Beneath the Red Hat

Every gardening season there is always a debate on whether growing your own food really saves you money. The fact is that 84% of the price of your food goes to marketing. Gas prices are rising which effects all transported products prices. In turn food prices also get a bump up. Growing your own food [...]

Well it has been a few weeks since we checked in with our company garden seedlings. The beefsteak tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, and Spanish yellow onions are alive and well. Last week we transplanted our onions into a Smart Pot with Albion strawberries. This combination will help ward off pests and disease keeping our strawberries for [...]

Last week in our company garden we transplanted the seedlings because they were outgrowing their seed tray. The onions and tomatoes were also looking a little leggy. The onions were easy to fix by just trimming the greens down to 3 inches. (You can use the greens in salads too!) The tomatoes were a little [...]

One of the top trends in gardening for 2011 is vertical gardening. This space saving method is perfect for balconies, decks, patios, indoors, and gardens. Vertical gardening can also add privacy and is easy for those with arthritis or back problem, eliminating bending low to the ground. If your space is large or small you [...]

Feeling the itch to sink your hands in the dirt? Well lucky for you spring is not far off and it’s time to get back in the garden. Here is a helpful list of gardening tasks to do this month. •  Keep bird feeders full until spring. You are their source of food while the ground is [...]

Gardening in small spaces can be a challenge and often gardeners result in choosing just a few plants to grow because of space limitations. This however does not need to be the case; a gardener can plant twice the plants in the same space using intercropping. Intercropping is when two or more crops are growing [...]

    There is nothing like a house full of fresh flower arrangements to brighten your day. When planning your garden this year consider adding a cutting garden. Flower arrangements can be expensive and uninspiring but with a cutting garden you can keep your house full of fresh flowers throughout the growing season. Cutting gardens [...]

When watering indoor house plants avoid the mess by placing a few ice cubes on the soil. The ice cubes will melt slowly giving your plant time to absorb all the water. Make the ice cubes nutritious for your plants by freezing compost tea in ice cube trays. Water and feed in one simple, mess [...]

  Looking to add a little spring green to your winter blues? Try planting an indoor herb garden. Not only is this a a great way to bring the outdoors in, but an herb garden is functional providing you with great herbs to spice up your favorite winter stews, soups, and fresh breads. Planting an [...]

Kim H. recently asked us a question that we thought we would share with all our readers. QUESTION: “I have gnats, I never had them till I potted 2 new African Violets this fall, and it was from a brand new bag of Miracle grow potting soil. Making me nuts!” ANSWER: African Violets are prone [...]