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THE EVER HOPEFUL GARDENER

Regenerative Gardening, Composting and DIY

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What if you shifted your mindset just a little?

And looked at what are considered garden pests like aphids not as something that wants to destroy your garden, but instead as an invitation?

An invitation to all the beneficial insects. Letting them know your garden is a safe and welcoming space for them. A space that has food sources and shelter. A place to call home and raise their young?

#gardening #garden #gardenpests #nospray #organicgardening #regenerativegardening

What if you shifted your mindset just a little?

And looked at what are considered garden pests like aphids not as something that wants to destroy your garden, but instead as an invitation?

An invitation to all the beneficial insects. Letting them know your garden is a safe and welcoming space for them. A space that has food sources and shelter. A place to call home and raise their young?

#gardening #garden #gardenpests #nospray #organicgardening #regenerativegardening

Despite soft neck garlic being more suitable for my warm weather growing climate, I like to grow hard neck garlic because it produces the delicious garlic scapes.

To be able to successfully grow hard neck garlic in my warm climate I have found two things work well.

The first is growing the variety of garlic called MUSIC and I get mine from @Pinetree _garden_seeds. It does very well in my warm weather climate.

The second option is to purchase your hard neck garlic variety of choice, and perform a process called vernalization which is mimicking the winter weather that hard neck garlic loves. You can do this by placing your garlic in a brown paper bag, poking some holes in the paper bag and putting it in your fridge for 4 to 8 weeks before planting.

It’s ideal to purchase your garlic in the summer as many reputable suppliers sell out before it’s time to plant in the fall. If you would like to order music garlic from @pinetree_garden_seeds I recommend putting your email into the “notify me when available” option on the music garlic page on their website. This way once garlic sales start you won’t miss out. And code FALLHOPEFUL15 will give you 15% off your entire order. (One time use code)

Despite soft neck garlic being more suitable for my warm weather growing climate, I like to grow hard neck garlic because it produces the delicious garlic scapes.

To be able to successfully grow hard neck garlic in my warm climate I have found two things work well.

The first is growing the variety of garlic called MUSIC and I get mine from @Pinetree _garden_seeds. It does very well in my warm weather climate.

The second option is to purchase your hard neck garlic variety of choice, and perform a process called vernalization which is mimicking the winter weather that hard neck garlic loves. You can do this by placing your garlic in a brown paper bag, poking some holes in the paper bag and putting it in your fridge for 4 to 8 weeks before planting.

It’s ideal to purchase your garlic in the summer as many reputable suppliers sell out before it’s time to plant in the fall. If you would like to order music garlic from @pinetree_garden_seeds I recommend putting your email into the “notify me when available” option on the music garlic page on their website. This way once garlic sales start you won’t miss out. And code FALLHOPEFUL15 will give you 15% off your entire order. (One time use code)

Comment COVER for the full video (less than 5 minutes)

#vegogarden #raisedbedgardening #rqisedbedgarden #gardening #pestprevention #gardenpests

Comment COVER for the full video (less than 5 minutes)

#vegogarden #raisedbedgardening #rqisedbedgarden #gardening #pestprevention #gardenpests

Foam Flower also known as Tiarella is new to my yard this year.

It blooms in spring and has evergreen foliage of green leaves tinged with mahogany for a nice winter display.

It is hardy in zones 4-9 and likes part sun/shade. Growth habitat is 8” tall and 12” wide at maturity.

It claims to be deer and rabbit resistant, and heat tolerant. So far it has lived up to all three in my yard.

I can’t remember where I purchased mine (angel wings) but I did see another similar variety (sugar and spice) of it online from @greatgardenplants

Foam Flower also known as Tiarella is new to my yard this year.

It blooms in spring and has evergreen foliage of green leaves tinged with mahogany for a nice winter display.

It is hardy in zones 4-9 and likes part sun/shade. Growth habitat is 8” tall and 12” wide at maturity.

It claims to be deer and rabbit resistant, and heat tolerant. So far it has lived up to all three in my yard.

I can’t remember where I purchased mine (angel wings) but I did see another similar variety (sugar and spice) of it online from @greatgardenplants

Cucumbers can be a little tricky in my area. They can quickly develop issues like downy mildew, powdery mildew, cucumber mosaic virus, fungal and bacterial leaf spot. Pests like cucumber beetles, squash beetles and pickle worms are also problems.

