DIY Garden Markers

As I have continued to add to my medicinal and kitchen herb garden, I have found I am adding plants quicker than I can remember what they are. I knew I needed a way to remember especially what some of my medicinal herbs are. I have looked at a lot of different ideas for garden markers - some you can buy and others you can make. I wanted something that would weather well and was also cheap (and easy!) to make if I went that route. After many ideas came and went through my head, this is what stuck!

Today, I am sharing how to make polymer clay garden markers!

As you can see, my lavender is currently recovering indoors from frost.

Supplies Needed:
Polymer clay
Rolling pin
Ruler (or some other long, sharp edge tool)
Letter stamps
Pigment ink, optional
Baking sheet
Parchment paper, optional

Baking sheet and parchment paper not pictured.

Here's the polymer clay I used:

Instructions:
• Preheat oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit or whatever temperature your polymer clay package recommends.
• Take a portion of clay and knead it for a few minutes until it becomes pliable and you can manipulate it easily.
• Place on a clean surface and roll to desired thickness, about ¼” is as thin as you will want it for this project. You want an even thickness.
• Using a ruler or other long, sharp edged tool, cut a straight line to start the edges of your garden markers.
• Lightly stamp your letter stamps making sure not to press too hard. If you are using ink, make sure the stamp is adequately covered with ink before stamping.
• Use a paper towel moistened with water to clean your stamps after you are finished.
• Use your straight edge to cut along the other side of your stamped word. The width of your marker will depend on the size of your letter stamps. My markers ended up being about ½ inch wide.
• Cut a wedge on the end of your marker to help it pierce the ground. You do not need to have a sharp point especially since the thinner it is, the more likely it is to break off. This part does not have to be perfect since it will spend its life in the ground. ;)
• Gently remove the marker from your work surface and place it on the parchment paper on the baking sheet making sure there is no bend or curve to your marker. The position they bake in is how they will harden.

After playing with and without the ink for my stamps, I decided not to go with the ink. The letter stamps I was using did not have deep impressions so with the ink it made too much of a fuzzy, muddled look to me. I liked the clean, white look.

You could use colored polymer clay for added interest or even mix various colored clays to get a swirl look or a new color. Cutting the markers wider would allow for more room to stamp decorative images along the edge such as swirls, birds, flowers, etc.

This is one I used ink on and like how
it shows up better but not the fuzzy look.
Now that I think about it, I may play around and try painting these
or make some more and see what I can create! We shall see!
I will share on the Facebook page if I do.

Tips:
1. Make sure your letter stamps are clean before using to keep any residual ink from past projects off your clay. While looking at tips for using polymer clay, I also found there are special embossing letters available specifically for that medium.
2. Write out the herb or vegetable names you want to make markers for because once you begin to stamp them, words start looking funny and you wonder if you are spelling them right!
3. Practice stamping on scrap pieces of clay first, if needed, to ensure you know the right pressure to stamp clean images. Words can be stamped where you are reading up or down. Mine are reading down.
4. Allow for about three inches of the garden marker to actually go in the ground. My shortest one was 6.5 inches because I wanted to ensure I could see the word clearly.
5. See this link for 10 simple polymer clay tips. It gives excellent ideas such as on how long to bake polymer clay (the longer, the harder it gets - read the link for more info!).

If you have a garden - whether vegetables, flowers, or herbs - and you need help to remember what is what or what you planted where, then maybe these simple and inexpensive garden markers will work for you! Do you have garden markers? What do you use?

Beekeeping for Beginners

I mentioned a couple weeks ago that we've started beekeeping. I honestly don't know what got me started down this path, but it has been a fascinating experience. I knew next to nothing about bees, and still don't know much, but I am learning more every day.

I have a tendency to talk a lot about whatever is on my mind so lately I have been talking a lot about honeybees. There are two common reactions I get when I tell someone we've started keeping bees. The first one is "my dad (granddad, uncle, etc.) used to do that." or a shocked/horrified look accompanied with "I'm allergic to bees."

