 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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 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!  Photo 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.
 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! |