Life Below Zero: Garden

Showing posts with label Garden. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Easy Kids Wash Tub Garden - teach Your Children to Go Green

( I used this for Wordless Wed - but this Chatty Kathy always has something to say! lol)

This project is fun and educational.

You will need
wash tub
bag of potting soil
time release fertilizer (Walmart osmocote free after $10 rebate)
rocks, gravel
hammer and nail
paint

Trip to the grocery store to get seeds!
That's right there are plenty of seeds you can
use. If you are on Food Stamps, this is a way
to get all the seeds you need for a bigger garden.

Set it up:
If your wash tub doesn't have a "rotten" bottom (holes in it)
turn it upside down and poke holes in the bottom with a hammer
and nails.

Let the kids paint the tub if so desired.

After it dries in the sun,
fill the bottom with a one inch layer of small
rocks, shells or gravel.

Dump in one bag of potting soil.

Sprinkle in 2 cups of time release fertilizer
and stir around with a wooden spoon
working the fertilizer into the top few inches of soil.

Now the real lesson begins!

Take the kids to the grocery store to gather seeds and plants for
the garden.

Easy choices:
spring onions with roots and tops on
dried elephant garlic bulb
(any dried garlic bulb)
Watermelon (not seedless)
honey dew
cantaloupe
any winter squash
pumpkins
dried beans
cherry tomatoes
any fresh tomatoes
fresh bell peppers
potatoes

Have a watermelon party, eat the melons,
plant some of the seeds in the washtub garden
Add a mixture of seeds so the kids can grow
more than one type plant.

Keep the soil moist but not soggy
til they sprout.

After the plants sprout, spread a thick layer of
any organic mulch (leaves, bark, gravel)
over the top of the tub garden, around the plants.
This will help you conserve water.

tip: don't stake tomatoes,
let them trail over the side.

What are you teaching your children with
this easy project?

They learn where food comes from.
They learn how to provide food for
their family.
Children naturally love gardening and will
eat what they grow with no fuss.
You are connecting them with the Green Life.
They learn that they can grow food anywhere,
a porch, patio or rooftop!
They learn to re-purpose - these
containers can be used for years!

If you don't have an old wash tub,
choose any old large container to re -purpose!

Take photos of your kids creating their garden
and share them on your blogs, spreading the knowledge
and inspiring others to Go Green!
Now you are teaching them to make a difference.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Free Garden Seeds - Plant a Row for the Hungry

An estimated 30 million Americans, including elderly people and children, go to bed hungry each night or not knowing when their next meal will be. The Garden Writers Association, oldest and largest association of professional garden communicators, hopes to reduce the problem without government programs, tax dollars or red tape.

The staff at Ed Hume Seeds wants to do their part, too. Fill out this form to get a free packet of vegetable seeds. Remember to fill out the form completely and accurately so that we know where to send the seeds.

Most gardeners harvest more than they consume. So here's your chance to help local soup kitchens or food banks. If you are not sure where to donate your excess fruits and vegetables, you can call "Second Harvest" at (206)545-6600 and they will refer you to a qualified relief organization.

NOTE: You can also get free garden seeds, all you need, at Listia 100% free, no credit card to join, no hassle, no catch. You get enough credits when you join to get lots of seeds - I got 18 packs and a digital camera!
Most people start with 450 credits, but this invitation gives you 550 to get more when you start. I'm already in and you can get started by clicking this special link: http://www.listia.com/signup/325144

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Free Garden Seeds - Ornamental Squash Recipes

WINNER - codysnana

Winner gets 25 seeds strait from my personal garden.
Plus 2 bonus types of seeds, Mystery Pumpkins and Cherry Tomato seeds!

Give the 20" vines room to sprawl or train them up a large trellis, arbor, fence, or pergola.

When to plant outside: Spring, 2-4 weeks after average last frost and when soil temperatures have risen above 60 degrees.

When to start inside: Recommended only for short season climates, 3-4 weeks before last frost. Sow in individual pots for direct planting.

Special Germination Instructions: Seeding in to a black plastic mulch is highly recommended because it keeps down weeds, traps moisture, and warms the soil. Soak seeds in water for 12-24 hours before sowing.

Gourds/Squash are ready to harvest when the stems become dry.
Harvest them before the first frost.

