Category Archives: garden

How To Control Common Tomato Pests

by Miragarden, health, ingredients, recipes, vegetables, vegetariangarden pests, red tomatoes, tomato pests, tomatoes

There is surely nothing better than a fresh, sun-ripened tomato. The aroma and the flavor are indescribably and mouthwateringly delicious. That’s probably why so many people give in to the lure of tomato plants on display at the hardware or grocery store in early spring. The promise of eating your own home-grown tomatoes is a temptation that's hard to resist.

If you do give in and proudly cart home your tomato plants chances are you’ll soon discover you’re not the only one who loves tomatoes. There are a number of common pests that are only too happy to feast on your delicious tomatoes and ruin them in the process.

Top Tomato Plant Pests

Unfortunately, garden pests are inevitable. The good news is if you know what you are doing you can get rid of them before they’ve done a number on your tomatoes. Although there are dozens of pests which can be harmful to your tomatoes, these are a few of the most common ones you’ll find in the garden.

Aphids - These are small insects which can be green or black and may or may not have wings. Typically they like to cluster on the bottom of the tomato leaves. They damage the plant by sucking moisture, and nutrients, which causes curled and yellowed leaves. The damage may also stunt the plants.

Cutworms -These are actually a species of moth caterpillars and they live in the soil. They pose a threat especially for young tomato plants as they like to chew the stems. If you see your tomato plants there one day and “cut” off lying on the ground the next, chances are you have cutworms. They have been known to decimate an entire crop of newly planted tomatoes overnight.

They aren’t just a problem for the immature seedlings. Cutworms can also damage older tomato plants by chewing on the stems and leaves creating holes in them.

Colorado Potato Beetles - Although it’s called a potato beetle, this pest also affects tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. Both the larvae and the adults eat the leaves of the tomato plant leaving only the stalks and veins.

Hornworms - Another caterpillar, this one is the immature form of a five-spotted hawkmoth. They are known for having a voracious appetite and can plow through tomatoes, both the plants and the fruit. Due to their tomato leaf coloration and habit of hanging out on the underside of the leaf these can be hard to spot. If you notice dark droppings on the leaves you can turn them over to see if there is a hornworm on the bottom of the leaves.

Stink Bugs - The immature nymphs and the adult stink bugs suck the sap from the plant and can harm the fruit. As the name indicates, they have a rather unpleasant odor, especially if squashed or threatened. One way to tell if you have stink bugs on your tomato plants is if you see yellow-white spots underneath the skin of the ripe fruit.

Luckily there are ways to deal with these pests without the use of harmful ingredients. As much as possible you want to use organic method. This is because many of the chemicals used in commercial insecticides and pesticides are known to be toxic to humans. In some cases studies indicate a link between the use of pesticides and neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s.

Your Organic Garden Pest Solution

As soon as you notice any of these common garden pests on your tomato plants you need to address the issue. Spraying the plant with water can dislodge the pests. This can be repeated for several days in a row in order to remove as many as possible. You’ll also want to incorporate one or more of the following organic, non-toxic, solutions:

Beneficial insects – add beneficial insects (ladybugs, praying mantis, and lacewings) to the garden and let them forage on the bug population. These beneficial insects can usually be ordered online.

Collars - make a rectangular strip of cardboard and place one around each tomato stem. This can protect the plant from cutworms as they typically will not climb over the collar.

Companion planting - adding plants like basil, dill, or marigolds to your garden may help ward against the pests.

Hand-picking – not a very pleasant task, this is, nonetheless necessary. Put on a pair of gardening gloves, prepare a container with warm, soapy water, and pick them off, dropping them into the water.

Organic insecticidal soap – follow the directions to mix up a 2 to 3% solution. This can then be applied directly to the plants/pests to remove them.

Neem oil – an organic, plant-based oil, neem can be very effective against many garden pests, especially aphids, stink bugs and tomato fruit worms.

Weeding – garden debris and weeds around your plants potentially creates a habitat/hiding place for many pests. Keeping the area around your plants clear can cut down on this.

What To Do With Tomatoes

Of course, if you’re going to grow tomatoes you are certainly going to want to eat them. I confess my favorite is a deliciously ripe tomato sliced, sprinkled with sea salt, and a smear of homemade mayonnaise.

If you’re fortunate enough to have overly abundant tomato plants there are a few other tasty things to do with tomatoes including:

Green tomato chutney

A perfect condiment for roast meats, hotdogs, and Indian food.

