It Started with Jack...

ONCE upon a time there was a poor widow who lived in a little cottage with her only son Jack. There had been a hard winter.The widow saw that there was no means of keeping Jack and herself from starvation but by selling her cow; so one morning she said to her son, 'I am too weak to go myself, Jack, so you must take the cow to market for me, and sell her.'

Jack and the Beanstalk

Jack liked going to market to sell the cow very much; but as he was on the way, he met a butcher who had some beautiful beans in his hand. Jack stopped to look at them, and the butcher told the boy that they were of great value, and persuaded the silly lad to sell the cow for these beans.

When he brought them home to his mother instead of the money she expected for her nice cow, she was very vexed and shed many tears, scolding Jack for his folly. He was very sorry, and mother and son went to bed very sadly that night; their last hope seemed gone.

 

At daybreak Jack rose and went out into the garden.  At least, he thought, I will sow the wonderful beans. Mother says that they are just common scarlet-runners, and nothing else; but I may as well sow them.

Scarlet Runner Vine

So he took a piece of stick, and made some holes in the ground, and put in the beans.

That day they had very little dinner, and went sadly to bed, knowing that for the next day there would be none and Jack, unable to sleep from grief and vexation, got up at day-dawn and went out into the garden.

 

What was his amazement to find that the beans had grown up in the night, and climbed up and up till they covered the high cliff that sheltered the cottage, and disappeared above it! The stalks had twined and twisted themselves together till they formed quite a ladder. It would be easy to climb it, thought Jack.

 

So Jack called his mother, and they both gazed in silent wonder at the Beanstalk, which was not only of great height, but was thick enough to bear Jack's weight.  I wonder where it ends, said Jack to his mother; I think I will climb up...

 

And so it begins...

What other books can we find about gardening? Here are a few of my favorites. There are SO many more to choose from.

Peter Rabbit

A favorite from childhood is, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter. I love all of her stories, but Peter Rabbit was always a favorite. What was Peter Rabbit cautioned not to do? 

 "Don't go into Mr. McGregor's garden." What did Peter do? What were the consequences? Peter loved the garden and the veggies inside so much that he could not stay away.



Great beginner gardening book

The next few books are books in our homeschool library.
"From Seed to Plant", by Gail Gibbons is a great introduction to plant growth and reproduction. It  offers clear yet basic information about the entire plant cycle from seed pollination to mature growth. Included at the end of the text are simple facts about seeds and plants as well as a "From Seed to Plant" project that explains how to grow a bean plant.

Great activities and garden knowledge

I have several gardening books by Sharon Lovejoy, including "Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots". Other favorites by this author inculde, "Trowel & Error" , "Hollyhock Days" and "Sunflower Houses."


Lots of gardening experiments

Another fun gardening book is called, "Gardening Wizardry for Kids." Kids learn about plants through more than 300 experiments and projects that use apple seeds, beans, potatoes, herbs -- virtually everything that grows! Whether growing space is as small as a windowsill, or as big as a backyard, children understand plant life through actual involvement.




Fun Fantasy

June 29, 1999 , by David Wiesner is about "an occurrence of gigantic vegetal proportions." On June 29, 1999, curious things start to happen all over America. A hiker in Montana finds giant turnips in the Rocky Mountains. "Cucumbers circle Kalamazoo. Lima beans loom over Levittown. Artichokes advance on Anchorage." TV news channels announce that arugula has covered Ashtabula, which puzzles Holly, because arugula is not part of her experiment. In fact, she is forced to conclude that none of the enlarged specimen sightings are a result of her initial seedling launch. Where did the giant vegetables come from then? You'll have to read the book to find out.

"Stone Soup" is another classic. It's not as much about gardening as it is about sharing what you have. Imagine what each of us could do with a few vegetables and a stone.

We could change the world!

Just a Spoonful of Sugar...

I've been thinking about weeds, especially stickers. Our yard was loaded with them last year and I don't want a repeat of that this year. I decided to do a search to see what I might use to get rid of the stickers before they emerge. I was looking for non-chemical if possible. The answer I found may surprise you.



Sugar! How about that? Weeds (and stickers) tend to grow in less than healthy lawns. (Although, there are some beneficial and edible weeds, but that is a post for another time).
It's no wonder with the drought we've had that we have so many stickers. We haven't watered our yard like we used to.

According to gardenguides.com, here are some steps to take to rid your lawn of stickers and other bothersome weeds using sugar.

