Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Plant, Grow and Eat what you can!!!

 Good morning all.  It is a nice morning here.  Rain coming in later.  The birds are singing, and the squirrels are out frolicking, and everything is growing.  This is Earth week.  I know we have a day, week, month to bring attention to this - but we need to be aware every day and use things thoughtfully and try to be the best stewards of the earth that we can be!
I hope that each of you can maybe plant something this year to help out with your pantry needs.  It doesn't have to be a lot - anything will help.  It is so much better for you, and it tastes better.
I know many cannot plant gardens where they live.  That just aggravates me to no end. You would think cities, neighborhoods, etc. would find it a positive thing - not negative.  I think looking at veggies and fruits growing is so much prettier than a mass of green lawn.
Many here have found ways around this - with planting in planter boxes on their patios/balconies, and planting in pots in their back yards.  
I would think instead of shrubs, it should be encouraged to plants peppers, lettuce, herbs, tomatoes, etc. in amongst the flower beds. 
I love that many inner-city places allow that vacant lots be turned into community gardens.  Those are often food desserts when it comes to groceries, so having access to fresh foods is wonderful.  I would love see all the vacant lots be used this way.  What a help that would be to everyone.

You can plant in pots, in the ground, or in about anything you can think of - just add some drainage holes and rock in the bottom of the container.
Don't use chemicals at all.  Keep it as natural as possible.  Not only is that better for you, but for nature as well.  Remember bees are pollinators and feed on your plants.

Think about some herbs for your seasoning.  Maybe lettuce and green onions (super easy to grow in pots).  Many tomatoes and peppers can also be grown in larger containers.  Whatever you grow, you don't have to go out and buy.  Let me tell you - it tastes sooooo much more delicious!!!!

Here is a homemade fertilizer to use - instead of all the chemicals in Miracle-Grow.
This stuff works well.  I use it.  The food color is just so you can tell the difference between it and other things you have around or actually see when you have used up what is in a sprayer.  
Don't forget you can use compost in your garden and manure (that has aged).

You can make your own seed tapes as well for those bitty seeds!  They are so hard to plant 'nicely' without wasting directly in the garden.
Click on either of these directions to enlarge for easier reading.

I hope everyone can plant a little bit of something for the garden this year.
It always amazes me that a single tomato seed or zucchini seed can provide so many veggies for a family table (or neighborhood).  Pretty awesome!
Of course - plant some flowers too if you can!  Birds and bees and all of nature benefit and well, they are just beautiful!  
It is also very good exercise, and you get fresh air as well.  WIN - WIN!!!!


Have fun this summer and plant some healthy food and/or beautiful flowers and herbs.
Have a wonderful day to all.




27 comments:

  1. I've slowly started working on my garden. Sunday night we had a pretty heavy frost but we should be safe from here on out. Another great fertilizer that I use is to soak banana peels in water and water your plants with it. It adds a lot of potassium and other minerals. You are so right Cheryl!! Nothing tastes as good as home grown.

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    1. Glad you have gotten started. My garden will be a few weeks off. YES, banana peels are great. I have done that too. Eggshells great as well. Add calcium.
      Home grown is just so tasty!

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    2. Yes, forgot to mention egg shells. I always plant them in the dirt.

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    3. Miss Lori, in cleaning out the greenhouse, I found a five gallon bucket full of crushed eggshells. I'd say we are well fixed for a while.

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    4. Yes Donna, I'd say you are set.

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    5. WOW Donna - that is a few eggshells!!!!!

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  2. My grandfather used to have big gardens in multiple places and my grandmother processed it all. I miss those days. My Dad always had a small garden as well and grew tomatoes every year. I miss all of them so much. I'm not able to do much gardening by myself, but oh, how I would love too. So, I'm going to see what I can do with what I have this year. Wish me luck!

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    1. Times gone by - sure good memories.
      I hope maybe you can do something on your deck. If not, be sure to go out and get some fresh goodies from others or farm market!

