Spring Gardening

We've been doing some gardening lately, so there goes any free blogging time I might have. I thought this might be a good time to repost some of my favorite gardening posts. And maybe some freebies?

Free gardening resources:

• Free gardeners idea book
• Free vegetable gardeners guide

And now for some of my own resources, culled from my own internet research and trial and error.

• Lasagna beds for preparing soil and less tilling.  This one will be better for the fall.  
• Egg carton planters, one of my most popular gardening posts.  You can start your plants at any time in egg cartons, but it needs to be something with a short growing season at this point.  Awesome way to get the kids involved.
• My personal favorite, The Three Sisters.  We work in a lesson about Native Americans, talk about soil and seed science, and enjoy lots of beans.  For the past two years, we've gotten straight line winds that blew over our corn.  Crossing our fingers for this year.
• Another fun one, potato in a bucket.
• Gardening in small spaces: hanging baskets.
• And how could I forget composting?

Veggie Lasagna Recipe

I apologize for the lack of photos on this one. Sometimes I make up recipes out of necessity from whatever I have available, and sometimes they work. This was one I thought might not work, so I have no before or during pictures.  This isn't the original box of veggies--it's my next one.

First, I have been getting these awesome boxes of veggies from a local farm. My last box was huge, and I had a lot of veggies to use up in a hurry before the next one arrived. Looking in the box, I saw 4 baby eggplants, a green bell pepper, a green (maybe) anaheim pepper, an onion, and a WHOLE LOT of tomatoes. From my own garden, I have a ton of tomatoes and one lone red bell pepper. What to do with all of it? So, here's what I did.

Vegetable Lasagna

Filling:
4 baby (asian?) eggplants*
3 various peppers*
1 onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1-2 teaspoons sea salt

I diced all the veggies except the onion (used the food processor so it was smaller pieces), and mixed them with the olive oil, lemon juice and salt while I prepared other parts. After they had "marinated" for a bit, I put a little olive oil in a large skillet, threw in the onion and sauteed till it was translucent. Then I added the other veggie mixture in with the onion and sauteed for 5 minutes or so. Set aside.

*your vegetables can vary based on personal preference or what you have on hand. I think mushrooms would also be great in this.

Cheese Mixture:
1 cup cottage cheese**
1 cup plain greek yogurt**
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup dried parsley

Mix these all together, set aside.

**or two cups of cottage cheese or ricotta.

Tomato sauce:
Approximately 8-10 tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves of garlic (adjust to taste)
1 teaspoon sea salt
cracked black pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in big cooking pot, then add in sliced or pressed garlic until it smells good (a few minutes, don't burn it!) Cut tomatoes in quarters, and throw in the pot, seeds and all. Mash with fork or potato masher. Cook on medium high for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Throw in a handful of fresh basil (12 leaves, more or less.) When the 10 minutes is up, use immersion blender to puree everything.

To put it all together:

1. Use about 1/2 cup of sauce on the bottom of a large casserole dish.
2. Layer UNCOOKED lasagna noodles.
3. 1 cup veggie mixture.
4. 1 cup cheese mixture.
5. 1 cup of sauce.
6. Repeat layers.
7. Top with remaining sauce, then 1-2 cups of shredded mozzerella, depending on your family preference.
8. Cover with foil, bake at 375* for 45 minutes, removing foil for the last 15 minutes to brown cheese.

Now, don't go thinking this is difficult or even time consuming.  I had the veggies cooking in the skillet while the tomatoes cooked on the back burner.  I mixed the cheese mixture in between stirring.  I think the hardest part was cutting everything up, but I got help with that part.  This took around 30 minutes to put together.

You don't have to make your sauce from scratch.  I did it because I had a million tomatoes to use up, but you could just as easily make this with a large jar of sauce.  For another way to use up lots of veggies, check out my stuffed with veggies bell peppers, or click on the easy recipes tag to see other recipes I've posted.

Reading Freebies

How about a few good freebies to read?

• Free gardener's idea book.
• Free vegetable garden guide.
• Free 2011 Consumer Action handbook.
• Another free bible.

Enjoy!

Cheapout on Gardening -- Lasagna Beds

I've posted before about the concept of using lasagna beds for gardening.  I really like the simplicity of it, and the way that it uses up items we have around the house.  I photographed while I prepared our raised beds, so thought I would again share it step-by-step.

