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THE EVER HOPEFUL GARDENER

Regenerative Gardening, Composting and DIY

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Micro tomatoes are fun to grow during the winter months. They get only 18-24” tall which is perfect for growing inside.

I’m growing Emerald Flame and Golden Hour micro tomatoes. A friend gifted me the seeds but you can find these and other micro tomatoes at @wildboarfarms

Don’t confuse micro tomatoes with dwarf tomatoes. Dwarf varieties can reach 4-5 feet tall.

Self watering indoor planter is by @vego_garden and was gifted to me. (Code HOPEFUL10OFF for $10 off order)

Favorite potting mix is @foxfarmsoilandfertilizer Bush Doctor Coco Loco

#Indoorgrowing #tomatoes #gardening #zone8a #seedstarting #charlottegardener #microtomatoes

Micro tomatoes are fun to grow during the winter months. They get only 18-24” tall which is perfect for growing inside.

I’m growing Emerald Flame and Golden Hour micro tomatoes. A friend gifted me the seeds but you can find these and other micro tomatoes at @wildboarfarms

Don’t confuse micro tomatoes with dwarf tomatoes. Dwarf varieties can reach 4-5 feet tall.

Self watering indoor planter is by @vego_garden and was gifted to me. (Code HOPEFUL10OFF for $10 off order)

Favorite potting mix is @foxfarmsoilandfertilizer Bush Doctor Coco Loco

#Indoorgrowing #tomatoes #gardening #zone8a #seedstarting #charlottegardener #microtomatoes

Calendula ✨✨

One of my favorite flowers to grow in my garden.
Reasons to love it:
* Short and compact.
* Bees love it.
* Has skin soothing properties when used in Salves and oils.
* Flowers are edible.
* Can plant them in the fall and leave them unprotected in my zone 8a garden all winter. Some of the earliest spring blooms when sown in the fall.
* Seeds are easy to save.

Favorite varieties: Zeilights and Strawberry Blonde

Calendula ✨✨

One of my favorite flowers to grow in my garden.
Reasons to love it:
* Short and compact.
* Bees love it.
* Has skin soothing properties when used in Salves and oils.
* Flowers are edible.
* Can plant them in the fall and leave them unprotected in my zone 8a garden all winter. Some of the earliest spring blooms when sown in the fall.
* Seeds are easy to save.

Favorite varieties: Zeilights and Strawberry Blonde

What is the recipe for a perfect gardener’s mother’s day?

Why not skip the typical brunch and replace it with botanical Gardens, food trucks, live music, local vendors, garden shopping, space for kids to get all their energy out and popsicles???

This mother’s day @danielstoweconservancy has you covered for an easy and enjoyable way to spend your day.

What is the recipe for a perfect gardener’s mother’s day?

Why not skip the typical brunch and replace it with botanical Gardens, food trucks, live music, local vendors, garden shopping, space for kids to get all their energy out and popsicles???

This mother’s day @danielstoweconservancy has you covered for an easy and enjoyable way to spend your day.

Squash vine borers, Japanese beetles, spider mites, pickle worms, leaf hoppers, flea beetles, bean beetles, aphids, earwigs, squash bugs, squash lady beetles, slugs, pill bugs, snails, grasshoppers, cucumber beetles, stink bugs, white flies, cabbage worms, potato beetles, corn borers, leaf miners, cutworms, thrips, scale, mealy bugs, spittle bugs, tomato hornworms, Mexican bean beetles, tarnished plant bug, leaf roller,

Did I forget any????

Squash vine borers, Japanese beetles, spider mites, pickle worms, leaf hoppers, flea beetles, bean beetles, aphids, earwigs, squash bugs, squash lady beetles, slugs, pill bugs, snails, grasshoppers, cucumber beetles, stink bugs, white flies, cabbage worms, potato beetles, corn borers, leaf miners, cutworms, thrips, scale, mealy bugs, spittle bugs, tomato hornworms, Mexican bean beetles, tarnished plant bug, leaf roller,

Did I forget any????

Knowing when and how to feed your garden can be confusing. Most gardeners don’t take the time to perform soil tests and adding unneeded fertilizer to a garden is not ideal.

I choose to feed the soil microbes in my garden which will in turn feed my plants. The plants get to be in charge of what nutrients they want and when they get them.

Plants send signals to microorganisms in the soil to attract them to their root zone. The microorganisms then feed on a food source near the roots, excrete what they don’t need and the plants use their excretions to fuel themselves.

By supplying a food source for the microorganisms in your soil food web you are allowing the plants to be in control, and you are not force feeding them. More is not better when it comes to fertilizing.

Low NPK food sources are the best for soil microorganisms. Insect Frass has a 3-2-1 NPK and is the by product from black soldier fly larvae in insect farms.

Insect farms provide protein sources for animal feed and are more sustainable than fish hatcheries. By using the excrement of the soldier fly as plant food in our gardens it helps close the loop on on this important industry.

Www.kickassfrass.org to purchase.

#garden #gardening #soilhealth #feedyoursoil #plantfood

Knowing when and how to feed your garden can be confusing. Most gardeners don’t take the time to perform soil tests and adding unneeded fertilizer to a garden is not ideal.

I choose to feed the soil microbes in my garden which will in turn feed my plants. The plants get to be in charge of what nutrients they want and when they get them.

Plants send signals to microorganisms in the soil to attract them to their root zone. The microorganisms then feed on a food source near the roots, excrete what they don’t need and the plants use their excretions to fuel themselves.

By supplying a food source for the microorganisms in your soil food web you are allowing the plants to be in control, and you are not force feeding them. More is not better when it comes to fertilizing.

