Pallets in the Garden
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Is Canning Worth It?
Is canning worth it? It depends. Overall I'd say yes, but it does depend on your situation and season of life. You have to consider the cost of supplies, the food, your time and the canned food quality. When you start buying jars, lids, a canner (especially if you buy a pressure canner) an
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From Seeds to Harvest Gardening Challenge – Canning
We put up green beans a couple weeks ago. now we're working on sweet corn... Oh, how I hate the mess... but I sure do love the results! We've also made pickles... both dill and bread and butter. 20 -30 jars at a time will make this winter e
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From Seeds to Harvest – Look what’s popped up!
Emma brought in this beautiful sunflower that grew up all by itself in the middle of our tomatoes! Wonder how in the world that got there? A bird? Then in two of my flower containers tomato plants have come up...but my flowers died. What's that all about? Well, the tomato plant probably came up
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From Seeds to Harvest – Guess what we’re doing today…
Yep! Canning beans!!! A friend of ours called and asked us if we would come pick some beans because they have more than they can keep up with, so at twilight last night our family was out there picking. It was actually kind-of fun, the temperatures and humidity had dropped and with 4 of
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From Seeds to Harvest Gardening Challenge
We are in a drought here, which means every morning Jeff waters the garden and Olivia tends to her herbs. We NEED rain, like a whole week of rain! We've gotten some yellow squash from our garden and some wonderful lettuce. There have also been a couple blueberries ripe...can't
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From Seeds to Harvest Giveaway!
Don't forget to check out today's From Seeds to Harvest Gardening Challenge. There is a sweeeeeeeeet giveaway involved!
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Don’t Forget the Gardening Challenge
Don't forget about the From Seeds to Harvest Gardening Challenge going on over at She Considers!
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2011 From Seeds to Harvest Gardening Challenge
A couple years ago I did a From Seeds to Harvest Gardening Challenge that was quite popular. I'm going to do it again this year except our daughter, Olivia, will actually be hosting it on her site, She Considers. I'll post about it here each week, but we'll all link up over there. I look forward to
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Gutter Gardening!
I *LOVE* this gardening idea my friend Lori sent me! What a great project for boys, or for people who cannot get out and work the ground, and it looks so nice!!!
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Homestead in an Acre
Our garden is off to a great start this year; the Lord has granted us just the right amounts of rain and warm temperatures. We've already eaten lettuce which was wonderful! The tomatoes are already roped off so they will grow upward. The squash has a bunch of beautiful yellow flowers...can't
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Photo Contest Winners
First Place Winner!!! Victory! After starting late and planting many things only to have them fail or be stolen by the squirrels, it was a sweet victory when she harvested her only crop of the summer: a lovely double carrot with dancing legs. Sweet victory, indeed!
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From Seeds to Harvest Photo Contest
The purpose of the From Seeds to Harvest Gardening Challenge this summer has been to encourage families to get out and garden, even if it was just in a pot. Hopefully we have sparked an interest in our young people, learned some science and are thinking of ways to be more self sufficient.
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A Garden Could Be Common Ground
This week's From Seed to Harvest update will be a bit different. I want to share with all of you a story of how God may use a love for gardening to reach someone else's heart. As of this week our daughter, Olivia (18), is living with a family about 45 minutes away from us. The wife in thi
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July’s winner…
The winner of July's From Seeds to Harvest Gardening Challenge is Audrey! :o) Audrey wins Olivia's e-book, Making and Managing Money for Teens. Thank you everyone for sharing about your gardens. Now it is time to get the fall gardens growing. ;o)
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From Seeds to Harvest Update
Not much going on in our garden, in fact we are ready to pull everything up and get our fall garden in. I've about decided that if you want a great summer garden you cannot do much of anything else, no vacations, no building projects, just weed, water and harvest. If you think about it I am
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From Seeds to Harvest Update: Canning Class Today!
Gardening update: Ours is about played out! I am grateful we can by from local farmers!!! A friend of ours who farms delivered 10 dozen ears of corn last night...yeah! I'm off to teach a canning class today as part of our Domestic Classes. I Love sharing homemaking skills. Next we
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My Husband is a Clean Picker
...and boy am I glad!!! We have two blueberry bushes that produce a lot of berries. Since our girls have been gone Jeff has had to do all the picking by himself. Every couple days he picks about a gallon. He does such a GREAT job picking. When he brings in the berries there is
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Planning for the Pantry-Saving Money!
