#will be growing tomatoes cucumbers and beans in that space later in the year so they need to hurry up anyway

[allthingssoulful-garden]

Planted 3 rows of red, yellow, white onions and garlic at the beginning of March. We call these Easter onions, because they're supposed to grow enough by Easter so you can eat them with dyed eggs, but as always, I planted them a little late.

[pickalilywrites]

The alliance post rumbling celebrate the holidays + Levi's birthday fic request

thanks :)

happy birthday, old man

levi ackerman. canon compliant. 1349 words. read on ao3.

The small cottage that Levi has been living in has been decorated from ceiling to floor with festive decorations: holly and ivy, mistletoe and tinsel, paper stars and paper snowflakes. He’s never been one for festivities and had even told those damn kids that he didn’t need to do anything special, but they had insisted on coming over and covering his house with every ridiculous decoration they could find. He’s still not sure about the winter holiday that they’re about to be celebrating. It’s something that was introduced to Paradis after the island opened its borders, but the kids found it amusing that the holiday fell on Levi’s birthday. They’ve told him they’re gathering here to celebrate that strange new holiday, but he knows it’s only a guise for celebrating his birthday.  

“I have a headache just thinking about how much cleaning I’ll have to do later,” Levi mutters as he wheels himself around the house. He hates tinsel especially. It comes apart too easily and seems to get everywhere. He frowns as another thread of tinsel falls to the floor and tries to repress to pick it up immediately and chuck into the garbage bin.  

“Oh, don’t worry about that! Falco and I’ll be sure to clean everything up until everything sparkles and shines the way you like,” Gabi says. He refers to all of them as kids, but even Gabi and Falco are teenagers now. They tower above him and they’re sure to grow even more in these next few years. 

“I met as well just clean it myself then,” Levi says dryly. Gabi is far too impatient to clean anything thoroughly. Falco is only slightly more reliable and would probably do a half decent job if he weren’t always rushed by Gabi. Levi looks over at the blond boy who is hovering nervously over the tinsel that had been bothering him earlier. “If you really insist on it, then you can clean it up. Just don’t leave anything behind, Falco.”  

Falco jumps at the mention of his name and immediately snatches the tinsel off the ground. “Y-yes, sir!” he stammers. 

“Oh, stop teasing the poor boy,” Mikasa says, giving the retired captain a swat on the shoulder. She takes the tinsel from Falco’s hands and crumples it into her fist to throw away later. “Don’t bother about the mess. Everyone else will clean it later and you can grumble about what a poor job we did afterward.”  

“I can grumble about it now,” Levi says, but somebody grabs his wheelchair and begins wheeling him towards the dining table.  

“Can’t you take one day off to not grumble about things?” Jean laughs as he pushes Levi towards the head of the table. He takes a seat beside Levi and the others gather around.  

Everyone has come to celebrate: the remaining members of his last squad that had fought alongside him during the Rumbling, the Marleyan Warriors, and Gabi and Falco. The ones closest to him sit by his side while the soldiers from Marley sit further out. Onyankopon is on the other end of the table, adjusting the camera so that it captures everyone. In his hand is a remote shutter to take the photo. Once everything is in place, Onyankopon hurries over to an empty space beside Reiner Braun. 

“Is everyone ready? Smile for the camera!” he says and pauses for a moment before clicking the shutter in his hand.  

The shutter clicks as it takes a few photos and Onyankopon hurries back to the camera to roll up the wire of the remote shutter and fold up the tripod. The others begin chatting away while Historia and Connie help to carry the food from the kitchen to the table. It’s a far larger dinner than Levi had expected: a perfectly cooked turkey with crisp, golden skin, mashed potatoes and gravy, honey roasted ham, a color salad filled with fresh greens and thinly sliced tomatoes and cucumbers and drizzled with vinaigrette, green bean casserole, buttery dinner rolls, cranberry sauce, and corn pudding. It’s far too much for all of them to eat, but they’ll worry about the leftovers later. 

“I thought I recalled telling you that it wasn’t necessary to celebrate my birthday this year,” Levi says as everyone is polishing off their second plate. 

“Who says this is for you?” Pieck asks jokingly. They’re all still pretending that they care more about this new holiday where people give each other gifts even though none of them have brought a single present to Levi’s house. “We’re only here to celebrate the holiday. It just happens to be on your birthday.” 

“Do you really think you’re so important that we would gather here on your birthday?” Reiner teases.  

“I did offer to make your birthday a national holiday, but you refused,” Historia recalls. She leans over so that Levi can get a better look at the grin on her face. "Do you regret turning down my offer now?” 

“Knowing how much the Jaegerists despise us still, it’d probably make them hate the Captain even more,” Jean chuckles. 

“I’d be throwing eggs at his likeness with the rest of them,” Annie says before sipping her drink and her remark earns a few chuckles from their comrades around the table.  

It’s been a while since Levi has heard so much laughter at the table. It reminds him of his younger years. The people are different, but the laughter is the same. He still thinks about it sometimes, sitting around the table with his old squad or having a cup of tea with the other squad leaders. That was back in the day when they were fighting to stop the end of the world or die trying. As it turns out, the world didn’t end even when they thought it would and now here they are, back at this table swapping stories and laughing. Everything has come full circle.  

“By the way, Captain,” Armin says before passing a small package wrapped in parcel paper. It’s been a long time since the war has ended and yet he still refers to Levi by his old rank even though most of his other peers have dropped the formalities. “I know you said you didn’t want any gifts this year, but I couldn’t stop thinking that you’d like something small at least.”  

“I suppose I shouldn’t have expected you to keep following my orders after leaving the Scouting Legion, huh, Arlert?” Levi remarks dryly, and Armin cheeks flush a bright pink. Nonetheless, Levi accepts the package and tears off the wrapping carefully. He doesn’t expect to see a picture frame inside nor the detailed portrait that has been carefully placed inside.  

It’s a drawing of Levi and all his comrades, most of them fallen but some of them in the room with him now. The portrait is in black and white, drawn in graphite, and was conjured by a careful hand that can only belong to Jean Kirstein. The drawings of the fallen soldiers are not perfect. They don’t completely match the image of the comrades that still live in his memories, but they are similar enough that Levi can make out pieces of them that Kirstein has managed to coax out despite having never met them at all. 

“I wasn’t able to meet many of them, but their family members were very helpful in giving us descriptions,” Jean murmurs as they all watch Levi cautious, gauging the captain’s reaction. “We thought you might appreciate it, especially since you don’t have any photographs of it.”  

“Not bad, Kirstein,” Levi says finally, the sound of his voice breaking a heavy silence. He sets the framed drawing down in front of him and looks up at the comrades he has left. There are more of them than he thought would be here. Some of them he had never even anticipated himself allying himself with. “I might even hang this up.”  

At this, everyone cracks a smile. Mikasa reaches out to squeeze Levi’s shoulder. “We’re glad you like it,” she tells him. “Happy birthday, old man.”  

[dzpenumbra]

11/30/22

I'm moved in. The cat and I are sitting in the main room of my new apartment. I'm sitting on a cheap side table because I don't have a chair. Max is sitting in her cat tree.

I slept like shit. I got the rest of my stuff packed, had my mom come over to help. I got the car packed and was out the door around sundown. I still have a bunch of things in the old house, but I'm going to wait to sort through it for a few days. Just to get settled in a bit.

The drive was easy. Max was a little upset the first 45 minutes or so, but she slept the rest of the way with little problem. I had to leave her in her crate in the apartment when I brought things in, which was very stressful for her, but we explored after I was done which was a lot of fun.

I'm still getting used to all the sounds, and to keeping my voice down. The walls are pretty thin, I'm not sure how loud I can comfortably be, I really don't want to upset my neighbors. I'll get a feel for it, I'm sure. I got my PC set up, and the internet, and ordered a calzone from GrubHub. It is absolutely perplexing how long I've been missing out on delivery food, that shit was so easy. But my timing was... pretty shit. Because at that point, I noticed that my heat wasn't working. I called the on-call person for the building, she came by and checked it out. She was tremendously nice! She found out that it was the breakers, threw them and even offered to get space heaters too! I said sure, because she was insisting... and then I had to book it because the delivery dude was at the entrance and I said I'd meet him there. I sprinted up 4 flights of stairs and back, and she brought the heaters by a few minutes later. The calzone was... nothing to write home about... but goddamn was it nice to not have to unpack everything and cook!

Then I played Noita for a few hours to "decompress" - it's a stressful but fun game - and here I am. It's still a bit cold in here. It's 34F out, my toes are a bit chilly and its a really big space to heat. I'm hoping the bed space is warmer, it should be, it's upstairs.

I don't really have much more to write today than that. I'm exhausted. My feet stink real bad from my shoes I never usually wear. All my shit is in boxes. I'm gonna have to test run smoking before bed here. But all-in-all... it's good to be home. This is a cool place, and I'm really excited to fill it full of plants. That's like... my new thing.

I noticed at my old place that there were white spots on one of my hats that was hanging on the coat rack. And white spots on one of the cushions of the couch. Mold or fungus of some kind. The couch was near the big hole where water damage pulled away a section of the wall covering, where there was pretty clearly mold problems. But the hat was clear on the other side of the house. It concerned me how they both had mold on them. I've had concerns for a while now that breathing problems for me and Max had been coming from environmental factors like that. And I remember vividly how horribly frustrated I was that everything I tried to grow in that house would just die in a week from mold, and that was 5 years ago. So this is my big second chance, and hopefully it comes with a healthier set of lungs for me and my cat too. I'm hoping to turn this place into a goddamn jungle. :D

Any suggestions on good plants for a beginner indoor gardener, please shoot them my way. I've gardened outdoors (tomatoes, watermelons, cucumbers, jalapenos, green onions, green beans, lettuce) but not indoors before. I'd really like to grow edible plants, but I am totally onboard with decorative too.

[this-lioness]

Just another boring update

Don’t know when I last left off so forgive me the rambling.

We seem to finally be in a stretch of good weather, so hopefully it’s finally here to stay.  I was starting to think it would be low 40s, cloudy and wet for the balance of the year.

The back garden is up and running.  I gave up on my seed starters, all of which sprouted and then promptly stopped growing.  Next year I’m resolved to counting 8 weeks backwards from Mother’s Day weekend before I plant.  I think lingering indoors for so long fucked them up.

But we’ve got tomatoes, red bell peppers, eggplant, zucchini, onions, cucumbers, pinto beans, corn, strawberries and then some basil, parsley, sweet mint, and oregano.  This on top of the berry plants.

I’m not sure what’s up with the onions... they grew for a bit and -- like the others that were started indoors -- just sort of... stopped doing anything.  I just went out and trimmed the greens to about two inches, so we’ll see if that gives them a little nudge. Plus now I’ve got onion greens for an omelette tomorrow.

