Category: garden

Spring in the garden time is officially upon us.

Warmer and longer days set the tone for getting outdoors, back to nature, and into the green of things.

House & Home – Photography by Janis Nicolay

“Springtime is the land awakening.
The March winds are the morning yawn.”

—Lewis Grizzard

Spring gardening tips prove once again it’s time to ready, plan, and plant spring flower, vegetable, and herb gardens.

Three-Piece Live Mini Tomato Heirloom Set

Tomatoes rate high as a spring into summer delicacy at Places In The Home.

Give your tomato plants a good grow by feeding the soil with a small amount of fertilizer and compost at planting time.

Tomato tips:

Tomatoes at room temperature release more flavor compounds when cut up compared to the taste of tomatoes that have been refrigerated.

That deliciously explains why garden ripe tomatoes from the vine gathered, washed, cut up or sliced, and served bypassing the fridge altogether tastes so good.

Consulting those sources in the gardening know for the answers to the gardening what, when, where, and how questions gardeners have gets it growing.

The Maule Seed Book 1908 Giclee Matte Print

Gardening Apps:

GardenTags

Gardenize

From Seed to Spoon

Garden Journal from the Old Farmer’s Almanac

All gardens grow in soil, but not all gardens grow in the ground.

Wood Raised Garden Bed with Lockable Wheels, Liner

Designed for a four-foot-square raised bed, here is a simple spring vegetable garden plan ready to advise and download from Better Homes and Gardens.

Simple Spring Vegetable Garden

Wooden Vegetable Raised Garden Bed Backyard Patio Planter

Burpee Early Italian Bush Bean Seeds

Supplying oodles of summer and spring garden goals plans is the
8 Vegetable Garden Layout Plans to Boost Your Homegrown Harvests.

Better Homes & Gardens also offers plans for creating the perfect cottage garden suited to your taste, zone, and design vision.

Garden Plans for Cottage Styles

Knowing what and when to plant according to your planting zone gets gardening off to a growing start.

Here’s the link to the USDA Planting Zone Map for U.S. Growing Zones.

Gardening is good clean happy fun.

Planting and potting in the soil gets your hands dirty which is believed to increase serotonin levels.  Research shows when our hands have contact with soil and a specific soil bacteria, Mycobacterium vaccae, the release of serotonin in the brain is triggered.

Serotonin is not only a natural antidepressant but it strengthens the immune system.

“In spring, at the end of the day,
you should smell like dirt.”

—Margaret Atwood

House & Garden – Photography by Sarah Cuttle

Gardening nurtures mind, body and soul providing a relaxing, healthy, delicious and visually gratifying result.

Call it green therapy.

Southern Living – Photography by Lisa Romerein

Vegetable and flower gardens grow well together, companion gardening if you will.

Flowers growing in a vegetable bed will attract bees and beneficial insects. Lending their natural way spreads pollen around encouraging vegetable plants to thrive in growth and the production of food.

Markus Spiske

Composite shaped flowers such as sunflowers, cosmos, daisies, and zinnias attract pollinators such as bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.

This helpful Pollinator-Friendly Native Plant Lists from The Xerces Society takes the guesswork out of what plants best in your region.

Herbs add the scent of spring into summer freshness and provide visual interest to the garden mix and the mingle.

Rabbits do what rabbits do as in look so darn cute and nibble on garden growth goodies.

Chicken wire cloches look as good as they cover and protect.

Chicken Wire Cloche with Extension

Deterring rabbits from feasting upon the harvest hints from The Old Farmer’s Almanac include the following:

Rabbits do not like the pungent smell of onions therefore these may serve as a the scent of discouragement.

Willow Cloche Protector Trellis

Try dusting around the garden and targeted plants with powdered red pepper.

Forsythia, zinnias, daffodils, lavender, and snapdragons seem to work as rabbits do not find these flowers appetizing. Planting these flowers strictly to deter is not a guaranteed solution to a bunny issue, but it is a colorful suggestion.

York Fable Wallcovering

Ever the decorista, garden trends grow gorgeous for spring.

Antique French Garden Pot

On trend for garden gorgeous this 2023 spring season, antique containers make a striking choice of planter complementing the beauty of spring flowers.

Estate and garage sales are garden supplies treasure troves for finding pots, planters, tools, and decorative garden statues in good and stylish curb appeal condition.

Vintage recipe boxes come in handy as a storage organizer for seed packets.

Garden Answer is one of my most favorite Facebook pages to follow. Here Laura plants a stunning container display pairing yellow ranunculus with yellow violas, and voilà- it’s spring.

Spring Crudités Board with White Bean-and-Pea Dip

Welcome spring into summer blooms to grace garden, basket, jar, vase and ultimately tabletop.

Pretty is as pretty plants.

Strawflower, Tom Thumb Mixed Colors

Garden friends and finds~

Decorative Butterfly Stepping Stone Bronze Cast Iron Paver 17″ Long

Country Living Magazine – Photography by Mark Lohman

We’ve now come to the how to build a wooden obelisk DIY project portion of this spring in the garden post. Find the tutorial here.

Tools

Heavy Duty Steel Folding Shovel
3-Piece Set Black Iron Gardening Tools
Adjustable Impact Tripod Sprinkler
Expert Gardener Indoor Garden Tool Set with Carrying Case
Steel Bypass Lopper

Spring in the Garden

Expert Gardener Indoor and Outdoor Potting Soil Mix, 8 qt. Bag
Preen Garden Weed Preventer
Large Capacity Black Growing Bag Raised Garden Flower Planter
30 Packs Assorted Heirloom Vegetable Seeds 30+ Varieties

Supplies

Pink Garden Tote Storage Bag with 8 Pockets
Expert Gardener Floral Pattern Rose Pick Garden Gloves
Gilmour 50 foot Pro Hose, 5/8″ Diameter, Yellow
Pastels of Nature Metal Purple Watering Can

Goodies

Dragonfly 12-1/2 in. x 10 in. Terra Cotta PSW Pot
DecMode 11″ Indoor Outdoor Rabbit Garden Sculpture
Cast Stone Rose Stepstone Weathered Bronze
Handwoven in Brown Stain Willow Weave Picnic Basket 1-Piece

Happy gardening!

