-
Leave the Leaves: Why You Should Skip Raking This Fall
As the air turns crisp and the leaves start to fall, it’s natural to think about dusting off the rake and tidying up the yard. But, contrary to popular belief, leaving fallen leaves on the ground can be one of the best things you can do for your garden and for the environment. While tidy lawns may have their appeal, the benefits of embracing a little natural messiness far outweigh the drive for a pristine yard. Here’s a breakdown of why you should skip the rake this fall—and let nature do the work for you. Wildlife Habitat: Leaves as Nature’s Shelter Leaves on the ground are so much more than…
-
How to Start a Wildflower Meadow This Fall for Spring Blooms
When I moved into my new place, the very first thing I did for the garden—mostly because it was the quickest and easiest way to transform the barren ground—was to plant a wildflower meadow. I scattered the seeds in early October, taking less than an hour, and barely needed to do any maintenance throughout the fall thanks to the natural rainfall. Watching the meadow grow over the winter kept my spirits up, providing a gorgeous, green space even through the coldest days. By spring, it burst into full bloom and has only grown more lush and beautiful as time goes on. Planting wildflowers in the fall is one of the…
-
Garlic in October: The Real Fall Favorite (Sorry, Pumpkin Spice)
Ah, October—the month where everything smells like cinnamon, cozy sweaters emerge from the depths of the closet, and pumpkin spice reigns supreme. But while everyone else is sipping their lattes and Instagramming their fall décor, we gardeners know the real star of the season: garlic. Why Plant Garlic in October? Planting garlic in the fall is like investing in your future—only without the complicated stock market lingo. When you plant in October, you give your garlic a head start. The cooler temperatures help the cloves settle in without the stress of summer heat, and the winter chill (don’t worry, garlic LOVES the cold) helps them develop strong root systems. Plus,…
-
6 Easy Herbs To Grow For Your Winter Garden
As we cozy into the fall months and winter approaches, gardening is not always at the top of everyone’s mind. We tend to let things taper off this time of year, assuming that the season of planting is past, but this is not necessarily so! If you love the thought of preparing your Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts with fresh grown herbs, you’re in luck as many delicious staples will overwinter. Some herbs can be left to grow in the ground and others, with a little TLC, will thrive in an indoor kitchen garden until spring. Allow me to introduce a few of my favorite winter hardy culinary herbs that will…
-
How To Keep Cats From Digging Up Your Garden
Cats: Friend or Foe in the Garden? For gardeners, cats can feel like a double-edged sword. On one hand, they’re cute, entertaining, and often helpful in controlling rodent populations. On the other, they can be notorious for digging up freshly planted seeds, marking their territory, and hunting small wildlife. When I started my micro-farm, I worried my two outdoor cats would wreak havoc before my garden even had a chance to thrive. After countless hours of Googling humane ways to deter them (spoiler: none of those methods worked), I realized I had to find my own solutions. With a bit of trial and error, I discovered some techniques that not…
-
Fish Amino Acid for Organic Fertilizer: How To Make It and Use It
Fish Amino Acid (FAA) is a Korean Natural Farming supplement that is abundant in amino acids and nutrients and therefore has some great benefits for your plants if you are an organic gardener. It’s worth noting that (FAA) Fish Amino Acid and Fish Emulsion are not the same. You can find commercial fish emulsion for purchase on garden store shelves which is made with fishing industry byproducts as well as the byproducts of the fish oil industry. On top of being pricey it also is processed to avoid putrefaction on the shelves, and is thereby lacking in the bacterial microorganisms that are important for plant and soil health. This may…
-
Our Top 10 Fall Garden Flowers, Crops and Herbs to Plant in September
September marks the sweet spot in the gardening calendar—a time when the summer heat begins to mellow, and the crisp promise of fall lingers in the air. For green thumbs, it’s an exciting opportunity to refresh garden beds and plant crops, flowers, and herbs that thrive in the cooler months. Whether you’re looking to add pops of seasonal color or grow hearty vegetables and aromatic herbs, we’ve rounded up our top 10 favorite picks to plant in September. Let’s dive in to the Top 10 Fall Garden Plants and get our hands dirty! 2. Broccoli (zones 5-9): Planting broccoli in the fall is a great way to get around the…
-
How I Grow Plumeria (Frangipani) In The Mountains
Can you grow plumeria in the mountains? Short answer: heck yes! When I packed up my little condo on the coast to take on a new adventure in the mountains, riding shot gun with me was one of my hundreds of plants (my favorite), a plumeria tree. I treat all my plants like living, breathing, parts of my family because, well, they are! But this tree is especially sentimental. Long story short, I gave birth to my daughter at home, alone, beside it in my garden. (If you’re interested in reading that full story, along with oodles of other positive free birth and home birth stories, you can check out…
