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Grow your own heart- or star-shaped cucumbers and tomatoes

3/26/2014

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Picture
I ran across these adorable heart-shaped molds for growing shaped vegetables on Burpee Seed this morning.  You can purchase a set of 4 molds for $14.99 and grow your own heart- or star-shaped veggies. Update: Burpee no longer sells these molds, but they are available on Amazon for under $5 a piece.

I'll admit that I am a little partial to the heart-shaped cucumbers or zucchini, but I'm not so sure I like the shaped tomato slices.

If you are into the novelty of heart- or star-shaped fruits, this is a great deal on the molds. Until now, they have been very expensive and typically need to be imported from China.

Although I am tempted and would enjoy the novelty of a salad adorned with these delightful shapes, I'm not sure I will invest in ordering the molds - but you never know, the mood might strike when it gets nearer to gardening season here in Maine.

                                                      Until Next Time . . . HAPPY GARDENING!

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How to make a fairy house from a pre-made birdhouse

3/16/2014

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Fairy House
photo by Urban Sea Star / Flickr
I woke up this morning thinking about fairy houses and fairy gardens. These delightful little houses brighten the garden and add a touch of whimsy. Whether you go natural with fairy houses made from wood and stone or go the fairy tale route and add twining vines and delicate flowers leading to a tower window is up to you.

If you are new to fairy houses, one of the easiest way to build one is to use a pre-made birdhouse as the base and add the finishing touches yourself. 


                                                                             Until Next Time . . . HAPPY GARDENING!


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Finding Biodegradable pots for seed starter - Check the bathroom

3/15/2014

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PicturePhoto by by girlingearstudio/ Flickr
Every year when it comes time to  begin starting seeds I find myself scurrying through the house in search of containers to start my seeds in. It's not like I can't afford to buy peat pots or peat pellets for seed starting - it's just that when you live in rural Maine, sometimes you make due with what you have instead of trucking 20 miles to the nearest store.

Seed starting is one of those times for me. This winter I ran across these delightful little pots made from - you guessed it - toilet paper rolls. By cutting a toilet paper roll in half and clipping 4 slits on the bottom, you can fold them into a seed starting pot. You will need a piece of tape to hold the bottom flaps closed.

Not only are they absolutely free, they are biodegradable too, which means you can plant your seedlings 'pot and all' when the weather warms and it's time to put them in the ground.

Paper towel rolls or those leftover rolls from wrapping paper work great too. Just cut them down to size before you begin snipping and folding your seed starting pots. 

  • Place the pots in a shallow container - I use the bottom tray on an old planter for mine, but you can use a baking old baking sheet or plastic container.  
  • Fill them with seed starter. 
  • Plant your seeds to the recommended depth.
  • Water to moisten the soil. 
  • Keep the soil moist until your seedlings emerge.

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Purple tower climbing petunias

3/13/2014

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Climbing Petunias
I've grown rather fond of petunias in the past few years. I'm not sure whether I finally reached an age where I can appreciate these hardy plants or if their bright color appeals more to aging eyes. Whatever the reason, I find I enjoy both the abundant blooms and delicate scent of petunias in my garden.

Although I wouldn't dream of giving up my pink/rose petunias, when I saw these purple climbing petunias I decided to give them a try. They were produced by Thompson and Morgan, but I purchased my seeds from Pine Tree Seeds, a Maine seed company.

If you love petunias and are looking for something a little different this year, consider climbing petunias. I'm not sure they are really that different from WAVE petunias, as I would imagine you could grow WAVE Petunias on a trellis instead of trailing from a hanging basket, but I figured it was worth a few dollars to find out.

I started my seeds yesterday, so it will be a while before I will know just how these climbing petunias differ from trailing petunias, but sometimes the waiting is half the fun.

                                                           Until next time . . . HAPPY GARDENING!
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    For more nature photography, check out my photography site.

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Photo used under Creative Commons from MyArtfulLife
  • Home
  • Garden Thyme Blog
  • Themes
    • Butterfly Gardens
    • Moon Gardens
    • Sensory Gardens
    • All About Fairies
  • Flowers
    • Annual Flowers >
      • Alyssum
      • Cosmos
      • Geraniums
      • Marigolds
      • Morning Glories
      • Nasturtiums
      • Petunias >
        • Reviving Petunias
      • Snapdragons
      • Sunflowers
      • Sweet Peas
      • Zinnias
    • Perennial Flowers >
      • Golden Glow (Rudbeckia laciniata ‘Hortensia’)
      • Lupines
      • Purple Coneflower (Echinacea Purpurea)
    • Maine Wildflowers
  • Veggies
    • Warm Season Vegetables >
      • Beans >
        • Growing Beans
        • Growing Pole Beans
        • How to Make a Teepee Trellis
      • About Corn >
        • Growing Corn
        • What is Baby Corn, anyway?
        • Can you grow corn in containers?
      • Cucumbers >
        • Grow a cucumber in a bottle
        • Growing Pickling Cucumbers
        • Growing cucamelons (Mexican Gherkin)
        • Why do cucumbers blossom but fail to set fruit?
        • Trellising Cucumbers
        • Making Cucumber Relish
        • Powdery Mildew on Cucumbers
      • Melons
      • Peppers >
        • Growing Peppers
      • Squash >
        • Growing Zucchini
        • Spaghetti Squash
      • Tomatoes >
        • How to Harden Off Tomato Plants
        • How (and when) to Prune Tomatoes
        • Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt) for Tomatoes
        • Blossom End Rot in Tomatoes
        • Growing Cherry Tomatoes in Hanging Baskets
        • 4 Best Tomatoes for Short Seasons - Early Tomatoes
        • 5 Early Maturing Tomatoes for Short Season Gardening
        • How to Ripen Green Tomatoes
        • How to Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes at Home
        • Grow Your Own Amazing Pomato Plant - Tomatoes on the Top and Potatoes on the Bottom
    • Cool Season Vegetables >
      • Cole Crops
      • Greens >
        • How to Grow Spinach
        • How to Grow Malabar Spinach
        • How to Grow Swiss Chard
        • Harvesting and Cooking Beet Greens
        • How to Grow Microgreens
      • Onions & Garlic >
        • How to Grow Garlic
        • How to Grow Onions
      • Peas >
        • Growing Garden (shelling) Peas
        • Growing Sugar Snap Peas
      • Potatoes >
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Containers
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Hay Bales
      • Root Crops >
        • Growing Beets
        • How to Grow Carrots
  • Herbs
    • Growing Basil
    • Growing Chives
    • Growing Lavender
    • Herbal Tea Garden
    • How to Grow a Culinary Herb Garden
    • How to Grow Herbs in Sponges
    • Colonial Herb Garden - Classroom Project
    • Herbed Butter
    • Making Herbed Oils
  • Gardening Basics
    • Seed Starting Basics
    • Grafting Basics
    • Soil >
      • Starting a New Garden
      • How to Prepare Soil
      • How to Test Soil Drainage
      • What Type of Soil Do You Have
      • Soil Mix Recipe for Containers
      • How to Make Compost Tea
      • How to Use Mulch
      • Control Blister Beetles
  • Birds
    • Hummingbirds >
      • DIY Hummingbird Feeders from Recycled Bottles
      • Annuals for Hummingbird Gardens
      • Perennials for Hummingbird Gardens
    • About Birdseed
    • Choosing a Birdfeeder
  • Fiddleheads and Fairies
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • How to Marinate Roasted Vegetables