Just beyond the last chill of winter lies a place where perennial patio dwellers linger over glasses of wine and caprese salad.  If you close your eyes for just a moment you can probably place yourself there and imagine plump, red tomatoes and the tangy bite of balsamic vinegar.  You can likely see the vibrant green of the fresh basil, too.  There… right there… is where our story begins today.

Blame it on my Mediterranean blood or my love of food, but I cannot get enough basil.  It regularly claims the majority percentage of our garden space.  Summer is filled with pesto, salads, pastas and even cocktails all fragrant from fresh basil.  To have enough ready we start it from seed inside.  It’s easier than you may think and the results are well worth it.

savour…  fresh ingredients

We're taking it easy this week.  The boys are on spring break and we're trying to spend some time together and get caught up in between.  But we didn't want to let you down with no posts to inspire... plus it's so close to St Patrick's Day!  We thought this might brighten things up for you just a bit.

Like so many, we were sucked in several years ago by tabletop fountains.  They were everywhere, and despite their ubiquity, we caved and bought one.  We got it mostly for the soothing sounds but soon realized a CD would have done the same thing.  The fascination with the fountain quickly faded and left us with another space sucker.

Because I am in incurable DIY'er, I tossed the cheap pump and stacked stone insert and kept the granite looking resin base for another project.  I didn't know what the project would be, but I knew it would come in handy one day.  That day, my friends, was today.

savour... saving

What is it about terrariums that attract us?  They are tiny gardens right in our hands.  If you’ve been looking to add some color to a corner in your room or liven up a coffee table, this might just be the project for you.  Terrariums are fun and easy and very inexpensive.  We’re talking total project under $20.

The choices for terrariums are many.  You probably have something you could use kicking around the garage right now.  If you don’t, you will find many inexpensive options at thrift stores and yard sales.  Think beyond the objects customary use.  As long as it is smooth glass, your halfway there.

Creating a terrarium is quick (under an hour) and will be fun.  You might even consider giving it as a very nice housewarming gift…

savour… a garden you can manage

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Modern Hen’s Garden Go To:It’s that time again!  Garden planning and planting are just around the corner.  I’d like to introduce you to an amazing tool – The Smart Gardener.  

This amazing product is free and the steps are outlined below: 

Setting up your garden is as simple as entering your zip code, size, and plants you’d like to grow.  What’s especially nice is that the program will alert you if you’ve chosen something that is unseasonable.  This improves your gardening success rate and ensures you are growing what is in season for your region.  Additionally, this program helps you with succession planting.  Succession planting is one of my goals this year.  I’d like to keep the goodness going year round!

Your first step is to select your garden type and garden layout.

Select your plants.

Out pops your garden plan.  

And finally, your to do list which keeps you on track throughout your growing season.Some bonus features include a relevant gardening blog and seed shopping right within the application.  This smart gardener has thought of everything! Follow The Smart Gardener on Facebook and Twitter.  

savour… smart solutions.

by Jennifer Henderson

I’ll admit it.  I’ve never hosted an official seed swap, but I’ve always wanted to.  Maybe this will be the year.  Perhaps we can do it together and share stories of how it went.  There seems to be a fair amount of information out there and it doesn’t seem to be that difficult, so why haven’t I been invited to a seed swap?  And that brings us back to my first point:  why haven’t I hosted a seed swap?  

So, here’s the plan:

1. Who’s your target group?  I work at a community garden and there’s a great starting base there.  If you don’t know any local gardeners, see #4 and see this as an opportunity to meet many.  
2. Choose a time and place.  Consider how many gardeners you’d like to invite and whether you’d like to host a public or private seed swap.  
3. Make a cute invitation.  Any veggie will do, but I think a carrot will work nicely and give you plenty of writing space.  Send these directly to your garden pals.
4. If you are hosting a public event, make flyers to go up at your child’s school, church, gym, recreation center, library, grocer, coffee shop, etc.  The possibilities are endless.  Be sure to send a few flyers along with your invitation and encourage your friends to post the event in their neck of the woods.  
5. Post it on your Facebook page and make a public event.  Only make it public if you are hosting the swap in a public place (safety first).  
6. If you have a Twitter account and you tweet with local gardeners, then post it there as well.  
7. Get small plastic zipper bags (the ones jewelers use work best & you can find them at most craft stores or your local big box store) or plastic containers.  I’m a bit of a container hound, so I’ve got a plastic box that has lots of tiny plastic boxes nestled inside.  I got it at my local Harbor Freight store, but I’ve seen something similar for jewelers and crafters.  Check when you pick up your small zipper bags.  
8. Reach out to your local garden centers for seeds to supplement those being offered by your fellow gardeners.  
9. Invite some gardening experts to share gardening tips and tricks at your event.
10. Bring issues of Mother Earth News, Urban Farm, Herb Companion, Hobby Farms, etc. for your guests to peruse or take, if you can part with them.
11. Bring seed catalogs like D. Landreth Seed Company or Johnny’s Seeds and split orders on all the heirlooms you love.
12. Be sure to have your gardeners bring the instructions and specifics associated with their seeds or as much information as they can share.  
13. Maybe offer door prizes or a contest for the participants.  Who doesn’t love winning some garden goodies?  

If you host a seed swap and share your story with us, then you’ll be entered to win Lola’s SakitToMe in green, of course.

Happy Swapping, and I look forward to sharing with you soon!

Landreth Seed Company is an American treasure and with your support you become part of a historical preservation collective.

D. Landreth Seed Company was all the buzz on every social media outlet this past summer, but not for the reasons a company would want.  D. Landreth was facing foreclosure.  Apparently, the online seed market just wasn’t what it used to be and their catalog sales were down significantly hence the pending shutter.  They made a few calls, the word got out, and like a rallying force unlike I’d ever seen on the social media front, it was all we were talking about.  We were sharing articles, tweeting it, Facebooking it, and ordering as fast as our fingers could fly across the keys.  So rapid was the online community’s response that at one point their site came down, but quickly returned again and there I was ordering my catalog and an abundance of heirloom seeds.  I was proud to be a part of this movement and help a company that has been around since 1784.  That’s right folks, D. Landreth Seed Company is the oldest seed house in America.  Makes you want to stop reading right here and go get a piece of history even if you don’t plan on planting it.  They have the largest selection of heirloom seeds complete with an African American Heritage Collection.  This is a unique collection of heirloom seeds ‘that were carried by enslaved peoples from Africa and the Caribbean.’

So as we embark upon planning yet another growing season, consider adding heirlooms to your garden.  The flavor is unmatched and instead of paying those astronomical prices at your specialty grocer, order some heirlooms and other amazing seeds not found in your big box or garden center store from a true seed purveyor and experience the joy and savings of growing your own.  The catalog can be purchased here.  It is like no other catalog you’ve ever thumbed through.  It is part catalog, part almanac,  encyclopedia, and part historical artifact.  The hand drawn illustrations are beautiful, the photographs are accurate and stunning, and the information is a gardener’s dream.  As for the old advertisements, they are a slice of history gone and a glimpse of simpler times.  The D. Landreth Seed  Company is not simply the oldest seed purveyor, but a slice of American history. 

I leave you with this directly from the catalog:

“Today, as The D. Landreth Seed Company faces the greatest challenge to its existence since the company was founded, its catalog, once again will play the critical role.  Buried in the pages of this document is our agricultural heritage – the histories of our vegetables, herbs, and flowers.  For a new generation of Americans who have never farmed or gardened, this catalog will be, once again, a teaching resource.  For the D. Landreth Seed Company, itself, thanks to the generosity of each of you who have purchased this catalog, this document will save the historic little company that created it.”

“If this unpretending pamphlet should aid, even in an humble way, to advance the interest of Agriculture, or contribute to the enjoyments of rural life, the object of our ambition will have been fully accomplished, and our efforts stimulated renewed exertion.”  -David Landreth, founder 

Our garden has an overabundance of mint at the moment.  We have used it for everything you can imagine from mojitos to salads, but it keeps coming.  After dropping off several herb bundle gifts around the neighborhood, we decided it was time to store some for the months ahead when the crop might not be as plentiful.

 
Today's tips circle around the gathering and storing of mint and one of the tools you may use.  Having a pair of kitchen shears is essential to any good home kitchen.  In our house, there are never less than 2 pair floating around.  They somehow manage to disappear when you need them most.  To keep them sharp, follow the tip below.  You'll be surprised at how easy it is.

savour... helpful hints

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