Step 1

Sugar accelerates activity levels when it is ingested. When the microbes in soil are treated to an excess of sugar, they temporarily over-indulge and the soil they inhabit becomes unusable for a short while. To benefit from this process, spread raw sugar around the base of a weed or small areas of weeds that you want to kill. Allow three to five days before planting in the area (particularly after two to three waterings).

Step 2

Add chili pepper to the sugar mixture if you are concerned about attracting unwanted insects or other visitors. The chili pepper will deter most pests.

Step 3

Add corn meal to your soil once the weeds are dead. Corn meal has a pre-emergent chemical that prevents new weed seeds from emerging. 

Here is a really interesting article on the benefits of using sugar to prevent weeds.

 

Now I'm wondering if sugar kills weeds, what is it doing to my insides?!!!

FAQ's about GAB...

I decided to write a post about frequently asked questions we get about Garden Anywhere Box.


1. What is Garden Anywhere Box?
Garden Anywhere Box is a unique automatically-watering container garden.

This is a picture of our pool deck garden. We planted on June 1, 2014. This picture was taken three weeks later on June 23, 2014. Notice the growth in just three weeks!  Btw, these are our original boxes. They are eight years old and we're still using them. 

2. What is GAB?
GAB is an abbreviated way to say Garden Anywhere Box.

3. What makes GAB different from any other container garden? 
Good question! GAB is different from other container gardens because of our unique and exclusive (patent-pending) watering system. No other container garden is like GAB. Our boxes are connected by tubing (like boxcars). The boxes are connected to our watering system which is connected to an outdoor faucet, garden hose or rain barrel. Our gardening system allows your boxes to be watered automatically through a gravity-fed process. They are truly self-watering. You can go on vacation and your garden will still be watered while you are gone.

4. Does GAB come in different colors?
Not yet, but we're working on it. The boxes that we prefer to use come in grey. We occasionally buy other colors if they become available seasonally. We hope to have a rainbow of colors when we are able to get our boxes manufactured.

5. This is just a tote, right?


Visit our GAB Pinterest page to see over 100 daily
garden harvest pics from 2013 and 2014
 Garden Anywhere Box - 2013
Garden Anywhere Box - 2014

Yes, Garden Anywhere Box is made out of an 18 gallon storage tote. We take a plain, ordinary storage tote, modify it and turn it into a gardening machine!

6. Is the plastic box safe to grow in? We checked with the manufacturer of our boxes. They assured us that the plastic is safe. 

• #4, LDPE, used for things like plastic bags, food storage, bread bags, some food wraps, squeezable bottles.

7. Is this hydroponics? Aquaponics? Dirt in a box? 
No. Garden Anywhere Box is not hydroponic, aquaponics or "Hooked on Phonics." :D

It's potting mix. There is a water reservoir in the bottom of the box, but GAB is not a hydroponic garden. We use potting mix as the growing medium. It is also not aquaponics. You can hook your boxes and watering system up to a rain barrel and put some fish in it. Then you would get the benefit of "fish fertilizer" in your water. That is as close to aquaponics as we get. 

8. Potting Mix or Soil?
We recommend potting mix. Soil can compact and will not wick up the water like potting mix. A 2 cubic ft. bag of potting mix is needed for each box. 


9. Do I have to replace the potting mix each year?
No. Your potting mix should last for several years. We've been using the same potting mix for eight years. You will need to replace a little bit of potting mix each year due to loss as you pull up plant roots. You also might consider dumping out your potting mix, aerating it, let the sun bake it for a couple of days and then put it back in your GAB for more seasons of gardening. 

10. Can I grow organic?
Yes. Get organic fertilizer and potting mix and you can start immediately to grow organic. 

11. Is it really easy to garden in a GAB? Yes. Fill your box with potting mix. You'll need about 2 cubic feet. Mix in 2 cups of dolomite (prevents blossom end rot), a strip (about 1 cup) of fertilizer down the center length-wise and a piece of plastic over the top. These three things are provided with your GAB. We call this a Grow Pack.  Once the plastic is in place, you can start planting your seeds or plants.


