Guess who set her alarm to wake up 30 minutes earlier to go sit out in the garden before work? This girl lol! • If you aren’t new here you know how much I’ve wanted a sitting area in the garden. Last weekend that desire became a reality thanks to @yitahome.us :). You can see the assembly and setup over on YouTube, check out the second link in my bio. There’s a 15% discount code available as well (YDUH15). • This is a much better use of the space in my opinion. I say and looked the garden to decide where three pots could be moved to make it a more comfortable space and I found spots. I even noticed a space where I could put more bags…woohoo! • I can’t explain how excited I am to have this new edition in the garden! • #urbanhomestead #urbanhomesteader #gardening #garden #blackgirlsgardening #growyourownfood #smallspacegardening #beginnergardener #backyardgarden #virginiagardener #zone7b
You might be a crunchy homesteading mama if you carry your own tiny mason jar of pink Himalayan salt with you. #pinkhimalayansalt #naturalelectrolytes #stayhydrated #gardening #virginiahomesteader #virginiagardener
First year seedling/first bloom. First instinct was to immediately cull but when I looked further I found 4 branches and counted 15 buds. She got a reprieve until next year 🤣 * * * * #hybridizingdaylillies #urbanfarm #pesticidefree #flowerfarm #sustainableliving #wintersowing #veggiegardening #zone8a #homesteading #potager #flowers #dahlias #daylillies #plants #cutflowers #gardenrooms #virginiagardener #fallgardening #kitchengarden #herbgardening #herbs #foraging #gardeningtips #gardenideas #DIY #reclaimedtreasures
Planted most of my tomatoes and took proactive measures to protect from cut worms. Never had encountered until last year when I planted my tomato seedlings. Lost one after they ate through the stem at ground level and nearly lost a second. Thankfully, they had only eaten through half the stem of the second. I carefully lowered the plant, placing the damaged area underground, and it grew with no issues. By placing tie tape at the base of each plant, it should block access and my plants will hopefully not have issues. FYI, remember to plant 40 to 50% of your plant underground to promote root growth. #gardeningtips #tomatoes #growyourown #growyourownfood #virginiagardener
It’s nice to be getting somewhat clean eggs again lol. Come on spring! • It’s baby chick season 😍. I personally cannot be persuaded by chicken math where I live but I definitely would if I could lol. Currently, I have maxed out. • I always talk about how I prefer quail eggs over chicken eggs but I’m not raising them just for eggs (no not meat either lol). Chickens were on my wishlist long before we waltzed into Tractor Supply and spontaneously purchased them and before I thought about gardening honestly. The thought of having chickens felt like going back to a day when life was a little simpler…a day I hadn’t ever experienced but it seemed “romantic”. Not the cleaning lol but the feeding, watering, closing them up at night, opening up the coop in the morning, the chicken noises and having them gather around me as I feed them treats from my hand. • I’ll admit as they grew I grew a bit scared of them. Not because of anything they did…it was more my anxiety. Anxiety is pesky that way. • Anywho, fast forward and I enjoy them so much. I still don’t cuddle them like my daughter but we have friendly banter and they do indeed gather around and eat treats out of my hand. I’ve heard chickens remember faces and I believe that because they greet me everytime I invade their area. It’s so funny because they head right over to the treat can to remind me it’s time 🤗. • O and I get eggs 😉 • #urbanhomestead #urbanhomesteader #backyardchickens #urbanchickens #growyourownfood #smallspacegardening #beginnergardener #blackgirlsgardening #virginiagardener #zone7b
Finally getting some more daylily blooms and first dahlia bloom 🌸 * * * * #urbanfarm #pesticidefree #flowerfarm #sustainableliving #wintersowing #veggiegardening #zone8a #homesteading #potager #flowers #dahlias #daylillies #plants #cutflowers #gardenrooms #virginiagardener #fallgardening #kitchengarden #herbgardening #herbs #foraging #gardeningtips #gardenideas #DIY #reclaimedtreasures
Big, happy, sigh. What brings you joy on a rainy day? #virginiagardener #zone7b
Rainy day relief #virginiagardener #zone7b
