Growing edibles with flowers contest!

Growing edibles is so fun! Whats even more fun is seeing them grown with flowers and bulbs.

Growing the 2 together makes for a pretty container garden!

I saw great container gardens with both growing together!

I decided to do a fun little contest. Below is a picture of a container garden.

 If you can guess all the EDIBLES growing with the flowers and bulbs. You will win a pack of lettuce seeds and a pack of flower seeds that grow well in containers!

 Maybe you will be inspired to grow them together! 

I will pick 3 winners based on how many you got right!

I will announce the winners on Friday March 11,2011

Good Luck Friends!

Happy Growing!

Super Sow Sunday Update

Super Sow Sunday was so much fun!

I got a few seeds started during the event!

Everything I needed to get ready!

I planted Brocolli, Basil, Russian Persimmon Tomato's and Leeks!

Here is how they look a week later!

Brocolli

Basil (Purple Opal, Sweet Chen & Citrus)

French Leeks

Russian Persimmon Tomato's

I also won a few contests on Super Sow Sunday!

Here's what I won!

Seeds from Renee's Garden and a Greeting card with seeds in the paper from http://wallflowerstudioseeds.blogspot.com/

I also won lots of flowers from Botanical Interests

I also won Herb seeds from Cubits Organics 

It was such a fun event!

I would like to thank Bren over at BG Garden

She pulled off a wonderful event! 

She also is the moderator for #gardenchat on Twitter!

Thanks Bren for all you do in the Gardening Community!

What seeds have you started?

Happy Seed Starting!!!

Super Sow Sunday

Super bowl is in a week! Who cares... not I! I have something more exciting then that to do!

I will be sowing seeds and Tweeting about it. Along with a few other folks on Twitter. This is the 2nd annual Super Sow Sunday. Bren over at BG Garden Is the host of this Awesome event.

Picture from BGgarden.com

Their will be Fabulous prizes to win. Its easy to join in on the fun! Just log into your Twitter acct. and use this hash tag to follow #supersowsunday  Super Sow Sunday is February 6 and will start at 6:30 -8:30pm ET.

I participated last year and had so much fun!

Super Sow Sunday is a great way to meet gardeners from all over. Everyone shares ideas, gives tips and even swaps a few seeds. 

Here are some of the seeds I sowed last year on Super Sow Sunday. 

It was such fun! I hope some of you Gardeners will participate in this fun event!

Here is what you will need:

Seed Starting soil

Cell packs/Small Containers to grow in (egg cartons, milk jugs)

Jiffy Greenhouse kits (optional, if you don't use above items)

Plant Markers (popscicle  sticks work well)

Seeds

Spray Bottle (Moisten the dirt after you plant seeds)

Indoor grow lights

Seed Mats(optional)

 I hope to see you Tweeting on #supersowsunday

Post your pictures as you sow on Twitter! I would love to see what you are sowing!

I would also like to give a shout out to all the AWESOME company's who donated and sponsored this event!

For more information on #supersowsunday and the sponsors that are participating, please visit Bren at http://bggarden.com/blog/ 

Happy Seed Sowing Friends!!!

Seeds and the many decisions...Heirlooms,GMOs,Hybrid & Open Pollinated!

The time has come! The mail box has runneth over with Seed Catalogs!

Which means spring must be near.

I love looking through my catalogs and dreaming and choosing what I want to grow this year!

In the past couple of years I have been more aware of the kind of seeds I buy. Most seed catalogs give you a list of the type of seed they sell. From Heirlooms, GMOs, Hybrids to Open Pollinated seeds.

I decided my post today would be to educate myself and hopefully others about the different types of seed offered.

Heirloom seeds are open -pollinated seed, that have been around generally 50 years or longer. From what I read they were bred before chemical pesticides were common.

GMOs are the result of non traditional plant breeding. Most are produced in a laboratory. Instead of using Pollen from another plant, they add genes that don't even come from plants! Like Bacteria!

Hybrid Seeds are from the first generation of a cross between two related varieties. They use traditional breeding techniques. For example, like brushing the flower of one with the pollen from another.

Treated Seed are coated with pesticide or fungicide chemicals (bleh) after harvest!

Certified Organic Seed come from farms that are inspected by the USDA's Organic Certification Program. No chemicals are used and they must meet other regulations. The seeds can not be GMO.

Just a few interesting facts on seeds. 

I personally am into buying Heirlooms and Certified Organic.

What type of seeds do you like and why?

Happy seed shopping!!!

Seeds to Tomato Plants!

Starting seeds seemed overwhelming! This was my first year to start all my Tomato's from seed!

I feel I am off to a great start! Actually, I have started everything from seed this year!

I planted 72 Tomato seeds. 3 plants did not germinate. Pretty good for a first timer.

I started all my seeds in the Jiffy pucks that come in mini green houses. They worked pretty well for my first time using that method.

As they set true leaves, I then trasplanted them to these bigger containers I had laying around. I used Organic potting soil mixed with rabbit poo. Some seem a little leggy, thats ok! I will be burying those leggy babies pretty deep anyway

I have tomato's everywhere! I have a feeling it is going to be a great canning year!