12. Is there anything that I have to replace in order to replant the boxes?  Yes. Three simple steps. Fertilizer, Dolomite and Plastic.  Each season that you garden, you will need to replace the fertilizer, dolomite and plastic. You can use any balanced granular fertilizer, but no higher than 15-15-15. You may have trouble finding crushed dolomite. Ask your local feed store if they carry it or if they'll order it for you. A big bag does not cost much and should last a long while. We use black plastic in a big roll that we get from Lowe's. It, too, should last a LONG time. You can also use a black trash bag, but they are not as thick as the plastic in rolls. You can buy all three in bulk and have a lot of FD&P to last for years of gardening.

This is a picture of tomatoes harvested from August 25-29,
not counting what we preserved or gave away. 

13. Can I grow tomatoes?
Yes! Tomatoes grow exceptionally well. You can grow two tomato plants to a box with a few herbs or flowers sprinkled in.

14. Because the box and the plastic are dark, will the box get too hot and cook the plants?
We have never experienced that and this is our eighth year of gardening in a box. Once the plants are up and growing, they cover the plastic. Because of the boxes being connected by tubing, there is an almost constant flow of cool water to the reservoirs. In fact, we have been told that tomato plants stop producing when it reaches 90 degrees or higher. That has not been our experience. As long as the boxes have a constant supply of water, our tomato plants produce in temperatures of over 100 degrees...all summer long.


15. What can I grow in a GAB?
You can grow a variety of flowers, fruits and vegetables...even corn. Almost everything that you can grow in the ground, you can grow in a box. We have planting suggestions on our Garden Anywhere Box website and a short animated video on our you-tube channel that shows how Garden Anywhere Box works.  One comment about growing in a GAB.  You can plant seeds or plants, but if you are new to gardening, please do some research. You can plant bigger seeds directly into the box, but you should plant smaller seeds in seed starters and transfer them to a bigger container before you transplant them to a GAB.  Tomatoes need to be started in a seed starter and then moved to a larger container. If you do not let them get a bit bigger, they might not make a smooth transition and may die.  Growing in a GAB is fairly foolproof, but there are still basic gardening rules that you need to follow.

16. What about bugs? There will always be bugs in the garden. The good news is that because GAB is raised, it is easier to check for bugs. No mucking around 
in the mud to hunt for them. There are methods 
of controlling bugs, too. Companion planting,
essential oils and other earth-friendly methods.

There are books and other information that will help protect your harvest. The most aggressive pest that I've had to deal with is the squash bug. I have a spray that really works. Just be sure to follow the directions. Too much soap or oil might kill your plant. 


17. What if a plant dies? Sometimes plants die...even in a garden, even in a GAB. If a plant dies or is not thriving in a GAB, pull it up and plant something else. It's that easy.
Don't waste the space on something that is not producing.

18. Did you really grow all of those vegetables in your boxes?
Yes, we did. I would get up each morning, put on my gardening apron, gather my scissors, basket and camera and go out my back door to see what was ready to be harvested. I would pick the veggies, put them in my basket and take a picture in the morning light with my trusty I phone. Every vegetable that you see, we grew. Every picture that you see, I took.  

19. What if the boxes get too much or too little water ?

The beauty of Garden Anywhere Box is that you can't over-water. There is a small drain hole on the side that over-flows if you over-water. You can under-water, though. You need to check your boxes to make sure that there is water in the reservoir. Obviously, your boxes will use more water when it's hot outside and if you are growing something like tomatoes or other thirsty crops. Herbs and flowers won't use as much water.
If you have our exclusive (patent-pending) watering system, your boxes will be watered automatically, so you won't have to worry about over-watering or under-watering. (How many times did I use the word "water" ...lol? Water is important!)

20. Does Garden Anywhere Box conserve water?
Yes! Garden Anywhere Box uses up to 70% less water than a traditional garden. The plastic on top keeps the weeds out, but it also keeps the moisture in. Water is wicked up through the potting mix to the roots. It travels through the plant and is evaporated into the air. There is no wasted water. GAB is perfect for places experiencing a drought. GAB is perfect anywhere. Who doesn't want to conserve water? 

21. Can I move the boxes?
Yes. The boxes are portable. When filled with water and potting mix, the boxes are heavy, but can still be moved using a regular dolly or a little platform dolly from the hardware store.  This is a great feature. If you don't like where you placed your garden, move it. If you move, you can take your garden with you. If you prefer, you can drain the water by removing a tube or clamp and refill your box when you get it where you want it to go. Because the boxes are portable, you can garden year 'round. If you have a greenhouse or a room inside your home with light and heat, you can move GAB inside and extend your growing season. 