I love soil blocking 💕 70 seedlings on one small tray Started the Floret zinnia seeds just over 3 weeks ago—followed recommendations for timing from Lisa Mason Ziegler @gardenersworkshopfarm Hardened off after 2 weeks and now planting out 10 days later Precious Metals and Victorian Wedding 💕 Can’t wait for the blooms!! * * * * #soilblocking #floretzinnias #urbanfarm #pesticidefree #flowerfarm #sustainableliving #wintersowing #veggiegardening #zone8a #homesteading #potager #flowers #dahlias #daylillies #plants #cutflowers #gardenrooms #virginiagardener #fallgardening #kitchengarden #herbgardening #herbs #foraging #gardeningtips #gardenideas #DIY #reclaimedtreasures
And after the strawberries come the blueberries! This weekend I’ll get these covered or the birds will clear them out for me lol. Once I’ve gotten all I want I’ll uncover and share! • My blueberrie bushes are in-ground. There’s something about in-ground fruit bushes and trees for me. When I first thought of getting them I didn’t want them anywhere but in the ground. I don’t do much to these bushes aside from fertilizing them in early spring with Hollytone. I didn’t get around to it this spring though. Blueberries like acidic soil and Hollytone seems to work for them. • Honest truth, I didn’t do any of my normal early spring work 🤦🏾♀️🤣. Didn’t trim one rose bush, prune the grapevine or fertilize any perennials. Perhaps being on top of my game in previous years paid off for me. None of the plants have missed a beat so far…the verdict is still out on the grapevine lol! • #urbanhomesteader #urbanhomestead #growyourownfood #smallspacegardening #beginnergardener #blackgirlsgardening #gardening #garden #virginiagardener #zone7b
One thing bout me I’m gonna plant so tomatoes in a bag lol. Peppers too but I’ll play around with trying them in other places. I’ve had a lot of success growing them this way. As they grow I use the Florida weave method with t-posts to trellis them. Last year was my first time trellising this way and I loved it! • I no longer dump my bags or take my infrastructure down each year. Last year was my first time trying this as well. In fall I pulled the roots of all the plants, covered the surface of the soil with leaves and left them where they were. In spring I amended them and planted. Worked splendidly lol! No matter where I garden I believe I’ll always have grow bags. • As the season starts I imagine new gardeners may be looking at options for growing or starting small. Grow bags are a great option. They can moved throughout the season and fertilized specifically for the plant that is in it. Additionally, in my opinion, most anything that can grow in the ground can grow in a grow bag. The one thing I would mention is they do dry out quickly. Which for me isn’t the end of the world b/c I don’t mind hanging out in garden watering my plants. 😁 • #urbanhomestead #urbanhomesteader #garden #gardening #growyourownfood #smallspacegardening #beginnergardener #blackgirlsgardening #backyardgarden #virginiagardener #zone7b
Chilling on the deck with my sweet (but naughty) Sizzle. #deck #springvibe #cat #cats #rescuecat #fatcat #wine #cottageinthewoods #relaxing #pottedplants #virginiagardener
Gardening until the solar lights come on…happy Mother’s Day to me 🥰 . #GatchGardens #SustainableLiving #BackyardGardener #VirginiaGardener #SupportLocal #GrowingTogether #Zone7Gardening #ContainerGardening #RaisedBedGardening #PollinatorGarden #DripIrrigation #UrbanFarmer #SeedStarting #Seedlings #OrganicGarden #Pollinator #GrownFromSeed #VegetableGarden #GardenersofInstagram #KitchenGarden #FreshFromtheGarden #GrowYourOwn #GardenIdeas #GreenThumb #GardenInspiration #GrowWhereYouAre #UrbanFarming #Homegrown #BackyardGardener
It’s never too late to get your Mama flowers 💐 One lucky grandmother received these as they traveled home from a camping trip 💕 * * * * #mothersdaybouquet #localflowers #freshcutflowers #urbanfarm #pesticidefree #flowerfarm #sustainableliving #wintersowing #veggiegardening #zone8a #homesteading #potager #flowers #dahlias #daylillies #plants #cutflowers #gardenrooms #virginiagardener #fallgardening #kitchengarden #herbgardening #herbs #foraging #gardeningtips #gardenideas #DIY #reclaimedtreasures
The sights, scents, and sounds at the Garden of Note event were a true pleasure. My wife Kristina and I had a wonderful time at this yearly fundraiser hosted by the @RestonChorale and Reston Garden Club! 🌸🎶 #GardenOfNote #RestonChorale #Reston #EnjoyReston #CommunityEvent #VirginiaGardens #VirginiaGardener #VirginiaGardening #VirginiaGarden #GardensofInsta
Happy Mother’s Day from @blueridgegardenclub ! This little bundle of energy (and hopefully future gardener) enjoyed checking out the plants at yesterday’s sale at Lexington’s Hopkins Green. Have a wonderful day! #mothersday #blueridgegardenclubva #plantsale #virginiagardener #visitlexingtonva
