Garden Archives | Kuball's Khaos

How to Protect Your Plants from Common Garden Pests

Lyn — Sun, 23 Aug 2020 14:54:00 +0000

INSIDE: Discover natural and effective ways to protect your plants from common garden pests like aphids, slugs, and caterpillars. Keep your garden healthy and pest-free! I have looked everywhere and tried everything to get rid of the ants in my garden. WITHOUT success. Today I will share with you the method that actually works. But you must have patience grasshoppers. First, let me say, I think ants are the most hideous creatures. Nothing should be able to carry something 1,000 times bigger than itself. It isn’t normal…it’s FREAKY! If you don’t feel the same, don’t keep reading. I am not nice to these things. I fail to see their use in the world, and more importantly, my garden. Disclosure Statement: The links in this post contain affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on my link. Those funds help keep this site alive and kickin’ but it doesn’t cost YOU a thing! Click here for the full disclosure. Let’s start with my precious eggplants. I am the only one in the house that likes them, so I only did ONE plant this year. AND the ants took over. Every time there was a fruit forming…..DESTROYED! I have…. NOTHING WORKED! UNTIL – I had this really smart, much older wiser, lady (my mom) tell me about this stuff that a friend gave her. I can’t believe I’ve never heard of this stuff before. Supplies – Directions – The recipe is 1 oz for every gallon of water but I’m using 8oz spray bottles so…… Here come my math skills – 128oz in a gallon = 0.06oz of Neem Oil for 8oz if water. 1tsp is 0.5oz. Therefore, I gave up on using math and decided that 1/4 tsp per 8oz was gonna work. 😂😂 Now you can spray the plants you are trying to save (precious eggplants, in my case). The ants don’t die on contact…. and Neem oil does have a very strong odor! After spraying the plants, I removed all the fruits they had already invaded and crossed my fingers………….. The next morning, I went to check on my precious. It worked!!! I finally found a way to get rid of pesky ants. But I was still skeptical….maybe it was all those other things combined with this new found power? So I went searching for more creatures from the dark. Ah Ha…..the hibiscus plants next to the pool. We have been struggling all summer with ants invading the pool deck. Well, eventually the creepy crawlers found my hibiscus. BASTARDS! I decided that I would try the spray on the hibiscus. I sprayed them every morning for one week….GUESS what?!?!?! It worked! And now they are on the mend! (Sorry I didn’t take pictures!) I was so impressed with this stuff, I sprayed all over the pool deck and around the back door….doesn’t work as well when there isn’t something for it to hold onto. For example, the concrete soaked it right in and only scared the monsters away for a bit. Lesson: Works great on plants, not so great on patios. Happy Hunting,

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How to Grow and Harvest Lavender

