Mommies Magazine

“Plant Your Own Vegetables” Family Day

Posted on 02. Jun, 2009 by Mom Mag.

Gardening can be a great activity to share with your family. In fact, if you have a “plant your own vegetables” family day, not only can you spend quality time together, before long you’ll also have “fresh from your own garden” vegetables to enjoy and share with others. Maybe you’ve never gardened much; don’t let that stop you. With everyone in your family’s help, you can get a garden planned and planted.

If you’ve never gardened, there is quite a bit to learn before getting started. First, you’ll need to find out what planting zone you live in. This is easily done by asking at a nursery or by looking online. You’ll also want to know what type of soil you have in your yard. This will let you know what nutrients will need to be added before you can begin planting. You may want to visit someone who has been gardening for a while to learn from their experience in regard to how large a garden you need, what vegetables would be best to plant, and how many of each plant you’ll need to get the harvest you’d like.

Start with a plan. Vegetables won’t grow in the shade so you’ll need to seek out a place in the yard that gets full sunlight. When you have chosen the area, you get to pick out the vegetables you’ll plant. If this is your first garden, don’t go crazy. You may want to try spinach or lettuce, green beans, corn, and several varieties of tomatoes. For a family of four you would want to buy two packs of lettuce plants, two packs of green beans, a package of corn, and three to four tomato plants per variety.

There are two ways you can lay out a garden. You can plant everything in rows of a single vegetable per row. You can also create square foot gardens where you break the total size of the garden into squares of one foot or more. Find out more about this type of gardening by getting a book from the library or checking online.

For the number of vegetables you’ll be planting, an 8’ x 10’ or 8’ x 12’ garden would be perfect. You don’t want to make the garden so large that you’ll be frustrated caring for it, but you do want it to be large enough to accommodate the plants as they grow.

Spread the work out among each family member, keeping in mind each one’s abilities. One person can run the rototiller, another can pick up the rocks, and another can dig the holes for the plants, and another can water the plants in. The old saying “many hands makes light of work” can certainly pertain to a family working in a garden.

When you plant your own vegetable garden, be sure to have fun. Gardening doesn’t have to be a dreaded task that no one in the family wants to do. Encourage everyone to chip in and then the fruits of their labor at harvest time will taste all that much sweeter.

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Wood Cabin Bird House – Eye Catching Stuffs for Your Back Garden

Posted on 01. Jun, 2009 by Mom Mag.

Wood cabin bird house is built from woods, so that it looks so gorgeous when putting it in nature environment. There are a lot of types of bird houses on the market now. This type of bird house is very appealing and complex.
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Create a Sensory Garden

Posted on 29. May, 2009 by Mom Mag.

Children love to go outside and explore. They love to hear the sounds of birds tweeting and crickets chirruping. They love to pick dandelions and blow the fluff into the wind as it whips across their face. If you create a sensory garden, your children will be thrilled as they explore everything.

What exactly is a sensory garden? It’s an area set aside in your yard or garden that is created to be accessible for visitors to touch, listen, smell, taste, and see. It’s a multi-sensory area for children and adults to enjoy together.

Design your sensory garden so that you can have each sense in its own area. Make weatherproof signs to show which areas are which; you could make an ear for hearing, an eye for seeing, a nose for smelling, a mouth for tasting, and a hand sign for touching. These will be easy for even young children to understand.

Hearing Section – You might want to plant some rattle snake grass, sweet corn, or Canterbury bell. These plants all make noise as the wind breezes across them or they attract bees which make a buzzing sound. You may also want to include a moving water feature like a fountain or wind chimes. A bird bath and bird feeders will encourage birds to visit the garden which will add to the sounds. These will enhance the overall aural experience.