Ready for delivery! We still have some peonies left and not too late to order 🌸 * * * * #mothersdaybouquet #urbanfarm #pesticidefree #flowerfarm #sustainableliving #wintersowing #veggiegardening #zone8a #homesteading #potager #flowers #dahlias #daylillies #plants #cutflowers #gardenrooms #virginiagardener #fallgardening #kitchengarden #herbgardening #herbs #foraging #gardeningtips #gardenideas #DIY #reclaimedtreasures
A shady corner at the front of the Villa. Native mountain laurel are happy here, as is the “just beginning” plumbago and begonia grandis. The mop-headed allium always steal the show 💜. Happy Gardening! #springgarden #thecrowsvilla #allium #mountainlaurel #townhomegarden #virginiagardener #thecrowsgarden #justgettingstarted
Spinach about to bolt? We just harvested all of ours! It will be a spinach-filled weekend, starting with this spinach mango smoothie bowl made with @foragerproject plain cashew and coconut yogurt and homemade cashew milk. Topped with pistachio, almond and coconut granola from @hudsonhenrybakingco. #smoothiebowl #spinachsmoothie #spinachmangosmoothie #mangosmoothie #vegansmoothie #plantbased #gardentotable #backyardgrocerystore #backyardgarden #growinggreens #growyourown #gyo #growyourownveggies #growingahomestead #virginiagardener
Another beautiful flower that I love so much! I give you the hollyhock 😍! • As I understand from my research these plants flower in their second year but I have had hollyhocks that flower in the first year. From my experience they do die off after the second year. I plant new hollyhocks every year to make sure they are always in my garden. I think they are so beautiful! • #urbanhomestead #urbanhomesteading #urbanhomesteader #garden #gardening #blackgirlsgardening #growyourownfood #smallspacegardening #beginnergardener #virginiagardener #zone7b
garden last night 🌙 . . . #virginiagardener #virginiagardens #zone7a #zone7b #richmond #backyardgarden #backyardgardener #homegrown #vegetablegardening #growingvegetables #veggiegarden #homegrownveggies #growyourownfood #growfoodnotlawns #vegetablegarden #growyourown #growfood #gardenersofinstagram #ediblegarden #fromseed #cutflowers #cutflowergarden #gardeninglife #gardenersofig #gardenersworld #ihavethisthingwithflowers #flowerstagram #flowersofig #flowerfarmer #flowerfarming
Over the weekend I got more than 90% of the garden planted out for the summer season! • On day one (last Saturday) me and my @homeandgarden_trends kneeler and stool got a lot of work done lol. Yep, at this point we are a team! 🤣 Having an item that can easily move with me around the garden to assist with kneeling and sitting is a game changer. You can check out the link in my bio for more information about this kneeler and stool, you can get 20% off by using my code msasia20. • Y’all on Saturday I got all the remaining beds planted out with starts and direct sown seeds! My entire Saturday was spent in the garden. Btw having a basic plan on paper, that I actually used, was also a gamer changer. I did not plant everything as planned because some seeds didn’t germinate, others germinated better than expected and I had so many volunteer potatoes this year that I didn’t have as many bags available as I had expected. So having a plan at least gave me a place to start which didn’t include just staring and putting plants anywhere lol. Although there isn’t anything wrong with that either! • On Sunday all I had left was tomatoes and zinnias to plant! My daughter helped on Sunday…thank goodness! We planted probably 40+ tomatoes and a few peppers in bags. O btw we are trying peppers in a bed this year, again 🤣. Wish me luck! • Between now and the weekend we will finish planting the zinnias and two more trellises. After that we are done but I will be starting more seeds for succession planting. Here we go!! Woohoo! 🌱 • SN: If anyone wants an Ameraucana who doesn’t care if you cut one wing or two, she’s getting out of the enclosure…I have one for you! 🤣 She has eaten most of my marigold seedlings, dug/sat in my metal raised beds and started enjoying strawberries! Come get her lol! • #urbanhomestead #urbanhomesteader #backyardgardening #garden #gardening #blackgirlsgardening #smallspacegardening #growyourownfood #beginnergardener #virginiagardener #zone7b
Obsessing over flower blooms!!! I love Spring. 🥰 . #GatchGardens #SustainableLiving #BackyardGardener #VirginiaGardener #SupportLocal #GrowingTogether #Zone7Gardening #ContainerGardening #RaisedBedGardening #PollinatorGarden #DripIrrigation #UrbanFarmer #SeedStarting #Seedlings #OrganicGarden #Pollinator #GrownFromSeed #VegetableGarden #GardenersofInstagram #KitchenGarden #FreshFromtheGarden #GrowYourOwn #GardenIdeas #GreenThumb #GardenInspiration #GrowWhereYouAre #UrbanFarming #Homegrown #BackyardGardener