Oven-roasted tomatoes

This is a good way to preserve tomatoes so you can enjoy them later in the year when they are no longer in season

Roasted vegetable soup with tomato and fennel

Although the recipe calls for Roma tomatoes really any tomato will do. This is a wonderful soup when tomatoes and fennel are in season. If you have enough you can make and freeze it to enjoy in the middle of winter.

[expand title="Sources"]

"Toxicity Of Pesticides". Penn State Extension, 2021, https://extension.psu.edu/toxicity-of-pesticides.

Costa, Lucio, G. "Neurotoxicity Of Pesticides: A Brief Review". Frontiers In Bioscience, vol 13, no. 13, 2008, p. 1240. Frontiers In Bioscience, doi:10.2741/2758.

PMC, Europe. "Europe PMC". Europepmc.Org, 2021, https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/5285268.

Rauh, V. A. et al. "Impact Of Prenatal Chlorpyrifos Exposure On Neurodevelopment In The First 3 Years Of Life Among Inner-City Children". PEDIATRICS, vol 118, no. 6, 2006, pp. e1845-e1859. American Academy Of Pediatrics (AAP), doi:10.1542/peds.2006-0338.

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Is It Coriander Or Cilantro?

by Miragarden, herbs and spices

Many people may not realize that coriander and cilantro are actually the same thing. An herb that is part of the same botanical family as carrots and parsley. Sometimes it's even referred to as either Chinese or Mexican parsley.

Can you taste it?

Coriander and cilantro are actually both part of the same plant. Cilantro refers to the leaves while cilantro is the seeds. Cilantro is used a lot in Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine but can also be found in Middle Eastern dishes. One of my favorite ways to use it is in Quinoa Tabbouleh. Coriander is also used in Mexican dishes but also tends to feature heavily in curries. Adding it to a stew or soup is a great way to spice it up and add a new level of flavor.

One of the most unusual things about cilantro is the taste. While many people love and enjoy it, there are those to whom it tastes soapy. It turns out this may be due to a particular genetic trait. They examined this on SciShow

Health benefits

In addition to being tasty, cilantro and coriander have some wonderful health benefits. High in vitamin K, A, and C, as well as folate and potassium. It's also a powerful detoxifier and anti-inflammatory herb. And it is being studied for it's ability to lower cholesterol and blood pressure while supporting cardiovascular health.

The infographic below lists some more health benefits for this amazing herb. Easy to grow at home, put it in an 8-10″ deep pot in a sunny, easterly or southerly window. Plan new seeds every two to three weeks to ensure a constant supply of cilantro. Let some go to seed in order to harvest coriander.

Infographic courtesy of http://www.medicinalplants-pharmacognosy.com/

Boost Nutrition With Herbs

by Miragarden, herbs and spices, nutrients

When it comes to fresh product most of us think fruits and vegetables. Not everyone remembers to include herbs in that category, however they are a great added source of nutrients. Herbs boost nutrition because they are a nutrient dense food with vitamins and minerals. Many of them are even a source of anti-oxidants. Aim for 2-4 tablespoons of herbs per day for a healthy boost to your diet.

fresh vs. dry

When using herbs it's important to remember that there is a big difference between fresh and dry. The ratio is one to three; one part dry or three parts fresh. So if a recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of fresh herb (such as basil) you can substitute 1 teaspoon of dry. Remember there are 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon. Be sure to read your recipe carefully and scale up or down properly.

nutrition boosts

As mentioned above, different herbs have different nutrient values. The table below shares the health boosting properties of ten common herbs used in the kitchen.

