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If you want to make us laugh, mention the ribbon grass...

The first year I started the nursery, I was given a clump of ribbon grass to add to my small collection of plants. I planted it out and was so thrilled at how fast it grew. ‘This is gonna be a great start to the nursery’, I thought. I got 12 plants out of 1 in just a few weeks! With so little experience, I wasnt able to see straight common sense. Something that grows that quickly? What do you think will happen when someone plants it, openly in their yard? It wasnt long before Jon joined me and CRINGED when he saw it. ‘Uhhhhm, thats invasive’ he politely told me. I could see that it spread, but I couldn’t fathom that it would spread ENDLESSLY, and be impossible to get rid of. So I divided the plants into pots and offered it for sale. Jon knew… just like one of our very first customers… ‘youre selling THAT plant?’ I think the word ‘evil’ ended up somewhere in that conversation.

Safe to say, since then Jon has taught me a TON about all the different shrubs and perennials, how things grow and whats a good plant. Hes kind of the expert. And now we can agree on a strict policy of never offering invasive plants to an unknowing public. I feel confident and proud of that. But every now and then, he likes to jab at my ignorance. Im not ashamed, I think its funny too, and its a good reminder. Weve come a long way in 4 short years.

#invasive plants #ribbon grass

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How to Compost Without a Bin

The Winter Composting Project

Ive been working on this experiment. Instead of composting in a pile or a bin, Ive been throwing my garbage straight in the gardens. Sounds gross? I’ll tell you how and why I’ve been doing this.

This summer we converted an old compost bin into a new garden. It was kind of a smelly eyesore and placed right along the path where customers walk to get to the nursery. It had to go. But something kind of amazing happened before I decided what to do with that area. The seeds from last years tomatoes sprouted! and grew 10 times better than in the vegetable garden. So I let em GO, I didnt even stake them, just let nature do its thing.

This was my most exciting experience learning about good soil. Because everything I put in that garden grew faster than a chia pet on steroids. And the worms, oh the worms. you gotta see them.

Recently, we learned about Geoff Lawton. Sustainable permaculture? food forest? I dont have much experience with either, but these words give me a little jolt every time i hear them. And the information is just as exciting. In one of his permaculture videos, Geoff and his students practice what they call ‘chop and drop’. Its kinda like permission to be a lazy slob. Ive been freed! After you’ve pruned or harvested the plant, you chop up the plant debris, then drop it right below the plant you pruned it from. I am so DOWN for that idea.

But being free, its harder than you think!

We have this human NEED to CLEAN UP after ourselves. We like things neat and tidy, compartmentalized, in a category. But Nature doesnt do it that way, and frankly, nature doesnt appreciate it either. Nature litters all day long! Leaves and branches fall, animals poop and wind blows all that garbage around. Youd think nature would be a terrible neighbor. Yet it all comes out BEAUTIFULLY! All that stuff were tidying up, packing neatly in yard bags and paying for removal? It all makes incredibly rich organic soil. So keep your leaves, grass clippings, yard debris… and dump them back in your garden.

And dont stop there!

Kitchen waste can go straight in your garden too! I bet youre shaking youre head… ‘No way am i throwing garbage in my garden’. Did you see the worms yet??? ok ok, i’ll show you! This happened because I couldnt get under my tomato plant to clean out all the tomatoes that fell and rotted on the ground. What I didnt know was, what a drastic improvement rotten tomatoes could make!

So here’s the experiment Im working on.

THE ZERO GARBAGE Project. The goal of this project is to reduce the volume sent to the landfill while creating the richest soil my garden has ever seen. Why should the landfill get the good stuff, right?

Every sliver of compostable kitchen scrap now goes straight into the garden. Ideally what’s left, should be recyclable. I’ll tell ya, I feel a little naughty, standing at my doorway in the middle of December, tossing a banana peel into the garden. But its for a CAUSE! And since no ones out there looking at the gardens, winter is the perfect time to start composting. Even though it wont do much decomposing in the winter months, I feel that it should all have enough time to decompose before the summer months come.