Well...I guess I neglected to take the before picture again.  Picture two raised beds that still had all the stalks and waste from last year.  I did nothing, just left the dead plants in the beds.  To start, I took out the really large stalks and set them aside for the compost bin.  I left smaller vegetation right where it was, then started layering on cardboard boxes.

I remove any tape from the boxes, but pretty well lay them on the way they are.  Then give them a good long soak with the hose.  As always, I get help with this part.

Once it is soaking wet, I start with the next layers.  You can find exact directions, but after much research, it really seems like the order just isn't that important.  After this, you can put in anything you would put into your compost pile:

• Grass clippings, leaves, and other yard waste
• Shredded bills or old newspapers
• Food scraps--fruit and veggie peels, coffee grounds, tea bags, egg shells

Because I was such an awesome composter last year, I had a ton of good compost to work with for this year's garden.  The view inside my compost box after a good stirring. 

I hauled several buckets of compost over and spread it into the raised beds.  Another good soak, and my garden is mostly ready for planting.  Next week, I will add more Miracle Grow to the top in order to get the smooth, fluffy soil I like for planting.

Again, I will point out that I am very much an amateur gardener.  I also don't use a lot of chemicals, and I don't have hours on end to dedicate to perfecting my craft.  I think that this makes my tips a lot more realistic for people who work or have small children or are like me--lazy, especially once it gets hot outside.

I'd be happy to answer any questions anyone has, and you can also share any tips you might have to help me.  Be sure to click back through the gardening tab in my tag cloud to read other posts I've shared on this topic.

Cheapout on Gardening -- Egg Carton Planters

I say every year that I am not starting from seeds. I never can get the timing down and my seeds don't always succeed. This year, I decided I would just use whatever seeds we already had left over from last year. If they don't work, it's obviously because I used old seeds, not my lack of skill.

I can't get past the fact that the kids love digging in the dirt and watching things grow, so we got to work on our seeds this past weekend.

So, here's how you cheapout on planting and reuse some resources at the same time.  We use egg cartons. 

The best part of these cardboard egg cartons is that you can plant them right in the ground.  The cardboard will break down in the ground and helps retain moisture for the growing plants. 

We used Miracle Grow potting soil, because that is the only thing that allows us modest success.

I let the kids do it.  It's not going to hurt anything if they spill a little on the ground.  Then plant a few seeds per hole, water it lightly, and keep them in a warm place.

They don't need sun until they start to grow, so leave them closed up to keep the moisture and warmth in.

When you are ready to plant, you can cut or tear the sections apart and put them right into the ground. 

If they don't grow, you've still had a lot of fun with the kids.  For us, there was absolutely no expense here.  We used seeds we already had, soil we already had, and egg cartons we already had.

25 Packets of Organic Seeds for $4.99!

Act fast!  I saw this on Deal Seeking Mom's Facebook page, and hopefully all of you already know about her.  If you don't, you can click there on her name and learn more.

Here are the details:
The limit per household for individuals is 25 packets of seeds (approx. $75 value) for a $4.99 shipping and handling charge, and the limit per organization is 100 packets (approx. $300 value) for a $14.99 shipping and handling charge. You can only order seeds once and they will likely arrive within two to six weeks.

This is a great deal for anyone, especially those getting ready to garden.  Seeds of Change Foods is giving out millions of packets of organic seeds, and you'll get 25 packets for only $4.99 shipping.  When one packet of seeds can cost $3 or more, this is truly a great deal.  Check out their Sowing Millions page, and do it quickly to make sure you get a chance to get your seeds.

Cheapout on Gardening -- Three Sisters

This was by far my biggest success last summer. It's called the Three Sisters, and it comes from the Native American culture.  The idea is that the three crops are symbiotic, and all three do better as a result of being with the others.  I planted corn, beans, and squash all together in one half of my large raised bed.

• The corn uses a lot of nitrogen, but it provides something for the beans to climb, and provides shade for the squash.
• The beans fix nitrogen into the soil.
• The squash provides ground cover for the other two, preventing weeds from growing and also helping to keep the soil's moisture.