Herb	Nutrition	Health Benefits
Parsley	high in vitamins C, K, and iron, this is also an antioxidant and a powerful detoxifier	an immune system booster, parsley is supportive for bones, the nervous system. also beneficial for kidney health and blood pressure
Sage	high in vitamin K, highly antioxidant and anti-inflammatory	memory enhancing benefits
Rosemary	rich in vitamins B6, C, A, folate, calcium, iron, and potassium, is also highly anti-inflammatory and antiseptic	beneficial to reduce swelling and aching, rosemary has also been shown to soothe an upset stomach. studies also show it's benefits for lowering the risk of asthma, liver disease, gum disease, and heart disease
Thyme	contains vitamin C, iron, and manganese with anti-microbial, antibacterial, and anti-parasitic qualities	studies show thyme is supportive for coughing, bronchitis, chest congestion, and other respiratory ailments
Oregano	a good source of vitamin K, iron, manganese, and calcium. a good source of antioxidants, oregano is also antibacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-parasitic	supportive for relieving colds and congestion. also shown to be helpful against menstrual cramps, fatigue, bloating, and acne
Tarragon	a rich source of vitamin C	stimulates and supports the digestive system and has been shown to be beneficial for flatulence and constipation. also beneficial for oral health and supporting gums
Dill	high in vitamin C and manganese, a good antibacterial herb	supportive for bladder health, dill is also a natural diuretic. appeas to be effective for supporting blood sugar levels and reducing cholesterol
Basil	rich in vitamins A, K, and manganese as well as having antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties	supportive for digestion, basil also has been shown to reduce swelling and pain in joints, to promote circulation, and is a mild diuretic
Mint	contains vitamins A, C and folate	has benefits for digestive support against gas, upset stomach, and indigestion. studies have also shown benefits for congestion
Cilantro (aka Coriander)	good source of vitamins K, A, and C, cilantro is highly antioxidant, antibacterial and a power detoxifier	studies have shown benefits for blood sugar and cholesterol levels

growing herbs

Many herbs are easy to grow at home. They can be grown either in a container or directly in the garden. The infographic below provides planting instructions, flavor profiles, and suggested uses. Add a nutrient and flavor boost to your diet by incorporating herbs.

“Herb Your Enthusiasm” on Health Perch

(more…)

Making A New Compost Bin

by Mirafood waste, garden

In a recent newsletter post I shared the picture above. It's a compost bin that my husband built because we needed another one in the yard. We had two, a tumbling bin, which we use to put kitchen scraps into, and a fixed bin which we use for finishing the compost when the tumbler gets too full for me to turn it easily. This way we always have a bin for household scraps and the finishing bin is great to let it sit a while longer either until it's done or until we can use it.

Now that we have a larger yard though, we're generating more compost from weeds and such. The tumbling bin can only hold so much and the finishing bin works best if we put partially decomposed stuff into it. So we needed a new one.

My husband went searching online and found this bin and the plans. He easily made ours following the instructions given on the website. The challenge with a lot of bins is getting to the compost when it's done. We love the stackable/unstackable feature which will make it very easy to access compost when it's ready. You add layers as the bin gets higher. Then you unstack them as you're using it.

Several people asked for more information about compost. Here's what I know and what works for us:

In the house we have a small, lidded kitchen trashcan (with foot pedal because when your hands are full of kitchen scraps you can't open the lid at the same time). My mom taught me a good trick and we line the bottom with a paper towel, shred some newspaper into it and top with another paper towel. This serves a couple of purposes.

First, it soaks up most of the liquid if you put wet-ish things in there like melon rinds.

Second, it adds some brown matter and improves the brown to green ratio (more on that below). And compost needs both brown and green matter in order to break down properly.

Third, it makes things slide out of the bin and into the compost tumbler very easily. In the past if things started to break down too quickly they got a little sticky and it wasn't so pleasant to have to scrape the bin clean.

What do we put in our compost bin?

Everything we can. Egg shells, potato peelings, fruit and veggie rinds, and things that are past their prime (although we try to not have too many of those). As long as it is not dairy or meat it goes in the bin. We don't put my husband's coffee grounds in there, although we could, because we use those straight on the roses. We also do not add grass as we have a mulching attachment on our lawn mower and use that to help fertilize the lawn.

We do use dry leaves in the compost bin. If you just have green matter your compost gets very stinky. It also attracts a lot of flies. An ideal bin would be 30 parts brown matter (which provides carbon) to 1 part green matter (which provides nitrogen). Most websites that I've found seem to indicate that kitchen scraps are about 12 or 15:1. Dry leaves are 50:1. I think my paper lined bin is possibly closer to 20:1. Sometimes my husband has sawdust leftover from a project (like making a compost bin) and we can add that. We try not to over-think it but if we notice it's not breaking down well we try to adjust.

I do not compost manure in the bins. While I am expecting a trailer-load of horse manure any day now, that will sit in a separate pile to do it's thing until it's ready; it needs to rest for a while as horses are not very efficient digesters and if you use it right away it's too hot and too weedy. It needs to break down for a while. I don't use pet manure in the compost, that gets buried in the yard in an area where we don't grow food.