Princess Anne tree rose in saturated pink. LA Dreamin’ tree rose is my smallest but the blooms are pretty large. Happy Hump Day all! #treeroses #princessannerose #ladreamingrose #roses #rosesofinstagram #ilovegardening #virginiagardens #virginiagardener #zone7gardening #zone7agardening #zone7bgardening #nofilterneeded
First nasturtium blooms of the year! I love nasturtiums…the taste and the sight! • #urbanhomestead #urbanhomesteader #gardening #garden #backyardgarden #blackgirlsgardening #smallspacegardening #growyourownfood #beginnergardener #virginiagardener #zone7b
Pretty good germination of my Floret Zinnias—Precious metals and Victorian wedding They are 2 weeks old—going outside to harden off in a protected area for 7-10 days Soil blocking for the win! * * * * #urbanfarm #zinnias #soilblocking #pesticidefree #flowerfarm #sustainableliving #wintersowing #veggiegardening #zone8a #homesteading #potager #flowers #dahlias #daylillies #plants #cutflowers #gardenrooms #virginiagardener #fallgardening #kitchengarden #herbgardening #herbs #foraging #gardeningtips #gardenideas #DIY #reclaimedtreasures
strawberry season 🍓 . . . #virginiagardener #virginiagardens #zone7a #zone7b #richmond #backyardgarden #backyardgardener #homegrown #vegetablegardening #growingvegetables #veggiegarden #homegrownveggies #growyourownfood #growfoodnotlawns #vegetablegarden #growyourown #growfood #gardenersofinstagram #ediblegarden #fromseed #cutflowers #cutflowergarden #gardeninglife #gardenersofig #gardenersworld #ihavethisthingwithflowers #flowerstagram #flowersofig #strawberryseason #fruitgarden
Saturday, May 11th, 9am-12noon is the County Council of Garden Clubs plant sale! It is held at Hopkins Green in downtown Lexington. Great bargains and stop by to see the Blue Ridge Garden Club’s booth! #virginiagardener #visitlexingtonva #blueridgegardenclubva
Thank you, Friend! . #northernpiedmont #zone7b #virginiagardener #suburbangarden #habitatgarden #coralhoneysuckle #lonicerasempervirens #nativeplantsofva #virginianativeplants #plantnovanatives #grownatives #merrowgrows
Every morning we take a walk in our yard. This morning following the rain, it is amazing how much has grown and bloomed. It's beautiful. Now, if I can just finish putting in my vegetable garden. #igotothegarden #springflowers #perennialflowers #flowers #zone7a #virginiagarden #virginiagardener
First arrangement made up of (almost) exclusively flowers from our garden! Rhododendron, iris, peonies, miniature roses, delphinium, pincushion flower, foxglove from the yard & snapdragons from @irvingtonspringfarm 💐🤍 I love spring & living in Lynchburg 🥰
And so it begins…the 2024 Daylily season! #HamTownSpice * * * * * #urbanfarm #pesticidefree #flowerfarm #sustainableliving #wintersowing #veggiegardening #zone8a #homesteading #potager #flowers #dahlias #daylillies #plants #cutflowers #gardenrooms #virginiagardener #fallgardening #kitchengarden #herbgardening #herbs #foraging #gardeningtips #gardenideas #DIY #reclaimedtreasures
My husband is making a brick pathway in one of my beds out of >100 year old repurposed bricks He found another animal print! 🐾 The other one we found a few years ago was incorporated into my lavender bed pathway * * * * * #urbanfarm #pesticidefree #flowerfarm #sustainableliving #wintersowing #veggiegardening #zone8a #homesteading #potager #flowers #dahlias #daylillies #plants #cutflowers #gardenrooms #virginiagardener #fallgardening #kitchengarden #herbgardening #herbs #foraging #gardeningtips #gardenideas #DIY #reclaimedtreasures
I’ve done a lot of talking about not potting up much this year. I meant it when I said it and I’ll probably continue on my path…cause it’s just who I am 🤣. • Anywho, this maybe the result if you choose to do it. This is a pretty root bound basil seedling that clearly have been sitting in water 🫣. How do I know they’ve been sitting in water? Because the roots are brown. They should be white. Does it bother me? Not really, I’m planning to get everything planted out this week. Plants are quite resilient and will, in most cases, bounce back once they are in an environment they can thrive in, like the garden bed lol. • Today it is overcast and it’s suppose to rain off and on. Perfect day for planting! • #urbanhomestead #urbanhomesteader #backyardgarden #growyourownfood #smallspacegardening #beginnergardener #blackgirlsgardening #virginiagardener #zone7b
My new bestie is curly dock - love the green spikes!
