Mosquito Repelling Plants

Outdoor entertaining is one of the great joys of spring and summer. Until, of course, the bugs invade. In place of spray and pesticides, try a cluster of mosquito-repelling potted plants. 

Grouped together near a seating area on your deck or patio, they make a pretty and lush addition to your outdoor landscape while also protecting you and your guests.

Check out One Kings Lane's article Easy Update: Mosquito-Repelling Potagerie for more information about how a trio of lush potted plants will have you saying good-bye to bug spray.

Disclosure: My Journey to Living Well uses affiliate (marketing) links whenever possible. This post may contain affiliate links. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Really Listen to Your Plants! Wi-Fi Plant Sensor Giveaway! {Ends 5/30}

Even though I LOVE gardening, I'm far from a green thumb. I think a Wi-Fi plant sensor would drastically improve the life span of some of my plants. Enter to win your own here!

Prize:

Koubachi Outdoor Plant Sensor (A.L.L. Review)

ARV $130

Hosted by:

A Lucky Ladybug

Co-Hosted by:

Master of Mom

"Thanks to the unique Plant Care Engine (PCE), Koubachi is able to advise you about everything your plant needs: water, fertilizer, hu­mi­di­ty, temperature and light! Koubachi not only tells you WHEN to care for your plants, but also gives you specific instructions HOW."

Homegrown Collective - Unlike Any Subscription Box I've Ever Seen

Today I stumbled upon a site called Homegrown Collective. You know I like to garden so it must have been the "Homegrown" part that caught my attention. What I found there was really surprising!

I've seen plenty of subscription boxes. I've even seen green subscription boxes, but I've never seen any subscription box like this one:

December Box "Holiday"

Free Shipping at Layla Grace 3/30-3/31!

Summer is quickly approaching and hot summer days call for some bright, happening colors! Layla Grayce can help prepare your home and garden with beautiful summer essentials! Best of all, when you shop from 3/30-3/31, Layla Grayce is offering free shipping with the promo code freeship.

If you love to garden then the Herbaceous Iron Markers are for you! These beautiful rustic markers make a garden memorable in more ways than one and feature small oval signs with popular herb names set on tall spikes for labeling your plants. It can be summer all year long in your kitchen with the Jessie Steele Gigi Summer Lemons Apron. Featuring vintage-inspired prints, Jessie Steele's clothing and kitchen accessories are both retro and fearlessly feminine. This stylish apron is crafted for the domestic goddess. With cheerful patterns, the Pine Cone Hill Hot House Floral Summer Pillow packs a very playful punch. The muted neutral background comes alive when graced with tropical blooms and foliage, which lends both style and visual texture to living rooms and bedrooms alike. Happy Summer!

Herbaceous Iron Markers

 Jessie Steele Gigi Summer Lemons Apron

Pine Cone Hill Hot House Floral Summer Pillow

Spring Into Sustainability Hop! Win a $25 Gift Card to Annie's Heirloom Seeds!

Welcome to the Spring Into Sustainability Giveaway Hop, hosted by Happy Mothering and The Frugal Greenish Mama. We are ready for spring around here and members of the Green Moms Network are excited to bring you great prizes to encourage your family to live a more sustainable lifestyle, all valued at $25+ .

Annie's Heirloom Seeds Review

I was fortunate enough to be able to work with Annie's Heirloom Seeds for this year's garden! I was looking for heirloom seeds in particular because I have heard so much recently about how so many of these seeds have been contaminated by large corporations more interested in money than in nutrition. 

Free Shipping offer at Annie's Heirloom Seeds!

Just saw this advertised in Annie's March Newsletter! They are offering free shipping on orders over $75. If you have ever been to their site before you'll know that you can get A LOT of seeds for that. They have really great seeds at even better prices. Trust me, its worth a look.

Annie's offers only heirloom varieties, no hybrids and no-GMO's. They are also family owned and operated.

Here is a link to their site: 

Annie's Heirloom Seeds 

or you can 

Request a Catalog 

2013 Gardening Journal - Entry Three March 16

Another great day for gardening prep!

I got this raised bed kit from Big Lots after last year's gardening season was over. By then they were 75% off I think, made it around $7.50. I used the back of an old mattress instead of black plastic for weed control. If you have old mattresses around don't throw them out, there are lots of good parts in there if you break it down!

