April is National Garden Month, and the timing grows perfect for digging into a seasonal vegetable or flower garden with in the garden goodies.
This is how we make a garden and a gorgeous video!
Photography by Erda Estremera
My gardening skills this past weekend consisted of lopping off the top of the Sago palm and cheering on my neighbors who planted, gardened, and curb appealed with the best of them.
Sage advice!
Accents and accessories decorate the spaces and the places in the home, lawn and garden.
Spring Welcome To Our Garden Coir Door Mat by Place & Time
Staub Ceramic 16-oz Petite Tomato Cocotte – Cherry
Vintage Corn Casserole Dish
Personalized Metal Garden Sign
Vegetables, fruits, and flowers thrive in growth and production when watered properly with a slower watering period.
Antique Shoppes At 1100 Barksdale
Optimum watering time for your garden is in the morning as it allows the water to soak into the soil before the heat of the day sets in. Watering in the late afternoon works well too. Always avoid watering your garden in the heat of the day so your plants will not run the risk of burning.
Water plants at their base. Try your best not to wet the leaves or vegetables/fruits in order to prevent mildew. Leaves that develop a yellow to brown edge indicate overwatering.
Checking the soil with a soil tester can help to rule out gardening disaster.
When it comes to watering herbs use enough water in order to moisten the root zone at least 6 inches deep.
On the subject of herbs, garden goodies, and not so garden goodies let’s look at herbs and flowers that are not only delicious, aromatic, and colorful but help to naturally repel unwanted guests who wreak havoc in the garden.
Rosemary
Known for its distinct woody scent, rosemary naturally repels mosquitoes slugs, moths, and flies.
Mint
Menthol present in mint serves as the natural mosquito and company be gone repellent as it is an unpleasant scent to pesky mosquitoes, ants, and spiders.
Fresh and aromatic to humans, mint makes an effective and pleasing natural mosquito repellent. Simply gather mint leaves, crush, and rub on your skin.
Pairing this spring fresh leaf with your garden is mint to be.
Mother-in-law’s Tongue
Also known as the snake plant, mother-in-law’s tongue is a super easy plant to grow. It takes well to indirect sunlight, and thrives well as a houseplant as long as it receives partial sunlight.
Durable and tough to kill (my kind of plant), I call it an auto pilot plant as it doesn’t require much attention to flourish, and only needs a drink of water every 7-10 days or when the soil has completely dried out.
Marigolds
Marigolds come in as the best and most colorful choice of insect repelling plant. The strong scent emitted by marigolds repels garden pests such as mosquitos, aphids, and wasps.
Folding Garden Kneeler Seat with Tool Pouch
Successful gardening begins with beneficial tools and helping hand solutions for maximum results.
Around the Places In The Home dinner table we do love good conversation and fresh tomatoes.
Tomato tips:
Tomatoes at room temperature release more flavor compounds when cut up compared to the taste of tomatoes that have been refrigerated.
Boxer Brown Breathable Fabric Planting Containers and Pots with Handles
Giant Belgium Pink Tomato Plant
Tomato Ladders, Set of 3 from Gardener’s Supply Company
Tomatoes and other salad must haves such as cucumbers and melons seem to produce their best yield when grown in a support system such as a trellis, ladder, or cage.
Keeping the fruit from making contact with the ground keeps the plants healthier and promotes a cleaner grow.
Patio Raised Garden Bed Grow Box Kit with Watering System and Casters
Outdoor Wooden Garden Potting Bench
Faux Bois French Inspired Oversized Chair
Estate and garage sales, antiques markets, and vintage shops become garden supplies treasure troves for finding planters, tools, and decorative garden statues.
Tools
Ozark Trail Heavy Duty Steel Folding Shovel
The Pioneer Woman Geo Print Women’s Nitrile Gardening Glove
Fiskars Designer Stainless Steel Pruner and Snip Set
EG Expert Gardener 12.6 inch Steel Cultivator
Get to Growing
Expert Gardener Tomato & Vegetable Garden Plant Food Fertilizer
Preen Garden Weed Prevent + Plant Food
Large Capacity Black Growing Bag Raised Garden Flower Planter
30 Packs Assorted Heirloom Vegetable Seeds 30+ Varieties
Supplies
The Pioneer Woman Goldie Decorative Hose Hanger, Teal
Gilmour Heavy Duty Multi-pattern Circular Sprinkler
Expert Gardener 2-Gallon Plastic Watering Can, Green
In the Garden Goodies
12″ Spring Iron & Terracotta Caterpillar Yard Stake by Place & Time
13 Gallon Spring Garden Grow Bag by Place & Time
Women’s LC Lauren Conrad Scalloped Straw Floppy Sun Hat
One of the best parts of the vegetable and flower garden process is the garden to table recipes and dishes reaped from the harvest.
Counter Art Glass Cutting Board, Our Farm
Spring into summer salad season is here, and I love to serve a simply delicious salad on a garden themed plate.
Flower Show Melamine Salad Plate, Created for Macy’s
Honeycomb Embossed Appetizer Plates, Set of 4
4pk Melamine Appetizer Plates – Threshold
Hummingbird Nectar
Ingredients
granulated white table sugar
Water (tap is fine)
Directions
Mix 1 part sugar with 4 parts water (for example, 1 cup of sugar with 4 cups of water) until sugar is dissolved.
Do not add red dye.
Fill hummingbird feeder with the sugar water mixture and place outside.
Any extra sugar water can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Change feeders every other day and thoroughly clean them each time to prevent harmful mold growth
To prevent the growth of mold, a hummingbird feeder should be cleaned and refilled at least twice a week in hot weather and at least once a week in cooler weather.
USDA – Photography by Lance Cheung
“The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt,
head in the sun, heart with nature.
To nurture a garden is to feed not
just the body, but the soul.”
— Alfred Austin
Burt’s Bees Almond & Milk Hand Cream
Here’s to good gardening times!
