Garden Friday-Five Ways to Start Your Spring Garden

buttercrunch lettuce

Welcome to Garden Friday!

We're still dealing with wild and wicked weather,

so the ability to get much planted is still on hold.

I did manage to sow some leek in seed trays,

while I keep hoping for a break in the weather.

I'm in good company though,

 as it seems that most of the country is dealing with similar conditions.

There are a few necessities when you are a gardener.

One is soil of some type.

When starting seeds in containers or trays,

I prefer to use organic seed starting mix,

and I was thrilled a couple of weeks ago

to see that stores were starting to carry it,

even though we are still in the throes of winter.

Its light and airy quality gives seeds the best chance

of taking root and germinating.

Potting soil or compost can be used as well,

with the addition of an aerating medium, such as vermiculite.

 

 The other necessary item is some type of seeds.

These can be purchased online or by catalogue,

as well as in your local big box store.

I lean toward organic seeds,

and am working on acquiring more heirloom varieties.

With just these two items,

you can grow yourself some food!

Okay, the soil and the seeds have been obtained,

what's the easiest way to get started planting?

Well, I'm glad you asked!

Here are five easy ways to get your crops on!

 

 These peat pots can be purchased in the garden section at most big stores.

They start out flat, but when soaked in water,

they poof out like magic.

They remind me of the puffed pastry shells at the grocery store.

The center hole you see here will be the planting hole.

Once the seedlings emerge,

the whole container can be transplanted.

No waste!

 

 Being the frugal gardener that I am,

I usually find a way to repurpose something 

we already have around the homestead.

These toilet paper and paper towel rolls do the trick quite nicely.

Once the cardboard roll is formed (see that here),

the soil is added and the seeds are planted.

Again, the entire container can be transplanted,

as it will break down over time and feed the soil.

Another recycling idea is to reuse the plastic pots

and seedling trays that have been purchased over the years

with new plants in them.

These can sometimes be found at thrift stores or yard sales as well.

This particular type of container can't be put into the ground,

but these trays can be used over and over.

When they are no longer in good condition,

they can be taken to your local Lowe's,

where they send them out to be recycled.

 

 Along the same lines, recycled storage tubs

can be planted with things like carrots, garlic, 

leek, onions or even sweet potatoes. 

Depending on the depth of the crate,

root veggies can do quite well and remain in place until harvest.

This lends itself well to those who don't have an established garden

and need to keep things containerized.

Pretty much anything can be grown in a container.

Check out my friend Lynn's 7,000 square foot container garden

under all the "Farm School" posts beneath the header..

 

The fifth way to get your spring garden started 

is with straw bales.

These can be purchased from big box stores, feed stores,

or your local farmer.

We have been blessed to be able to acquire these organic bales

from a gentleman who sells off all of his extra bales

for three dollars apiece.

They work great for cucumbers, flowers, okra and strawberries.

The great thing about this type of growing,

is that once the bales have exhausted themselves as a growing medium,

they can be used in the compost heap or around the homestead for drainage issues.

They work well for a full year before needing replacement,

and again, there is no waste.

I even use the baling twine that they are wrapped in

for little jobs around the homestead.

This option would be ideal for those without any garden area in which to grow,

or for someone who has mobility issues.

The bales can be placed on a concrete driveway or a deck,

making gardening easier for someone with problems getting around.

2019 garlic

 These are just a few of the ways to get started growing your own food.

As with anything that's being tried for the first time,

it's best to start small and build on with each success.

It is a real thrill to bring something into the house 

that you've grown from seed, nurtured and harvested.

 "Life begins the day you start a garden."

 – Chinese proverb

No Bake, No Sugar Truffles (gf, df, sf, ef)

There's no need to wait for a holiday like Valentine's Day
for an excuse to make these delectable sweet treats.
My quest for sugar-free desserts and snacks is satisfied 
with these simple and easy-to-make chocolate wonders.
The ingredients can be varied to suit your taste,
so feel free to add nuts, seeds, any type of nut butter
or even a chocolate glaze on top!
Grateful to Dana at Minimalist Baker,
who has made this transition so fabulously easy!
Give 'em a go!

No Sugar Truffles
(Minimalist Baker)
10 dates, pitted
1 T coconut oil
2 T water
1/4 C cacao
3/4 t vanilla
1 1/2 T peanut (or other nut) butter
1 pinch sea salt
1/2-3/4 C almond flour

Add dates, oil and water to food processor,
mix until a paste forms.
Add cacao, vanilla, nut butter, salt and combine.
Add almond flour until mixture forms a ball.
Scoop out in 1 T rounds and transfer to a parchment-lined sheet pan.
Roll truffles in cacao powder, chopped nuts or coconut flakes.
Freeze 30 minutes.
Enjoy!