In an effort to still enjoy cucumbers but to keep all these potential issues out of my main garden, I am growing my cucumbers on my deck, away from the garden.

I am using self-watering, rolling planters with trellises that are meant for tomatoes, but I found the the trellises are not tall enough for indeterminate tomatoes. They worked great last year for cucumbers so far hats what I’m doing again this year.

I used the Nano 4 from @swiftblocker to make my soil blocks. I like the Nano 4 for larger seeds like cucumbers, squash and pumpkins and they also work great for dahlia seedlings.

I put insect frass in every planting hole when I am planting out. Insect frass is the excrement from black soldier fly larvae from insect farms. Insect farms provide alternative, more environmentally friendly sources of protein for animal feed. Insect frass is a low NPK plant and soil food. It is a good food for the microbes in your soil that feed your plants.

I’m growing Painted Serpent and Sweet Burpless varieties from @pinetree_garden_seeds

Comment below if you would like any of these links sent to you:

FOOD - plant/soil food (small business)

PLANTER - self-watering trellis planter and discount code

SEEDS - favorite seed source and discount code

BLOCKER - favorite soil blockers (small business)

Cucumbers can be a little tricky in my area. They can quickly develop issues like downy mildew, powdery mildew, cucumber mosaic virus, fungal and bacterial leaf spot. Pests like cucumber beetles, squash beetles and pickle worms are also problems.

In an effort to still enjoy cucumbers but to keep all these potential issues out of my main garden, I am growing my cucumbers on my deck, away from the garden.

I am using self-watering, rolling planters with trellises that are meant for tomatoes, but I found the the trellises are not tall enough for indeterminate tomatoes. They worked great last year for cucumbers so far hats what I’m doing again this year.

I used the Nano 4 from @swiftblocker to make my soil blocks. I like the Nano 4 for larger seeds like cucumbers, squash and pumpkins and they also work great for dahlia seedlings.

I put insect frass in every planting hole when I am planting out. Insect frass is the excrement from black soldier fly larvae from insect farms. Insect farms provide alternative, more environmentally friendly sources of protein for animal feed. Insect frass is a low NPK plant and soil food. It is a good food for the microbes in your soil that feed your plants.

I’m growing Painted Serpent and Sweet Burpless varieties from @pinetree_garden_seeds

Comment below if you would like any of these links sent to you:

FOOD - plant/soil food (small business)

PLANTER - self-watering trellis planter and discount code

SEEDS - favorite seed source and discount code

BLOCKER - favorite soil blockers (small business)

The ultimate gardening finish line…

If you start your own seeds, the day you can kick those babies out of the house is long overdue by the time it rolls around.

#gardening #seedstarting #gardenhumor

The ultimate gardening finish line…

If you start your own seeds, the day you can kick those babies out of the house is long overdue by the time it rolls around.

#gardening #seedstarting #gardenhumor

Comment WATER for a discount code in case you want what’s coming. 🤩

Have you guessed what it is????

Drops April 10th.

@hoselinkusa #gardentools #gardening

Comment WATER for a discount code in case you want what’s coming. 🤩

Have you guessed what it is????

Drops April 10th.

@hoselinkusa #gardentools #gardening

#grwm #gardening #getreadywithme #raisedbedgardening #backyardgarden

#grwm #gardening #getreadywithme #raisedbedgardening #backyardgarden

Watching the forecast like a psycho and counting down the days till I can say “too-da-loo”

Watching the forecast like a psycho and counting down the days till I can say “too-da-loo”

Coffee grounds are a “green” when it comes to composting, meaning they are a source of nitrogen for your pile.

Having enough nitrogen in your pile is key to getting the pile hot.

Hot composting speeds up the composting process, but you can also cold compost. It will just take longer.

Some starbucks stores even have a Grounds for your Garden program where they package up used coffee grounds for gardeners.

I asked my local coffee shop if I could take the grounds from out back and they said yes.

I will be adding the coffee grounds, a Bokashi bucket and garden clippings the next time I flip the pile to get it to heat up.

Coffee grounds are a “green” when it comes to composting, meaning they are a source of nitrogen for your pile.

Having enough nitrogen in your pile is key to getting the pile hot.

Hot composting speeds up the composting process, but you can also cold compost. It will just take longer.

Some starbucks stores even have a Grounds for your Garden program where they package up used coffee grounds for gardeners.