The blueberries flowered, and now I’m side-eyeing them for actual berries.  This is their last year to do something other than take up space.  The blackberries are already flowering, looking very handsome.  Raspberries are well on their way.  I continue to wage an ongoing battle against the beast known as thistle, which can go fuck itself sideways.

We added ten bags of fresh pea gravel to the patio, which had naturally begun to sink a bit since we put it in.  We could add another 5 bags in easily, but it already looks much better and fuller.

I gave up on the notion of harvesting the maple seed pods to eat.  Oh, there were certainly enough of them, but due to the wind and rain they all ended up soggy and on the ground, and I wasn’t keen on eating them.  I cherry picked a small handful, however, and just got in some peat pots to plant next year’s baby maples.  The others have all gone to new homes!

We also picked up three frog tadpoles and probably two dozen “toadpoles” from the garden center, along with some water lettuce, a hyacinth and a water lily.  I had to take my Mom to Ollie’s today, and while there I got a “mister” for the hose, so we’re quite ready to spend the summer in our little back yard oasis.

After our Saturday afternoon gardening we even broke out the ciders and played some baggo, and we’re already looking forward to getting out there again this weekend.  Hopefully the rain in the forecast ends up hitting earlier or later than anticipated.

While we were out there working on Saturday we heard two dogs in one of the adjoining yards fighting each other.  Not super unusual, but then one of them started screaming in pain.  I ran up to the second floor to see what the hell was happening, and spotted two of the neighbors in the back trying to separate their dogs through the chain link fence -- the pitbull that’s always barking at people in other yards had grabbed the other dog by the face through the links in the fence, and they couldn’t get him to let go.

They did finally separate them, somehow, and the bitten dog seemed okay, so I don’t know what happened after that.  That pitbull is a fucking menace, though, and now it’s obvious why the neighbor on the other side put up a solid vinyl fence, shitty or otherwise.

My Mom’s little garden bed is up and running now, as well -- zucchini, tomatoes and peppers, plus a bunch of different herbs, some annual flowers and a potted blackberry.  If the blackberry seems to do well over the next couple months we’ll dig out a little bed for it and get it planted.

We’re already battening down the hatches for coming fall and winter. They say it’s going to be bad, and while we can hope for the best we’re planning for the worst.  We gave up on the notion of turning the attic into a guest room and instead bought three heavy duty shelves which Marc put up this weekend.  Every time we get groceries I pick up a plus-one of this, a little extra of that.  I’ve got some dry bulk containers coming in soon, both for us and for my Mom, and I think she’s keen to start stocking her larder as well.

In a stroke of luck (I hope), I happened to find a chest freezer on Walmart’s website that wasn’t backordered.  Snatched it up as fast as I could, and supposedly it will get delivered by the end of the month. I say “I hope” because I won’t believe it until I get a shipping confirmation... you can’t find freezers anywhere right now, and most places say they’re backordered until July or August.  We already have ours, but this one is for my Mom -- I think it will give her a good excuse to spend the summer cooking, preserving and freezing so they’ll be in a better spot at the end of the year.

The other thing we’re trying to get our hands on is a greenhouse.  The little plastic one we got for free has been great for preserving plants through the frost, and storing stuff out of the way, so by the end of the year we want to upgrade to a more permanent structure.  We’re also going to cut a hole in the door so that Fidget (and the other ferals) can use it for extra shelter and warmth in the winter.

We’re just... doing what we can.  Keeping an ear to the ground so to speak.

Right now I want to go dig up an old fic of mine and give it another read.

Hope you’re doing well.

[rocketrobinprints-blog]

March 28, 2019

It’s officially Spring Break week for me so I’ve been taking the time to focus myself on some projects and get things settled around the house. Among those projects is getting my plants settled and getting ready for the growing season!

Our apartment has nearly all South facing windows, and a South facing balcony, so I decided I wanted to turn our balcony into a food garden using containers. I started some seeds (minimally successfully) back at the end of February for early Spring crops and then later for a spread of flowers. 

My kale seeds came up easily, and so I transplanted the four best seedlings into larger containers. After growing a little more in front of our big window that opens out to the balcony, I moved them outside. It’s still getting pretty cold at night, even as we’re starting to have some days in the 60s. We’re still having frost warnings too. But Kale loves it! I have one in a 10″ terracotta pot, one in a mushroom plastic container, and one in a gallon milk jug out on the balcony, and after the temperature dipped down, the plants look even more happy and resilient than before. 

The spinach, not so much... From the seeds, I only had 2 of 8 sprout, and of those two only one survived transplanting. I put it outside with the kale, but the cold seems to have withered it significantly. However! I have a volunteer spinach plant that is doing fantastic! How do you get a volunteer plant, Kecheri? No idea! Last year I dropped lettuce seeds into a glass coke bottle just for fun and the lettuce grew as well as can be expected. Then I pulled it out, used it, and put the bottle away somewhere. Then this year, I happened to leave the bottle I assumed was empty sitting out while surveying my different planting containers for this years garden. Well, a few days later, something sprouted in my SUPPOSEDLY EMPTY bottle! It’s been growing very nicely since the bottle makes a sort of miniature greenhouse, and the leaves are pretty spectacular! It’s definitely a spinach plant by the shape of the leaves. I have no idea how it got there, but I’m definitely not complaining. So that spinach plant  has continued to grow really well outside on the balcony and started filling out the little stem of the bottle. I’m not sure what the effect the confined space will have on it’s growth, but we’ll have to just wait and see. 

Also successful is the German chamomile (the kind used to make the tea) seeds I bought in February. I’ve had close to 100% seed germination and the little stalks are looking pretty strong. I have some sprouted in my seed starter, pending a transplanting into a more permanent home, and some started in a mini greenhouse I made from a plastic clam-shell salad bar container. The ones in the salad container are doing particularly good, look strong and healthy. I’m excited they came up so quickly and so successfully, but I’ll have to figure out what I’m doing with them as e enter warmer weather. I don’t think they take particularly well (according to some google searching) to transplanting and would rather be planted in their final containers later in the season, but we’ll see! I still have plenty of seeds so I can always do that once the weather is warmer and I’m ready to do more work outside. 

To no surprise, the catnip I planted in the seed starter and a salad bar container greenhouse like the chamomile has sprouted fairly successfully as well. Mint plants are particularly easy to grow and spread, so I’m not too surprised, but as this is the first year I’m trying to grow catnip, and my first year with a cat, I’m excited all the same. 

I’m growing a number of other herb plants as well this year. In addition to the chamomile and catnip, I’ve picked up some starter plants from our small, local plant nursery. I have Italian oregano and a rosemary that I’ve transplanted into gallon milk jug containers, and a lavender still waiting to be re-homed. As much as I use spices in my cooking, the herbs are a must. (Even though I can get good herbs at the spice and tea shop where I work, nothing beats fresh.) Once weather gets a little warmer and I can start moving things outside, I think the herbs will really take off. So far, they’ve really been thriving in the big window. 

I’m also focusing on growing vegetables this year since we’re in such a nice sun situation here. Already I have some potatoes that sprouted in our cupboards growing pretty well in five gallon buckets. My crop last year ended up rotting out after we got so much summer rain, and I’m not entirely positive the buckets have sufficient drainage. The first year I grew potatoes and had a really successful crop, I had mixed my soil with a lot of moderately sized rocks, which I didn’t do last year or this, so we’ll have to see how it goes. Good news is that if these rot similarly, I know how to correct the problem and will still have plenty of growing season to correct the problems. 

Vegetables I have seeds for this year are cucumbers, zucchini, broccoli, cabbage, and bush beans. Some of the seeds are a little old, so I’m unsure about germination success, but others like the cucumber, zucchini, and beans are new. My mom is moving houses this year and has offered to lend me her self-watering planters for this summer, which will be great and I think will be enough room for one of these big vining plants. I also want to try my hand at tomatoes in buckets, but haven’t taken steps towards starting them yet. 

I still have our living blue spruce Christmas tree outside on the balcony. I picked up a couple 15″ pots, one of which I plan to transplant the spruce into. Then, I can transplant my avocado tree (that I started from a pit two years ago) into the spruce’s current pot, and stick something else in the avocado’s pot. 

I’ve gotten into researching and trying out regrowing plants from kitchen scraps this year too. I regrew a bok choi from the base in January or February, but killed it by harvesting leaves too quickly and not actually planting it in dirt. Even so! It lets me know that I can grow a bok choi NEXT time with some precautions. I regrew and transplanted carrot tops for the carrot greens, and those have been growing really happily in the kitchen since planting. At the moment, I’m going to try and regrow some leeks, and be sure to transplant them when new growth comes up. Growing from scraps is pretty exciting because I’m really into sustainability, and have been since I was a kid, and limiting food waste by replanting and growing more food is excellent. 

Speaking of limiting food waste, I also have a compost going in the corner of our balcony. Eric’s sister gave me an empty, locking-top kitty litter plastic bin that I’ve been throwing shredded paper scraps, exhausted dirt, and food waste into for a few months now. It needs to be turned, and is pretty full since we eat mostly whole foods and generate a fair amount of scraps, but I think it’s doing what it’s supposed to, which is super exciting! It doesn’t smell much, and the food does seem to be breaking down. My mom has kept a compost since I was a little kid, and aside from the lack of grass cuttings that always made up a lot of her compost piles, my little kitty bucket compost looks like proper compost! I’ve been adding it into a few of my plantings already, like the potatoes that are heavy nutrient feeders. I think when I have the proper planters, the compost will really come in handy. 

Some background here, my mom is a big gardener and I’ve been helping her in the yard and with the vegetable garden since I was a kid. We were part of a neighborhood sustainability club that focused on community beauty through gardening, sustainable practices, and environment friendly projects and events like Sweep the Creek. In high school, I helped to found a gardening club at my school in senior year, and we dug up a courtyard to install a vegetable garden to be used and maintained by the home ec and horticulture classes. I’ve always had strong beliefs in the value of food gardens and I have a significant love of plants in general. SO the fact I have the opportunity to take advantage of all South facing windows has been thoroughly utilized and my indoor plants have thrived through the winter. Now that it’s almost warm enough to star utilizing the opportunity to use a take advantage of a South facing balcony, not obscured by trees and the like? I am itching with excitement to start laying the garden out in my small space and planting things. I really want it to be successful, and we’ll just have to wait and see, but I have a good feeling about it. 

April and May are really when planting season starts where we are, so I’m jumping the gun kind of significantly, but once the weather warms up and starts staying warm, I will really be able to launch into this project. 

Stay tuned for more updates and some pictures! 

-Kecheri

[healthyworthyofficial]

Cooking with Fresh Mint – Kalyn's Kitchen

posted by Kalyn Denny on June 6, 2020 I like contemporary mint in summer time salads and different fascinating dishes, and this publish has my favourite concepts for Cooking with Fresh Mint! This has all of the recipes it's worthwhile to use your contemporary mint, plus some ideas for rising mint with out it taking up your yard!  PIN Cooking with Fresh Mint to attempt some recipes later!

