Kids in the Garden

Want an alternative  to video games and tv for your kids? Want your kids to learn about the natural world and the importance of eating locally? Want them to experience a little dirt under their fingernails and to have a terrific time while doing so, and gain an education that will last them a lifetime?
“Kids In The Garden” by Elizabeth McCorquodale (Black Dog Publishing 2010) is just the book to help get you started. Within the pages of this book you and your children will share the joys of gardening together.
You’ll learn about the parts of a plant, about photosynthesis, pollination, germination, and fertilization,and seed dispersal, and even how to save seeds for next year’s garden.
Together you will learn about how to build a compost heap and what items are best to use in a compost pile.
You will even learn how to become a worm farmer.
You’ll also learn how to create such things as little homes for beneficial garden bugs such as ladybugs and lacewings.
How to plant seeds and to start new plants from cuttings.
Together you will learn how to plant and grow everything from beans, to carrots, to blueberries, peas, peppers, potatoes, raspberries,herbs,  and so much more.
Sprinkled throughout the book are very fun and interesting facts about plants and even funny jokes.
For instance : Did you know that the tallest tomato plant on record measured 28 feet tall? That is the same as seven ordinary sized ten year olds standing on each others shoulders.
Why did the corn get mad at the farmer? Answer: Because he kept pulling his ears!
You’ll find “Kids In The Garden” to be a fun book for both you and your children, and a book that can most definitely be utilized in a home education program as well.
You”ll find that there are an abundance of  lovely photos and illustrations throughout the book.
Delicious recipes  are featured in the back of the book as well, allowing you  to utilize all of that fresh produce from a garden that you and your children have created.
This is truly a fun book and one that will have your family enjoying working and playing together  in a manner that produces terrific results…Fresh, locally grown food from your own backyard!
Find Your Copy HERE
About the Author:
Elizabeth McCorquodale is a mother-of-three, a passionate gardener, and an irrepressible gardening writer. Her previous work includes “Growing Stuff An Alternative Guide To Gardening”, also published by Black Dog Publishing.

Monkey Pots "Messy Patio Contest"

Share with us a photo of your messy patio and you could have a chance to Win a Perfect Patio Planter from MonkeyPots. Grow beautiful fruits and vegetables in very little space.
The wonderful folks at MonkeyPots will gift a lucky winner with one of their Perfect Patio Planter systems. ($139.99 value)
To enter the contest send us a photo of your messy patio. Send contest entries to gardengoose at gmail dot com (use the @ symbol where I’ve used the word at, and a . where I’ve used the word dot)
The contest starts April 1,2010  and ends April 30th,2010
Good Luck!
Visit the MonkeyPots website at:http://monkeypots.com/

Culinary Lavender

Today I had my first ever taste of culinary lavender. Wow! It was different, but it was yummy too. Some members of my family were not keen on it in the brownies we tried, but I do think I could get used to it...and I did like both the smell of the batter while it was being prepared, and the end result. I reviewed a batch of brownie mix from Little Sky Lavender Farm in Boulder Creek, California, and will be reviewing a batch of their cookie mix in a few days..a shortbread type cookie.
 While reviewing these products for the "Small Town Living" website it got me to thinking about the culinary lavender used in the mixes... L. angustifolia . I know that when I opened up the package of brownie mix I was in lavender heaven! The smell was wonderful! I am now on the look out for seeds for this variety of lavender because I want to grow some of it in my own yard, not necessarily just for the culinary benefits, but because I loved the scent of the lavender, and feel it would be fun to dabble with it for a little bit of cooking, but also for such things as sachets and displayed in vases and so forth. So the hunt is now on for some L. angustofolia that I hope to plant in my new yard soon.
~The Victory Gardener!~

(photo by flickr user Limbo Poet)

Played in the dirt today! Yay! Spring is right around the corner.

This morning and afternoon I had fun playing in the dirt. Oh I had missed it so!

That feeling of the soil on the palm of my hands, and tugging at a weed to remove it from the raised bed area so that I could sow a few heirloom vegetable seeds. Ahhh! Today was sheer bliss!

The weather was absolutely gorgeous, a slight breeze upon the air, not too hot, not too cold.... the birds were singing... A perfect sunshiney day!...and absolutely perfect for playing in the dirt.

I had hoed up the raised beds yesterday afternoon, making sure to loosen all of the weeds left over from winter,( there weren't very many thankfully)...but this morning I could not wait to get outside on such a pretty day, and rake all of the weeds out of the beds.

My two youngest children soon joined me, and we sowed the following heirloom vegetable seeds into the raised bed garden area.

Blue Lake Bush Bean, Provider Bush Bean, Goldcrop Wax Beans, Royal Burgundy Bush Bean, Jimmy Nardello's Sweet Italian Peppers, Swiss Chard, "Palla Rosa" Radicchio, Chantenay Carrot, Oregon Giant Snow Pea

After we sowed the seeds I gave them a nice little shower of water...let the growing begin!

I cannot wait to watch them grow. Oooh yummy veggies are right around the corner!( I'll be planting even more vegetable varieties soon into pots..I hope to start a variety of lettuces and herbs real soon too.)

If you'd like to plant an heirloom vegetable garden this Spring visit: www.myvictorygarden.etsy.com

~The Victory Gardener!~

The Garden in the dead of winter...

What actually can be done in, or for the garden area in thedead of winter? When snow may be covering the ground and hard freezes are hitting many areas of the country?

Believe it or not there are a few things that can be done to prepare for Spring's thaw and a new gardening season,and things that can be done around your yard to make those cold winter days a bit more enjoyable for both yourself and the animals that frequent your yard.

1. Now is the perfect time to assess the garden tools in your shed. Do the tools need sharpened? Use a file to sharpen the edges. Do they need rust removed from them? If they show rust wear, take a piece of fine sandpaper and sand off as much of the rust as you can and spray the tools with w-d 40 and wipe clean. Handles of the tools can be polished with a bit of wood oil.

Are any of the tools in need of being replaced? Now is the time to acquire new garden tools as you just may be able to find them on sale this time of year.

2. Order garden seeds. Get a jump start on ordering your favorite varieties, as many companies may begin to be sold out of your favorites the closer it gets to Spring time and the more folks begin to think gardening also.

3. Help your feathered friends. This is something children can do with you: roll pine cones into peanut butter and bird seed and hang from pretty ribbons in the branches of trees.Also create suet patties and place in feeders.

4. Create a new garden plan. Or garden bed design. Draft out a new garden bed or plan out your garden for Spring. Consider a theme garden.

5. You can start now to build the framing for any raised beds you plan to have.

So, there are a few things that can be done in the dead of winter for the garden.

Enjoy, and stay warm!

~The Victory Gardener!~

Merry Christmas!!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas! Thanks so much for being a reader of "The Victory Gardener!"~

Flower varieties that can be winter sown

I was thinking recently about items that can be winter sown...items that require a little bit of a "cold snap" to germinate.

Here are a few flower varieties :

Poppies

Echinacea

Calendula

Larkspur

Columbine

Cleome

Blackberry Lily

Lemon Balm

Butterfly Weed

Clematis

Marshmallow/Malvaceae

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~The Victory Gardener!~