Lyn — Sun, 17 Nov 2019 01:30:00 +0000

INSIDE: Learn how to grow and harvest lavender with this easy guide. Discover planting tips, care instructions, and the best time to harvest for maximum fragrance. One of the greatest smells on the planet is LAVENDER! It is calming, soothing, and those pretty purple flowers…..I’m just instantly in a better place when I see/smell lavender. Growing lavender can be easy if you give it all the right conditions. Down here in the humid south….we have the pleasure of this beautiful herb all year, if we treat it right! Disclosure Statement: The links in this post contain affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on my link. Those funds help keep this site alive and kickin’ but it doesn’t cost YOU a thing! Click here for the full disclosure. I have done so much research on lavender, because I don’t want to ruin it, but all it did was leave me more confused and even more scared to screw it up! 1 – Growing from plants Everywhere I’ve read, starting lavender from seeds is next to impossible. Apparently, you can plant seeds and then wait for months before you see green. And then, it takes YEARS for the pretty flowers to come. NOPE! Just go to The Home Depot and buy a plant. You can also use the current plant in your garden…more on that to come. 2 – Sunlight Lavender LOVES the sun. LOVES it. Make sure you give it plenty of sun. 3 – Soil Lavender needs well-ventilated, well-draining soil. Make sure you put plenty of absorbing soil near your plant. If you are able to put it directly into your yard, mix in some sand to increase the water drainage. If you are planting it in a pot, which is what I do, make sure there is a LOT of places for the water to drain out of the pot. You can also mix sand in your potting soil, or simply spread sand around the base of the plant. 4 – Daily care Since it LOVES sunlight, you might be inclined to water it more often, BUT don’t! Once the plant is well-established, it only needs water once a week or so. A new plant might need it twice a week, but not much more. Seems too easy….doesn’t it?? But that is it. It will grow with little attention. 5 – Harvesting What do you do when we start to see those beautiful flowers? This is important….. Harvest your flowers when the buds are about half opened. In other words, part of the flower will be bright purple and the other will still be green. You want to cut your stems early in the morning, the oil in the flowers are most concentrated. If you are looking for the great smells and propagating, this step is essential to your success. Cut the stems about 1/3 up from the base of the plant. Be careful to only cut every other stem or so. If you trim too many stems, your plant will look too thin. But you want to harvest so the air can circulate around the plant. 6 – Storage Once you have trimmed the desired stems, you can do several things: Interestingly enough, I have done both. And I just wait until the leaves start to brown to trim. If I’ve trimmed a stem that is still purple, I hang it. It’s really easy. AND the smells…..oh my!!!! 7 – Propagating Like all propagating, choosing the right stem to start with is essential to the success of your next plant. Pick a stem that does NOT have a bud. The blooms take a lot of energy from the plant, so if it has a bud, a root ball may not form. You want to cut about 4 inches from the top of the stem. Just like most propagating, cut just below a leaf node. You will remove all the leaves on the bottom half of your clipping. On one side of the stem, scrape some of the skin off the stem. I do NOT use rooting hormones. I don’t think it works and with proper care, plants shouldn’t need it. Up to you though. Place your freshly skinned stem into a small pot with potting soil and mulch. I know it sounds strange but the ventilation and drainage that mulch provides is soooo important to the roots growth. You just stick the stem in the soil. Straight up and down. That is it! It will take a few weeks, but you can tell your plant has a root by pulling on the stem. It should NOT come out of the soil. If it does….just push it back in and leave it longer. If you meet resistance, and it’s warm outside, plant it in his new home. 8 – What to do with lavender? Oh the possibilities are endless. Check out these ideas: Plus you could throw your dried lavender into a small sewn bag and mix it with rice to create a heating pad. I did this for Christmas gifts one year. Make sure you use long grain rice, otherwise you will cook the rice when warming it up. DON’T get these things wet either…..again, cooking of the rice! Making Lemonade uses essential oils in hers, but I find using the dry herb works just as well. Especially if you harvest when the oils are most potent. Happy gardening,

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How to Grow and Harvest Banana Peppers

