Grow Almost all your cooking Herbs with this one package of culinary herbs

41H6FKN8NFL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Here's a package that can get you started with a very complete herb garden. It's inexpensive and you get enough seeds to start several plants of the same kind. I'd plant them in small pots or in rows in larger flats, carefully labeled. The seeds of some of these herbs are very small and so care must be taken to drop the seed in separately so that you don't get a tangled mass of seedlings that you have to pull apart when you transplant. That damages the roots and sets the plant back or sometimes, kills it entirely. And I repeat the item about carefully labeling. I have many times thought I would remember what I planted in the back row, only to be confused and befuddled when it was time to transplant.

Another thing to be aware of in this package is that some of the herbs are perennial and some annual. Oregano, thyme, marjoram, chives and sage are all perennial and so should be planted somewhere where they have room to grow and spread. The annuals will often reseed themselves. My cilantro sprouted in the fall from seed dropped and is still alive this spring making a very welcome addition to winter salads and Mexican dishes. The one herb I love and use a lot that is not included in this package is Rosemary. That's another perennial whicih can grow waist high and very bushy. Can't have too much of that for soups and chicken and lamb.

At Assortment of 12 Culinary Herb Seeds - Grow Cooking Herbs- Parsley, Thyme, Cilantro, Basil, Dill, Oregano, Sage, More

Read More in: Container Gardens & Window Boxes | Plants

Marilyn Renaker Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This |

On changable weather and the benefits of weeding

All in a day, we go from this:

to this:

Just when you think spring has really come, it snows. Last night I heard the plopping and dropping on the roof and the satellite connection went out. This morning there is about an inch on the ground. It is frozen and cold and the daffodils are bent over. The plum tree which had just opened it's white flowers is now covered in white snow. Last week I was hunting for t-shirts and today I'm wearing my heavy wool sweater. So it goes.

Gardeners are always pushing the spring season. I have managed to get a little bit of weeding done on the flower beds. It has to be warm enough for me to tolerate getting my hands in the soil which is usually cold and mucky. I'm always thinking while I do this that there's got to be an easier way. Every year it's the same routine, pulling the grass, the plantain, the selfheal, and staying on top of the soil because if I dig down, I hit the bulbs and roots of the perennials.

Still when the temperature is right, the day sunny enough that the cold soil feels good, weeding is a very thoughtful activity. The Jungians talk about "the task" like sorting beans or separating wheat from chaff as an organizing principal and usually there is a gift or boon to one who completes it. The task is slow, tedious and painstaking. You have to pay attention to detail. And indeed, weeding is that kind of task. You separate the plants you want from the others and while you sort and pull, you mind prioritizes and orders the issues of your life. It happens naturally without an effort. Yes this, but no, not this. Weed pulled out; seedling left. When you're finished and the flower bed looks clean and ready for new growth, the mind likewise feels cleansed and free from the nagging tugs and pulls of half formed thoughts or emotions unrecognized. They have been noticed and discarded or, if worthy of keeping, put in perspective. Weeding is also an exercise which promotes mental health, and combined with a lovely flower bed is the boon granted one who performs "the task".

Easter House Flag reminds the world spring is near

511vwieI8uL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

We have a spring holiday approaching and this flag will remind you and others that it's time to get outside and enjoy the yard, the garden, and the lush returning growth of a new growing season. These Brilliance Flags use a dye sublimation technique for the best quality and reversibility. Embroidery is added to the printed icons so that they practically jump off the flags. Simply brilliant! Size: 28 in. x 40 in.

At Easter On Parade House Flag

Read More in: Decorations for Garden and Patio

Marilyn Renaker Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This |

Starter Fertilizer is organic and contains all the ingredients you need for success

513hIY841cL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Monrovia has a great organic fertilizer. It is pelleted for ease of use and can be sprinkled around container plants or along a row of seedlings in the garden. I particularly like that the bag itself is compostable. There's no waste and no throw away with this purchase. It's meant to get your plants off to a good start.