Compost bins also need moisture. We've been getting enough rain and it seems to seep into the bins. And I figure there's enough moisture in what we're putting into the bin. If it looks a little dry as the summer progresses and the heat increases we'll adjust the moisture content as needed. Again, we try not to be too picky about it but to pay attention to what things look like.

Once your compost is done (and there's something really amazing and wondrous about turning garbage into rich, crumbly soil) it's great to use in the garden. I top dress my garden beds with it in the Spring and the Fall. It's also good for putting into containers when I repot them. At this point I have more of a need than I have available supply. This new bin is definitely going to be put to good use.

What Are Safe Seeds?

by Miragarden, gmoseeds, small garden, vegetable garden

Seeds vs. Plants

Spring is just around the corner. Many people start thinking about planting a garden. Dreaming about fragrant, flavorful tomatoes, mouthwateringly delicious sweet corn, an abundance of greens and herbs, and more, all from their garden. For some, this thought process is accompanied by doodlings of garden plans, frantic searchings for last year's crop rotation chart, or just dog-earing a few pages in the latest garden supply catalog.

Some folks will buy seeds. Some will buy plants. But are they, and you, thinking about the environmental and biological impact of the plants? Are you considering non-genetically modified (GMO-free) plants and seeds? If not, it's time to consider making the switch. Yes, GMO-free can be more expensive. However, it comes with some important benefits.

Understanding the Safe Seed Pledge

But first I'd like to clarify. While organic seeds are great, in some cases, depending on the crop, not all crops require them. What is of vital importance is the use of non-genetically modified seeds. In order to support a move away from GMOs, more companies are signing the Safe Seed Pledge. Created in 1999 it was started as a way for companies to share their position when it comes to genetically modified seeds. Companies who have signed the pledge, and there are over 70 at this point, pledge that their seeds are free of genetic modification. Here are just a few companies you can buy from who have all signed the pledge:

Why Choose Safe Seeds

At a minimum, safe seeds from companies who have signed the pledge should be what you're looking for when choosing seeds. Here's why:

Seeds from genetically modified crops are often heavily sprayed with pesticides to keep down the weed population. This pesticide residue has a very sharp impact on the environment. Increased pesticide use appears to be reducing butterfly populations. It can also pollute the water and causes birth defects in water animals such as frogs and fish.
The most common pesticide ingredient, glyphosate, is a chelating agent and binds with nutrients from the soil, effectively blocking them from the plants. With no nutrient uptake, that means less nutrition in your diet.
New studies are showing a significant impact on human health and changes to DNA from exposure to pesticides.
Seed crops spend more time in the ground than food crops, this increases the amount of pesticide potentially taken up into the seed and then passed on to you through the food grown from those seeds.
Non-GMO crops and especially organic crops are often grown in healthier soil, creating a healthier end product.
According to information found from the Institute for Responsible Technology, there are studies that show that animals ingesting GMO diets have organ damage and gastrointestinal issues as well as accelerated aging and infertility.

Starting Your Garden

Starting vegetables from seed doesn't require a lot of room. Essentially you need a container of some kind, good quality dirt, safe seeds, water, and sunlight. The truth, however, is that many of us feel nervous about how to start a vegetable or herb garden from seed. We've gotten so far away from that habit that it seems foreign and perhaps a bit overwhelming. The following are good resources to get you started:

Starting Seeds: How to Grow Healthy, Productive Vegetables, Herbs, and Flowers from Seed (Storey Basics)
The New Seed Starters Handbook (Rodale Organic Gardening)
Square Foot Gardening: A New Way To Garden In Less Space With Less Work
Seed Starting Kit – Basic kit includes a beautiful giftable box, drip tray, 12 cell seed tray, humidity dome, seed label sticks, 12 compressed soil pucks (just add water), easy to follow instructions, and an assortment of 6 medicinal and tea herb seeds, such as basil, dill, oregano, parsley, chives, and mustard
4-Tier Growing Rack - With Greenhouse cover. Measures 63" tall, 27" wide, and 19" deep
LED Grow Light - This 36 Watt srew-in bulb provides sufficient light for small vegetables, peppers, and herbs also. Perfect for indoor and urban gardens, microgreen and wheatgrass flats.

While it's certainly easier to plant vegetables that are ready to go in the ground, you need to know what you're getting. If you're planning to start your garden from plants that someone else has sown from seed it would be a great idea to find out where the seeds originated and if they are part of the safe seed pledge program.

