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.

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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 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. 

Blueberry Lemonade Cake

I hope everyone had a great Mother's Day weekend! Mine flew by since it was jam packed with lots of family events. But first, I need to share this moist blueberry lemonade cake recipe. It is a light dessert for the summer that is extra lemon-y and delicious! I made two of these this weekend for my and CL's mom. It was a crowd favorite and I got the recipe from a girl at work... there were ZERO leftovers!

Blueberry Lemonade Cake with a Lemon Glaze

1 package of moist lemon cake mix

4 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup fresh/frozen blueberries (I used frozen)

2 large or 3 small lemons

1 package of sugar free lemon jello

1 cup boiling water

3/4 cup powdered sugar

Combine the cake mix, eggs and vegetable oil in a large bowl and mix until combined. Add your package of sugar free lemon jello and boiling water together and mix until dissolved. Add to your cake batter and mix for 3-5 minutes until smooth and all is incorporated. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray your bundt pan (important) with cooking spray and dust with flour (also important). Add in cake batter and top with blueberries, bake for 50-55 minutes. Combine juice of lemons and powdered sugar. Remove baked cake from oven and poke the top with a fork, drizzle over the glaze and let sit. Remove from the mold once the glaze has sank in and serve (chilled is best).

I filled the center of my mom's cake with fresh strawberries and served with brunch. It was so good and I was impressed with how easy this cake was to make! Definitely one of my go-to cakes for the summer!

Speaking of brunch! I made a whole spread for my mom, sister, CL and myself. 

 

strawberries and banana fruit salad

mexican potato fritatta

blueberry muffins

bacon and hash browns

Alyssa, being the wonder woman she is, sent me a link of healthy brunch ideas on my facebook page and I chose the Mexican fritatta sans the cheese (lactose free). You can see the recipe here. I think mine looks a lot better than the fitness magazine photo!

CL and I hand painted flower pots and filled them with herbs and veggies for our moms.

oregano, stevia and roma tomatoes!

CL's mom gets to pick a special outing each year for Mother's Day and this year she chose the adventure challenge at the Terrapin Adventures. It was so much fun and I have the weak arms, bruises and confidence from facing my fears to prove it!

If you want to view some of our videos and hear the most awkward screams (me) you can check it out at the Chic Meets Healthy youtube page!

I had a fabulous Sunday hanging out with my mom and grandmother! It's nice to have days to celebrate the amazing and strong women in our lives! I'm so thankful to have so many that influence me on a day to day basis.

What plants are you growing? My mom bought me two strawberry plants yesterday (yes, on Mother's Day) and I have basil and cilantro! I need another tomato plant but I'm afraid it will take over like last year.

that was one tomato plant!!