Heartfelt Home Creations ~ Most Definitely!

This week the creativity bug really hit me!! I've been working on projects and cooking up a storm!! I've truly made some "heartfelt home creations"!! Here's what I've been up to:

My garden's been providing us with a lot of vegetables lately, so I've been blessed with being able to try a few new recipes. On Monday, I decided to put my apron on and start cooking. I managed to bake up 2 loaves of white bread, 2 pizzas with homemade dough and using tomatoes and garlic from my garden to make the sauce, a loaf of lemon blueberry bread so I could utilize the blueberries I picked the week before, and 5 small jars of garlic dill pickles - again  using veggies from my garden!! (See links for recipes.)

And then there were the crafts!! I found some yarn left over from past projects that have already been finished. Well, rather than have the yarn sit there taking up space, I decided to put on my creativity hat and start crocheting for a few days! I just started working and before I knew it, I had created not only my own pattern but also a "centerpiece mat" to use in my dining room. When that was finished and I had just a little more yarn left, I made up a little flower coaster that fits nicely under my candles.  After all of that was complete, I even managed to get some scrapbooking accomplished. 

So, if your not into crafts and cooking and things like that, you might be thinking, "Ok, glad you got some things accomplished."  But aside from sharing what I created this week, I also wanted to share this little tidbit with you and ask the following question:

What have you done today to get those creative juices flowing?

Sometimes we get all caught up in this technology based, fast paced society (myself included). Sometimes I think we need to just sit back and see what kinds of things we can do for ourselves.  How often do we run out to the grocery store for the things we need? Making the bread and other goodies for my family and I to eat reminded me of how "this is what my grandmothers and great-grandmothers did". I look at my crocheted projects and think "Yeah, I could've just went out to a store and bought them, but it's so nice having something that I made and can use."  Not to mention the fact it seems to be a bit of therapy for me as well. Gives me the chance to unwind a bit. And if you have little hands that are willing to help and learn right along with you, that makes it all the more worth while!!

So, if you need a challenge or a change of pace this week, consider creating something! Cook something up in the kitchen, finish that craft project that you've had stashed away in the closet to be forgotten or start a new one. Have you wanted to "someday" teach yourself how to knit or sew or maybe even make your own candles? Why not start today?

 Enjoy yourself! It's alot nicer when it's "created for your home and from your heart"!!

Garden Gumption ~ Post #7

Holy Tomatoes, Batman!

How are everyone's gardens coming along? Good, I hope!

Today's post is just a brief update on mine. My husband and I managed to get my veggie garden all fenced in to ward off those pesky little groundhogs, so we can check that off our gardening to-do list! Now we just have to tie up my HUGE potatoe plants so they stop hiding all of my onions and garlic! Hopefully that will be accomplished this weekend.

My garden is coming along surprisingly better than last year. My cucumber plants are actually growing and flowering, as well as my pea plants and zuchinni. My lettuce and cabbages are starting to grow back quite well, considering they were attacked twice by the groundhogs before we constructed the "fence".

And then we have my tomato plants!!!! I have 25 in total -- all grown from seed (as are my other veggie plants). I already have a large group of tomatoes growing -- my last count being at least 30!! I'm very excited, because that means this year I can make some homemade spaghetti sauce!! If I do an official tomato count later today, I'll let you know.

Is everyone having as much luck with their gardens as I am? I'd love to know!! For all of my gardening friends out there, I hope we all get to enjoy a good harvest this year!! And for those of you who don't have a garden, help support your local farmers at farmers markets and local produce stands!!

~* Happy Gardening!! *~

Garden Gumption ~ Post #6

~ The Case of the Cabbage Eater: Part 2! ~

Well, everyone.... assumptions have been made, evidence collected, and predictions confirmed!! The mischief in my garden has been caused by .... Ground Hogs!!!