Seeing Section – Of course, the easiest way to encourage sight pleasures is to have many colorful flowers. These would include giant sunflowers, poppies, zinnias, pumpkins, and marigolds. Include several sun catchers or an eye-catching mobile. Weather vanes would also be a sight treat for children. You may also want to create a wall where children can apply their artistic skills. Multi-colored pebbles or slate chips could add another dimension to the seeing area of the garden.

Smelling Section – There are so many flowers and plants that could be added to create an olfactory sensation that anyone visiting will remember. You could include flowers such as honeysuckle, lavender, roses, as well as herbs like peppermint, chamomile, and lemon balm. Be sure to warn children about the thorns on roses, but allow them to smell the flowers. You’ll also want to let them break the leaves on the herbs to let the smells out.

Tasting Section – Berries of all kinds are an obvious choice for the tasting section of your sensory garden. You could also include organic vegetables, several varieties of mint, and other herbs such as chives, parsley, and Stevia. While children are in the tasting area of the garden, be sure an adult is present to keep them from tasting something that shouldn’t be eaten.

Touching Section – Several plants would add to the sense of touch your children can enjoy. Lambs ear is a great plant that actually feels like a lamb’s ear. Gum trees have spiky seed pods that children may find interesting. You may want to have a protected touching table that has soft moss pieces, tree bark, smooth pebbles, and rough stepping stones.

If you’re unsure about which plants to include when you create a sensory garden, check with local nurseries for suggestions. Then design a garden to incorporate each of the five senses. You, your children, and any guests will enjoy the things you can learn from what you can see, smell, hear, taste, and touch.

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Create a Pizza Herb Pot

Posted on 28. May, 2009 by Mom Mag.

If your children are like most, they probably love pizza. What they may not realize, however, is that children can have a hand in making that pizza even better. Let your children create a pizza herb pot and watch their interest in gardening and cooking soar!

Herbs are some of the easiest plants to grow, especially for a beginner. You don’t need a large plot of land to create an herb garden; in fact, you can grow a number of herbs in clay pots. This will enable you to plant related herbs for each different type of cuisine you enjoy. Herb pots can also be grown on patios, porches, or even fire escapes – any place you have a sunny spot will do.

Since pizza is such a mainstay of the American diet, you may want to create an herb pot that grows the herbs you need for pizza. But which herbs would you grow in a pizza herb pot? You may want to plant basil, oregano, thyme, sage, and even cilantro. Here are the steps for making this herb pot -you can choose any other cuisine by changing the herbs being planted:

* Find a spot to place your herb pot that will receive at least five hours of sunlight each day. Place the herb pot on a saucer.

* Pick a large container, one that’s at least 20 inches in diameter. You can choose a plastic or clay pot that has a drainage hole to ensure the herbs don’t remain too wet. Some pots may have been glazed with leaded glaze; it would be best to avoid using this type to ensure you don’t transfer lead to the plants.

* Put a little bit of gravel into the bottom of the pot and covering the drainage hole. Doing this will keep the dirt in and allow the excess water to be released. After you have the gravel in the bottom, you’ll want to fill the container about two thirds of the way full. Sterilized potting soil is best to use.

* Go to your local garden center or home improvement center. Choose the plants you want and then place them in the pot, tallest growing plants in the center, and then placing the shorter plants around it.

* As you plant each individual herb, loosen the dirt around the roots and then put the plant into the soil. Cover the roots with more soil and then continue to the next plant. By the time the planter is full, you should have about two inches of space to the top of the planter. Be sure to water them in by adding plenty of water, although you don’t want water to stand in the planter or the saucer underneath it.

Instead of watering your plants each day, poke your finger into the dirt when you notice the top of the soil looking dry. If the soil is dry up to an inch below the top, it’s time to water your pizza herb garden. In a couple of weeks you can start harvesting your herbs. By carefully cutting the leaves and not pulling the plants out, your herb garden should produce fresh herbs for your home-made pizza all year long.

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Outdoor Pesticides and Kids – Is It Worth the Risk?

Posted on 26. May, 2009 by Mom Mag.

