I have and it's beautiful! If you're like me and you've resorted to using your t-shirt to haul your
garden harvest then you'll be THRILLED to use the Joey Apron! The JOEY APRON is now available at Mary's Heirloom Seeds.
-Adjustable cotton straps fit any size in comfort. -Made from industrial strength cotton -Water resistant nylon storage pouch -Plastic hooks allow for easy release of the pouch -Machine washable
The Joey is perfect in assisting you with harvesting your vegetables
from your vegetable garden, pulling weeds or collecting anything that
needs to be put away.
How did you like All About KALE? Many of you gardeners have your gardens already put to bed. If you're in a warmer climate, you might be able to grow year round. Swiss Chard is an excellent addition to any garden and grows well in warmer and cooler conditions.
I love growing SWISS CHARD in my garden. Chard is one of the easiest and fastest growing greens in my garden and even grows well in containers!
From WHF, "Chard is a tall leafy green vegetable commonly referred to as Swiss chard and scientifically known as Beta vulgaris.
Chard belongs to the same family as beets and spinach and shares a
similar taste profile with a flavor that is bitter, pungent, and
slightly salty. Swiss chard is truly one of the vegetable valedictorians
with its exceptionally impressive list of health-promoting nutrients.
Although Swiss chard is available throughout the year, its peak season
runs from June through August when it is at its best and in the greatest
abundance at your local supermarket"
Also from WHF, "As a rule, the phytonutrient antioxidants in chard also act as
anti-inflammatory agents. Sometimes they lower risk of chronic, unwanted
inflammation by altering the activity of pro-inflammatory enzymes"
"With its very good supply of calcium and its excellent supply of magnesium and vitamin K, chard provides standout bone support."
"Multiple studies on animals have shown that chard has unique benefits
for blood sugar regulation. In addition, chard may provide special
benefits in the diets of individuals diagnosed with diabetes"
"Also unique among the health benefits from this chenopod vegetable has been its ability to help pancreatic cells regenerate."
50-60 days. (Beta
vulgaris) This chard originated in Australia. A beautiful chard; its
colors are brilliant (pink, yellow, orange, red and white). Very mild
ornamental. Pretty enough to
plant in the flower garden; so delicious!
60 days. Succulent celery-like stalks support large, dark green, very savoyed, fleshy leaves. Trim outer leaves or cut the entire head. Great for salads, casseroles or sauteed.
60 days. Named after the beautiful golden Oriole bird, this is a lovely orange chard that will add fantastic color your garden. Use the young leaves in salads or the mature leaves stir fried or as steamed greens.
This chard is heat and cold tolerance and has a sweet mild taste.
60 days. An
outstanding chard that has magnificent red stems that extend into
bright green leaves forming one of nature's amazing works of art. This tasty, low in oxalic acid heirloom chard will add color to any dish. Grows 18-24" tall. Yields all summer and into the fall.
60 days. Very attractive and uniform red
chard. A wonderful, prolific and hardy variety, this chard has great
flavor and is perfect for marketing. Trim outer leaves or cut the entire head. Great for salads, casseroles or sauteed.
Thanks for stopping by my little spot on the web...Stay tuned for more organic gardening and health related topics. If you have questions or suggestions please feel free to ask.
I'm growing more KALE in the garden this year. At the moment, they are tiny seedlings but they are growing! KALE is a Rockstar!
KALE is considered a Superfood. From WHF, "Kale's risk-lowering benefits for cancer have recently been extended
to at least five different types of cancer. These types include cancer
of the bladder, breast, colon, ovary, and prostate. Isothiocyanates
(ITCs) made from glucosinolates in kale play a primary role in achieving
these risk-lowering benefits.
Kale is now recognized as providing comprehensive support for
the body's detoxification system. New research has shown that the ITCs
made from kale's glucosinolates can help regulate detox at a genetic
level.
Researchers can now identify over 45 different flavonoids in
kale. With kaempferol and quercetin heading the list, kale's flavonoids
combine both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits in way that
gives kale a leading dietary role with respect to avoidance of chronic
inflammation and oxidative stress."
Why is KALE a Rockstar? "Kale's cancer preventive benefits have been clearly linked to its
unusual concentration of two types of antioxidants, namely, carotenoids
and flavonoids. Within the carotenoids, lutein and beta-carotene are
standout antioxidants in kale. Researchers have actually followed the
passage of these two carotenoids in kale from the human digestive tract
up into the blood stream, and they have demonstrated the ability of kale
to raise blood levels of these carotenoid nutrients. That finding is
important because lutein and beta-carotene are key nutrients in the
protection of our body from oxidative stress and health problems related
to oxidative stress. Increased risk of cataracts, atherosclerosis, and
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are three such problems.