Bees are buzzing, flowers are blooming, life is good. . #GatchGardens #SustainableLiving #BackyardGardener #VirginiaGardener #SupportLocal #GrowingTogether #Zone7Gardening #ContainerGardening #RaisedBedGardening #PollinatorGarden #DripIrrigation #UrbanFarmer #SeedStarting #Seedlings #OrganicGarden #Pollinator #GrownFromSeed #VegetableGarden #GardenersofInstagram #KitchenGarden #FreshFromtheGarden #GrowYourOwn #GardenIdeas #GreenThumb #GardenInspiration #GrowWhereYouAre #UrbanFarming #Homegrown #BackyardGardener
Garden update! Peonies, zinnias, irises, foxglove, delphinium, pincushion flower, broccoli, blackberry, azalea, and rhododendron 🌸 I love this sweet garden
Finally, the cool weather veggies are getting big enough to eat. #gardening #virginiagardener #growyourownfood
We will have sweet potatoes this year after all! These are leftovers from last year’s harvest that started sprouting! Nature is so fun! • I didn’t do anything to get these to sprout. Perhaps I’ve found an easy hands off way to get sweet potatoes slips. I’ll take it 🤣! • Happy Sunday all! For those who have been waiting for a YouTube video the wait is over. Check out the link in my bio! It’s a garden tour! Woohoo! • I’m headed to the pier with my daughter! Hopefully we’ll catch a few fish. What are you up to today? • #urbanhomestead #backyardgarden #garden #gardening #growyourownfood #blackgirlsgardening #smallspacegardening #beginnergardener #virginiagardener #zone7b
🌸 Floret zinnias “Precious Metals” and “Victorian Wedding” 🌸 Had germination start by 48 hours and this is day 4! 🌸 Hope they continue to do well * * * * * #urbanfarm #pesticidefree #flowerfarm #soilblocking #sustainableliving #wintersowing #veggiegardening #zone8a #homesteading #potager #flowers #dahlias #daylillies #plants #cutflowers #gardenrooms #virginiagardener #fallgardening #kitchengarden #herbgardening #herbs #foraging #gardeningtips #gardenideas #DIY #reclaimedtreasures
The seedlings made it outside today and I filmed a YouTube video!! O yay lol. It’s uploading now! • My summer seedlings will be in the garden until planting time. I have ended the back and forth hardening off process at Yellow Door Urban Homestead lol. They have been in the greenhouse with the door open for at least a week. In my mind they are acclimated to the temperatures and now they’ll get acclimated to the winds and rain. I’m about a week away from planting time! I’m soooooo excited! • #urbanhomestead #backyardgarden #growyourownfood #garden #gardening #smallspacegardening #beginnergardener #blackgirlsgardening #virginiagardener #zone7b
Blooms are blooming!!! 🌹🌸🌺🌷🌻🌼🪻 . #GatchGardens #SustainableLiving #BackyardGardener #VirginiaGardener #SupportLocal #GrowingTogether #Zone7Gardening #ContainerGardening #RaisedBedGardening #PollinatorGarden #DripIrrigation #UrbanFarmer #SeedStarting #Seedlings #OrganicGarden #Pollinator #GrownFromSeed #VegetableGarden #GardenersofInstagram #KitchenGarden #FreshFromtheGarden #GrowYourOwn #GardenIdeas #GreenThumb #GardenInspiration #GrowWhereYouAre #UrbanFarming #Homegrown #BackyardGardener
🌿 Chesapeake Master Gardener’s sale is tomorrow! I got this mini petunia there last year and it overwintered 😍 And yup-that is me at last year’s sale in the rain. I don’t think the lady behind me was very happy 🤭 Details are in the flyer posted 🌿 * * * * #plantsale #urbanfarm #pesticidefree #flowerfarm #sustainableliving #wintersowing #veggiegardening #zone8a #homesteading #potager #flowers #dahlias #daylillies #plants #cutflowers #gardenrooms #virginiagardener #fallgardening #kitchengarden #herbgardening #herbs #foraging #gardeningtips #gardenideas #DIY #reclaimedtreasures
💐 Finally was able to use the hand blown vase I found at the thrift store in an arrangement—the opening is so wide it has been tricky! 💐 The tall arrangement still isn’t the best but I received some good feedback on what to do differently next time 💐 Practice, practice, practice…I’ll get there! * * * * #urbanfarm #pesticidefree #flowerfarm #sustainableliving #wintersowing #veggiegardening #zone8a #homesteading #potager #flowers #dahlias #daylillies #plants #cutflowers #gardenrooms #virginiagardener #fallgardening #kitchengarden #herbgardening #herbs #foraging #gardeningtips #gardenideas #DIY #reclaimedtreasures
During a routine transport, I lost a few pomegranate buds. It gave me a chance to get creative. I’m going to be playing with printing from the garden, pressing flowers and vegetables in archival ink and seeing all the magic that comes through. #gardenartwork #virginiagardener
