It’s time to plant a GARDEN …..

     We just ordered LOTS of seeds (*you can read more about each variety and order at our website www.grainlady.com) and what makes these seeds special is they are either......

·        Organic  (*i.e. chemical free of all fungicides, pesticides, etc. )  or…

·        Heirloom  (*i.e. an "open pollinated" variety developed BEFORE 1940 - therefore BEFORE mass production!  99% of the seeds from this company are "open-pollinated" (non-hybrid) which means YOU CAN SAVE SEEDS from this year's crop to plant NEXT year! 

·        Non-GMO  (*there are no “animal” genes split into these “PLANT” seeds so no Frankenstein creations should come up! ha!)

These are the kind of seeds  GREAT GRANDPA  used! 

For the kids, and the kid in us!   (*Parents…please monitor your child’s time online.  I cannot vouch for the safety of any of these websites so supervise well, but they are fascinating sites!)

 Gardening with kids website!

http://www.gardening-with-kids.com   

 I have no idea what this is, or WHO these people are, but hey – it looks INTERESTNG! 

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Grow a GOURD and make a BIRDHOUSE!  The internet is FULL of ideas and instructions!

http://www.americangourdsociety.org/FAQ/birdhouse.html

http://www.gitaland.com/tutorials/tutivy.html

http://twostraightlines.typepad.com/two_straight_lines/2007/09/minimalist-bird.html - I love this “minimalist” birdhouse!  So simple, so easy – yet so elegant!

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/kc_recycled/article/0,,diy_13975_2273147,00.html

http://familyfun.go.com/decorating-ideas/gardening/feature/famf0502_proj_gourdhs/

TIP – How will I know how and WHEN to plant a garden?

There is a WEALTH of information on the Clemson Extension website,

such as this page on Planning a Garden with it’s “schedule” on each type produce!

(*also at http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/hgic1256.htm)

TIP – Our seed source gives this question & answer

“How do I save my own seeds?”

“Many seeds can be saved for planting until the next season. Simply store your seeds in a cool dry place. An easy way to do this is to place your seeds in a canning jar and store the jar in the refrigerator until next season. Ideally, the sum of the temperature and humidity should be less than 100 (seed storage index). For example, seeds stored at 50% humidity and 40 degrees Farenheit, will have a seed storage index of 90 ( 50 + 40 = 90). In general, the cooler and drier you keep your seeds, the longer they will last. Be aware that the germination will be lower and you may need to plant the seeds more thickly.”

Gardening with kids is especially fun!  Watching those tiny seeds push up through the soil is quite a lesson in determination!   And kids are closer to the ground, hence they're great at WEEDING!  

cindy