What goes in vegetable scraps. Fruit. Herbs. Popcorn. Coffee and coffee filters. Tea bags. Napkins and Paper towels. Shredded Paper Newspaper and Cardboard. Stale bread and burnt toast. Dead flower arrangements. Pencil shavings and sawdust. Basically anything organic that breaks down. heres more of what goes in

What stays out

Kitty Litter, dog business. I read that feces of carnivors might contain disease organisms. ewww. i dont want that anywere near my tomatoes.

Lime, coal, charcoal. These are said to change the pH of the compost past the point of usefulness.

Meat, fat, grease, oil, bones. This is a little controversial. Some people say yes, go for it. Other say that fat and grease dont break down. Not only do the not break down, they coat everything else so that doesnt break down either.

Dairy products like milk, butter, cheese, ice cream or yogurt. This one is iffy. It said the pungent odor attract pests, but can be hidden in the middle of a compost pile to mask it. For our purposes here, milk would just be gross so lets skip it.

Heres more of what stays out

COOL COMPOSTING TIP! When the mess becomes unbearable. It really does look gross when too much garbage piles up, so I do cover it often. We have a pile of compost and a pile of woodchips. I’ll sprinkle light layers on top to cover the mess. This no only covers the mess, but it helps it break down faster! Ive read of people digging a hole or a trench, throwing scraps in, then covering lightly with the dirt from the hole.

I emplore you, I EMPOWER you to throw your garbage straight into the garden. It doesnt feel terribly right at first, but if what I think will happen happens, I imagine the rebellious attitude that will arise knowing what Im doing is the best way about it.

#how to compost without a compost bin #winter composting

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Protecting Shrubs From Rabbits

Before winter after fall, that one week before it really gets cold is the week to protect your new or in danger shrubs from them cute rabbits. I use 3′ tall chicken fencing. Burlap can also be used.

I find it important to use stakes or old utility flags bent in half to hold the chicken fencing in place, these are stuck into the ground.

All small shrubs/new trees should be protected if you have had any rabbit issues in the past.

Some shrubs should always be protected this was during the winter… -viburnum carlessi -hydrangea paniculata -hydrangea quercifolia -amelanchier (service berry) -euonymus alatus (burning bush) -fothergilla

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Killer Garden Soil that Grows Plants Like Crazy

Its no secret, good soil grows good plants. You know it, I know it, but the experts in the horticultural trades are learning more… Agriculturists are discovering soil secrets to grow healthy, gargantuan plants that cut fertilizer costs to a minimum. Good soil is all it takes.

And you can GROW good garden soil. Thousands of tiny organisms are eating away at your soil every day… and pooping it out! You know the best organic fertilizer is, you got it…POOP. Cow poop, chicken poop, worm poop. Its in all the stores. Mico organism poop is just as good and its already IN your soil… but you can grow your microbe count and improve your garden soil by ridiculous amounts.

Plants have an immune system, just like people do. Good soil grows healthy plants with a strong immunity able to absorb nutrients and fend off disease and insects. Healthy plants thrive without chemical dependency. Chemicals are in fact detrimental to the long term health of your soil because they kill off the microbes.

Lets let a pro explain the soil biology (If youre interested in growing super healthy plants watch this! then watch it again in 6 months)

So, you got it? Bacteria and fungus. thousands of different types, all helping you grow bigger better plants. Aint nature grand?

How to Make Good Garden Soil. Starting from Scratch

How do I get beneficial microbes into my soil? That’s the best part, theyre already IN there. You just have keep them happy and feed them well so they can multiply.

Fungus loves roots. roots love fungus (fungi to be correct). They feed each other and help one another grow. It’s the greatest love affair of all time. Lets figure out how to fan the flames.

Humus + Beneficial Bacteria and Fungus (inoculant) + Plants (roots)

Humus Its the perfect environment. Soil humus (loam) is filled with fluffy organic matter containing nutrients that feed both microbe and plant. Its the perfect environment for both to thrive.

Adding organic matter to the soil each year helps the symbiosis GO. If you have space and materials to make your own compost, its so much fun and an ultra effective way to create soil your plants will love. I’d never leave my garden without it!