I finally tried my homegrown quail fried! It was delicious! These two are for my son, I already ate. I’ll definitely pluck more durning the next processing. • People often ask why quail? The short answer is space and local ordinances. My locality only allow 6 hens and no roosters. With that being the case, raising meat chickens is not sustainable for me. However, there are no ordinances for quail (to my knowledge) and quail do not require much space. They can also be grown out in smalls spaces as well as indoors. • Not only can they be grown indoors they can be processed indoors with minimal mess. Additionally, processing is quite simple. When I originally started looking for a meat source my mind went straight to rabbits. As the search continued quail showed up in YouTube feed and my mind was made up lol. • I like to be as honest as possible and when I say it was a struggle to get the covey started…it was a struggle lol. My hatch rates were low and my survival rates were even lower lol. Eventually things started to look up for me. I’ve done a few processing sessions now and my covey outside is doing well! They currently aren’t laying much but I expect that to change as the weather warms up. • I like this little life 😉. • #urbanhomestead #backyardgarden #smallspacegardening #growyourownfood #beginnergardener #blackgirlsgardening #garden #gardening #virginiagardener #zone7b
🌸 Floret Originals started today in the small soil blocks 🌸 Zinnias: Precious Metals and Victorian Wedding 🌸 Celosia: Dusty Rose and Spun Sugar 🌸 Goal is to have the zinnias hardening off in 2 weeks and planted out by week 3 🌸Curious how the germination is going to be as I’ve heard stories of 50% while others say near 100% 🌸 Anyone else planted the new Florets? * * * * #urbanfarm #pesticidefree #flowerfarm #sustainableliving #wintersowing #soilblocking #veggiegardening #zone8a #homesteading #potager #flowers #dahlias #daylillies #plants #cutflowers #gardenrooms #virginiagardener #fallgardening #kitchengarden #herbgardening #herbs #foraging #gardeningtips #gardenideas #DIY #reclaimedtreasures
Frost advisory tonight! Low to mid 30’s 🥶 Tomatoes have been hardened off but not planted-I have them all in a makeshift cinder block cold frame with frost cloth Covered the colabracha that overwintered and is now in full bloom with a simple blanket Tossed a frost blanket over the wintersown seedlings still in their jugs. They are likely fine but better safe than sorry What have you done to prepare? * * * * * #frostwarning #wintwersowing #urbanfarm #pesticidefree #sustainableliving #veggiegardening #zone8a #homesteading #potager #flowers #dahlias #daylillies #plants #cutflowers #gardenrooms #virginiagardener #fallgardening #kitchengarden #herbgardening #herbs #foraging #gardeningtips #gardenideas #DIY #reclaimedtreasures
Spring showers bring…beautiful herbs!!! I ALMOST made it to my Pak Choi before the cabbage moths did 🥲 It’s the best time of the year!!! . #GatchGardens #SustainableLiving #BackyardGardener #VirginiaGardener #SupportLocal #GrowingTogether #Zone7Gardening #ContainerGardening #RaisedBedGardening #PollinatorGarden #DripIrrigation #UrbanFarmer #SeedStarting #Seedlings #OrganicGarden #Pollinator #GrownFromSeed #VegetableGarden #GardenersofInstagram #KitchenGarden #FreshFromtheGarden #GrowYourOwn #GardenIdeas #GreenThumb #GardenInspiration #GrowWhereYouAre #UrbanFarming #Homegrown #BackyardGardener
It’s a cold rainy day here 😩/😁. As a gardener rain gives you mixed emotions lol. You’re happy it’s raining b/c it’s good for the garden but you’re sad b/c you can’t be in the garden in most cases. I honestly don’t mind the rain, I’ll work in it BUT it’s the cold I’m not a fan off. • So my pivot this morning was spring cleaning the back porch. Every year when winter ends I look around the back porch and wonder how in the world it got so messy 🤣, kinda like I do the greenhouse. It was me, I was how it got so messy lol. • Anywho, I’m hoping the rain stops so I can do an early spring garden tour for YouTube. I haven’t left YouTube, work and life just hasn’t afforded me the opportunity to do my regularly scheduled posts. I’m thinking I’ll probably work on getting some seeds started this afternoon in the greenhouse. If I do I’ll record it! Thank you to everyone who has sent messages and emails to check on me. I’m fine 🤗. I really do appreciate it. You all are the best! Y’all say I inspire you but you all inspire me too! • #urbanhomestead #backyardgarden #gardening #garden #growyourownfood #smallspacegardening #beginnergardener #zone7b #virginiagardener #blackgirlsgardening
If I’m lucky in a few months my whole garden will look like these two sections that are growing right now. Dense planting is the name of the game for me this year. • I’m throwing spacing to the wind 😳. This could be really good or really bad lol but I’m trying it anyway. I do plan to fertilize really well to hopefully ensure there is enough nutrients for everything that is planted. I don’t plan to plant tomatoes or peppers in the actual beds. They’ll all be in bags. • So what does that look like for my garden? Under the taller plants will be low growing plants and flowers will be mixed in amongst the veggies. In my mind it’s gonna be awesome! • #urbanhomestead #backyardgarden #growyourownfood #smallspacegardening #beginnergardener #blackgirlsgardening #garden #gardening #virginiagardener #zone7b
Fresh asparagus will change your life. #gardening #virginiagardener #growyourownfood
