A Season for Everything Under the Sun :: A Dandelion Moms Article



Head on over to Dandelion Moms to check out my newest article A Season for Everything Under the Sun. If you are new to vegetable gardening, this will give you a brief introduction planting seasons. ~ Michelle

A Gardening Review :: The Wonder Grip Gardening Glove



 

 

After two days of constant drizzle, I set out to rid my rose bed of pesky weeds, invasive clover and grass runners. With the soil moist, I had optimal testing conditions for my new Wonder Grip Nicely Nimble garden gloves.

I thoroughly enjoyed gardening with the Wonder Grip gloves. The gloves kept my fingers warm and dry through the weeding process, even while the soil was damp and cold. I had excellent grip of my garden tools, as well as maximum finger dexterity. Furthermore, the Wonder Grip gloves did not get bogged down while digging in the wet, sticky clay of East Texas, as do most of my gloves.

During cleanup, I rinsed the gloves while they were still on my hands under a faucet. This was the only time my fingers had a hint of dampness; and the gloves came clean nicely and dried flat.

An added feature of the Wonder Grip gloves are their unknown ability to engage my smart phone's touch screen; many gloves will not allow for the user to answer a call.

I will recommend trying on the Wonder Grip gloves prior to purchasing. In a normal garden glove, I wear a size large, but in the Wonder Grip gloves I needed a smaller size. I believe it could be due to the gloves' stretchable nature.

The only downside I found while using these gloves was right after putting them on. The tops of the gloves rolled down a little, but once in place, solidly hugged my wrist and lower arm.

The Wonder Grip gloves come in a variety of sizes, styles and colors. They have proven durability and a breathable nitrile palm. They are ideal for demanding tasks such as weeding, planting, and tool handling. They can be purchased at local hardware or garden supply stores.

For more information, please visit www.wonder-grip.com
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{Please see my disclaimer policy in regards to this post.}

The Desert Garden :: A Dandelion Moms Article

Head on over to Dandelion Moms and read all about creating a Desert Garden, the second article in my newest series, Gardening Styles!
- Michelle

Gardening :: How to Properly Care for Garden Tools

If you work in your garden, eventually you will find your garden tools are covered in soil, clay, or garden debris. It is important to properly clean your garden tools after use as to avoid rust and to prolong life of the tool.

My bulb planter was exceptionally dirty - in fact, it was caked with clay and needed a fair amount of cleaning.

 

Using a water hose with a high pressure nozzle, knock off the excess soil on the inside and outside of your tool (shovel, spade, hand rake, etc).

 

Once rinsed clean, dry your tool with an old rag as there will still be soil residue present. Then, using the rag, rub a small amount of the oil onto your tool. Make sure to also oil any wooden parts to keep them from cracking.

 

In the end, you will be left with a clean and shiny garden tool that will continue to perform as it should.



Gardening with Children :: Create your Own Compost Bin

In a past Junior Master Gardener class, the children and I created our own compost bins from plastic storage tubs. I recommended the children use a 3 to 5 gallon tub, but I choose to use a larger 18 gallon tub as I had it on hand. Any size worked well.

Let's begin!

Place your storage tub lid down. Using a small drill bit (1/8 in to 1/4 in) and drill, drill holes along through the bottom of the tub. This will allow for drainage and encourage decomposers to help in the composting process.

Gather your materials: Potting soil, sphagnum moss, greens, browns, and kitchen leftovers.

This compost bin uses the sandwich layer method. Here is the order of the following layers:

1. Potting soil; cover the bottom of the tub with one inch of soil. The soil naturally contains living organisms and will be the beginning of your compost.

2. Add the layer of browns you have collected. Browns such as dead plant material, dried tomato and potato vines, garden debris, and leaves add carbon to the compost.

3. The next layer is the greens. Greens are considered grass clippings, chicken manure, green garden debris, vegetable scraps, eggshells, and even rabbit droppings.Using greens in the compost bin adds nitrogen to the soil.

4. The fourth layer of my bin is sphagnum moss. It is a light dusting to separate the greens layer. It retains moisture allowing decomposition to occur more rapidly.

5. This is the second layer of greens in my bin, but these are accumulated from kitchen leftovers.

6. Once all the collected layers are distributed, approximately 1/2 inch layer of potting soil tops off the compost bin. This layer is slightly moistened to promote healthy bacterial growth and aide in decomposition.



Place the lid on your storage tub and sit in a sunny place to begin the composting process. If you choose to do so, you may decorate your composting bin using acrylic paint. Tip: once the paint is dry, spray the decorations with an acrylic sealer.

Every 4 or 5 days, turn or mix your compost and begin layering again. If you feel heat coming off your compost than it is working as it should. Also, please note, when using city water to moisten your compost, keep in mind it contains chlorine which may affect your decomposition rate as it could kill off your bacteria.

Don'ts of Composting:

• Don't place meats, dairy, fish, or bones into your compost.
• Avoid using glossy magazine paper.
• Do not add diseased plants or dog, cat, pig, or reptile feces.
• If you need brown materials, you may use shredded newspaper, but not too much.
• Try not to use pine needles or hair, unless you have too as they both decompose slower.
• Avoid hay in your bin as it will contain weed and grass seeds which would not be pleasant in the garden.