I’m a very long time gardening fan and my weblog is stuffed with recipes utilizing backyard produce and contemporary herbs. Many years in the past I wrote a sequence of posts on the weblog referred to as Cooking Tips for Gardeners, the place I spotlighted an ingredient and shared my favourite recipes utilizing it. This summer time I’m feeling like extra folks than ever can be involved in rising their very own meals, so I’ve determined to replace these posts to make them extra helpful and embody present recipes. So as we speak let’s give a giant cheer for mint, which begins within the backyard extremely early and lasts lengthy into the autumn. Mint is one thing that completely everybody can develop efficiently, and the distinctive taste provides that additional one thing to so many dishes! I like contemporary mint, and have some favourite methods to make use of it, and over the previous couple of years I’ve actually expanded my horizons with this hearty backyard herb. So listed here are just a few ideas about Cooking with Fresh Mint and recipe concepts utilizing this flavorful herb.

Tips for Growing Mint:

Mint is an extremely hearty perennial that grows like a weed, however there are some things to find out about rising it.  First, and most necessary of all, if you're planting mint for the primary time it's VERY necessary to place it the place the plant is contained or your total yard will get taken over with mint. I used to have mint in a small raised mattress that was divided into thirds, so the mint is contained to the middle half. In my new home I've a hearty patch of mint by the storage door, and each simmer I've to wash out the border so it doesn’t forehead into the garden! In the previous I’ve used these plastic borders that you simply pound into the bottom to manage my mint, and it additionally grows effectively in pots.  Mint is straightforward to grown from seeds, and it may be began nearly any time through the rising season. But in order for you some mint to get pleasure from immediately, simply decide up a few mint vegetation from the gardening heart to get you began. You don’t want many vegetation, as a result of as I discussed above the mint will unfold and take over as a lot space as it might probably! It’s additionally a comparatively quick-growing plant. Other than that, the one different factor to find out about rising mint is to trim the ends of the stems when the plant begins to provide seeds.  (Trimming additionally helps the plant produce extra leaves, so snip away at your mint usually!) And mint could be frozen if you wish to preserve utilizing it when contemporary herb rising season is over.

What meals go with the flavour of contemporary mint?

Mint enhances so many different flavors, particularly summer time meals like tomatoes, eggplant, squash, cucumbers, watermelon, melons, and peppers. It goes effectively with different summery herbs like parsley, cilantro, basil, and dill and in addition with citrus flavors like lemon and lime, and spices like cumin, sumac, ginger, garlic, and curry powders or pastes.  But mint is far more versatile than many individuals understand, and I additionally love mint with beans, carrots, feta cheese, rooster, mushrooms, radishes, shrimp, mild-flavored fish, and combined herb sauces.  Enjoy these nice recipes utilizing mint from Kalyn’s Kitchen and a few of my running a blog associates.

Middle Eastern Tomato Salad is one among my all-time favourite issues to make with mint and this can be a recipe I made each summer time when the tomatoes and cucumbers are so good and contemporary mint and parsley is plentiful.

This Mediterranean Lettuce Salad with Purslane and Mint is one thing I may eat all summer time. And this salad is additional flavorful from the Sumac-Lemon Vinaigrette and loaded with wholesome components. (And in the event you’re not acquainted with purslane, it’s a tasty extremely wholesome plant that grows like a weed; test it out!)

Roasted Summer Squash with Lemon, Mint, and Feta is a tremendous recipe for summer time squash, the place it’s roasted with the mint and lemon after which tossed with tangy Feta Cheese! I used to be skeptical concerning the concept of cooking squash with mint, however this was a wow for me!

Mint provides a pleasant contact to this Moroccan Cabbage Slaw with Carrots and Mint and the flavorful dressing has lemon and cumin!

Kalyn’s Tabbouleh with Almonds is a recipe I’ve made and loved for a few years. Nowdays it’s a carb splurge for me, however I do use a beneficiant quantity of almonds and many mint and parsley to stability out the bulgur wheat which makes it a extra carb-conscious model of Tabbouleh.

Grilled Eggplant with Garlic-Cumin Vinaigrette, Feta, and Two Herbs is a tremendous solution to prepare dinner eggplant, and the mix of mint and Feta is unbelievable on prime of the grilled eggplant.

Fattoush Lebanese Salad is likely one of the first salads I take into consideration when I've contemporary mint and parsley, and I take advantage of my favourite low-carb pita bread for this. And in the event you’ve ever loved Fattoush in a restaurant you’ll love this straightforward recipe for making it at house!

Thai Turkey Lettuce Wraps are a tremendous dish, and the contemporary mint actually shines right here with the opposite Thai flavors!

This Tomato and Cucumber Salad with Mint and Feta is a simmer traditional and there’s a particular preparation methodology right here that brings out the flavors.

And lastly, one other recipe with so a lot of my favourite flavors is that this Cucumber and Avocado Salad with Lime, Mint, and Feta.

Fresh Mint with Beans and Grains:

Chickpea and Edamame Salad with Lemon and Mint from Kalyn’s Kitchen Cannellini Beans in Mint Marinade from Kalyn’s Kitchen Bulgur Salad with Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Parsley, Mint, and Lemon from Kalyn’s Kitchen Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad from Kalyn’s Kitchen Garlicky Roasted Chickpeas with Feta, Mint, and Lemon from Kalyn’s Kitchen Chickpea Salad with Red Pepper, Mint, and Sumac from Kalyn’s Kitchen Chickpea, Barley, and Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Mint and Feta from The Kitchn Red Rice and Mint with Soy Dressing from White on Rice Couple Quinoa Salad for a Crowd from Vintage Mixer

Fresh Mint with Salads:

Whole Wheat Orzo with Cucumber, Mint, Feta, and Olives from The Perfect Pantry Spicy Shredded Carrot Salad with Mint from Kalyn’s Kitchen Thai Cabbage Slaw from Kalyn’s Kitchen Thai Cucumber Salad from Kalyn’s Kitchen Cucumber Salad with Mint and Feta from Simply Recipes Thai-Flavored Raw Broccoli Salad with Mint and Peanuts from Kalyn’s Kitchen Israeli Salad with Pickles and Mint from The Shiksa within the Kitchen

Fresh Mint with Vegetables and Fruits:

Spicy Grilled Eggplant with Red Pepper, Parsley, and Mint from Kalyn’s Kitchen Melon with Lime, Peanut, and Mint Topping from The Perfect Pantry Greek Stewed Swiss Chard with Tomatoes, Mint, and Lima Beans from The Taste Space

Fresh Mint with Meat, Poultry, or Fish:

Spicy Shrimp and Cucumber Salad with Lemon, Mint, and Cumin from Kalyn’s Kitchen Middle Eastern Spicy Ground Beef with Mint, and Cilantro from Kalyn’s Kitchen Grilled Middle Eastern Turkey Burgers with Yogurt Sauce from Kalyn’s Kitchen Lamb Chops with Cilantro-Mint Sauce from Leite’s Culinaria

More Fresh Mint in Sauces, Dressings, and Dips:

White Bean Dip with Kalamata Olives and Mint from Cookin’ Canuck Roasted Red Pepper Dip with Feta and Mint from Kalyn’s Kitchen Vegan Basil Mint Parsley “Pesto” from Gluten-Free Goddess Mint Chutney from The Perfect Pantry Mint and Coriander Chutney from eCurry

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[benjamingarden]

Planning Our Summer Garden

I am so excited to report that I am starting my work in the garden this weekend!  The snow is gone, for the most part, and I have a few remaining raised beds from last year that I can plant first.  We (meaning my husband...) have to build more beds because we moved things around last fall.  We (husband) also have agreed to build us (me) a cold frame, a small coop in the garden area, and a FENCE!!!! I am so excited. It's been a few years of discussion and I am told that it will finally all come together this year.  The small coop was a new "to-do" list addition because I had the (brilliant) idea of closing the coop girls in the garden area in spring and fall to allow them to clean up the beds.  (it also will work to keep them and other wildlife out during the growing season, of course) Without the fencing it's nearly impossible to keep them focused on the garden beds, so fencing and a nesting box area (as well as shade, food and water) is a necessity. And the man with the skills (and tools) agrees. So, with that hurdle gone, the next hurdle was purchasing seeds.  Have you attempted this yet?  My goodness, I hope so.  It's way worse then years past, which I'm not surprised by.  Unfortunately I attempted it a bit late but I found just about everything I needed to add to my seeds that I've saved.

I determined what I will plant/not plant (and quantity) based on garden space and what we eat.

I eat raw greens every day, usually 3 times a day.  So I purchased a LOT of seeds for greens all season and then in the cold frame.  This includes lettuces, salad greens/mesclun mix, spinach, dandelion, arugula, and baby kale.

We've been eating a lot of beets, so I purchased quite a few more beet seeds then we've had in the past.  I'll plant them spring and late summer.

Carrots and onions are great fresh but they also store well in the fall/winter, so we'll do 2 plantings of each of them.

We add kale to soup and stews so I'll plant enough to freeze for fall/winter use.

I am the only one who eats mustard, collards and swiss chard.  I add these to soups and stews, but also sauté as a side dish, and use collards as a burrito-type wrap.  I won't plant too many of these.

We eat and freeze a LOT of bell peppers.  We have a local pick-your-own farm that we can get these from as well, but we always try to grow enough for fresh eating and freezing (we freeze 8 gallon sized bags of sliced peppers to get us through winter).  We aren't always successful at growing that many so Labor Day weekend we can pick them locally if needed.

I typically plant a little bit of corn because we like to pick it fresh.  We typically, however, purchase it from a local farm in a very large quantity.  We eat it fresh and freeze enough to get us through winter and spring.

We absolutely love brussels sprouts, however, they take up a large amount of space so I won't be planting them this year.  Instead we'll purchase them from the farmer's market.

I always plant too many summer squash/zucchini (usually 8 plants, 4 of each), and will likely do so this year as well.  We love it sautéed, baked, grilled, raw in salads and used in baking, so it all works out.  I freeze just a little bit, grated, for baking.

We like fresh cucumbers and quick-pickled cucumbers so I usually plant about 10 plants.  I don't can or ferment pickles because they are too salty and we don't eat them. 

I won't have enough room to plant all of the tomatoes that we would need.  We eat them fresh quite frequently and then we plan to can tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes as well as freeze oven-roasted tomatoes.  I will also try a couple new salsa recipes for canning this year.  I will plant enough for fresh-eating and oven-roasting and we will pick, from the same farm we pick peppers at, enough for canning.

I have struggled with potatoes on and off.  I'll only plant 6 or 8 this year and we'll purchase the remainder from our farmer's market.

I have only grown sweet potatoes once before.  They were easy, but I wasn't eating them as much as I am now, so I've chosen to save garden space for other veggies in the past. This year, however, I will be planting quite a few for Oliver and myself to enjoy.

