Recycling in Your Garden and More

I had another amazing weekend at the Yellow Green Farmer's Market!  I always love meeting new people and sharing tips for growing heirloom, Non-GMO seeds.
We talked a lot about the benefits of using Diatomaceous Earth in the garden for Organic, non-toxic pest control.

The Kelani Organics GIVEAWAY is LIVE...AND...

I just added 9 NEW HEIRLOOM SEED VARIETIES!!!

Recycling in your garden  Mary's Heirloom Seeds NEW!  Coconut Coir Pellets are made from the husk of coconuts They make seed-starting EASY! Basil in Coconut pellet Anise Hyssop Very aromatic with a sweet, licorice-mint flavor. Leaves and flowers can be used fresh or dried for salads, teas, and garnishes. The perfect addition to you bee-friendly garden! Seeds take 7-14 days to germinate. Also a medicinal herb. LOVAGE As a culinary herb, lovage has a celery-like flavor, but richer with hints of fennel and curry. Use the stems, leaves, and seeds in the same fashion as celery. Seeds germinate in 7-14 days.  Also a medicinal herb  CHIVES Wonderful mild onion flavor, these long, thin chives are excellent in many meals; great raw or cooked. Lavender flowers. Start early indoors or outdoors after danger of frost. Visit our Page Quick Links 2014 Planting Guide Compost   Companion Planting Diatomaceous Earth  Sprouts! Join Our Mailing List! Dear Mary, Are you ready to get a jump on seed planting for your garden?  How do we Recycle? -Compost: Compost is a natural soil amendment and garden fertilizer. It can be made FREE using kitchen scraps. Apple cores, celery or carrots parts, rinds and peels from fruits and veggies...throw it all in there! But don't stop there- also use grass clipping, dead leaves and other yard waste. Not only does composting save money on expensive fertilizers and soil amendments, it keeps all of this "trash" out of your garbage bin and out of landfills. -ReUse: It's not necessary to purchase fancy or expensive containers in the garden.  I prefer to use recycled pots and containers.  For seedlings, I have cleaned (sterilized) yogurt or cottage cheese containers and then poked holes in them for drainage.  On occasion I have used recycled toilet paper rolls. -Save Water: Using rain water to nourish your garden is another great way to recycle and save money.  Sure you can buy expensive equipment, but recycling is easy! -Coconut Coir seed-starting pellets Add water, and the Coconut Pellets quickly swell to become a perfect self contained pot with its own perfect medium for starting seeds. Seeds are nurtured within the pellet to germinate faster into young seedlings. Roots emerge easily through the porous walls of the pellet as a result of the enhanced air circulation created by the unique design and characteristics. The Coconut Coir Pellet - complete with the started plant inside - goes directly into the ground. As a result, no transplant shock occurs, and the plant has full vigor to mature faster. All the young, tender roots remain totally intact.   NEW Coconut Coir Pellets are more eco-friendly! Coconut pellets after 5 minutes soaking Basil in Coconut pellets after 6 days We'd love to hear how You recycle in the garden! "The single greatest lesson the garden teaches is that our relationship to the planet need not be zero-sum, and that as long as the sun still shines and people still can plan and plant, think and do, we can, if we bother to try, find ways to provide for ourselves without diminishing the world. "   --Michael Pollan, The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals HAPPY PLANTING!!!

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2 HUGE Announcements! We're So Excited we Wet Our Plants!

HAPPY DAY!!!  There has been so much excitement I'm still buzzing!  

The Kelani Organics GIVEAWAY is LIVE...I just got home from another 

Edible Gardening presentation (I was the speaker) ...AND...

I just added 9 NEW HEIRLOOM SEED VARIETIES!!!

Mary's Heirloom Seeds 2  HUGE Announcements Don't Miss Out! In case you're just tuning in, we've been steadily adding to our 2014 Planting Guide. For your viewing pleasure we've made a special page with all of the growing info in one easy place. Check out Mary's 2014 Planting Guide Kelani Organics GIVEAWAY Starts today!!! EVENT: Edible Gardening Workshop Thursday, March 13th @6pm 2104 Tyler Street (TODAY!) Helpful Links  Using Diatomaceous Earth in the Garden MARCH Seed Planting Guide by Region BEANS and CORN Heirloom Fruits Heirloom TOMATOES HERB Seeds Wildflower Seeds Seed Pack Combos SUPPLIES Benefits of Lemonbalm, Basil and Borage  Growing Beets Growing Radish Growing Tomatoes Join Our Mailing List Mary's Heirloom Seeds 2104 Tyler Street Hollywood, FL 33020 (954) 654-3501 Find us at the Yellow Green Farmer's Market Booth #281 Saturday & Sunday 8am-4pm Dear Mary, Every year we add NEW Heirloom seed varieties to our  ever-growing selection of SEEDS! This year we just can't help ourselves. First...a GIVEAWAY  just went live on our blog! Second...TODAY we have added 9 NEW Varieties!!! LEMONGRASS! One of the most requested seed varieties.  Available NOW! Also a medicinal herb. Burgundy Okra 50-70 days.  Easy to Grow Very tender and delicious. Highly ornamental and tasty! CHIVES! 80-90 days.  Wonderful mild onion flavor. Beautiful lavender flowers!  DAIKON RADISH 60-70 days.    Popular old Japanese favorite; the giant white roots grow to 24 inches long and 3 inches wide. ROMANESCO ITALIA BROCCOLI 75-100 days.  The true and popular Italian heirloom with spiraling, apple-green heads that are so superbly flavored. ANISE HYSSOP Very aromatic with a sweet, licorice-mint flavor. The perfect addition to you bee-friendly garden! LOVAGE As a culinary herb, lovage has a celery-like flavor, but richer with hints of fennel and curry. SORREL Sorrel is appreciated in native cuisines throughout Europe and in many parts of Asia and Africa as well. FEATURED New Variety Blacktail Mountain Watermelon One of the earliest watermelons we know of, superb for the north, but it also grows well in heat and drought. All of the seeds listed are open-pollinated, non-gmo and non-hybrid, non-patented,  untreated, heirloom garden seeds. Mary has signed the Safe Seed pledge.   Seed Orders placed Monday-Thursday are shipped within 24 hours, except for holidays. Shipping on Heirloom Seeds is Free within the Continental US!