Lyn — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 22:30:59 +0000

INSIDE: Grow and harvest banana peppers with ease using this step-by-step guide. Get tips on planting, care, and picking for the best flavor and yield. Every time I say banana I start singing the Gwen Stefani “Holla back” song!! Right or wrong…I do it! When planning the garden this year, Kris mentioned he wanted to try to grow some banana peppers. I thought about this for about 10 seconds and asked if there would be pickling involved? Of course, his answer was “YES!” So I jumped on the Team BANANA pepper wagon!!! And man, am I glad I did! Like other peppers, we started some inside and bought one plant. We clapped and spelled the whole way – “this plant is B-A-N-A-N-A-S” 1 – Growing from seeds Build you own indoor greenhouse with biodegradable pots, seed starting mix (organic like this one), organic seeds, and a greenhouse made out of foil pans with plastic lids (like this). I encourage you to find that green and white label on your seeds for true organic gardening. To create your greenhouse: 2 – Harden your seedlings When your seeds are ready for the great outdoors, you must acclimate them one day at a time. Start, when you KNOW the frost is gone, these seedlings do not like temperatures under 50 degrees! To prepare them for their place in the garden, remove the greenhouse top and set the seedlings outside for a few hours in the shade. You may have some seedlings that die, but that’s ok, Darwin would be proud! Increase their exposure to sunlight with each day they are outside until they are spending 6-8 hours in the sun. Then they are ready. 3 – Transplanting Banana peppers need to be planted at least a 1/4″ deep. So plant them that deep in their starter pots AND when you place them in the garden. Remember to peel off the bottom layer of the pots before placing them in the final place. They tend not to grow roots out of those so easily. Check out this post for deciding where to plant. Water your plants after you have transplanted them, so you don’t cause root shock. 4 – Daily care Something to keep in mind is that banana peppers are heat sensitive, that means the LOVE warmth! BUT….they still need water. It is recommended that they receive 1 – 2 inches each week. When your seedlings are stronger and start to form a solid stem, pinch off the bottom leaves. You do not want ANY leaves touching the soil. This invites bugs and diseases all the way up the stem, stop it before it gets to your veggies! 5 – Harvesting Now let’s talk about what to do when we start seeing veggies! Banana peppers have a 65-90 day harvest period, meaning it takes a long time to see veggies! Once you see the first one, be prepared because they are going to keep on comin’! Peppers can be harvested when they reach the desired size and have a bright yellow hue. The longer you leave them on the stalk, the sweeter they become….but they will rot….so keep a close eye on them. Some types of bananas will turn RED after yellow. I have left them on the branch too long and they turn this fantastic red but I’m scared to eat them. We planted sweet bananas and I’m not sure if red means HOT or ROT?!?!?! If you plant HOT bananas, red means spicy. That is when you want to harvest that type. Until I become brave….I’m sticking to YELLOW only! To remove them from the stalk, use scissors. Pulling the veggie off will bend the plant and cause more leaning. Make sure you leave some of the stem on the plant. 6 – Storage Peppers are one of those long lasting vegetables. You can store them in a plastic bag in the fridge for 7-10 days after a harvest. I recommend cleaning them and drying them before putting them in the bag. Now, you have more peppers than you can manage. I’m pretty sure one plant gives hundreds of peppers. And pickling these babies are a great idea, but you will have more than enough to do that. So I scoured the internet to find you some ideas on what to do with your harvest. Check out these ideas – https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/menus/5-creative-ways-to-use-banana-peppers10.htm Happy gardening,

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How to Grow and Harvest Cucumbers

