Growing Strong

 We did it!  

We finished planting our garden!

We even had some time to create some fun garden labels.

We'll add our green bell peppers and tomatoes later.

  For my small gardening operation, I like to approach it with a combination of rule-following and rule-bending. I won’t win any awards for doing things by the book. But I will have fun…and put food in my family’s mouths in the process. And I’ll teach my kids that not everything we consume has to be purchased in a store.

I will attempt to show you through the weeks how things are growing.  

No garden is complete without sunflowers

If you're interested in joining me on this garden adventure... start planning now!

You don’t need a huge yard.

You need a spot that receives at least good morning sun, preferably more.

You need a shovel or two.

And a garden hose.

A few other basic supplies are helpful. We’ll talk about those, too.

And we’ll do this together.

Fun Garden Labels 
I used some Thrift Store forks and laminated cardstock to create labels for each raised bed. 





Boo is holding two forks, the bottom fork has been flattened.



First, we had to flatten the forks.

 We took a fork and placed it on a heavy piece of cardboard with the bump facing up.

With a hammer we tapped the bump out until the fork was flat.

Next, I created a fun and earthy, black and white, garden label. I decided to make the labels black and white so the girls could personalize them.

I also added the date the vegetables were planted.

After the labels were colored I laminated, cut and placed them in the forks.

 

 

Great for dressing up homemade gifts.

 

Here's a tip for growing and gifting a mint plant.

Mint is great for cooking, teas and mojitos.

Mint is a very aggressive plant and will take over a growing area. In order to keep mint under control take clippings often and place them in a glass of water. In a couple of weeks the mint will start to grow roots in the glass. Kids love to see the roots grow so remember to use a clear glass. Once the roots are strong enough transfer the new plant into a nice pot with fresh soil.

Once in the new pot add a fork garden label and have a great homemade gift.