I have never had good luck with watermelon or cantaloupe.  It's a bummer because we eat them a lot.   I've decided to just purchase them from the farmer's market, as I inevitably have to do when the plants fail, rather than continue trying them.  Some day I'll try them again.

I eat broccoli every single day and Jay enjoys it as well so I will grow a lot of it for fresh eating and for freezing.  I'll do 2 large plantings of it.

I also eat a lot of cauliflower and Jay enjoys it from time-to-time.  I'll do 2 moderate plantings of this as well and we'll eat some fresh and freeze the remainder.

My fence (I'm told) won't be built until late summer/early fall, so I'm going to fence off one bed to grow cabbage in.  It seems that all of the wildlife that passes through our yard loves to feast on my cabbage, so hopefully this will allow us to harvest it before others take bites from each head.  I was not successful in getting seeds for red cabbage, so green is the only one I will be planting.

We really like fresh kohlrabi so I'll plant probably 8-12 plants for fresh eating.

I found that freezing jalapeno peppers & poblano peppers worked really well for us this year. I'll plant 5-6 jalapeno plants so we can enjoy some fresh, pickle some for canning, and then freeze both diced jalapenos and stuffed jalapenos.  For the poblanos, I'll plan on 5-6 plants so we can grill them and store in the freezer for use in soup, enchiladas, tacos or for stuffing.

I've had great success with tomatillos in the past so I'll plant probably 3-4 plants for fresh tomatillo sauce and salsa this summer.

We are growing mushrooms for the first time this year.  We bought shiitake plugs and then a boxed set for button mushrooms.  We shall see how that goes.  I'm not sure if it will be financially worth it or not.   I think if we get comfortable with it and can switch to purchasing sawdust spawn then it would be a cost savings (for the shiitake).  Not sure about the button mushrooms though.  I'll have to keep looking for better pricing to grow your own.  Comparatively, a 24 oz. package of button mushrooms are just over $4.00 at BJ's (when groceries are plentiful) so it will depend on how many this box produces.  The claim is "up to" 6 pounds.  We eat quite a lot of them so it would be nice if we can make it work.

We love green beans.  We eat a lot fresh but we actually don't mind them frozen.  I know a lot of people are turned off by their texture, but we still enjoy them so I usually grow a lot of these.  I'm going to try two new varieties this year as well.

Sugar snap peas are something we munch on all spring.  I am planting tons of these this month because I can use their space for cucumbers once they are done.  We freeze any excess (although we don't usually have much excess).  I haven't been planting shelling peas and won't be doing so this year.  I do love them in salads so maybe next year.

I've planted celery in the past and I have some seeds so I may plant a little bit.  I like to dice it and use it in salads and freeze it for soup.

We don't eat a lot of eggplant but we do enjoy a few dishes such as baba ganoush and eggplant parm in the fall so I always plant 3-4 plants and will do so this year.

I've started eating more radish so I'll probably increase my planting this year and do 2 plantings instead of just a spring planting.

We don't enjoy parsnips, turnips, fennel or okra (it's ok in soup but not my favorite) so I won't be planting these.  And leeks give Jay migraine's so we haven't had them since we figured that out about 14 years ago. 

We eat quite a bit of winter squash and our favorites are blue hubbard and sugar pumpkin.  They take up a lot of space so I usually plant only a couple plants of each of those and a couple each of delicata, acorn, and butternut.  If I have space I'll do that but with the increase plantings of the other veggies, I may default to the farmer's market and the pick-your-own field.

I adore bok choy both in stir fry and miso soup (Jay will eat it but it isn't his favorite) so I'll plant a few plants of it.

We have horseradish and asparagus already planted.  Best decision ever!  Our rhubarb is no longer around and I probably won't worry about that this year.  I would like to add more blueberry bushes and maybe another fruit tree to round out our fruit.  We currently have a grafted pear tree (6 varieties) and an Asian pear tree as well as a couple elderberry bushes.  We have a paw paw tree too but I keep forgetting to order another and there aren't any available locally.  It needs to cross pollinate.  Someday I will remember to do this before they are sold out.  We planted thornless blackberry two years ago so hopefully it will produce this year.  

I will plant herbs continuously throughout summer in containers on the deck again.  It worked really well last year.  I usually plant dill, basil, cilantro, oregano, chives, mint, thyme, sage, and parsley.  I dry what we don't use fresh for use later in the year.

I'm not planting shelling beans this year but would like to do so next year.

I would like to cut down what produce I buy from the grocery store throughout the winter.  I typically purchase mushrooms, greens, broccoli, carrots, onions, tomatoes (for salsa), potatoes, cilantro, and fruit regularly.  We always freeze enough corn, peppers (bell/jalapeno/poblano), berries, and green beans to get us to the start of summer.  I also keep winter squash in our basement as well as freeze some.  

This year I hope to grow enough greens throughout winter in the cold frame, micro greens in the basement, and find a good canned salsa recipe to cut those off of the grocery list.  Also I need to freeze enough broccoli & cauliflower (I prefer it fresh, but frozen is fine for winter), carrots, and onions to keep those off of the list as well.  This way I would only need mushrooms, potatoes and fruit in addition to pantry staples, meat and dairy.

What about you?  What will you be planting this year?

Planning Our Summer Garden was originally posted by My Favorite Chicken Blogs(benjamingardening)

[marybromley]

Brian Minter: Tips to get going on growing your own food

With all the uncertainty these days around almost everything we do, many more folks are planning to grow their own food this year, especially vegetables.

The good news is that growing veggies can be done not only in traditional gardens but also very successfully in containers and raised beds as long as you have a space that gets full or partial sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. If you don’t get a lot of sun, you can still grow crops, but leafy vegetables like lettuce, spinach and Swiss chard will fare better.

Along with many products today, there’s been a bit of panic buying on seeds. In speaking with some of the major seed companies, I have been told there is no shortage of seeds, but there may be a delay in shipping. The usual popularity of some varieties may require restocking or substitutions could be made.

In addition, many local growers are shifting from ornamental production to more food items. Because of this, there will be a good supply of transplant seedlings of peas, beans, all brassicas and lettuce, as well as root crops, like beets, onions and carrots, throughout the growing season. The same goes for later seedlings of tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.

Perhaps one of the greatest concerns is when to start our vegetable gardens. Planting too early can be a problem, especially for heat-loving vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers. Early in the season it’s colder, wetter and there is always the chance of a night frost. As well, it’s a time when insects, slugs and birds are also looking for early food.

One thing I’ve learned over the years is that it’s better to err on the side of being a little late rather than too early. Remember, right now we get a minute and a half more light each day, and the sun is warmer as its rays edge northward in our planet’s seasonal cycle.

For cool-loving crops I wait until we get a consistent daytime temperature of 10 C, even though it can still get closer to freezing at night. Crops, like onions, brassicas (such as kale, cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli), beets, early potatoes, peas, broad beans, radishes, spinach, Swiss chard and perennial herbs can tolerate the cool weather.

Using a row cover like Reemay cloth, at night when it’s clear and cold will keep the young sprouts somewhat protected from frost.  If a heavy frost is forecast, use N-Sulate, a 10 C-rated frost protection blanket. Garden beds that are raised eight to 10 inches will keep soil temperatures five to six degrees warmer.

Open, porous, well-draining soils are far better for an early start. Mixing in as much organic matter as possible will make a big difference, especially once the weather warms up.  Composted manures and Sea Soil are great, and provide much needed nutrients to get early veggies off to a good start.

Container food gardening is growing rapidly and, done well, it can be just as productive as ground planting.  A few tips, however, can make a big difference.

Large rectangular containers (3 to 4 ft long, 18 inches deep and wide), are best. You can purchase them or make your own wooden ones. I also like to secure a 6 to 8-ft trellis to the back of the container so vines like peas, beans, cucumbers and even tomatoes, can be trained up for better light and air circulation.

The best soils are lightweight mixes, especially on balconies where weight can be an issue.  Sunshine, Sungrow and ProMix bales are the most effective as complete soil mixes. There are many other products, but make sure you get a container mix and not a cheaper topsoil. I always like to work in a little composted organic matter, like Sea Soil.

Today, many vegetable varieties are bred specifically for container growing, but some of our traditional compact veggies are also ideal. Seeds can also be started in containers, but transplants will save you four to six weeks in production time.

There is still lots of time for direct seeding of cold crops.

Longer, heat-loving crops like tomatoes and peppers should be started soon in your home or in a small greenhouse.  Remember, if you start your seeds indoors, there must be a continuous process of moving steadily though the stages of germination, transplanting, acclimatization to the outdoors and finally planting.

No heat-loving vegetables, like peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, melons and eggplants should go outside until we get consistent night temperatures of 10 C, which usually happens towards the end of May. Don’t start heat-lovers too early or you’ll have long, legging plants that may not do well.

Fortunately, many of our B.C. and Canadian seed catalogues give approximate times for seeding indoors. They also give the best times to direct seed vegetables outside.

When we get a few nice days in late March and early April, many of us are anxious to get growing, but if you wait until late April or May, both for seeding and transplanting, I guarantee you will have far better success.

The goal is to have a very productive and successful garden — therefore garden wisdom is paramount.

There is lots of time, lots of seeds and lots of transplants available. I rarely have time to plant my own veggie garden until the end of June, and I always have good success. So don’t panic.

Even though these are stressful days, you should still be able to enjoy a summer full of produce from your own garden or patio.

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Brian Minter: Tips to get going on growing your own food published first on https://weedkillerguide.tumblr.com/

[homegardenstuff]

Its interesting how most cooking requirements can be easily planted in the kitchen garden and enjoy the fruits of your little to no labour in the comfort of your home. From vegetables, to legumes, to herbs and all other kinds of plants. These include ingredients used to make soups, salads, side dishes, main dishes, accompaniments, appetizers, and other types of dishes. Most of these plants are easy to plant, easy to maintain and do not occupy a very huge space for them to flourish. Below are some of the ideas to plant in your kitchen garden

Spinach

Spinach is one of the main vegetables that is highly rich in iron which is a very important supplement in the human body. Most homes use spinach as an accompaniment to almost all the meals. They're easy to plant and easy to maintain as well and they thrive through all year seasons with good care.

Lettuce

Easy to plant, they grow so quickly and are a good addition in any meal and salads during cooking.

Carrots

Carrots are all seasoned . They are also easy to plant and occupy a very small space for a large produce. You may never have to purchase carrots again in your home

Stallions

These kinds of onions are perfect in any area and just like carrots, they occupy a small space or area for a large produce. The onions can be used to cook any kinds of meals and even soups plus salads.

Tomatoes

These are easy to plant and though a little hard to maintain and take care of, once they produce fruit they get easier to look after. Tomatoes are a good addition to any kinds of food and are used to make salads as well . Tomatoes are also a super healthy fruit rich in vitamins and other compositions.