I've read a good bit about reactions to bee stings. I learned a few things that were news to me, that I'd like to share. First, if a person is allergic to one kind of bee, they're not automatically allergic to all bees. For example, if you're allergic to yellow jackets, you might not be allergic to wasps. Secondly, many people THINK they are allergic to bees who actually aren't. If you've been stung by a bee and it swelled up and stayed hot for days and hurt like a hound dog, you're not actually allergic to bees. That is considered a normal reaction. If you have swelling around the eyes, lips, tongue, or throat with difficulty breathing or swallowing  that is an allergic reaction. However, all bee stings should be monitored closely, because it is my understanding that you can become allergic even if you weren't previously. Chances are, if you've been stung before, it was by something other than a honeybee. I do believe I have stepped on one in the grass before and gotten stung, but back then I probably didn't take time to consider what kind of bee it was, as I considered all bees my arch enemies.

That brings me to my next point. Bees are not our arch enemies. They are our friends. If it wasn't for these buzzy little bees, our food supply would be in great jeopardy. In fact, our food supply IS in great jeopardy. Something called Colony Collapse Disorder has been affecting bees all over the country for the last decade. Whole colonies of bees are dying suddenly. Some beekeepers report losing 30-90% of their hives in a single year. Although the exact cause of CCD is unknown, high levels of pesticide use in agriculture have taken their toll on the bee (and human) population.

Because there aren't enough wild bees to pollinate areas where commercial agriculture is dominant, beekeepers are paid to relocate their hives to different parts of the country as different crops are in season. Without the bees, the farmers wouldn't be able to produce their crops. Many bees are transported all over the country starting in the more Southern climates and moving North as the weather changes and Spring moves north. Agreements are made with the farmers that they won't spray their crops with pesticides until after the bees are moved. There are several documentaries on the plight of the honeybee that you can see HERE. I've been watching the one called More than Honey in pieces.

Beekeeping seems to have gotten more complicated in the last decade or so. In addition to Colony Collapse disorder, there are also pests like Small Hive Beetles and Varroa Mites that have to be addressed. Years ago, beekeepers didn't have do deal with these pests. They set up their hives in the spring and came back in the fall to collect rent (AKA honey!) Now, beekeepers have to inspect their hives weekly to check for the first signs of these pests and take immediate action. Failure to do so will result in the loss of the entire colony.

There is a movement to encourage people to keep bees. They are even being kept in cities, on rooftops. This is what we are doing.... kinda. We live in a subdivision. Even though we are technically within the city limits, we are also kinda out in the country. We opted to put our two beehives on a deck over our garage. We figured they would be more out of the way up there and less of a concern for neighbors. We also have a lot of company and a lot of kids in our yard, so the bees are less likely to be disturbed up there. Plus they have a beautiful view. They can see all the way from  our home in Tennessee to Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina on a clear day.

People have asked about us selling honey. That's really not why we are doing it. In fact, it is unlikely that we will be able to harvest any honey at all this first year. One colony of honeybees can make up to 200 lbs of honey on a good year. One thing I didn't know at first, is that you have to leave a lot of the honey for the bees, so they can survive the winter. The amount will vary depending on where you live. In colder climates, they need larger stores for the winter than they do in the South. I doubt we will be selling any honey. I hope to have enough for my family and maybe be able to give some as gifts,but, we will see. So far the whole family is really enjoying this hobby, so I suppose it is possible we might expand our operation in the future. Most beekeepers I've talked to say it is addictive.

Speaking of talking to other beekeepers, I've learned this is a very social kind of hobby for some. Beekeepers really enjoy sharing what they know with new beeks (that the nickname some beekeepers use for themselves). I've also learned if you ask ten different beekeepers a question, you will get ten different answers. In a way, that's good because that means there are many ways to accomplish the same thing... but I like to do things the RIGHT way, and it bothers me to some degree that there isn't a RIGHT way. There are beekeeping clubs in most communities and I've found several beekeeping pages on facebook. The people there have been so helpful and answer promptly so when I'm panicking, they are there to answer my questions and help settle me down, which is sometimes harder than it sounds. I've been called high-strung before. (by meanies!) Personally, I think they are low-strung and have no idea that while they are sitting there like a knot on a log like nothing is wrong, they should, in fact, be working themselves into a full-blown panic attack like a normal person. Why are they so calm????