Happy Gardening!!!

Fresh onions from your garden.....Delicious and Easy!

There are so many differnt Onions! From Bunching to Scallions to Big huge baseball size onions! No matter what you like, there is an onion for everyone. Onions are a great addition to any garden and the foods you eat.

There are many ways to start Onions. Most places sell them in seed form, bulb form or even as early seedlings. I like to do mine from seed or small bulbs. I have always had great success with onions. This year I plan on planting 3 times more then I did last year. This way I can freeze some and dry them to use them in the winter months for soups and sauces.

Green Onions are very easy to start from seed and one of the first things your garden will offer. I start my seeds in a large container. I put about 5 inches of seed starter soil with some Rabbit droppings in the container. Then I try to drop the seeds about 3 inches apart. Then I cover with a thin layer of soil. I usually spray the top of the soil with a water bottle and keep moist. Sprouts usually start making an appearance about 5-6 days later.  When they look strong enough, I pull them carefully and bunch them together for transplanting in other parts of my garden. I usually wrap the tops with some sort of tie and put the roots in a half inch of water, till I can transplant. Once I transplant, I cut the tops down to about 2-3 inches. This way I have a stronger root base. I usually plant 100 seeds at a time, then repeat the process about every 6 weeks spring through fall. Sometimes I use bulbs. This is a method I am going to use this year as well. I will plant each bulb 4 inches apart, in wide rows. With about 50 onions per row.

Onions are also good companion crop. Toss them in with your Tomatos, Lettuces, Root veggies and Herb Gardens. You may also try picking your onions in differnt stages. For Scallions pick them before they develop bulbs. I do most of my onions in square foot gardening method. So I harvest every other one as a Scallion and let the rest grow as full onions. This way I still get scallions,and  free up room for the remaining onions to get larger. This helps me to ensure a good ratio of Scallions and Onions.

Onion seeds are one of the easier seeds to harvest! Let some of your onions  flower. You only need to set aside a few. I harvested about 10 flowering onions after the growing season, and got a few hundred seeds in return.

Are you planting Onions in your garden? If not you should! You will never buy a store bought Onion again. What kind of Onions will you be growing?

These are some of the onions I will be growing this year!

Walla Walla Onion

Red Onion

Scallions

Chipollini Onions

Red Torpedo Onions

Granex Hybrid

Chives

Vidalia Sweet Georgia Onions

Happy Gardening My Friends!

Im Seed crazy!

I think I have gone Seed crazy!

 Everywhere I go, seed racks are calling out to me! They say grow me!

 How can I refuse. Gardening is a wonderful and fun way to bring healthy foods into your home for your family! This year by far will be my largest Garden ever, and I am so excitied! By the end of summer I will have no lawn left! It will be all edible! I took a few pictures of the packets I already have on hand! I have more coming from Blogger/Twitter friends and a couple of catolog orders for those hard to find unique seeds! Enjoy my future bounty! I am salavating at the thought of summer.

We will start off with Tomatos!

Rainbow Heirloom mix

Red Lightning

Cherokee Purple

Yellow Pear

Super Sweet 100

Super Italian Paste

Mortgage Lifter

Not pictured and on their way to me are: Black Krim, Black Cherry, Mr Stripey & Pinapple. Oh, and Tomittillos for my salsa verde and green enchilada sauce!

These wonderful Veggies will go into a Raised garden bed!

Broccoli

Carrots

Onion

Gourmet Blend Lettuce

Rocket Arugula

A few other items will go in with these veggies as well. I just havent decided what yet!

Cant forget the Bean and Peas Family!

Dragon Tounge Beans

Green Arrow Peas

Kentucky Wonder Green Beans

Bush Blue Lake

Sugar Anne

Veggie Tales Peas (my lil one had to have them)

Squash Family!

Early White Bush Scallop/Patty Pan

Black Beauty Eggplant

Walthman Butternut

Table Queen

Yellow Squash

Cucumber

Grey Zuchini

Raised Garden bed Delights!

Purple top White Globe Turnips

Early White Vienna Kohlrabi

Straight Eight Cucumbers

Cherry Belle Radishes

Hungarian Hot wax Peppers

Anahiem Chillies

I also have many more peppers on the way!

Herbs for the Herb garden and other areas of the garden.

Cilantro

Tokyo long White Bunching Onions

Common Sage

Italian Parsley

Garlic Chives

Oregano

On the way I have Borage, and 3 Types of Basil!

Flowers will be added in multiple places to attract the Bees!

This is what I have so far:

Babys Breath

Cosmo's

Marigolds

I also have a few other flowers on the way. I also Harvested a ton of sunflower seeds!

These are a few seeds I saved for the garden this year!

Garlic Chives

White Pumpkin

Butternut Squash

Peppers

Garlic

Honeydew

Okra

Not Shown is Sunflower seeds!

 

I also have Potatos on the way and I am sure I have forgotten a few others as well! I will update my other seeds as they get here and of course if anymore seed racks call to me, and I am sure they will!

What are you growing this season!

Im excitied to see what my fellow gardeners will be growing, keep me posted!

Happy Gardening My Friends!