He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame. Proverbs 10:5 Whether you're harvesting your own fruits and vegetables, buying from the local farmer's market or buying straight from the grocery store, summer is the best time to stock up
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July’s From Seeds to Harvest Giveaway
This month we will be giving away a free copy of Making and Managing Money for Teens e-book. This is a $16.97 value! When children work for their money they value it so much more! The best education a child can receive is from REAL LIFE while
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The June Winner is…
Mother Hen of the Chicken Coop won our From Seeds to Harvest Giveaway for June. Send me your address Mother, and I will get this out to you!
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What’s in a Bushel?
A little gardening FYI: 1 bushel of green beans = 4 pecks OR aprox 28 pounds OR aprox 4 Wal Mart bags full OR 38 quarts canned! It's been a busy day! As soon as I started canning today the first jar broke...ugh... Then my pressure cooker had steam coming out from
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From Seeds to Harvest Update- Squash Recipes
Our garden seems to have hit some issues. We have not tended to it as much as we need to and the weeds are about to take over. ugh! We have just been so busy and it is so hot outside, it is hard to find time to do it all...can anyone relate? There are a lot of life lessons in this.
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What to Do with All That Squash!
It's time for all that wonderful squash and zucchini to be coming in. Even if your squash or zucchini did not do well, you can buy them for a good price right now and for the next several weeks, so store up for the winter. Remember to buy while items are at their peek and buy local i
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Keeping Cats Out of the Garden
We have a problem with our cats doing their business in our garden, espcially the herb garden. Here are a few ideas I have read about to keep cats out of the garden: Plant: garlic geraniums marigolds lavender Spread: coffee grounds lemon or orange peals mothb
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Blight and Those Plants in a Bottle!
Here are a couple of interesting things I found on the blogs of our fellow From Seeds to Harvest gardeners. Do you have spots on your leaves? Blight? Hop on over and read what one of our sweet fellow gardener found out with her research and blight! Remembe
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Farmers Market
Because of where we live, the BEAUTIFUL and FERTILE state of Alabama, there are farmer's markets and corner vegetable stands everywhere! I love being able to buy from local farmers, just as I posted about where we buy eggs. It is good to keep the money in the community, not to mention that p
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From Seeds to Harvest- Our Fellow Gardeners
Here are a few of our friends that are taking part in the From Seeds to Harvest Gardening Challenge! I have gotten some real neat ideas from looking at how some of you are doing things! If you would like to have your picture(s) added to our slideshow just let me know. I LOVE the pictures t
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From Seeds to Harvest Weekly Update-Freebie
This looks like a fantastic freebie for those of you gardening with your children. Make the most of all the work! Skip past the advertisements and go to the free printables. Don't you just love FREE?! You do have to sign up for their website, but that is free too! Lapbook Lesson f
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May’s Giveaway winner is… Stephenie!!!
May's From Seeds to Harvest Gardening Giveaway winner is... Stephenie Pyles !!! She wins the basket of skin care products from Southern Belle Bath. Be sure to hop on over to Stephenie's blog and read how she is gardening with her children. ***
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From Seeds to Harvest- Gardening Freebies!
Ya gotta love the free stuff! Even if you don't want these for yourself, think how your kids can use them to make their gardening lapbooks and science notebooks! They can cut the pictures apart and make puzzles or memory games with them. Free subscription to Organic Gardening Magaz
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From Seeds to Harvest Weekly Update
Our garden is doing very well, we've had a good bit of rain and sunshine! Emma planted some okra our friend Missy gave her. A neighbor gave her some extra tomato plants so she planted those too. T We have two big blueberry bushes that are doing GREAT! They are loaded with green berri
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Do You Have Weeds Yet?
