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Companion Planting Guide Have you ever been out gardening and planting seeds, then thought… “Ooh… Can these carrots be planted with tomatoes?” Well, I have!  Then I spend a good amount of time looking on my phone trying to figure out which plants can be planted by each other, and which ones cannot. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have all the plant companions in one easy place? Well, you're in luck.  I have created plant companion guides that you can keep on your phone.  That way while you are outside planting, all you have to do is open the guides and quickly know which plants companions and which ones are enemies. I have also included some growing instructions and some of the health benefits of each fruit or vegetable. They are available for purchase in our  Etsy Shop Here is a sample:

Hey everyone, We signed up to be an affiliate with  Seeds Now If you want to buy seeds from them, please use this link. We would greatly appreciate it! https://www.seedsnow.com/?rfsn=6442998.686999 We love their seeds! We have bought a lot of seeds from them and have had great germination!  I can’t wait for the order that we just placed! We also got a free ebook called Organic Gardening Grow Guide. It’s very helpful! So remember. If you buy seeds from them, please use our link: https://www.seedsnow.com/?rfsn=6442998.686999

Yes, It’s January, but now is the time to start getting ready for spring! If you buy your seeds now, you can plan your gardens and have it all ready for planting. We plan by drawing them out on paper or sometimes we just plant everything in the same place as the previous year. It's not good to plant the same things in the same place for to many years in a row.  This is because everything you grow takes nutrients out of the soil, and some things take different nutrients than others.  So if you rotate what you grow, and add in fertilizer in the fall, then you are sure to have great crops every year.  When we plant, we make sure to mark everything so if we save seeds we know what we are saving. We have bought from lots of places, and some are better than others. So we thought we would share our favorite places to buy seeds. Here they are, in no particular order: Seed Mail Seed Co: Stefane from @mint2grow owns this seed company  Seed Mail Seed Co .  She started this...

  Did you know that you can grow your own sprouts? I didn't either until a friend on Instagram showed how she does it! Her name is Nicole and this is her  Flicker Farm Instagram I really love sprouts.  So you can imagine my excitement when I found out I can grow them myself.  They aren't hard to grow, and it's really quiet fun! First off I bought some Alfalfa seed from  Gurney's  It says they are out of stock right now, but you can buy them from anywhere and they would work. Here is what to do: Put 1 tbsp of seeds into a jar (I used a mason jar) Add just enough water to cover the seeds Soak for 8-12 hours on the counter Drain the water (you could put cheese cloth over the top, but I found it easier to just put a spoon or my finger {washed} on the edge to stop the seeds from coming out) Rinse the seeds several times until the water is clear Leave the seeds, without water, in the mason jar on your counter (I had ours on the little shelf by the window above ou...

  In the seed swap the beginning of 2019 we were in a drawing for a start to a dragon fruit, and we were one of the winners. We were (and still are) so very excited. We researched how to take care of one.  They are usually grown outside in zones 9 to 11, but they can be grown inside in a big pot. They are in the cactus family, and are very pokey... 🤣 The flowers only open for one night, and gives off an inviting fruity fragrance. Because it’s a cactus, it loves the sun and to be dry. However the best temperatures for it is between 65° and 80° It’s a climbing cactus so it needs support. A trellis is the best option for it. Many varieties are self-pollinators, but some require cross pollination. (We are not sure which one we have. 🤷🏻‍♀️) They can be grown from seed, but take a lot longer. It can produce fruit within a year of being established, and can produce for 20 to 30 years. Here is a photo of our cutting Here are more pictures of it growing over the last year. Hopefully...

My dad found this recipe and it is delicious. I’m not sure where he found it, but we love it so much we wanted to share. Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs 1/2 c Olive Oil 1/2 c Ranch Dressing 3 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce 1 tbsp Minced Fresh Rosemary 2 tsp Salt 1 tsp Lemon Juice 1 tsp White Vinegar 1/4 tsp Black Pepper 1 tbsp White Sugar 5 Skinless Boneless Chicken Breasts  Add all ingredients (except chicken) into a ziplock bag and mix. Cut up chicken into chunks and add to mixture, mix, and marinate for at least 1 hour in the fridge (we like to marinate for 3-5 hours or longer). Barbeque on skewers and cook until no longer pink & juices run clear. *Variation* After marinating the chicken, pour chicken and marinate in a sauce pan or in a cast iron pan and cook either on the barbeque or on the stove.

  Why save seeds? Because: You can save money If there is ever a time we can’t buy seeds, you will have your own and you won’t have to worry. You get a sense of accomplishment. Do you know how to save seeds? I’m going to tell you how you can save seeds. I’m starting with parsley seeds. Plant either a parsley plant or seeds. I used seeds and it wasn’t hard to grow. Follow the growing instructions on the package. Once it grows, you will have fresh parsley that you can use in your cooking. Make sure to not use all of the parsley (if you cut it, more will grow) because we need it to get flowers. If you keep cutting all the stems and use them, it won’t flower. TIP:  You could plant one to use for cooking and one for the seeds. Once it flowers, make sure it’s somewhere the bees can get to it. Leave the flowers alone and let them die. There will be green pods after the flowers die. Let the pods dry out. They will turn brown and those are the seeds. To collect them, make sure they are...

In order to effectively grow plants, flowers, etc. you need to know what your growing zone is. Ours is 7a. If you google growing zones, there are lots of websites to help you. The website we use is  The Old Farmer’s Almanac It has so much helpful information! If you know your growing zone, then you can find out when your last and first frost dates are, then you will know when you can start seeds in doors, you’ll know how many days you have for a growing season, and so much more!

My family and I love this dip. It’s yummy on any fruit, at least all the fruit we’ve tried. Plus  It’s so easy to make. Fruit Dip: 1-8 oz. Bar Cream Cheese 1-7 oz. Jar Marshmallow Creme Put cream cheese in a bowl and get it to room temperature (it’s a lot easier the mix). Sometimes I put it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds, if I’m in a hurry. Then add the marshmallow creme and mix. That’s it! Enjoy! Here is a picture of the finished product on our homegrown strawberries! 🍓 😋

  We bought some berry bushes and planted them by our side fence. Hopefully they grow good and we can make jam from our own berries. We bought a Golden Raspberry, Red Raspberry, Blackberry, and a blueberry.