22. How much does GAB cost?
We sell one box for $60, but  our most popular is our 3-box Starter Kit which includes three GABs and  our unique watering system for $199. The beauty of GAB is that you can add boxes and make your garden as big as you want. Each additional box is only $55 and comes with a Grow Pack to get you started.  (Garden Anywhere Box makes a great birthday, wedding, Christmas or anytime gift.) We are still using our original boxes which are eight years old. If you consider the cost of a GAB Starter Kit, $199 plus the cost of potting mix divided by 8, you have a garden for about $30 a year that is automatically watered, requires no weeding and is portable....and you get tomatoes! :)  

Our website, Garden Anywhere Box has additional information on pricing and a suggested planting guide.
23. When can I start gardening?
The great thing about Garden Anywhere Box is that you can garden year 'round. Because the boxes are portable, you can start your garden indoors. You can garden during the winter if you have proper heat and lighting. In the spring, when the weather warms up, you can move your garden outside. You don't have to wait for the ground to thaw or worry about rain washing your garden away. You can grow cool weather crops like lettuce, broccoli and cabbage. You can garden in the summer. Just add new fertilizer, dolomite and plastic and you are ready to plant. Summer is the time for tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and okra.You can even grow corn if you want. You can garden in the fall. Grow pumpkins, squash and other cool weather crops. When the weather turns cold, move a few boxes inside and continue gardening.

24. How do I get my boxes ready for winter?
It's easy. If you are moving your boxes inside or into a greenhouse, you might want to drain the water out of the boxes to make them a little lighter. To drain the water, pull off the tubes at each end of your GAB and let the water drain out. It does not matter that a small amount of water will be left in the bottom. Use a dolly to move your boxes where you want them to go.

If you are not going to garden over the winter, drain your boxes. You can choose to pull up old plants or wait until the spring when you are ready to redress your boxes and get them ready for the next growing season.

25. How can I get a Garden Anywhere Box?
There are several ways. Call us @ 405-818-2599. If you are local to the OKC area, we deliver. Order online @www.gardenanywherebox.com We ship all over the country.
 Garden Anywhere Box is committed to helping you discover an easier way to garden. No weeds. Automatic watering. Portable. This truly is an easier way to garden.



2014: The Year of the Cucumber

Each year the National Garden Bureau selects one annual, one perennial and one edible that are easy to grow, genetically diverse with a lot of new varieties to choose from. For 2014, it is the Cucumber, Echinacea and Petunia.


August 14, 2013

I am going to focus on the cucumber, but will keep Echinacea and the Petunia in mind for adding to my garden.

 I used to grow cucumbers in my traditional garden, but with varied success each year. I would do my best to weed, water and watch, but invariably I'd over water, under weed and forget to look under every leaf. By the time I would find some of my cucumbers, they had turned into "yellow submarines".

Last year I grew "Boston Pickling" cucumbers from Bakers' Creek. I planted four seeds to a box. Once they were up and vining, I trained them up on a tomato cage.  Training them up helps a lot when it's time to harvest. They are very prolific, beautifully marked and taste great.


July 17, 2013

September 9, 2013

 With succession planting, I was able to grow cucumbers from June to September.


Cowgirl Candy

Tomato, Lettuce and Cucumber

Cucumbers were so prolific in my garden last year that I needed to find creative uses for them besides pickles. I'm not a big fan of pickles and I don't really like to can, although I may try it this year. We did eat a lot of cucumbers on sandwiches. I made a lot of TLC's (tomato, lettuce and cucumber) sandwiches. I could call them TALC's since I added avocado, but TLC sounds nicer than TALC.  :)

 I made "Cowgirl Candy." The recipe was really called Cowboy Candy and used jalapenos. It was too hot for me, so I substituted cucumbers in the syrup. I also did not cook my cucumbers. I just made the syrup and sliced the cucumbers directly into the jars. I also added a few sliced red onions for color and a sliver of a habanero and jalapeno.  I put it in the fridge. It only lasted a couple of days before it was gone and I'd have to make some more. It was SO good. I'm definitely making that again this year.

One other creative way we preserved our cucumber bounty was by juicing. We would juice the the cucumbers, freeze the juice and then add the cubes to our smoothies. We really enjoyed our strawberry cucumber smoothies last summer.

 

It is amazing to me how many varieties of cucumbers there are to grow, yet we see usually only one kind in the stores. Here is a slide show from the NGB spotlighting 41 different cucumbers. What varieties of cucumbers do you want to grow this year?