...Thyme began in a garden...
I am a total gardening novice. I don't know much, but I do know I am ready to learn! I love having fresh herbs on hand in the summer for cooking and they always look so friendly in their pots. My daughter Katie and I spent yesterday setting up an outdoor gardening table and planting some herbs in pots...Provence Lavender, Basil, Cilantro, Parsley, and Peppermint. We had so much fun digging our fingers into some Organic Valley top soil and using Bonnie Plants which came in nifty eco-friendly peat pots instead of plastic ones that would be thrown away. We also took some time to plant Nasturtium seeds around one of our trees and in a border near the house. These are a great kid-friendly choice because they require dry ground, minimal care, are edible and pretty too. I am also going to support local nurseries and pick up some annuals to put in pots for the front porch, around the mailbox, and in my old red wheelbarrow.
Mike and I are also very interested in learning to do square foot gardening. Our ground is red clay and I think it would be easier for us to begin learning to garden above ground. This summer we are going to try a salsa garden and plant Roma tomatoes, onions, peppers, garlic and cilantro. I also love the concept of container gardening. You don't have to have a big yard (or any yard!) to begin...just some pots, soil, seeds and some imagination. If you are an apartment dweller, you can still have fresh herbs in pots and pretty little flowers in a variety of creative containers.
Gardening is such a wonderful thing to do with your children. To be out in the fresh air learning about the Lord's bounty, provision, goodness, and design....to learn patience, perseverance, and the joy of a harvest. Katie and I love flowers and we want to plant many different kinds so that we can grace our dining table with beauty every meal and add color and life to our bedrooms.
The key to keeping anything fresh and fun is to keep it simple. Gardening can seem very overwhelming to those of us who haven't done much of it. Just buy a bag of organic soil at a local nursery or home improvement store, pick up some terracotta pots, and some annual flowers or herbs that have already sprouted and DIG IN!
9 comments:
Hooray! Gardening is SO rewarding; I know you'll love it. Your table looks great. Does it stay outside? Will it withstand the elements?
Summer in mid-south FL is actually time for our gardens to rest. We will be covering our soil with a clear, plastic tarp to essentially "cook" it to kill any nematodes or other organisms that seem to be giving this gardener a run for her money. But I haven't given up the battle yet! I remember with fondness my huge MN gardens and I WILL sink my teeth into a luscious garden tomato one of these days!!
Best wishes on your ventures!
I love container gardening myself and did a BUNCH last year with herbs and tomatoes. Let me just lower some expectations for you... Cilantro does NOT like this area of the country and does not grow very well here. I so hope yours breaks the barrier but just know that. I have no idea why they even sell it here. It does grow well inside though. Try that in a sunny window.
Flowers... You KNOW I love those! I received two bunches yesterday for my birthday and they just make me smile. Tabatha and Rachel Patel delivered a bunch of yellow tulips to my door in the middle of the day. What special treat!
hey!
I left you something at my blog--check it out...
I love doing this too!
I found your blog the other day and have enjoyed reading some of your older posts. You are such an encouragement and you are now on my bloglines! Thanks!
Our most favorite place in all whe world is our garden. So many lessons to be learned and so much beauty to be inhaled...and lots to eat as well! Great post with lots of info.
Clay... that's actually good according to my Organic Farmer friend. He says this is the best thing to start with and then you add compost into it and manure and voila! Best soil to garden in.
There is something fo you at my blog too... thanks for the inpiration!!
InPursuitOfProverbs31
http://inpursuitofproverbs31.blogspot.com/
Thanks Mrs. Pivec! The table was left behind by the former owners of our home in our shed...I'm going to keep it out all summer (i don't care if it gets a bit weathered) and put it back in the shed in November.
Thanks Andrea, Eren, Wendy and Amy for enjoying my post/blog :)
L.L.!! That's great news about my clay!!! I hadn't done a lot of investigating...it also has a lot of rocks in it. We did buy some organic manure (isn't manure by nature organic?? :) so we will have to use that to mix in with the clay! Thanks!
I have a nice old green hardcover of Square Foot Gardening. It is sitting on a shelf for someday when I feel ambitious. It sounds like you had a wonderful day with your daughter!
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