Growing my own Herbal Teas...

Something I have wanted to try for years now is how to grow my own herbal teas. I have a very small container garden tea patch on the go!

I picked up Lavender, Mints, Catnip and Chamomile from a trusted garden center and have them in a sunny spot along my fence.

 I am thrilled to have found a Chocolate Mint plant as well!

I have found a few websites that you might find interesting if you are thinking about growing and making your own herbal teas. Please see below.
- http://www.eatingwell.com/article/290911/make-your-own-herbal-tea-blends/
-https://www.countrycleaver.com/2016/03/diy-tea-blends-5-ways.html
-https://www.thespruceeats.com/make-your-own-herb-tea-blend-1762127
-https://balconygardenweb.com/best-tea-herbs-to-make-tea-herb-garden/
Next on my list to try to find is some Lemon Verbena, Lemon Balm, and orange mint!

Are you gardening already or are you still covered with snow?
Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and some herbal gardening. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Hanging with my Gnomie This Sunday Afternoon

Sunday afternoon and I took out my paints and brush, made a pot of tea and repainted my Welcome Gnome Sign my sister got me a few years ago.

I loved this sign and could not believed how faded the sign was.  In under an hour the refresh has become complete and I have it hanging up near my stairs outside. 

I have loved Gnomes for as long as I can remember, I have a little Gnome garden going, and Gnomes popping up in several little planters out side. 

The personality on this Gnomes face makes me really happy.  Doing little things today just enjoying my tea and a bit of creativity. Thank you for checking in, I am going to get some reading done now. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Getting Outside?

I don't know about you but I am taking the whole please shelter in place thing quite seriously and do my best to not go out more than once per week in the public. Taking late evening walks and lots of naps but I really have not spent anytime just outside.

 At first it was the rainy weather and the last few days here have been sunny and warm, true spring like weather. I live in a dark by choice, cozy suite, and I will be honest, I did not make getting the vitamin D a priority. Part of it is guilt. I feel terrible I can't do more to help, I am not working and well the news is terrifying. But a friend texted me and reminded me I needed to get out side even if it was for a few minutes.

I took her advice and spent several hours outside, gardening and sprucing up my little area.
I don't really have a green thumb, or at least I did not think I did and yet I could not be more proud to announce that my beans and peas are growing, measurably! I think my largest excitement came this week when I noticed my tomato seeds sprouted!!!

On a tight budget and with a bit of reluctance, I picked up supplies at the dollar store a few weeks ago and my seeds and soil at Canadian Tire. Today I spent time re-potting and reorganizing my stairs. I even built a tea themed gnome garden by my front door, something I have always wanted to do.

As much fun and hard work as that was it was nice to be outside in the sun and not think about anything but what I was doing. When I was almost done, I remembered one item I picked up for $1.25, side walk chalk.  I saw on Facebook people were talking about "Chalking their walks" and I have seen a few fun drive ways in my area that have done just that, one said please send wine, one was done up like candy land and one was a snakes and ladders game.  I don't have a ton of "walk to chalk", and almost no one is going to see my area, so it made it easy to just have fun and go with it.

I am glad I took my friends advice and spent a few hours outside, I am thrilled with how it all came out and got some ideas about gardening I want to follow up on. I hope you can get out where you are or at least plan for when you can. Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a tour of my outdoor area. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Gardening Update!

"There are no gardening mistakes only experiments" - Janet Kilburn Philips

Today I am sharing a successful update. My seeds have germinated and some were ready for replanting, though I am still keeping them inside for another week, I was able to transplant what I labeled, though am not quite sure are carrots, the beans and peas!

I did label with sticky notes, each seed line but I am very dyslexic so either I transplanted carrots or cat nip, either way they grew the tallest and fastest!

Next up were the peas and beans, now I have never in my life done these steps so I have no idea if I have done it correctly. So please feel free to comment and let me know.

I am grateful that my friends mom told me to peel away the netting, I would have had no idea about that!

I am hopeful that my experiment with container gardening will be a successful venture. I am also thrilled I put my Rae Dunn watering can to work! This was a post Christmas splurge, which I picked up for less than a cup of coffee at Starbucks from my local Winners Store. 

Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a gardening update. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Container Growing Challenge and A Cup of Tea...

"To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow."- Audrey Hepburn
I will admit to being a very novice gardener. I am starting some container plants of vegetables and fruit as well as cat nip for my cat (and to add to my own tea if I can get it to grow).

 Motivated by the current pandemic situation partly, and serious curiosity and I am setting out to see just how green my thumb actually is...

I think I make gardening look good! LOL well lets see how this goes....I am guessing I should likely label the seedlings right?
Here goes everything, stay tuned and send me your tips for growing from seeds and in containers and in shade and in a rain forest....heck you might just need to send me salad dressing before you know it!
Thanks for stopping by for a cup of tea and a look at my container gardening debut.
I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com