Planting Vegetables

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Bulbs. Dig, Drop, Done. for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

“Bulbs. Dig, Drop, Done.” – (visit www.digdropdone.com to learn more)an educational effort designed to excite women about the surprisingly simple beauty of flower bulbs – is giving away a $5,000 yard makeover!
o All you need to do to enter is submit a photo of your yard at Curbside Chaos.

• The lucky winner will not only receive a $5,000 yard makeover, but they will also receive a visit from Taniya Nayak (@TaniyaNayak on Twitter) – Taniya will go through and give you tips on the best way to update your yard! She will give you creative ideas for incorporating flower bulbs into your landscape.
• For every share on Twitter, “Bulbs. Dig, Drop, Done.” will donate $1.00 to Rebuilding Together – the nation’s leading nonprofit, working to preserve affordable homeownership and revitalize communities.
• Be sure to try out the Garden Guru Tool located in the bottom left of the screen. This tool will help you figure out which bulb is perfect for your home depending upon where you live!

Here’s how to use the tool:

Step 1 – Pick your Country
Step 2 – Pick your location within that Country
Step 3 – Choose the type of bulb you want to grow
Step 4 – Check out the Planting Guide that shows you how to plant your bulbs.

The site features 3 different women: Marcy the Super Mom, Juliana the Fashionista, and Evelyn the Empty Nester. I would have to say at this point, I am more like Juliana. I have a small dog (Ralphie the Chihuahua), live downtown and have no children (yet). I can relate with Juliana, as I have no children (yet), live downtown with limited planting room, and have a small dog (Ralhpie the Chihuahua).

I live in Pennsylvania and here is my guide:

Many people refer to flowers as bulbs, but there are other bulbs as well. Vegetable bulbs can be referred to as corms, tubers, rhizome and tuberous roots. Think potatoes, garlic, onions, etc.

Flower bulbs are “Geophytes.” Flower bulbs are generally separated into spring and Fall bulbs. Spring flowers are grown from Fall bulbs (i.e. Daffodils and Tulips). They should be planted in September or October for most regions.

A few tips on growing bulbs:

• Choose high quality bulbs. High quality bulbs will be firm and plump. Mushy bulbs or any signs of mold growth should be avoided. Bigger bulbs tend to bloom more.
• Make sure your bulbs are going to get at least 6 hours of full sun exposure.
• Plant the bulbs in well-drained soil.
• Plant your bulb deep enough. General rule of thumb is to plant bulbs 2 to 3 times deeper than the bulb is tall, according to Better Homes and Gardens.

Giving away seeds is an awesome gift ideas. Let’s spread the love of growing vegetables!

Image via Wikipedia

When you decide to sell your home, it can be a very exciting time. Unfortunately, there are several things you need to do to prepare your house for a competitive real estate market. This is true for any home, whether it’s in the Austin real estate market or Milwaukee real estate market. The housing market throughout the country has fallen on some hard times, and this makes selling your home a lot more difficult. Here are five things you can do to make the process easier for yourself and your realtor:

1. Fixate on the exterior of your home.

The first impression any prospective buyer has is what they see first.  This is your curb. Ensure that your house is inviting by keeping your porch swept clean and your doormat dirt-free. You can also add a little hospitality with a nice wreath.  These may all seem like “pointless” acts, but they create a message of hospitality, which makes the prospective buyer feel welcome and at home. Your goal is to give them a nice atmosphere to envision your home as their home.

2. Touch-up.

When you prepare to sell your home, you may want to save as much as possible to spend on your new home.  However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t spend a little bit of money on some inexpensive repairs that will improve the appearance of the inside of your home. There are a few very easy budget friendly things you can do to give your prospective buyers the impression that you have always looked after your home well, and therefore, it does not require major maintenance.  Start off by touching up the paintwork on walls where doorknobs and chairs might have blemished it. And then go through and make sure your house is clean! A prospective buyer will notice tiles that need a good scrubbing.

3. Scrub your sinks.

The kitchen is the center of the house because it’s where the most people tend to congregate. Help your prospective buyer envision parties and fun times in the kitchen by ensuring that your kitchen looks welcoming.  If you can’t afford to replace your current appliances, give your old ones a deep cleaning, so that they appear to be brand new.  Also consider replacing your counter tops. Granite is a very popular choice.

