Special Offer from Annie's HomeGrown

Annie's HomeGrown is giving away free garden gloves and packs of vegetable seeds with the purchase of two of their products.  We almost always have a box of the Bunny Crackers and/or boxes of mac 'n cheese in our pantry.  It was just a matter of filling out the information online.  The gloves come in either adult or childrens' sizes.  I selected the kid's size, and I'm going to put them to work in my garden this spring.

http://www.annies.com/root

Free Root 4 Kids gardening kit is available with PROOF OF PURCHASE of any TWO (2) Annie’s Homegrown or Annie's Naturals products. Products must be purchased between January 5, 2011 and April 30, 2011.  Offer good in U.S only. Limit one per household or address. Must be 18 years or older. Supplies are limited. Offer expires April 30, 2011 or while supplies last.  Allow 8-10 weeks for delivery. 


Update 5-6-11 
We received our package today from Annie's.  The kids loved the gloves.  They fit Abigail perfectly, but are a little too large for my 3 year old.  He didn't seem to mind.  I loved the surprise coupons that were included.  $5.50 worth to be exact for Bunnie crackers, pasta, snack bars, dressings and cereal.   Hope you got yours!

Summer's Bounty

I have just a small, organic garden, but it's produced a great summer bounty.  I just took a quick picture of what's sitting on my counter right now.

It doesn't include what's in my fridge.  Just goes to prove that you don't have to be an expert or have a ton of space to grow fresh veggies.

Here's before and after pictures of the garden space. It's just 3 feet by 12 feet.  The fence is only necessary if you have wildlife, i.e., rabbits or "lots of help", i.e., a 3 year old.  I felt really silly having my husband drive 8 foot posts in the ground for my tomatoes, but I've actually had to cut out some of the top branches and tie them up because they've started hanging over.

This year I added a smaller 2 foot by 6 foot space and put additional zucchini and squash plants as well as canelope and banana peppers. Obviously, the melon (my first ever) was quite happy and tasted super good!

So if I haven't been posting like I should, my garden is to blame.  I have to cook or freeze what I've grown.  This wasn't the summer to learn to can or preserve.  Maybe next year?

Summer Time!

I think this is been one of the longest times between posts since I started my blog.  What's my excuse?  Summer!  The kids are home, and if they're not off making a mess and getting into something they shouldn't (specifically my 3 year old son), they're fussing or fighting, needing a snack, complaining about being bored or wanting to go somewhere.

There was the food challenge at Duke, then Vacation Bible School.  After that, we started potty training my youngest.  It went surprisingly well, and so far no pee pee accidents.  Can't say the same for the other.  Regardless, it's a huge time commitment.  I also made a promise to Abigail that she would be able to swim the length of the pool by the end of the summer so there's been swimming lessons for her and my youngest (he wouldn't even get in the water 2 months ago) and trips to our neighborhood pool to "practice".  Can't forget the shuttling to summer camps, special outings and play dates which all require time away from the computer.  I've started a training certification program which I'll write about in more detail later.  And last, but not least, the garden.  I love having a garden, but my goodness, it's a lot of work.  There's definitely a science behind gardening, and I haven't come close to mastering it.

Anyway, I haven't forgotten you guys.  I hope you are also enjoying your summer. I really shouldn't complain, we're having a great time.  We're being inundated with reminders that school is just around the corner, and I'd like to savor this time a little longer.

My Gardens

It's in full bloom. My yard that is. Last year, I tried my hand at gardening, organic, of course, and found I really enjoyed it. Knowing that I had time and space constraints, I chose to try my hand at square foot gardening. It was the perfect solution. This year in my 3 foot by 12 foot space, I am growing 4 types of heirloom tomatoes, green peppers, jalapeno peppers, okra, squash, zucchini, spinach, broccoli, swiss chard, basil and dill. In pots around my garden, I'm growing pickling cucumbers, bush cucumbers, habanero peppers and cherry tomatoes. I wanted more squash and zucchini this year so I added another small 2 foot by 6 foot garden put in each of those as well as a cantaloupe and several banana pepper plants.

My herb garden is on my deck. I have dill, basil, rosemary, thyme, lemon thyme, parsley, bee balm, chives and lettuce. After several years, this is the first year that my blueberry plant flowered and produced berries.  I'm watching to make sure I get the ripened berries before the birds do. This spring, my mom gave me a blackberry bush to add to my collection. Told you. I'm loving it.

And a surprise this year...I have a few plants growing in my make-shift compost pile. I'm guessing they're squash and from the looks of them, they really like it there.


We ate fresh veggies all summer last year, and I even had enough to put a few things in the freezer. I think I'm going to try my hand at pickling and canning this summer.  I found several recipes for pickles that call for freezing your jars instead of using a hot water bath or a pressure cooker. Sounds perfect!

If you haven't started a vegetable garden, and want to, it's not too late. You really should check out square foot gardening. It's fast and easy. We made our raised bed frames with a couple of inexpensive 2 x 6 boards. I put up a fence for protection against the rabbits and my 2 year old (he likes to help....maybe a bit too much). If you have no inclination for gardening, then check out this guide to pesticides. It tells which fruits and vegetables you should purchase organic and which ones are the lowest in pesticides. Did you know that only 5% of the world's farmland is dedicated to organic farming?  So, if you can, support your local organic farmers by shopping your Farmer's Markets and local produce stands.