Oh, and not just any ground hog! Yes, it is the same ground hog that tormented my garden last year -- climbing up the bank from the river into my little backyard to nibble on my tasty vegetables. However, this year our little "friend" brought along it's family!! Yep!! THREE little ground hogs have come to tag along so that they too may enjoy the grass, weeds, and my Garden! Imagine my surprise when all of them started squeezing THROUGH my chain linked fence!! Haha!!! I made sure to get some pictures and video of the little buggers. And now, my 2-year-old has decided to join in on the fun by sitting in the backyard on a blanket and so some ground hog watching of his own. (He get's so excited!! It's cute!)

So, there you have it. Case closed!! Now my husband and I can fully prepare for and prevent the furry little critters from eating all of my vegetables again!

Happy Gardening!!

Garden Gumption ~ Post #5

~* The Case of the Cabbage Eater *~

How have all of your gardens been coming along?  Are you getting the chance to work outside and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine? I know I have, along with my son of course!

My vegetable garden has been coming along nicely, including the 2nd garden we planted with onions, garlic and potatoes!  Things are coming along very nicely and I'm hoping for an even bigger and more plentiful harvest compared to my first harvest last year!

Except, 2 nights ago, we were attacked by a Cabbage Eater!! (and an Eater of Lettuce, Peas and Sunflower plant leaves as well!!) 

We don't know who the culprit is just yet. I suspect it's the groundhog we had waddling through our yard on occasion last year. The critter would come waddling up our bank from the river in our backyard on occasion, and we had spotted him/her nibbling on my garden goodies on occasion.
Needless to say, my lettuce and cabbage never had the chance to grow properly.

This year my husband and I thought we had everything under control in regards to our veggie-hungry friend! Ever since we put up a chain link fence along the back of our property, we haven't had any furry visitors. But then.... much to my dismay..... the Case of the Cabbage Eater had been reopened! All of my beautiful lettuce and cabbage leaves, the tops of my pea plants, and the leaves on my single, successful sunflower plant have all been chewed, munched, and obliterated.  After inspecting the remaining stocks and stems of my plants, and taking a detailed walk around the perimeter of my yard, I found the choice of entrance of our evil veggie eater -- it had pried back a small section of the fence that we had not permanently attached yet (we're hoping to add a gate to our fence in the next few weeks) and entered out yard that way. My suspicions lead me to believe that the ground hog has returned! I told my husband: What else besides the groundhog would know enough to get into our yard and specificallly seek out my lettuce and cabbages?  Unfortunately, it's just a hunch, perhaps a mystery that won't be solved.

In the meantime, my husband and I are taking a trip to the local tractor supply later today so that we can figure out an effective, environmentally safe, and hopefully inexpensive way to prevent anymore veggie eaters from ruining my garden. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!!

As for the little pests that could take their toll on a garden, a friend of mine suggested this site and information to me: http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/homemade-organic-gardening-sprays.html (Thanks Shauna!)  I plan on implementing some of these "Green" and safe methods in the near future and when necessary!

Happy Gardening Everyone!

 And in regards to the Case of the Cabbage Eater -- to be continued!!

Garden Gumption - Post #4

~* Garden Gumption *~

(Post #4)

Celebrating Earth Day!!

So, I realize my post is the day AFTER Earth Day, but I look at it this way.... why not do something for our Earth everyday?  Here are a few simple things that my family does, that you can do too!

1.) Reduce:  Reduce the amount of extra packaging on items you buy -- this creates less garbage and less waste!  It can be something as easy as using the cloth shopping bags for your grocery shopping instead of the plastic ones given at the store. Or how about buying items that come in less packaging.

2.) Reuse: This reminds me of the saying: "One man's trash becomes another man's treasure." Last year my friend and I hit up alot of the yard sales in our area. You'd be surprised what kind of stuff you can find and reuse for something else. It can be something as simple as making a centerpiece using old tea cups (see my Tea Cup Candelabra on the Homemaking Cottage Volunteer's Blog!) husband and I bought an electric lawnmower for $5.00 at a house sale. Great find for us! And it works great! Saved us TONS of money and in turn we didn't have to buy a new one. Better than having it added to the garbage pile!