You need to plant the corn first to give it a little bit of a head start.  Once the corn is about 6 inches tall, you can plant the beans and squash.  I used pole beans and a variety of squash seeds (because I had a few seeds in each packet, and my then 3 year old dumped them all together.)

After about two weeks, they looked like this.

As I mentioned earlier, this is just one end of my larger raised bed.  You can see rows of tomatoes or eggplant just to the right.

A few more weeks, and here it the large bed, three sisters in the back of the photo.

We had a very chilly and wet spring and summer, so the tomatoes and peppers were off to a slow start.  The sisters are doing great.  Here's a closer look at the three sisters, below.

The corn was definitely knee high by the 4th of July.

Here you can see the beans hanging from the corn stalks.

And a spaghetti squash growing.

The tomatoes finally caught up, and we got more beans than we could have imagined.

And there we have it!  The three sisters were mostly successful for us.  We had a severe wind storm that blew over my corn stalks right as the ears had started.  I staked it back up, but it ruined the corn.  We did continue to get a lot of beans and a few random squash.  We had trouble getting anything to come of all the squash blossoms, so this year I will add a plant to entice more bees to our garden.

Cheapout on Gardening -- Potato in a Bucket

As we prepare for our garden this year, I wanted to post a few ideas that we tried last year. None are original, but it's a good collection of all the cheap ideas that we have tried.  First, you can check out the posts I have already done by clicking the word "gardening" in my tag cloud on the right.  I'll also post the link here, for the people who like to have it easy. 

Today, I'm going to address the potato in a bucket.  It's easy, fun, and a really great container grower.

1. First, find a good potato with a few eyes.  It doesn't have to be from the seed store, but it might have better results.
2. Next, find a 5 gallon bucket (I've also seen people use 20 gal garbage cans).  Prepare it by drilling a few small drain holes in the bottom, then you can use some rocks to aid drainage.
3. Place the potato in a few inches of soil.
4. As the plant begins to grow, add more soil to cover the plant every time it gets about 6 inches tall.  The plant will add potatoes at each level.
5. Once the bucket is completely filled with soil, allow the plant to continue to grow until it turns brown.  You can then harvest your potato and save the soil for your next batch.

Note: We are very much amateur gardeners at my house.  I want to do more, but we have gradually added to our gardening attempts over the past several years.  I do use this as a teachable moment for the kids (and me!) and the food we get is an added bonus.  I've found my kids are much more receptive to eating the food we grow ourselves.

75% off Daffodil Bulbs

For three days only, get 50 daffodil bulbs for only $9.49 with coupon code SUPERDAFF. It also says here that deer hate them. Even better!  If you sign up for their email list, they will email you a $10 coupon.

75% off at Holland Farms!

This is a great sale on some plants that need to be put in in the spring. They are having a huge sale, but I've just linked to the 75% off items HERE.  You can use code STXTEN to get $10 off $60 through the end of May.

More Gardening--Composting

I realize that my posting style is scattered.  It works a lot like my life and my mind.  I would present information in an orderly fashion, but I tend to be inspired by what is going on in my life.  Right now, I'm all about getting the garden ready (and backyard, so the kids are entertained while I garden.)

I have a few more tips that I think will help beginning gardeners.  I think this post and the next will focus on compost and collecting water for the garden, both of which can conserve resources and reduce waste.

I was lucky when we moved in, there was an established garden already here.  My problem was that at the time I was pregnant and the garden was HUGE.  Not having really done much gardening before, it was a challenge.  Then with a newborn and even young toddlers, it is just so hard to find the time you need.  We gradually removed more and more of the garden to lawn, but it was when I stumbled upon the concept of container gardening that I started to do much better.

Composting

We already had the compost frame here.  It's a basic and rudimentary wooden frame with a little bit of ventilation.  There are many different types of composters on the market, but something like this will work fine for your needs.  I had to search through my pictures, because I don't think I've ever deliberately taken a picture of my compost bin.

For composting, we just collect food and yard waste and dump it into the compost frame.  You can follow instructions perfectly and use the proper order of materials like HERE or you can be a little more loose.  The difference is that it might be a little slower or not quite as "pretty."  I put in yard waste like leaves, weeds, grass trimmings, and I also put in food waste.  My only rule on the food waste is that I try not to put in any animal products (dairy, meat, though I do put in eggshells) simply because they attract animals and can smell.  I also use the non-shiny parts of the newspaper.