Dhania

What's good about dhanias is the amount of space they occupy. Very little space compared to all other ideas for a kitchen garden. They're a good topping for any meal an their smell is heavenly. Easy to plant and easy to maintain.

Cucumbers

Cucumbers are one of those plants that grow vertically hence giving enough space for other plants in the kitchen garden to thrive. They are a perfect idea of plants to have in your kitchen garden

Radishes

Radishes are a good addition for salads, appetisers, snacks and did dishes. They're downright one of those extremely easy plants to grow and maintain so a perfect idea for your kitchen garden. Their bright colours will also make your garden colourful and beautiful to view!

Green beans

Imagine harvesting beans from your kitchen garden and cooking those for the family however large! Sounds too good. The climbing nature of beans means little space needed for a very large produce of beans. They're the easiest when it comes to maintaining an growing.

Zucchinis

Like beans and cucumbers, zucchini plants are prolific, whether they are grown in containers or directly in mounded soil. Like beans and radishes, they grow easily from seeds. They need good moisture, though, and prefer warm soil, so it’s best to sow seeds later in the warm season.

[lionesslair77]

Back to Business

I’d like to get back in to regularly blogging about my efforts at a self sufficient lifestyle. So I will be doing my best to try to post at least once a week about what my husband and I are up to. Over the next few months I will mostly be discussing our gardening, canning, and fishing adventures.

I made a garden! Yes this year, I finally put in the effort and tore up a small flower bed in front of our little house. It’s only about 8ft long and 2.5ft in width, so it’s a very awkward shape to work with. But with lots of research and planning, so far things are growing and it’s taking shape perfectly! I am notorious for killing plants, all plants regardless of weather they produce food or flowers. But I have been the best plant mom this spring, I am so proud of myself if you cant’ tell. Maybe I won’t spend so much time/money at the farmer’s market this year (haha! good one, yeah right!).

So far we have planted carrots, lettuce, onions, and green beans. These are currently all growing and thriving outside in our garden plot. Inside I’ve started a variety of flowers to serve as companion plants to my vegetables, an herb garden. During my garden research, I found the practice of companion plants/planting and I thought I’d try it out. It is practice used by many organic and hobby gardeners to protect their vegetables and improve the health of the garden. Supposedly certain plants do well when planted in close proximity to one another ,and certain flowers can serve as natural pest deterrents, attract bees, or both. I chose several species of flowers to mix in with my veggies ,that should do well in the conditions of our garden. I chose pansies, zinnias, marigolds, and nastriums. I also strategically placed certain veggies to grow next to each other for their mutual benefit.

I started some pickling cucumber, tomatoes, and chili peppers in doors in pots. I plan to transplant most of them into the garden plot, except for the tomatoes Memorial Day weekend, when the threat of frost/snow disappears. I will probably continue to grow the tomatoes in pots to save space. I’m also experimenting with various trellis styles to encourage my green beans, cucumbers, and later in the year squash, to grow up the side of our house. Again this should help save space in the plot for our other smaller plants.

I will keep updating with what I have success growing, and how I feel the companion planting system is working. This should help come next year, I may rearrange the layout of the garden and switch up the companion flowers.

One more note, should our carrot and onion harvest yield larger results, we will be experimenting with storing these veggies in a makeshift root cellar. I’d rather not can/pickle extra root veggies, so we’re going to see if we can store extras over the fall/winter in our crawlspace. I need to do more research on how to best achieve this, but I think it’s totally worth a shot. I will for sure blog on that once summer is over.

[coolthingsisee]

Planning Your First Vegetable Garden

How to Plant a Vegetable Garden

Planting tomatoes or cabbage for the first time? We have all the information you need to know about how to plant a vegetable garden. Let's get started!

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Starting a vegetable garden at home is an easy way to save money. Planting one tomato plant can provide you with 10 pounds of fruit over the course of a season. In almost every case, the flavor and texture of varieties of homegrown vegetables far exceed grocery store produce. By planting vegetables, you enjoy the pleasure of savoring delicious, sun-warmed tomatoes fresh from your backyard. Plus, growing vegetables can be fun. It's a great way to spend time with children or to get away and spend time outdoors in the sun.

Learning what to plant in a garden with vegetables, and how to tend them for the best harvest, is easier than you think. If you plan it right, you can enjoy a beautiful garden full of the fruits of your labor without having to spend hours and hours tending it. Planting a garden that includes vegetables and flowers means you've combined natural companions, and turned a potential eyesore into an attractive landscape feature.

Deciding What to Plant in a Vegetable Garden

When deciding what to plant in a vegetable garden, it's best to start small. Many gardeners can get too excited at the beginning of the season and plant more warm season vegetables than they need. A number of vegetables tend to be high-yield.

When you're planning a vegetable garden, first think about how much your family will eat. Keep in mind that vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, and squash keep providing throughout the season—you may not need many plants to serve your needs. Other vegetables, such as carrots, radishes, and , produce only once.

Determining How Much Space You Need

Once you know what you want to plant, you can figure out how to plant a vegetable garden with the right amount of space.

You don't always need a large space to begin. If you choose to grow your vegetables in containers, you don't even need a yard—a deck or balcony may provide plenty of space.

Remember that it is important to keep your growing space healthy. A well-tended 10x10-foot sunken bed vegetable garden will usually produce more than a weed-filled or disease-ridden 25x50-foot bed.

Picking the Perfect Spot

No matter how big your vegetable garden or what you decide to plant, there are three basic requirements for success:

Most warm-season vegetables need at least 6-8 hours of direct sun. If they don't get enough light, they won't bear as much and will be more susceptible to attack from insects or diseases. The soil temperature depends on the sun to keep the vegetables going.

Here's a hint: If you don't have a spot in full sun to plant a garden with vegetables, you can still grow leafy vegetables like  and spinach. And if you're in a hot-summer climate, cool-season varieties such as peas may do better in part shade.

Because most vegetables aren't very drought-tolerant, you'll need to give them a drink during dry spells. When thinking about how to plan a vegetable garden, remember that the closer your garden is to a source of water, the easier it will be for you. This is especially important when planting tomatoes, peppers, or any other warm-season vegetable.

As with any kind of garden, success usually starts with the soil. Most vegetables do best in moist, well-drained soil that's rich in organic matter, such as compost or peat moss. The soil temperature is also vital in keeping your vegetables alive and well. Utilize a soil thermometer to help track the soil temperature.

Many gardeners like to have their vegetable gardens close to their house. This makes it easier to harvest fresh produce while cooking. It can also be handy to keep a few favorite potted herbs or vegetables next to your grill.

How to Design and Plan Your Vegetable Garden

There are two basic approaches to planning the layout of a vegetable garden:

This is probably what comes to mind when you think about how to plant a vegetable garden: Place plants single file in rows with a walking path between each row. Row cropping works best for large vegetable gardens, and it makes it easier to use mechanical equipment, such as tillers, to battle weeds.

The downside of row cropping is that you don't get as many warm season vegetables in a small space—much of the soil is used for footpaths rather than vegetable plants. Row cropping isn't as visually interesting, either.

Here's a hint: Allow at least 18 inches between rows so you have plenty of room to work between them. As you sketch out your plan, place taller vegetables at the north side of the garden. This includes naturally tall plants like tomatoes and plants that can be grown on vertical supports—including peas, cucumbers, and planting beans.

This way of planting a vegetable garden means grouping in wide bands, generally 1 to 4 feet across and as long as you like. Intensive cropping reduces the amount of area needed for paths, but the closer spacing of the plants usually means you have to weed by hand.

Because of the handwork required, remember this: It is important not to make the bands wider than you can comfortably reach.

Intensive cropping also allows you to design your vegetable garden, making it a good choice, for example, if you want to grow vegetables in your front yard. It's a great solution for mixing vegetables with ornamentals as well.

A specialized version of intensive cropping is the square-foot method. This system divides the garden into small sunken beds (typically 4x4 feet), that are further subdivided into 1-foot squares. Each 1-foot square is planted with one, four, nine, or 16 plants, depending on the size of the plant when it matures.

Testing and Fixing Your Soil

It's best to test your soil before you begin planting a vegetable garden.

Soak the soil with a hose, wait a day, then dig up a handful of soil to test.

If water streams out, you'll probably want to add compost or organic matter to improve the drainage. Testing the soil temperature will also help in determining drainage.

A couple things could happen:

If the soil hasn't formed a ball, or if the ball falls apart at the slightest touch, the soil is probably too sandy. Add organic matter to improve sandy soil.

If the ball holds together even if you poke it fairly hard, you have too much clay in your soil. Organic matter improves clay soil, too.

If the ball breaks into crumbs when you poke it, like a chocolate cake, rejoice! Your soil is ideal.

If your soil doesn't drain well, your best bet will probably be to install raised beds as opposed to sunken beds.

Here's a hint: Build raised beds on existing lawn by lining the bottom of frames with several layers of newspaper, then filling with soil. That way, you don't have to dig!

Digging Your Beds

Loosen your soil before you plant a garden with vegetables. You can either use a tiller or dig by hand.

Once the soil has been loosened, spread out soil amendments, such as compost, and work them into the soil. Avoid stepping on freshly tilled soil as much as possible. Otherwise, you'll be compacting the soil and undoing all your hard work.

When you're done digging, smooth the surface with a rake, then water thoroughly. Allow the bed to rest for several days before you plant.

Test the soil temperature with a soil thermometer to assure it is a proper place when planting your vegetables.

Choosing Varieties

Once you start deciding what vegetables to plant in a garden, you'll probably notice that the possibilities are endless. There are thousands of tomato varieties alone!

When selecting varieties of warm season vegetables, pay close attention to the description on the tag or in the catalog. Each variety of vegetable will be a little different: Some produce smaller plants that are ideal for small gardens or containers; others offer great disease resistance, improved yields, better heat- or cold-tolerance, or other features. Utilizing our plant encyclopedia will help you in your decision. 

Seed catalogs are one of the best sources for vegetables. Once you narrow your choices to types of vegetables, pick two or three varieties that seem promising—if one variety doesn't perform well, you'll have other plants to make up for it. Next year, grow the best vegetables again, and choose another to try.

Many warm season vegetables can be started early indoors or purchased already started from a garden center. The benefit of this buying started plants is that you can have a crop ready to harvest several weeks earlier than if you were to plant seeds in the ground. Starting warm season vegetables indoors is not difficult, but it does require some time and attention. Seed packages include instructions for starting seeds.

Care and Feeding

Most warm season vegetables appreciate a steady supply of moisture, but not so much that they are standing in water. About an inch of water per week is usually sufficient, provided by you, if Mother Nature fails to come through. Water vegetables when the top inch of soil is dry. For in-ground crops, that may mean watering once or twice a week; raised beds drain faster than sunken beds and may require watering every other day.

