*
Globe thistle
Goldenrod
Hollyhock
Lavender*
Liatris
Marigold
Musk mallow
Nasturtium
Oregano*
Phlox
Purple coneflower
Queen Anne’s lace
Sage*
Scabiosa
Shasta daisy
Stonecrop
Verbena*
Yarrow
Zinnia

*these plants are edible

When we got home I asked my son if he wanted to help me plant it. He jumped at the opportunity to get dirty and quickly helped me take the lavender plant out of it’s container and plant it inside a wine barrel we had just filled with dirt.

It was the perfect task for him since it involved digging in dirt, and watering afterwards. Dirt + water = mud and mud makes my son very happy.

Once we were done we stepped back and marveled at what we had just done together. I now have a lavender plant and my son has a new place to look for beautiful butterflies.

Being able to get my hands dirty with my son and grow these memories and experiences are something I’ll treasure forever.

It’s more than just that lavender plant. It’s the bond I’m forming with my son while tending to that lavender plant.

It’s the moments we share watching the butterflies flitter in our yard and land on one of the plants. It’s seeing a caterpillar make a cocoon and watching a butterfly emerge.

Our ferns, kangaroo paw, and other ornamental plants in our yard have bloomed beautifully with a little love from the kids. And I’m sure this lavender plant will as well!

How do you Grow Something Greater?

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Filed Under: For the Home, Gardening, Outdoor Crafts and Activities Tagged With: gardening, gardening tips, gardening with kids

5 Easy Herbs to Grow In The Garden and Use In The Kitchen

March 18, 2014 by Danielle 10 Comments

If you’re looking for a few easy things to grow, whether in a raised bed or container garden, I highly suggest checking out these 5 easy herbs to grow in the garden. Best part? They’re perfect to use in the kitchen!

When I’m considering what to put in my raised beds and vertical gardens there’s one thing I always think about. How will I incorporate these plants into my everyday cooking? So I’ve tried to stick with easy herbs to grow in the garden.

The 5 herbs listed below are the easiest ones I’ve worked with here in San Diego and have required little more than regular watering and a little pruning every now and then (my basil). Some of these herbs even create great flowers when you let them attract bees over to help pollinate and do their thing.

If you’re looking for a few easy things to grow, whether in a raised bed or container garden, I highly suggest checking out these herbs.

Someday I’ll Learn: Bugs in the Garden

March 17, 2014 by Danielle Leave a Comment

After figuring out what you want to plant in the garden with your kids, consider what to look out for. Including the bugs in the garden.

I’ve shared some great bugs to look out for in your garden over at Someday I’ll Learn. Find out what you want to keep… and what you don’t!

Filed Under: For the Home, Gardening, Outdoor Crafts and Activities, Uncategorized Tagged With: Bugs, bugs in the garden, garden, gardening, organic gardening

How to Grow Carrots with Kids {From Garden to Table}

March 11, 2014 by Danielle 6 Comments

Learn how to grow carrots with kids and see how easy gardening with kids is! All it takes is some patience, sun, water, and love.

One of my kids favorite veggies is carrots. So figuring out how to grow carrots with kids was one of my top priorities when we started gardening.

Lucky for me, growing carrots is one of the easiest things to do. Not too many pests to worry about – unless you have four-legged critters like bunnies, squirrels, and deer – and take anywhere from 60-75 days to grow.

Plus, the kids LOVE watching the tops grow taller and I like how green and pretty it makes the garden bed look. [Read more…]

Filed Under: For the Home, Gardening, Health & Wellness, Outdoor Crafts and Activities Tagged With: carrots, gardening, gardening with kids, raised garden beds, vegetables

Creating a Fun DIY Chalkboard Herb Planter

May 24, 2013 by Danielle 15 Comments

This DIY chalkboard herb planter turns regular clay pots into beautiful and fun places to grow your herbs! Use smaller pots for an indoor garden and larger for outside! Don’t forget to get the kids involved!

I love to garden. I love being outdoors, enjoying the weather, and getting my hands dirty. I also love the sense of accomplishment I feel when I see the results of my hard work.

But sometimes gardening and landscaping doesn’t have to be difficult or hard. With this fun DIY Chalkboard Herb Planter I’m able to plant the herbs I love in cute decorative pots and don’t really have to worry much about them.

Plus, you can make this project with simple materials that you might already have in your home!

Tree Planting Tips: Planning Your Garden

Growing Healthy Eaters and Snap Peas from Seed

Starting a Community Compost Site Featured on Someday I’ll Learn

Do you compost at home? Looking to expand?

Gardening With Kids: Creating a Beautiful Butterfly Garden

Butterfly-Friendly Plants For Your Garden

How do you Grow Something Greater?

5 Easy Herbs to Grow In The Garden and Use In The Kitchen

Someday I’ll Learn: Bugs in the Garden

How to Grow Carrots with Kids {From Garden to Table}

Creating a Fun DIY Chalkboard Herb Planter

[Read more…]

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