Wood Chips are also an excellent source of organic matter. I’ve added them as an ingredient in my compost. You’d be surprised how fast they break down when theyre mixed in. And always, every year, we lay on a super thick, 6″ layer of woodchips as mulch to help control weeds. It’s insanely effective. Where we live, wood chips are plentiful and FREE! If your town doesnt deliver free wood chips, try out AboutTrees.com to help you find them. If they cant help you, you can also call local tree services. I’ve even flagged down tree trimmers while they’re working in the neighborhood so they can deliver the chips immediately when they’re done with their job. You’d get a kick out of our reaction to the sound of a nearby chipper. Seriously, its like kids running for the ice cream truck.

I’ll never understand why some people are angered by wood chips in the garden. The woman working at the hardware store actually told me that ‘when the roots hit the woodchips, or an air pocket in between, they die’. I nodded my head politely and went about my business. Id rather pay attention to what people do to get results… Check out Garden Seeks blog post about using woodchips in the garden soil. The winner in this experiment was a 50% woodchip/garden soil mix.

Inoculant Bacteria and Fungi already live in the soil. Keep feeding them with organic matter. You can leave plant roots in the soil after every season to provide food and organic matter. You can also ‘inoculate’ your soil by adding even more bacteria and fungi. I purchased a form of inoculant, the Jobes/Proven Winners brand just yesterday. Its filled with bacteria and fungi (oh my). But if youre really motivated you can make your own!

How to Make Your Own Inoculant The Master gardeners in Gwinnett County Georgia came up with this method. (the procedure is at the bottom of the page. It takes a whole summer, but seems easy and like a lot of fun. In short, you’ll grow an annual plant that is known to form mycorrhizae, in sand. The roots will entirely fill the pot of sand by the end of the summer. Cut off the plant and save the root filled sand in a cool dry place until next season. Now you have a home made organic fertilizer to sprinkle on your plants or mix in with your garden or potting soil!

Plant Roots Mychorriza (my-kor-eye-za) is the mutual relationship between roots and fungus. The ‘Rhizosphere’ is the 1 inch area immediately surrounding the plants roots where bacteria and fungus congregate and cycle nutrients. They feed off of the carbon content of plant roots then poop them out, at the root making these nutrients more available to the plant.

Farmers have begun to realize that no part of their land should be ever without some kind of plant. They grow cover crops in between rows or in rotation. Crops like vetch, rye grass and soybeans are turned back into the soil. This adds organic matter (food for fungi) back to the soil, prevents compaction, helps retain moisture and grows great plants!

SO there you have it. Nutrient rich garden soil, able to grow healthy, disease resistant plants without tilling or chemicals and much much less prone to weeds.

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Weigela Florida 'Bristol Ruby'

Weigela ‘Bristol Ruby’

Weigela florida Bristol Ruby

Buy this Plant in our ebay Store

Breathtaking Weigela Floridia, or Bristol Ruby, is a beautiful flowering shrub that rewards with hundreds of ruby-red trumpet shaped flowers. Blooms from late May through June and into early July. Adds a vivid splash of color to your garden.

A well formed shrub, growing more upright than many other varieties of Weigela, this shrub is very hardy and thrives anywhere. May repeat blooms until frost. Prefers full sun but will tolerate some partial shade. Adapts to most soils. Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. A great cut flower.

Blooms on previous season’s growth so prune immediately after blooms fade to maintain good shape and encourage reblooming. Plant as a hedge, border, or as a beautiful exhibit of color in your landscape. Give adequate space, Weigela dislikes crowding.

Growth Rate: Fast!

Lighting Height Spread Soil Type Hardiness Sun – Part Shade 4-8′ 4-6′ Well Drained Zone 4-9

Planting & Care: Dig hole twice the width of pot. Loosen soil and roots on the bottom of the root ball. Don’t plant too deep. Plant level with surrounding soil. Cover area with 3″ of mulch. Keep mulch 5″ away from trunk. Water in well. Keep a regular watering schedule throughout the first growing season to establish good roots.

#weigela florida

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Organic Weed Control. Save the Paper!

Organic Weed Control

I couldn’t live without my newspaper. Not because I actually read the newspaper, but because it does my weeding for me! Newspaper is a highly effective way to snuff out established weeds in the garden. It creates a biodegradable barrier so that sunlight cant reach weed and grass roots and doesnt allow them to grow.

Put it on thick and overlap well! Place 8-10 sheets of newspaper in your garden bed, keeping it 3″ away from stems of established plants. Water, so the paper doesnt blow away while youre working. Cover with mulch, wood chips or even dirt. Last step, just as important… sprinkle pre-emergent herbicide such as Preen on the finished job, to keep weed seeds from blowing on to your lovely weedless garden bed and taking root.

