Vertical Gardening

The newest rage in container gardening is vertical gardening. It is easy to see why this is fast becoming a very popular way to garden. For those that have limited space such as apartments or live in urban areas this is ideal. I like the idea because it frees up my lawn area for other things such as flowers, pools, and grass for the kids to play in.

So what exactly is vertical gardening? Vertical gardening is growing herbs, vegetables, flowers or whatever you wish, up. This could mean on a fence, a wall, the side of a house. But, how exactly do you plant in a fence? Very carefully. I know corny, but I had to I say it.

Many items are available to use for vertical gardening. You can buy black pouches online or at your local gardening center. Another option is to use gutters. Yes, I did say gutters. Hang the gutters on your fence, fill with soil and plant anything such as an herb garden, flowers or vegetables. The benefit of this is you can usually fit more plants in the gutters than what you could have with potted plants.

You can also be creative with your vertical garden. Plant kitchen herbs in colorful painted pots and hang on your fence. Not only does it add character but it is useful for cooking! Hit the junk shops in your area and look for old cookie jars, brightly painted pitchers, or purses. These are all items that can be attached to the fence. They add a little bit of your personality to your vertical garden so have fun with it.

The down side is that container gardens whether on the fence or in potted plants on the ground, requires more water. They need to be watered every day in hot weather. Water usage could be offset with a rain barrel. I have two and would be lost without them every summer. But I will save that for another article.

If you would like more information on vertical gardening you can visit http://verticalgardeninstitute.org/

Simplify and De-Clutter

Shelves added to a bare basement wall for storage

It is amazing how much junk you accumulate over the years. What is even more amazing is that we only use 20% of our stuff 80% of the time. So what do we do with all that extra junk? Simplify and de-clutter.  Simplifying and organizing your house is easy if you know how.

You may be wondering why you should bother simplifying. After all, what does all that clutter really do? For one, there will be less time spent cleaning your house which means more time for stuff you like to do. Although I am sure there are many moms that love to clean, I for one would rather be at the beach or playing with my kids. 

How many times have you looked for your keys and been stressed because of it? When you are organized there is less stress and frustration trying to find items. This also teaches us needs vs. wants which is a valuable lesson and makes us analyze what is important to us. All of these lead to a calmer, happier mom which leads to a calmer, happier family.

Starting is not as daunting as you may think. Just break it down room by room. You could tackle the closets one week, the bedrooms the next, and the kids playroom last. Start by coming into the room with a new eye. Look at it like you are a stranger in your house. Look at where the clutter accumulates. Then attack the clutter. No, seriously, you need to have an attack mentality because you are going to be giving up stuff you may be attached too and do not want to give up. For instance, those "skinny" jeans you have not worn since the 80's do not belong in your closet. I had my rehearsal dinner outfit I had kept for years, just because. I finally gave it to Goodwill because I knew it was not my style anymore and I was never going to wear it again.

As you are going through the clutter have 3 laundry baskets, or 3 plastic bags, whatever. You can have a keep pile, goodwill pile and garbage pile. As you go through the room put items into those piles. Examine each item and ask yourself if you really use that or if you are emotionally attached.

 Re-purpose things and be creative with storage solutions. My husband found some cabinets that someone was throwing away. He brought them home and we cleaned them up and and painted them. They are hung up in our basement and used to store play dough and art supplies along with extra storage for food items. This has really helped in a house where storage is scarce. We also added shelves to bare basement walls to put the kids toys up on and added drawers from an old waterbed below the shelves. Just another way to re-purpose old things for creative storage ideas.

Now that you have the clutter in check you need to keep it that way. I use the rule that for every item I bring in, I have to get rid of 1. I also believe in less is better, especially with the kids toys. I have found that when they have too much of anything, they do not play with anything. They do not know what they have and it just creates chaos when you have too much. The kids are part of this de-cluttering process and we go through their rooms before birthdays and Christmas to give their old toys to the needy. This gives them the sense they are helping others which is important.

I invite you to try simplifying your house and the clutter and see if you feel better!

Kids and Gardening

First cucumber and tomato of the season 2010

Well this year we have decided to expand our garden. Or rather, I have decided  :) The reason we decided to expand was because of a novel idea (at least to me) about no-till gardening. Genius really because who wants to spend all that time tilling the soil? So what is a no till garden? Well., first you have to lay down a thick layer of cardboard over the area followed by a thick layer of newspaper. Then you layer dead leaves, grass, and dirt till you get about 1-2 feet of compost. The cardboard and newspaper decompose with the dead leaves and debris creating wonderful soil for your veggie plants.
My kids are involved in this whole process too. They help with starting seeds, planting seedlings, watering from the rain barrels and of course the harvesting. Usually the cherry tomatoes never make it to the kitchen because the kids pick the plants clean. It is so amazing to see the kids eat vegetables they would not normally eat just because they grew it. Purple green beans are a novelty to be gobbled up along with yellow tomatoes while grocery store green beans are given the ewwwww factor. To have my kids feel the Earth and take care of her is something I hold dearly.  For those that have never tried gardening with their kids I highly recommend it. It is not something that can be taught in a classroom or just talked about. It is just something that has to be experienced.
So while March feels like June and has me dreaming of veggies and gardening, I will start by laying down the cardboard for my 12x12 area and dream of a bigger garden. Hmmm. Was there extra space behind the garage in the backyard I could use?

Benefits of Planting Native Plants

I know it feels like it might be too early to talk about plants but before you know it Spring will arrive! So I wanted to take this time to talk about native plants. I love the look of native plants. I am not one to go for perfectly manicured lawns and gardens and spend all my time and money keeping it looking trim and green. I love the look of meadows and wildflowers, and the natural slope and rise of the land. Colors explode all summer long in native plants and add diversity and interest to the eye. I have been researching native plants for a couple years now and am impressed with the many benefits they hold.

The one benefit that speaks to everyone on all levels is money. Planting native plants can save you big over the years. How? Native plants are adapted to your specific region. That means native plants will thrive in conditions that other plants could not. You do not need to water native plants as much saving you money on your water bill. Native plants do not require the use of fertilizer or pesticides since native plants are resistant to local bugs. Not only does this save you money but native plants save you time. Native plants are low maintenance and require little care freeing up your time for more important things, such as your family and friends.

Did you ever notice that wildlife seems to be disappearing? Native plants attract songbirds, butterflies, hummingbirds and wildlife by providing shelter and food, depending on which species you plant. Many local nurseries can help you pick out native plants that suit your area and interest. A local Ohio company is Ohio Prairie Nursery. They offer seed packets and flowers based on many factors. Their website is: http://www.ohioprairienursery.com/shoppingcart/. If you are from Ohio and are interested, I would suggest checking out their website.

All of these benefits contribute to the overall health of Mother Earth. In addition, native plants help with storm water runoff, keeping our rivers and lakes cleaner and less polluted. Native plants promote biodiversity and are aesthetically pleasing. Why not try planting some native plants this Spring?

Aspartame free gum!

Glee Gum made with Natural Ingredients

Sometimes I come across some great products and just have to share! I found  Glee Gum at Earth Fare and was excited to see it was made with NO aspartame! I have been searching for a gum for awhile now and I am sure I made a scene as I was clutching the gum to my chest dancing in a circle but I did not care. The gum comes in different flavors with my favorite being tangerine. Although it does lose it's flavor faster than "mainstream" gum  the plus is it stays soft and chewy for hours. Made from natural ingredients and better for my kids! What could be better?