Giving home canning and preserving a try

I really think I have a new hobby and I'm enjoying it! It all started last year when I first gave backyard gardening a try. It didn't turn out very well, but it was indeed a learning experience, nonetheless. I figured out some, do's, don't's, spacing and etc... There is just no better tasting vegetables than freshly grown veggies. We go to the farmers market often. I am absolutely in love with tomatoes and will bite into them and eat them just as I would a apple. Not the one's from the grocery, but the one's from the farmer's market & now hopefully as I begin to harvest them from my own small backyard garden this year, yummy!!! They are so delicious!!!


So, after taking much liking into gardening, what comes next? Learning how to enjoy those fresh flavors all year long. With that being said I went and purchased me some supplies so that I can do my own canning and preserving at home. I have to get a few more things and I shall soon be on my way, yay!!! I already made my first batch of pickles from the cucumbers in my garden. Needless to say they didn't even last a week. We were so shocked at how great they turned out. I plan on making a few batches this week and at least two of the jars I'm hoping to keep sealed for 2 weeks without getting eaten, lol!! I know I won't have a large harvest, so I do plan on steady shopping with the local farmer's to help me get a nice stock.


This is tasty & enjoyment all put together, not to mention learning!! I can't wait to try out some of the recipes I've been finding and share them with my family!

Newbie at Gardening

Do you really have to have a green thumb to grow a beautiful and healthy garden?? I need to borrow one, that's for sure. Every time I try to spruce up my yard with some pretty flowers they either look good one year, and return to look horrible the next year because the weeds just grow like crazy around them. I find planting bulbs to be the most work, but they come out looking so much better, versus when I plant seeds because they grow here, there, everywhere without any design. Maybe I'll have better luck growing with pots. Another thing that's funny is I hate when I plant flowers that just attract the hugest bee's. I'm so afraid of bee's. I've never been stung (knock on wood) but I am very fearful of being around them when they like literally starring you in the face.

Last year was our first try of veggie gardening!! We grew some tomatoes and pepper's with a little bit of luck. The parsley grew easily and is already back this year and has tripled!! Planted some spinach and broccoli for the experience sake of it and no they didn't grow well, but it was fun watching them. We started some seed's indoors this year, same as last year. Unfortunately, they didn't survive not really sure what happened this year, other than the occasional shirt thrown over them while in the kitchen window.

Now it's too late to start indoors so we'll just sow them directly outdoors. This year were trying tomatoes and peppers again, plus some cucumbers. I can't wait to pickle me some cucumbers. It's almost planting time!!

I need a green thumb

I wish I had a green thumb because I need one, my yard is so plain and simple. I don't why for the life of me that I cant seem to beautify my front yard.

I did initially hire some landscapers that came out redid my yard for me. I just told them to give me all bushes and shrubs something easy to maintain. They put down the weed fabric and rocks so it was going good for a few years, that was until I decided I was tired of my yard looking so dull and green.

I called myself trying to make some flower beds so I cut little small spaces through the weed fabric planted me some tulip bulbs, gladiola's and some potted pansies. Okay so they grew out pretty nicely, but the gladiola's didn't work to well they were fragiler leaning forward, looking sad, so I decided to undo the bulbs so they wouldn't return this year.

The tulips are growing well they just don't last long. Needless to say I wish I never tried do it yourself gardening because I suck at it. I just had to battle the weeds yesterday because they were starting to grow like crazy through where I cut the fabric so they took over my pansy bedding.

I just wanted to make my yard more colorful but it back fired on me. Now when it comes to indoor plants yes I do have a green thumb for that I love my indoor plants, but I need me a outdoor green thumb. My next adventure in my garden will be to experiment with seed packets, bulbs are too much work, hopefully I'll get better results with the seeds than I did with the bulbs and potted pansy's.

This should be fun awaiting the turnout!