If your interest in #gardening leans toward the edible rather than the decorative, many #vegetables and #fruits are easy to grow and yield plenty of good-for-you produce, Shifting Roots says. Lettuce, for example, sprouts fast from seed and keeps growing after you cut it. Similarly, kale and Swiss chard take off even in shady spots, providing healthy greens throughout the summer. Beans, potatoes and zucchini require very little attention, and root vegetables such as carrots, onions, beets and turnips mature underground without much attention to the above-ground foliage. Broccoli and cauliflower are less forgiving to the beginner though. #GardeningTips
Tag: victory garden
Plant a Garden That’s Low-Maintenance
Use low-maintenance #plants to beautify your outdoor space without a lot of fuss or labor, says The Middle Sized Garden. Start with shrubs and ornamental grasses; most need to be trimmed only once a year. Avoid annuals, which tend to be high-maintenance. Pack plants closely to inhibit weeds; you can always thin them out if things get crowded. And limit the number of varieties you plant and group them together for big swaths of color and texture. Or you can “rewild” your #garden to make it virtually self-sufficient, trimming only rarely to allow self-seeded plants, flowers and shrubs to take over. #GardeningTips
Plant a Garden That Doesn’t Need Much Upkeep
#Garden upkeep can get overwhelming if you pick #plants that die quickly without human intervention, says Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond. Pick a garden style that suits you and your situation to keep things easy-care. If you live in a dry climate, try #planting a selection of drought-tolerant #plants such as cactus or yarrow. Bulbs, perennials and self-seeding flowers and plants will return year after year with little care, often thriving and spreading to fill space. Many wildflowers attract birds and butterflies and don’t require a lot of care. And if you don’t have much space, a container garden can keep things manageable while beautifying your home. #GardeningTips
Plant a Garden That Takes Care of Itself
#Gardens don’t have to be difficult to be beautiful. Simply prioritize plants that thrive in your climate, soil type and water distribution pattern to guarantee success, says Fine Gardening. If you can base gardens on native perennials and “allies” from similar climate zones, gardens can actually get easier to care for every year. As plants get established, you’ll do more thinning and splitting than mowing, trimming, edging, watering and feeding. Feed your soil, mulch to prevent weeds and maybe rethink how much space you dedicate to a grass lawn. You’ll soon have a #garden that practically takes care of itself! #GardeningTips
Embracing Summer’s Bounty
#Summertime offers an embarrassment of riches — warm weather, #holidays to celebrate and cookouts galore. If you don’t like the heat, there are air-conditioned #summer blockbusters, pool parties and water sports to help keep cool.
Summer delivers bounty in the form of fresh fruits and vegetables, too. Whether you grow your own favorites in a backyard #garden or visit the local farmer’s market, there’s no match for fresh, flavorful produce harvested in season.
Here at The Organizing Blog, we enjoy growing heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, hot peppers, chard and herbs — and with the recent heat wave, are looking forward to a bumper crop. In less than a month, we’ll be running out of ways to use it all!
We’ll grill sweet corn and summer squash. We’ll bake zucchini bread and tomato-and-chard tarts. We’ll blend up potato-leek soup, basil pesto and fresh salsa. And we’ll make a host of other dishes that celebrate summer.
There are ways to keep enjoying that bounty year-round, say the chefs at The Chopping Block. Some vegetables can be blanched and frozen, and even more can be pickled and canned. And to enjoy a summery entrée later in the year, cook an extra and freeze it for a wintry day.
Even as you discover creative new ways to eat your way through the season, consider for a second whether your material bounty — your stockpile of owned, nonperishable things — is getting out of hand.
Summer is a great time to cull through those possessions and #organize. Cold weather won’t get in the way of #decluttering, and you can always stage a #garage sale to make a little money off the things you no longer want or need.
You can also #donate lightly used #clothing and household goods to ClothingDonations.org year-round with a #free #donation #pickup. Resale of those goods helps fund valuable #veterans programs.
However you choose to embrace summer’s bounty, remember that it won’t be around for long. Now’s your chance to enjoy everything that summer has to offer! #SummerBounty