I asked my local coffee shop if I could take the grounds from out back and they said yes.

I will be adding the coffee grounds, a Bokashi bucket and garden clippings the next time I flip the pile to get it to heat up.

Hands down, composting is the best thing I do for my garden.

I love answering compost questions and encouraging you to try composting no matter how much space you have, how much time you have, or what size garden you have.

I have several composting highlights and post about backyard composting regularly.

If you want to compost, I hope you stick around and get inspired to start.

Hands down, composting is the best thing I do for my garden.

I love answering compost questions and encouraging you to try composting no matter how much space you have, how much time you have, or what size garden you have.

I have several composting highlights and post about backyard composting regularly.

If you want to compost, I hope you stick around and get inspired to start.

In May of 2024 I planted a “cold hardy” avocado tree in my zone 8a garden from @fastgrowingtrees.

The website description says the cold hardy avocado tree can withstand temps as low as 20F and can be planted in the ground in zones 8-11.

I even wrapped the trunk in burlap and the branches in frost cloth over the winter, but the tree did not survive.

Because @fastgrowingtrees has an “Alive and Thrive” guarantee I was able to reach out and receive a replacement tree.
The process involves submitting a form on the Fast Growing Trees website and a picture of the plant in question. You can find more information about this guarantee on their website.

The new plan is to move the Avocado tree in and out of my garage during the winter months and have supplemental light shining on it. I have done this with my citrus trees for the last 5-6 years with great success. A rolling planter from vegogarden makes moving it in and out of the garage much easier.

#avocadotree #containergardening #gardening #zone8a

In May of 2024 I planted a “cold hardy” avocado tree in my zone 8a garden from @fastgrowingtrees.

The website description says the cold hardy avocado tree can withstand temps as low as 20F and can be planted in the ground in zones 8-11.

I even wrapped the trunk in burlap and the branches in frost cloth over the winter, but the tree did not survive.

Because @fastgrowingtrees has an “Alive and Thrive” guarantee I was able to reach out and receive a replacement tree.
The process involves submitting a form on the Fast Growing Trees website and a picture of the plant in question. You can find more information about this guarantee on their website.

The new plan is to move the Avocado tree in and out of my garage during the winter months and have supplemental light shining on it. I have done this with my citrus trees for the last 5-6 years with great success. A rolling planter from vegogarden makes moving it in and out of the garage much easier.

#avocadotree #containergardening #gardening #zone8a

#seedstarting #startingseeds #gardening #growingfromseeds #garden #charlotte

#seedstarting #startingseeds #gardening #growingfromseeds #garden #charlotte

Why would you ever Pre-Sprout seeds?

I saved seeds from my Roselle Hibiscus and did not know if they are viable.

Anytime you question the germination of seeds is a great time to pre-sprout. For instance if you were gifted seeds, you saved your own seeds or you have old seeds are all scenarios where pre-sprouting can save you time and space on your seed starting station.

I can make soil blocks that have holes in them so that I can easily transfer a sprouted seed into the soil blocks. if you are not using soil blocks, it’s very easy to transfer sprouted seeds into a seed tray.

I prefer to use petri dishes for pre-sprouting because I have learned through listening to Jeff Lowenfels discuss the root rizosphere and the role of bacteria and how important it is for a plant health. If I were to pre-sprout in paper towels, a lot of that beneficial bacteria on the root is left on the paper towel.

If you are interested in learning more about the role of bacteria in plant health check out Jeff’s book, Teaming With Bacteria.

Why would you ever Pre-Sprout seeds?

I saved seeds from my Roselle Hibiscus and did not know if they are viable.

Anytime you question the germination of seeds is a great time to pre-sprout. For instance if you were gifted seeds, you saved your own seeds or you have old seeds are all scenarios where pre-sprouting can save you time and space on your seed starting station.

I can make soil blocks that have holes in them so that I can easily transfer a sprouted seed into the soil blocks. if you are not using soil blocks, it’s very easy to transfer sprouted seeds into a seed tray.

I prefer to use petri dishes for pre-sprouting because I have learned through listening to Jeff Lowenfels discuss the root rizosphere and the role of bacteria and how important it is for a plant health. If I were to pre-sprout in paper towels, a lot of that beneficial bacteria on the root is left on the paper towel.

If you are interested in learning more about the role of bacteria in plant health check out Jeff’s book, Teaming With Bacteria.

