Gardening | One Hundred Dollars a Month

DIY – How to Make Your Own Potting Soil

March 19, 2013 21 Comments

If you plan on growing anything in pots this year, potting soil is absolutely essential. Garden soil is just too heavy when growing in pots. The thing is, pre-made bagged potting soil is crazy expensive, and since this year, I plan on growing quite a few things in containers, I decided to make my own.

Here are the ingredients you’ll Need:

Peat Moss
Vermiculite
Compost
Fertilizer {if you use it}
A Mask for your face {this is optional, but I don’t want to breath any of the mix in, especially since I will be using chicken poo as my fertilizer}
A wheelbarrow or large pot to mix your potting soil

The basic recipe is easy peasy. Mix one part each of the peat moss, vermiculite, and compost. I’m not a big fan of store bought fertilizer, as far as I’m concerned, that’s the chickens’ job, so I’ll be collecting my compost from the floor of the chicken run. This will eliminate the need to use fertilizer.

It’s easiest if you just grab a bucket and throw one bucket of each ingredient into your mixing container. Add a little water and stir it around with gloved hands or a shovel.

Then, just grab your containers and filled them with potting soil. If you are using a commercial fertilizer, fill your pots half way, add a scoop of fertilizer and mix it in. Fill your container the rest of the way, repeat the fertilizer step, and voila, you’re done.

That’s it! Now all I have to do is plant the veggies and wait for some homegrown goodness.

Let’s get this party started!

~Mavis

Looking for a great gardening book? Check out The New Self-Sufficient Gardener By John Seymour. It’s loaded with all sorts of goodness.

Filed Under: Frugal Living, Gardening, Money Saving Tips Tagged With: DIY, frugal living, Gardening, money saving tip, potting soil

Growing Vegetables in a Greenhouse

March 19, 2013 19 Comments

What the heck happened to the rain yesterday? It was a beautiful day here in the Pacific Northwest. Lucy the puggle dog and I were able to get a boatload of things done and were able to stay nice and dry too.

I love spring days like that.

Now that the weather is starting to warm up a bit, I’ve been slowly moving vegetable starts out to the greenhouse. So far I only have out there, because my second table is still in the house with grow lights sitting on top of it. I hesitate to running a cord from the house out to the greenhouse to hook everything up because it’s still a wee bit cold for a lot of the seeds I am trying to germinate.

Well, that and the whole part about how the HH would totally flip out if he saw a giant bright orange extension cord across the backyard. What would the neighbors think {blah, blah, blah}. I’ve tried to point out the the neighbors don’t even come out of their house, so how the heck would they even see the cord… but then he just mutters something about how they have windows.

I can’t win.

Yesterday we installed gutters in the left side of the greenhouse. So far all I have planted is a length of spinach in the top gutter. I’m hoping to get the other 3 galvanized gutters planted today.

The strawberries I planted in the gutters last week are doing great.

Last year I made the mistake of planting the strawberry crowns to close together. This year I planted the crowns about 12 inches apart to allow plenty of room for their roots to grow. In the fall, after the plants have fruited, I’ll remove the strawberries from the gutters and overwinter them in the garden.

Seedlings, transplants, Lemon the l emon tree and onion and leeks.

It’s looking pretty bare right now, but we all have to start somewhere. Right?

Do YOU have a greenhouse? Where are you starting your seeds this year? Inside, outside, at your MIL’s?

Mavis wants to know.

Thinking about growing food in a greenhouse but don’t know how to get started? Check out Elliot Coleman’s book Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long. I think it’s pretty awesome.

Filed Under: Gardening, Greenhouse Tagged With: Gardening, greenhouse, mavis garden blog

Mavis Garden Blog – Daffodils, Peas, Potatoes, Lawn Moving and Planting Containers. Yee-Haw!

March 18, 2013 10 Comments

This past weekend was pretty awesome. On Sunday afternoon the Girl Who Thinks She’s a Bird and I walked around the garden and cut bouquets of daffodil flowers. We ended up filling 3 vases and placed them around the house.

I love, love, love this time of year! There is so much hope and promise in the air that it can take your breath away sometimes. Well either that or I’ve been inhaling too much bark dust and it’s making me light headed.

