Food Garden - Fall/Winter 2018

(L-R) Dragon Tongue beans, Green Arrow peas, Blue Lake beans, Oregon Sugar Pod peas.

Blue Lake bean being planted.

Left: Dragon Tongue began to sprout a week later. I also planted Royal Burgundy beans to the right of them but they weren't showing signs of growth. I decided to pop in a few more seeds, this time I disregarded the instructions that said to soak them before planting. Whether that was the factor that caused them to grow, I do not know, but they finally showed growth a week later.

You can see a bean sprout popping up on the bottom here. These popped up in less than a week and I didn't soak these beans before planting, so I think I'm not going to worry about that step with beans in the future.

And here is the newest photo of the Burgundy bean sprout taken this morning. Quite a start.

Oregon Sugar Pod peas have done quite well. They look very similar to snow peas in the photo on the seed package so I'm hoping they taste similar because I love those.

Top row: Bibb lettuce, looseleaf lettuce blend, red and green Romain blend. Bottom row: Brussel sprouts, Black Seeded Simpson lettuce and Buttercrunch. I also purchased some garden labels to help keep track of what is where and they've proven to be very helpful.

I planted my Gold Mighty Mustard in this container which was already housing a sweet Lilac bell pepper which I purchased as a tiny plant at the Green Scene Expo back in April.

This is how the purple bell pepper looked in April. I've read on the internet that many people have had problems with bell peppers coming through this year, so at least I know I'm not alone. 

Not long after planting the mustard, I noticed tons of plants popping up. I was so surprised and confused until I thought on it a bit and realized these are not all mustard sprouts. After a little more time (and a bit of a taste), I could tell the difference between the mustard seedlings and what I've determined are radish sprouts, reviving themselves from Spring. A tiny snail managed to sneak into this photo, on the right  rim of the container.

I've also put these seeds in a container but they're slow to grow, so no progress pictures yet.

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My Fairy Folks - Ladder as Shelving

I love receiving photos from My Fairy Folks that invite me into their garden and expose me to their DIY projects. Recently I received an email from a reader who was inspired by some of my DIY projects to repurpose this ladder that used to be attached to an above ground pool. It now acts as shelving for her outdoor succulents.

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My Fairy Crate - September 2018

September's delivery of My Fairy Crate came with quite a few adorable items. I was so excited to see another glossy tarot card (which is what I'm referring to them as) which is one step closer to a whole set. I'm not sure what I will do with them yet, but the prospect of collecting more cards is strong encouragement for me to continue with this subscription box!

This elf and owl are so adorable! His facial expression is too cute and the design is lovely. Of course I'm in love with the fact that there are mushrooms on it! The rest of the items could work for a cute fishing scene - lantern, tackle box, fishing pole, log bench and a frog.

The frog on the left is the new one. The larger of the two frogs I currently have, I've decided to name him Hermitt. And because I've never got around to naming the frog on the right, today's the day. Say hello to Charlene.

Thermin the elf echoes the hoots of Oswald the owl. 

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Unboxing - Seed Bank Box - September 2018

King Richard Leek - Depending on how much you love leeks, or how impatient you are, these leeks can be harvested at 3-4 inches or you can wait until they reach their full length of 1ft. Whenever you choose to harvest, they suggest trying your new leek in mashed potatoes, soup or even roasted.

Walla Walla Onion - Mild and extra sweet, these are not your typical onion! People have been known to eat them "like an apple" but I'm not sure how I feel about that. These along with the leeks will be the first time I've ever attempted growing onions (if you can believe it)!

Touchstone Gold Beets - Have you shied away from cooking with beets because they are known for staining kitchen ware that you do not want stained? Unlike other beets, the Touchstone Gold Beet is notorious for just the opposite - NOT staining things! This fact coupled with their mild flavor makes me more likely to attempt this root vegetable in my garden and hopefully have my mind changed on my dislike of beets.

Green Zebra Tomatoes - If this light green fruit with dark green stripes doesn't catch your attention, the bold, sweet taste surely will! This unique addition to the garden will have visitors requesting to take a few home to try and you'll be able to oblige because this plant is a heavy producer! 

Jewel Mix Nasturtium - This edible flower blooms in beautiful clusters of red, orange and yellow and I'm very excited to plant these in my garden since they are one of my favorite flowers.

Royal Burgundy Bean - I was just getting ready to plant some beans the week this box arrived so this is pretty exciting. After I'm done with that I'll need to sweep my house for cameras and microphones because I don't know how this company keeps knowing exactly what I'm planning to plant!

White Gold Mighty Mustard - To add to my list of "I've never grown this," this particular mustard plant is a jack of all trades! The plant serves as ground cover and suppresses weeds, attracts beneficial insects, the leaves are edible and its deep roots enrich the soil. What a power plant!

