BloominThyme

07 Jan 2013 No Comments

Poinsettia for Next Year

The Poinsettia I planted from last season did not fare as well as I hoped.

The reason? I believe it has something to do with sunlight. The year before, I re-planted them in pots and kept them on the back patio, south side of the house. They weren’t kept in direct sun, mind you, but they were in a very bright location. Those I planted in ground out front of my home, full shade, no good.

So this year? You guessed it! Someplace nice and protected–they are somewhat dainty, I think–but with plenty of bright light. Which makes sense. After consulting with my “grow-guides,” I was reminded these beauties prefer indirect sunlight, protected from cool drafts. As a native of Mexico, this plant doesn’t like the cold, so whenever the temperature dips below 50-55 degrees, you must be vigilant and cover it else it shrivel up and die. More

by gardenfrisk in Garden skinny - my personal scoop on gardening Tags: all-purpose fertilizer, cold, cool, Florida, freeze, garden, holiday, home, in ground, indirect sunlight, plant, Poinsettia, protect, save

01 Jan 2013 2 Comments

There’s Always Next Year

Ever catch yourself saying this as you stand and gaze upon your garden?

I have. Am, I should say. My garden is going through some “growing pains” at the moment. Most horribly, our frost “bite” right before Christmas. Weather man modified his forecast AFTER I was able to prepare. (Aaagh!) Watching the news one evening, I found myself gaping at the television screen. Hard frost? Freeze, north of us? Oh no…

Yep. I have three forty-foot rows that look just like this one. We salvaged what tomatoes we could, pulled the plants and still have these to clean up. Tomorrow. There’s always tomorrow. Same fate befell my wax peppers, forcing us to clean, cut and can Christmas eve and Christmas day. (Like I had time for that?!?!) More

by gardenfrisk in Garden skinny - my personal scoop on gardening Tags: cabbage, cold weather, frost, garden, garlic, home garden, new year, onions, organic, pumpkins, season, sweet peas, tomatoes

17 Dec 2012 No Comments

Too Close for Comfort

Justin and Eyry have been enjoying their garden without much issue, until now. Recently, we experienced a few days of unseasonably heavy rain and fog, and their squash did not fare well. Sad sight, isn’t it?

One problem was weather, perhaps bugs, but another is spacing. As you see here, they look pretty and full, but beware… More

by gardenfrisk in Garden coaching - watch how easy you TOO can have your very own garden! Tags: backyard, carrots, fungus, garden, grow, home, how to, learn, organic, peas, prevent, squash

14 Dec 2012 59 Comments

Holiday Gifts of Love Blog Hop

Welcome to my corner of the Holiday Gifts of Love Blog Hop where you can win TONS of prizes. Check these out!

And it doesn’t stop there. Here at BloominThyme we LOVE the holidays and of course with us, it’s all about growing and cooking and getting creative. So in addition to your chance for one of the three grand prizes, you can also win this gorgeous gift box, filled with Organic Sweet Pepper and Herbs (Basil & Cilantro) Mix. More

by gardenfrisk in Garden skinny - my personal scoop on gardening Tags: baking, blog hop, BloominThyme, cranberry bread, Dianne Venetta, garden, Holiday Gifts of Love, holidays, kids, organic, recipe, romance, women

05 Dec 2012 No Comments

Hungarian Wax Beauties

Wahoo~my Hungarian Wax peppers are ready to be canned!! It’s the moment my son has been waiting for. He can’t wait to get started harvesting–well, in between entertaining the neighbor girl peering at him through the chain link fence, that is. In between introducing him to all 100 of her imaginary brothers and sisters, her fleet of horses, her real life dogs…

Well, you get the picture. The boy was distracted, but still managed to snip this bounty of peppers.

Beautiful. From red to yellow (and a few green we’ll chalk up to the distraction factor), my son has given me quite the beginning for a canning fiesta. Mind you, he didn’t lug this basket up to the house himself. I did. He was busy impressing the young girl with his digging abilities, creating a hole deep enough to step in clear up to his thighs! Needless to say, she was thrilled. More

by gardenfrisk in Garden skinny - my personal scoop on gardening Tags: canning, garden, harvest, how to, Hungarian Hot Wax, Italian, oregano, organic, peppers, process, recipe, step-by-step

30 Nov 2012 No Comments

Vigilance Required

This week, garden duty was all about vigilance. What’s eating our tomatoes? What smashed our pumpkin? What burrowed beneath our squash?

All good questions, and thankfully, we have Upper Elementary on the lookout. Many of our tomatoes are beginning to turn red and we want nothing to jeopardize their progress. Ruh-roh. Too late. Moms–close your eyes. The ick factor will scare you… More

by gardenfrisk in School Garden - follow the kids as they grow! Tags: bugs, caterpillars, climb, how to, inspect, kids, lessons, organic, school garden, sugar snaps, support, tomatoes, what's eating

21 Nov 2012 No Comments

They Make it Look so Easy…

Justin and Eyry have been busy tending their garden, mostly by watching it grow. You remember them, don’t you? The creative couple with the backyard garden and veggie washing station? Yes, love that idea. Well, they are doing quite well, as you can see.

Sugar peas, corn, tomatoes, squash, cucumber, pumpkin, garlic and of course, marigolds. Now you may think those marigolds are there to make the garden look pretty–which they do–but they serve a dual purpose as insect repellent. Yep. Below the ground they ward off pesky nematodes by excreting a chemical toxic to the microscopic pests. Above ground they’re said to repel squash bugs, tomato hornworms, whiteflies and some beetles. I do love a multi-tasker! More

by gardenfrisk in Garden coaching - watch how easy you TOO can have your very own garden! Tags: companion planting, garden coach, grow your own, home garden, how to, organic, vegetables

19 Nov 2012 1 Comment

Why I Adore Fall Gardening…

It’s cool outside, somewhat cloudy overhead, the ground soaked through. Rich, composted dirt, lush green growth, there’s a sense of calm hanging in the air. Walking alongside my beds, admiring Mother Nature in all her glory, it occurs to me that there is more than vegetables and produce here. There is color, texture. Emotion, peace. It’s a sensory experience.

Take my black beauty eggplant and cinnamon basil. I never noticed this before, but they share common coloring. Side by side, they’re beautiful, striking. Leaning close, the scent of spicy basil is distinct, memorable. Moving further, I’m drawn to my red cabbage. More

by gardenfrisk in Garden skinny - my personal scoop on gardening Tags: fall, fall garden, gardening, harvest, homegrown, homemade, organic, pumpkin pie, sensory

16 Nov 2012 No Comments

Lookee What We Found in the Compost!

You know it’s a good day in the compost pile when this little fella is making his home in your homemade dirt. Can you see him? He’s the curvy-looking stick.

It means nice, damp conditions. It means nutrients. It means this compost will be AWESOME for garden use–all of which we learned this week in our lessons (listed below). But better yet, a compost pile is just plain fun. More

by gardenfrisk in School Garden - follow the kids as they grow! Tags: cold, compost, hot, how to, lessons, organic, outdoor, pile, school garden, sweet pea, worm

09 Nov 2012 No Comments

What Shape is YOUR Garden In?

Good shape, poor shape, the kids have discovered all kinds of shapes in their garden this week, especially when it comes to leaves. They’re long, short, ragged, smooth, small, wide, narrow… Well, you get the idea. Brussels sprouts tend toward the round side.