3.) Recycle: There are many grocery stores and supermarkets that have bins where you drop off your plastic grocery bags to be recycled. Also, don't forget to recycle all of those aluminum soda cans! My son helped me crush 2 large garbage bag's worth of aluminum cans last week. My husband will be taking them to a place in town where he will get money for the aluminum. It might not be a fortune, but look at the "pennies" you would be throwing away if you just tossed your soda can into the garbage!

4.) Garden: This can be beneficial in so many ways! You can start a compost using certain items from your kitchen scraps, and then use your compost to help "feed" your garden. By growing your own vegetables, you can in turn cut back on the amount of packaged vegetables you buy in the grocery store. If you are unable to have your own vegetable garden, try visiting your local farmers market.

5.) Clotheslines:  Since the weather is warmer and sunnier now, I use my clothesline to dry my laundry instead of using the clothes dryer. I love that fresh air smell my clothes get after being out on the line all day. Plus, I'm  using less electicity!! I find it funny that my husband is learning that I only do laundry on nice days!

So, that's a few things to think about. If you have any tips of your own, or have any comments you would like to share, just leave a comment below!! We love to hear what our readers have to say!! Plus, we can learn a few things from each other!! Also, if you did something in celebration of Earth Day, feel free to share with us!

~*~*~*~

Oh, and for those of you wondering -- my lettuce, cabbage, peas, and zucchinni are starting to grow nicely in my garden.
And I'm starting my own indoor herb kit!! (Thank you to my friend, Kelly, for the inspiration!)

~* Garden Gumption *~ Post #3

~* Garden Gumption *~

(Post #3)

'Tis the Season for Spring! -- Or Is It?!

Every morning my son and I (and my husband when he is not working) enjoy eating our breakfast at the kitchen table so we can enjoy the view of the river (or lack there of now that the leaves on the trees are coming out), the warmth of the sunshine, and the sound of the birds chirping. Ahh, yes! The simple joys of Spring!!

But wait a minute.....Is it REALLY Spring??

To be honest, I haven't been quite sure! The calendar says it's Spring. The perennials in my backyard and along side my house give me the idea that Spring is here! But then, why am I forced to have my son wear sweatpants, a sweatshirt, and a winter jacket when he wants to play outside one day so he doesn't FREEZE, and then have him wear just a pair of shorts and a T-shirt the next day so that he doesn't SWEAT?  Have any of you been experiencing this same issue?  And the sad part is, I'm not exagerrating (Believe me, I wish I was!)  The other week, the temperatures literally went as follows: 91, 50, snow over night, 42, 66, 76. (Lucky for me my lettuce, tomato and cabbage plants that I had transplanted from my indoor garden to my outdoor garden all survived!!)


So, I'd like to ask.....what's a girl to do when the weather keeps fluctuating and she's trying to get all of her yard cleaned up, her vegetable and flower gardens in shape?  Here's a few things I came up with:


1.) PLASTIC!! -- On those chilly nights (and especially that night where we had a 1/2 inch of snow! Thank goodness it melted before morning was through that day!) I covered my plants with plastic, or to be more specific,  the plastic lids that came with my indoor garden planters. My husband suggested that since the garden area we created is more like a "box" dug out of the bank, he could've bought some cheap rolls of plastic and tacked it down so that it laid over the top of the garden, creating one big cover. (You can see a picture of our main vegetable garden area in Garden Gumption Post #2.)  I've also read about creating plastic "lids" or boxes to put over your plants on cooler evengings so that the heat from the day can keep the plants warm. There's an example in Mel Bartholomew's book about square foot gardening (Check out the link for his book that I have posted in Garden Gumption Post #1. I found a copy at my local library.)  So yes, PLASTIC, can be very useful to us amatuer gardeners!


