Featured Article: Create a Butterfly Garden

With all this rain we've been moved to indoor garden planning once more(although we're loving the rain). This beautiful DIY gives you tips and tricks to creating your own Butterfly Garden! Butterflies make a lovely addition to any garden, so we're eager to try this garden plan out.

Will you try this in your garden? What do you think are the pros and cons? We love that it's pretty easy to understand and follow! Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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Featured Article: Tips for Growing Food in a Small Space

Wow! Can you believe the weather today? Here's to hoping it sticks around!

Weather like this makes us even more excited to plant both flowers and gardens! Are you feeling left out by your small spaces? Fear not! Today's featured article is all about growing food in small spaces. We love how much you can actually grow in pots! We've even seen pins for fruit trees in pots! What a great idea!

This article is chalk full of ideas to best utilize your small space for your own garden, so check it out! What is your favorite tip to try?
Read the article here.

Featured Article: Advice for Getting Summer Bulbs in the Ground

With above freezing temperatures during the day for about a week, we're really getting ready for Spring. Stores are agreeing with us and starting to stock their garden centers for all of the eager gardeners. If you've ever wondered how people get their summer bulbs in the ground, today's featured article is sure to help.

HGTV Gardens goes into great details about how to get your summer bulbs going. Now is the time, so don't delay! Read the article today and then run out to get yourself some bulbs to plant!

Read the article here

Featured Article: Design a Classic Produce Garden

This blustery winter weather means only one thing- we're delving even deeper into our garden planning! So, we loved today's featured article. We like growing our own food, so any edible garden guides are great. We found on from HGTV that is all about designing a classic produce garden. It's full of ideas for plants, necessities for this garden type, and generally some good ideas.

If you deal with the snow and wind by thinking of all the green things you will be planting in a few short months, today's featured article is definitely a must-read!

Read the original post here.

Featured Article: Growing Salsa Verde

We're currently sitting in that period of winter where we're all more than ready for it to be spring. One great way to combat the winter blues- start planning your garden for next spring! Today's featured article is great because it tells you all about growing Tomatillos, but it also focuses on one of the great things you can make from it- Salsa Verde.

Today's article has tips on growing Tomatillos and tips for making homemade Salsa Verde, which makes it a great read to kick the winter doldrums. Check it out today and start planning your Tomatillos plants today!

Read the article here.

Featured Article: Roofs with Roots: Stylish Sod Roofs

While we will always love the country in rural Iowa, the simple fact is that people are flocking to cities faster than ever. When living in a city it is difficult to grow anything, especially your own produce or garden. There just isn't the space. However, today's featured article is about a trend that is seeking to end that: Sod Roofs. These roofs allow residents to have their green space, regardless of wether or not they have lawn space.

The Apartment Therapy article shows 5 of their favorite sod roofs. We like them all, but wish we could see just how urban areas could benefit even more from these sod roofs. These are cool examples though, and a great starting place to adapt for your urban home.

Check out the article here.

Plants to Try in Your Garden This Year

It's a new year which means it's time to start planning your 2013 garden. While it's good to keep old favorites in the garden, it's also important to spice it up and try something new. We've found our favorite 5 plants to try this year in your garden!

Superbena

Superbena did particularly well in last year's scorching temperatures, given proper watering. To say these plants are heat tolerant is not an exaggeration in the slightest.

Vinca- "Jams 'N Jellies Blackberry"

This is another heat tolerant plant, that was the 2012 AAS Flower Award winner. These beautiful little bloom is a very dark purple hue, and can turn almost black in some areas. These are recommended to be planted near blue, pink, white, or lavender blossoms, to enhance it's natural color.

Brunnera macrophylla- "Jack Frost"

This plant does best in the shady section of your lawn. It does best with shade and well drained and watered soil. This plant is similar to a hosta, with tiny blue flowers. It's a beautiful addition to any yard or garden.

Muhlenbergia capillaris- "Muhly Grass"

This pink and airy grass is great for spicing ups a driveway or path, and definitely add some original gardening flair to any area. This plant does well in poorly drained soil, and they can do well in either full or partial sunlight. It is heat tolerant, but prefers to be well watered.