Do you save your plastic containers? I hope you do. Because between the ones I save, the ones my neighbors drop off on my front porch, and the freebies from the Home Depot, I never have to buy any containers to start my plants. It’s pretty awesome if you ask me.

The peas have been planted {we are growing 3 varieties this year}. We planted a bed of green arrow peas in the backyard, sugar snap peas at the base of the teepees, and I just totally forgot where we planted the snow peas. Yikes! I better figure that out soon.

I was also able to plant all our blue potatoes, but I still have about 30 more pounds to go.

Holy cow! I cannot believe I bought 90 pounds of seed potatoes. What was I thinking?

Lucy, Lucy, Lucy. What a nut. The Handsome Husband started mowing the lawn in the front yard and Lucy went to investigate. As soon as he saw her, he stopped the mower and let her run around in circles for about 10 minutes before finally giving up.

Ahhh, spring! It’s only 2 days away. Can you believe it?

~Mavis

Filed Under: Gardening Tagged With: Gardening, mavis garden blog

Is Having a Garden in the Front Yard Illegal?

March 17, 2013 23 Comments

Ever wonder what it would be like to dig up your entire front lawn and plant an edible garden instead? Check out this video of Josée Landry and Michel Beauchamp’s beautiful 2012 front yard kitchen garden in Drummondville, Quebec.

{photo credit}

There was actually a big controversy over the garden and the city had planned to make all front lawn vegetable gardens illegal. You can read the whole article about illegal front yard gardens from the Huffington Post. Talk about crazy!

What do you think? Is this an eyesore or eye candy?

~Mavis

Filed Under: Friday Night at the Movies, Gardening Tagged With: Friday Night at the Movies, Gardening, Videos

How to Grow Peas {Start to Finish}

March 17, 2013 6 Comments

This morning The Girl Who Thinks She’s a Bird and I planted our peas. We have been planting peas on St. Patrick’s Day ever since I can remember. Lucy the puggle dog also helped.

This year we planted sugar snap peas, snow peas and green arrow peas. Sugar snap peas are plump and crunchy and are great for snacking and in stir fry, while snow peas are flat and typically harvested before the pea gets very large. Green Arrow pea pods are not edible but the peas are perfect for canning and freezing.

Where to Plant Peas: Peas are a cool weather crop. They need full sun in early spring. Sugar Snap and Snow peas need a trellis or pole to climb and typically get anywhere from 3-6′ tall {depending on the variety}, so keep that in mind when you choose a location. Green arrow peas typically do not need to be trellised because they only grow about 2′ tall. They are best grown in raised or garden beds.

Planting Seeds: Plant seeds 1″ deep {every 2″ if you are sowing directly outside}. You will not need to thin them.

Growing Tips: Peas like rich soil with good drainage. They do not do well in the heat, so plan them as an late spring/early summer harvest. Provide them with a trellis or pole to climb.

How to Harvest: To harvest, cut peas off at the top of the pea {hold the other side of the vine so as not to damage it during harvest}. Do not let them get overripe or they take on a starchy flavor and stop producing.

Are you ready to start your garden but you’re not sure when you should plant your seeds or set out your transplants? Head on over HERE and you’ll be taken to a handy dandy chart that is broken down into what vegetables should be planted {or transplanted} each month in your area.

Anyone can do this. Dirt + Seeds+ Water = Food!

~Mavis

Here are a few of my Favorite Pea recipes:

Ranch Pasta Salad with Broccoli, Spinach, and Green Peas

Orzo Salad with Fresh Peas, Carrots, and Pine Nuts

Peas and Bacon

Filed Under: Gardening, Growing Guides Tagged With: Gardening, gardening with mavis, growing guides, how to grow, peas

Mavis Butterfield | Backyard Garden Plot Pictures – Week 12 of 52

March 17, 2013 12 Comments

Week 12 of 52 – Mavis’ Backyard Garden Plot

Although it rained quite a bit past week, I was still able to get a few projects done. We planted a boatload of new seeds as well as cleaned up the backyard and moved some more pots out of the garage.

The spring bulbs are beginning to pop up everywhere so I’ll have to have The Girl go out and pick a big bouquet of daffodils for the kitchen table later today to bring a little color in to the house.

I know the raised garden beds don’t look too exciting right now, but in another month or so you’ll be able to see lots of green. I think waiting for seeds to germinate in the spring is one of the hardest parts about gardening.

