5 DIY Seed Starting Vessels

If you are like me and love to start your own seeds, you are probably familiar with the usual seed starting vessels - plastic trays and pots, soil blocks, and peat pots. But some of the best seed starting vessels, in my opinion, can't be purchased from the store. They actually can be made from items you probably …

How to Grow Epic Tomatillos

Ever wonder what makes your salsa verde green? Surprise! It's not green tomatoes but instead a delightful fruit called the tomatillo. You can purchase tomatillos at the grocery store (typically located near the peppers), but if you have the space I suggest growing your own. With few pest and disease problems tomatillos are easy to grow organically, prolific …

6 Ways to Make Your Own Organic Fertilizer

Organic fertilizers are not only easy and inexpensive to make but they are actually more effective then synthetic store bought fertilizers. Read on for 6 easy ways to make your own!

Easy DIY Yard Art – Bottle Cap Flowers

Winter is here bringing frost, cold (relatively speaking, I live in California), and a garden lacking much in bloom. This time of year, when the color is sparse, I love to spruce things up with a bit of yard art. If you have visited any garden center or nursery you probably have noticed how pricey …

Use it, plant it! – DIY Seed Wrapping Paper

With the holidays just around the corner, I am reminded of this fun and easy project that not only re-uses left over tissue paper from past holidays but acts as a gift itself. Several years ago I came across seed wrapping paper in the store and thought it was an incredibly awesome concept. It is essentially recycled …

Easy Indoor Seed Starting Guide

I am a big proponent of growing plants from seed. Whether you are a serious gardener or a gardening hobbyist, there are far more benefits of growing your plants from seed than buying "ready to plant" trays. Let's quickly discuss the benefits of starting your plants from seed. It is cost effective. A package of 100 organic …

5 Ways to Re-purpose an Old Tomato Cage

We all have them. The rusted, bent, and virtually unusable tomato cages. Their condition is a sign of a tomato harvest well done but they cannot possibly handle one more growing season. What to do? Repurpose them! This post highlights 5 awesome ways I found to use my old cages to solve common garden problems. 1. Provide protection from …

DIY Garden Markers – 5 Easy & Inexpensive Ideas

Fall is upon us. The air is crisp, my deciduous are shedding, and my perennials are ready for a long winters nap. It's time to do my annual garden clean up. This includes not only raking leaves and tilling soil, but also ensuring that my plants are properly labeled. Labeling plants is a wonderful way to brighten and add …

Easy Decoupaged Pots

Old pots collecting spider webs? Sounds like it's time for some up-cycled fun! Read on for a simple way to transform your old pots from drab... to fab! How you ask? Using one of my favorite 1960s crafting trends - decoupage. What is decoupage? Simply put - decoupage is artistic sleight of hand. What appears to be …

How-to Prune & Propagate Basil

If I could convince you to grow one herb in your garden, it would most certainly be basil. With its lush green leaves, soft fragrance, and beautiful blooms it is the star of the herb garden. Basil is known for a wide variety of culinary and medicinal uses. It can also be used in the home to freshen …

How-to Dry Herbs

There is something about a neatly tied bundle of herbs, hanging up to dry, that transports us to another era. A simpler time where herbs could be found hanging in every cook's quarter and apothecary.A time in which Mr. Darcy invited us to tea and a leisurely stroll around the gardens of Pemberley (if you are unfamiliar with this reference let …