Easy DIY. Repurpose old metal tomato cages to support your peonies.

I have found better ways to support my tomatoes over the years and that resulted in a pile of old school tomato cages languishing behind my garden shed.

I have wanted to use peony supports for years as the flowers tend to flop without support, but I have not wanted to spend money on such a specialized piece of garden equipment.

Some strong metal clippers and some black spray paint (you don’t even need the spray paint if you like the metal look) and 3 minutes was all I needed to repurpose the cages.

#diy #reuse #peonies #peony #peonyseason #peonylove #peonyflower #peonysupport

Easy DIY. Repurpose old metal tomato cages to support your peonies.

I have found better ways to support my tomatoes over the years and that resulted in a pile of old school tomato cages languishing behind my garden shed.

I have wanted to use peony supports for years as the flowers tend to flop without support, but I have not wanted to spend money on such a specialized piece of garden equipment.

Some strong metal clippers and some black spray paint (you don’t even need the spray paint if you like the metal look) and 3 minutes was all I needed to repurpose the cages.

#diy #reuse #peonies #peony #peonyseason #peonylove #peonyflower #peonysupport

Start a garden. You won’t regret it.

Start a garden. You won’t regret it.

I grow luffa to use for kitchen sponges. A good harvest will give me enough luffa to last an entire year.

I typically compost a luffa sponge after using it for a month.

Luffa are vigorous climbers and giving them plenty of space is a good idea if you don’t want them to take over your garden.

Luffa need 120-140 days of warm growing weather.

The Nano 4 from @swiftblocker is great for starting vegetables like pumpkins, luffa, cucumbers, squash, hyacinth beans, and other large seeds.

I get my luffa seeds from @pinetree_garden_seeds and code SPRINGHOPEFUL15 will give you 15% off your order. Code is one time use and good thru 3/31/25.

I grow luffa to use for kitchen sponges. A good harvest will give me enough luffa to last an entire year.

I typically compost a luffa sponge after using it for a month.

Luffa are vigorous climbers and giving them plenty of space is a good idea if you don’t want them to take over your garden.

Luffa need 120-140 days of warm growing weather.

The Nano 4 from @swiftblocker is great for starting vegetables like pumpkins, luffa, cucumbers, squash, hyacinth beans, and other large seeds.

I get my luffa seeds from @pinetree_garden_seeds and code SPRINGHOPEFUL15 will give you 15% off your order. Code is one time use and good thru 3/31/25.

#seedstarting

#seedstarting

#propagate #plantpropagation #forsythia #zone8a #charlottegardener #gardening #freeplants

#propagate #plantpropagation #forsythia #zone8a #charlottegardener #gardening #freeplants

Comparing straight Coco Coir vs. quality potting mix for seed starting.

Details:
Radish and Tomato seeds were started in both straight coco coir and sifted @foxfarmsoilandfertilizer Bush Doctor Coco Loco on February 27th in 6 cell air pruning trays.

All conditions were held equal for both soil mediums such as water, light and heat.

I want to make it clear that I do not think coco coir is bad and in fact use it myself. My favorite potting mix contains coco coir instead of peat. The difference is the potting mix I love triple washes the coco coir to reduce the salinity of it, and the company selling the coco coir brick markets it as a “seed starting mix.”

You can also purchase coco coir and add it to other ingredients to make your own seed starting mix. I just think using it by itself yields lackluster results.

I want anyone who is seed starting to have the greatest chance for success, and I believe that starts with what growing medium you are using.

#seedstarting #startingseeds #gardening #growingfromseed #seeds #charlottegardener #growyourownfood
I hope this was helpful and if you have questions please reach out.

Comparing straight Coco Coir vs. quality potting mix for seed starting.

Details:
Radish and Tomato seeds were started in both straight coco coir and sifted @foxfarmsoilandfertilizer Bush Doctor Coco Loco on February 27th in 6 cell air pruning trays.

All conditions were held equal for both soil mediums such as water, light and heat.

I want to make it clear that I do not think coco coir is bad and in fact use it myself. My favorite potting mix contains coco coir instead of peat. The difference is the potting mix I love triple washes the coco coir to reduce the salinity of it, and the company selling the coco coir brick markets it as a “seed starting mix.”

You can also purchase coco coir and add it to other ingredients to make your own seed starting mix. I just think using it by itself yields lackluster results.

