SPRING CLEANING - GARDEN UPDATE

Although I grew up in a family where just about everyone had green thumbs, it wasn't until I had a house and yard of my own that I started paying attention to plants or even enjoyed gardening. My mom was always out in the yard and is well known for being a plant expert in our family (she used to want to be a horticulturist) - so I guess you could say that all of these years of her talking plants to me finally rubbed off. I've officially come down with the gardening bug.

This past Saturday marked one full year in our home and I have to say we fall more in love with it each day. After a crazy first year of planning our wedding and tackling some projects over the winter I was excited to dive into our yard and garden.

This is how our yard started...

I don't have any pre-fence photos since we had them install the fence right after we settled so the dogs would have a place to stay, but this shows what we started with pretty well. 

Here is a pretty good representation of where we are now:

We updated the shutters and front door color this past winter, planted some bulbs around the front cherry tree, edged the flower beds with pavers to match our back yard retaining wall and all of my perennials from last year popped back up in the front flower beds.

It really is exciting to see things you planted last year come back bigger and better this year. It sounds extremely nerdy - but it's so interesting to me now to watch how different plants grow.

Hostas, speedwell and pansies are getting HUGE in our front flower bed!

Last year as a house warming gift, my mom helped us create a retaining wall/firepit area with two planters on the side. I wasn't kidding when I said she was amazing in the yard! She drew up some plans and spent countless hours helping us create this space all by ourselves. She even took off work to work on it while we were both at the office. I'll have to do a post on the retaining wall she is working on in her yard - it's outrageous! (hint - she's putting in a pizza oven and waterfall on the wall.)

This gives you a better idea of how the retaining wall and fire pit area are positioned on the left side of our back yard. We back filled the retaining wall with dirt and planted some seed last fall and it's looking great! We still have to secure the tops of the planters and wall, but it works for now.

I won't bore you with a garden tour of our house, but I can't say it enough - gardening has been so rewarding to me. I love walking around and seeing what is popping up next and it was such a stress reliever when work was going crazy!

If you are looking for some great perennials, here are some I chose:
Bearded Iris
Astilbe
Day Lilies
Hosta
Hydrangea
Peonies
Viburnum
Bleeding Heart
Sedum
Columbine
Hyacinth
Tulips
Gladiolus
Phlox
And much more...

How Does Your Garden Grow Tuesdays

how does your garden grow?! if you are new to my blog, every tuesday (i try!) i show you how the fruits/veggies/herbs that i have planted this season are coming along. i answer the questions i ask and give tips to how you can keep your garden healthy and thriving!

so what is growing in my garden?

spinach
cantaloupe
strawberries
roma tomatoes
yellow bell pepper
cilantro
basil

but that's not all! have a new or old post on your garden (flowers or veggie/herbs/fruits) that you want to share? link your post below! i love seeing what others are growing and seeing your tips! together, we can all grow our own food (which makes you feel pretty amazing and accomplished!)

my strawberry plants are still going strong! since i have moved them to my table i have had no problem with bugs and have new berries each week.

my basil is still kicking. make sure you water your basil daily! they love water (at least mine sure does) and if you see the leaves starting to wilt and dry up, give it some extra hydration!

if your basil plants are getting crazy big freeze the leaves immediately after you pick them. you could also grab a couple hand fulls and make homemade pesto. don't be araid to pick them! i have all season long (as you can tell) and they keep coming back!

wow is all i can say. my cantaloupe has grown extra vines, has grown extra long to where it can no longer stand up and has sprouted flowers!

yes, i totally need to weed my garden this week and buy some mulch so its prettier.

spinach is nice and big now! see how something or someone loves to nibble on the leaves? that's okay. there are plenty to go around! chance loves when i rinse a few off and give them to him.

my roma tomato plants are starting to get tall! instead of forming the cage around them, this year i am just going to twisty tie (or you could use string) them onto a stake. let's hope it works!

how tall does a roma tomato plant grow?