Long-lasting, slow release fertilizer that is made from 100% natural and organic ingredients.
A gentle organic fertilizer formulated for all types of transplanting.
Contains: Feather Meal, Blood Meal, Bone Meal, Sulfate of Potash, Kelp Meal and Alfalfa Meal.
Also includes 12 different strains of mycorrhizae.
Available in 4 lb bag.

At Starter Fertilizer

Read More in: Container Gardens & Window Boxes | Plants

Marilyn Renaker Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This |

Jawa Nome from StarWars to guard the garden

imageload.gif.jpeg

OK. Couldn't resist this item. A garden nome exclusively at the StarWarsShop stands about a foot high and has amber eyes that glow. Perfect for the StarWars fans everywhere and a great addition to the garden, protecting the plants from predators of all kinds.

Crafted in solid resin, this fully painted Jawa is ready - rain or shine

Measures close to a foot in height

Sculpted in a chunky, garden gnome-like style

At Jawa Garden Gnome

Garden's Alive has organic solutions for gardening problems

I got my Garden's Alive catalog today and it has a $25 coupon which is good even if you spend that amount or less, so it's tempting to order something. Garden's Alive specializes in organic pest, disease and insect control and have many trademarked products that are enviromentally safe. The first 8 pages are concerned with lawn care.

For example they have a weed and feed lawn amendment which stops weed germination. One of the main ingredients is corn gluten which smothers seedlings. This corn gluten is a by product of corn starch or corn syrup and there are no restrictions on entering and using the lawn after application. I am not a fan of turf lawns; having a one specie lawn is hard to maintain; it's not natures way to just have one plant in a area. I like to let whatever wants to grow in my yard have a chance. Dandelions are some of my favorite spring flowers and when they go to seed, the goldfinches love them. But that's just me. If you are one of the people who love the soft turf of bluegrass for example in every corner of the yard, this WOW!® SupremeTM Pre-Emergent Weed Control And Lawn Fertilizer may be the answer.

One item that does interest me is the Enz-RotTM Blossom End Rot Concentrate Spray. Many of my tomatoes and some peppers get blossom end rot and this is a disorder caused by a deficiency of calcium in the soil. It typically occurs after rapid growth followed by a prolonged dry spell, or extended periods of heavy rain. They recommend spraying during periods of rapid growth or after excessive rainfall to restore calcium and prevent blossom-end rot. So this could be a good solution to a problem that has plagued me for years.

They sell fertilizers for particular crops, strawberries, vegetables, corn, root crops and herbs, all trademarked. They have soil activaters and fertilizers for trees, shrubs and flowers. it's really an amazing variety. They sell composters and compost starters and worms and beneficial insects. There are safe insecticides for both indoors and out and flea control for pets.

The Garden's Alive catalog is only 50 pages or so, but it certainly covers myriad garden problems and solutions. Their phone ordering system is outsourced to India which some people found to be a communication problem, but most of the reviews of service were positive. I'm thinking of a bat house to my grandchildren along with a mushroom its which should be fun for them to watch grow.

At Garden's Alive

Read More in: Bees | Composters | Remedies | Worms, Bugs & Gross Things

Marilyn Renaker Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This |

Tree Bark Protectors for the newly planted trees

31UtgcKHhOL._SL500_AA210_.jpg

If you've put in some fruit or shade trees and want to protect them from animal and pest damage, there are several solutions. The one featured here has several advantages. It is made of tough plastic mesh which neither the tall deer nor the small rabbits can bit through. The open mesh prevents moisture and mildew buildup as it lets air circulate freely around the trunk. Because it is mesh and not a solid vinyl cover, it cannot harbor insects and won't inhibit growth.

The tubes blend in, are easy to install, come in three lengths and in bundles of five. They should do the job!

At Tree Bark Protectors - 48 Inch

The New Seed Starter's Handbook is well worth a second look

This is a timely book which is detailed and encourages the gardener to start her own plants from seed. The book begins with the reasons for starting plants at home. You get stronger, healthier and organic plants. The varieties are also much more diverse if you grow your own vegetables.

