Some Great Spring Gardening Tips 2014

Compliments of The helpful gardener

This year I need all the help that I can get to make the most amazing garden in the universe. I WANT to be called the Ninja Gardener heee.. 

Great Spring Gardening Tips 

Pruning For early blooming shrubs such as forsythia and viburnum,  prune them as soon as blooms have passed. Early  spring is also an ideal time to prune your roses. Deadheading Remove spent flowers from bulbs,  but leave the rest of the plant as is for the time being. Weeding Pull weeds from your beds and borders  before they have a chance to take hold and spread. Composting Tend to your compost if it has been neglected  over the winter. If you do not have a compost bin,  spring is a great time to start one. Tools Spring is a good time to prepare your tools  for the oncoming gardening season and to make  any necessary repairs or new purchases. You will  be happy you have done so when summer sets in. Plant Spring is a great time to add new  plants to your garden. Be sure, however, that  all threat of frost has past. Plant such things trees,  shrubs, hardy annuals, and summer blooming bulbs. Fertilize & Mulch Fertilize and mulch beds and borders.  Spring is also a good time to fertilize fruit trees.  If you applied heavy winter mulch for protection from  the cold, you will need to clear it away. Staking Stake plants that may be prone to wind damage  during the unpredictable spring weather. Lawn Care Spring is the best time to start a new lawn from  seed. For established lawns, you should start  mowing in the spring, but don’t initially cut the grass very short for the first few times. Of course, whether you start these  chores in early, mid, or late spring depends  on the climate where you live, taking in to  account such factors as when the threat of frost  has past or when the ground is thawed enough to  dig. I hope these tips will give you a good idea as to  where to focus your attention in your garden this spring. Enjoy!

No Garden? Here Are 66 Things You Can Can Grow At Home In Containers

Container Gardens
By Rachel Cernansky - planetgreen.discovery.com
Growing your own food is exciting, not only because you get to see things grow from nothing into ready-to-eat fruits and veggies, but you also don’t have to worry about the pesticides they might contain, and you definitely cut down on the miles they—and you—have to travel.
As it turns out, with pretty minimal effort, anyone can be a gardener. My boyfriend and I are essentially first-timers this season and so far have the beginnings of strawberries peeking out, tomatoes are on their way, the basil’s about ready for a big batch of pesto, and once the last frost hits, the peppers, kale, spinach, chard, and mescalin will be on their way, too. All on a tiny little terrace (with the help of a little DIY carpentry).
If you’re up to the challenge—and it really isn’t much of one—growing your own food can be so rewarding. And so much cheaper! Just be sure to choose the right planter or container, learn how to maintain it properly, and go find yourself some seeds! (Or starter plants.)
Like this idea? Be sure to check out these 6 Crazy Concepts for Micro Gardens That Actually Work to get inspiration for designing your own garden in a small space.
Here’s a starter list of all the crazy things even urban gardeners, without space for a garden, can grow at home.

Tree fruits – including apples

1. Apples can be grown in a container; you can also grow them on the balcony or other small space using a technique called espaliering.
2. Kumquats
3. Avocados (plenty of extra tips online if you search)
4. Blackberries
5. Blueberries (sometimes helpful videos are available online)
6. Pomegranate
7. Cherries
8. Figs
9. Pears

Citrus fruits

Citrus trees in particular are said to be good for beginning gardeners and are easy to grow indoors, so don’t let inexperience or lack of outdoor space stop you from enjoying fresh-picked, hyper-local fruit.
10. Dwarf oranges
11. Grapefruit
12. Tangerines
13. Meyer lemons
14. Limes

Tropical fruits

Tropical fruits can also be surprisingly easy to grow indoors, even in non-tropical climates. Such as…
15. Bananas (look for container gardening tips online)
16. Pineapple
17. Papaya
18. Guavas (several varieties)

The real surprises

19. Hops—yes, as in the “spice” ingredient in beer. Turns out they’re easy to grow!
20. Aloe Vera
21. Strawberries
22. Tea (well, herbal tea)
23. Quinoa!

The non-surprises

24. Tomatoes
25. Summer squash
26. Other squashes, like acorn and pumpkin
27. Hot Peppers
28. Sweet peppers
29. Cucumbers

Melons

30. Small cantaloupe
31. Jenny Lind melon (an heirloom cantaloupe)
32. Golden Midget Watermelon

Herbs

Just about any herb grows well indoors—just be sure that if you’re going to do any container-sharing, you do your research first about which herbs co-habitate well together. (Some will hog water, for example, and leave the others dried out.)
33. Basil
34. Oregano
35. Parsley
36. Rosemary
37. Chives
38. Catnip
39. Thyme
40. Sage
41. Parsley

Leafy Greens

42. Kale
43. Mescalin greens
44. Spinach
45. Swiss chard
46. Lettuces (plenty of options there, from micro-greens to head or loose-leaf)
47. Mustard greens
48. Collard greens
49. Arugula

Root Vegetables

50. Carrots
51. Beets
52. Potatoes

Other healthy-sounding stuff

53. Sprouts
54. More sprouts: mung bean and lentil sprouts
55. Wheat grass
56. Kohlrabi
57. Turnips
58. Rutabagas
59. Celeriac
60. Parsnips
61. Jerusalem Artichoke
62. Sugar snap peas
63. Rhubarb (not ideal in a container, but it can work)
64. Mushrooms (again, more tips online if you look)
65. Pole Beans
66. And… asparagus, although some disagree that it does well in a container. Try it if you’re ok with a risk!
Bonus 67: You can grow your own loofah, too, but you’d need a garden rather than a container for that.