We have had rain just about everyday the past week which has caused the gardens to really thrive! The only thing is with all that thriving comes WEEDS! Hopefully today we will get out there and pull the unwanted roots that will choke out what is intended to be used for US to thrive! The las
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Basic Canning Supplies
If you do not have any canning supplies yet now is the time to start buying them. If you buy one or two items a week when you shop it will only take a few weeks to gather all your supplies. Of course keep your eyes open at yard sales and thrift stores, or just order from Amazon and have them
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Organic Gardens in Jeopardy
It seems like everyday I hear something on the news that just leaves me shaking my head and wondering what will come of us as a nation. Most of you have probably already heard about HR 875. This is ANOTHER piece of legislation that is just CRAZY! ANOTHER case of the governmen
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From Seeds to Harvest- Seeds
Leslie, of Journey to Simplicity posted about the importance of what kind of seeds to buy. Do not purchase seeds that will yield hybrid produce. Hybrids have been genetically modified. Although they are generally less expensive, they have a huge drawback; the seeds from the fruit yi
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From Seeds to Harvest- What to Do with Slugs
Valerie asked: I have slugs eating my herbs, I have been putting out salt, but I now have an ocean full of salt water instead of a lake full of freshwater in my yard. Someone suggested an open can of beer, I have forgotten that old remody, guess I am gonna have to buy some cheap beer and se
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From Seeds to Harvest Weekly Update
This week we planted 9 bell pepper plants and 2 cherry tomato plants. We've had rain just about every day so things are growing like crazy! It's time to get out and weed. Here are the 2 new cherry tomato plants on the back deck... and you can see the laundry hanging...just being real f
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Plants in a Bottle
Karen from Blue Barn Bulletin posted about how her husband planted his seeds... HOW COOL IS THIS? Great Idea Plants in a Bottle! Go HERE to read what you need to do to be part of the From Seeds to Harvest Gardening Challenge and get in on the giveaways! It&rsqu
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A Good Soaking
God is watering the plants today! When it rains we pull the pots from the porch out to the walkway so they can get a good soaking. We can and do water our plants, but there is nothing like a long, steady rain from the Creator to cause them to FLOURISH! Without ra
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Weekly Garden Update and Giveaway Winner!
Sharon of Life's a Journey is the winner of our April From Seeds to Harvest Giveaway! You can see her garden HERE. She wins a copy of our e-books: How to Grow and Use Culinary Herbs and What to Do When Your Daughter Hates Being in the Kitchen
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Your Gardening Zone
Here is a site to tell you what zone you are in and what you could be doing garden wise. Learn to Grow Go HERE to read what you need to do to be part of the From Seeds to Harvest Gardening Challenge and get in on the giveaways! It’s r
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Plant Markers
This is a great project for the kids. It will help with plant identification, they could even write the scientific name on the back. :o) This gives a real visual for the plant name and leaf shape/flower every time the kiddos are in the garden. Break a clay pot, a great use for those c
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Fellow Gardeners, Aren’t they Adorable?!!!
Here are some of our fellow gardeners who are in on the From Seeds to Harvest Gardening Challenge, aren't they ADORABLE?!!! Their mom is Dana, a long time blogger friend. I'd love to share pictures of any other young people that are taking the gardening challenge, jus
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Gardening Quote
Gardening requires lots of water, most of it in the form of perspiration.
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Gardening IS School!
Maybe it's because I am a homeschool mom, but I have to make EVERYTHING in to a 'lesson plan'!!! :o) Seriously, EVERYTHING we do IS school! Even gardening is school. Be sure to let your kids do a lot of the work in planning and working the garden. Have them research certa
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From Seeds to Harvest- Garden Tour Video
We will plant more seedlings over the next month or so. Where we live there are a lot of farmers and WONDERFUL farmer's markets, so several things we buy to can because it is cheaper to do it that way. I will talk about this more later. Everyone here helps in the garden, but Olivia
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What about Worm Farming?
Have you ever thought of worm farming, or even knew there was such a thing?! I heard of this several years ago, and like all 'good homeschool moms', I bought a book about it. :o) We live on a lake and know dozens of serious gardeners so I thought this would be a perfect home business for at least
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Thrifty Thursday
My friend Kelly over at Generation Cedar is hosting a Thrifty Thursday series. Of course my most thrifty idea right now is simply gardening!!! :o) I don't know about you, but EVERY TIME I go grocery shopping I am amazed at the prices. Gardening does cost a little to get started, and it do
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Container Gardening
Go here to read about our From Seeds to Harvest Gardening Challenge. And HERE for the other post on this series for tips and video clips to help you out. Don't forget to sign in on S
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