Since there’s so much life in a garden, people may think it’s a safe place to be in. Unfortunately that’s not always the case, particularly if you use pesticides in your garden. Knowing what pesticides do to the insects and animals in the garden, it may give you cause to think. Outdoor pesticides and kids – is it really worth the risk?

Of course, there are other things in a garden that could be harmful to a child. There is something you can do about it, however. You can learn about everything in your garden – pesticides that may be used, the natural flora and fauna you might find, and how to properly use any garden tools, and being watchful of children while they’re in the garden with you. With diligence you can avoid the potential hazards in your garden and keep pets and people safe.

If you choose to use chemical pesticides, at least do your best to keep them away from your children. You can do this by clearly labeling them as poisons, properly closing them after use, and storing them in such a way children can’t get to them. The easiest way to avoid any potential problem associated with chemical fertilizers, weed killers, and insecticides, however, is to not use them.

While you might find one or two pesticides that aren’t hazardous to pets and people, they are few and far between. One such pesticide is known as “milky spore,” a bacterium that is not known to be dangerous to people, animals, or any beneficial insects you may have in your garden. In fact, it is a very selective insecticide that will only kill certain types of beetles.

Pesticides are used to prevent insect infestation, kill them, or make it so that plants aren’t palatable to the insects and thus repel them. Nearly every type can be harmful to people, animals, or the environment. To understand how dangerous pesticides are, manufacturers must label them with signal words:

* The word “Danger” is the apex of words used on labels. Use of chemicals with this label requires extreme care. Improper use could result in children being sick, hurt for an extended period, blindness, or even death. This designation is also used to indicate the chemical could explode if it gets too hot.

* “Warning” labels indicate a less severe danger. This doesn’t mean they’re safe, but are not quite as dangerous as those with the “danger” label. Serious injury or illness could still result. This label also identifies chemicals that can catch on fire quite easily.

* “Caution” labels lead users to be careful when using them. While the dangers aren’t quite as serious as those with “danger” or “warning” labels, there are inherent problems associated with using them. You could develop skin irritations, illness from breathing the fumes, or serious damage to your eyes if it is splashed into them.

Store pesticides in containers that will keep them from curious eyes. But what should you do if someone is exposed to them? Quickly find out which chemical was spilled, breathed, or ingested so you can give this information to Poison Control (1-800-222-1222) or 911 when you call them. If the chemicals got into the eyes, rinse them out for 15-20 minutes under a shower or running water. If splashed, clothing must be removed and the skin rinsed for the same amount of time.

Remember that pesticides are poison and be sure to treat them accordingly. Knowing what they do, when considering outdoor pesticides and having kids, is it worth the risk?

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Organic Gardening – Healthy Eating Habits

Posted on 25. May, 2009 by Mom Mag.

Rising fuel prices may be the reason why the number of people planning a backyard garden has increased in recent years. The number of pesticides used in commercial farming is another reason why many people are choosing organic gardening. Healthy eating habits including eating locally grown foods can make the difference in how much your children like the vegetables your garden produces.

There are many reasons to choose to grow your own garden and to do so organically. Here are some of them:

* Vegetables you grow out of your own garden are fresher than commercially grown vegetables. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone with a garden leaving the food sitting around for more than a day or two. Commercial produce, however, has been picked before it is ripe, sprayed with chemicals to continue the ripening process during shipping, and then traveled up to 1,500 miles to reach your table.

* Organically and locally grown vegetables are healthier for you and your family. Fresh produce quickly loses nutrients. If you can eat it soon after it’s picked, it retains more of the nutrients.

* You don’t have to worry about any of the vegetables being genetically modified. Genetically modified seeds aren’t currently available to individuals and you probably don’t want to use them in your garden anyhow.

* Should you have more vegetables than your family can eat, you have three options. You can share the vegetables with friends, family, or neighbors. You can sell it at a local farmer’s market or a stand in your yard if that is permitted where you live. Or you can put it up (freezing or canning) for use later in the year.