I love seeing the garden wake up 💕 I can’t name a favorite. Can you? * * * * #urbanfarm #pesticidefree #flowerfarmer #veggiegardening #zone8a #homesteading #potager #flowers #dahlias #daylillies #peonies #plants #cutflowers #gardenrooms #virginiagardener #fallgardening #kitchengarden #herbgardening #herbs #foraging #gardeningtips #gardenideas #DIY #reclaimedtreasuresmarch17
Planting time for me is right around the corner! I could have planted out a while ago because our last frost has passed. I’m still choosing to wait. • So what do I have going on and what am I doing while I wait? 🪴Amending beds and bags 🪴Randomly planting things (tree collards and fig tree 😍, things from the winter sowing jugs, onion and leeks) 🪴Weeding 🪴Seedling care (fertilizing weekly w/ a diluted dose of fish emulsion, separating them when necessary and keeping them moist) 🪴 Starting the last seeds for my first planting • My choice to plant later was largely driven by the desire not to raise seedlings too long indoors. I’m not the best at direct sowing because I forget to water lol. • I’m kinda enjoying the slow season start though. My seedlings are outdoors and were only indoors for a short period of time after germination. It’s been like a well oiled machine. I started my seeds in two week intervals. When it’s time to start the next set the previous set is going out to the greenhouse in most cases at this point. Ahhhhh. There’s nothing like finding your rhythm in the garden. It’s good to use the information available to you but it’s also nice to do what works for you too! 🤗 • #urbanhomestead #backyardgarden #gardening #garden #growyourfood #beginnergardener #smallspacegardening #blackgirlsgardening #virginiagardener #zone7b
I love it when the shade garden is first coming to life. #hosta #astilbe #woodhyacinth #englishhyacinth #shadegarden #organicgardening #gardeningforwildlife #virginiagardener #houseandgarden #cottageinthewoods
Woodland Stonecrop spread nicely over the winter. . #northernpiedmont #zone7b #suburbangarden #shadegarden #woodlandgarden #smallgarden #woodlandstonecrop #sedumternatum #nativeplantsofvirginia #nativeplantsofvirginia #grownatives #plantnovanatives #virginiagardener
The potato bags are looking awesome! • Unorganized mind bubble post 🤣: I’ve been growing potatoes in 7 gallon bags for a least 2 years now. The bags were purchased from Amazon. So far they are holding up. I did not dump the soil over the last two years. I simply amend (granulated fertilizer, bone meal, a little blood meal and compost) it at planting time. I don’t hill my potatoes. Once they are in the bag that’s it for me lol. I may add some type of mulch (leaves, straw, etc.) to the top to help with moisture retention. Grow bags can dry out easily and quickly. This year I did a trial where some bags have @wildvalleyfarms wool pellets in the soil and others do not. I want to see if adding the pellets will help the soil retain moisture. I’ll let you know how it goes. • I planted my potatoes on March 16th. I’ve had my best success planting them prior to my first frost. In my experience they don’t sprout much so the foliage isn’t lost durning the last few frosts of winter. This year I only put two potatoes in each bag. I had one bag with a volunteer plant so I’m not sure how many are in that bag. I’m hoping with less competition I’ll get larger potatoes. I’ll also let you know how that goes. These will probably be ready for harvest around late June or early July. But if you’ve been here for a while you know I’ll be stealing baby potatoes long before then 🤣. • #urbanhomestead #backyardgarden #growyourownfood #smallspacegardening #garden #gardening #blackgirlsgardening #virginiagardener #zone7b #beginnergardener
@blandyexperimentalfarm is looking fresh and fabulous. #wanderlust #vaarboretum🌳 #botanicalgardens #explorevirginia #virginiaisforlovers #virginiagardener #alwaysbegrowing
Lavender, broccoli, and poppies 😍🌿💜🥦🌼
Last year I planted these calendula seeds. They did absolutely nothing. I pretty much figured that they had not germinated, and that was the end of that. Imagine my surprise this spring when they all came up! That’s one of my favorite parts about spring gardening, you just never know what’s gonna pop up that you either forgot about or were not expecting. #calandula #flower #flowers #organicgardener #gardener #virginiagardener #gardeningforwildlife #gardeningforbees #houseandgarden #cottageinthewoods
In gardening, as in life, things do not always go as planned. First photo: The plan. Second photo: The execution of bed 2. Not shown: The frost cloth that broke the onion starts by flapping in the very intense wind. Thankfully, most are not broken at the neck. We’ll see how well they recover. Rationale: The cloth cover and the onions are supposed to deter cabbage moths and, subsequently, cabbage worms that decimate the brassicas. This year we’re trying companion planting with more diversity in each bed. #companionplanting #biodiversity #naturalpestcontrol #organicgardening #gardeningfail #gardensetbacks #raisedbeds #raisedbedgarden #backyardgarden #backyardgardening #virginiagardening #onionsfromseed #onions #brassicas #virginiagardener #growingahomestead #gyo #growyourown #growyourownveggies