Now, its probably just a rumor, but I heard on the radio that the Chicago tribune will be closing its print division. It got me thinking about alternatives. Cardboard works really really well, I’ve used it in the past. The thicker the better. Paper grocery bags could work. Paper refuse bags, the type used for yard waste, would be fantastic for weed control.

This is a quick start method for organic weed control. Every year you’ll need to pull any weeds that do come up, not many if youve applied a thick enough layer. And youll need to re-edge and add more mulch.

#organic weed control

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Getting Rid of Japanese Beetles

Japanese Beetle Control

Dont ya just hate em??? Japanese Beetles have been a nuisance in America since 1916. Thought to be imported as grubs in a shipment of iris bulbs from Japan 5 to 6 years prior, it was soon realized that Japanese Beetles were a serious threat to agriculture in just one year of discovering the species.

In Japan, the beetle isnt harmful. Its natural predators keep the population under control. But here in America, the invasion has spread to most states east of the Mississippi and the effects can be devastating.

That’s not hard to believe considering their mating cycle. It only takes two days for adult beetles to feed and mate before the female lays more eggs. She’ll lay up to 5 eggs and will repeat the cycle until up to 60 eggs are laid. for each female.

Though efforts to eradicate the species were given up in 1920, there are things you can do to keep things under control and save your plants!

Milky Spore. For smaller lawns, the addition of milky spore will kill grubs. It takes a few years to incorporate into the lawn but its said to be very effective. Thats great for keeping the population down. If you can kill a bunch, go for it! but what about your neighbors lawn? What about forest areas closeby? The beetles will travel to feed and you’ll still need to take other precautions.

Bag a Bug. I dont care what ANYONE SAYS about this product, it’s saved my plants for years. For $5 each kit at the hardware store, assemble a plastic frame, lure and bag trap, then hang them all over your yard. It’s extremely effective at catching beetles. Empty the bags often, dead bugs tend to smell. (my neighbor empties the bags in the fire pit as soon as they’re all dead, and hangs the bag back up)

The major complaint is that the bag a bug trap attracts more beetles to your yard. My rebuttal… ‘bring em on!’ Yes it may attract even more beetles from other areas, but they go IN the bag. It’s a dream of mine to distribute 2 bags to every home in the neighborhood every year. Get em all until theyre eradicated!

Insecticide. This year the beetles were so bad they outnumbered my bags, so I needed quick protection! There are a few insecticides that are effective at getting rid of beetles. Make sure the label clearly shows that its specifically for japanese beetles, and to keep costs down, buy a concentrated liquid to mix with water in a spray bottle.

Non Attractive Plants. If you just cant bring yourself to kill bugs, or are hardcore organic, theres still another choice. Ohio State University published a list of plants that Japanese Beetles dont like to feed on. There are enough plants listed here to still have a beautiful garden, and not have a bug problem… doesnt it give you a warm and fuzzy feeling?

ageratum, arborvitae, ash, baby’s breath, garden balsam, begonia, bleeding heart, boxwood, buttercups, caladium, carnations, Chinese lantern plant, cockscomb, columbine, coralbells, coralberry, coreopsis, cornflower, daisies, dogwood (flowering), dusty-miller, euonymus, false cypresses, firs, forget-me-not, forsythia, foxglove, hemlock, hollies, hydrangeas, junipers, kale (ornamental), lilacs, lilies, magnolias, maple (red or silver only), mulberry, nasturtium, oaks (red and white only), pines, poppies, snapdragon, snowberry, speedwell, sweet pea, sweet-William, tuliptree, violets and pansy, or yews (taxus).

Resources:

http://www.mosquito.rutgers.edu/jb.htm

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2001.html

#getting rid of japanese beetles

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Three Easy DIY Soil Tests

Great gardening starts with good soil right? and things grow differently in each type of soil. Different types of soil include sand, clay and silt. I tried the ‘jar test’ to determine what my garden soil is made of. It was easy and fun, a project your kids will love!