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  3. I love growing cherry tomatoes because they are so prolific. I'd recommend that for someone who only can grow a few plants. And what you can't use that week can be washed and put right into the freezer whole (I do that with big ones too of course).

    If someone doesn't have space perhaps they know someone who has a garden and they could ask if if they plant a few things. I know I'd be thrilled if a friend asked to plant something in my garden.

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    1. Cherry tomatoes are wonderful to grow. I get baskets of them and I admit - I eat them like candy!!!!
      Yes, gardeners are the kind of people who share! I always give away tomatoes and zucchini - my brother makes sure I have cukes. Everyone shares.
      If not - there are farm markets too!

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  4. Pinned the recipe for faux miracle grow and the instructions for seed tapes. The Farmer bought some seed tape from Menard's as they always discount their seeds. The advantage of seed tape is that there is no thinning! The Farmer is planting many things in buckets this year. That would be a good alternative for folks with limited space. My beloved sister-in-law Mary lives in a very restrictive neighborhood in Lebanon. I don't think they can even plant a tomato in a pot. I cut some fresh rosemary to season the lamb we put in the slow cooker for our Passover meal. Sure smells good. Your mentioning tomatoes, zucchini and cukes make me hungry for them. Nothing like shopping your own backyard for "grow-ceries"!

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    1. I love seed tapes and not having to thin things. You get to carrots, radish, and things like that - seed id tiny and it is hard to separate. Tapes help.
      I could not live where I couldn't garden - ever. Even if it is one plant - nobody is going to tell me no!
      I love the smell of rosemary - so aromatic! I like the smell of thyme as well.
      I can hardly wait for that FIRST tomato! Love them 'grow'-ceries.

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    2. I've known people who live in places like that. I'd avoid it if at all possible. "Hands in the Dirt" is one of my hobbies and I'd resent being told I could not do that in my own yard. Rosemary could be grown in a pot and I'm not sure those Rule Makers could tell unless they came right up to it and looked. Maybe plant some little flowers around it in the pot? Gee whiz.

      MaryB

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    3. Me too Mary. I cannot imagine 'choosing' to live in a place that has those rules.
      I always grow Rosemary in a pot. Most of my herbs are in a pot - they are just green - who would know!!??

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  5. Thinking of you today and your love. Sending huggs. I am growing sprouts and micro greens right now. So fun.

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    1. Thank you for your thoughts. Oh my goodness, I have been thinking of doing both of those. I saved a video on sprouts - explain micro greens - PLEASE. I would love that.

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    2. Sorry for butting in, I think micro greens just refers to any seed that you sprout with the intention of just eating the sprout not growing the plant to full maturity. My eldest some buys a micro green mix, sprouts them in a tray on his window sill then uses them in smoothies and as a salad, supposedly they have better health benefits. I thought when I put beets, spinach, peas seedlings in salads and stir fries after thinking them out of rows I was being frugal, apparently I was being a super food eater.
      I do love alfalfa and mung bean sprouts, such great crunch!!!
      Louise

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    3. Any sorry, that should be son not some. Although he is some son.

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    4. Yes, I am looking for that crunch and that super food idea. I figure that it is not only good, but may be needed at some point. Thanks

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  6. Sure thing! It's so fun. The plant goes from seed to sprout to then if allowed to grow longer we more to micro green. Super tiny. Then if we allow the plant to grow more, we get baby arugula/rocket or baby spinach to finally, full grown, then to seed. And we start all over again. So far radish and rocket are my fave. Nice and spicy.

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  7. I planted some cilantro in a cute little pot and have it in my kitchen window. I hope to plant some other things this year. I've never been much for gardening, but I'm getting more into it these days.

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    1. I hope you have luck with your plant. It is really fun to watch something go from a little seed to a food item on your table. Quite an impressive thing in my book!
      Good luck - play with it a little.

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  8. I'm going to have fun this year with a new yard and garden. My daughter is excited to plant potatoes in large Dollarama bags (she saw a Tiktok). I like the seed tape idea and will definitely try that.

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    1. How fun for you both. Lots of new things to try. Hope you reap a great bounty!

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