There are a couple of ways to get started with honeybees, The first way is to order a package of bees. This is what we did. We ordered two three-pound packages of Italian honeybees. They are estimated to have about ten thousand bees each. The second way is to find a swarm of wild bees and catch it and set them up in your prepared hive. That is what I really would have loved to do, but for a newBEE, that's a pretty big job. The advantage is that they are free, and are already acclimated to the climate and produce more honey. Bees that have swarmed usually have a mature queen and know what they're doing. Check out my Papaw picking up our bees.

Most people who raise bees (at least in the South) raise Italian honeybees. They are not very aggressive. We are able to go right up to the hive entrance and sit down inches away from them and watch their comings and goings. They don't seem to mind our presence one bit. We don't wear any protective gear for observing. and they completely ignore us. We do suit up when we are looking inside the hive. I am careful where I put my hand, as it would be easy to get stung by smashing a bee. In fact, when I was installing one of the packages of bees into the hive box, I took off my glove to take a picture. A bee got in the glove and when I put my hand back in it, I got stung. I take the blame for that though. I should have been more careful. Honestly, it didn't hurt much at all. Please don't mistake me for a tough ol' broad, because I'm not. I'm like a two year old when I am in pain. I walked out to the yard and picked a leaf from a plantain plant and chewed it up and put it on the sting. It instantly stopped throbbing. I do mean instantly, as in, the very second I applied it! This is what plantain looks like. It is basically a weed that most people don't want in their yards, but it and dandelion greens have wonderful medicinal properties and can be used to make all sorts of home remedies.

We have found watching the bees come and go from the hive to be very interesting. VERY! In the pictures below, you will see that some of the honeybees have yellow spots on their hind legs. These are pollen pouches that they fill as they are out doing their work. I saw one bee come in that was absolutely COVERED in a bright orange pollen. Seriously, it looked like someone had spray painted him with blaze orange paint. He got in the hive before I got a chance to snap his picture. Some of the pollen they are bringing in is light yellow, and some is school bus yellow and today we've seen some very dark red pollen being brought in. More experienced beekeepers can tell what they are bringing in based on the color and knowing what is in bloom. The redbuds are getting ready to burst open in all their purple glory any day, and I'm guessing that is what some of the really dark pollen is.

Speaking of what is in bloom, I've been reading up on plants that are good for bees. It turns out that they like pretty much all of the herbs, and since I've been wanting an herb garden, I ordered a bunch of seeds to plant. I'll be attempting to grow basil, oregano, lavender, catnip, feverfew, German chamomile, rosemary, marjoram, sage, bee balm, dill, echinacea, milk thistle and milkweed, cilantro and salvia. I also will be trying to growing a bunch of flowers that are known to be favorites among pollinators such as cosmos, zinnias, poppies, aster, yarrow, candytuft, alyssum, calendula, marigolds, and sunflowers. I'm more worried about trying to get all these plants to grow than I am about the bees. I really don't have a green thumb, but I do want to try. I do pretty good getting everything started inside, but when they move outside to the flowerbeds, that's when things go downhill. At least that's what happened last year. I'm hoping this year will be better.

We have a LOT of flower beds but not a lot of flowers. We've spend the last two years digging out overgrown shrubs and cutting them back to reasonable sizes. I joke that if I ever make a horror movie, it will be named Roots. (I know the name isn't new... but I'm telling you, those things are EVIL!) You can pull roots out for days! If you're not careful you will also pull your back! When I say a lot of flower beds, I'm talking over 200 linear feet of mulched beds that are between five and eight feet deep. Our front yard is terraced, so there are two levels of them. That is a lot of landscaping for someone who is not experienced and doesn't really enjoy yard work. My bees are motivating me this year. I wanna be the best bee mama I can.

 Anyone know what kind of weeds those are in the picture below? We didn't have them last year, but I've dug up enough of them to fill a five gallon bucket this year.

That is a heckofalot of weeds to pull in a year. Go away, dandelions! You're not welcome here!