Weeds compete with your vegetables for water and nutrients, so it's important to keep them to a minimum. Use a hoe or hand fork to lightly stir, or cultivate, the top inch of soil regularly to discourage weed seedlings. A mulch of clean straw, compost, or plastic can keep weeds at bay around larger plants like tomatoes.

Fertilizing your vegetables is critical to maximizing yields. Organic gardeners often find that digging in high quality compost at planting time is all their vegetables need. Most gardeners, however, should consider applying a packaged warm season vegetable fertilizer, following the directions on the box or bag. Don't apply more than recommended as this can actually decrease yield.

By using vining crops, like green beans and peas, when planting a vegetable garden, you can make use of vertical space in the garden and boost yield per square foot.

Harvesting

Harvesting your vegetables is what it's all about, so don't be shy about picking your produce! Many vegetables can be harvested at several stages. Leaf lettuce, for example, can be picked as young as you like; it will continue to grow and produce after you snip some leaves. Summer squash (zucchini) and can be harvested when the fruit is just a few inches long, or it can be allowed to grow to full-size. The general rule: If it looks good enough to eat, it probably is. Give it a try. With many vegetables, the more you pick, the more the plant will produce.

Stopping Pests and Diseases

Other bigger pests, such as moles, deer, and rabbits, can disrupt your garden. Use fences to deter rabbits. Make sure the bottom of the fence extends about 6 inches under the soil to stop rabbits from digging underneath. The fence needs to stand at least 8 feet above the ground to prevent deer from jumping over.

Row covers, which are lightweight sheets of translucent plastic, protect young crops against many common insects. Row covers are also helpful to prevent damage from light frosts.

Reduce fungal diseases by watering the soil, not the leaves of vegetables. If you use a sprinkler, do it early in the day so the leaves will dry by nightfall.

If a vegetable falls prey to a disease, remove it promptly and throw it in the trash; don't add sick plants to your compost pile.

Grow varieties that are listed as disease-resistant. Garden catalogs and websites should tell you which varieties offer the most protection.

Pick off larger insects and caterpillars by hand. Once you get over the "yuck" factor, this is a safe and effective way to deal with limited infestations.

Use insecticidal soap sprays to control harmful bugs. Most garden centers carry these products. Whatever pest control chemicals you use, read the label carefully and follow the directions to the letter.

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Making a vegetable garden in small space

You don't need a lot of space to grow fresh vegetables, herbs, and fruits. You don't really even need a garden. As long as you have a pot, some dirt, water, and sun, you can grow some tasty things. Plant breeders know that after taste, home gardeners want a high yield in a small space, so they develop varieties that can grow in a small footprint or even live in containers all year long.

The Small Vegetable Plot

Vegetable gardening used to be the poor relation of ornamental flower gardens. Perennial borders reigned, and large, messy, vegetable gardens were hidden in the backyard, usually the domain of the man of the house. Vegetable gardens were about producing food, not beauty. Now that vegetables have taken a more prominent place on the table, they are gaining more respect in the gardening world. With the increased interest from home gardeners, there has been a surge in the planting of heirloom seeds and the development of new hybrid varieties: colorful novelty vegetables, ethnic varieties, and compact growers.

You don't need a large area to have a vegetable garden. You do need good soil, plenty of sunshine, a water source, and probably a fence. If you think the deer love your hostas, stand back. The entire woodland community is going to enjoy your vegetable garden. If you plant it, they will come.

If you have a small sunny spot in your yard or even on your patio, you can grow vegetables. Here's how to get started. Gardening Tool Set for Mom https://www.justhomegardening.com/best-gardening-tool-set-for-mom-delightful-gift-for-mom-gardener

Siting Considerations

When you're analyzing your available space, take these aspects into consideration: • Sun: Vegetables need a good six or more hours of sun each day. Without sun, the fruits will not ripen, and the plants will be stressed. Even if you are sun challenged, there are a few vegetables that can survive in light shade, such as lettuce and other greens, broccoli, and cole crops. • Water: Vegetables also require regular watering. Otherwise, they will not fill out and some, like tomatoes, will crack open if suddenly plumped up with water after struggling without it for a while. You can't always rely on rain. If you have the means, a drip irrigation system is a definite plus for a vegetable garden. The new component systems are really quite easy to install and cost a lot less than most people think. And you'll save money on water because it goes directly to the plant's roots. Less is lost to evaporation. Even a simple soaker hose is better than a sprinkler system that gets the leaves all wet, leaving plants prone to blights and mildews. If you don't want to opt for drip irrigation, site your vegetable garden near a water spigot. You'll be more likely to water if you don't have to drag the hose or watering can very far. • Soil: This final consideration is essential. Vegetables need a soil rich in organic matter. The soil is important to the growth of all plants but even more so with vegetables, because even taste is affected by the quality of the soil. That's part of why wine from the same grape variety can vary from region to region and why some areas grow hotter peppers than others. If you can provide these three basics: sun, water, and great soil, you can grow a vegetable garden. How Much Space Does It Take? Granted, a small vegetable garden may not be enough for subsistence farming, but it will be enough to grow great-tasting tomatoes, some beautiful heirloom eggplants, or a vast supply of cutting greens. If you have limited space, consider what vegetables you can purchase fresh in your area already and what vegetables you truly love and/or miss. How to Revive An Air Plant https://www.justhomegardening.com/how-to-revive-an-air-plant • Compact varieties: If you must have a giant beefsteak tomato or a row of sweet corn, the space for growing other vegetables in your small vegetable garden will be limited. But even then, you can choose varieties that are bred to grow in small spaces. Anything with the words patio, pixie, tiny, baby, or dwarf in the name is a good bet. Just because a plant is bred to be small doesn't mean the fruits will be small or the yield will be less. Most seeds and seedlings will tell you the mature size of the plants you are selecting, knowing that you can space things out and see just how much you can fit into your location. More likely, however, you will do what most gardeners do and squeeze in as many seedlings as you can fit into your garden, then deal with the crowding later. That's one way to get a large yield from a small space but not the best. If you are truly short of space, interplant your vegetables with your flowers. There's no rule that says you can't mix the two. It can be a bit harder to harvest, but many vegetables can be ornamental in their own right. As a bonus, flowers also bring lots of pollinators to your veggies. • Growing up: If you do opt for a variety of vegetables in your garden, look for compact varieties and also vining crops that can be trained up on supports. Pole beans take up less space than bush beans. Vining cucumbers and squash, as aggressive as they can be, actually take up less area than their bush cousins. • Companion planting: Companion planting is often touted for the benefit of cutting down on pest infestations, but it also serves to conserve space. Shade-tolerant plants benefit from being planted next to taller crops. Basil likes a respite from the hot sun and does well next to tomatoes. Lettuce will keep producing all summer if shaded by almost any taller plant. Early harvested vegetables, such as spinach, radishes, and peas, can be planted with slower-growing crops such as broccoli or peppers, which will not take over the space until the spring-harvested vegetables are gone. • Succession planting: Succession planting is a useful technique for any vegetable garden, large or small, but it is all the more valuable when space is limited. Succession planting means reseeding quick-growing crops every two to three weeks during the growing season. It is especially useful with crops such as beans, zucchini, and lettuce that tend to exhaust themselves producing so much. By successively planting, you will have just enough produce for your family's appetite, and you'll have it all summer, not all at once.

A Downside to a Small Vegetable Garden

Rotating your vegetables, so they grow in different areas of the garden each year is cuts down on diseases and insect pests that overwinter in the soil, but this really isn't possible in small vegetable gardens. You'll just have to be vigilant about not letting problems get out of hand. If a large-scale problem should occur, such as squash beetles or septoria leaf spot on tomatoes, seriously consider not growing the crop for a year. It will be a sacrifice, but one year without is better than several consecutive years of a disappointing crop.

Growing Fruits and Vegetables in Containers

As with ornamental container gardening, vegetable container gardening is a way to control the soil, sun, and growing conditions of your edible plants. It also allows squeezing edible gardening into the smallest spaces, by putting them on your patio, front steps, and along the house and driveway. Virtually any fruit, vegetable, or herb can be grown in a container if the container is large enough for it. edible mushroom growing kit https://www.justhomegardening.com/8-best-edible-mushroom-growing-kit-plus-growth-tips-for-beginners

Herbs and greens can grow in small pots or hanging baskets; fruiting plants such as tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers work best starting at 5-gallon containers—or go larger, of course. The larger the pot, the more soil you can fit in there, and the less often you'll have to water (daily or every other day instead of twice a day). The material the pot is made of, and its color also affects how quickly it dries out. Clay pots lose moisture faster, and black pots retain more heat.

You can even find soil specifically balanced for vegetable container gardening with slow-release fertilizer already in it for the most absolute no-fuss garden.

Windowsill Gardens

Growing edibles indoors on a windowsill is an easy, low-space option for plants that are frequently harvested, such as herbs and lettuce. But this idea isn't just for gardeners with limited space. Any gardener can extend the growing season by potting up some herbs for indoor growing. If you have enough sun, you can even grow some vegetables indoors.

[centralparkpawsblog]

The Best Homemade Dog Food Recipes

https://www.centralparkpaws.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/dog-food-recipes.jpg

Why I Switched to Homemade Dog Food

A few years ago, I came home to find my poor 16 year old pup lying on the ground in agony. I quickly rushed her to the vet to find out that she had broken her back leg, probably from something as normal as jumping down from the couch, and had to have it amputated.

But that wasn’t the whole story.

It turned out that her bone was extremely brittle due to cancer.

That terrifying ‘C’ word.

The vet recommended a biweekly course of chemo for my baby. It would cost about $500 a visit and there was only a 30% chance of survival.

I decided, after seeing my aunt and stepfather go through the process, that I would rather enjoy the remaining time I had with her rather than subject her to that poison.

Of course, I didn’t just take it lying down, I researched as much as I could about the condition and what I could do about it.

That’s when I came across an article (can’t find it now, unfortunately) that led me to believe that Lady’s food might have something to do with her problems. So I decided to do something about it.

I began cooking her meals of chicken (livers, gizzards, breasts, etc), black beans, and rice in a big batch every Sunday evening.

Within a few weeks, my old girl was acting 10 years younger, her coat was looking better than it had in years, and she was much less “snippy” with the other animals.

She outlived her “life expectancy” by 3x, and passed away happy and full of life. My final memories of the dog that had been with me for all of my major life events are of how she really was, not slowly, painfully deteriorating away.

And I credit that to feeding her homemade dog food instead of relying on a big brand mystery bag.

Why You Should Make Your Own Dog Food

If that story wasn’t enough for you, there are many other reasons to ditch the bag and make your own dog food.

First, I would like to point out that commercial pet food is much less regulated than you think. The FDA and AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) have rules in place but they are not as strict or scrutinized as hard as human food.

Which means that these companies can put almost whatever they like into your dog’s food. And they put a lot of trash in there. Why do you think pet food is constantly getting recalled? And pet owners CONTINUE to buy it!