I want anyone who is seed starting to have the greatest chance for success, and I believe that starts with what growing medium you are using.

#seedstarting #startingseeds #gardening #growingfromseed #seeds #charlottegardener #growyourownfood
I hope this was helpful and if you have questions please reach out.

Why we harvest and use rainwater for our garden. 🌱

Did you know there are several benefits to watering your garden with rainwater? 🧐

Benefits of watering with rainwater include chemical, mineral and salt free water, naturally acidic water (plants prefer soil pH between 5.5-6.5), bioavailable nitrates in the water, and some organic material in stored rainwater (think free fertilizer)

I also use rain water to add water to my compost piles.

My husband has installed 5 rain barrels on our property. Two 50 gallon barrels, one 500 gallon barrel and two 550 gallon barrels for a total of 1,700 gallons of rainwater storage.

I wrote a blog post, (comment WATER if you want the link sent to your DMs) on our water harvesting set-up. Water harvesting can be on any scale you want. It doesn’t have to be giant tanks like we have. 😉

#Rainbarrel #rainbarrels #waterharvesting #waterharvestingsystem #gardening #diy

Why we harvest and use rainwater for our garden. 🌱

Did you know there are several benefits to watering your garden with rainwater? 🧐

Benefits of watering with rainwater include chemical, mineral and salt free water, naturally acidic water (plants prefer soil pH between 5.5-6.5), bioavailable nitrates in the water, and some organic material in stored rainwater (think free fertilizer)

I also use rain water to add water to my compost piles.

My husband has installed 5 rain barrels on our property. Two 50 gallon barrels, one 500 gallon barrel and two 550 gallon barrels for a total of 1,700 gallons of rainwater storage.

I wrote a blog post, (comment WATER if you want the link sent to your DMs) on our water harvesting set-up. Water harvesting can be on any scale you want. It doesn’t have to be giant tanks like we have. 😉

#Rainbarrel #rainbarrels #waterharvesting #waterharvestingsystem #gardening #diy

Starting a compost pile does not need to be complicated.
You need:
Carbon
Nitrogen
Air
Water

You alternate layering your carbon and nitrogen materials and water as you go. Air is introduced when you turn the pile.

Popular sources of carbon are:
dry, shredded leaves
wood chips
straw
cardboard/paper

Popular sources of nitrogen are:
Kitchen scraps
Garden clippings
non treated grass clippings
bokashi ferment
coffee grounds
animal manure (not dogs and cats)

You can turn your pile as often as you want, but I like to monitor with a thermometer and turn it when it dips below 120F.

You can also just pile up leaves or wood chips and do nothing. This will also result in compost; it will just take longer.

If you want a truckload of wood chips you can use @chipdrop to get a load for free.

If you are interested in trying Bokashi ferment to be able to compost ALL your food waste including meat, dairy, cooked foods and more, I get my Bokashi Bran from @garden.of.oz.noco and code HOPEFUL10 will give you a discount.

comment below if you would like any of the following links:

CHIP - for a link to get a free truckload of wood chips

BRAN - for a link and discount code for Bokashi Bran

BUILD - for a video with materials and cut list for our compost bin set-up

Starting a compost pile does not need to be complicated.
You need:
Carbon
Nitrogen
Air
Water

You alternate layering your carbon and nitrogen materials and water as you go. Air is introduced when you turn the pile.

Popular sources of carbon are:
dry, shredded leaves
wood chips
straw
cardboard/paper

Popular sources of nitrogen are:
Kitchen scraps
Garden clippings
non treated grass clippings
bokashi ferment
coffee grounds
animal manure (not dogs and cats)

You can turn your pile as often as you want, but I like to monitor with a thermometer and turn it when it dips below 120F.

You can also just pile up leaves or wood chips and do nothing. This will also result in compost; it will just take longer.

If you want a truckload of wood chips you can use @chipdrop to get a load for free.

If you are interested in trying Bokashi ferment to be able to compost ALL your food waste including meat, dairy, cooked foods and more, I get my Bokashi Bran from @garden.of.oz.noco and code HOPEFUL10 will give you a discount.

comment below if you would like any of the following links:

CHIP - for a link to get a free truckload of wood chips

BRAN - for a link and discount code for Bokashi Bran

BUILD - for a video with materials and cut list for our compost bin set-up

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