We just ordered ten yards of mulch. I think it is the biggest load they can put on one truck, from this place, at least. Another place said they can only deliver five yards at a time, so we would have had to pay two delivery fees. My dentist asked me if I had plans for the weekend. I just laughed. I guess you can call that plans.

The driver who delivered the mulch accidentally knocked down our basketball goal.  I started yelling and waving to get his attention before it happened, but he didn't see/hear me in time to stop. I didn't yell afterwards. He felt bad about it and they're going to fix it. Worse things can happen, right?

I said all that about my flowers to say... I think YOU should plant flowers too. If not for my bees, do it for the ones who live near you. Some bees have to fly up to five miles to gather enough pollen. If you are interested in planting some flowers for bees, there is a program where you can get free seeds. Click HERE to get a free pack of wildflower seeds that are good for pollinators.

I know its not likely that you will be moved to become a beekeeper from reading this post, but I have learned so much in the last month as we've been getting ready for our honeybees, that I wanted to share with you. Many of you are friends and have been asking questions. Hopefully I have answered some and caused you to ask more! I'd love to talk with you about this, especially if you have any desire to get some bees of your own.

One last thing. We have a Magnolia tree just outside our front door. Last year a robin built a nest in it right at eye level when you are on the sidewalk. She's was renovating the nest last weekend and then disappeared for a couple of days. We were afraid something had happened to her. She showed back up yesterday and laid one beautiful blue egg and today she deposited a second egg. We're excited to get to watch the next couple of weeks and see the eggs hatch again this year. This year our Spring seems to be all about the birds and the bees and the flowers and the trees.

your buzzy friend,
Kristy

Using Essential Oils with Your Pets

Essential oils have gone to the dog….and cat!

You could also add horse, cow, rabbit, donkey, goat….you get the idea! ;)

Before I started using pure therapeutic essential oils medicinally, I made up a recipe for a spray to use to keep my cats off our outdoor furniture. Learning that cats do not like the smell of rosemary and many do not like the smell of peppermint, I used my basic room spray recipe but blended those two essential oils as a repellent spray for my cats.

Does it work? Yep! It does for our cats. The only problem is that is does have to be reapplied weekly and when it rains, I have found you need to reapply. (Recipe further down.)

As my knowledge of using essential oils for my family grew, I began researching and learning about using them for our pets. You know the phrase, “There’s an oil for that!”? Well, it applies with pets as well.

There is much to learn but today I am only going to get started. I want give you more information in the future. I have a few books and several online sources where I have learned from holistic veterinarians.

First things first.

Safety Precautions.

• Cats are very sensitive to oils because of the way they metabolize and excrete substances from their bodies. This is because they lack glucuronyl transferase. This is important for the Cytochrome p450 liver metabolism pathway. This makes cats very susceptible to ALL kinds of toxicity, including plant, NSAIDS (like aspirin, ibuprofen and Tylenol), chocolate and caffeine (methylxanthines), lead, zinc, and many, many types of pesticides.

They are sensitive to oils high in the chemicals phenol and eugenol. One of my trusted reference books shows that the oils high in phenols are basil, birch, cinnamon, clove, fennel, melaleuca, oregano, peppermint, thyme, and wintergreen. Do not apply these essential oils topically or internally to cats.

• NEVER put essential oils directly in the eyes or ears of your dog or cat (or any animal or human). If an essential oil enters the eyes, immediately apply fractionated coconut oil or organic olive oil directly to the eyes. Do NOT rinse or flush the eyes with water as this will not remove the essential oil.

• Some oils are considered “hot” oils because they produce a warming sensation to the body that may cause sensitivity. Hot oils include cassia, cinnamon, clove, melaleuca, oregano, and thyme. Dilute these oils at first when applying them to dogs and with repeated use, the amount of dilution may decrease gradually. Do not use hot oils with cats unless it is an extreme situation or under the supervision of a veterinarian.

• Epileptic and seizure-prone pets are of special concern as are pets who have a bleeding disorder or difficulty with their blood clotting. Just like people, every animal is different and you should consult your veterinarian if you are concerned and get some bloodwork to ensure no underlying liver disease.

Basic Guidelines.