Mocca Scarlet Tuberous Begonia

Another positive lovely, heat tolerant blossom, this flower has a simply beautiful bloom. This plant requires partial to full shade. You can also dig up the tubers and save them for replanting next year!

These are just a couple we've picked for this year- what are planning on planting this year? Let us know!

Featured Article: Tips For Growing & Automating Your Own Vertical Indoor Garden

The new year is always a great time to make a change. This article is a great change idea for your home- a vertical garden! It's a great way to get your green fix year round!

Vertical gardens are growing in popularity, and in the cold Iowa winters, this hint of greenery can brighten up the cold, white days. If you've been thinking about starting an indoor garden you should check out this article. It's got some great tips and multiple ideas about how to go about your garden!

Read the full article here.

Featured Article: Fall Pest Patrol

We've already had a couple winter prep blogs for you garden, but today's featured article gets a little more in-depth with the cleanup part of your fall gardening duties. The blog post we're featuring, from A Way to Garden, is a great quick overview of how to deal with a host of pests that prey on your garden.

A lot of the pest cleanup work you do in the fall can greatly benefit your garden in the spring. The blog goes over some of the greatest problem pests, cabbage worms, viburnum leaf beetle, squash bugs, deer,  mice, and voles. All of these creatures can ruin a perfect garden, so taking out their paths and hiding places in the fall will make it hard for them to move back in come spring.


Read the full article here.

Photo Friday

With the dreary and blustery days we've had for the last week, this Photo Friday couldn't come soon enough. This week's photo is a great picture from one of the gardens using Chamness Brand Compost. It's great for landscapers and gardeners alike, and it makes plants flourish. We love this interesting planting layout that makes a beautiful Cyclone themed pinwheel in Ames.

Did you get any great shots this week? Be sure to share them in the comments!

Featured Article: Late October Stars (In the garden)

Today's featured article is a blog post from A Way To Garden. On Monday we talked about indoor plants for the cooler months, but this blog features a great selection of photos of plants that flourish in late October. She's posted a lot of very beautiful photos of her favorite fall foliage.

In Iowa it's pretty difficult for plants to hold a candle to the changing trees, but these photos show a more diverse selection of different plants in bloom. Check it out and share links to pictures of your favorites from your fall garden in the comments!

See the original post here.

Our 5 Favorite Indoor Plants for Winter

As the fall arrives we are often so lost in the swirl of colorful leaves we don't truly notice that our favorite spring and summer blooms are going dormant for the winter. When the cold weather hits and the beautiful red, oranges, and yellows have turned into crackly brown leaves on the ground, these plants will brighten up your house and remind you through the winter that spring is on it's way. Here are our top 5 indoor winter plants.

Amaryllis

Amaryllis bulbs have become a popular gift, you can buy them in beautiful pots from most stores these days around the holidays. These cheerful flowers are a type of Lily, and are sure to give your home a pop of color through the winter months. In the spring you can choose to transplant the flower to the ground so that it can liven up your garden as well. Make sure this flower gets plenty of sunlight and water.

Crocus

Crocus is another colorful bloom that can also flourish indoors. Make sure that your Crocus plant's pot has a good drainage system. This plant also works best with compost mixed into it's soil, so make sure you give it those added nutrients. After you plant the bulbs plant them in a dark place with an average temperature between 35-45 degrees. Once they sprout move the plant back into the (indirect) sunlight and water regularly.

Orchids

Orchids are beautiful, with a large variety of colors to fit any home decor. Make sure your orchid gets strong, indirect light. If possible, place your orchid somewhere that will give it a little humidity. This plant is another one that you can buy from a lot of different stores when the holiday's approach, since they are a popular gift flower.

Jasmine

Jasmine won't just look pretty, it is also a very fragrant plant. This plant is a bit of a crawler, so give it a trellis to crawl on if you like the look. Jasmine flourishes at 65 degrees, so if you keep your house a little cooler in the winter to save on that heating bill your Jasmine will love you. A little humidity will do Jasmine some good, and indirect sunlight is also what the plant prefers. However, if you have a dog for a family friend we urge caution with indoor Jasmine, as the plant isn't very puppy friendly.