I'll let you in on a little secret...I have PURPLE PEAS in my secret stash! I might be willing to share if you ask nicely!

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Kelani Organics GIVEAWAY!!

This is an AMAZING opportunity for one very lucky person!
Have you heard of Kelani Organic?  It's a small local company so maybe not...
But now you know!  I asked my friend Kelly over at Kelani Organics to sponsor a giveaway and she said YES!!!!

About Kelani Organics:
Handmade to Order using sterilized recycled containers when possible to do my part for the environment. Natural Remedies, Organic Beauty Products and more, and Natural (Non-Toxic) Cleaning Supplies. Mahalo for visiting, please enjoy browsing my different shop sections.
 
Check out some of these awesome products from Kelani Organics...

Ache-Away
Sore Muscle and Joint Oil Rub - 2oz - Ache-Away
This wonderful organic vegan oil is helpful for achy muscles, arthritis and joint pain (including carpel tunnel), and will help provide non-toxic pain relief.

Ingredients: Grapeseed Oil, Therapeutic Grade Vetiver and Lemongrass Essential Oils, Recycled Container when possible

Matty's Super Special Oil
No one likes itchy rashes or athlete's foot. Here is an antiseptic, anti-fungal, and anti-viral organic natural treatment.

Tea tree oil is applied to the skin (used topically) for infections such as acne, fungal infections of the nail (onychomycosis), lice, scabies, athlete’s foot (tinea pedis), and ringworm. It is also used topically as a local antiseptic for cuts and abrasions, for burns, insect bites and stings, and boils.

Natural Hand Sanitizer
This 2.7oz Natural Hand Sanitizer is non-toxic and made to order.

I use my own organic aloe plants to harvest the gel so this product may be unavailable at times so my plants can grow and recover from harvesting.


Not only do we have a giveaway opportunity...We also have a PROMO CODE!
The PROMO code for this very special occasion is GIVEAWAY032014 
Use this code and get 10% off through 4/1/14

Check out Kelly's facebook page and give her a like.
Tell her Mary sent you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Vertical Gardening Ideas

I've been thinking about ways to grow UP since I have limited space in the garden at the moment.  I'm definitely going to ask my hubby to build a tomato wall since we have all of the materials on hand.

Vertical Tomatoes from Modern Bushmen

At the moment my hubby is working on a very exciting project which I'll share here once it's complete.  For instant updates you can sign up for our e-newsletter.

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Check out these amazing Vertical Gardens!

Urban Vertical Garden from Recycled Soda Bottles

Hanging Gutter Garden

Pallet Garden for Your Balcony

Super Mega Wall of Plants

Tuesdays with a Twist #49 is LIVE!

Good Morning and Welcome to another No Rules Party!

I've been adding to my 2014 Planting Guide page! Check out:

March Seed Starting Guide by Region  

Growing Huckleberry from Seed to Harvest

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We're your hosts 

Mary @ Back to the Basics and Mary's Kitchen
Joyce @ It's Your Life! 
Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures
Angie @ God's Growing Garden
Back again for March is Debra @ MsMoozy's Open House

Features!
Each co-host will be sharing her own picks for Features. This gives everyone a better chance of being featured. Be sure to check all of our blogs to see if you were featured! 
My Features this Week are:

10 Tips to Pick What to Grow from Nature, Nurture, Grow

Hanging Produce Trellis out of PVC from Lou Lou Girls

If you've been featured we'd love for you to grab a button.

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The party starts every Tuesday at 7am EST and will continue until Friday at 11:59pm.  Feel free to stop back any time and "like" your favorites.  Please visit other blogs if you have a moment. 

Share older posts as well as new ones.  No limit on links!

*Pictures should be your own* 

By linking up you give us permission to use these photos

 (with proper link backs) in our features.   And now for the party!