• Always use the highest quality essential oils when using them medicinally for your pet or yourself. After much research I decided to go with an oil company for my family (including furbabies) and am confident that I am getting 100% pure therapeutic grade essential oils. You do not want to put an oil on your pet (or yourself or child) that has synthetic additives or preservatives or any other unknown ingredients. Adulteration of essential oils is rampant. One of the main objectives of using essential oils is to treat health issues naturally. If you are interested in ordering essential oils, then please email me for more information.

• Dilute, dilute, dilute! 100% pure therapeutic grade essential oils are very concentrated. It is better to apply small amounts several times over a period of time rather than a lot of oil all at once.

It’s especially important to dilute essential oils for puppies and kittens just like you would with young children. The same goes with aging dogs and cats as well as pregnant pets. The essential oils that are safe during pregnancy with humans goes along with the ones safe for your pregnant pets. Also, you would not give a small breed dog the same amount of oil that you would with a large breed dog.

Good carrier oils to dilute include fractionated coconut oil, jojoba oil, almond oil, and organic olive oil. Basically, any natural vegetable oil (this means single ingredient oils).

• Just like humans, there are three ways to use essential oils with your pets: topically, aromatically, and internally.

Apply to the fur after rubbing your hands together by petting your dog or cat. Let most of the oil absorb in your skin before using it on your cat. If you can smell it on them, then they received a sufficient dose. The back of the neck or back is the best place to put it topically.

Use a diffuser in the area your pet sleeps or lives to benefit them aromatically. The diffuser breaks the essential oil into very small particles, which enter the air and are inhaled. When diffusing for the first time, only do it for a short period (10-20 minutes) and observe your pet. If they show signs of discomfort or out of the ordinary, turn off the diffuser and air out the space.

Oils can be added to a dog’s drinking water to be taken orally but is discouraged for cats. Topical and aromatic uses are just as effective and is preferred.

Recipes.
Now to the part many of you may be scrolling down to find. ;) Today, I am sharing four recipes that we have tried. Two are my own and two are from a book I highly recommend, SpOil Your Pet, A Practical Guide to Using Essential Oils in Dogs and Cats by Mia K. Frezzo, DVM and Jan C. Jeremias, MSc.

The following two recipes are variations of my Room Spray Alternative post.

Do you have outdoor cats? Do you have outdoor furniture? Did you know owning both is a faux pas? They don’t mix.

Oh, I have tried the things that are supposed to help keep those outdoor cushion-loving cats off of said cushions. Like the X mat? Not happening….my cats think it is their very own Chinese reflexology mat.

My husband loves our animals. He really does. But he seems to love his outdoor furniture and yard and flowerbeds more. In his frustration of wanting to sit on the sofa on our porch and having to first remove hair, he wanted to know if I could find a way to keep the cats off.

So I did what I always do when I don’t know the answer. I Google.

In my research I found that cats do not like rosemary. Often people plant rosemary in their flowerbeds to keep the cats from using them as litter boxes. I also learned most do not like peppermint.

Therefore the Cat Repellent Spray was invented!! Look what happens when the furniture has been sprayed.

BEFORE Cat Repellent Spray. "I love this mat, Mom!"

After: "Really, Mom?"

But after applying my cat deterrent spray....does Gaby look happy now? Ha ha. No way!

Cat Repellent Spray

1 cup water
1-2 teaspoons witch hazel (or rubbing alcohol but remember while this is diluted, it will be touching fabric)
15 drops rosemary essential oil
15 drops peppermint essential oil

In a glass spray bottle, mix water and witch hazel. Add essential oils. Shake to blend.

The Cat Repellent Spray has a higher concentration of essential oils than my usual Room Alternative Spray for more oomph! Remember what I said at the first of this post how you will need to spray this once a week or after a rain for it to work.

There are things marketed for dog owners that I never knew existed or was sold until we got Jax. Having a dog for the first time is like having a baby for the first time in the respect that there are things you need and there are things you think you need.

One such thing is dog deodorizing spray sold as dog perfume/cologne, freshening spray, or odor spray. Now why would you NEED such a thing? We have all heard the expression, “smell like a dog.” No one wants their dog to smell like a dog (which usually happens when they get wet or haven’t been bathed in a couple of weeks or both).