[expand title="Sources"]

Koller, VJ, et al. Cytotoxic and DNA-damaging properties of glyphosate and Roundup in human-derived buccal epithelial cells. Arch Toxicol. 2012 May;86(5):805-13

Mertens, M, et al. Glyphosate, a chelating agent—relevant for ecological risk assessment?. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2018; 25(6): 5298–5317

"The ‘Doomsday’ Vault Where The World’S Seeds Are Kept Safe". TIME.Com, 2022, https://time.com/doomsday-vault/

"Glyphosate Binds Vital Nutrients | The Detox Project". The Detox Project, 2022, https://detoxproject.org/glyphosate/glyphosate-chelating-agent/.

"Home - Institute For Responsible Technology". Institute For Responsible Technology, 2022, https://www.responsibletechnology.org/.

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Garden Update

by Miragarden, gratitude, herbs and spices, vegetables

I woke up this morning to a deliciously cool morning, breezy, sunny, birds singing, perfect garden weather. So I took myself out into the garden for a little early morning weeding and puttering around in the dirt.

This has been a horrible year for vegetable gardening for me. I confess I'm a wimp. If it's raining or over 90 degrees I don't like to be out there. We didn't get rain but we certainly had more than our fair share of extraordinarily hot days. And we had a drought. The end result of which is that we got peas, beans, tomatoes and hot peppers. But the zucchini didn't grow (I had always thought it was impossible to NOT grow zucchini — shows what an expert I am), the broccoli and sweet peppers were stunted and bitter, and many of my herbs grew so poorly that I was unable to harvest anything. I'm afraid to try to dig the potatoes, I don't think anything is there.

This morning however I was thrilled to see some things survived and are actually doing well. Here in East Texas our Fall weather is mild enough that many folks refer to it as a second spring. We are fortunate enough to have an extended mild season that allows us to grow another set of crops. Given the hope that follows the soaking rain we had a week ago I'm recharged and ready to get back into the garden.

the cabbage is starting to recover

a baseball sized lemon – the only one on the tree

our eggplants are starting to fruit

the harrdier herbs survived: oregano, sage, chives, pepper basil, a curry plant and yarrow

our fig tree is producing a bumper second crop

Being outside made me realize how much I have been shut inside during the heat of our summer. Yes, I went for walks and bike rides, but to just spend extended amounts of time outdoors enjoying the yard and my surroundings — didn't happen. I'm grateful for the cooler weather, the opportunity to be back outside and the resiliency of mother nature.

Growing A Garden

by Miragarden, herbs and spices, recipes, tomatoes

Rosemary | photo: Nataraja

It's been very dry here in the Eastern Piney Woods of Texas. So dry that there are now warning signs all over town about the potential for fire hazard. Needless to say this is not boding well for my garden. This is our third year here and each year we do a little bit better than the year before. But we also spend a lot of time and energy moving things around trying to find just the *right* spot on our postage stamp-sized property. We seem to have finally found the right spot for the tomatoes and they're producing faster than we can eat them which is a delicious thing. If I start to get too many I make something my friend Libby calls Tomato Junk and shove it in the freezer ready to use at a moments notice for pasta dishes, salads, egg scrambles and more.

I've just gotten back from the store where I have purchased, yet again, a rosemary plant. This is my fourth one of the season. I had one last year. It did pretty well. We enjoyed using it in a lot of recipes, especially veggie marinades, last summer. Then winter came. It was a bad winter (for Texas) and many things in my yard did not make it. One of them was that poor rosemary. Okay, it happens. So I went and bought another one. For some reason it wasn't happy where the first one was and it died. I bought another one and moved it to the bed across the way. That one died too. Then I bought another one and planted it in a pot with the lavender. The lavender is still going but the rosemary? Yup, dead as a doornail.

So I've bought another one (luckily they are just $4 a pot so I can afford to keep shelling out until I get it right) and I'm really hoping this one will make it. I've got a different location in mind, a little more shade, hopefully a better location and nowhere near the areas where the others have not survived.

Along the way I keep being reminded that gardening is an ever-evolving process. Especially after learning how to garden in one area of the country and then moving to a vastly different agricultural zone and temperate climate. Learning what plant where takes time and attention and effort. Luckily most of what my husband and I plant in our garden seems to grow well or I probably would have given up by now. I also like playing in the dirt and this certainly gives me an excuse to keep on doing it. And it's a great way to get some sunshine and fresh air, something I recommend for everyone.