The Jar Test

I found this test in a few places each with different instructions, but the premise was the same. Find a mason jar. Add soil, water and dish soap. (The best combination for a large jar was 1 cup of soil, 1-2 cups of water and 1/2 tsp of dish soap) Shake it up for a minute to break everything up, and then let it sit. The soil will settle into layers.

Set the jar where it wont be disturbed, and in 24 hours all the layers should have settled. The 1st layer on the bottom will be sand. The 2nd layer is silt and the 3rd layer is clay. Organic matter will float to the top of the water. (the more organic matter, the better). If you have equal parts sand and silt with a thin layer of clay and some organic stuff floating on top, you have great soil! (40% sand, 40% silt, 20% clay).

Sandy soils drain too quickly, unable to retain moisture or nutrients to feed your plants. Amend sandy soils by adding 2 inches of organic matter (composted yard waste or manure) mixed in with the top 6 to 12 inches.

Clay soils dont drain well and drown your plants. Amend by adding an equal amount of sand and compost to create 2 inches mixed in with the top 6 to 12 inches. (dont forget the compost… clay plus sand equals cement!)

The Earthworm Test

Earthworms are a sign of great soil. They aerate the soil and help break down organic matter. Dig 1 square foot of your soil, down 6 inches. Sift through your soil and count the earthworms. 10 is the magic number. If you find 10 earthworms, your soil is doing fine. If you dont find many earthworms, add more organic matter. One way to attract earthworms is by adding used coffee grounds to your compost bin. Worms love used coffee grounds, and the acid thought to be found in the grounds is removed during the brewing process… And since theyre made of paper, you can even add the filters!

The Ph Test

Want to save a trip and some cash from buying a soil test? Test the Ph level of your soil with stuff you have at home. Grab a tablespoon, a glass of water, a paper towel, vinegar and banking soda and head out to the garden.

Add a few drops of vinegar to a spoonful of dry soil. Does it fizz? If it does, your soil is alkaline (over 7.5) Alkaline soils are amended by adding sulfur.

Clean the spoon off and grab another spoonful of soil. Add water and a pinch of baking soda. Does it fizz now? If it does, your soil is acidic (less than 5) Acidic soils are amended by adding lime.

One of the best ways to maintain great soil is to add 2-3 inches of compost on top of your garden as a mulch. It’s cheap, retains moisture, attracts earthworms and keeps plants fed. And when its time to work the soil, you’ll make it better every time.

#diy soil test

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Old Compost and the Surprise Tomatoes

Its no surprise that these tomato plants are growing like weeds when you look at the soil they’re growing in. Tomatoes like all other plants love rich organic, well draining soil. But whats shocking to me, is that I havent TOUCHED these plants. Unlike the tomatoes in the veggie garden, that I baby – picked the perfect varieties, planted correctly, fertilize, water often and weed around, the surprise plants are at least double the size. I didnt sow or plant them, and most amazingly, I havent touched the garden hose. How did this happen?

Tomatoes I planted. bah! puny

My surprise tomatoes. hows that for wow factor?

Last year, this garden was a humongous compost bin. At the end of the season, I pulled out the exhausted veggie plants and threw them in to compost. This year, its all broken down and created the best soil for growing tomatoes in. Light and fluffy, well draining yet retains moisture, and full of nutrients that tomatoes need to grow. Theres at least a good 6″ of compost here. Perfect for growing great plants!

If you were wondering how to grow tomatoes, start with your soil. Add a ton of rich compost and watch your tomatoes grow like weeds!

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Official First Day of the Season - 2014

Today I deem the official First Day of the season! its the first warm day without snow, thought its still frozen in spots. No sign of bulbs. Some are coming up in John’s yard Which still has snow. But its the first 60 degree day… Or almost… I’ll take it. We worked from 11 to 5:30. a good long day for the out of shape. Good thing too, because Jon has to start work tomorrow, for Sally. Good we both get used to the exercise… ive been waiting for this day.

We checked off a ton from the task list. We removed the compost bin that I put in years ago. Though it was still pretty frozen we turned the compost as much as possible. We cut down the grasses and had a nice little fire. Compost bin and grasses. We uncovered the remaining potted plants from their plastic. Some are starting to grow in nicely. Rudbeckia. Sedum. Hardy geranium. Penstemon. Coreopsis. Salvia. Nepeta. Echinacea. Pretty much all the covered plants are showing signs of life.