With Jax having weekly training classes, a weekly bath is not in my schedule so in between his every two or three week baths, I have been using my own “Doggie Deodorizer Spray.” All natural. Of course.

Dog Deodorizer Spray

10 drops eucalyptus essential oil
10 drops peppermint essential oil
5 drops lemongrass essential oil
5 drops wild orange essential oil
5 drops lemon essential oil
2 cups distilled water
¼ cup witch hazel

Mix essential oils with witch hazel in a 24 ounce spray bottle. Add water. Spritz a few times on your stinky pooch or to freshen him/her up before running errands.

The following two recipes are from the book I mentioned above. The first is a simple litter box powder which is a great way to treat your cat if it has a health issue or just to freshen the litter box. Try adding SAFE essential oils that will help any health issue it is having. They will benefit aromatically when they use their litter box and they will also will benefit topically as their little paws touch the powder infused with essential oils.

Litter Box Powder

1-2 drops essential oil (digestive blend, lavender, lemongrass, orange, etc.)
1 cup baking soda

Add the essential oils to the baking soda and allow the mixture to rest overnight in a glass jar. Daily add 1 tablespoon of the mixture to the litter box.

Soothing Skin Shampoo

3 ounces Dr. Bronner’s Castile soap (unscented is best like this)
2 ounces Apple Cider Vinegar with Mother (organic, unfiltered, and unpasteurized like this)
1 ounce vegetable glycerin
2 ounces distilled water
3 drops lavender essential oil
3 drops Roman chamomile essential oil

Mix all ingredients together and use to bathe your dog (and cat if it lets you!) routinely.

PRINTABLE WITH ALL THE RECIPES FROM TODAY'S POST HERE!

There is so much more to share on using essential oils with your pets just as there is with us humans. Use the guidelines above to get started!

Spring Garden Prep

Shew.... I ALMOST feel like we've survived winter. I know we will still have some cold snaps, but I'm hoping the worst of it is behind us. We've had some beautiful days in the past week and it has given me Spring fever!

I am in the process of beginning a brand new hobby, because apparently six hundred hobbies is not enough for me. I have an intense desire to be a beekeeper. How strange is that? I know! I've enlisted the help of my grandfather, who knows slightly more than I do about bees, but not much. We spent part of this evening watching youtube videos on how to install a package of bees into a hive. I think we know what to expect when they arrive one week from today! It is a weird thing to be excited about, but my brain won't stop being excited about it.

Even though I have bees on the brain this week, all this beautiful weather has me thinking about my garden too. Today I want to share some ideas for some things we can do now to get ready for a successful gardening season.

I'm sure many of you are a billion times more experienced than I am, but maybe some of you have never tried to grow anything. I'd like to encourage you to give it a try. You can start small. That's what I did. Two years ago we built two 4'X8' frames using saw mill lumber and started a couple of raised bed gardens. I read THIS book on Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew who pioneered the whole concept. This is an updated version of his original book which sold over two million copies.

Last year in our two raised beds we planted 4 tomato plants, 3 peppers, onions, okra, beans, some herbs, carrots, eggplant, lettuce, spinach, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, squash, zucchini, and cucumbers. The cost outweighs your savings the first year, but in following years you can really make a dent in your weekly grocery bill by growing your own produce.

Maybe a raised bed is too much to take on right now. That's okay. You can also try container gardening. The internet is full of resources to help you whether you live in a subdivision with a small yard like we do, in a condo with a postage stamp sized yard, or in an apartment with NO yard. I've learned that where there is a will, there is a way. We are fortunate to have so many great resources available to us. The internet is full of wonderful articles and videos that can be accessed for free. You can have free access to hundreds of books at your local library. I find myself wanting to own the best books available on any subject so I can access the information anytime.

Okay, enough blabbing... Lets talk about some things we can do NOW to get our gardens ready.