Since I mentioned it, here's the recipe for Tomato Junk. There are no precise measurements, I just throw it all together but somehow it always works out.

Tomato Junk

a lot of very ripe tomatoes, washed, cored, peeled and quartered
a sweet onion, chopped
a clove or two of garlic, minced
a bunch of basil, minced

Using a generous amount of olive oil in the pan saute onions and garlic until the onion starts to wilt
Add tomatoes and cook until they start to break down
Add basil and cook another 5 minutes

Remove from heat, let cool and then package for the freezer in 1 cup containers

I do not add salt or pepper to this as I season it when I use it

The High Density Orchard

by Mirafruit, garden, herbs and spices, vegetables

Indus Valley Sustainable Living Institute

Recently I visited the Indus Valley Sustainable Living Institute run by my friend Priyanka. It was wonderful to see all the amazing things that they do there and learn about recycling and reusing on a bigger scale. One of their tag lines is “eco-logical design.” I love it. What a perfect phrase and concept for living sustainably and in harmony with our environment.

While I was there I was able to see the high density orchard. It's amazing to see all the different fruit trees that are planted in a very small space. They can be grown closer together in part because there is no need to plant them wide enough for commercial machinery to get through for harvesting. There's also no need to prune/thin to maximize production. The trees will be shaped to make getting through the orchard and around the trees easier, but they will produce enough to be sustainable.

I was very happy to see the way the orchard was laid out. Priyanka shared that they have 6 citrus, 3 figs, 3 persimmons, an avocado, 2 apples, 4 bananas, an olive, two pomegranates a loquat, black berries, blueberries, grapes, strawberries, and “a few more growing around here.” Their combined orchard and vegetable garden is all in within a 1/6 acre piece of the 1.25 acres that encompass the property.

It made me realize that what we are doing with our little 1/4 acre property is just right, at least for us. It also made me realize that yes I can have an avocado if I simply move the butterfly ginger just a pinch to the right. Another interesting concept was that in the orchard squashes were growing in between the trees. Priyanka told me that many times vines are encouraged to grow up the tree trunks as a means of support. I think that's great and plan to figure out how I can protect baby squash from the ravages of my little terrier-mix puppy and try to put some in there.

Having your own vegetables and fruit is a great way to connect with your food. On a very basic level there is just something fabulous about picking tomatoes and basil from your own garden to toss into the pan and make a meal.

I have been using Mel Bartholomew's Square Foot Gardening for years. It's been great and allows me to grow a large number of vegetables in a relatively small space. For those who don't have a yard, container gardening can be the way to go. There is quite a lot that can actually be grown in containers and a well done container garden is very attractive. From Container to Kitchen, The Vegetables Gardener's Container Bible, and Bountiful Container are all good choices to help you get started with container food and herb gardening.

Another good book is Rosalind Creasy's Edible Landscaping. With a lot of great information about incorporating food plants into the garden in an aesthetic and pleasing way it's a good resource and has a lot of useful ideas for those of us (okay mostly me) who aren't good at landscape design.

While there isn't a similar book that is specifically focussed on growing fruit trees and bushes there are a number of books related to small scale homesteading. These include The Backyard Homestead, Mini Farming, and The Practical Homestead. I'm going to check them out and see if there is information there that I can pass along.

In the meantime if you garden, in the yard, in a container, on your windowsill, I'd love to hear about it.

Food And Money

by Mirabudget, garden, grocery, pantry, preserving, produce, shopping guides, USDA

The USDA is predicting an increase in all foods for 2011; depending on the item it is expected to range from 2% for things like sugars and cereals to as high as 5.5% for dairy products. If you are interested you can see the chart here. Part of the increase is due to the higher costs for corn and soybeans. Remember, it's a cycle, what we eat needs to eat. I actually anticipate that the costs for meat will be much higher than currently predicted due to more people deciding to purchase meat and dairy that is organic to avoid the GMO contamination of corn and soy. These are two of the most heavily GMO crops but our government doesn't identify that so the only way to avoid it is to purchase organic.

There are a number of ways that you can save money on your food bill in the upcoming year:

Plant a vegetable garden. Using your space for edible gardening can be attractive and save you food dollar costs. During both World Wars Victory Gardens were planted in every yard and public park all across the United States. It's a concept that I think many people are rediscovering.