We cleaned up a good deal. Broken glass where the deer stepped on a window that fell over, because i failed to nail it to the greenhouse. We removed the screen material from Petes donated old screens, and I started a roll of screen material. could save us some money. We also started prepping the vegetable garden behind the house. That old dirt in the raised bed grew crap plants. I kicked it apart and we leveled the dirt in there, some big hunks of frozen dirt Jon had fun chopping it up, he was tired but didnt want to stop. I want to build a shorter, larger square foot garden in that spot for salad stuff. 6″ boards with Mels mix this time, and hoops for plastic.

Jon got the shed to drain! I made the mistake of filling in his trench because it was impinging on the new neighbors lot. It backed up and we had pots in a good 4″ of ice. Everything was sitting in ice for god knows how long. Im afraid to see if the tiller, lawnmower and pool filter work, though I have faith in Jon to fix them. So I hauled out 4 steaming hot gallons of water and he ran it down the drain. He dug out the trench AGAIN and voila! we have drainage again. If it rains, we won’t flood. Very good.

All in all a productive day. We celebrated with an abundance of kissy face, jokes and good feelings for the whole world to see

Our nursery Is going to kick so much ass this year.

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Seed Chart - Seed Starting In February

When the weather outside is frightful, get started on your garden INSIDE! Theres a lot you can do in february. Heres a seed chart of the seeds you can start in February. Feel free to download and share! Happy gardening.

right click to download.

Recommended for zone 5! If you life in a different zone, check out Johnnys Seed Chart Add your frost free date for seed starting in YOUR zone

http://cultivatorscorner.com/european-ginger-can-be-a-great-landscaping-choice

European Ginger can be a GREAT Landscaping Choice

Guest Post Submitted by Green Mountain Hosta.

Many gardeners have found how using European ginger can be a great choice for some garden areas. This plant is known to love shade and can be used in places that other plants won’t thrive. It is a long lasting plant and people use it as a groundcover to complement many other kinds of plants.

People have different experiences with it depending on where they live and other conditions. Some people are able to start it from bare rootstock and be very successful with getting it to thrive. Others that want a live plant instead of rootstock may do well with a small plant. Some people say that it will spread out and creep but this is not true for everyone. Others find that if they remove it, it will usually return at some point.

These plants usually grow between 6″ and 8″ in height. The leaves are a shiny green and often get darker as the plant matures. The plant is said to have a mild gingery aroma and this is thought to come from the roots. Unlike other kinds of wild ginger, this kind is not edible.

People often like to use this with hostas and some people assume that this is a variety of hosta. European ginger will often grow in places that hostas will not such as deep shade.

The leaves on this plant are rounded and somewhat kidney-shaped. It is not a plant that deer tend to like to eat so that factor in itself appeals to many gardeners. It is fairly easy to propagate by division in the springtime. It tends to like rich soil but likes it to be slightly acidic.

People may find this plant at a local nursery but sometimes they will have to rely on a mail order nursery. These plants are often more favorably priced by purchasing online. Some of the larger hosta specialty nurseries also have this plant for sale because of its similarities to hostas.

These plants like shade for the most part and also like moisture. People will not want to keep tem soggy but instead water as needed to keep the soil around the plant somewhat moist. These are not suitable for all areas of the country so people will want to see if their growing zone is one that is recommended for it. The plant does best in the northern parts of the county and Midwest as well as other places. It is not a good match for arid parts of the country like the Southwest.

To find out more about european ginger, visit http://www.greenmountainhosta.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=29.

http://cultivatorscorner.com/detox-smoothie-recipe-for-beginners-a-no-brainer

Detox Smoothie Recipe for Beginners... a no brainer

A while back, my craving for a green smoothie prompted a trip to walmart to buy the first cheap smoothie blender I saw. Luckily, the blender worked out just fine, however… my first smoothies did not.

I made sludge. No matter what I threw in this thing, it came out disgusting. So i was in desperate need to find a dummies type detox smoothie recipe. This beginner recipe really worked. I had all the ingredients here, so that was a no brainer. Plus it taught me some things about my blender. (Id link you to the original recipe, but man, I cant find it)

One. If you stuff a bunch of greens in a cheap smoothie blender (or at least mine) nothing happens. The blades just spin and dont even to grab the greens. Ive seen expensive blenders do it, but mine doesnt. So theres a method to the order of ingredients.

