Tuesday, September 16, 2014

PUMPKINS - WHEN TO PICK 'UM

When do I pick my PUMPKINS? Well...  first off,  DO NOT pick pumpkins just because they have reached your desired size. If you wanted small pumpkins, then you should have bought a small pumpkin variety.  Too late for that now......;o)
PUMPKIN is ripe when its skin turns a deep, solid color (orange for most varieties). Just like a watermelon, when you thumb the pumpkin, the rind will feel hard and it will sound hollow. Press your nail into the pumpkin's skin; if it resists puncture, it is ripe. Do pick your pumpkins before any hard frosts come or you'll have nasty pumpkins.
To harvest your pumpkin, cut the fruit off the vine carefully with a sharp knife or pruners; DO NOT tear it off. Be careful not to cut too close to the pumpkin, a nice amount of stem (3 to 4 inches) will increase the pumpkin's life span.

Try never to carry your PUMPKINS by the stem, however tempting. The stem may not be able to support the pumpkin's weight and it may break off and go rolling away.  Like a scoop of ice cream that falls off it's cone....  this is a  very sad scenario.   ;o(
Be GENTLE with your pumpkins. PUMPKINS can and do bruise. Pumpkins should be cured in the sun for about a week to toughen the skin and then stored in a cool, dry bedroom or cellar—anywhere around 55ºF.
If you got a lot of vines and flowers this year, but no PUMPKINS,  ;o(  you need more bees in your garden. Pollination did not take place. Next year try planting some flowers to attract more bees and butterflies.
Kim in the Pumpkin Patch...........
www.raisedbedgardenkits.com

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

WHEN DO I HARVEST MY ONIONS?

Onions are ALWAYS ready for harvesting. They can be picked and eaten at any stage. However, it's nice to have a crop of BIG onions at the end of summer to store for the fall and winter months.

Once onions have stopped growing, the leaves will lose their color, weaken at the top of the bulb and flop over. New gardeners may get alarmed at this point.  But....  no worries. There are no onion casualties.

This is Nature's plan. The leaves have given all they have, they put the last of their energy into  the bulbs.

Note: Don't leave your onions in the ground for longer than two weeks after the tops die off. They become open to organisms that can cause rot in storage, or they could get confused and even start growing again.

Kim in the Garden ~~
www.RaisedBedGardenKits.com




Tuesday, July 8, 2014

BEST TIME TO HARVEST

Harvesting frequently is a key factor in a flourishing backyard garden.

Do not delay your harvesting.  Harvest your vegetables as soon as they are ripe. 


Pick them immediately. Harvesting frequently enables the plants to redirect their nutrients and life energy back into the immature produce and away from mature vegetables. 


This is one of the key factors to having a continually flourishing garden throughout the entire growing season.


Kim in the Garden......

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

DID YOU KNOW......

Growing your own food is not JUST fun.............It is by far, more nutrient-dense and more satisfying to eat. Self grown food is fresher when picked and eaten immediately, than any store bought food.

Plus, the very act of planting, nurturing and harvesting food is extremely healthful in and of itself.
So if you are looking for a new hobby, growing your own food might be the right match! 

Start small, one tomato plant in a pot. You can start small, and expand as you find it more and more rewarding and exciting.

I don't know of anyone who has begun gardening and decided they did not like it.  Let this year be the year for YOU.  Find out what you are missing.

Kim in the Garden..........
Raised Bed Garden Kits

Thursday, April 10, 2014

SCHOOL GARDEN ALL-IN-ONE KIT

With the popularity of SCHOOL GARDENS ramping up, we would like to suggest our All-In-One Garden Kit. Always a favorite with the backyard gardener and with SCHOOL GARDEN PROJECTS.  It gives pest protection and is an ideal season-extender

This Garden Kit is made of (High-density polyethylene) plastic. It is an extremely durable and a non-leaching plastic, recycled from milk jugs. It is long-lasting and able to withstand the extremes of freezing winters and summer heat.


Whats more.....It can be Recycled again! Should the time come to dispose of it, after decades of use!! HDPE plastic is valuable.

Some day recycling centers may even pay you for this material. HDPE plastic can be easily melted down and reused for new products over and over again.

And this is why we recommend our ALL-IN-ONE  for SCHOOL GARDEN PROJECTS.

Kim in the Garden ~~
         at
www.raisedbedgardenkits.com

Thursday, February 27, 2014

GARDENS AND DEER

Brrrr,  it's still cold out in most places.  But not too cold to dream! Spring WILL come!  And will you be ready?


The price of food is going up, up, up. And the hazards of eating conventional grocery store food is being more and more exposed.

All the more important to grow your own food. One of our best selling Gardens is the DEER PROOF FENCED RAISED BED GARDEN KIT  This is one SURE way to keep the critters from making a free buffet out of your family garden. Constructed of 1" Cedar boards. 65 square feet of gardening space! 5' 8" high fence

This garden kit is made to order. Last year there was a back up that left some customers missing their growing season.  YIKES!!!   And cancelling their orders.  We would hate to see that same scenario take place this year.

So just a reminder, PLEASE ORDER EARLY!  And remember......  they're watching us!

Kim in the Garden.....


Friday, December 6, 2013

UNIQUE GARDENER GIFT

NEWLY ADDED............

We just added the most charming WALL CLOCKS FOR GARDENERS.  Artisan made right here in the USA!  Round 10" diameter clocks with a 10 year warranty.

ROOSTER, HUMMINGBIRD, CARDINAL, VIOLETS, RABBITS, BUTTERFLY CLOCKS  and more! 

Photo images so cute it's hard to choose one............  Make a GARDENER happy this Christmas.  WALL CLOCKS for GARDENERS.

Visit us at  www.RaisedBedGardenKits.com


Garden ClockGarden Clock