1. Make a plan for what plants you want to grow this year. Consider how much space you have. Last year I planted a couple squash and zucchini in my small beds and they took over! I might plant them somewhere else this year. However, if you want something that is easy to grow, plant squash and zucchini. Take my word for it when I say you will only need 2-3 of each at MOST! Even then, you will still be giving it away.

2. Look up when is the best time to plant those particular plants in your area. You have two options. You can buy plants from a nursery or farmer's market or plant seeds. It is usually less expensive to plant seeds. It also gives you the ability to get the exact variety of plant you want. Seed catalogs have many different varieties of each plant. If you plan to plant tomatoes, you might have ten different options if you buy plants at a nursery, but if you order seeds you might have fifty different options. It is fun to browse through the seed catalogs and see all the different plants available.

Some of the seed catalogs I use are Johnny's seeds, Baker's Creek, and Seed Savers. They all specialize in heirloom varieties that are non-GMO.

If you choose to plant from seed, on the back of the packet it will tell you how many days before planting you should start the seeds indoors. This way you start with a plant that is a couple inches tall and will have fruit much sooner than by planting the seeds directly into the soil.Click HERE to see a sampling of ways you can start your seeds indoors.

Be sure to check the last frost date for your area to help you determine when to plant. You can look it up here.

3. Try container gardening. There are many things you can grow in pots. Lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, just about anything really. Just make sure you have good soil and proper spacing. Herbs are easy to grow in pots and you can bring them inside in the fall to extend their growing season. It is really fun to cook with fresh herbs, especially if you grew them in your own garden. Look at just a few of the ways you can grow plants in containers. Don't allow yourself to be limited by space. There are so many creative options, anyone can find a way to grow at least some of their own produce.

4. Prepare your soil. Good dirt is the key to successful gardening. This is true whether you are planting a traditional garden, doing raised beds, or container gardening. This is where your plants get the nutrition they need to produce nutritious vegetables. In our raised beds we use composted leaves from the trees behind our house along with Black Kow manure and mushroom compost. It is a pretty equal mix of the three with a bag of vermiculite mixed in. Vermiculite is a natural substance that is mined from all over the world. It expands with heat and holds a lot of moisture. This makes it an ideal soil amendment for your garden. It makes your soil light and holds moisture. Peat moss is also a good thing to add from time to time as it also makes your soil hold moisture better, which is particularly useful during the hottest days of summer.

The time to add these amendments to your soil is now, before you plant, for what I hope are obvious reasons. Last year I tried my hand at composting and pretty much failed. I was inconsistent about turning it and adding to it regularly, but we did add what we made to the garden bed this year and mixed it in with the other. I can't stress the importance of getting a good base.

This year I plan to do more container gardening than I have done in the past. I will use the manure, mushroom compost, peat moss, and vermiculite for the containers. The advantage of having a light soil is that the roots can grow freely and quickly. You can also plant much closer than you can in a traditional bed, so if space is a factor, definitely look into this.

5. Clean out your beds from last year if you have them, or begin preparing them for this year. It only took about an hour for me and my youngest to pull the weeds that had started growing since fall. The advantage to this soil mix, is that it is so loose that weeds pull out easily and bring their whole root system with them. It is oddly satisfying. Here are before and after pics of our beds.

If you are starting from scratch, allow a full weekend to get it done. You can purchase raised bed kits at garden centers. When we built ours in 2013 we used saw mill lumber and made 4'X8' beds, which is a common size. You can make them any size you like, to fit your space. It is not recommended to go more than 4' deep because you want to be able to access every area without having to step into the dirt. Soil compaction is to be avoided at all costs. It is the loose soil that allows you to be able to plant in 32 square feet what would normally take 3-5 times the space.

6. Plant. There are some plants that prefer cooler weather, and now is the time to get them in the ground. Lettuce, kale, spinach, broccoli, and cauliflower are examples of cold loving plants. I planted two kinds of leaf lettuce, spinach and kale this past weekend by direct sowing into the newly spiffed up beds.

The idea of growing your own vegetables can be intimidating if you don't have any experience. Pick a couple of things you would like to grow and read up on the best way to get started. Remember, start small so you don't get over whelmed. You can build slowly by adding some new things each year. That is what we are doing. Have fun and happy gardening!

Kristy