For Food, pick when young and tender.
Blossoms are also edible, stuff and fry, use in soups.

Thai Crunchy Squash Blossoms
Ingredients:
• 10 Squash Blossoms
• 1/3 cup All-purpose Flour
• ½ tsp Baking Powder
How to make Crunchy Squash Blossoms:
• Wash the squash blossoms gently in water.
• In a large bowl mix the all purpose flour and baking soda.
• dust the blossoms with this mixture.
• fry the blossoms till golden brown.
• Serve with rice and fish sauce or anything you like.

Get Free Seeds:
1. click here to join free and get 550 credits to trade for
the mini pumpkins.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Mini Pumpkins for Food and Crafts

Pumpkins are a gift from Native American Indians
who considered squash to be an important staple.
Mini Pumpkins are actually a little squash with
great pumpkin flavor without the stringiness of pumpkins.

You can eat them or make edible crafts
that will delight your children.

Mini-pumpkins require lots of sunshine, plenty of water and enough elbow room to provide good air circulation. I use them in the Kids Garden.

Wild Rice Stuffed Mini Pumpkins
Serves 4
Tender young pumpkin stuffed with wild rice and cranberries makes for a fun and tasty dish. Serve as a light lunch or with an entrée.
Ingredients
1/2 cup uncooked wild rice
3 to 4 cups water
4 mini pumpkins
Juice of 1 orange
2 teaspoons honey
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons chopped pecans
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon chopped mint
Method
Preheat oven to 375°F.
In a small sauce pan, add wild rice and fill with enough water to cover and allow room to boil like cooking pasta. Bring to a boil and then simmer for approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Rice is done when it starts to "pop" the grain.
While rice cooks, cut tops off pumpkins. Using a large spoon, scoop out seeds and strings. Place pumpkins upside down in a pan with 1/3 inch of water. Bake for 15 minutes. Carefully turn pumpkins upright and return to oven until flesh is tender when pierced with a fork, about 5 to 10 more minutes.
When rice is cooked, pour into a colander and rinse with cold water. Place the rice in a medium size bowl.
Juice orange and add honey, mixing together. Pour over rice. Add salt and pepper, and stir well. Stir in cranberries, pecans, orange zest and mint. Adjust seasonings if needed. Stuff rice into pumpkins and serve.
Nutrition
Per Serving (174g-wt.): 170 calories (30 from fat), 3g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 5g protein, 35g total carbohydrate (3g dietary fiber, 12g sugar), 0mg cholesterol, 290mg sodium

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Skinny Ideas - Cucumber Chips and Garden Salsa Recipe

Cucumber Chips can help you fit in your skinny jeans!

This is a great year to grow your own kitchen garden
with food prices set to soar.

Cucumbers are easy to grow.
Priced at $1. apiece they may
be out of your price range.
Grow a few on your fence
this spring to liven up your diet.
My Hubby loves big bags of potato chips. ($4. each)
I substitute a platter of cucumber chips with low cal garden salsa dip
and he doesn't miss a thing! Except the 64 lbs he has lost.

You can use any low cal dip recipe but I chose to share this one because
it can all be made FREE from the garden all spring and summer.

Easy Garden Salsa Dip
28 servings
prep time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
* 4 to 5 medium tomatoes, chopped
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 1 medium green pepper, chopped
* 2 sweet peppers, seeded and chopped
* 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
* 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
* 1 can (8 ounces) Hunt’s® Tomato Sauce
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 4 teaspoons lime juice
* 1-1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper
* cucumber chips

Directions
* In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. In another bowl, combine the tomato sauce, oil, lime juice, garlic salt and pepper. Pour over vegetable mixture; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Serve with cucumber chips. Yield: 7 cups.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1/4 cup) equals 20 calories, 1 g fat (trace saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 149 mg sodium, 2 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, trace protein.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Free Seeds For Your Garden, free shipping

Take these 550 free credits. You get them instantly when
you join our free community of freebie swappers. (FUN)
Trade them for the free seeds and bulbs that you want:

The purple number under each photo is the current bid.
With 550 free credits, you could possibly win the bid on all these below!

All Current Free Auctions

Here are some that you can win, check out the low bids.
remember you are just bidding with the free credits I gave you. it's 100% free.
20

1 bid

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