Saving Money on the Homestead

olive bin turned rain barrel

Being homesteaders,
we naturally lean toward frugality.
It's not a four-letter word.
In fact, there's a bit of pride involved
when we are able to go for days and days
without spending a dime.
But it's more than that.
It's the fact that by not succumbing to the commercialism
that runs rampant in our world today,
we are expressing the gratitude for that with which we have been blessed.

There are so many ways to save money
without feeling deprived in any way.
There are folks who feel the need to shop til they drop.
In fact, I remember a former friend telling me,
"I need to buy something E-V-E-R-Y D-A-Y."
Huh?  It didn't make any sense to me.
Maybe it's just the way I was raised, or the part of me
that always seems to go against the grain,
but the less I find myself in stores, the better I like it.
After all, there are so many other more rewarding things to do
with the allotted time we have here on Earth.

We are fortunate to be debt-free.
We've never had a mortgage
because we chose to pay for our homes with cash.
Although I really wanted longed for acreage when we moved to NC,
I wasn't willing to go into debt for it.
And that's what we would have had to do.
By not taking on a mortgage,
both of us are able to work part-time,
instead of struggling with the 9 to 5 daily grind.
We are blessed, we know that.
And we try to show our gratitude in everyday moments,
like making good use of the cash flow we do have.

In any case, if you find yourself wondering how you can save money,
these simple ideas have worked well for us.

1.  Pass up unnecessary services~
By taking our trash and recycling to the dump ourselves,
we save about $300 a year.
We decided when our trash service stopped accepting recyclables,
it just didn't make sense to pay for trash pick-up,
and still have to take our recyclables to the dump
(there was no way I was giving up recycling).
The other reason is that we pay a standard yearly fee
for the privilege of using the dump,
so it was like we were paying twice.
We are young(ish) and healthy enough to do this ourselves,
so why not?
We have scaled down to one kitchen-sized trash bag per week,
so it's really no big deal to haul our disposables ourselves.
(We are still working on ways to do better 
with buying things with less packaging.)

minnow basket turned porch light

2.  Find new uses for what you already have~
We repurpose as much as we can,
turning everyday items into useful or fun things.
Check out the canning ring wind chime recently created here.
Our porch light used to be a minnow basket,
our desk was simply some weathered old planks,
and this sign that adorns our fireplace wall
are all handmade things we love.
The best part of this decor is that they are uniquely US.

3.  Find folks who enjoy your hobbies and share~
As a gardener,
there are innumerable opportunities to share the bounty of the garden.
Whether it's seeds, veggies or ornamental plants, the joy in sharing
with others does one's heart good.  Plant or seed swaps are a great
way to save money as well as gather new varieties to try.
Most gardeners I know are extremely generous people.
I'm sure that's most likely true of folks who share other hobbies.

As a vegetable gardener, the lesson in frugality has been
planting from seed instead of buying transplants.
Not only does this save money, but there is more control over how the plants are grown.
Using organic practices is important to me,
and that means from the soil I use to the seeds I sow.
The sheer joy when seeds actually sprout before your very eyes
again emphasizes the feeling of gratitude in an everyday activity. 
 It may cost a bit more to grow organically,
but good health is priceless.

 

 4.  Whenever possible, buy used~ 
Although I'm not a shopper,
yard sales and thrift stores do get my blood going.
Especially items with a history are appealing,
because I always wonder about their past life with the previous owner.
For the most part, vintage items last longer,
because they were made better to start with and will stand the test of time.
 New clothes are rarely bought these days,
because I can go to a thrift store and pay $3 for a long-sleeved (like new) shirt.
New-to-us deck furniture cost me $30 for a table and 4 chairs
at a yard sale.
You just can't beat that price at the stores!



5.  Be willing to research and make changes~
We changed our home owners' insurance carrier,
after being with the same company for over 40 years!
This was a shocker for me.
My family had always had the same insurance provider for home and vehicles,
and so when I started out on my own, I stayed with them.
After Big K and I got married, we continued with them,
until we got tired of the rates going up each and every year,
even though we never filed claims.
We called around to several large insurance companies
and found one that saves us about $500 a year.
So far, they haven't raised our rates.
In fact, our home owners' insurance actually went down this year.

