If you only need to plant a few seeds or if you want to do something for the environment, recycle an old milk carton and use it as seed tray. They work just as well as the seed trays you find at the garden center and by reusing you are helping the environment. Recycle, Reduce, Reuse.
If you run out of compost you can use crushed egg shells and coffee grounds to add to your garden. Run to your nearest Starbucks and you can get a bag of used coffee grounds free 🙂 Recycle, Reduce, Reuse!
Use eggshells as an organic fertilizer for your herb, vegetable or flower garden. After cooking with eggs, put the leftover egg shells into a plastic ziploc bag. Use the bottom of a cup or a regular household object to crush the eggshells into smaller pieces. Sprinkle the eggshells throughout the garden. Not only are egg shells considered a great fertilizer, they also keep slugs at bay because their sharp edges kill slugs and keep them from moving around in your garden. Recycle, Reduce, Reuse!
If you haven’t already invested in a pair of gloves (which I do not particularly use myself), you can use another method to make sure your nails come clean after a day of gardening. To keep dirt from getting under your nails, scrape your nails over a bar of soap before going out to your garden, the soap washes away easier than dirt. Recycle, Reduce, Reuse!
Use empty toilet paper rolls as collars to keep cutworms and other bugs from devouring new seedlings. Cut an empty toilet paper roll in half to make two rolls. When planting seeds in your herb garden, plant your seeds inside the ring of the toilet paper roll. Cutworms love young cabbage and collard green plants. The toilet paper roll will help keep bugs from reaching the plants before they are fully rooted and established. You can also spray the young plants with a light organic pest repellant to make sure that those that can penetrate the barrier will not devour your young plants. When the seedling has become established or has gotten bigger, you can remove the toilet paper roll and throw it in your compost bin for further break down. Recycle, Reduce, Reuse!!!!
Use ice cube trays to freeze your freshly cut herbs. Freezing is a great way to store herbs during the winter and preserve the natural flavors in your herbs. Herbs such as basil, parsley, and tarragon are great when frozen. After rinsing the herbs from your garden, dice your herbs to release the herbs natural flavor and scent. Fill up an ice tray half way and submerge approximately a teaspoon of the herb in each compartment of the tray. Cover the tray with more water until filled. Make sure you know the location of each herb or designate rows for each type of herb. Stick the ice tray in the freezer Once frozen, remove the cubes and stick in an airtight or ziploc bag. Label the outside of the bag. When making soups, stews, or even spaghetti, drop a cube directly into the pot and let it melt. Recycle, Reduce, Reuse and Rebuy!!!
Epsom salt is a great fertilizer. Use it for your indoor plants and dwarf palms, such as sago palms. You mix one tablespoon of epsom salt for every 1 gallon of water. and soak the roots by pouring the water directly at the base of the plant.
If you drink a lot of coffee, use coffee filters to line the bottom of your pots. Coffee filters keeps the soil in when you are planting a new flower pot. It also helps to retain moisture in the pot longer without the water completely spilling out the bottom. You can also use screen material from your door or window or panty hose at the bottom of your pots.
There are other ways to repel insects without having to use insecticidal soap or pesticides. Here are a few ways to naturally get rid of pests:
To make your own natural pesticide/insecticide, view my blog on Organic insecticides.
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As a single, divorced mother of two, I am no longer privileged to have someone readily available who will go out and get me a card “from the kids” or get a gift on behalf of my kids for every holiday. For the past few years Mother’s Day seemed a little confusing for me now that I had to decide what I was going to do on “my” day. Not that I didn’t appreciate my children, because they still made me handmade cards and made sure they did something special for me, but I think I was so used to a way of life that no longer existed. Although I don’t regret divorcing, I had to retrain my thinking and my lifestyle as a single mom.
This year I decided to change things up a bit. I wanted to make sure that Mother’s Day was filled with the things that will help me to dwell on what is MOST important – that I am a good mother and I have two great kids. So this year, I decided to plan ahead. I signed my kids up for a project at Lowes to make a little Mother’s Day planter. After leaving Lowes with my two beautiful planters, we went to McDonald’s. While they were running through the indoor playground, I enjoyed reading a book and reflected on how great my kids truly are. We went home where I started my outdoor herb garden project. By the end of the day, I felt I had a wonderful Mother’s Day and had accomplished something that I had wanted to do for months with the help of my children. Nonetheless, I am having a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend and I am truly grateful that my kids are with me everyday. XOXO