Under good growing conditions, you can expect your Roma tomato plant to reach about 4 feet in height. It might grow a little taller or stay a bit under this height, but determinate varieties such as the Roma typically grow to this approximate height.

source

how long before my roma tomatoes start to grow?

once you see flowers on your plants (my mom already has some and i gave her the same plants!) you should start to see tomatoes forming.

should i keep the cantaloupe vines off of the ground? how much should i water them?
Unlike most other plants, after the fruit begins to grow, you should actually cut back on the water. This helps to concentrate the sugars in the fruit, making for sweeter melons. Let your plants dry out just until you can detect a bit of wilt, or when the soil is dry to the touch. Fertilize regularly, with monthly applications of standard fertilizer mix.

Fruit that is growing down on the ground can be protected from early rot or other pests if you place something solid under them to keep them off the soil. Coffee can lids work well, and it keeps your fruit cleaner too.

source

How Does Your Garden Grow

Hiii! I am still alive! I promise!!

I have been on the go the past two weeks and finally have recouped from all the events! Last weekend we took a 4 day mini vacation to the beach with our college friends. I don't have many pics, but I'll tell you about that on my next post.

I know it isn't Tuesday but there has been a lot of action going on in my garden!

This morning (yes, that is my zebra robe and nail polish from Sunday night) I walked outside and saw my spinach looks like it is finally large enough to pick a few leaves! The top photo is from last week! It is growing like crazy!

My cilantro plant is happy as can be. I moved it up towards our house on our outside table so it could cool off. I'm not sure if it likes extreme heat!

My pepper plant before I tore off the leaves at the bottom... you'll see why below.

My strawberry plants! Do you see that strawberry? No bugs got to it! I am moving them up towards the house as well just in case. The dish soap spray must be working!

My roma tomato plants are doing well. I need to trim them up and set up the tomato cage since they are getting tall!

Chance wanted to help me in the garden this morning... Such a little lion!

And last but not least is my cantaloupe plant! It just bloomed it's first flower and sprouted it's first vines! I am so excited! So you see those buds on the leaves? I'm guessing that is my baby cantaloupe getting ready to grow nice and big!!

How many cantaloupes will I get from each vine? (I have two so far)

Depending on the growing area, variety of plant, and the care given, I can expect 3 to 8 fruits from a single vine. Holy moly that is a lot! It takes 75-100 days to fully mature.

Why should I trim the bottom leaves off my tomato and pepper plants?

It prevents disease from the splash up of water. It also promotes growth. My aunt told me if I do this to my tomato plants, I will see larger, healthier plants! It also will help control your tomato plant from going crazy like mine did last year!!

How Does Your Garden Grow Tuesdays - wk 3

It's Tuesday!! Which can only mean it's time for me to update you on my garden and hear all about yours!

My spinach is growing and growing and growing. I'm not too sure what it is supposed to look like at this stage of it's life cycle, but at week 3 it looks like grass.  Check out how small they were last week!

Everyone I spoke to told me cilantro would be the hardest thing to grow... Well, that doesn't seem to be the case. It is getting tall and gorgeous! Which is good because I use it in so many of my recipes! {cilantro lime rice} {chicken chili} {fish tacos} {guacamole} {corn salsa} {garlic cilantro aioli}

My pepper plant is becoming tall and strong too! Last year I grew two green bell pepper plants, but really wanted a yellow or red plant this year since they are sweeter! Hopefully this bad boy grows some good ones!

I have bad news though! 

My strawberry plants are being invaded by bugs. I have had to pick and throw away a good amount of my strawberries because they are eating the actual berries and they are rotting!

Does anyone have any good solutions? 

Ideally I would love to try something I can make myself without any chemicals, but if worse comes to worse I will make my way to Home Depot and pick something up! 4 strawberry plants, and I only got to enjoy 2 berries!

What can you plant in June?

Plant heat and sun-loving herbs like basil, oregano, thyme and sage.

What bugs are eating my strawberries and what prevents it?

