Weed Dating in Vermont

I came across this article on "weed dating," and I had to pass it on.  

  

What is weed dating?  It is basically speed dating with a practical purpose.  "Weed dating takes place on farms among rows of sprouting produce. Participants weed a row with a potential romantic interest, then move on to another row and another partner. At the end of the day, some people might have cultivated a mutual interest — and no matter, the field is freshly weeded."  The down side is that participants are charged $10 just for the "privilege" of weeding and meeting new people.    

Click Here for the Full Story .

I don't know if "weed dating" will gain popularity in other states, but you can still potentially make new connections and avoid paying a fee by volunteering for an organization or cause that you are interested in.  You may even get additional benefits for volunteering your time.  For example, volunteers for the University of California of Berkeley Botanical Gardens who volunteer at least 30 hours of their time can get free parking, shop discounts, and more.  

Harvesting Sunflower Seeds

I harvested sunflower seeds from my garden today.  I knew the sunflowers were ready for picking because the flower petals were gone, the leaves were brown, and a few seeds were already loose.  I just cut the stem, and rubbed my thumb across the seeds to loosen them.  Most of the seeds fell out effortlessly.   For the stubborn seeds I used a spoon to work them out.  My thumb is not fond of splinters.  

I am going to save some seeds for planting next season, but I am going to roast the rest.  This will be my first time roasting sunflower seeds.  I am going to follow the instructions on the National Sunflower Association website.  

I really enjoyed growing these flowers.  The blooms are large and showy, they last a long time, and I get a nice treat from them at the end of the season!  

Adding a Little Whimsy

You can add a little whimsy to old plants by placing fake birds among the foliage.  I bought this bird at Michael's craft store for $2.29.  They had a variety of fake birds available in assorted sizes, and they even had speckled bird eggs for sale.

Point Reyes Light House

Hi everyone!  I know I have not posted in a while.  I have been extremely busy with relatives and helping with weddings, bachelorette parties, and baby showers!  I have been taking mental notes of some new gardening topics I think are worth blogging about, but in the mean time, I wanted to share a few photos of my trip to Point Reyes Light House.  If you have not visited Point Reyes National Seashore (California) you should.  This place is absolutely beautiful and full of life and pleasant surprises.  If that is not tempting enough consider this---"a recent study by the University of Wisconsin found that only one spending category out of nine was actually shown to make us truly happy, and that category was leisure."  Ray Martin, a financial advisor, says "money spent on experiences such as a trip, versus material items, such as a car or a dining room set, will contribute more to your overall happiness."  I whole heartedly agree.
 

Photo 1: View of the coast from the path to the Light House.

Photo 2: I love how some plants can thrive just about anywhere.  

Photo 3:  Only one of the many views of the coast line.  We spotted several whales here!

Photo 4: Do you see the lizard here?

Photo 5:  Point Reyes Light House 

Photo 6:  302 steps back to the trail.  It is really not that bad at all, and there are a couple of rest stops along the way.   

Desert Gardens in Old Town San Diego

I visited Old Town San Diego, which is considered the "birthplace" of California.  It is the site of the first permanent Spanish settlement in California.  I spent the afternoon checking out some creative goodies in outdoor and indoor shops, watching the horses, and eating some good grub at Barra Barra Saloon.  I noticed a wonderful assortment of potted cacti and succulents.  Many of them were in or just outside the Barra Barra Saloon.  I liked the use of unconventional containers like the wheelbarrow (See Photo 2-3), but I fell in love with the cacti/succulent screen/divider (Photo 5).

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Killer Tree Branches

I don't think anyone expects to die from a falling branch especially when you are at a major park like Central Park, NY.  Sadly, falling tree branches have already claimed two lives at Central Park this year.  So if you happen to visit Central Park anytime soon, keep a look out for falling branches.

Full Story

Great Green Careers

For those of you who are interested in starting a green career or who are just curious to see what is out there, check out Great Green Careers.  You can post your resume, search for green jobs based on type of job, location, salary and more.  Great Green Careers also provides a list of other resources for green jobs here.

The Dinner Garden Gives Away Free Seeds

http://www.dinnergarden.org/

About The Dinner Garden
This organization's mission is to stop hunger in the United States.  They provide people in the U.S. with a packet of free seeds to start a vegetable garden of their own.  Their website also has information on battling pests, how to make inexpensive green houses, techniques on saving seeds, planting guides, recipes and more.

Free Dinner Garden Seed Packet
The Dinner Garden will mail you free seeds by filling out and submitting a request on their website.

Donations
This is a great cause, and any amount you wish to donate goes really far here.  For example, "$1.72 provides 10 different types of vegetable seeds for one family to grow a full garden."  That is a lot of bang for a couple of bucks.  Click here to discover the several ways you can support this cause.

Vanishing Bees Documentary

Video: Trailer for the documentary feature film - The Vanishing of the Bees

Vanishing of the Bees takes a piercing investigative look at the economic, political and ecological implications of the worldwide disappearance of the honeybee.  US release date is August 21, 2010 National Honeybee Awareness Day!  For more information, visit http://www.vanishingbees.com.