* Any vegetable, or fruit for that matter, that you grow on your own property is going to taste better than vegetables from other areas of the country. You may actually hear your children say homegrown vegetables ‘taste like summer.’

Another reason to plant your own vegetable garden this summer is that you can use it as a way to teach your children about nature and how to care for the environment. You can also spend quality time with your child if you can get them to help you.

The biggest benefit of growing your own garden, however, is knowing where your vegetables came from. You’ll know what, if any, pesticides were used on them. You’ll also know that you and your children can go out the back door and pick them fresh.

Children who may be picky eaters when it comes to vegetables may be more willing to give them a try if they’re fresh from your garden. There’s no guarantee that your green bean-hating child will suddenly turn into a green bean lover, but there’s more of a chance that’ll happen if they have a hand in growing, caring for, and harvesting the beans themselves.

Organic gardening in your own back yard often leads to healthy eating habits. Let your children go outside, pick some cherry tomatoes and let them pop them into their mouth. You know what went into growing them and that they’re perfectly safe.

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Natural Garden Care Is Best

Posted on 24. May, 2009 by Mom Mag.

Now that warmer weather is here, you can be expected to be bombarded by advertisements for chemical products to kill weeds or fertilize your plants. Maybe you don’t want to use chemicals on your garden because you feel natural garden care is best. By using natural products, you not only help protect the environment but you’re also doing your best to take care of your children.

One of the most natural ways to care for your garden is to use compost. This is natural, organic matter that has decomposed and been broken down into nutrients the soil can use to feed and nourish the plants.  By incorporating the organic matter into your soil, the soil in your garden will become a living substance which will be able to ward off disease, weeds, and insects without the use of harmful chemicals. Natural fertilizers and pest control is used in place of chemicals, and they won’t bother the natural ecosystem.

Besides composting, you want your garden soil to be aerated. How do you do that? Well, you can physically go out to the garden with tines of a pitch fork and aerate the soil, or you can allow earthworms to do it for you. By having healthy, composted soil, you’ll create a habitat where earthworms can thrive.

Use companion planting. By planting vegetables by flowers or other plants, it is feasible to drive pests away. For instance, if you plant tomatoes near marigolds, the plant secretions from the marigolds will cause harmful nematodes to find another garden to infest. You can also plant garlic near plants to drive insects away.

Rotate your crops every year. In other words, don’t layout your garden with the plants in the same location every year. This depletes the soil of vital nutrients. For example, move the legumes into the location where corn stalks are usually placed because one places nitrogen into the soil and the other uses a lot of nitrogen. Rotating plants can also help prevent the development of some types of soil disease.

After the harvesting has been done, use the tiller to turn the dead plants back into the ground. This will put organic matter back into the soil and nourish it. It will also allow you to plant cover crops like clover, alfalfa, and rye which will keep the soil from becoming compacted during the winter months and can protect the soil. When it’s time to prepare your garden in the spring, you can again till the plants back into the soil to add much needed nutrients.

Regularly hoeing or manually weeding your garden will help keep plants healthy. They’ll be more resistant to insects and the weeds won’t be leaching the nutrients from the plants. You can also pour boiling water over the weeds to kill them. Using mulch around the plants can also keep weeds at bay and will help the soil retain more moisture.

If you notice that your plants are looking sickly, realize that every garden is going to have some pests. Sick plants attract predators. Add back beneficial insects such as lacewings or ladybugs to help diminish the number of bad insects in your garden. Some insects, however, may need a more direct and personal approach such as tent caterpillars; they can only be removed by hand to ensure you get them all.

Try using some of these ideas for natural gardening care this year in your garden. You, too, may decide that natural gardening is best. You’ll find you have better crops, you’re not poisoning the environment, and not risking poisoning the family you love.

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