The holiday season is a great time to make unique homemade gifts from the garden. Think of how much you love to receive homemade canned goods like jellies and jams or maybe even some delicious homemade relish. Besides those staples, though, there are so many other special homemade gifts from the garden that you can consider making this year.  Not only is it fun to create homemade gifts, but you’ll save money by making DIY garden gifts. You’ll learn how to make homemade gifts from the garden with what you already have, but you can also learn how to plan your gifts for next season in your u ..read more

What purpose does knowing your garden zone serve? As a beginning gardener, I was mistaken in my thinking about what a garden zone actually means. I thought my garden zone dictated when I should plant my crops. In Zone 7, for instance, I assumed all those in zone 7 would plant at the same time. Likewise, people living in zone 8 would plant earlier and those in zone 6 would plant later. While this isn’t always inaccurate, I realized as I dove deeper in my garden journey, this isn’t always true, either. Garden zones were never created to tell you precisely when to plant. Instead, they serve ..read more

While gardening can be an expensive hobby, it can also be a frugal necessity for your family. When you make decisions that are smart and budget-friendly, gardening can save you money on food. The first step to saving money by gardening is to shop smart when it comes to buying seeds. With a little planning, you can make sure you don’t overspend. After all, those seed packets can add up in a hurry if you’re not careful. As you probably know, you can save money on your garden by growing your vegetables from seed, rather than buying transplants. Buying a packet of seeds for $3 is a smarter b ..read more

Okra is a staple in many southern gardens. It grows well in long, hot seasons. Many of us in the south grew up eating this summer staple and can’t imagine our gardens without it! I’ve always grown the Clemson Spineless variety of Okra because that seems to be the main one that people grow. In fact, I’ve been saving seed from my Clemson Spineless variety for over 10 years.  But, if okra is one my favorite summer crops to grow, why limit myself to just one kind? Sure, I’ve tried to grow a few different varieties in my garden over the years, but this year, I decided it was time to branch ou ..read more

We all know the abundant benefits of gardening such as having fresh grown food and the joy you receive in watching your crops grow. Not only that, you also get the pleasure of enjoying preserved food that you grew and if your family gets involved in your gardening efforts, just think of all the great memories and time spent together you can enjoy. Even the exercise your body receives and the gains in your mental health are all fantastic reasons to start gardening, but gardening also requires sacrifice. Before you start planting seeds, let’s take a look at what it really takes to have a functio ..read more

Did you know that shredded leaves are a goldmine for your garden? Before you rake all your fallen leaves this fall and send them off to the landfill, I hope I can change your mind and show you all the wonderful benefits and uses of fall leaves in your garden. Benefits of Fallen Leaves Shredded leaves are full of organic matter, which is a great way to help your garden produce healthy crops. Fallen leaves also help to condition your soil, especially if your soil is made up of of a high amount of clay, rocks, or sand. Over time shredded leaves can help to change the texture and structure of your ..read more

Saving seed from your garden crops is a great way to save money on the following year’s planting. Plus, how rewarding is it to know that you are able to grow crops from your own seeds and know your crops will grow better because they are already accustomed to your climate and growing conditions? Before you begin trying to save seed, let’s first take a look at which seeds are the best and easiest to save. If you are nervous about trying to save your seeds, don’t be. After you learn the basics, the real process of saving seed is pretty simple — even for a beginner. Where To Start With Saving Se ..read more

Is spinach on your list of crops you want to grow in your garden? If so, you may wonder how difficult it is to grow. Is it as easy as other greens? According to Cornell University, Spinach is classified as a “moderately difficult” plant to grow. And while this may be true, I’ve found that spinach is an excellent crop to grow as long as you follow some basic spinach rules. If you are new to gardening, you might not know that spinach is a delicious crop that grows best in the cold. If you grow it in the cool season, and you avoid some of these common pitfalls that I’ll share with you, you could ..read more

Have you ever craved a cold winter’s day the bountiful harvests of summer and fresh produce? While you may not be able to get as much in winter as you can in the summer months, there are ways to still get fresh garden harvests into the colder months. Using covers and hoops over your crops in the fall will help to extend your season into the late fall and possibly winter. Plus many gardeners have learned hacks to have even more success with the fall and winter garden. Of course, if you live in a temperate climate with a defined winter, you won’t be able to grow the same type of crops like toma ..read more

The summer garden may still be going strong, but the fall garden is already beginning. While we can grow many of the same crops for the fall garden as we do the spring garden, choosing specific varieties that thrive in the fall can make a difference in not only the quantity and quality of harvest but also how long those crops survive into the late fall and winter. In this post, I’ll share the varieties of my staple fall and winter crops that I specifically choose for fall planting. ** Links below contain affiliate links meaning that if you click through and purchase, I will receive a small co ..read more