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It’s been unseasonably chilly the past few days here in eastern NC.  But I still see signs of spring in the blooming azaleas (which are gorgeous now), in the uptick of the number of cars outside of businesses that carry gardening supplies, and in the noisy buzz of lawn mowers throughout the neighborhood.

Originally being from the SC Low Country area I don’t count myself as a real gardener.  It was so hot, humid and sunny all (long) summer long, that anything you threw in the ground would grow.  Prolifically.  When I moved to New England, it was a whole different story.  The summers were shorter, hot, but not hot enough for a good tomato, the air was drier and the ground was, well, different.  I really struggled to grow vegetables there.  I did, but they were never as good as those grown through a hot Carolina summer.

Here in NC, I’m further away from the coast, so less humid.  The soil is clay.  What the heck do you do with that?  And at this point my knees and back really don’t want to be too involved, so I’m still not much of a real gardener.  But this week I’ve gathered up a few gardening tips that either I hadn’t heard of, had heard of and wanted to pass along, or ideas that seemed interesting.

Let’s begin with some real information: How to Start a Vegetable Garden from Weekend Gardener.  The article has lots of good basic information for all beginners.  They are a little over-achieving for a beginner, because they talk about a 20 by 20 square foot plot.  If you are just starting out that is A LOT of space to setup and maintain.  I’d say start smaller, maybe a 4 by 4, if that!  And don’t forget that you may have to amend soil differently, depending on where you live.

And now for some tidbits and oddities…

Here are some different holders to start seedlings in that you can plant right in the ground.  From the Origami Club – a paper box:

From LeeField – the egg shell.

From an unknown source – citrus peels!

Here are some things you have around the house that you can use to enhance your soil.  From Paper Jewels:

From Mother Nature Network what to do with tea grounds:

From Girl On Bike Writes, here are some ideas about egg shells:

And here are a handful of items you can grow from the original food item.  Fun for kids and adults!

From Alternative Energy Gardening here are lemon leaves from lemon seeds:

Carrots from carrot tops – a first for many kids –  from  Gardening Know How:

From Dream State Inspiration, here is information on how to grow ginger from a piece of the root.

From 17 Apart how to regrow celery:

When you search for “gardening” on Pinterest prepare to be overwhelmed.  I know I was!  If you have some gardening/growing/planting tips, please share them with us.

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