Lyn — Wed, 31 Jul 2019 22:30:14 +0000

INSIDE: WANT TO KNOW HOW TO GROW AND HARVEST CUCUMBERS SO YOU CAN ENJOY FRESH, CRUNCHY VEGGIE ALL SUMMER ? YOU’VE COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE. Put them on your salad or sandwich, snack on them with a little salt, put them in your water…whatever you do with your cucumbers…we can all agree they are worth the little effort it takes to grow them. Crunchy, crisp and refreshing. I love these things! It might be my favorite vegetable….Yes…Yes cucumbers are my favorite! Once upon a time, I didn’t know how easy it was to grow them. When we figured it out, they became a staple in our garden. Disclosure Statement: The links in this post contain affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on my link. Those funds help keep this site alive and kickin’ but it doesn’t cost YOU a thing! Click here for the full disclosure. They don’t need much – follow along to see for yourself. 1 – Start from seeds Cucumbers are so easy. You DO NOT have start them inside, in fact, they are so hardy, I don’t waste my time with sowing indoors. There are a few simple steps to plant them directly into the ground (of course, after the threat of frost is gone): I am a firm believer in the mounding technique. Whether you are using raised beds, containers, or straight into the ground, mounding will work for you. Here’s how you do it – 2 – Daily Care Water and sunlight! They like warmth and they need water. If you forget to water them, you can still bring them back, but don’t go too many days without watering. You will end up with bitter cucumbers. This is where knowing the type of cucumber you have planted helps you…vining cucumbers need a trellis to climb up; whereas a bush cucumber does not. This is important to protecting the veggies as they bloom. Keeping them on the ground can create too moist of an environment for them to grow. Bush cucumbers tend to grow away from the ground without your help. 3 – Thinning the mound There have been a few times that all 6 of my seeds have sprouted, but usually I get 3 to come up. The important thing to remember here is that you want the best one because it is survival of the fittest! You will have to thin each mound so that there is only ONE sprout! Wait until they are about 4 inches tall and make the decision which one gets the ax! Make your choice and PULL IT!!! Don’t look back, don’t feel guilty, don’t try to give the Weakest Link to one of your friends – TRASH it and MOVE on! 4 – Show me the VEGGIE To get a decent amount of fruits (what gardeners just call all things that are produced by the plant in question), you must create a pollination habitat. The best way to do that – BEES! I know, they can smell fear and they look super scary but guess what, they don’t want you! They want to take the pollen from your male flowers and bring it to your female flowers hence helping you grow cucumbers! They really WANT to help you. So – to attract some bees, you can spray your sprouts with a little sugar water. I have never had to do this – wanna know my secret? I plant the cucumbers near my rose bushes….2 birds with 1 stone! It’s like X-Rated Bee heaven over there! 5 – Harvesting Oh the sweet reward! Cucumbers can grow up to 10 inches but they are really bitter by then. Let them grow to about 5-7 inches (check your seed packet to know how big yours should be). The key to this is color. You want them uniformly GREEN. If they are yellow, pick them and throw them away. If you keep the yellow ones on the vine, the plant will stop producing veggies. BAD NEWS!!!! The best part is they will keep producing as long as it’s warm and you keep picking. The vines will get long, so keep them well groomed. 6 – Storage If you can’t find enough reasons to love cucumbers in this post – I don’t know how I can help you. Because I’m about to tell you another fact about cucumbers that make them amazing! They are 90% water……. Do you know what that means? You can use them a million different ways. As a flavor booster, an eye serum, a food, or a way to get your water intake for the day!!!! Storing them is easy because all you have to do is keep them moisturized. Pick them, wash and dry them, and place them in a plastic bag! Once they are in the plastic bag, they do need to go into the fridge. If you store them correctly, they can last up to 10 days. Do you have secrets to successful cucumbers? Comment below! Happy growing,

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How to Grow and Harvest Bell Peppers

Lyn — Sat, 20 Jul 2019 20:11:05 +0000

INSIDE: Learn how to grow and harvest bell peppers successfully. Get expert tips on planting, caring for, and picking bell peppers for a healthy, vibrant crop. There are hundreds of kinds of peppers. Today we are going to talk about the magnificent and crispy bell peppers. If you play your cards right, you can have peppers all summer long… I usually start a bunch of seeds indoor and buy one plant. This way, you have peppers growing at different rates and don’t have to wait so long for your first harvest. Disclosure Statement: The links in this post contain affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on my link. Those funds help keep this site alive and kickin’ but it doesn’t cost YOU a thing! Click here for the full disclosure. Let’s talk about seeds: 1 – Growing from seeds Build you own indoor greenhouse with biodegradable pots, seed starting mix (organic like this one), organic seeds, and a greenhouse made out of foil pans with plastic lids (like this). I encourage you to find that green and white label on your seeds for true organic gardening. To create your greenhouse: 2 – Harden your seedlings You must acclimate your seeds to the outdoor world, one day at a time. Start, the week before your last frost, remove your greenhouse top and set the seedlings outside for a few hours in the shade. You may have some seedlings that die, but that’s ok, this is the Hunger Games for veggies! Each day you place them outside, increase their exposure to longer sunlight. 3 – Transplanting When the frost is gone, and you are positive that your little seedling can survive on their own, take them to their final resting place. Check out this post for deciding where to plant. Peppers need to be planted at least a 1/4″ deep. So plant them that deep in their starter pots AND when you place them in the garden. Remember to peel off the bottom layer of the pots before placing them in the final place. They tend not to grow roots out of those so easily. I HIGHLY recommend placing a stake with your peppers, the vegetables are heavy and tend to make the trunk lean. Water your plants after you have transplanted them, so you don’t cause root shock. 4 – Daily care Depending on where you live, keep in mind that peppers are heat sensitive, that means water them frequently. It is recommended that they receive 1 – 2 inches each week. When your seedlings are stronger and start to form a solid stem, pinch off the bottom leaves. You do not want ANY leaves touching the soil. This invites bugs and diseases all the way up the stem, stop it before it gets to your veggies! 5 – Harvesting Now let’s talk about our yummy vegetables! Peppers have a 60-90 day harvest period, meaning it take a long time to see veggies! Once you see the first one, be prepared because they are going to keep on comin’! Peppers can be harvested when they reach the desired size. The longer you leave them on the stalk, the sweeter they become….but they will rot….so keep a close eye on them. To remove them from the stalk, use scissors. Pulling the veggie off will bend the plant and cause more leaning. 6 – Storage Peppers are one of those long lasting vegetables. You can store them in a plastic bag in the fridge for 7-10 days after a harvest. I recommend cleaning them and drying them before putting them in the bag. Peppers are certainly not for everyone – but they add a ton of flavor to a lot of different dishes. I am not a chef so I will leave you will some recipes from one of my favorite places. This series of recipes use vegetables that are in season at various times of the year. So go check out Happy Healthy Mama! Happy growing,

