Hi,y’all!

I haven’t forgotten about all the upcoming reviews, contests, and information-packed posts – I’ve been soaking up the sunshine and gardening!!!

You know me, I’ve been snapping photos all along the way. Folks are calling me “shutterbug” lol!

(Organic) gardening is definitely therapeutic and as I recently wrote, you can be reinspired by stopping to smell the roses.

There aren’t any roses to smell yet, but I’ve been taking my own advice!

It’s hard sometimes being a freelance writer and blogger because naturally, I tend to throw myself in to my work and as you know, I’m pretty thorough in the reviews I write – and everything else I do. Some days, hours have past before I realize it and I haven’t taken time to stretch or enjoy a little fresh air.

I’m working on changing that. Life is precious and we need to absorb all we can while we have the chance.

Gardening is perfect for that! Besides, it gives me even more to blog about.

I took some photos of various flower blooms and veggie and fruit plants around the yard and edge of the garden to share with you….

Lilac Bush

Redbud Tree

Daffodils

Amish Windmill

Rhubarb

Brussel Sprouts

Rainbow Chard

Brussel Sprouts + Cauliflower

Potatoes

The posts and string are temporary – we’re planning to eventually have all raised beds with pathways all along the way!

Far back is the potatoes, right top corner, strawberry patch.

As you can see, this garden is HUGE (100×100!!!) – the above photo doesn’t even show 3/4 of it! There’s still a LOT to plant and TONS more work to do. And to the left, there’s a long row of thornless blackberries!

Also not shown: peony bushes scattered around the garden’s edge, tulips (coming up, not blooming yet), an iris bed, more lilac bushes, comfrey, mock orange, and also several rose of sharon bushes.

Grapes

And the orchard (not in the garden, a different area)

So far, our orchard consists of the following trees:

• 2 apple
• 3 (tart) cherry
• 2 peach
• 2 elderberry
• 2 paw paw
• 2 plum

So exciting!!! Can you just imagine all the yumilicious raw treats, smoothies, and juices I can make??!!

And not all of those are visible in the above photo – several are back to the left and out of the camera’s eye.

For fun: the old silo (not in use)

Why Companion Gardening?

Companion gardening is RAWsome. Why? Because there are certain plants that do exceedingly well side-by-side. There are also some plants you need to avoid placing next to others. There’s not enough room in this post to share all the information, but here’s a few examples:

• Spinach + Lettuce + Peas + Beans. We planted spinach and lettuces so they’ll be at the bottom of snap peas and green beans. This way, the lettuce and spinach work to crowd out the weeds, helping the peas and beans grow and the spinach and lettuce are shaded by the peas and beans. Win-win!
• Basil + Tomatoes. Sounds like ingredients for a salad, sandwich, or sauce, right? Then doesn’t it make sense to plant basil and tomatoes together? How RAWmazing is it that basil enriches the taste and growth of tomatoes??!! So, you know where these two will be found in my garden, eh?
• Flax + Potatoes? That’s right! The linseed and tannin oils found in flax helps fend off the potato bug!

And that’s just the beginning! I also love that if you plant garlic near your roses, it repels aphids!!

If any of you are interested in learning more about companion gardening, let me know and I’ll post more about it as I plant and tend the garden!

I’ll also be talking more about heirloom, organic plants and gardening.

Are you in to gardening? Do you have a garden? Want one? What do you have in your garden (or what would you plant if you had one)? Do you strive for heirloom, organic gardening?

I’m off to fantasize about all the RAWsome smoothie, juice, and salad concoctions that will come from my garden…. Yum!

Giveaways!!

Janetha, from Meals and Moves, is having a Kombucha giveaway!!

I’m hosting a shopping spree giveaway – there’s over 400 comments!!! Eeeek!!! Have you entered yet?? Why not?? Hurry!! Deadline is TOMORROW!!!!

Get Your Discount!

10% Discount code – You can get a coupon code for 10% off ANYTHING in my OpenSky store until Wednesday, April 14th.

Save $5 on your www.iHerb.com order by using the following code at checkout: TUN499

So, if you’ve been (cyber) window shopping, now’s your chance to take the plunge and go for it!

Coming Soon

In no particular order…

• Review of the Paderno World Cuisine Plastic Spiral Vegetable Slicer
• Review of Aurorae Sport Sweat Towel
• Review of Aurorae Slip Free Rosin Bag
• Health Benefits of Blackstrap Molasses – And Why I Drink It
• Tart Cherry Concentrate Health Benefits – And Why I Drink It
• More recipes
• More reviews and giveaways – lots of surprises!