The author takes you step by step through picking the seed and understand the conditions that encourage sprouting and growth. There is a section on diseases and pests. She covers greenhouses and their benefits and problems, potting soil mixes, and everything you should know about seeds. I like that she mentions planting flowers and vegetables together. I have never done that, but why not make the rows beautiful by mixing in colorful flowers? This is a great book for those of us who would like to try or continue to improve our ability to grow our own plants from seed.

The book is out now in paperback so the price is right.

At The New Seed Starter's Handbook (Paperback)

Dr. Earth Organic Starter Fertilizer gives a good start for seedlings

51hrpc+Y05L._SL500_AA280_.jpg

This is a great fertilizer for your seedlings as well as your container plants. You can work it in around the plant or make a tea with water and pour around the plant. Quck and easy. The fact that it contains beneficial soil microbes is a big plus.

People and Pet Safe

100% Organic and Natural

For Your: Flowers, Vegetables, Trees, Shrubs, Bedding Plants, Potted Plants

Contains Pro-Biotic Beneficial Soil Microbes, Ecto & Endo Mycorrhizae

Feeds 55 Square Feet or 80 one-gallon Transplants

At Dr. Earth Organic Starter Fertilizer - 4 Pounds

Read More in: Container Gardens & Window Boxes | Plants

Marilyn Renaker Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This |

Pelleted Organic Fertilizer is a great for the garden and for containers

51JvSoGJngL._SL500_AA280_.jpg

Organic fertilizer should come from animals that have been fed only organic food. For years I bought Steer Manure from the nursery thinking that I was being organic until I realized that it came from feed lots where the animals were not fed organically and worse, were given hormones and anitbiotics. These toxins are in the manure of animals who are given them.

So now I get only organic fertilizer and potting soil. There don't seem to be any tests or standards for labeling organic fertilizer, but the basic rule that the animal is fed only organic feed.

The next few weeks I'm going to be analyzing various organic manures and their relative nurtrient values. The manure I mostly use is chicken manure. The Stolzman Organic Chicken Manure is what I used on the broccoli and primroses I planted this week. Chicken manure is a higher source of nitrogen, potassium, and potash than other animal manures. It is 4-1-1. When you see number like this on a package of fertilizer the first number is nitrogen, the second potassium and the last potash. When we had chickens it was such a delight to till it in early in the spring and then later plant corn and watch the results! Now I buy it which is less fulfilling but works just as well.

Raw chicken manure should be composted. Composting at 158 degrees destroys most bacteria, weed seeds and samonella which makes the manure save to use although it should not be used around seedlings, but always mixed with soil to avoid burning tender new growth. It will help with ph also, making acid soils more neutral.

This pelleted chicken manure is easy to handle and compact, thus reducing the work shoveling and spreading it and the odor is reduced when it is in this form. This package of three 12 oz bags is a good trial size.

At Organic Fertilizer Soil Conditioner,Odor Free and Pelletized for Easy Application-All Purpose Chicken Manure for Vegetables,Flowers,Fruit Trees,Lawn & Shrubs.Compost Production Process Destroys Pathogens and Weed Seeds,340g/12 oz Trial Size Set 3 Bags

Read More in: Container Gardens & Window Boxes | Plants

Marilyn Renaker Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This |

Primroses and broccoli are my first plant purchases this year

51L2GZPkQ6L._SL500_AA280_.jpg

I was in the larger market town this weekend so I had to go to a nursery to see what was being offered. I picked up three primrose plants and a six pack of broccoli. Just couldn't resist although freezes are by no means over here. I also bought a sack of composted organic chicken manure to mix with compost and soil in the holes I dig.

Primroses provide early spring blooms in almost every color of the rainbow and they really are easy to grow. They prefer cool temperatures, a rich humus soil (lots of compost and leaf mold) and partial shade. Once the weather turns hot, as it does here in the California mountains, they tend to die back. So I'm going to plant them where they will get shade in the summer. They are quite tolerant of being transplanted, even when they are in bloom.

They are so pretty, I'm sorry I didn't get a dozen.