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How to Grow and Harvest Tomatoes

Lyn — Sat, 29 Jun 2019 12:00:14 +0000

INSIDE: COME SEE HOW TO GROW AND HARVEST TOMATOES WITH SIMPLE STEPS AND DIRECTIONS – EVEN A CHILD CAN FOLLOW THEM. Assuming you don’t have a child like we do (she picks tomatoes off the plant and eats them like apples), you can follow these simple rules to produce some amazing tomatoes. Tomatoes from the garden are much more tasty than the ones from the grocery store! Here are a few things we need to understand about tomatoes before we get started. They like sunlight but don’t love HEAT. So make sure you pick a place they will get plenty of sun and plenty of shade too. The plants need great draining soil since they do not do well with over-watered spaces. Your tomatoes will need a support system while growing, like a cage. These babies can tip over very easily…trust me! It’s worth the investment! Disclosure Statement: The links in this post contain affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on my link. Those funds help keep this site alive and kickin’ but it doesn’t cost YOU a thing! Click here for the full disclosure. Ok, now that we understand we are taking on a more complicated beast….let’s get started. 1 – Growing from seeds Build you own indoor greenhouse with biodegradable pots, seed starting mix (organic like this one), organic seeds, and a greenhouse made out of foil pans with plastic lids (like this). I encourage you to find that green and white label on your seeds for true organic gardening. To create your greenhouse: 2 – Harden your seedlings Just like kids – you have to acclimate your seeds to the outdoor world. It can be a cruel place….so the week before your last frost, take your greenhouse top down and set the seedlings outside for a few hours in the shade. You may have some die…that’s ok…survival of the fittest! Each day you place them outside, increase their exposure to longer sunlight. 3 – Transplanting When the day has come, and the frost is gone, you can take your little seedlings to their final resting place. Check out this post to help you decide where to plant. You can container garden with tomatoes or they can go directly into the ground. The key is giving them a good start no matter where you plant them. If your seedlings are leggy – that is they are tall and sort of falling over – you will need to bury them deeper into the ground. Don’t worry about where their roots are, tomatoes will grow roots from their stems if they need to. Remember to peel off the bottom layer of the pots before placing them in the final place. They tend not to grow roots out of those so easily. I HIGHLY recommend placing your cage around the plant at this time. That way you will not have any damage to their roots as they grow, the roots will grow around the stakes. Water your plants after you have transplanted them, so you don’t cause root shock. 4 – Daily care Water these babies. They need it every day! Water them in the early morning, so they can survive a hot day. When your seedlings are stronger and start to form a solid stem, pinch off the bottom leaves. You do not want ANY leaves touching the soil. This invites bugs and diseases all the way up the stem, stop it before it gets to your fruit! I have never tried this but I just read an article that SWEARS by surrounding the stems with rocks above the surface. This is supposed to keep the moisture in the soil for longer. I don’t know if it will work in my hot and humid climate, but I’m certainly going to try it! Mulch is supposed to do the same thing, but if you are organic gardening…mulch is treated wood!!!! So I don’t recommend using it. 5 – Harvesting Now we get to reap the benefits of all our hard work!!!!! Bring on the yummy-ness!!! Tomatoes are ready to harvest when the fruit is bright. THINK vibrant colors!!! It can have some discoloration around the stem still, but not much. And just like when you are checking at the grocery store, a little firm. Remember, you can ripen them more inside. 6 – Storage If you don’t already know this – YOU ARE WELCOME – never store tomatoes in the fridge. EVER….they will lose their flavor! A few tricks to keeping them fresh longer: If you need to ripen them faster, place them stem side up inside a PAPER bag. But if you are growing your own, chances are you will always have some on that are at the proper ripe stage. Hope you have all the tools you need to grow some yummy, garden fresh tomatoes. Have questions? Send me a comment! Happy Harvesting,

