CALAMONDIN ORANGE TREE

The Calamondin Orange Tree was introduced to the United States in the 1900s. It is one of the only citrus trees that can withstand cold weather, and is hearty up to 20 degrees F. During the colder months, a Calamondin Orange Tree can survive indoors, which makes it a perfect container plant! It is such a beautiful plant and it smells absolutely wonderful, it is just as fragrant as jasmine. The fruit is quite fragrant too, it releases a citrus scent if you lightly squeeze it! I can't wait until they ripen!

SUCCULENT PROPAGATION

This year I figured out the secret to successfully propagating succulents.

Leave them alone! Exactly the opposite of what I'd like to do! I want to check on them 10 times a day to see if just maybe they grew in the last hour!

They are the most low maintenance things to propagate EVER! If they look dry, you can spray them gently with a spray bottle but not more than once every 5-7 days, if that. Leave them out of the sun, and most definitely leave them out of direct sunlight!

COME ON OVER POLLINATORS

P.S. I LOVE YOU BUMBLE BEES, HONEY BEES, & BUTTERFLIES

One of my goals for 29 in 29 was to plant things that would benefit bees and butterflies! I am so happy to say that it has been a total success. In my backyard there are always at least 30 - 40 bees, of all different types! There were even some hummingbirds, in fact I stared a hummingbird right in the face and saw its belly. It was a completely magical experience!

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Featured

Gardening, Growing, Nashville

Edible Garden: Back Patio Edition

Gardening, Growing, Nashville

Remember that one time we built a garden planter ladder? It has been almost one month, and the growth of all of the little baby seedlings is extraordinary! One of the most important parts of any types of gardening, is the soil you use. The soil contains nutrients which are absolutely vital for the health of your plants. If your soil lacks nutrients, so do your plants. Bad soil = bland and nutrition-less produce. I don't use any pesticides or harsh chemical fertilizers on my plants either. I like to encourage good bugs like ladybugs and honey bees to come and eat pests and pollinate, and I do not want to ingest any chemicals!

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Gardening, Growing, Nashville

2015 - Challenge, Growing, Gardening, Nashville

WE BUILT THIS - Garden Planter Ladder

2015 - Challenge, Growing, Gardening, Nashville

Four trips to Home Depot, 3 boxes of different sized deck screws, 2 crooked planter boxes, and 1 discarded planter. We have successfully completed our first big project involving wood, a saw, sanding, and a drill.

I have been looking for classes to take on woodworking or how to build stuff, etc. here in Nashville but have been unable to find anything! It was one of my goals for 29 in 29 and I have been looking periodically since last June!! I figured that instead of waiting around for a class to pop up, I could actually start doing something! This was THE PERFECT project for a good ol' learning experience!

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2015 - Challenge, Growing, Gardening, Nashville

Dessert, Gardening, Nutrition, Growing, Fruit, Quick, Summer Desserts

Strawberry Rhubarb Tart with Cracklin' Oat Bran Crust (<--- I KNOW!!!)

Dessert, Gardening, Nutrition, Growing, Fruit, Quick, Summer Desserts

Our car broke down again, for the second time in the past couple weeks, so Chris takes our working car and I work from home. Unless I have to run an errand, then I literally run them. So there I was, running an errand. It was a drizzling and I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts, Selected Shorts. Wham. Bam. Alakazam. Cracklin' Oat Bran. I wanted some. And wouldn't that make such a yummy tasting tart crust perfectly matched with fresh hand picked strawberries and rhubarb??

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Dessert, Gardening, Nutrition, Growing, Fruit, Quick, Summer Desserts

Nashville, Fruit, Growing

STRAWBERRY SEASON - Hand picked Strawberries from Bradley Kountry Acres

Nashville, Fruit, Growing

Strawberries aren't supposed to be crunchy. They aren't supposed to taste like iceberg lettuce. They're not all the same perfect size and shape.

Real, locally grown, strawberries, farmed by a handful of human beings, are bright red! They vary in shape and size. Some are perfectly round, some beet shaped, and some do have the perfect cone shape we see in the grocery store. The flavor is exquisite. Every single bite is sweet, juicy, and a little bit tangy,

For the past four years, we've made the 45 minute trip up to Bradley Kountry Acres in Cottontown, Tennessee to pick strawberries.

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Nashville, Fruit, Growing

Cocktails, Gardening, Quick, Growing

Rhubarb Rumbler Cocktail

Cocktails, Gardening, Quick, Growing

Refreshing. Light. Springy. Sweet/Salty. Tart. DELICIOUS.

I've had a rhubarb plant for about four years. Rhubarb was something I really missed about Minnesota. In Minnesota, I feel like everyone has a rhubarb plant/plants. Am I right Minnesota friends???

I have great memories of delicious rhubarb crumble/cobbler/crisp/pie/bars. YES BARS. Thats a shoutout to my Minnesota roots.

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Cocktails, Gardening, Quick, Growing

Entrees, Leftovers, Quick, Vegetarian, Gardening, Growing, Meatless Monday, Healthy, Healthy New Year

EASY Butternut Squash Pasta with Chickpeas & Roasted Hazelnuts

Entrees, Leftovers, Quick, Vegetarian, Gardening, Growing, Meatless Monday, Healthy, Healthy New Year

One of my favorite people in the world, Brooke, told me that she has a special term for May; 'CRAYMAY'. CrayMay INDEED.

Butternut Squash Pasta is one of my go-tos when we need a good substantial dinner in a short amount of time. Super delicious, easy, and quick! You probably already have several of the ingredients on hand. The only ingredient I usually have to buy is the butternut squash.

Quick, Vegetarian, The Grateful Plate Series, Entrees, Sides, Meatless Monday, Growing, Gardening, Vegetables

Grilled Panzanella

Quick, Vegetarian, The Grateful Plate Series, Entrees, Sides, Meatless Monday, Growing, Gardening, Vegetables

Soon enough, I will have to say goodbye to most of my plants until next spring. Waaaaaaahhhh. The mailman, UPS, Fedex, our dogs, and probably most of our neighbors are all secretly cheering for the disappearance of the tiny jungle I’ve amassed in front of our house and on the steps leading to our front door. We live in a row of townhouses, so I pretty much use every square inch we have and even still, we run over at least one plant a week. I just ran over the oregano I brought back to life and I’m pretty ticked off at myself.