Spring garden goals are taking root with many of us who love to lawn and garden.

Designing a garden begins with a spring garden goals plan.

Homesteading – (Back to Basics Guides) 2nd Edition by Abigail Gehring

I dig (ha!) spring garden goals advice from one of the top sources of info, Better Homes and Gardens.

8 Vegetable Garden Layout Plans to Boost Your Homegrown Harvests supplies oodles of summer and spring garden goals plans.

Illustrations by Gary Palmer

Knowing what to and when to plant according to the area you live aka your planting zone gets things to growing.

Here’s the link to the USDA Planting Zone Map for U.S. Growing Zones.

Balance of nature best describes the early planting vs. late seasonal frost dilemma we face here in Louisiana and our neighboring states.

Following Facebook friends and garden gurus such as Mississippi State University Extension Service and LSU AgCenter keeps me in the know when and what to grow zone.

Safe bet vegetables to plant in March and April (early spring) include corn, cucumber, summer squash, tomatoes, radish, lima beans, mustard and collard greens, eggplant, cushaw, okra, snap beans and watermelon.

Establishing what veggies to plant is easy, gardenistas!

Plant what you love to eat.

Crisp, colorful with the taste of home grown goodness,  vegetables fresh from the garden are ripe for the spring into summer grilling, roasting, stir-frying, sauteing and steaming season.

Successful vegetable garden growth is dependent upon well-drained soil.

Raised or planter box gardens tackle the excess water issue well allowing water to properly drain out of the bed.

Essential to the harvest, sunlight aids maximum growth in plants and flowers.

Factor this key component of garden growth success into the placement of your garden.

Good soil garners a good garden.

All-purpose garden soil establishes a good soil structure while aiding with drainage.

For raised bed or garden box gardens, potting soil is a good fit as it enhances soil and encourages moisture.

Be careful in the amount you use so the garden will not hold too much water.

Midwest Living

Fresh vegetables steal the spring centerpiece show, and put the wow in unique and easy arrangements. Not to play second fiddle, leafy greens star in the latest entertaining trend, the edible table runner.

Grab a vintage pitcher, woven basket, mayonnaise jar, bucket or watering can.

Arrange to please your eye with greenery clippings, raffia, ribbon, or simply arrange to showcase the shapes and colors.

Spring garden goals include a producing vegetable garden complete with flowers planted within for dimension and floral arrangement beauty.

Companion garden flowers perfect for planting in your vegetable garden include nasturtium, marigolds, zinnias, lavender, and catnip.

Introduce your blooming edible flowers such as pansies, nasturtiums, and  roses to sips, salads, and desserts.

Carefully collect the flowers, placing spaced apart in a box or on a tray. Refrigerate flowers until ready to use.

When ready to use gently wash off your gathered flowers including any garden variety debris. Next, remove the reproductive parts of the blooms which house pollen.

Better Homes & Gardens

Garnish your selected sips, salads, and desserts and enjoy!

Iron We’re in the Garden Sign

Color plays a vital role in everything from the palette to plate to potting bench.

Seed Packets Towel

Benjamin Moore supplies garden green colors inspiration.

Outsunny Brown Fir and Wood Potting Bench

Gray Wooden Shed Potting Bench Work Table

Add gardening theme wall hooks to the apron of the table (front, back, sides) to hang and house garden tools, supplies, and the like.

Turn this helping hands planter into a potting bench container perfect for housing garden supplies.

Abbott Hands Planter

Planting, potting, and playing in the dirt is good clean fun, but messy all the same.

Drop in a hammered copper sink, plumb it all up, and say hello to my little anything but garden-variety potting bench friend.

How fabulous are these personalized planting tools in a copper and wood grain finish?

Personalized Luxury Copper Garden Tools

Costway Garden Cart Rolling Work Seat for Planting w/Extendable Handle

Easter basket goody for the gardenista.

No yard, no problem.

Plant and pot veggies and herbs in a decorative planter.

My mint harvest is a treat for the senses.

Iced tea with mint.

Green peas with mint.

Carrots with mint.

Mint sprigs floating in a bowl.

Looks, tastes, and smells like spring into summer.

Another centerpiece idea in play with your food fashion.

As I sliced into a fresh tomato this afternoon the freshness jumped off the cutting board.

This tomato smells so good brings the tomato lovers running.

In our house the perfect tomato sandwich is a spring into summer delicacy.

Fresh sliced home grown tomatoes, Duke’s mayonnaise, a dash of salt and a sprinkle of fine black pepper- it doesn’t get any better.

Heirloom Tomato Ricotta Tart recipe from Foolproof Living

Indulge in fresh vegetables featured in delicious recipes perfect for the best of the season menu.

Click on the link under each photo for the recipe.

Asparagus, Chicken, and Green Pea Salad with Mint

 Southern Living- Photo by Jennifer Davick

Season seasonal dishes and drinks with the fresh taste of spring and summer herbs fresh from your garden.

Gardening is a beloved tradition of master and amateur gardener, an exercise in fruitful happiness.

Container, patio or parcel of fertile ground, what are your spring garden goals?