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7 Ways to Use Your Fresh Mint!

Lyn — Tue, 25 Jun 2019 13:35:54 +0000

Disclosure Statement: The links in this post contain affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on my link. Click here for the full disclosure. I love mint. The smell. The taste. Peppermint, spearmint, mint tea, mint chocolate chip ice cream, thin mints….ok I’ll stop so I don’t sound like Bubba from Forrest Gump. Now let me show you 7 ways to use your fresh mint! As we discussed before, mint is a hardy plant that can and will produce a ton of leaves if you treat it right! So basically water it, give it sunlight and you will get some great smelling leaves. So what can you do with it once you have your harvest? That’s easy: 1. Mint Tea You can start with dry leaves or use fresh leaves. Dry leaves need to be crushed to release some flavor before seeping. Fresh leaves need to be small too but only cut with a knife small. Nothing super tiny. You can use a tea infuser or put the leaves at the bottom of your favorite cup. Pour boiling water over the top and seep for about 5 minutes, depending on your preference. If you use an infuser, just remove it when you are ready to drink. If you are using just leaves, simply use a slotted spoon to remove the leaves before drinking. 2. Mojitos I am not a huge fan of white rum…BUT I make an exception for this drink. I start with 5-6 mint leaves in the bottom of a rocks glass or tumbler. Add 2 tablespoons of lime juice (or the juice from one lime) and 2 teaspoons of sugar. Muddle this together. Do not make the leaves into mush but blend the flavors together. Now I add a healthy shot of white rum. Healthy!!! Finally I add ice to a tall glass, pour my drink mix over the ice. I add club soda almost to the top, close the top of the glass with my rocks glass and shake it all about. If you are sophisticated (not like me) and have a shaker…this can all be done in there. 3. Mint Julep I don’t know about you but I have a bourbon drinker in my house. He will try ANYTHING once…but his true passion is bourbon. ALL things bourbon. SO when I was trying to find ways to use our plethora of mint, the Julep came up. The best part? I can make him a Julep and me a Mojito….same concept, different liquor. 5-6 mint leaves at the bottom of a rocks glass, 2 teaspoons of sugar. Muddle those yummy flavors together, add some ice, add your HEALTHY shot of bourbon (and let’s be clear here – all of these drinks are focused on the quality of liquor, DO NOT buy cheap….or at least spend a little extra). With this drink you can top it off with water or ginger ale or ginger beer. Again, the focus is on the liquor, not the mixer! **Personal side note: You can make simple syrup to muddle with the mint, if you want. But it takes a little more time, so if you want a drink NOW – don’t use this. Add 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar to a small sauce pan. Heat to a boil, stirring constantly until all the sugar is dissolved (about 2-3 minutes). Remove from the heat and let it cool. You can store this syrup up to 2 weeks in the fridge too. Oh and another trick…if you know you are going to use this simple syrup with your mint drinks – throw the mint in while it’s cooling…..add some extra minty flavor! 4. Mint Extract Huh?!? Yup HOMEMADE extract! But how? Time….it takes time, so if you need it for tomorrow…go buy some….if you want to give it away for Christmas gifts….perfect! Start with about a cup of leaves. No stems. Of course wash and dry the leaves. Put the leaves in between your hands and rub them together. This will release some oils, add those leaves to an air tight container (mason jar). Add 2 cups of vodka. Yes, vodka. Can be cheap or expensive….it will not matter in the long run. My recommendation is to go cheap! Unless you have some on hand that you don’t know what else you’d use it for. Use just enough vodka to cover the leaves. Seal the container and store it in a cool, dark place. It will take several months to process. 2 or more months, but check on it every few weeks to make sure the leaves are still covered and mold isn’t growing. Which it shouldn’t because of the alcohol, but still check. When it’s done and to your satisfaction, strain the leaves out and store the liquid in cute jars you create for Christmas giving. 5. Mint Frosting Use your favorite buttercream recipe – like this one – and add 1/4 cup of finely chopped fresh mint leaves. I just thought of something….chocolate cupcakes and mint frosting (add some green food coloring so people believe it’s actually mint)….like mint chocolate chip ice cream or thin mints…..I think I know what I’m going to do on my next day off!!!! 6. Mint Jelly Nope not the kind you mix with peanut butter. BUT….the kind you put on – lamb – that’s right I eat lamb, on occasion. I feel utterly horrible afterward…like 4-5 days later because I’m a bleeding heart, but while eating it and the several moments after, it is like THEE most delicious thing EVER! We usually make lamb chops and sometimes we experiment with balsamic demi-glazes BUT the first time I had lamb, I used mint jelly and what a game changer. Lamb can be a little gamey, so anything to cut that bitterness is great! Mint jelly is easy to make and can make the difference between success with lamb and EPIC fail! There are a lot of different ways to make it but the principle ingredients are all the same. Vinegar, sugar, and mint of course. I like apple cider vinegar, but white wine would do the trick too. Check out this recipe from The Spruce Eats. 7. Mint Limeade Y’all, I’ve never had this before I found this recipe at Tastes Better From Scratch and fell in love! It is so good! Refreshing on a hot day! Lemonade gives me heartburn, so I was looking for something that might not be as bad for me…..I found this and decided to give it a try! Everyone was so glad I did! I used the simple syrup I already had on hand, squeezed some fresh limes, and it hit the spot. Not going to lie….I wanted to put some tequila in it for a homemade margarita taste, but it was too good on it’s own. I hope you have found some ideas to mix your mint up!!!! Let us know if you try any!!!! Happy Harvesting,

