It Turns Out, This Is Going To Be HUGE For My Child #DIY #Gardening

While I try to keep my family on a "clean diet", regular trips to the farmer's market and grocery produce section add up. BIG TIME. And nothing is more annoying than getting home to find moldy strawberries hiding in the middle of the pint, or tasteless hot-house tomatoes. So, I decided I would try to grow the majority of the fruits and veggies we eat. (I have a toddler, the list is fairly short!)

Originally, my lofty dreams of a fancy garden were born of wanting to save money and grow non-GMO or pesticide coated fruits and veggies. It turns out, I failed to realize the biggest benefit to having a family garden; Thankfully, a girlfriend helped me see the light:

Me: I'm so excited to try my hand at gardening fruits and veggies we can eat.  And the money I'll save this summer will be huge! 

Friend: That's nothing compared to how great it's going to be for Ollie to see where REAL food comes from.

Holy crap! I never thought about it that way. In fact, I've never thought about where my son thinks food comes from. I'd hate to think he thinks his bananas just magically appear at the grocery store. Or that cereal comes from a box!

You may remember my excitement when I decided to grow organic strawberries in a pot? Well, multiply that excitement by a thousand! I am so excited to spend the summer gardening with my toddler. I'm so excited to teach him about fresh fruits and veggies, how they grow, and then how much fun it is to pick our food from the backyard. (Not to mention, super budget friendly and convenient!)

BTW: Look how great the strawberries are doing!

Now, don't worry, OH great gardeners out there, I know I have my work cut out for me. I've watched YouTube videos on gardening how-tos, and researched the fruits and veggies I want to plant, and if they will fit in my allocated space. I figure I have to at least try to grow our own fruits and veggies.  I have the space in my yard, and the time. So why not?

Ollie and I planted herbs from seeds last month; Basil, Parsley, Cilantro and Chives. I am very happy to announce they are all doing swimmingly, save for one cilantro plant that got annoyed, and died. I also bought a few things already well on their way- I needed a head-start and 'guaranteed-to-grow' fruits we eat regularly... Grapes, cherry tomatoes, strawberry (bulbs), watermelon and cantaloupe.

This weekend, now that my region is free of frost threat, FTD, Ollie and I are going to plant our little family garden. Every step of the way, I'm going to explain to Ollie why we are planting the plants, and that with plenty of sun, water and love, we will have yummy food it eat right in our backyard!

My hope is that all gardening will lead to my toddler not only gain appreciation for nature and yummy fresh food, but also help him have a sense of healthy eating from a very young age.

I AM SO FREAKING EXCITED!!!


Look out for some Instagram action this weekend of our gardening adventure! (Not following us on Instagram? follow us here.)

Where does your child think a banana comes from? Any tips for growing a fruit/veggie patch are very much needed and appreciated. 

20 Insanely Cool Urban Gardening Hacks

I like to think of myself as an Urban Gardner. I have strange small spaces, odd shade times, and the city at my doorstep; with all, it's hustle, bustle, and congestion. Still, gardening is my therapy, so I work with what I've got. Sometimes, that means getting very creative. Below are twenty of my favorite gardening hacks, especially for those urban gardeners out there like me, trying to grow everything you can in a concrete jungle... 

And last... I'm trying this over the weekend!!

To see how-toe and more garden hacks, check out my Gardening Board on Pinterest.

The Clueless Gardener's Guide To Gardening... With Crazy Kids

If you follow me on social media, then you know I am OBSESSED with my garden. I lived in a third-floor walk-up for ten years, so just being outside in my own space is bliss, but to have a huge garden I can do ANYTHING with, is freaking outstanding. Now, that being said, I have absolutely NO CLUE what I'm doing.  And wouldn't you know, I have a corner lot that was lovingly cared for by a proper gardener for years. So, in addition to not having a freaking clue how to garden, I have a hundred different plants I know nothing about, which need tending.

And to top it off, I have a toddler who follows me around, banging on the plants and/or plucking their leaves and blooms.

With a little trial and whole lot of error, I've figured out a few super tricks to not only figure out my garden, but to get my toddler focused and interested. I thought I would share them, so not only can you too figure out how to transform your space, whether it's a balcony, patio or full yard into a paradise, but get your toddler to help!

This was when we started out fruit and veggie Garden. When I sit still in the garden for long periods, I put up out table umbrella to help keep us cool and shaded!  

My best tip for the clueless gardener is to take pictures of the plants they have no clue about. and then go to the local nursery or garden center, and match up the leaves, or just ask someone. Finding out what you have, and how to care for it properly, is essential.  Or, if you have a hole you need to fill, watch the area for a day to see how much sun/shade it gets, then go to the local nursery or garden center, and look around for something that catches your eye, then check out it's tag to see what kind of care it needs to thrive in your yard. OR! just ask someone...

My Instagram followers may remember this from last year when we bought the house, and I was just learning about my garden, and tell the great stuff in it...

Make the most of your space. Even at my third-floor walk-up, I grew herbs and had lovely hanging baskets. Whether you have a ton of space, or are limited to a pot next to a sunny window, you can grow something fabulous!