Low NPK food sources are the best for soil microorganisms. Insect Frass has a 3-2-1 NPK and is the by product from black soldier fly larvae in insect farms.

Insect farms provide protein sources for animal feed and are more sustainable than fish hatcheries. By using the excrement of the soldier fly as plant food in our gardens it helps close the loop on on this important industry.

Www.kickassfrass.org to purchase.

#garden #gardening #soilhealth #feedyoursoil #plantfood

Creating a Pollinator Pocket Prairie from seed is proving more difficult than I thought. Native plants from seed can be very slow growing. I had visions of an abundant prairie in my side yard and a couple years in, the project has not materialized the way I had hoped.

Have you had success incorporating natives into your gardening? If so, I’d love to know what has worked well for you.

I am pivoting and working with @myhomepark to help me realize my pocket prairie vision. My Home Park offers custom native garden designs. My Home Park helps people incorporate native plants into their landscape.
I was able to enter the relevant information like dimensions, amount of sun, soil moisture and color preferences on their website and received a custom (by a person, not a computer) design for my space. I was even able to make tweaks and work with My Home Park to create the perfect design. The design fee can be applied to any subsequent plant order based on the design, or you can choose to pay for the design and source the plants yourself.

Stay tuned, plants are arriving in May and I will take you with me every step of the way.

comment NATIVE and I will send you My Home Park’s website where you can learn more.

#nativeplants #plantnative #pocketprairie #pollinators #plantforpollinators #myhomepark

Creating a Pollinator Pocket Prairie from seed is proving more difficult than I thought. Native plants from seed can be very slow growing. I had visions of an abundant prairie in my side yard and a couple years in, the project has not materialized the way I had hoped.

Have you had success incorporating natives into your gardening? If so, I’d love to know what has worked well for you.

I am pivoting and working with @myhomepark to help me realize my pocket prairie vision. My Home Park offers custom native garden designs. My Home Park helps people incorporate native plants into their landscape.
I was able to enter the relevant information like dimensions, amount of sun, soil moisture and color preferences on their website and received a custom (by a person, not a computer) design for my space. I was even able to make tweaks and work with My Home Park to create the perfect design. The design fee can be applied to any subsequent plant order based on the design, or you can choose to pay for the design and source the plants yourself.

Stay tuned, plants are arriving in May and I will take you with me every step of the way.

comment NATIVE and I will send you My Home Park’s website where you can learn more.

#nativeplants #plantnative #pocketprairie #pollinators #plantforpollinators #myhomepark

comment GIFT and I will send you my blog post with my favorite mother’s day gift ideas, links and discount codes

comment GIFT and I will send you my blog post with my favorite mother’s day gift ideas, links and discount codes

I’m cringing with my spelling error. Wonder how many people will point it out. 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️

Not going to take it down. 😂

And the bathroom is in real jeopardy in our house. 🔥🔥🔥

I’m cringing with my spelling error. Wonder how many people will point it out. 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️

Not going to take it down. 😂

And the bathroom is in real jeopardy in our house. 🔥🔥🔥

I make sure to change the hummingbird food in my feeders weekly as it can get moldy in the summer heat. Hanging the feeders in the shade can help.

In addition to hanging hummingbirds feeders it’s a good idea to plant nectar flowers that hummingbirds like. Some examples are:

* Salvia
* Bee balm
* Cardinal flower
* Trumpet creeper
* Columbine

Please share what flowers you notice hummingbirds loving in your garden and what state you are in to help us all plant more for the hummingbirds.

#hummingbirds #hummingbirdfeeder #pollinators #garden

I make sure to change the hummingbird food in my feeders weekly as it can get moldy in the summer heat. Hanging the feeders in the shade can help.

In addition to hanging hummingbirds feeders it’s a good idea to plant nectar flowers that hummingbirds like. Some examples are:

* Salvia
* Bee balm
* Cardinal flower
* Trumpet creeper
* Columbine

Please share what flowers you notice hummingbirds loving in your garden and what state you are in to help us all plant more for the hummingbirds.

#hummingbirds #hummingbirdfeeder #pollinators #garden

Shirley Double Mix Poppies.

I scatter my poppy seeds outdoors every Halloween. I always sow more than I need since the birds love to steal them. Adding a light layer of straw on top of the area after watering in can help.

The poppies grow slowly all winter with no protection (zone 8a) and bloom in April and May for me.

Source: @pinetree_garden_seeds
Code FALLHOPEFUL15 for 15% off. Expires end of 2025 and one time use.

Shirley Double Mix Poppies.

I scatter my poppy seeds outdoors every Halloween. I always sow more than I need since the birds love to steal them. Adding a light layer of straw on top of the area after watering in can help.

The poppies grow slowly all winter with no protection (zone 8a) and bloom in April and May for me.

Source: @pinetree_garden_seeds
Code FALLHOPEFUL15 for 15% off. Expires end of 2025 and one time use.

My favorite varieties of Swiss Chard that I grow.

Swiss chard tolerates both cold and hot temperatures making it a great addition to your vegetable garden. It can be grown year round for me in my North Carolina garden.

It can handle temperature dips into the 20s and keeps producing even in my hottest months.

Seed source: @pinetree_garden_seeds
Code FALLHOPEFUL15 for 15% off. Expires end of 2025 and one time use.

My favorite varieties of Swiss Chard that I grow.

Swiss chard tolerates both cold and hot temperatures making it a great addition to your vegetable garden. It can be grown year round for me in my North Carolina garden.

It can handle temperature dips into the 20s and keeps producing even in my hottest months.

Seed source: @pinetree_garden_seeds
Code FALLHOPEFUL15 for 15% off. Expires end of 2025 and one time use.

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.

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