Then I kind of stir it up when I think of it.  I let the rain take care of keeping it moist unless it's been a long dry period.  Then I might add a little bit of water so it doesn't dry out.

I sometimes dream of buying some of the fancy compost tumblers or holders like these:

But it actually works pretty well to collect our coffee grounds, vegetable peels, bread crusts, and egg shells in a coffee can, then taking it out to dump daily in the wooden frame.

This makes some great plant food, and it reduces the amount of household waste we throw out with our garbage.  Talk about green (though it's more brown.)

Gardening in Small Spaces, Hanging Baskets

This is another area that I explored last year, and I want to share my methods.  Again, the way I did this isn't new.  I googled and searched and read books to find different ways to do some things.  Everyone has seen Topsy Turvy Tomatoes, but I wanted to try to do this my own (read cheaper) way.  I was able to get hanging baskets with coco liner from Dollar General for about $4.  I've seen them other places for similar prices.

I cut an X in the bottom of the coco liner, then planted some established tomato seedlings so that they came out through the bottom of the basket.  I used good, water-retaining soil and then hung the basket in a sunny area.  I experimented with 2 plants in one basket, and I also planted some peppers in the top of a couple of the baskets and some herbs in others.

My results, including failures and successes:

• One tomato plant did a lot better than two, and the ones with peppers also didn't do as well, except the smaller variety peppers.
• These require a lot of water, and because of the small volume of soil, you need to have some that retains water better.  The ones planted in Miracle Gro potting mix fared far better than those planted in regular potting soil. You will need to water frequently.
• I think the ones with the herbs growing in the top, especially the low-growing ground cover type herbs, were able to retain their water better.
• The tomatoes I planted in the traditional manner definitely produced more and larger fruits.  The cherry tomatoes did best upside down.
• The ones in the baskets did have a lot less trouble with pests.

Do You Garden?

I have tried and failed on many occasions to create a garden, all times because I bit off more than I could chew.  Last year, I had some modest success with gardening after some research and stepping down and using a very small area.

With Earth Day coming up, I thought I might share some of the tips I've gleaned from my research for the people who are just starting out with gardening.  Obviously, I am still a novice, so my information is probably not going to be useful to anyone who's been gardening for years.

I decided on raised bed and container gardening last year, and I really liked how much easier it was than tilling up a patch of land and dealing with weeds and critters.  There are a lot of terms for the techniques that I used:  container, square foot, lasagna, and raised bed are some of the types I combined.

My husband built a square frame from 2x4s that was 6 feet long and 2 feet wide, two boards high (so about 8 inches tall.)  There were a lot of things we could buy that would have cost a lot more, but this worked for us.  I then used lasagna gardening to prepare the plot for planting.  What I love the best about it is the flexibility.  Use whatever materials you have on hand, no specific order or method necessary, and the time for the bed to be prepared is minimal.

I then used square foot gardening to plant 12 different crops into that small bed.  I used one square foot for each of the plants that I wanted to grow, and it was moderately successful for most.  My main issue probably had a lot more to do with the weather than anything else.  We had a very cool and wet summer and some crops just didn't fare as well.

It may not be too easy to see from this photo (last July 1), but I really did manage to cram some larger varieties into their own little squares.  The rabbits kept eating anything that got outside the fence, so we never got any squash.  I have a new plan for this year, which I will explain in the next post.

It's not a pretty picture, but this is my small bed all planted and covered in bird netting in order to thwart some critters.  It was amazing how beautiful the soil was.  It was almost "fluffy" and not compacted at all.  We added a new layer of cardboard, some home grown compost, then a little additional soil in order to bring the soil level back up to the top.  I also planted in short rows this time, which I hope will give a little more room for the plants.

This is the start of my new larger bed (8 ft x 4 ft).  You can see I have cardboard, leaves and other yard waste, then some compost also.  I added newspaper and then topped it off with potting mix.  I started the seeds for this section indoors so that they can get ready while this soil gets ready for the new plants.

 Big girl helping out with the leaf layer.  Finished large bed below.

I will post some other things that I tried in an additional post, along with some of the things I am changing this year.