Surry Arugula - This fast-growing plant has a spicy kick to it which will be a punchy surprise to add to a salad. Potassium, Calcium, vitamins C, B, K - what a great addition to my garden and with great timing, I'm preparing an area to grow a salad mix already.

Seed Bank Box continues to impress me with their unique plants and vast variety. Like I always say, if I won't eat it, someone I know will (although of course I am willing to give every plant a fair chance). If you'd like to subscribe to the Seed Bank Box and have a mystery box of edible future food delivered to your door, please follow THIS LINK and let me know how you feel about what you receive. If you send me some pictures of your Seed Bank Box garden, I'd love to spotlight it here on my blog.

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Fairy Garden Class - The Garden That Tells A Story

This large plastic container came complete with drainage. Sometimes, building a story begins at the soil. This container is filled with soil that is low in the front and high in the back - this will help create the illusion of a hill.

This container garden will be a prime example of the "use what you've got" method. I did manage to purchase some flowers for this garden, but hadn't purchased enough ground cover. I decided to use fresh grass clippings to cover the bare soil. Among the grass clippings is some beautiful colored sea glass (as well as some frills of the ground cover Sedum japonicum, nicknamed "Tokyo Sun").

Stout, fluffy garden mums are on either side of the terra cotta saucer which will act as a sturdy base for the focal point. Having low foliage in the front and adding height gradually toward the back adds to the "hill" appearance we began with the soil. The taller, purple flowers are Celosia 'Intenz' and the yellow flower in the rear center is tickseed.

All that's left is to add decor to set the scene. I've added a tall tower at the end of a long, stone path headed off by a thin, golden banner that reads "happily ever after." 

Building a story with the decor you use ins't mandatory but can be very fun. The grass clippings make the royal grounds look unkempt which seems contradictory to this golden banner. The story is slowly coming together.

 I felt like the princess had a sassy facial expression and decided to create an unconventional story with some help.

A sad frog is seen at the window of the princess' tower. He longs to be free but the princess has him and many other frogs locked up. She has townspeople and servants to entertain and wait on the frogs and kisses them every night in hopes one will turn into a prince. One night, with the help of one of the townspeople, this frog was able to escape the tower.

It turns out, that frog actually IS a prince but he did not like the princess so a kiss from her did not transform him. Now, back in his own castle, he is able to transform into his true form. He can live out his days happily, seeking his true love, but not before an extra bit of security.

Ahh, that's better. A big, strong wall to keep that rotten princess at bay. By swapping out some decor, the scene changed!

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Gifts for the Garden - September 2018

I've received so many gifts for my garden this past month. A few decorations, some containers and some new DIY supplies.

This beautiful ceramic pot is part of a matching set that comes with drainage holes and a saucer, gifted to me by one of My Fairy Folks.

The two containers in the rear also came from one of My Fairy Folks, complete with drainage holes and saucers. The peat pot sleeves come in a pack of 24 and I received 5 packs. Since I have been receiving so many seeds, the follower suggested I pack these with soil and get the seeds started.

I don't have a single-serving coffee machine at my house but one of My Fairy Folks suggested repurposing these plastic cups as small planters (I didn't count how many I received, but I have a small grocery bag full). These won't decompose the way that the peat pots do, but they come with drainage and are reusable.

This tall beauty came to me as a hand-me-down from one of My Fairy Folks. She has been damaged in the past (weak ankles), but I have ways of hiding flaws in re-purposed items.

This cute little prince came from my granddaughter when she spotted him on sale at Jo-Ann. She knows that anytime she finds a little boy fairy, it needs to be added to my collection.

Also from Jo-Ann, this fall-themed decor will find it's way into a scene soon with the new season.

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Plant and Decor Haul - September 2018

Look at all the wonderful fairy garden decor I picked up at Michael's at their 50% off sale! The fairy tale gate complete with crowned frogs, Strawberry house, and two magical castle's are all $7.50 each. The tiered container in the rear was only $20! I purchased a similar one in the past and love how easy it is to create a unique scene. The cobblestone and brick steps came out to $5.50. The princess was $4.00 (sorry for the bad angle, you'll see her in a future post soon). The gold banner says "happily every after" and goes perfect with all these fairy tale items, for the low price of $3.00. The wooden arbor comes complete with vines and mushrooms for only $5.00!

I'm especially thrilled about this find. This strawberry fairy home was originally $15, which is already a great price, but at 50% off it was a steal! With the addition of a few batteries, the windows will illuminate and be a warm addition to an evening scene.

This post is a two-in-one haul review! I spent around $25 at Home Depot for these new additions.

I purchased two beautiful mums, less than $2 each.

This Celosia 'Intenz' is drought tolerant. I purchased two for just under $4 each.

These two yellow Tickseed plants cost just under $8.

This six pack of sedum ground cover was under $3 total. This particular growth is nicknamed 'Tokyo Sun'.

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