Camellias

This last plant is a little bit trickier to keep, but is know to survive for a very long time if given the chance. It prefers cooler temperatures and large pots. While they require slower watering during the winter you should try to keep the soil moist at all times.

Do you have any other plants you love to use to brighten your home during the winter? Share them and your care plan in the comments!

Our Top 12 Tomato Recipes

Summer is slowly creeping into fall, and with that we're getting the last of our tomato plants (hopefully grown with compost so you get the best tomatoes). However, there is no need to worry, there are plenty of great tomato recipes that also store well for the winter! Here are our top 12 tomato recipes, and a few of them you could easily save to get your tomato fix later on!

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This Chilled Tomato Soup with Cilantro-Yogurt Swirl looks delicious. You have to make it the day before you plan on serving it, as it needs to be chilled, but as long as you plan for it, this soup is a great healthy summer supper.

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Here is the staple I'm sure you expected to be first on the list. This Roasted Tomato Sauce would go great with pasta or any other dish that calls for tomato sauce.

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 This Tomato-Basil Crab Bisque combines a lot of seasonal favorites, and so it can be made with all fresh ingredients this time of year. This would be tasty for the cooler summer nights we've been having lately.

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Garlic-Basil Grilled Chicken with Caprese Salsa is a great dish for summer, using the great weather as an excuse to grill and the fresh produce to create a great dish.

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Imagine a BLT on Fresh Tomato Bread. Sounds delicious, right? Well now you can make homemade tomato bread whenever the craving strikes. This recipe calls for tomato sauce and tomatos, but you could easily use the tomato sauce recipe we have below if you want to make sure it's all fresh.

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This Avocado, Tomato and Mango Salsa is a fun twist on traditional salsa and is great for the summer. Make it for your next dinner party and it's sure to please, just plan to chill it for 30 minutes before serving.

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Broiled Mahi-Mahi with Parsleyed Tomatoes is sure to be a family favorite after you try it once. If your family includes seafood lovers, this dish is sure to please.

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Just looking at this Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart is enough to make your mouth water. with leaks and herbs in season as well, this is sure to be a great fresh produce recipe to add to your collection!

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This Tomato-Basil Pizza is sure to please any pizza lover and it'd be very easy to personalize with your own favorite toppings.

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 This Linguine in Fresh Tomato Sauce with Garlic-Basil Toast is sure to make everyone happy. Just looking at it is sure to make your stomach growl.

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No list of tomato recipes would be complete without at least one Bruschetta recipe. This Double Tomato Bruschetta is sure to please any tomato lover and will make a great hor d'oeuvres for your next gathering.

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This recipe does require an ice-cream maker, but it is well worth it. This Tomato-Watermelon Sorbet is surprisingly delicious, although we would recommend reading the reviews and altering the recipe slightly to include less tomato juice(approximately 1 cup rather than 3).

Do you have any favorite tomato recipes? Let us know by posting them in the comments section!

How to Start Preparing Your Garden for Fall

Fall is fast approaching and after a rough summer, you'll want to prepare your garden for the fall even more. There are a few things you can start doing now to make sure you're ready for the upcoming season.

1) Maintain your landscape: Fall is the perfect time to clean up and maintain your garden. If a plant is completely dead, this might be the time to deal with that. It's also a great time to fill in spaces with new plants like shrubs. You can also prepare your vegetable garden for cooler weather with cool weather plants. It's also a good time to re-apply compost to make sure that your plants have plenty of nutrients.

2) Deal with your potted plants: If you were meaning to move your potted plants to the ground all summer, get that done with now. For more fragil plants that may not survive the winter or which thrive indoor, finding an indoor home for your potted plants in crucial. Remember that potted herbs can still do well inside as long as they have access to plenty of natural light.

3) Make room for your outdoor furniture: You shed or lawn and garden room was probably getting crowded all summer, but now is the time to clean out and reorganize so you can move your garden or patio furniture indoors if it isn't weatherproof for the winter.