The broccoli will go right into the garden in a short row which will grow larger when I can plant some broccoli seeds later in March. It always make me feel so happy to be starting the garden. I will have something to fuss with, to check on, to worry about and feed and care for all the growing season, and all the nurturing I do, is repaid me a hundred times, but the delicious fresh food I eat, and the beauty of flowers all around me.

The dog, Sammy, is hopeful this has something to do with his food bowl.

I've never grown primrose from seed, but interestingly, it needs sunlight to germinate.

At Forever In Blue Jeans Primrose 25 Seeds - Primula

Planting broccoli when the soil can't be tilled

My garden soil does not dry out well until April or May. But I get some vegetables in the ground anyway. My six pack of broccoli is in the ground. The process is something like this. I dig six holes in a row, which will later be extended by planting seed. Since the soil is wet, it does not fall apart when I hit what I have dug up with the shovel. So I break up the soil by hand, pulling out the weedy ground cover and crumbling the clods back into the hole. Then I put a half a shovel of composted organic chicken manure.

This bag of manure is not completely composted. It's the about $3.00 a bag at my local nursery and has a lot of what looks like wood chips in it.

Nonetheless, it has more nurtrients than my garden soil at the moment so I use it. Once the soil is broken up and the manure mixed in, I make a little hole and pop the seedling in. Really very simple. The next day it really poured rain and the garden was too soggy to walk in, but when it dries up a little, I'll put a mulch around the seedling to keep the weeds down.

It feels good to have the first vegies in the ground.

A good beginning to the gardening season with Fiskars

41I7m8qWmkL._SL500_AA280_.jpg

If you're dying to get out into the flower bed, or start a row of lettuce, these are the tools to help you along--a sharp-edged trowel, a transplanter, and efficient cultivator. They are made of cast aluminum and are lightweight but strong and come with a lifetime warranty. They feature a cushioned Softouch grip that is slightly oversized with a large, flat end pad that can be used to generate additional leverage when penetrating compacted soil. The grip¿s shape encourages a neutral wrist position to help alleviate fatigue. Notice the transplanter has depth measurements so that you don't have to guess about the how deep the hole should be.

I'm taking them out to the flower bed thisafternoon. I don't want to worry about slicing tulips and other bulbs in half and with a trowel, there's less chance of that. I'm going to plant the dahlias now that it's warm enough.

At Fiskars 7067 3-Piece Softouch Garden Tool Set

2010 February Monthly Round up for Garden Snob

Bulbs

Composters

Container Gardens & Window Boxes

Decorations for Garden and Patio

Weeping Willow Tree is a classic landscape addition and easy to grow

Garden Books

Garden Thoughts

Garden Tools

Monthly Roundup

January 2010 Monthly Roundup for Garden Snob

Plants

Remedies

Organic Bytes is a newletter that informs and provides action alerts

If you are truely concerned about home grown and organic food, this newletter is a great help. It alerts readers to threats to organic laws and provides email addresses and advice for action. This week it alerted readers that the Obama administration is trying to lift the ban on Monsanto's roundup ready alfalfa. As you may know, Monsanto genetically alters corn so that the plant will be able to withstand massive doses of Monsanto's Roundup. " Patented "Roundup Ready" genes are now spliced into millions of acres of corn, cotton, soy, canola, sugar beets and alfalfa. A 2009 study showed that, in 13 years, Roundup Ready crops increased herbicide use by 383 million pounds. This is very good business for Monsanto, but not so good for the environment.

During the Bush administration, the movement to stop GMOs was making progress. Reflecting public concern over GMOs, in 2007, a Federal court ruled that the Bush USDA's approval of Roundup Ready alfalfa violated the law because it failed to analyze risks such as the contamination of conventional and organic alfalfa and the development of "super-weeds." The court banned the planting of GM alfalfa until USDA completed a rigorous analysis of these impacts. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals twice affirmed the national ban on Roundup Ready alfalfa planting, but Monsanto is appealing. They're taking organic alfalfa farmers all the way to the Supreme Court!"

If this abuse of corporate power makes you angry, then in this website, you can take action to stop Monsanto.

At Organic Bytes