Two. Even though greens have a lot of liquid content, you still need quite a bit more liquid, or you will indeed get sludge.

Step 1. Gather your ingredients. You’ll need:

1 cup of water

2-3 cups of greens (kale, spinach, swiss chard, beet greens)

1 apple

2 bananas

1 cup of pineapple juice

Step 2. Add 1 cup of water and fill the rest with greens. The water does two things. It helps grab those greens and makes an actual smoothie, not sludge.

Step 3. Blend until smooth.

Step 4. Add the apple, bananas and pineapple juice. Blend until smooth. this will take a couple of minutes.

Step 5. (optional) Try the mix. If its too warm, add some ice to cool it down, or, throw it in the fridge to chill for an hour.

This makes 3 large glasses of green smoothie!

This recipe is good enough that my 18 year old will drink it, the kid that will only eat cooked broccoli or fruit that came out of a cup. Thank you green smoothies, I’ve redeemed myself as a mother.

And if that isnt impressive enough, you’ll be amazed at how much you get with not much food. If that isnt enough, theyre quick, easy, filling, not at all messy, they dont cost much and theyre GOOD for you. Cleanup is simple if you do it right away. Just rinse. Because theyre so much yummier when theyre cold, we sometimes chill them in the fridge. Unless youre lucky enough to own a dishwasher, the glass needs to be soaked.

Good luck with the recipe and the green smoothie detox if you decide to try it!

http://cultivatorscorner.com/growing-basil-indoors-3-dollar-herb-garden

Growing Basil Indoors - $3 dollar herb garden

August is my FAVORITE time to go shopping for plants. Much better than spring, you find such great deals! Often, they go straight into the ‘plant hospital’ where they’re nursed back to health. Sometimes, just enough of the plant is alive to do some bonsai magic. This time, I got lucky, everything was half off and the leftovers were super healthy.

I honestly wasnt interested in buying anything at all during this trip, we’re so out of space. But one whiff lured me back for a closer look and immediately I was imagining an indoor herb garden. I scored two uncommon licorice type basil plants.

Siam Queen is traditionally used in thai cooking. Its spicy anise flavor and can be used all types of dishes including pasta and salads. The flowers are edible as well. Wouldnt that look great in a salad!? Oh and did I mention the scent? Its musky clove scent reminiscent of licorice is just Heavenly.

Licorice Basil is similar and smells a lot like the Siam queen, with a different flowering habit. The two work well together.

Silver Thyme ‘Hi Ho’. A beautiful spiller accent, thyme really goes well in this container and can be used in so many dishes.

Heres a great link to learn how to use your herbs in cooking”

Growing Basil Indoors:

Basil is one of the easier plants to grow. so Ok, basil needs a well draining potting soil, but you knew that. Basil needs regular watering, but you knew that. The biggest hurdle indoors is light. Successfully growing basil indoors requires 4 to 6 hours of sun. You really need a big bright window to grow basil indoors. Alternatively they live under 12 hours of grow lights. I want mine in the kitchen where i can grab some fresh and throw it on the plate.

Basil likes to be pinched and pruned. The more you abuse it, the better it grows. Cutting the plant back helps it grow more bushy rather than tall and lanky. Normally, letting basil go to flower effects the taste. These licorice basil aren’t as affected by the flowers.

I am absolutely in LOVE with these basil plants, theyre so beautifully ornamental its almost a crime to cut it, but I do want the plant to grow a little bushier in order to fill in the pot nicely. The flowers also work well in dried arrangement and can be used in all sorts of scented craft type applications for the home.

One last thing. Drying Basil is just as easy to dry and store.Lay it flat or hang it upside down for a day or two, then strip the leaves and flowers off the branches and store. Tip: cut the branches in the morning because the oil content is at its highest point. youll have the most flavorful dried basil.

http://cultivatorscorner.com/cheap-smoothie-blender-cheap-blenders-that-actually-work

Cheap Smoothie Blender. Cheap Blenders that Actually Work.

Last week I was looking for a cheap blender to start a smoothie detox. I did a bunch of research but was in such a rush to drink a smoothie, I said screw it and ran to Walmart. Call me lazy or impatient, but Im really loving this blender – for the right price… cheap! at $29.99 in the store it was a no brainer.