Happy composting!

Simple Living :: Creating Your Own Terrarium

Terrariums harken back to the Victorian era where ladies would create magnificent flora displays to showcase their horticultural talents. Beyond these small-scale man made worlds, the Victorians created the Conservatory in which hot tropic grasslands, humid rainforests, arid deserts, and even barren alpine hills were recreated inside. Where as modern terrarium containers include glass jars or open bowls, the Victorian terrariums where miniature replicas of their beloved Conservatories.

I recently taught my Junior Master Gardener class how to make terrariums. Terrariums offer a unique gardening experience in which children and adults learn to recreate a biome and the water cycle, as well as maintain a habitable world. The children thoroughly enjoyed this project. One child added a small frog to his terrarium.

Enjoy the beauty of plants indoors this summer by creating your very own!

First, you'll need to gather the following items, all of which can be found at your local gardening supply store: potting soil, pebbles or pea gravel, activated charcoal, and spagnum moss. You will also need plants for your terrarium. Some of my students brought plants from the garden: clover, ivy, and a variety of grasses and moss. Others bought their plants: ivy, ferns, and succulents. If you use succulents, instead of potting soil, you will need a specialized succulent soil. You will also need a container. The best containers are those made from glass. You can select an ornate jar or a over-sized pickle jar; it is really up to your preference. Succulents work best in an open glass bowl.

Let's begin!

First, ensure your jar or bowl is clean. Then, place approximately one inch of pebbles in your jar. The pebbles will act as your drainage.

Next, add 1/2 inch of activated charcoal. Make sure to not mix the pebbles and the charcoal. The charcoal is the filter for your little biome.

After the charcoal, add one to two inches of spagnum moss. You should pack it down slightly. The moss acts as your soil barrier.

Then, add one to two inches of potting soil. This will depend on the size of your jar and plants. Again, slightly pack this down. By now, you should easily be able to see the four layers of your terrarium through the glass.

This is actually my favorite part: you may now add your plants! After I get them planted, I like to add a few pebbles and moss pieces to the top for decoration.

Don't forget to add moisture to your terrarium. You want to ensure your plants are thriving, but do not over water. You can leave your terrarium open or closed, but you need to check on it daily for the first month. Make adjustments as needed. If you add an insect or small reptile, make sure you are feeding it properly.

I hope you enjoy this project as much as my students did!

I've started to get terrarium fever - I'm experimenting with this jar, as I've planted forget-me-nots in it. I'll update on their growth.

My Gardening Cabinet

We've had this wardrobe since before my eldest son was born; his grandfather purchased it for him. He used it until his clothes got to big to hang properly and then it passed down to my youngest. When he outgrew it, it became a school closet, for all of our books and supplies. Now that we have moved back to Texas, it sits on our patio in an outdoor toy storage/catch everything around capacity. At least it did, until today.

I haven't seen my project on Pinterest or in Martha Stewart Living, but I imagine, it has more than likely been inspired from either place.

First, I removed the hardware; which proved difficult considering this was an antique piece. Then I sanded the entire outter surfaces with 120 grit sand paper, using a combination of my husband's electrical sander and hand sanding. This didn't take as long as I expected.

A few months ago, I signed up for an offer from Glidden paint. They sent me a free can of paint specified to my color choice: True Torquoise (GLB07). I made sure to apply two coats of paint for even distribution. I used the brush method, but I would recommend using a rollor. I just didn't want to make one more trip to the hardware store!

I also made sure to repair the extra screw hole from the original hardware. It was hard to find hardware the same specifications as an antique piece, so I went with a single knob on each door. I used Elmer's Wood Filler. I hardly used an inch's worth, but I bet I can find uses for it in the future.

Before I rehung the doors, I sanded and then painted the right door with Valspar's Chalkboard paint. Two coats was plenty. If you would like to read a great tutorial on how to make your own chalkboard using a similar method, check out Nik's Nak and read all about it.

I also added a magnetic strip along the edge of the chalk board for small items, like floral wire. I hung a french-style bulletin board on the other door to hold my notes and contact cards. I added my Farmer's Almanac calendar, as well as the rest of my gardening goodies. I would like to add my gardening books, but with this being outdoors I'm afraid the humidity would utterly ruin them.

And Ta-da!

I would usually have the tourquise garden organizer wrapped around a 5 gallon bucket, but my handsome husband borrowed it when he drained his radiator. I will get it back someday! You can buy these types of garden organizers at Target, but I've also made one from Martha Stewart Living. I did, however, get this one on sale for 90% off after the season was over.

I also keep my bird seed as well as my hummingbird feeder and filler in my gardening cabinet. This way, when I notice an empty feeder, I don't have to go all the way to the garage.

The Farmer's Almanac calendar is very useful when planting. It lists the potential weather for your area, the best time to plant seeds as well as harvest, and the moon phases.

I love the different colors of chalk - purple for Junior Master Gardeners, Orange for To-do immediately, and Green for plants (you may use any color, I just have a thing for color-coding).

I would have an empty funnel hung with a twine skein inside as a twine dispenser, but it appears to have gone missing; wondering if it is with the 5 gallon bucket!