Come see us this weekend at the Leesburg Flower & Garden Festival! We will have Fresh Green Garlic, our Gourmet Garlic Powder, Black Garlic Powder, custom garlic keepers, fine cutting bards and live garlic plants to plant in your garden!!!🧄👨🌾--------------We will be setup in the Lightfoot Restaraunt Parking area-------------------------------------------------------------------------- #loudoungrown #womenofloudouncounty #loudounva #loudounpossible #loveloudoun #loudouncounty #loudounfarms #loudounlocal #loudounliving #loudoungrown #loudounmade #takeloudounhome #loudounmadeloudoungrown #leesburgva #northernvirginia #vagardening #vagardener# #vafarmers #virginiagarden #virginiagardening #virginiagardener #virginiagardeners #virginiagardenclub #leesburggarden #spring #flowers #garlic #freshgarlic #gardenfestival #loudounfarms #leesburggardenfestival
Every year since year two with my trees they’ve flowered and produced fruit. Which totally still surprises me every time. • When I decided to start an orchard I also saw it as an opportunity to also start an herb garden. Lots of herbs spread, become extremely bushy and are perennial. The bushy herbs help to shade the ground around the trees. • At the beginning of spring this is area is the first to wake up and for a short time it’s so neat and inviting. During the summer it normally gets wild and overgrown. Even then I still enjoy the harvests but not really hanging out in the space lol. • #urbanhomestead #backyardgarden #garden #gardening #smallspacegardening #growyourownfood #beginnergardener #blackgirlsgardening #virginiagardener #zone7b
There’s a whole comb in my hair 🤣🤦🏾♀️. O well… • Anywho I battled the wind today and got everything done that I had on my list (minus that compost pile 🫠). I just don’t feel like doing it lol. • Now I’m chilling in the greenhouse w/ my feet up on my @homeandgarden_trends stool watching gardening videos 🤣. I’ll record a video tomorrow…maybe a tour. It’s amazing how quickly everything grows once spring comes! • So what did I get done? 🪴Finally got all the seedlings separated and in their own cells. 🪴Planted out everything from the winter sowing jugs 🪴Pulled my dead lavender 😢 (there’s more in the garden) 🪴Weeded the whole orchard AGAIN 🪴Planted my new fig tree (thanks @brokefarmer76 ) 🪴Let the sprinkler deeply water the entire garden • It was a great day in the garden! I can’t wait to have the beds planted up in the greenhouse. I think it’s gonna be such a relaxing space. • Greenhouse from @quictents • #urbanhomestead #backyardgarden #garden #gardening #smallspacegardening #growyourownfood #beginnergardener #blackgirlsgardening #virginiagardener #zone7b
If I can’t have the beets I’ll take the greens lol. It’s no secret that I’m still learning how to grow beets. But do you see the asparagus? I’m doing really well remembering to harvest it so far this year. • Hey y’all! Today I had (have) so much planned but it’s super windy here. However, it is still a beautiful day! • I’m getting more excited with everyday that passes for this garden season. I’m remembering last year when I grew roselle for the first time and how beautiful it was, the new baby chicks that were raised here, the success we had with raising quail, my first pressure canning experience, all the homemade seasonings and powders, the tomato and bacon sandwiches, my best onion harvest to date, the not so good garlic harvest but the fact that I could still use it…just everything. There’s a feeling of anticipation that I really can’t put into words well but I can tell you I’m ready! • What are you remembering from last year that makes you excited for this coming garden season. • #urbanhomestead #backyardgarden #garden #gardening #growyourownfood #smallspacegardening #beginnergardener #blackgirlsgardening #virginiagardener #zone7b
💐Take a look at our lineup and come shop this SATURDAY at the Leesburg Farmers Market. The market is blooming with an abundance of fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs, meat from local 👨🌾 farms and an array of FLOWERS, including early spring perennials and TULIPS for your home and garden!! #farmfreshflowers #grownlocal #shoplocal #buylocal #virginiafarms #loudouneconomic #farmtotable #homeandgarden #virginiaflowers #virginiagarden #virginiagardener #virginiaisforfarmersmarketlovers 🌷 @beechwoodorchards @blueridgedairy @cannabreezehemp @catoctincoffee @chaseyourtailbakery @chefeloysalsa @dmvempanadas @farmfireside @glascocksproducellc @greenacresfarmsteadllc @kochanywellness @metromicrogreens @millroadfarmva @nrjspice @pleitezproducefarm @prestodinners @roosterdirtfarm @savagelygoodpie @shenandoahseasonal @shepherdswhey @staffoflifebread @valenciasproduce @valleyrootsfarm @westmorelandproduce @wineberrycakes @yummyworks @petalpatchflowerfarm @luckyfoxflowers
The size of this Spinach tho! Absolute MUST grow on the deck for easy access to meals 🌿 #spinach #gardenharvest #organic #groworganic #virginiagardener #zone7 #virginiaflowerfarm