DIY Painted Rock Garden Markers

My garden is my oasis. While I don’t have a large budget or as much time as I’d like to be able to work on beautifying my garden, I find simple ways to add a touch of whimsy to my small plot. After scouring the web for cute, durable garden markers, I finally found the perfect project. Thanks Pinterest! Gathering stones was as simple as going to the beach on Lake Superior and filling up my Trader Joe’s bag. As…

Organic Gardening #5-Early Spring Garden Tasks

Hey folks! Well, I know that many of you are dealing with scorching hot weather right now, but in my city the weather is just starting to warm up. It’s like we went straight from winter into summer! Who needs spring anyway, right? Of course I’m kidding; there is actually a lot of spring gardening preparation to be done before your last frost date arrives. So, what can we do? Hardening Off Seedlings Even though your seedlings are in a…

Organic Gardening: #4 – How to Thin Seedlings

Despite doing my best to ignore the never ending winter we’ve been having, I still can’t help but feel that summer is really far away! I suppose that’s what happens when it’s May and there’s still snow in the forecast.   So while I continue ignoring our terrible weather, I bring to you Part 4 of my Organic Gardening Series: How to Thin Seedlings. Below you can see a photo of my little tomato seedlings, which are doing quite well….

How to make homemade vanilla extract

If you want to learn how to make vanilla extract at home, but are intimidated by the process, it’s your lucky day! Let me be the first to tell you that not only is it very easy to make, but it’s much cheaper than store bought pure vanilla extract, and only requires a few ingredients. Overall, it ranks pretty highly on the awesomeness scale. Making vanilla extract yourself is not only incredibly simple, but it also yields absolutely delicious results….

How to Propagate African Violets

Propagating African Violets is easier than I initially thought.  As you may have seen, I’ve killed many of these pretty houseplants.  It wasn’t until recently that I seem to have gotten the hang of keeping them alive! Now that I seem to be able to keep the alive, the obvious next step is making as many of them as I possibly can, right? Here’s how to do it: Supplies: Scissors and/or a sharp knife A Small container (I use yogurt…