My neighbor let me pick a few leaves of their swiss chard. I then added from my own garden two types of basil, cilantro, parsley and some nasturtium. For dinner I ate a stunning garden salad bouquet.
Garden Salad Bouquet
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Tag Archives: garden
Soil Blocks And Seed Starts
Our local farmer’s market opened last weekend!!
Very exciting to see familiar faces and the beginnings of vegetables now available in season and locally grown. Each farmer has something unique to offer.
One, Katie Bishop of PrairiEarth Farms – took orders this year for seed starts. I ordered tomatoes, cabbage, basil, kale, nasturtiums, and two kinds of peppers. Instead of using plastic containers she used soil blocks. The starts were wonderfully rooted and ready to plant. Nothing to add to recycling. I loved being able to order what ever I wanted and that my starts were purchased from Katie’s recommended quality seed sources too! I just picked the starts up took them home and planted them!
Below is an Amish Paste Roma Tomato start.
Getting Kids Back In Touch With Nature
This post is for this month’s Green Mom’s Carnival. The topic is ideas for getting kids back to nature. Green Phone Booth is hosting. You can view the entire collaborative commentary here
Last month I spent a day teaching kids how to make seed starter pots out of newspaper.
I was struck by several things.
What a simple fun project.
How easy it is for all ages to participate. Including myself who since has taken on planting her own seed starts!
The project involves being practical and using leftover newspapers, making something, planting a seed that one can watch grow, and growing something that is either beautiful or good to eat!!
The versatility of the project is also worth mentioning. Once the starts have sprouted a child can either plant it in their garden or in a pot on a porch or in a sunny window!! Very inexpensive also.
I was so struck by the pleasure that younger kids have in making, playing in dirt and the idea that something will grow and become. I was reminded of wonder and joy!!
One rather boisterous child exclaimed, “You mean it will grow and become a real flower? For real? ” His toothless grin really warmed my heart.
Make a starter pot out of newspaper or two. Plant a seed and watch it grow. When it matures let’s say into some snap peas or radishes, or perhaps lettuce. Eat it! And then do it all over again!!
Nature at your fingertips!
image by karen hanrahan
How To Make Seed Starter Pots Out Of Newspaper
When I went to YouTube to see if there was a video that shared how I was taught to make these newspaper seed pots I could not find the exact version
And while I appreciate many things about YouTube, when I am learning how to make something I have to say a video sometimes frustrates me
so…
here is my version of how to…
Of course. I didn’t have a boo clue how to make these before a few weeks ago when I took this lovely local workshop.
I am going to help kids make these all day tomorrow at the Illinois Sustainable Living And Wellness Expo
Note: I have these images sized small because of the number of them, you can click on the image to make it larger if you care to
Here are the directions:
1. one newspaper sheet, multiple ply
2. fold in half lengthwise
3. fold to make a triangle
4. cut at bottom
5. unfold and count three ply of squares
6. fold into thirds one way and then the other
7. unfold and cut all four corners/use fold lines as a guide
8. gather corners from two sides to form a square and staple
9. complete with other sides
10. fill with seed starter soil ( seed starter soil is not expensive – it’s different from top soil or potting soil – who knew!), use a pencil to measure appropriate seed depth, plant seeds!!
11. water, place in container and cover.
Look! I have radish plant starts!!! My very own! From seed!!
Newspaper Seed Starter Pots
I attended a little workshop sponsored by the West Bloomington Revitalization Partnership over the weekend
A local master gardener, Charlotte Talkington — taught an enthusiastic group
how to make these nifty seed/plant starter pots out of newspaper.
What a delight!!
Pots out of newspaper foster a way to use up old newspapers, they may be planted directly into the soil, the newspaper naturally decomposes, earthworms love them and the roots of the plant are not disturbed.
Each of us walked out with a newspaper pot complete with soil and a precious coleus plant from Charlotte’s epic collection. ( Charlotte nurtures 1000 coleus plants each season! )
PLUS we all got pea seeds and seed packets donated from a local nursery.