Endive was planted in the back left wood pallet and so far so good. Lucy, the squirrels and the slugs have all left it alone. If you are thinking about creating a pallet garden, be sure and check out this Pallet Gardening 101 post to help get you started.

See that box out there? It’s full of potatoes. Hopefully I can get the rest of the 90 pounds of potatoes planted later today. Fingers crossed.

Future perennial flower garden.

See the green at the base of the tree? Those are the poppies I planted last year. I’ll be planting more poppy seeds this year and we also have artichokes and rhubarb in this area as well. The rhubarb shoots have just begun to pop through the soil. I placed wire tomato cages near them so I’d remember not to plant anything to close to them.

The greenhouse. Hopefully I can write more about what’s going on in there later this week.

The potato towers are on my list of “things to get planted” today.

Remember all those bulbs I planted last fall? I can wait for this area to bloom.

I still need to carve out another large garden plot towards the left.

Happy chickens.

Lucy the crazy puggle dog running all over my newly planted kale plants.

Future pumpkin patch.

Raspberry and blueberry patch {the blueberries are planted just behind the raspberry canes towards the left}.

And last but no least, the future herb garden. We are planning on dragging out a few more large pots to this area pretty soon and filling then with herb starts.

I need more time people, more time!

Well, it looks like it might be a pretty decent day outside today, so I better get dressed and get out there.

Have a wonderful day,

~Mavis

This years garden is being sponsored by the awesome folks at Botanical Interests Seed Company. You can check out their website HERE, order their new 2013 Garden Seed Catalog HERE.

Filed Under: 2013 Garden Plot Pictures, Gardening Tagged With: 2013 garden plot pictures, Gardening

1 Year Subscription to Urban Farm Magazine Only $4.99!

March 16, 2013 5 Comments

It’s Baaaaack!

DiscountMagsis having a St. Patrick’s Day sale with 36 magazine starting at $4.99 for a 1 year subscription. My favorite deal is Urban Farm Magazine for only $4.99 a year. I love this magazine! Learn how to grow you own food in the space you have!

Urban Farm Magazine is guide for those in cities or suburbs looking to become more self-sufficient by growing some of their own food and treading lightly on the environment in the space they have. Articles include how-to projects, gardening basics, composting, beekeeping, roof-top gardening, preserving and freezing, and time and money-saving ideas.

Go HERE to order Urban Farm Magazine.

*This special rate will be live through midnight 3/17/2013 (EST). You can purchase this deal as a new subscription or to renew your existing subscription. You can also purchase additional subscriptions as gifts! This is such a wonderful magazine at an amazing price.

Filed Under: Gardening, Online Deals Tagged With: discount mags, magazine, Online Deals, urban farm

How to Grow Radishes {Start to Finish}

March 14, 2013 6 Comments

This morning Lucy and I went out to the garden and planted 5 different kinds of radishes. Last year was my first year growing the French Breakfast Radish and it was so good, I decided to expand my radish crop this year and plant some unusual varieties.

Here are the 5 different kinds of radishes I am planting this year:

Round Black Spanish {looked exotic}
French Breakfast {my favorite}
Crimson Giant {these are nice, fat and crunchy}
Watermelon {cool factor}
Easter Egg {because the are pretty}

If you have never grown radishes before, I promise you, they are super easy to grow.

Brief description: Radishes are a quick-growing hardy vegetable with a crisp mild flavor.

Where to Plant Radish: Radishes can be planted in raised beds, garden beds and containers.

Planting Seeds: Sow seeds 1/2″ deep. When foliage appears, thin to 1″ apart. Radishes are best planted with cucumbers, spinach and squash to repel as they repel unwanted insects.

Growing Tips: Radishes prefer cooler weather. You can sow them outside 4-6 weeks before the last frost, and sow more every 5-10 days for a continuous crop. You can sow them again in the late summer for a fall crop. Water regularly.

How to Harvest: Harvest radishes when they are small {1-1/2 to 2″}. If you let them get much larger, they start to split and taste a wee bit tough.

Radishes’ Literary Debut: In the novel, Gone with the Wind, it was a radish that starving Scarlett O’Hara eats {the only food she can get}, and then declares, “As God is my witness, I’ll never be hungry again.”