Found this fun site

If you like Herbs.. Illustrated Bites

Inspired to Garden for the first time

I am beyond excited to plant and tend to my garden this year. As you know I purchased this 1996 mobile home last year for 750 dollars and had to gut it down to the siding except for one room and a closet. The guts of the place, the furnace and water heater were all good to go. Any ways this property is literally in the middle of a cornfield so my backyard is like a field of dreams. I look out at this each morning and am pretty much breathless each and every time. So grateful to the Lord. OK, yessss the renovation project has been more than a nightmare and as for today there is nobody left to help finish the project and all out of funds. I am still going to stay in the Lord and place my trust in Him. That leads me to basically why I started this garden. I knew moving out here would lead to a fresh start for me and the kids so I told myself that this year I would do things I had never done, venture into places I had never gone and sore heights I never imagined attainable. Yes I know I practically sound like a super hero,  so here we go lol... I need to keep moving forward whether the house is done or not. I want this house to be a home now, not a renovation project. Not so much for me but for my kids.
This is my backyard. The garden is way way way in the back and it is a shared plot but we will get to the actual garden in a moment

What an ordeal. You know whenever you take on a new venture, isn't it funny how something always tries to come in and make you believe it was a complete mistake to even give it a try. Usually I become tormented with frustration and thoughts of failure. Well Monday morning I walked down to the garden because the neighbors had the rototiller out and I thought I would give it a whirl. I had never operated one of those things before ugh.. So the neighbor guy says, go ahead and drive it forward. Well I grip on nice and tight my hand to the plow literally and moved forward. At the end of the row the rototiller pukes so the guy says just pull the cord but I couldn't get a grip on the thing. The guy notices and says just hang on to the gas cap, so I reach over to what I assumed was the gas cap and it was NOT.. It was the engine and I wrapped my entire hand around this thing and my hand was burned. I was completely engulfed with agonizing pain and I immediately began to cry and run to my house far far away:).. I burst through the front door, face all red, and began running my hand under cold water but the pain was not going away. Yes, the burn was pretty bad. I noticed a black mark where the burned had singed my skin. What a way to begin my new adventures in gardening.

The Herb Garden

I was totally inspired to do an herb garden because I found that working with fresh herbs creates amazing tasting food and a few heath for the mix. In this herb garden I added Cilantro which is growing in the smaller pot.

List of Cilantro Benefits:

• Powerful anti-inflammatory capacities that may help symptoms of arthritis
• Protective agents against bacterial infection from Salmonella in food products
• Acts to increase HDL cholesterol (the good kind), and reduces LDL cholesterol (the bad kind)
• Relief for stomach gas, prevention of flatulence and an overall digestive aid
• Wards off urinary tract infections
• Helps reduce feelings of nausea
• Eases hormonal mood swings associated with menstruation
• Has been shown to reduce menstrual cramping.
• Adds fiber to the digestive tract
• A source of iron, magnesium, and is helpful in fighting anemia
• Gives relief for diarrhea, especially if caused by microbial or fungal infections
• Helps promote healthy liver function.
• Reduces minor swelling
• Strong general antioxidant properties
• Disinfects and helps detoxify the body
• Stimulates the endocrine glands
• Helps with insulin secretion and lowers blood sugar
• Acts as a natural anti-septic and anti-fungal agent for skin disorders like fungal infections and eczema
• Contains immune-boosting properties
• Acts as an expectorant
• Helps ease conjunctivitis, as well as eye-aging, muscular degeneration, and other stressors on the eyes @ Global Healing center

How can you not love the healing benefits of cilantro?...Another thing I planted was oregano and chives.. Yummm.. Anddd Best of all.. Fresh Mint.. Mint contains a truckload of vitamins and minerals, which are vital to a healthy body. Mint is full of Vitamins A and C and also contains smaller traces of Vitamin B2. Vitamin C is an important antioxidant . Mint also contains a wide range of essential minerals such as manganese, copper, iron, potassium and calcium.
Lemon Thyme and Basil are awesome together. You need to try it in a marinade for chicken

Lastly some pictures of my Huge, Beautiful, Succulent garden. I am praying that the Lord would produce an amazing harvest although this is my first time with the gardening thing so I believe I will be learning along the way what to do and what NOT to do...

Peppers

Pickling Cucumbers

Red Cabbage



We also have tomatoes galore, a heap load of beets and beans and of course who could forget lettuce. I am sure looking forward to sharing updates on the progress of my garden:)

Don't forget to Intentionally Inspire yourself today...
xoxo
Kristin