The bathroom is also very important. You don’t want a prospective buyer to lower their offer because they are going to need to retile the bathrooms. Ensure that your bathrooms look well kept by cleaning the shower doors and faucets with a calcium and lime remover. If at all possible, redo the grouting and caulking as well.

4. Make the home seem like it’s theirs.

Although the home is still yours until you have signed deals and accepted payment, referring to the home as “your home” can make a prospective buyer feel uncomfortable.  You need to be able to detach yourself from the asset, so that you can provide a blank canvas for prospective buyers to paint pictures of themselves living in the house.  Take down all the photos and posters that make the home seem like your home. And repaint the children’s rooms in colors that are neutral. This will open your home up to a larger market.

5. Create Space.

As unusual as it may seem, at least half of the furniture in your home should probably be moved to a storage facility.  By creating extra space, you allow your prospective buyers to see more of the structure and layout of the home.

With these five steps complete, you can sit back, relax, and get ready for your prospective buyers to vie over your home!

I came across this unique and cute corkboard craft when perusing Pinterest, and thought I’d share.

Cute or what? Definitely on my to-do list!

Image by Air Force One via Flickr

When most people think of ordering flowers online, they usually think of roses. There are so many more ways to be creative–whether it is to express love, friendship, sympathy, congratulations, etc. I like to be nontraditional, so that my thoughtfulness stands out, making it an even more worthwhile purchase. I mean why spend the money just to be a plain Jane (or Joe!). That is how I look at it.

In lieu of flowers, consider sending the following:

1. Citrus trees. A four-seasons lemon tree. These trees are fruitful year round (hence the name). A mini Calamondin orange tree is a popular choice as well.
2. Topiary Frames. Topiary frames surround a plant, forming a shape. These are beautiful to look at in a garden. You could opt to send a cat, rooster, heart, swan, etc. There are a multitude of options you can choose from to provide a unique gift tailored to that person’s interests.
3. House plants. While I love when my boyfriend brings me flowers (which he does quite often, the sweetheart!), I am so sad to see them die. A plant provides a long-term gift that keeps on giving. The Guzmania and Stephanotis make eye-catching additions to a room. Container gardening and indoor gardening are both a popular trend right now as well.
4. Silk flowers. Does your recipient have allergies, making it difficult to send floral arrangements. Silk flowers can be crafted so well, it is almost impossible to tell that they are not real. I have made this faux pas a few times myself.
5. Wines, chocolates or cakes. Some people just plain prefer to receive edibles as a gift. Not everyone is a fan of flowers. Sometimes it may not fit the occasion quite the way you want it to.

Image by Jeff Cushner via Flickr

Calgary can require slightly different vegetable gardening preparations, depending on your location–check www.rentcalgary.com for a geographical map. Here are some tips for growing vegetables in Calgary.

1. The farther north you are located, the earlier you will need to make your preparations when planting vegetables in your home garden. Early spring is the best time to begin your home vegetable garden. You want to make sure the roots are growing strong before winter sets in (particularly in the Evergreens).
2. Try to choose a site that slopes south or southwest for optimal sun exposure.
3. Most, if not all, vegetables will need to be started indoors and transplanted outside. You will be waiting to avoid the frost from damaging your vegetable seedlings. As soon as the frost has passed and the ground can be worked, get to it!
4. You may even want to consider buying a mini greenhouse or using cold frames to extend the warm-weather season, especially if you are farther north.
5. Consider adding mulch to your garden to try to extend the season and soil warmth as long as possible. Black and clear polyethylene are the two most common forms. Black is better at preventing weed growth, but clear is better at raising soil temperature.

Image by Downing Street via Flickr

I found this news article to be very enlightening. It seems a new program at the Montville, NJ Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Facility focuses on growing vegetables to feed the poor by sending them to soup kitchens and food pantries. There are three large vegetable gardens tended by 10 inmates to feed the prison and the homeless. They are planting vegetables such as cabbage, carrots and tomatoes.