Growing Garden Huckleberry from Seed to Harvest

This is the THIRD year that I've grown Garden Huckleberry from seed.  The first year I only planted 2 and had an okay crop but then I let the plants die.  Ooopps!  
The second year I had a great harvest.  This year I didn't actually "plant" the seeds.  I ended up with 4 volunteers from last year.  Woohoo!!!


Garden Huckleberries produce fruit the first year which is why they are a great berry to try in your home garden.

Baby Garden Huckleberry

I grow everything from seed!  It's not that difficult and that way I know exactly what I'm getting from start to finish.  All of the seeds I plant (from Mary's Heirloom Seeds) are untreated, organic, non-gmo heirloom seeds.

Starting Garden Huckleberry from Seed Plant seeds in moist soil and cover with approx 1/4 inch of soil.  Seeds should germinate within 2 weeks.  Seedlings should receive at least five hours of sun every day.  I start seeds in my laundry room where I have large windows and plenty of space.  Once the seedlings grow about 2 inches tall they will be transplanted to large pots. 

Plants should be bushy.  This one needed more fertilizer or compost.

Growing Conditions for Garden Huckleberry
Garden Huckleberries like rich soil and partial shade.  Adding compost or chicken manure will increase the plant yield.  I plant my Huckleberry when I plant my tomatoes and fertilize the same as well.  Growing Huckleberries are very easy and not much bothers the plant.  The plants have some cold tolerance and fruit may continue to ripen after light frosts.

Small basket of berries from 1 bush

Green fruit are mildly poisonous, just like potato leaves or green potatoes. The fruits do not taste like much when picked, sometimes they can can be bitter. A pleasing berry taste does come through surprising well when it is cooked with  sugar. It can be used as a viable substitute for blueberries in pies, jams and syrup.

Pests
This year I have found several tomato hornworms on my huckleberry plants.  I recommend planting Borage (an edible herb) around your Tomatoes AND Huckleberry plants to deter hornworms.

THESE are Tomato Hornworms and they get even bigger!

Diatomaceous Earth will help with any aphid issues you might have in the garden. 

Garden huckleberry can be mistaken for deadly nightshade, which is poisonous, so make sure of its identity before eating. I grow mine from a trusted seed source.
• Garden huckleberry's self-sown seedlings will provide you with new plants. Pull out all unwanted seedlings each year or they'll be everywhere. 

Harvesting Garden Huckleberries
Pick the berries when they are no longer shiny; ripe berries are usually a dull black or blue-black. 
Cook the fully ripe berries before eating; they may need a pinch of baking soda to remove bitterness. Add sugar to taste and some freshly grated lemon zest and lemon juice to brighten the flavor.

You can purchase heirloom Garden Huckleberry seeds

from Mary's Heirloom Seeds. That's all for now!  Any questions?

South Florida Edible Gardening Workshop

Mary's Heirloom Seeds presents...

 

Get Growing: Edible Garden Workshop

Several weeks ago we were invited to speak at the  Yellow Green Farmer's Market for an  

Edible Gardening Presentation.

 

In case you missed it...

We're offering MORE info at our office.

Join us for our first

Edible Gardening Workshop for 2014  

 

Thursday, March 13th at 6pm

2104 Tyler Street  in Hollywood, FL 

This workshop is FREE but space is limited
Please call or message us to RSVP!  

  

Find out what customers are saying about    

Growing their own Food 

 

 Are you enjoying our   2014 Planting Guide so far? 
If you have additional questions please feel free to ask!

If you don't live in the area...not to worry. 
We won't leave you out.  We have another special announcement coming your way this Friday!

Mary's Heirloom Seeds
2014 Tyler Street    Hollywood, FL 33020
(954) 654-3501 

 

Mary's Heirloom Seeds

All of the seeds listed are open-pollinated, non-gmo and non-hybrid,non-patented,  untreated, heirloom garden seeds.

 

Mary has signed the Safe Seed pledge.  

Seed Orders placed Monday-Thursday are shipped within 24 hours,
except for holidays.
Shipping on Heirloom Seeds is Free within the Continental US!

 

 

 

 

 

Kelani Organics and a Promo code!!!

Have you heard of Kelani Organic?  It's a small local company so maybe not...But now you do!

I have asked my friend Kelly over at Kelani Organics to sponsor a giveaway and she said YES!!!!

About Kelani Organics:
Handmade to Order using sterilized recycled containers when possible to do my part for the environment. Natural Remedies, Organic Beauty Products and more, and Natural (Non-Toxic) Cleaning Supplies. Mahalo for visiting, please enjoy browsing my different shop sections.

We're not ready to go live just yet (next week for sure) but I do have a promo code if you'd like to check out her amazing etsy shop early and get your goodies.

Check out some of these awesome products from Kelani Organics...

 Organic Whipped Body Butter (and it's Vegan)

Organic Lemongrass Orange Sugar Scrub

The PROMO code for this very special occasion is GIVEAWAY032014
Use this code and get 10% off through 4/1/14

Check out Kelly's facebook page and give her a like.  Tell her Mary sent you!