2.) DRESS in LAYERS!! -- On some days, and today would be a good example of this, it feels as though it might start snowing at any minute. Ok, so that's actually an exaggeration for today's weather, but I did feel like we traveled back in time to February again!  So....oh yeah, dressing in layers! On the days where the weather starts out cold, warms up in the middle and then gets cold in the evenings (typical Spring/Fall kind of weather), I dress my toddler and myself in layers. This eliminates the hassle of having the two of us trecking in and out of the house throughout the course of the day to change into various outfits in order to accommodate whatever temperature Mother Nature decides to throw at us. ESPECIALLY if you are trying to accomplish things outside and a trip into the house to change clothes opens up a whole new can of worms with the 2-year-old boy not wanting to go in, and then once in, not wanting to go back out. Make it easier on yourself! It's better to pause in your outdoor work or play time to take off a jacket or a sweatshirt and have a T-shirt underneath rather than to go through the ordeal just mentioned. (I do this NOW and it's sooooo much easier for all involved!)

And last but not least,

3.) WATER! -- For you and your plants.
For You:  When working or playing outside and enjoying the fresh air and sunlight, make sure you at least take a bottle of water out with you. It may not be 90 degrees outside, but you'd be surprised how much water you (and the kiddos if they're playing or helping you) need to replenish. Take a break now and then to take a gulp or two. It will also help you keep refreshed and ready to do more!
For your Plants: I try to water my plants 2 times a day -- depending on the weather of course! If it rains that morning, and the grown is still soggy or pretty moist by the day's end, I'm probably not going to water my veggies or perrenials. If the weather is going to be rather cold in the evening, I'll give my plants a "drink", but am careful not to give them too much. That way if it gets cold enough for the water to freeze a bit, I don't have water freezing to my plant roots or the tender leaves and buds.  If the day's temperature creeps up to the much warmer weather (especially since my garden is located in a very sunny location), I spray my plants with the garden hose early in the morning and then again in the evening befoe the sun goes down. Note: Try to avoid getting the plants/leaves wet! They could burn up in the sun!  You'd be surprised how much this little watering schedule will help your plants grow!!

So, there you have it. Even though Mother Nature might try to tease us a bit with her fluctuating temperatures and weather conditions, we can all manage to enjoy Spring without too much hassle!!  I know I am!!

Well, I better get back outside! My father-in-law gave us some hostas plants to add to our backyard area, and I need to get started on that project before it gets too late in the day! Feel free to leave a comment about your own gardens or gardening ideas! I would love to hear from you!

~*Happy Gardening!!*~

Garden Gumption ~ Post #2

~* Garden Gumption *~

(Post #2)

There's Some Growing Going On!!

So, it's been a few weeks since I started planting my seeds in my indoor garden "green houses". My lettuce really took off, along with some pea plants, cabbage, beaf steak tomato plants, and  corn. After verifying that the weather would be staying above 50 degrees for a while, there was only one thing left to do:
finishing the outside garden area and prepping it so that some of the plants could be transplanted!! Very exciting!

Our garden area is in a nice sunny spot for most of the day. I attacked the soil with our garden claw and let it "air out" for a day. Then, I added a layer of some Miracle Grow garden soil mix. Even though our soil is made mostly of clay and has some ashes mixed in with it (we found a huge section of our yard to be made of packed down ashes dumped there by the previous owners in an attempt to be rid of their coal stove ashes), I wanted to add the Miracle Grow garden soil mix in order to provide more nutrients for our plants. Using a dirt rake and my garden claw again, I mixed the Miracle Grow mix with the already existing soil. After all of the mixing was complete, then came the water!! I broke out our garden hose and sprayed the water onto our nutrient-filled soil.  

The next day, meant time to plant!! I selected some of the stronger looking lettuce, pea, and tomato plants to be transplanted into the outdoor garden. I made sure to put each group of plants into a square foot section, placing each plant a few inches away from it's neighbor in every direction. The lettuce and pea plants could be planted a little closer together. The tomato plants, since they will grow to be rather large in comparison to the others, were planted one in every six inch space. By keeping the plants spaced out and in square foot sections, I am able to leave enough space  between plants so that their roots have plenty of room to grow, AND I can make the most of my garden space! After all of my 2-inch sprouts were planted, I again sprayed the garden with water so that the roots could get a good "drink"!

