Category Archives: Garden

The Incredible Edible Egg – Plant

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The heat is cranking up in Florida, and now is the perfect time to get your eggplants going! Eggplants are heat loving plants that thrive in the summer months. Easy to care for, and pest free for the most part, eggplant is perfect for a container garden. Steady watering, occasional feeding, and a lot of sunshine will deliver a continuous supply of this beautiful vegetable.
Harvest the treasures when their skin is still glossy, and their color bright. An indication of over maturity is dull, leather-like shriveling skin, so make sure to pick them before your fruit show signs. Also, avoid letting your plant ‘over flower ‘. This will affect your crop quality and production.
There are many varieties of eggplant. Black, white, short and round, long and skinny, the list can go on and on. Whichever type you decide I don’t think you will be disappointed.
If eggplant just isn’t for you, it is still fun to grow, and just as fun to give to your friends! Junior farmers will love the quick, steady growth, and the pretty purple flowers!!

The Potted Garden

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Want to start a garden but do not have enough room?  Container gardens are perfect for anywhere space is limited. Porches, decks, and patios make a wonderful area to begin your growing.  Pots can be plastic, clay, wood, metal, or any you have lying around that will hold soil.  Make sure your container is the appropriate size for what you want to grow, and has enough drainage holes in the base.  Be creative and make it fun!

When using containers it is important to start with the right soil.  Make sure you use a light, free draining potting mix.  Not garden soil! Garden soil will not drain properly, and your vegetables will not flourish in soggy soil.  Good quality potting mix will produce a good quality plant.  For anyone feeling a bit innovative you can make your own potting mix by using a high quality loam, peat moss, and perlite.

Water your plants frequently.  They will need a good soaking to reach the roots.  Due to the constant watering the nutrients in the soil will wash out quickly.  It is essential to fertilize often.  If using a granule plant food make sure to water in thoroughly to avoid burning any plant stems.

One advantage to container gardening is the ability to move the plant.  More or less sun may be needed, or it may need protection from temporary harsh weather conditions.

Soon you will be savoring the benefits of your time and minimal work.

Enjoy!

Juice?

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We began juicing again this weekend!  It can be a lot of work. Once you get going it is hard to stop.  On the other side, it is best to consume the juice as soon as possible. We found that teamwork is the key!  We mixed it up a little making smoothies.  It was fun and tasted great!  Plus, you know your body is thankful!  Heads-up: a little Ginger Root goes a long way!!

Check out the NEW kitchen compost bin!  We have been composting for some time now.  This cool little container has a filter on the top to hold in any odors.  The bags are compostable as well.  The easier it is to do the more likely we will keep it up.

Why not plant the pineapple?  A friend of ours has dozens of these growing and producing  from store-bought pineapples.  I plan to try the same thing with the strawberries.  I will keep you posted.

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Our Garden

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In 2011, we added the “Deep Box” to our expanding garden.  We discovered that some of the larger plants we grew in the “Shallow Box” didn’t do so well.  Our first crop was sweet corn.  Fun to grow, but the summer sun was not so kind.  The “Deep Box” is now home to an assortment of tomato plants, a pineapple and a variety of bell peppers.  The papaya forest is doing well (the pots to the right).  First fruit are growing now.  

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