6.  Look into other sources for help with expenses~
We found out that we could get a supplement provided by my retirement pension for our dental and vision insurance.  
The pension I receive for being employed by the school system in Florida is small,
but this benefit alone, pays for our yearly dental and vision insurance.
At this point, we pay nothing for any of our health-related insurance,
and that means there is extra money in the bank for emergencies or savings.
Again, what a blessing to learn about these benefits.

homemade food is best

I hope some or all of these ideas inspire you to think a bit differently
about using what you have to improve the quality of your life.
There are so many little changes 
that can make a big difference.

Garden Friday

Wow!
We had a lollapalooza of a storm yesterday!
Grateful that I was able to be home
and that Big K made it to Florida safely for his yearly trek.

 
The garden plans for spring are slowly coming together,
but we still have about two months before anything major will happen.

So, today I thought I'd share some of my favorite gardening blogs/vlogs
that can be enjoyed throughout the rest of the winter. 
Click on the name to get there!

Bee Haven Acres
This has been one of my favorite blogs for a while now.
Bev and Jack have over 100 acres they tend,
with fellow residents including chickens, ducks, horses, pigs and more.
She gardens organically, whether she's growing veg
or tending the fairy gardens around her property.
Her raised garden is a thing of beauty,
and although she lives in Pennsylvania and gardens seasonally,
this blog is worth reading every single day.
Bev shares "tales from the farm", her day-to-day
with her family and long list of critters.
She starts my day out with sunshine, no matter the weather.
 
Cooperative Extension
A wealth of knowledge awaits you at this website,
based on research done at NC State University.
The local Cooperative Extension center 
can answer just about any question a gardener might pose.
If they don't have the answer, they'll get it.
The Master Gardener class is also offered through Extension,
to further one's font of knowledge.
Research-based information is what you'll find here,
with links to all sorts of resources to further you along on your quest.
 

Grow Veg
Here's a Vlog that I'm crazy about.
This group comes out with a video at least once a week,
on everything from growing to harvest to pest control,
with a bent on organic practices.
The vlogs are quite entertaining and yet full of great ideas.
I actually have the videos come directly to my email account,
so I don't have to worry about missing one.
My favorite vlogs showcase how to repurpose everyday items
in the garden.  That's right up my alley.
There is also a blog from the same group
with even more helpful information,
that can be found here. 

Growing a Greener World
After enjoying this PBS show for several seasons,
I discovered the website which discusses all of the current episodes,
but also offers the older episodes from past seasons.
Last weekend, I was able to take a free webinar with Joe Lamp'l himself.
With a natural lean toward organic practices and ecological responsibility,
this show feeds my inner flower child.
This show features folks from different locations,
all working toward a more sustainable way to garden
and leaving the world a better place.

Old World Gardens
 Over 10 years ago, Jim and Mary started their farm.
Since that time, they have shared a wagonload of tips, tricks
and do-it-yourself projects with their readers.
I've incorporated several of their techniques in my own garden,
including using their "stake-a-cage" for tomatoes and peppers.
During the growing season, there is much to be gleaned from their posts,
including recipes to help you use up your bounty.
This hard working couple has authored two helpful books for gardeners,
Growing Simple
and 
Raised Row Gardening,
both chocked full of great ideas and projects.
You can find several posts each week on 
Old World Gardens.

Gardeners are curious creatures.
It seems we are always ready to learn something new.
I hope you find these resources helpful,
inspiring and uplifting.
And then pass them on!

Canning Ring Wind Chimes

We're big on repurposing around here.
It's important to use or reuse as much as we can,
as efficiently as we can.
Take these canning rings.
Once they get a bit rusty or not food-worthy,
they get used as plant markers in the garden.
A dozen or so had been saved and put to the side,
hoping that inspiration hit me.
It did.

Holes were drilled into the sides of the lids 
as well as the rings so that they could be connected.
Any old drill bit will do, adjusting the size to your materials.
I knew I'd be using fishing line,
so the holes needed to be on the smaller side.

While pondering the best way to hang the lids,
Big K came up with the idea to fashion a wire ring
on which to hang all of the dangly parts.
I tell ya, the man really earns his keep around here!

Eh, voila!
The fishing line was simply tied onto the wire
and fed through the holes in the top of the recycled tomato can.

The rust on the lids doesn't bother me one bit,
after all, it's going to be a "rust"-ic addition to the garden.

I love wind chimes, I love canning jars
and repurposing is in my blood.
This craft marries two favorite things together
to make something whimsical and fun.
I believe more may be in my future.
The sound is so soothing,
it makes me wish for a gust of wind!