So that's basically where my garden is at right now. Every morning and every evening I spray some water on my little vegetable plants, unless of course it rains or the soil doesn't need it -- don't want to drown them!!

While we wait for my little seeds and sprouts to grow, my husband and I are tackling another section of our yard and making it into another "garden area". Once we get rid of an old, decaying tree stump that is blocking our progress, we will create another "garden box" similar to the one we already have so that it can house some potato, garlic, and onion plants. I'm excited for our potential harvest this year!! I'll have more updates on that section at a later date.

Well, there you have it -- that's how my gardening has been going over the past few weeks!  Look for an update next Friday, along with some more gardening tips and ideas!  Happy Gardening!!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(In the picture to the right, note: at the bottom of the stairs and to the right you can see the lstained andscaping timbers. Within this area you will find my main garden area where most of my plants are growing. The mound of dirt along the other side of the sidewalk houses the horribly large and rotted old tree stump that my husband is determined to get rid of!  The other 2 lonely landscaping timbers at the back of the yard is where our 2nd garden area will be located. Look for more pictures in upcoming posts!!)

~* Garden Gumption *~ Post #1

~*Friday's "Garden Gumption" Post!!*~

 Post #1: Let the Gardening Begin!!

Well, Everyone...Here it is! The first of several "Garden Gumption" posts!! Every Friday, I plan on blogging about gardening -- whether it be about gardening tips and tricks, or about how my own indoor/outdoor gardens are progressing.  If you're following these posts, I encourage you to comment and share your own thoughts, tips, or how you're own garden is doing! We can learn from each other and have fun doing it!

Last year I decided to finally create my own gardening area in our backyard. My husband and I dug out/ carved out a small section of our little yard -- a space that would not have been used for anything otherwise due to its location.  We were actually excited and impressed on how well it turned out!

While the garden area was being created outside, I started planting a select bunch of seeds inside. After the seedlings grew, I planted them in square foot sections in my outdoor garden space. After some work and care over the course of last spring and summer, I was able to come out with a small harvest at the end of the season --- small, but pretty impressive for a 1st year, inexperienced gardener like myself.

This year, I'm starting my garden in much the same way, with a few more additions to my variety of vegetables!  My 2-year-old son and I have already planted our selection of seeds. This year I purchased 4 Burpee "green houses" (2 green houses came in each set, along with peat pellets, seed markers, and a sheet for keeping track of you seeds -- found them at the Home Depot).  My son enjoyed helping me set everything up and plant the little seeds in their individual spots.  Here is a list of what we will be growing this year: sweet corn, cucumbers (for slicing and pickling), zucchinni, long red & green peppers, a mix of bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, beef steak tomatoes, garlic, white onions, scallions, yellow onions, red onions, potatoes, short carrots, cabbage, a salad mix, lettuce, peas, and green beans. We'll be planting the onions, garlic, and potatoes in the ground outside as soon as we're done prepping our garden areas (my husband was so impressed by how well we grew things last year, he's decided to add another small garden area to our yard!) We're also attempting to grow strawberries in a pot this year.

Within the first week of planting the seeds, we already had some cabbage and salad mix sprouts coming up out of their little patches of dirt. We're now in our second week, most of the cabbage, lettuce, and salad mix plants have their sprouts growing very well. I can't wait to see how many more sprouts we have by this time next week!

If you are looking for a book about gardening, or are interested in finding creative ways to start your own garden no matter how little or large your gardening area might be, I recommend reading All New Square Foot Gardening: Grow More in Less Space! by: Mel Bartholomew.  I found his book at my local library and rented it from their last year. I believe this year I will be purchasing it!

Well, I believe that is all I will be posting today. Enjoy your Friday, and don't forget to leave a comment below about any gardening tips, tricks or stories to share! Happy Gardening!!