“This year, the program at Corrigan has brought nearly 1,900 pounds of food to St. Vincent de Paul. Another 850 pounds of food have gone to Montville food pantries.”

I was just picking fresh raspberries growing from some wild raspberry bushes in my backyard. They are fresh and delicious, making me wish I had planted some fruit bushes so I could tend them and get a maximum yield, as some of those poor berries were looking rough and I noticed quite a few pests made  homes on the undersides of the raspberry canes.

You can grow two types of raspberry bushes you can grow — summer and fall ones. Summer varieties wield the most fruit, however. Raspberries come in a red, yellow-gold, purple and black variety.

Planting Raspberry Canes

Raspberry fruit bushes get really tall, so there are a few extra supplies you are going to need:

• wooden posts
• galvanized wire
• raspberry canes (a hardwood clipping of the plant stalk)

Create a tiered framework of galvanized wires with posts that are 2.5, 3.5 and 5.25 feet above ground. Place the posts up to 12 feet apart.

Plant the raspberry canes 18 inches apart in early Spring, or late Fall-early Winter. Cut the raspberry bushes to 9 to 12 inches in height after planting, right above a healthy bud. Make sure you do not plant the raspberry canes upside down.

Harvesting Raspberries

You can harvest ripe raspberries growing from your raspberry bush by Gently tugging the base of the berry, leaving the stalk still attached to the raspberry bush. You will know the raspberries are ripe when they are fully colored, but still firm to the touch.

Freeze the raspberries right away by placing them in the freezer until frozen, and then transfer the berries to a container or freezer bag. Choose slightly under-ripened raspberries for freezing.

PS – I Party Here!

Are the plants in your home vegetable garden or flower terrace are dangerous for  an  outdoor cat? And if so, what are the toxic plants that can cause illness in an otherwise healthy cat?

Cats love to walk in the garden: they scratch the earth, they rake their claws on tree trunks; but, mostly they have the annoying habit of eating the young leaves of your precious plants, mainly in the spring. When the leaves are not to their liking, they spit. But sometimes you may end up with a vomiting cat–or even worse–cat diarrhea to clean up!

While most garden plants are harmless to pets and especially cats, there are still a few plants that can be toxic, requiring cat allergy treatment, especially if ingested in large quantities.

List of garden plants dangerous to cat and kitten health:

1. Sap (latex) highly irritating that can cause serious kidney damage

Dieffenbachia
Philodendron
Ficus
Poinsettia

2. Bulbs, leaves, fruits and toxic

Bulbs and leaves of narcissus, daffodils, amaryllis.
Bulbs of tulips and hyacinths.
Leaves, flowers and fall berries thrush. Ditto for the water in the vase!

3. All parts of azaleas and rhododendrons are poisonous to cats.

4. Onions, shallots, parsley, and cocoa will cause cat health problems.

*Beware also that pesticides used to treat plants are often more dangerous than the plant itself!

Call your local cat hospital or veterinarian should your cat exhibit any symptoms after ingesting plants in your home garden.

Composting transforms yard waste and kitchen scraps into a valuable product for vegetable garden fertilizer. Here are 5 basic rules for a successful organic compost:

1. Place the kitchen composter in a light shade and sheltered from the wind; protect the compostumbler from rain.
2. Mix the green material nitrogen (1) and brown carbonaceous materials (2) or place them in successive thin layers (like a lasagna). Stir two parts brown materials for each unit of green materials.
3. Stir the organic compost pile occasionally to aerate it.
4. Periodically check the moisture content of your garden composter: The organic compost’s texture should look like a wet sponge when squeezed.
5. Water it, or add green material if it is too dry, stir in the brown soil or when material is too wet.

The compost is ready after months (from 4 months to a year).

Mature organic compost has a consistent look, a dark color and a smell of undergrowth.

(1) Substances containing nitrogen or “green” weeds (without seeds), dead flowers, fruit and vegetable scraps, etc..

(2) carbonaceous materials or “brown” shredded leaves, straw, wood shavings (untreated), etc..

Materials to avoid:

bones, dairy products, oils, meat, fish, diseased plants or infested materials treated with pesticides, pet beds.