I ended up with the Black and Decker BL2020s model. Its a 10 speed blender with a smoothie button right on the machine. It has 550 watts of power, higher than most other blenders and plows through ice easily. Im kinda glad I didnt check the Walmart reviews I probably would have passed right by this one. Seems like a lot of people ended up with bum models that broke after the first couple of uses. but for $4 extra bucks in the store, I bought the replacement plan.

There is one little quirk when making green smoothies and Im not sure if its this machine or every machine. On the first try, I threw the greens in first. The blades didnt really touch it for a while. My heart sank thinking this wouldnt cut it, but finally it grabbed the greens and blended them right up. Now I add water with the greens and around they go.

Im so happy with this blender and green smoothies in general. Even my 18 year old drinks them with me every day.

There is one other blender that looked pretty good. The Hamilton Beach Power Elite. I only mention it because its a 700 watt machine and got better reviews.

http://cultivatorscorner.com/fall-garden-vegetables-new-season-new-garden

Fall Garden Vegetables. New season, new garden.

Well, summer is wrapping up. It went fast, didnt it? Fortunately, its not over yet for us gardeners. August 1st is a good marker to start the fall garden vegetables. There are a ton of cold weather vegetables hardy enough to withstand frost and keep you eating healthy into the winter.

Germination and early growth is simple at this time because the temperature is warm – a steady 75 degrees in our 10 day Chicago forecast plus the perfect amount of rain. Direct sowing in the garden should be a breeze this year. Hotter, drier summers would demand daily watering… but who doesnt love to water their garden?

If you started your own seeds this spring, you probably even have some left. Here are the fall garden vegetables I dug out of my seed bin. Kale, cabbage, spinach, beets, carrots, Mesclun salad mix, and arugula. I’ll leave the swiss chard thats already in there.

Lets start by harvesting what I havent eaten out of the spring garden. eesh, theres not much left.

I think the “dont-do-the-grocery-shopping-when-youre-hungry” rule should apply to harvesting vegetables.

A little cleanup and weeding and its ready for more rich compost. Here’s the compost I made in the back, jam packed with critters, worms, millipedes, rolley poleys. After reading GardenSeeks experiment, a 50/50 mix of compost and woodchips is definitely the game plan. Since the back to eden garden is doing so well, I have no reservations about woodchips and am optimistic about better results.

50/50 compost/woodchips

millipede love

Compost and woodchips is really light and fluffy, so I packed it down pretty good to get the seeds to stay put and of course, watered in well.

Finally, my layout of the fall garden vegetables, square foot style

So, how long is this gonna take? Im hungry! MotherEarthNews has a great chart showing when you can harvest all those delicious veggies: Days to Maturity of Fall Harvest Crops You really can count the days. If you’re in a drastically different climate, MotherEarth also has a What to Plant Now list by region.

http://cultivatorscorner.com/winter-gardening-cold-weather-vegetables-you-should-start-now

Winter Gardening. Cold Weather Vegetables you should start Now!

Winter Gardening? whats THAT? I was totally intrigued the first time I heard the term. Certainly you cannot do that here. Winters are COLD in Chicago, much too cold to grow anything… but IS it?

Did you know that some cold weather vegetables will grow in as little as 26 degrees. right? If you’re as thrilled as I was to hear this, its time to get out there and start your winter garden now.

You can start seeds right now, of beets, carrots, radish, lettuce, spinach, swiss chard, kale and many more cold weather vegetables. Heres a list of cold weather vegetables that I made for my nursery website.

IF you dont have a ton of space, or if you want a convenient way to start right now, without all the digging, you can start your winter gardening project in a square foot garden. Build a 4×4′ box, add soil, divide it into square foot sections, and throw in your seeds. Here’s a square foot gardening layout chart that I created. Substitute the warm weather plants for cold weather vegetables and you’re good to go! You can read more about square foot gardening here.

If you’re SUPER interested in winter gardening and want to learn all about it, Eliot Coleman wrote a fantastic book on the subject called The Winter Harvest Handbook. Eliot is a commercial winter farmer who supplies local restaurants with winter vegetables, so he knows his stuff.

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