Grow Your Own Beer Garden

White Box Gardens - Beer Garden

Are you looking for a fun, unique Father's Day gift?  Does your dad love beer?  If so, consider getting him his own beer garden.*  The White Box Gardens Beer Garden growing kit includes a sprouting and growing dome, three (3) seed packs (wheat, barley, and hops), growing medium, 3 color plant stakes, natural gravel, 3 color decals, and an instructions/info booklet.

The beer garden costs only $21.55 at Amazon.com.  This product is also eligible for Amazon's FREE Super Saving Shipping on orders over $25.  

Companion Gift Ideas:

• How To Brew: Everything You Need To Know To Brew Beer Right The First Time book by John J. Palmer ($10.99)*  
• Mr. Beer Deluxe Edition Home Microbrewery System ($29.99) --- Free Shipping
• Mr. Beer Premium Edition Home Microbrewery System ($39.98) --- Free Shipping
• Mr. Beer Premium Gold Edition Home Brew Kit ($47.78) --- Free Shipping
• Coopers Brewery Micro Brewery Kit ($99.99) --- Free Shipping

*Item counts towards Amazon's Free Super Saving Shipping on orders over $25.  

Disney Tree Planting Kit

Disney Toy Story Space Alien Tree Planting Kit

This Disney Toy Story Space Alien Tree Planting Kit is a cute, inexpensive gift for kids and other garden enthusiasts.  For $9.99, you will get maple seeds, terra cotta pot, peat pellet and planting instructions, all in an adorable gift box.

Get FREE SHIPPING on your entire purchase when you use coupon code KIDATHEART and buy one qualifying adult clothing or accessories purchase.  May I suggest purchasing the earth-friendly Disney Reusable Tote for $2.95 to fulfill that requirement.  It can double as a gift bag and re-useable grocery shopping bag.

Fresh, Flavor Packed Peas

I harvested some peas from the garden earlier today, and flash boiled them in lightly salted water for a couple of minutes before eating them.  They are the best peas I ever had.  I never knew peas could have so much flavor.

Old Aquarium, New Greenhouse

Photo 1: Lettuce and Nasturiums growing in my re-purposed aquarium

A small crack developed near the top of my acrylic aquarium rendering it useless as an aquarium (See Photo 2).  Instead of throwing it away, I decided to re-purpose it as a greenhouse.   
First, I removed the filtration system.  Then I used pea gravel to create a one-inch drainage layer (See Photo 3).  I normally use hydroton clay balls because it weighs next to nothing, but I had some excess pea gravel from another project.  Next I placed screen mesh on top of the pebbles to prevent soil from settling into the drainage layer (See Photo 3).  Lastly, I added organic gardening soil and planted some seeds.  I am currently growing nasturtiums and lettuce for my pet tortoise (See Photo 1 & 4). 

My fish tank is already equipped with a fluorescent bulb light fixture, which gives me the option to grow plants even in the dimmest corner of my home.  I currently have mine placed in front of a window so I am not using the light at this time.  If you do need to use the light, I recommend purchasing an automatic timer so you can easily provide twelve (12) hours of light per day without the hassle of remembering to turn the light on and off.   

Photo 2: Old aquarium

Photo 3: Screen mesh placed on top of layer of pea gravel

Photo 4: Seeds germinated three days later.

Grow Avocados The Easy Way

Anyone can germinate avocados from seed!  Forget the toothpick method.  You do not even need any soil.  Just wash away the flesh from the avocado pits, and wrap the pits in a damp paper towel.  Then place the wrapped pits in a plastic bag.  I used a snack bag (See Photo 1).  After you seal the bag, place the bag in a warm, dark place.  I placed my bag on top of my refrigerator.  Now just ignore it for a few weeks.  It will take about two to four weeks for your pits to sprout (See Photo 2).  

  

Photo 1: Avocado pits have been cleaned, wrapped in a damp paper towel, and sealed in a snack bag.

  

Photo 2: Both avocado pits have germinated

Asparagus Anyone?

Photo: Asparagus Jersey shoots started from seed

If you are lucky enough to have an apartment with an outdoor balcony, chances are your balcony is still not large enough to hold all the plants you want.  I used to stuff my old apartment patio with several plants in various containers, resulting in a chaotic and unattractive space.  I have learned to be more selective in what I grow.


I have turned my attention to decorative, edible plants.  Under the right conditions, asparagus could be a wonderful and unusual apartment gardening jewel.  These mass of spears would look wonderful in the right container, and it will also provide fresh asparagus for future meals.  You can grow ordinary green asparagus or sweeter purple passion asparagus.  It is a perennial so it will continue to grow back each year, spreading more and more.  The down side is that it requires full sun, is a heavy feeder, and if you start them from seed, it will take a few years to grow spears large enough for consumption.  

It is a lot easier to grow asparagus from crowns.  Our local Home Depot were selling asparagus crowns in early spring, which is the ideal time to plant them.  I like a challenge so I started mine from seed.  It is currently in a 4-inch pot, but I will eventually transplant it in a container about a foot deep and two feet wide.  

Nature's Insect Traps

I know someone who used carnivorous pitcher plants to take care of a mosquito problem he had in his apartment.  Pitcher plants have special organs to capture insects, digest them and absorb the nitrogen and phosphorous that they need.  These plants are beautiful, and are a great non-toxic alternative to chemical sprays.  I plan on purchasing some for my home.