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How to Grow Mint in 5 Simple Steps!

Lyn — Tue, 11 Jun 2019 22:30:44 +0000

INSIDE: LEARN HOW TO GROW AND HARVEST MINT WITHOUT LETTING IT TAKE OVER THE GARDEN I love mint…all things mint. The smell, the taste, the benefits….REALLY!!! It is an amazing weed herb. Mint can take over the garden really quickly, if it is not trained. Since the benefits are so plentiful, figuring out how to care for them is well worth the effort. **Personal side note: I thought I had killed my mint this year. It was doing great for weeks and then it was brown and dry. I didn’t understand what happened. I moved it to a different area of the garden, watered it, cut it back by 3 branches, and it came back with a vengeance! Like the basil plant, you can purchase a mint plant from the grocery store for a few dollars and grow it right on your window sill. Disclosure Statement: The links in this post contain affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on my link. Those funds help keep this site alive and kickin’ but it doesn’t cost YOU a thing! Click here for the full disclosure. OR you can make your way to Home Depot and purchase a Bonnie plant. 1 – Sunlight Mint plants like FULL sun or partial shade. Direct sun will not hurt this plant. 2 – Soil Place some well-nourished soil in a container and then your mint plant. I HIGHLY recommend container planting! It is really hard to contain mint if it is in the ground. ***Another note – because this plant can be aggressive, turn the container every 2 weeks to keep the roots from coming out of the bottom and taking root into the ground. 3 – Harvesting Keys to pruning mint: Pretty simple right? RIGHT…. 4 – Storage If you take care of your mint, there will be plenty to share….so how should you store your mint? 5 – Propagating We LOVE sustainability. And mint can be sustainable just like every other plant. Not sure what to do with your mint once it’s grown? Check out this post for ideas. Happy Gardening,