I have seen slater or pill bugs! You know the ones that roll up into little balls! But I read they do not eat live matter. I am going to mix a little liquid dish soap with water in a spray bottle and spray the plants, including the underside of the leaves. If this doesn't work I am going to grab straw to put in the pot beneath the leaves and fruit!

What do you want to know? What works for you?

How Does Your Garden Grow Tuesdays

This could quite possibly be my favorite day of the week! Last week I started my weekly "How Does Your Garden Grow Tuesdays". If you have a garden or are growing your own veggies/fruits/herbs be sure to link up a new or old post to share!

I've said it before, but growing your own doesn't mean you need lots of land. You could live in an apartment and still grow healthy food as long as you have a window or patio! Every week I will try to give my advice on things I have wondered myself about growing plants! You'll see what's in my garden from start to in my belly!

Look who made their first appearance in my garden! My spinach! 

I was sooo excited, especially since it has only been a week and this is the first plant I have actually grown starting from a seed!

 hello, you are going to be so delicious with some strawberries and pecans one day. it is meant to be <3

 thank you rainy weekend for making sure they popped up! all three rows!

I also ran to Home Depot last weekend and bought two more strawberry plants and another cantaloupe plant. I couldn't resist! I have had 3 strawberries so far from my first pot!

How do I pick my strawberries? Where should I break the stem? Should I wash them before I store them in the fridge?

• I read you should grasp the stem just above the berry between the forefinger and the thumbnail and pull with a slight twisting motion.
• Don't wash your strawberries until right before eating, or they are more likely to spoil.
• Strawberries do not continue to ripen after picking, so make sure they are really ready before you pick!

After how many days will I be able to harvest my spinach?

• After 40-50 days you can pick your spinach!
• Make sure to start picking leaves on the outside of the plant. Leaving the inner leaves to continue to grow and produce new spinach!
•  It is best to eat the spinach the same day after picking. Soak in cold water. If you want to store, only keep it in there for 3-4 days. The longer you leave it, the more nutrients are lost.

Want to grow spinach but live in an apartment? You're in luck!

• One of the best things about spinach is that it doesn’t have to grow fruit so it doesn’t need a large container to live in. It loves the cool weather and will appreciate not being out in the hot summer days!

It's your turn! Show everyone what is growing in your garden and link up! I'd love to see what you planted this season! 



BTW, have you entered my TheraPearl giveaway yet? You have until Thursday night so leave a comment for every entry and you could win!

How Does Your Garden Grow Tuesdays

Introducing: How Does Your Garden Grow Tuesdays!! 

Every Spring I have such a fun time planning what new fruits/veggies/herbs I want to grow this season so I decided to start HDYGG Tuesdays! What better way to watch your garden grow and get tips on growing your own garden then reading and seeing it weekly!

I grew up with both sides of my family growing their own gardens. Picking my own strawberries from local farms and running through my grandfather's corn field. I've been asking questions from my family and today finally starting this years garden!

Think you can't grow your own veggies/fruits/herbs because you live in an apartment? Think again! I'll tell you which plants you can grow on your balcony or window sill.

What's in my garden so far this year???

cantaloupe

strawberries

roma tomatoes

yellow bell peppers

basil

cilantro

baby spinach

I'd love to see and hear what you guys are planting this year so link up every Tuesday to give the readers tips and an update on how your garden grows!

Tip #1: Growing spinach or lettuce?? Buy seeds! You will be able to see your salad mixes pop up in about 2-3 weeks! Nothing says organic like making your salad from what's growing in your own garden!

Tip #2: Have an apartment? Buy herbs and pot them. Cilantro and mint love to be in spring weather so they do especially well indoors on your window sill in the hot summer months! Make mojitos all summer long with your mint!

Tip #3: Cantaloupe and strawberries grow vines. Strawberries can be potted, but let the vines hang off the ends! For cantaloupe vines running on the ground, keep fruit from direct contact with soil to prevent rot and protect fruit from pests. Place ripening fruit on mulch, upturned coffee cans, or flower pots.