This post was originally written for and published at AlternativeConsumer.com. I received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While I consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, my review is my honest opinion and thoughts of the product.
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I received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While I consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, my review is my honest opinion and thoughts of the product.
I have been a contributing writer at The Alternative Consumer for nearly a year now, but have contributed less in the last seven months due to other commitments. The editors are very gracious though and continue to allow me to contribute as I have time to do so.
This week I had a book review to send them of a book I read for their site, so I wrote up a summary of our first growing season too in order that their readers could be kept up-to-date on our farming experience too. So I thought I’d share it with all of you for Garden Tuesday.
You can check out the article here or visit the link below:
http://www.alternativeconsumer.com/2010/07/20/organic-farming-our-first-growing-season/
Those greenhouses we got last week are being put to good use. We already have lettuce, cucumbers, peas and more popping through. It was amazing when some green poked through the soil on day 2!
We have been keeping on top of the weeds in our vegetable garden through the use of straw. The farmer we have rented our growing field from (for free in exchange for organically grown produce) had hay her horses wouldn’t eat so she offered it to us to use as mulch. We are very thankful. It may be itchy and dirty to put down, but how it helps keep the weeds at bay.
The funny thing about our garden is that we got many more tomato plants because of the chicken manure/compost we used. Where lettuce should have grown, we now have those extra tomato plants! We have to get more recent photos. I will check to see what we have on file though.
I have about three book reviews to post on Gardening Tuesday, but have yet to get them written, as I still have to read two of the books. The other is read, but I have to rewrite my review and it keeps being put off to the side for other things.
I nearly forgot to post this! Our next new theme is Garden Tuesdays!
I had a book review to post for today, but couldn’t find it in my files anywhere so I will have to post it next week after I rewrite it! Then after today’s adventure to pick up two of these 4 Tier Greenhouses, I thought I’d post about them. It isn’t a review per se because we just got them and I haven’t had sufficient time to really put them through a tested, tried and true review.
However, to add a bit of a Thrifty Thursday tip here, these 4 Tier Greenhouses sell anywhere from $32-$59 but we got each of these for just $15! They are used, but in useable condition and will be of great help to get some plants started for fall harvest, since we are going to try our hand with at least a bit of succession planting.
While I was working this afternoon, the girls got more lettuce and some more cold crops planted. We are hoping for some faster germination compared to our direct seed planting. Here’s to hoping and praying!
I had to get new garden gloves this year since the ones that I bought last year my husband actually used and they eventually ripped and one is lost. They were Lamont, but not the Grips® Premium Grain Goatskin Gloves that I just bought.
What I really like about these gloves is that they are a snug fit and I can actually work with small weeds and planting without feeling the urge to haul them off and work without them! I have only been using them for about a month, but so far they are holding up well. We’ll see how they do over the long haul. If they wear out because of our extensive gardening this summer then I have my eye on another brand that I have wanted to try since late last summer, but even pricier than the Premium Goatskin gloves.
Here are the “specs” from Lamont’s website:
Grips® Premium Grain Goatskin
Precurved to fit the hand naturally
Slimfit™ design for comfort and excellent dexterity
Spandex back adds stretch in just the right places
Feeltite™ loop and pile closure for a snug and comfortable fit
Colors: Dragonfly, Oasis, Sugarberry
Available in size Medium.
I bought my gloves for about $11.99 at Farm and Fleet, but Lamont has a place where you can put in your zip code to find a store near you that carries them, if you are interested.
I received the following book in exchange for writing a review. While I consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, my review is my honest opinion and thoughts of the book. This review was originally written and published at AlternativeConsumer.com
A Little Piece of Earth – how to grow your own food in small spaces
A Little Piece of Earth is a short book written by Maria Finn. As the title of this post indicates, it is a book about how to grow your own food in small spaces. No space is too small. As we have learned 2.5 acres is enough land to feed 100 people and to make a living on. So there is no reason why people in urban and suburban areas cannot grow enough for 2-4 people in their backyards with a little bit of creativity. This is what Ms. Finn shares in her book, along with little stories about the people she’s helped with her gardening experience.
From roof tops and window sills to indoor gardening, Maria Finn provides the beginner and veteran gardener plenty of food for thought.
Such as this line, “Edible gardens not only provide food, but also connections – to the earth, to the past, to the culture and to one another.”
And this a funny tip: A raccoon deterrent is an Oreo cookie with a jalapeño pepper inside! Can you believe that? She also said that aphids do not like hot peppers so grow a few extra to keep them at bay.
Another idea was to grow a grapevine privacy wall between you and a nosey neighbor, which seemed not only a neighbor/privacy solution but a way to grow grapes in a small backyard too.
I loved her section on children’s gardens, like using the Weeping Plum tree as a reading/tea party nook or the Pink Jasmine Tepee that would be more cost effective than many of the commercial tepees on the toy market and would smell a whole lot prettier too!
This book supplied me with enough intriguing information on multitiered worm composters, yummy recipes to try, different kinds of heirloom plants, garden design ideas, precious space saving techniques and even seed saving tips to make me want to study each of these subjects in more depth. After all, this little book is more of a quick study/pocket reference book with only 212 pages in its 8”x 5” covers. I would definitely recommend it to those wanting to use their space more wisely.
Editor’s Note: One thing I did not mention in my original review was the fact that there were a couple of little things that I think the author would have been better off leaving out, but overall this book is very useful to gardeners just beginning or to those looking to save space.
