I’ve never done a giveaway before but I couldn’t think of a more fun one to do!
Do you like to garden and are gearing up for this year’s planting? I think I have enough to giveaway to multiple readers- actually probably everyone who replies, so don’t be shy. This is open to those in Canada or not. I don’t mind shipping overseas.
All you have to do is answer a few questions I’m wondering about:
- Do you have any secrets for developing and encouraging a strong, healthy garden?
- Do you grow flowers, fruits, vegetable or herbs? All of the above?
- What’s your favourite plant to grow?
- Is there anything you’ve wanted to grow but haven’t?
- Is there any one topic that you enjoy reading on my blog?
Not having done one of these before, I’m not sure how long I’ll keep it open. Perhaps a week? I think I’ll just go with the flow with this one!
Can’t wait to hear what you think!
Ooh ooh! A garden giveaway. Count me in! And way to go making us work for it…
With our short gardening seasons and hungry rodents looking for food I’ve learned the best thing I can do to ensure we have something to eat at summer’s end is armour up my beans and peas until they’re almost ready to flower. I haven’t figured out how exactly to do that before running out of growing season but I’m willing to try again next year.
I grow veggies, fruit and herbs and a few native flowering perennials and favourite of all is lemon cucumber. Chives, raspberries, beans and parsley are close behind.
I haven’t managed to sprout zucchini yet (I’m guessing because of the rodents) but there’s always next year:)
My favourite things to read about are what kind of things you’re doing – visiting the islands, riding the xtracycle etc. Keep it coming!
yippee!!! Right… here goes…
1. Do you have any secrets for developing and encouraging a strong, healthy garden?
Diversity! Encourage diversity in your growing space by planting flowers with your veg and fruit and never planting in mono cultures. Instead plant your veg in small blocks surrounded by flowers. You can use green manure flowers (like crimson clover, tares, marigolds etc) that will not only encourage strong growth in your veg and fruit but they’ll also encourage pollinators and pest control insects. Then you can just cut the green manure back, chuck it in your compost and leave the roots in the ground to rot and add to condition of your soil.
2. Do you grow flowers, fruits, vegetable or herbs? All of the above?
This year is the first year I wont be growing all of the above. However I’ll be doing as much as I can in containers and on our land.
3. What’s your favourite plant to grow?
Potatoes!!!
4. Is there anything you’ve wanted to grow but haven’t?
Cauliflower. I’ve never managed to grow one!
5. Is there any one topic that you enjoy reading on my blog?
I love being inspired by your wise choices for nurturing your children. Validating my own beliefs and teaching me things that I will use in the future when I have beans of my own to nurture and I thank you for it Annie!
hen
xxx
1. Do you have any secrets for developing and encouraging a strong, healthy garden?
My ‘secret’ is bird netting!! We have alot of cats in our area who have somehow ALL decided that my plots could be their personal litter boxes. ick.(it also keeps out the raccoons and skunks.
2. Do you grow flowers, fruits, vegetable or herbs? All of the above?
Mostly all of the above. I planted an apple tree two years ago, as well as some raspberry and blackberry bushes. The herbs I’ve had the most success with are oregano, mint (obviously!), sage, chamomile and basil. I’ve tried growing all sorts of veggies and flowers.
3. What’s your favourite plant to grow?
I think I would have to say cherry tomatoes, mostly because their so fun to eat!
4. Is there anything you’ve wanted to grow but haven’t?
Well, I’ve tried growing japanese eggplant and okra but have had absolutely no success. I know they’re very particular about soil and weather, but I’ll keep trying!
5. Is there any one topic that you enjoy reading on my blog?
Um, pretty much whatever you write in interesting! However, I especially like to read about your cooking and the activities you do with the kids.
Thanks a bunch!!
Great idea and great timing – we’re planning this year’s planting at the moment so thanks very much! Please count me in.
1. No real wisdom to impart I’m afraid – we’re fairly new to growing our own and still have a lot to learn. I do think it’s important to try to work with nature though and to grow as organically as possible.
2. We grow veg mostly but I do have a small area for herbs as I love to use them in my cooking. I’ll also be planting some fruit bushes this year too as I love making jam.
3. Strawberries – basically because I’m greedy and love to eat them as soon as they’re picked, still warm from the sun.
4. As we’re just starting out, there are loads of things I’d like to try…. but I think top of my list would be apples. I adore apples – love to eat them, cook with them, admire them and one day would like to press them to make cider.
5. Like Hen, I love to read your views on parenting. I’m very keen on natural, intuitive parenting too but there are very few people in my town on the same wavelength. Reading your blog helps me feel a little less isolated by my choices and inspires me to carry on regardless! :)
Fun!!!
1. Do you have any secrets for developing and encouraging a strong, healthy garden?
Well, we’ve been learning as we go, but epsom salts help encourage healthy tomato growth, and other than that, compost works wonders – but you have to be careful how much you put on – I had a very leafy garden last year without as much yield as I would have liked and there was obviously too much nitrogen in my garden.
2. Do you grow flowers, fruits, vegetable or herbs? All of the above?
All of the above – but perennial flowers only. I don’t have the time or patience to dead-head annuals :)
3. What’s your favourite plant to grow?
Any or all veggies. It’s so gratifying to be able to grow your own food.
4. Is there anything you’ve wanted to grow but haven’t?
Hmmmm…I don’t think so. We’ve grown pretty much everything that we eat over the years. Can’t grow broccoli worth a darn, though. It gets way too hot here.
5. Is there any one topic that you enjoy reading on my blog?
I enjoy it all!!
1. Do you have any secrets for developing and encouraging a strong, healthy garden?
No… lol… I have been having bad luck with gardening the last few years…
2. Do you grow flowers, fruits, vegetable or herbs? All of the above?
Vegetables mostly, herbs and a fruit or two…
3. What’s your favourite plant to grow?
Pumpkin… it always works!
4. Is there anything you’ve wanted to grow but haven’t?
Heirlooms…
5. Is there any one topic that you enjoy reading on my blog?
everything… I love your crafts, you views etc :)
We have always had a garden. I add lots of good stuff to the soil in the Spring. We grow veggies, flowers and herbs all together-really close together. So close that by August I can’t get to the tomatoes to even pick them! My favorite things to grow are lettuces and kale-they always produce more than we can eat. This year we will be moving our strawberry patch to make room for more veggies. I love reading about your simple life and looking at your pictures.
Packages are done and ready to mailed out tomorrow morning! Thanks so much to all of you for the really great advice and sharing your thoughts! Muah!
Annie,
Thank you so much. I was really excited when your letter came through the letter box this morning (when so much is done online and by email it’s lovely to get ‘real’ mail!) and when I opened it I got even more excited! Thank you, thank you, thank you! The seeds are wonderful – a really interesting mix and thank you also for the information about them – very helpful for a novice like me!
Thanks again!
Rebecca
Oh great, Rebecca! You were one of the first to get the parcel if you can believe it! I sure hope it all works out! Muah!