4) Do some gardening tool maintenance: Garden tools are your reliable friends during the summer, but if you don't care for them properly you could find them rusting next spring. Make sure you take proper care for each of your tools and store them in an appropriate place so they can continue to work next year.

5) Take stock of what did and didn't work for you: Gardening is a learning process, and, like any learning process, you should make sure you take good notes. If one of your plants did exceptionally well this year, document it and figure out why. If one did very poorly make sure you do the same.

5 Tips for starting an Urban Garden

While we mostly deal with people who have whole farms to plant, with today's urbanization it is important to realize that urban gardening and growing is possible too. Whether you're in an apartment or your house is just inside of a city, it is still possible to grow your own fresh produce. However, starting a urban garden can be somewhat daunting, so we've assembled the top five tips for starting an urban garden.

1) Evaluate your gardening space: Do you get sun exposure? Is there access to a sufficient water supply? Is there heavy traffic nearby? All of these factors can lead to success or failure in urban gardening and so it is crucial that you scope out what sort of space you'll be working with and plant accordingly. If you don't get much sun pick plants that thrive in the shade, if you don't have a hose nearby only plan enough to water with your watering can, and try to plant far away from traffic as it can cause wind and pollution that are harmful to plants.

2) Find plants that work for your space limitations: One of the big factors in urban gardening is pot or plot, how much space do you have? If you only have enough room for potted plants, make sure your plan accordingly and get plants that can flourish in pots. Some vegetables and herbs do well in pots, but some need the space to spread. Make sure you know whether yours can thrive or if it needs a bigger space.

3) Evaluate your skills and your time commitment: If you are new to gardening, perhaps it's better to go with a low maintenance, easy to grow plant. There are lists all over the web about easy things to grow as a beginner, even vegetables. If you're a gardening pro, but you don't have a ton of time to garden a lower maintenance plant is probably for you as well.

4) Know your plants before you start: Some plants like to dry between waterings, while others need constant watering to survive. Determining what your plant needs in the way of water and sun can lead to a thriving garden.

5) Make sure your landlord/city is okay with it first: creating your own garden is a great plan, but if your upset landlord kicks you out because of your green habit then it isn't something you should be doing. Make sure that your landlord and your city is okay with it, and check if you need a permit to grow in your city.

If you follow all of these tips you'll be on your way to your own urban garden!

Gardening Inspiration

In this day and age it's becoming increasingly hard to have enough room to garden everything you would like, especially in urban areas. It's due to this trend that a new gardening fashion has arose, vertical gardening. If you've been on Pinterest, there are tons of tutorials for how to make your own. Some are fairly simple:

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While others can be fairly complex:

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We found a few that are inspiring us to try out vertical gardening on our own, so we thought we'd share them with you as well! Enjoy our top 10 Pinterest Vertical Gardens!

Original Pin

We love this one because it's simple, and you can recycle old coffee tins or other old cans in the process! We also think this one would be easy to do at home.

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This one is cute and could easily work both as an interior and exterior garden, if you wanted to add a little green to your sitting room. 

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This one is more inspiration than an easy how-to, but we love the look of making your plant life decorative, and we think these plants will definitely be getting enough light and rain!

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This pin leads to a DIY for this vertical garden, which was much simpler than we thought it would be! It also looks like a framed work of art, and we love that it almost becomes a decorative piece as well as a garden. 

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This is similar to the last one, but with a bit of asymmetrical flair. While there isn't a tutorial, we imagine that you could make it the same way as the previous vertical garden, just arrange the planters differently.

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Another vertical garden made of recycled materials! Recycle mason jars and old pieces of wood, from a pallet or otherwise, to make this fun little herb garden! 

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Whoa. That's about all we can say for this building turned mountain.

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What can we say, we're a sucker for Vertical gardens that recycle. And this one has a creative twist, as it doesn't climb up a wall, but rather hangs down, like planters only more space efficient!

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We love this trellis style vertical garden for a bit of a different, but classic, flair. 

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We're going to finish with an awe inspiring piece by one of the most famous vertical garden designers, Patrick Blanc. This pin links to an article with a bunch of pictures of his vertical gardens, you should definitely check them out for some inspiration.

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