First, decide if you want to eat it, or just stare at it. Herbs are great for windows, but so are African violets, you decide. I was FLOORED when I found out I could grow strawberries in a pot. And here's the even crazier thing, growing strawberries in a pot on my patio has turned out to be the easiest thing! They grow with JUST water and sun.

All I did was plant the bulbs in a pot, place the pot in a sunny spot, and then water them daily, and just like the directions said, strawberries grew!!!!

This is at 4 weeks growth.

Let your child pick out a plant or two to call their own. In an effort to help Ollie understand where food comes from, I took him to the local nursery and let him pick out two plants that are, "his special plants". He picked out blueberries and cherry tomatoes and was over the moon when I told him if he took very good care of the plant, he could eat the yummy fruit from the plant!

Throughout the entire picking to planting process, I have been over the top about HIS PLANTS and how he is so great for caring for them. To my delight, he has really taken to HIS PLANTS   We water them daily and check their fruit ONE THOUSAND TIMES A DAY, but the bottom line is that my evil plan worked. He is so focused on his plants; he leaves mine alone!

When it comes to toddlers, busy work is best. When I need to get work done in the garden, and the wild one is not interested, I find him fun jobs to keep him busy. My four go-tos are:

• Dig a hole a to China. It worked for me as a kid, and now, thankfully, it works for him. I take the wild one to the back corner of the yard and tell him to dig for treasure. This usually amounts to him flicking dirt everywhere, but that's cool with me if it keeps him busy for 5 minutes.
• Build a HUGE pile of sticks. I get Ollie all excited about building a HUGE pile of sticks, then send him out into the yard to collect sticks and pile them HIGH. This is actually really awesome because it's helpful for me too!
• Wash his tools: I grab a small bucket of water and tell him to clean his gardening tools, which usually amounts to cleaning a few cars and sticks too. 
• Chalk it up. When all else fails, I throw sidewalk chalk down and let him color the footpath in the garden. 

Gardening is such wonderful therapy for both adults and children.  The fine and gross motor, and cognitive skills, my son both uses and acquires while gardening, make the mess and mind blowing amount of needed patience worth it. Watching him love and care for his blueberries, strawberries and tomatoes is amazing. And the life lessons he is gaining from learning not only where good wholesome food comes from, but how to grow food for himself, is epic.

You Can Just Call Me, The Gardener Girl. #NoMoreCrapStrawberriesEver

One of the most exciting things about becoming a homeowner last may, was knowing I could finally have the garden I've always dreamed of.

Dubai Miracle Garden

Up until buying my first home last summer, I'd spent the past 10 years in a 3rd floor walk up with a north facing balcony. Still, my love for gardening was not dampened by my unfortunate position, I tried to grow everything I thought I had a chance. One year I grew a jalapeño plant, and let me just tell you, those FIVE Jalapeños were the best I ever had.

As much as I want to grow an entire farmer's market in my backyard, I know I need to set reasonable attainable goals the first few years. So, I am starting with the basics; herbs and hearty veggies that grow well in my area, and of course, Ollie's two favorite fruits, Strawberries and Grapes!

Before you shake your head and place bets against me and my poor gardening track record, I'm getting a little help from the house! The bones for a raised garden, a large grape trellis and even strawberry pot were all waiting here for me.  I just have to figure out how to use them...

The good news about trying to figure all of this stuff out now, well before growing season, is that I can't really plant anything outside for another 6-8 weeks, so I have plenty of time to plan out my perfect garden, and learn how to grow it!

Being that I'm I am chomping at the bit to get started, I let Ollie bulldoze my garden spot while I cleaned out the strawberry pot.  As for that big white monstrosity, Grapes used to grow and thrive on it. There's not one neighbor that hasn't told me about the beautiful grapes that grew on it.  Did you know, a grape vine can last 30 years? Unfortunately, a foolish gardener, (NOT ME!) killed them.  

I've spent the last two months doing all kinds of research on how to plant, care for and harvest a thriving veggie patch, grow grapes and raise strawberries in a proper strawberry pot. But just so you know where I started, I thought that pot was for growing funny looking Cacti! 

Over the next few weeks I'm going to finalize the plans, and post separately on each gardening endeavor, with how to's and before and after's for each: growing Grapes vines, psucsessfully planting and growing hearty strawberries in a pot, and then there's the biggest task of all, making a raised garden... Again, I say, I'm determined! So stay tuned...

Please, if you have any tips for creating a raised garden bed, growing hearty grapes, or planting strawberries in that funny pot, please share!

20 Next Level Outdoor Space + Garden Hacks You Need To Know

I like to think of myself as an Urban Gardner. I have strange small spaces, odd shade times, and the city at my doorstep; with all, it's hustle, bustle, and congestion. Still, gardening is my therapy, so I work with what I've got. Sometimes, that means getting very creative. Below are twenty of my favorite gardening hacks, especially for those urban gardeners out there like me, trying to grow everything you can in a concrete jungle... 

And last... I'm trying this over the weekend!!

To see how-toe and more garden hacks, check out my Gardening Board on Pinterest.