Also among these chronic health problems is cancer since our overall
risk of cells becoming cancerous is partly related to oxidative stress."
We have quite a few varieties of Heirloom Kale seeds at Mary's Heirloom Seeds.
55-60 days. First mentioned in garden text around 1863. Dwarf Blue Curled Scotch is an early kale that produces tasty greens when used in salads or steamed. The blue-green leaves are finely curled and very attractive reaching 12-15" in high, and spread to 20-35" in width.
50
days. Plants grow 14" tall and are super hardy to the cold. Dwarf
Siberian Kale is not only pleasing in appearance, but tasty as well. Young leaves are great raw in salads, blanched for a meal, in stir fry or for use as a colorful garnish.
60 days. Also called Nero Di
Toscana Cabbage and Dino Kale. This loose-leafed cabbage dates back to
the early 1800’s at least. It has beautiful, deep black-green leaves
that can be 24” long. They are heavily savoyed. This Italian heirloom is popular in Tuscany and central Italy for making fabulous soups and stews.
This lovely mix contains pretty shades of pink, purple, and white. Contrasts nicely with the deep green outer leaves. Also known as Flowering Kale, the plants look like huge frilly flowers. The
leaves make a superb garnish and are good as cooked greens. Best grown
as a fall plant because colors are more intense in cool weather.
55-60 days. A tender and mild, a pre-1885
heirloom variety. Oak type leaves have a red tinge, and stems are a
purplish-red. Great flavor. A hardy plant that fares well in cold weather, often thriving through the winter.
Thanks for stopping by my little spot on the web...Stay tuned for more organic gardening and health related topics. If you have questions or suggestions please feel free to ask.
This post is SO LATE for me! While a good portion of the US was under snow or frost, it's been warm here. Some say unseasonably warm. South Florida really only cools down to the 70s during "winter" with only several days (maybe up to 10) of "cold" mid 50s-60s each year.
It's HOT! But I'm not complaining (too much). We are able to plant lots of fruits, veggies, herbs and wildflowers almost year round. However, this year I've been a bit behind schedule in my garden. We were going to move but things just didn't work out. We almost decided not to have a garden at all...And then I snapped out of it! Me? No garden? Ya right!
EVERYTHING in my garden is grown from Heirloom Seeds. EVERYTHING in my garden is Organic and NON-GMO!
So here goes...Take a stroll through (some of) my garden...
I planted Thessaloniki Tomatoes this year because it is FAST! It can reach maturity in as few as 60 days.
See the tiny tomato?
All around the garden I planted Borage in the ground or in containers near my tomatoes to deter tomato hornworms.
Also planted throughout the garden is Genovese Basil and Dark Purple Opal Basil (pictured). These beautiful and delicious companion plants are muti-taskers in the garden.
This morning I transplanted some of the lettuce, Chard, Genovese Basil and Thai Holy Basil into a 13 gallon(?) tote. This will stay on the screened in patio for a while.
Now that my Thessaloniki Tomatoes have flowers, I will use Diatomaceaous Earth around the base of the plant instead of all over so we don't harm beneficial pollinators and still keep the "bad bugs" out.
Beans have such pretty flowers! Over the weekend I planted a few Royalty Purple bush beans from seed. They should germinate in as few as 3 days. Stay tuned!
I like planting in containers first and then transplanting. In South Florida it can be sunny and warm one minute, rain HARD for 3-10 minutes with very little warning and then be sunny again. When this happens, it can completely displace any seeds directly planted in the garden.
2 of MANY Eggplants this year. I absolutely love eggplant!
There you have it! I'm sure I missed a bunch of stuff but you get the picture. Have you planted your seeds yet? Check out Mary's Heirloom Seeds for Organic, Heirloom NON-GMO seeds! Every seed variety is Un-Treated and Open-Pollinated.
After removing 3 old eggplants that had totally overtaken my garden I've transplanted tomatoes, beans, corn, peppers, lettuce, cabbage, herbs and now organic wildflowers!
First we have seedlings and MORE seedlings! In anticipation of a larger garden I overplanted. I've been giving away quite a few tomato seedlings lately since I know I won't have room.