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How to Grow Basil – and keep it growing…

Lyn — Sun, 09 Jun 2019 13:00:31 +0000

INSIDE: SEE HOW TO GROW BASIL AND WHERE TO CLIP IT TO KEEP IT GROWING Basil is one of the EASIEST plants on the planet, in my humble opinion. Why, you ask? Because it doesn’t require much care or attention but will yield as much as you need or want…if you put in a little effort. If all you have is container gardening on the window sill, check out your local grocery store sometimes they have fresh, ready to use plants. Or you can get a Bonnie plant from Home Depot, get some vegetable soil, and grow your basil outdoors. Either way, there are some basic rules to growing and harvesting your basil. Disclosure Statement: The links in this post contain affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on my link. Those funds help keep this site alive and kickin’ but it doesn’t cost YOU a thing! Click here for the full disclosure. 1 – Sunlight All plants need some sun and basil is no different. Basil loves the sun and 6-8 hours of direct sunlight makes the plant very happy. 2 – Soil Well-draining soil is the key to healthy basil. If you are container gardening, remember that potting soil drys out faster than in-ground soil. 3 – Harvesting There is a method to harvesting and preserving basil. The key points are: 4 – Storage Basil is an HERB….so it will not last for more than a few days on your counter. Here are some ideas to help you store your basil: 5 – Propagating Of course, the key to any plant is the ability to continue the plant in a sustainable fashion. Basil is one of the easiest plants to do that with and here is how you do it: **Remember to have FUN! Gardening is a fun, family activity!!!** Happy Gardening,

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How to Build the Perfect Fairy Garden

Lyn — Sun, 02 Jun 2019 12:45:37 +0000

HOW TO BUILD THE PERFECT FAIRY GARDEN – WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW HOW AND DON’T WANT TO SPEND A FORTUNE. I didn’t know this was a thing until I was at work and the girl I was training showed me her MANY fairy gardens. She was talking about making one for her desk…ok lady! Whatever floats your boat! But then I saw the pictures and I thought…I know where one of those would look amazing. And what a great craft for me and the kids to do!!! There are plenty of big box craft stores that have fairy garden accessories but I didn’t want to spend $12 for a deer…🤷🏻‍♀️ Disclosure Statement: The links in this post contain affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on my link. Click here for the full disclosure. I went to my local Dollar Tree and struck GOLD! I found the container, moss, rocks, plants, and all the trinkets a fairy garden could want. All for $1 a piece! $13 for the whole thing! Sorry box stores… Since I had no idea what I was doing, I asked my girls what they thought we should do. First, I had them draw their ideas out on paper, I wish I grabbed a picture of those! Ultimately, everyone said ‘cute and cuddly place that fairies would want to hang out.’ Ok…I pretended to understand this and went to work. Off we went, to make our perfect fairy garden I used one bag of rocks to fill the container but it wasn’t enough so I opened the second bag and added about 1/3 of the new bag. Much better! I added one bag of moss which was plenty. We removed the plants from the cheesy planters they came with and revealed a stick. Using that stick, we stuck the plants through the moss and rock. The ‘welcome’ sign stayed perfectly between the plants. I didn’t glue anything! Our next idea was to create a pathway for the fairies to sit in the leaf chairs that were going to sit on either side of the welcome sign. Thank goodness we had more rocks! We lined the walkway with rocks and decided the mailbox belonged at the end of the walkway. A raccoon and fox hung out waiting for our fairy to arrive. The turtle sat under the welcome sign showing her bright pink flower. Today our fairy garden sits at the top of our stairs with our family scrabble letters. I have left over pieces that I will probably add to another garden someday. I had so much fun making this with the girls, I understand what the crazy lady was raving about at work! Happy fairy hunting,

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