Even if you buy a tomato plant at the garden center and plant it in a pot you will still get far more produce than if you purchase your tomatoes at the grocery store. And believe me, they'll taste better. We've just re-arranged our side yard and brought in a load of organic dirt, working on creating a better vegetable garden. We've also put in herbs and a few fruits in the yard.

Here are a couple of books that I think are great for backyard vegetable gardening

Mel Bartholomew is the authority on getting the most out of the smallest space. If you have any gardening space available, even just one square foot, you'd be amazed at what you can grow.

Rosalind Creasy shows you how to incorporate beauty and function in your garden by making your landscape edible.

If you live in an apartment or don't have access to a plot of ground you can consider container gardening. Even one reasonable size container can grow a lot of tomatoes and basil or peas and mint or…read the book.

And there seems to be an increase in folks growing food on rooftops and terraces.

If you shop at warehouse stores frequently the prices are good but the quantities are huge. Don't buy more than you need, after all 50 pounds of potatoes is a lot, especially in a family like ours with just three people in the house. Just because the price per pound is low, if you wind up throwing out rotten potatoes (or anything else) you've just lost money. If you really want the item consider saving money by asking family, friends and/or neighbors if they want to share these items with you. This way you'll both save money and there will be less waste.

And speaking of waste…

According to Jonathan Bloom, author of American Wasteland, Americans, on average, throw away half of their food. Half! That's a mind-boggling concept. Knowing, really knowing exactly what is in your pantry is a great start, learning how to be mindful of it is the next step. Jonathan has a lot of great information on his blog to help you avoid food waste. Don't want to read the book (although I highly recommend it)? There's an app for that — yup, a company called UniByte has created an app to help you better manage your food purchases so you will waste less.

If you do wind up with food waste, and some of it is inevitable such as potato peelings, egg shells, coffee grounds, and the like, consider composting. This is also environmentally friendly in that the food scraps become usable dirt instead of going to the landfill where they cannot be used to grow more food.

A little off the beaten path but for those who have access, inclination, and a sharp eye there is always the idea of foraging. According to my friend Merriweather it is important to remember a couple of key points:

1. Know what you are foraging. Many edibles have an inedible counterpart that looks almost the same. He points out that these inedibles wind up in either the “kill your kid dead” or “keep you on the toilet sick” category so it's important to be very sure of your identifications.

2. Forage responsibly using appropriate tools to cut and dig rather than ripping and shredding. This allows the plants to continue to grow and is the best way to forage.

3. Make sure you have permission. Here in Texas, and probably elsewhere, plant rustling is against the law. Getting a huge fine for public trespassing or theft is not going to help your grocery bill any.

While Merriweather sadly does not yet have a published book there are some great foraging books out there:

And last, but certainly not least, another way to save money at the grocery store is to learn to make your own. One of my favorites is making my own granola which definitely saves money over the store-bought versions. You can make your own pudding, soups, muffins, snacks, spice mixes, beverages, pickles, jams and much much more. Currently I am fermenting kimchi on my kitchen counter, starting another batch of kefir and have just finished making another batch of bean sprouts. These require very little hands on time and save quite a few dollars while providing healthful foods for my family. Making your own has a number of benefits:

1. It will save you money

2. You will avoid extra packaging and commercial waste

3. You will avoid additives, preservatives and chemicals (which you don't need in your diet anyway)

4. Often when you make your own you make smaller batches so you are less likely to waste it

So here's to a new year, a new grocery budget, and new possibilities for your health.

Praying Mantis Adventures

by Miragarden, pest control

I'm so excited because there is a new crop of baby praying mantis in our neighborhood. The kids across the street were lucky enough to get a praying mantis egg casing. It just hatched revealing an enormous number of babies from the case. The kids let the mantises go in the garden and I'm hoping that a lot of them will survive to populate the area.

Praying mantises are great for the garden. They are carnivores, eating beetles, roaches, grasshoppers, even moths and moth larvae. All things that are very destructive to the garden. While they only live for one season if you're lucky enough a fully mature female will lay an egg casing in your garden and the cycle can start all over again.

As you can see from the picture (which I took, I'm so happy that one actually came out well), they are very small. They were less than 24 hours old when I took the picture and about the size of a grain of rice (if rice had long cricket-y legs that is).

Welcome to the neighborhood guys! Hope you find lots to eat.