So that’s why you shouldn’t buy commercial pet food but here’s why you should make your own:

Homemade pet food typically has more nutrients, less preservatives, can be tailored specifically to your furry friend, and actually costs less than store bought food!

That’s right, you can save money while providing your pup a healthier food option.

And if your canine companion has health issues like irritable bowel syndrome or allergies, DIY dog food can make a huge difference.

How to Make Your Own Dog Food

Making your own dog food really isn’t difficult as long as you follow a few simple rules.

First, unless your pup needs a special diet like grain free or vegan, you should try to stick to this meal ratio: 50% protein, 25% veggies, and 25% grain. You can also follow this ratio of 40-60% raw meat/protein, 20-30% cooked starch, and 20-30% raw vegetables/fruit.

Second, be sure to know what foods dogs can and can’t eat. I’ll go into this more later.

Lastly, add supplements to their meals to make up for nutrients that they aren’t getting from the food alone. There are 6 essential nutrients that every dog needs.

The National Academies of Sciences has put together an amazing resource detailing which vitamins and minerals dogs must have and the exact amount to feed them daily based on age.

But don’t start worrying that you’ll need to take a science class to feed your dog, we’ve compiled a collection of over 80 recipes below that cover almost every type of diet.

Resources

Adding Fresh Foods to Commercial Food

10 Foods You Should Be Adding to Your Dog’s Food

Create a free custom recipe

What Should and Shouldn’t Go Into Your Recipe

Of course, dogs can’t eat all of the same foods that we can. So before you start whipping up something in the kitchen for your pooch, you’re going to need to know what you can and can’t feed a dog.

Can

Here are some popular ingredients to use when cooking for your pup. These are only the most popular so if you’re not sure, consult an authority like your vet or a trusted website like the AKC or PetMD.

Proteins

The protein portion of your dog’s diet can come from poultry (chicken, turkey, etc) – including organ meats such as livers, hearts, and gizzards – eggs, beef, tuna, salmon, venison, lamb, or pork (be mindful of the fat though).

There are also a few less common safe meats like kangaroo and rabbit, just check with your vet before adding to your menu.

Veggies

Some of the best vegetables to add to your pet’s bowl include broccoli, brussel sprouts, carrots, celery, cucumbers, green beans, peas, spinach, and sweet potatoes. So basically everything that your 3 year old won’t eat.

Grains

If your dog has a grain allergy, or you just prefer a grain free diet, feel free to skip this section. If grains aren’t an issue to you, especially for larger dogs who take more to fill up, oatmeal and rice (preferably brown rice) are great choices and they are ridiculously cheap.

Supplements

Which supplements your dog needs will depend on what you choose to feed them, what conditions they may have, and even their breed. For example, glucosamine would make a good addition for older dogs – especially those with arthritis.

For dogs with digestive issues, you may want to try out a probiotic.

We’ve also included a few recipes down below for “toppings” to add to your dog’s food that can make up for missing nutrients.

Resources

6 essential nutrients for dogs

Dog’s nutritional diet

Foods for senior dogs

Can’t

Here are some of the most common foods that are dangerous to dogs. This list is not exhaustive so if you’re not sure, do your research first.

Grapes/raisins

Cherries

Avocado

Onions/leeks

Macadamia nuts

Garlic

Brewer’s yeast

Alcohol

Avocado

Uncooked spinach

Chocolate

Coffee

Caffeine

Citrus

Coconut and Coconut Oil

Milk and Dairy

Nuts

Chives

Xylitol

Yeast Dough

Tips for Making DIY Dog Food

As with most things in life, preplanning can make your life a lot easier. Many of these meals can be made in large batches and used throughout the week (obviously you should refrigerate it).

Most of them can also be frozen if you decide to make a really big batch. Don’t worry, I’ve included a section for that too.

And if you don’t have enough freezer space, you can also can your homemade dog food for long term storage.

Lastly, if you’re making a meal with eggs, don’t throw away the eggshells, add them to the mix for extra calcium.

Choosing the Right Diet for Your Pet

The diet that you ultimately decide on for your pet will, of course, depend largely on your pet (breed, age, medical conditions, size, etc), your budget, and your schedule.

There are meals that can help with diabetes, healthy coats, arthritis, allergies, weight loss, and diarrhea. There are also recipes specific to puppies or senior dogs.

Here are a few resources:

Choosing the right diet

Pet diet types

Dangers of homemade dog food

Dog Food Secrets

Homemade Dog Food Recipes

I know that was a lot of information and you’re probably overwhelmed. But really all you need to do is pick a diet plan and then choose a recipe that you like from the list we’ve compiled.

Many of these meals can fit into multiple categories (like a grain free puppy food that can be made in a crockpot) so be sure to scan through them all.

If you can’t find one you like, you can create a free pet recipe here.

Healthy Dog Food Recipes

While almost all home cooked dog food recipes are healthier than commercial pet food, the ones below are specifically designed for dogs with diabetes, arthritis, diarrhea, and general health.

Mini Omelettes – Vet approved

Ruby Stewbie – For diabetes

Healing Mash – For Diarrhea

Hamburger, Lettuce, and Tomato – Holistic

Multi Grain Dog Food Recipe – Multi grain

Arthritis Dog Food Recipe – For arthritis

Arthritis Stew – For arthritis

Chicken Casserole

Meatloaf

Holly’s Healthy Homemade Recipe

Pancreatitis Recipes – For pancreatitis

Cookbooks

Feed Your Best Friend Better

Home Cooking for Your Dog

Dog Food Secrets

The Dog-Gone Good Cookbook

Dinner PAWsible

Dog Food Recipes for Puppies

Puppy Power Smoothies!

Puppies need extra nutrition to feed their growing bodies. These recipes pack in a lot of nutrients into a smaller package. You might want to think about adding supplements to your puppy’s food as well.

Puppy Power Smoothies

Snap Guide’s Puppy Food Recipe

Puppy Stew

Daily Puppy’s Home Cooked Recipe

Puppy Patties

Recipes for Senior Dogs

Older dogs require a different diet than their younger counterparts. Their food is generally easy to chew and has supplements for joint pain relief. Cutting calories while maintaining protein intake is also important as their metabolism slows down.

Auntie Stew

Restless Chipotle’s Low Protein Senior Recipes

Daily Puppy’s Elderly Dog Recipe

Grain Free Recipes for Allergies

Grain free meals have many benefits over those with corn, wheat, rice, soy, or oats. Many dogs have an allergic reaction to soy, corn, and/or wheat, causing them to scratch incessantly, develop sores, sneeze, or have digestive issues. Fortunately, switching to a grain free diet can solve many of these issues quickly and without medication.

It is important to note, though, that many dogs are also allergic to protein sources such as beef, chicken, or eggs.

You can also make any of these other recipes grain free by following this guide.

Food Pucks

Chicken Liver Meatballs

3 Little Pitties Raw Food (and grain free) Recipes

Doggy Fishcake (video)

Cookbooks

Cookbook for Dogs

Dog Food Cookbook: 41 Healthy and Easy Recipes for Your Best Friend

56 Homemade Dog Food Recipes

High Protein Recipes

Most dogs, especially younger ones, need a large amount of protein. Pregnant and lactating dogs also need a lot of protein. Canines are not carnivores though, they are omnivores like us. So don’t feed them just meat.

High protein diets can also be used for weight loss since extra protein doesn’t get stored as fat.

Beefaloaf

Doggie Chili

High Protein Puppy Chow

Cookbooks

Good Food Cookbook for Dogs

Dog Obsessed: The Honest Kitchen’s Complete Guide to a Happier, Healthier Life for the Pup You Love

The Healthy Hound Cookbook

Low Protein Recipes

Woofloaf

Low protein diets are typically recommended for dogs with kidney disease. However, the article above, by T. J. Dunn, Jr., DVM, argues that that myth was started by a study using rats, not dogs. And rats don’t eat meat naturally.

Eggs and Potato (and more) – There are 9 recipes in this list

Woofloaf

Recipes for Kidney Failure

Cookbooks

Becker Animal Hospital & Pet Resort’s Cookbook

Raw Food Diet Recipes

While there is a lot of hype around raw food diets, both for pets and humans, many vets aren’t as quick to jump on board. Some even recommend cooking the meal before serving (is it still raw food at that point?).

If you do decide to go with a raw food diet, be careful of salmonella. Up to 80% of animals on raw food diets were exposed to it.

Midsummer Farm Homemade Fish-Based Dog Dinner – Can be frozen

Jenny’s DIY Raw Dog Food Recipe – Grain free

7 Day Raw Food Plan (video)

Cookbooks

The Healthy Hound Cookbook

Raw Dog Food: Make It Easy for You and Your Dog

Raw and Natural Nutrition for Dogs

Easy Crockpot Dog Food Recipes

I don’t know about you but I absolutely love my crockpot. It’s almost magical how I can put food into it in the morning and come home to a meal.

If you want to cut down on the time you spend cooking your dog’s meals, a crockpot can do that for you.

Scooby’s Organic Stew

Easy Crockpot Dog Food

Chicken and veggie crockpot

Double Meat Slow Cooker

High Iron Dog Food Recipe – High iron

Crockpot Chicken

Home Cooking Low Fat Recipe (video)

Beef Stew with Chef Poodle (video)

Cookbooks

Proud Dog Chef: Tail-Wagging Good Treat Recipes

Dr. Greg’s Canine Crock Cuisine

Vegetarian Dog Food Recipes

As we established before, dogs are omnivores. Which means they eat meat and plants. So can dogs survive and stay healthy on a meatless diet? The short answer is yes (but NOT cats).

For those owners who would like to switch their dog to a vegetarian diet, there are a lot of options. Here are a few:

Black Bean Bowl

Kale and Quinoa

Fruit and Veggie Melee

Homemade Sweet Potato–Peanut Butter Vegan-Dog Delight

Dr Ben’s Vegan Dog Food Recipe (video)

Cookbooks

Homemade Vegetarian Dog Food & Treat Recipes

Dog Food Love: Allergy-Free Recipes, Vegetarian Edition

Simple Little Vegan Dog Book

Vegan Dogs

Natural Dog Food Recipes

Preservatives and chemicals are what you’re trying to avoid by not buying dog food from the store. So why would you use foods with preservatives and chemicals when you’re making Fido’s dinner?

Turkey Veggie

Chicken Rice Balls

Ace’s All Natural Dog Food Recipe – Organic

Salmon Delight

Cookbooks

Cooking for Dogs

The Animal Wellness Natural Cookbook for Dogs

The Natural Pet Food Cookbook

Dry Dog Food Recipes

While all of these recipes are nutritious and delicious, they are a bit of a pain to serve. But dry dog food keeps longer and can be served with one hand in ten seconds. Or you can make your wet food stores last longer by mixing them with some kibble.