On the seedling/cat patio I have Emerald Green, Pink Oxheart, Amana's Orange and Beefsteak Tomatoes, Serrano, Bell, Golden Marconi and Jalapeno Peppers, Genovese and Fine Verde Basil, Huckleberry, White Egg and Black Beauty Eggplant, Thyme, Sage, Lavender and LOTS of Marigolds. My overgrown Red Fig Tomato needs a little trim!!!
I let several Pak Choy Cabbage bolt so that I can save seeds AND attract bees to the garden.
Pak Choy Cabbage
Flowers atop the cabbage
The strawberries are from last year and up popped a Volunteer Huckleberry!!! Not sure where this came from but I'll have lots of Huckleberries this year for syrup. The leaves have a slight purplish tint.
Garden Huckleberry
Baby Huckleberries
The Serrano Pepper plants are small but already producing peppers!
Interplanted throughout the garden are various herbs and flowers like Marigolds, Basil, Borage, Giant Zinnias and Nasturtiums. These are just a few beneficial companion plants for what I have growing in the garden.
I'm actually asking myself "What's happened this year?" Here we are in April and it feels like we were just celebrating Christmas. It's CRAZY!!!
This week has been particularly eventful around the blogosphere (for me) and tough personally. I won't get into the personal stuff because I have faith and whatever I put my mind to I CAN do it.
“Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”
―
Thomas A. Edison
"Blinders" as my mom used to say. Mom, I'm still occasionally distracted by "shiny objects"!!!
“The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there
to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show
how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop
the people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the
other people.”
―
Randy Pausch,
The Last Lecture
“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact,
it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you
are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”
―
Maya Angelou
I'm taking a short break from Tinctures and Herbal Remedies to bring you "Cup" planting and "Kitty Containers"
Yes...I am growing Tomatoes!!!! And eggplant, beans, peppers, basil, cabbage, carrots, dill, yarrow, chamomile, sage, radicchio...I'm sure I'm forgetting some of the varieties. But I didn't forget to Companion Plant!
I hate using plastic! But then again, I also hate wasting money. I transplanted the Genovese Basil into these red cups to give away as little "Thanks You" gifts and I didn't want to spend a lot of money on containers. For $2.50 I have 50 cups, or 50 gifts!
Red cups...Not just for frat parties and country songs!
These instructions can be used for LOTS of varieties!
Here, I'm planting Tomatoes!
So here's how I plant seeds: **Keep in mind that I'm preparing seedlings at a time that I might be moving to a new (to us) house. I would normally just transplant into the ground**
For Peat Pellet planting: -Soak tomato seeds for 12-24 hours before planting. -When you're ready to plant, soak the Peat Pellets (5-6 minutes) -Plant your seed in the center and lightly cover with soil
For "Cup" planting -Soak seeds for 12-24 hours before planting -Cut 2 holes in the bottom of your cup. -Fill the cup 3/4 full of potting soil or seed-starter mix *Seeds do not need fertilizer*I recommend seed-starter mix* -Moisten the dirt and thenmake a small "hole" in the center -Plant seed 1/4 inch in the "hole" then gently cover with dirt
Tomatoes planted in red cups and peat pellets
WOOHOO!! I get so excited when I plant seeds.
For Peat Pellets: when your seedlings grow about 1-2 inches tall it's time to transplant. You can transplant into a "cup" until you decide where your seedling will go. You can also transplant into a large container or into the ground.
Did you think I was going to stop there??? Keeping in mind that we might be moving, I decided to make use of 3 of the 100 or so kitty litter buckets(maybe more like 20 but who's counting) We get these for FREE and there's no way I'm throwing them away OR putting them in the recycle bin.
For "Kitty Containers": -Rinse thoroughly -Drill 6-9-12 holes in the bottom. We drilled 3 rows of 3 holes. -Pack the bottom with a layer of leaves. *Allows for drainage and FREE nitrogen and nutrients when the roots hit the bottom, plus they'll hold moisture.* -I add 1 banana peel to the bottom as well for Tomatoes.
-Add your container-garden soil -Carefully, remove the seedling from it's small container and transplant into your "Kitty Container." *You want to bury the lower part of the stem. This will give the tomato plant more stability and a great root system. -Water thoroughly
For more information there is a Growing from Seed page. February 7th (tomorrow) is the last day for the .99 cent seed sale The "RED" variety seed sale ends February 14th Orders $35 or more will include an extra pack of Pink Oxheart Tomatoes
Have you planned you garden yet? Are you already growing? Do you have any questions about where to get started?