Here is the finished product after adding 4 bags of top soil I got from Lowe's the other day. The bags cost $1.30 each. I think I'll top it off with a bag or two of some compost. By this time next year I hope to have my own compost pile ready to go.

Here is another piece from a mattress! This little ladder-type thing was the inside support of a full-size (I think) mattress that was destined for the dump. There are still lots of pieces left in that mattress that I plan on using in some other garden projects. This little bed is right off the front porch and is going to be used for herbs.

Overall it was a productive afternoon!

UPDATE MARCH 17, 2013

Looks like someone else found my garden beds attractive. Grrr. I knew I may have to worry about the neighborhood dogs, I didn't think I'd have to worry about my dog. Afterall, all he ever does is lay around all day. Hmmm. Say hello to Pipes.

Other Links from my Garden Journal:

2013 Gardening Journal - Entry Two - March 12

Getting Ready for Spring With The Girls - March 8

2013 Gardening Journal - Entry One - February 24

2013 Gardening Journal - Entry Two - March 12, 2013

I still have a lot to do to prepare my garden beds for seeds. I've picked out a spot but due to the massive amount of neighborhood dogs, a fence is a MUST. Since none of that is ready yet I decided to go ahead and plant some of the cooler season greens that I have in containers on the porch. I think it will be much more convenient to have salads growing on the porch anyway, this way they are readily available (and out of reach of dogs). Here is my garden journal entry for March 12, 2013. 

 

Spinach and Mint

Lettuce Amish Deer Tongue
and Pepper Cress

Lettuce Lollo Rossa and Arugula

Getting Ready for Spring with the Girls

We had a sunny day here in Tennessee so the girls and I decided to go out and explore. We just moved to a new place so I've been pondering spots for a garden this year.

I had thought that this spot was going to be perfect. My dad laid it out when he moved here but after a failed gardening attempt that first year (neighborhood dogs destroyed it) he filled it with rocks. Perhaps next year I'll get all of those cleared out but for now, I think I'll keep looking.

 We found a little patch of buttercups across the road so of course we had to go check them out. 

 Photo ops abounded, its nice to get outside. I think we were all getting a little cabin fever.

I didn't get very much accomplished as far as planning but I did get a few ideas on what I'm going to do with at least some of the seeds that came in the mail this week. I'm so ready to get planting! I hope that you will follow my Gardening Journal this year to see how it goes. 

I got this great set of sets from Annie's Heirloom Seeds. They included their Sunflower Collection and Southern Tomato Collection as well as a select few others like Boothby's Blonde Cucumber and Sugar Baby Watermelon. I'm planning to do a sunflower house for the girls to play in.

And from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds I got this set of different types of salad greens along with some heirloom turnips and radishes. I can't wait to see how the Radish Pink Beauty turns out. They also included some Pepper Cress which I had never heard of but it sounds really interesting and the website says it will be ready two weeks after planting!

Maybe I'll get a linky up for those of you who are going to be documenting your gardening adventures. Anyone interested?

2013 Gardening Journal - Entry One - February 24, 2013

2013 Gardening Journal - Entry One - February 24, 2013

I've been itching to get things going for my garden this year. I moved to a new place and haven't been able to lay out my plots yet, but over the weekend I did manage to get some seeds started!

Seeds started:

10 Cherry Tomatoes

10 Black Lettuce

24 Marigolds (to keep pests away from the garden)

15 Sweet Basil

15 Cilantro

I know this is not a lot but I had to do SOMETHING. Some of these are last year's seeds and they are all the cheap ones you get at the Dollar Store or Walmart. 

I'm expecting a shipment of heirloom seeds from Baker Heirloom Seeds soon that I absolutely cannot wait to try. They are also sending a copy of The Heirloom Life Gardener by  Jere and Emilee Gettle. I am a sucker for gardening books.

I've also seen some pins lately about regrowing produce from your fridge. I decided to try it with some green onions I had on hand that were in danger of going bad. If you've seen those pins too and have been wondering if it really works, IT DOES! 

I had cut those suckers down the white part and they are growing back. Success! Next I'm going to try it with romaine lettuce which is said to work as well. I'll let you know.

Anybody else have any gardening going on yet?