Anyone can do this. Dirt + Seeds+ Water = Food!

~Mavis

Filed Under: Gardening, Growing Guides Tagged With: Gardening, gardening with mavis, growing guides, how to grow, radish

Mavis Garden Blog – Planting Swiss Chard and Hostas

March 13, 2013 15 Comments

Lucy and I worked in the garden this morning spiffing up the walkway outside of the chicken coop. As you can see she is a big help. It’s pretty much 3 steps forward, 2 steps back when any sort of planting goes on, but she loves being outside, and I love having her out there.

I pulled up all of the Swiss chard that over wintered in the garden boxes and brought it around back to plant. My goal is to fill the garden area in front of the chicken coop / run with oodles and oodles of kale and Swiss chard for the hens to snack on all summer.

The kale and Swiss chard transplants that I set out last week are holding up great despite the rain and chilly temps.

While I was at the Home Depot yesterday picking up supplies for my latest project {just wait until you see it, it is going to be SO COOL}, I wandered over to the nursery section and spotted a table full of hosta plants.

I’m not really into variegated plants, and I had already placed some solid green hostas in my cart, but each time I would pass by the green and white hostas, they would state at me. Like they were giving me the evil eye or something.

It was eerie.

I’m not really sure what my issue with variegated plants is {to much color on one leaf?} but in the end I finally broke down and bought the more colorful hostas instead.

I still can’t believe I put the solid green leafed hostas back. They were so pretty. So uniform, and so perfect looking.

So now I have neon orange bark, green and white hostas and rainbow Swiss chard all in close proximity of each other. Let’s just hope I’ll be able to handle all the color a few months from now when I’ll be too busy with other things to change it.

Hopefully it will all come together in the end and look great once the plants mature.

Now, if Lucy could just convince those chickens that she just wants to be their friend, everything would be perfect.

Peace Out Girl Scouts, I’m off to make dinner.

~Mavis

Filed Under: Gardening Tagged With: Gardening, hostas, mavis garden blog, swiss chard

How to Grow Your Own Food – 2013 Garden Tally

March 13, 2013 12 Comments

{Winter Squash 2012}

This year I’m on a mission to grow 4,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables in my suburban backyard. In 2012 I was able to grow 2,028 pounds, and in 2013 I’m going double or nothing. I have absolutely no idea if I’ll be able to achieve my goal. But, as with any adventure, half the fun is getting there. ~Mavis

This past week I harvested a whopping 5 ounces of Swiss chard.

Whop.t.do.

My kitchen, laundry room, and garage all look like a giant garden bomb went off and it’s getting a little tough to keep up. There is potting soil, seeds and containers everywhere, and I am waiting for the HH to make a crack about how he’s living in a garden center.

If I could just have one full day all to myself {no cooking, cleaning, talking, typing, walking} I think I could get caught up. I think.

I can dream right?

It might be time to plug in some headphones, make a giant list, and just power through a day planting, potting, tagging, and marking things off my list with a big fat sharpie as I go. I think that’s part of the problem. I need to get organized.

But first, do you have any suggestions to songs? I need some tunes first. Then I’ll make my list.

~Mavis

Here is what I have harvested so far this year:

{Heirloom beets pictured from last summer}

Beets - 14 ounces

I’ll be planting some more beets this week. I think I am going to try and grow enough to can a years worth of pickled beets. No one else in our house really cares for pickled beets, but I do!

{Tonda di Parigi HEIRLOOM carrots pictured from last summer}

Carrots – 3 ounces

I can’t wait to start planing carrots!

egg count 2013

Egg Count – 329 {4.6 per day average}

This week we collected 59 eggs. I have a lot of baking to do so I they’ll all be used and I won’t have any left over to trade with Girly Girl or Mrs. HB this time around.

Lettuce – 6 ounces
M icrogreens 5 ounces

Microgreens are easy to grow anytime of year but they are especially fun to grow in winter as it is typically to cold to grow lettuce and greens outside. See those cute heart shaped leaves? Those are radish greens and they are super tasty too.

cool kitchen scale

Potatoes – 2 pounds 9 ounces

I was able to get 15 pounds of potatoes planted last weekend, but I still have 75 more pounds to get in the ground. I need to schedule an entire work day in the garden here pretty so I don’t get behind on all my planting tasks.

bean sprouts