Crunchy Dog Food

Droolworthy DIY Dry Dog Food Recipe

Homemade Kibble

Baked Dog Kibble

DIY Dog Food (video)

Cookbooks

Yin & Yang Nutrition for Dogs

Dr Becker’s Real Food For Healthy Dogs and Cats: Simple Homemade Food

Recipes for Weight Loss

With America leading the globe in obesity rates, it’s no wonder that our dogs get fat too. And just like us, this extra weight can have a negative impact on their health.

If your pooch needs to lose his pooch, try out a few of these recipes. He’ll get back into his beach body in no time.

Damn Delicious

Weight Loss Diet

Chicken, Rice, and Carrots – Healthy coat

Turkey, Rice, and Veggies

Shredded Chicken Salad – Low fat

Healthy Hot Air (video)

Cookbooks

Your Pet Chef Cookbook

Frozen Dog Food Recipes

For those of us who are short on time, or just like to do everything at once, making a large batch of dog food and freezing it is very handy. Take them out the day before or in the morning and they’ll be ready for Fido’s dinner.

The Farmer’s Dog

Chicken, Sweet Potatoes, and Kale

Chicken Spinach Balls

Raw Beef & Vegetable (video)

Cheap Dog Food Recipes

Getting prepped to make beef stew

Most of the recipes on this list are pretty cheap to make, especially when you cook in bulk. Here are a couple of meals that won’t dent your wallet.

Muttloaf

Beef Stew

WiseBread’s Homemade Dog Food

Cooked or Raw

Food52’s Cheap Recipe

Healthy & Inexpensive

Easy, Healthy, and Cheap (video)

Food Addins/Toppers

Whether your dog isn’t getting enough nutrients out of his regular diet or he needs extra supplements for a medical condition, adding what he needs into his food is pretty easy. And there are a lot of options. Adding glucosamine can ease joint pain and if your pup is lacking calcium, sprinkling egg shells into his meal can be a simple solution.

Of course, there are plenty of companies out there more than willing to sell you a pill or powder to add to your dog’s food but we’re talking about homemade solutions here! So check out these food toppers for improving your dog’s health:

Not-Quite Satin Balls – For weight gain

Bone Broth

Pumpkin Please – Pumpkin

Chicken Stock

Superfoods Topping (video)

Egg Shell Calcium (video)

Dog Food Recipes for Small Dogs

When feeding a small dog, there are some things you need to keep in mind. They have smaller mouths so whatever you feed them shouldn’t be too large for them to eat or get stuck in their throats. They also have smaller stomachs (go figure!) so adjust their portions proportionally.

For more information on their nutrient needs, check out this article.

Chicken and Veggies

Georgie Meatloaf

Noreen’s Kitchen (video)

Homemade Food for Yorkies (video)

Dog Food Recipes for Large Dogs

This might come as a shocker to you but large dogs weigh more and have bigger bones than their smaller cousins. Carrying around all that weight means that the larger your dog, the more prone to joint pain and calcium deficiencies.

Big dogs are also more likely to have digestive issues.

Raw Diet for Big Dogs (video)

Most of these recipes will work for big dogs, just keep an eye on if you need to add supplements

Your Turn

Do you have a recipe for homemade dog food that you’d like to share? Send it on over!

The post The Best Homemade Dog Food Recipes appeared first on Central Park Paws.

from https://www.centralparkpaws.net/dog-food/best-homemade-diy-dog-food-recipes/

[gardeninghowto-blog]

How to start vegetable garden?

Growing your own vegetables is both fun and rewarding. All you really need to get started is some decent soil and a few plants. But to be a really successful vegetable gardener — and to do it organically — you'll need to understand what it takes to keep your plants healthy and vigorous. Here are the basics.

"Feed the soil" is like a mantra for organic gardeners, and with good reason. In conventional chemical agriculture, crop plants are indeed "fed" directly using synthetic fertilizers.

When taken to extremes, this kind of chemical force-feeding can gradually impoverish the soil. And turn it from a rich entity teeming with microorganisms insects and other life forms, into an inert growing medium that exists mainly to anchor the plants' roots, and that provides little or no nutrition in its own right. Related Article : https://www.justhomegardening.com

Although various fertilizers and mineral nutrients (agricultural lime, rock phosphate, greensand, etc.) should be added periodically to the organic garden, by far the most useful substance for building and maintaining a healthy, well-balanced soil is organic matter.You can add organic matter to your soil many different ways, such as compost, shredded leaves, animal manures or cover crops.

Organic matter improves the fertility, the structure and the tilth of all kinds of soils. In particular, organic matter provides a continuous source of nitrogen and other nutrients that plants need to grow. It also provides a rich food source for soil microbes. As organisms in the soil carry out the processes of decay and decomposition, they make these nutrients available to plants. For more on this subject, read Building Healthy Soil.

Make Efficient Use of Space

The location of your garden (the amount of sunlight it receives, proximity to a source of water, and protection from frost and wind) is important. Yet just as crucial for growing vegetables is making the most of your garden space.

Lots of people dream of having a huge vegetable garden, a sprawling site that will be big enough to grow everything they want, including space-hungry crops, such as corn, dried beans, pumpkins and winter squash, melons, cucumbers and watermelons. If you have the room and, even more importantly, the time and energy needed to grow a huge garden well, go for it. But vegetable gardens that make efficient use of growing space are much easier to care for, whether you're talking about a few containers on the patio or a 50-by-100-foot plot in the backyard. Raised beds are a good choice for beginners because they make the garden more manageable. How to Revive An Air Plant https://www.justhomegardening.com/how-to-revive-an-air-plant

Get Rid of Your Rows

The first way to maximize space in the garden is to convert from traditional row planting to 3- or 4-foot-wide raised beds. Single rows of crops, while they might be efficient on farms that use large machines for planting, cultivating, and harvesting, are often not the best way to go in the backyard vegetable garden. In a home-sized garden, the fewer rows you have, the fewer paths between rows you will need, and the more square footage you will have available for growing crops. If you are already producing the amount of food you want in your existing row garden, then by switching to raised beds or open beds you will actually be able to downsize the garden. By freeing up this existing garden space, you can plant green-manure crops on the part of the garden that is not currently raising vegetables and/or rotate growing areas more easily from year to year. Or you might find that you now have room for planting new crops — rhubarb, asparagus, berries, or flowers for cutting — in the newly available space.

Other good reasons to convert from rows to an intensive garden system:

Less effort. When vegetables are planted intensively they shade and cool the ground below and require less watering, less weeding, less mulching — in other words, less drudgery for the gardener. Less soil compaction. The more access you have between rows or beds, the more you and others will be compacting the soil by walking in them. By increasing the width of the growing beds and reducing the number of paths, you will have more growing area that you won't be walking on, and this untrammeled soil will be fluffier and better for plants' roots. How To Get Rid Of Bugs In Houseplants Soil https://www.justhomegardening.com/how-to-get-rid-of-bugs-in-houseplants-soil

Grow Up, Not Out

Next to intensive planting, trellising represents the most efficient way to use space in the garden. People who have tiny gardens will want to grow as many crops as possible on vertical supports, and gardeners who have a lot of space will still need to lend physical support to some of their vegetables, such as climbing varieties of peas and pole beans. Other vegetables that are commonly trellised include vining crops, such as cucumbers and tomatoes.

The fence surrounding your garden may well do double-duty as a trellis, so long as the crops grown on the fence can be rotated in different years. Other kinds of vegetable supports are generally constructed from either wood or metal. However, no matter which design or materials you use, be sure to have your trellis up and in place well before the plants require its support — preferably even before you plant the crop. With some vegetables, such as tomatoes or melons, you may also have to tie the plants gently to the support, or carefully weave them through the trellis as they grow.

Keep Crops Moving

Crop rotation within the vegetable garden means planting the same crop in the same place only once every three years. This policy ensures that the same garden vegetables will not deplete the same nutrients year after year. It can also help foil any insect pests or disease pathogens that might be lurking in the soil after the crop is harvested. To use a three-year crop rotation system, make a plan of the garden on paper during each growing season, showing the location of all crops. If, like most people, you grow a lot of different vegetables, these garden plans are invaluable, because it can be difficult to remember exactly what you were growing where even last season, much less two years ago. Saving garden plans for the past two or three years means that you don't have to rely on memory alone.

A Continuous Harvest

Planting crops in succession is yet another way to maximize growing area in the garden. All too often, though, gardeners will prepare their seedbeds and plant or transplant all their crops on only one or two days in the spring, usually after the last frost date for their location. While there is nothing wrong with planting a garden this way, wouldn't it be easier to plant a few seeds or transplants at a time, throughout the course of the whole growing season, rather than facing the herculean task of "getting in the garden" all at one time?

After all, a job almost always becomes easier the more you divide it up. Plan to plant something new in the garden almost every week of the season, from the first cold-hardy greens and peas in late winter or early spring, to heat-loving transplants such as tomatoes, peppers and eggplant once the weather becomes warm and settled.

Then start all over again, sowing frost-hardy crops from midsummer through mid-fall, depending on your climate. Keep cleaning out beds as you harvest crops to make room for new vegetables that will take their place. You can even interplant crops that grow quickly (radishes) alongside other vegetables that require a long season (carrots or parsnips), sowing their seeds together. This makes thinning out the bed easier later on, since you will have already harvested the quick-growing crop and given the long-season vegetables that remain some much-needed elbow room.

Another benefit of succession planting, of course, is that your harvest season lasts longer for every crop. This means that, instead of getting buried in snap beans or summer squash as your plants mature all at once, you can stagger plantings to ensure a steady, but more manageable supply of fresh vegetables.

Print Your Plans

If you use our Kitchen Garden Planner, you can print your plans, make notes and save them for future seasons. dr pye's scanmask https://www.justhomegardening.com/how-to-get-rid-of-bugs-in-houseplants-soil

Keep Good Records

Finally, we end up where we started — with the realization that, although vegetable gardening can be rewarding even for beginners, there is an art to doing it well. There is also a mountain of good information and advice from other gardeners available to you. Yet one of the most important ways of improving your garden from year to year is to pay close attention to how plants grow, and note your successes and failures in a garden notebook or journal.

Just as drawing a garden plan each year helps you remember where things were growing, taking notes can help you avoid making the same mistakes again, or ensure that your good results can be reproduced in future years. For instance, write down all the names of different vegetable varieties, and compare them from year to year, so you will know which ones have done well in your garden.

Many people keep a book in their car to record when they change their oil and perform other routine maintenance. In the same way, get in the habit of jotting it down whenever you apply organic matter or fertilizer to the garden, or the dates on which you plant or begin to harvest a crop.

Over time this kind of careful observation and record-keeping will probably teach you more about growing vegetables than any single book or authority. That’s because the notes you make will be based on your own personal experience and observations, and will reflect what works best for you in the unique conditions of your own garden. As in so many other pursuits, so it is in the art of vegetable gardening: practice does make perfect.