Time to Plan the Garden

This is the time of year when it is either snowing, raining or freezing, so you really haven’t got a whole lot to do outdoors right now anyway so…why not take the time and plan your garden.

You might say within yourself that you really don’t need to plan the garden. You can design and plan your garden as you go along, but every year you end up saying to yourself…” I wish I’d done it different”.Planning a garden is not cumbersome or boring. On the contrary; planning a garden can be fun and make your garden more organized and fruitful. You just have start by getting organized. Here’s a few idea’s that will help to make it fun.

1.)Draw Out Your Garden Plot

There is no better way to draw out your garden plot than with a piece of graph paper. Buy a graph tablet and use it to map out your garden. It’s always best to start your drawing by scale. Know how much space you have in your garden by drawing an outline of your garden. You don’t have to be exact; after all, you’re not building a house. But some gardens are not always square or oblong. Some gardens have different shapes, so it’s best to draw out your garden according to its dimensions.

In drawing out your garden plot in this way, you will be able to best decide where you intend to plant which products. Think about your garden space and remember that some plants take more space to grow than others and try to place plants where you can utilize all the available space. Planting helter-skelter is less labor intensive, but rest assured that without putting some thought into the process…you will be cheating yourself out of all the benefits that a planned garden can offer.

A good example would be to plant your corn on the far end of your garden where it will not shade any of the rest of your garden. Plant pole beans on the outskirts of your corn so that the vines can use the corn as a trellis. You can also plant low growing vines like cucumbers and melons on the outskirts of your corn. This is a space saving idea that I’ve used in my gardens for years. Some of the vine will grow into your corn plot instead of into your garden area. Four or five of the vines grown in this manner can save a lot of space.

2.)Consider Succession Planting

While planning your garden it is also a good idea to decide rather you are going to be doing extra canning or freezing this year. If you are, then it would be a good idea to consider succession planting. The concept of succession planting is great for the gardener who wants to have a continuous supply of fresh fruits and vegetables from the early spring until very late into the fall.

This is a fantastic concept because when one product is done for the year, then you can replace something else in the same exact spot. Of course in doing this you will also have to do a little long range planning.

A good example is to plant something that you will harvest in August or September. You will then pull up the spent vine or remaining plant; throw them into the compost pile and then replace it with a product that likes cooler weather with a shorter growing span. For this I will sometimes use Radish, Lettuce, or something in the Cole family.

3.)Choosing Your Seed

The new seed catalogs should be coming to your door very soon. If you don’t subscribe to any of the seed catalogs; it would behoove you to do so. There are a tremendous amount of catalogs out there, but my best advice is to try and find them from your particular state. These will offer seeds that are more acclimated to your area. However, if there is none available for your state, then do an online search for seed catalogs. When it comes to seed catalogs; there is always an inexhaustible supply.

Of course, I am a huge proponent of Heirloom Seeds, but if you are alright with planting the Hybrids, then by-all-means knock yourself out. Following this article are some websites where you can find some of my favorite seed catalogs.

When choosing my seed, I always put them into three categories.

a. Must have
b. Want to have
c. Can maybe fit in

The “must have” seeds are my staples. Those are the fruits and veggies that I want most. For most everyone the staples are going to be different. My staples might be Radish, Lettuce, Tomatoes, but yours could be Carrots, Cucumbers and Strawberries. This is why planning your garden ahead is so very important. If you have your seed catalogs now; you have the ability to look through them and maybe find seeds that have a shorter harvest time, or have better bug resistance. You might decide to have a bush bean this year versus a pole bean which takes more space. There are a multitude of things to consider, but enjoy the process. Make it a family project and have fun with it. After all, that’s what a garden is supposed to be.

My “want to have” seeds are self explanatory. If I have enough room in the garden, or if I plan to do some extra canning or freezing, or maybe I want to give some more away this year, or it could be that I just want to experiment, then these might be the seeds that I want to grow. And here again I can’t emphasize the need for a little planning ahead of time. If you have drawn out your garden plot and you have your seed catalogs in front of you, then you can have a better idea as to whether you have the space to grow all the things you must have along with all the items that you want to have. Be sure to look at the seeds growing and harvesting time, spacing and zones.

The products that I “can maybe fit in” are those items that I would like to try or maybe experiment with. I do my best to make my garden fun; therefore, I’m going to do a little experimenting to see if I have found myself a new favorite, or maybe I’ve still got a lot of pickles that I canned up from last years garden, so I’m going to try something different in their place this year. It doesn’t hurt to experiment once in a while. Maybe you’ve never grown artichokes before and you would like to give them a try. I say… GO FOR IT!

However, Artichokes can take up some room, so once again you need to do a little planning.

4.)Inter-Planting

In this last segment on garden planning I would like to emphasize the concept of Inter-Planting. Some gardeners might have their own ideas about the process, but I will offer you mine. No matter the size of your garden and no matter what you plant in that garden, be sure to Inter-Plant its entire contents. In my book Simple Gardens Exposed, I go into this process in great detail and will always enforce the concept in whatever garden I grow. I cannot emphasize enough about the value of co-planting Garlic, Herbs and Flowers into garden plot. I am never particular about where I plant these items in my garden, just as long as they are mixed completely and thoroughly into the entire garden. I won’t go into the entire process here because it is to lengthy; however, if you want the why’s and wherefores of the process, then you can download my book for only $12.95.

Of course my book contains a great deal about how to make gardening simple, but it will also tell you the value of the Inter-Planting process. Inter-Planting can be one of the most valuable methods you can use for your garden, so when you are making your garden plans; don’t forget to incorporate this method onto your garden graph.

In closing; this article is mainly meant to serve as a reminder that garden planning can make your gardening simple and less time consuming. It is not for me to say how you plant your garden or what products to fill it with; however, in creating a garden plan, you will certainly be able to achieve the most that your garden plot has to offer.

My Hope is that your New Gardening year is a bountiful one!


My Favorite Garden Catalog Sites:

Heirloom Seeds

Heirloom Seeds.com

Territorial Seed Co.

Johnnys Seed Co.

Jung Seed Co.Read more!

The Gardeners Prayer

Lord bless these hands with strength I pray
that they may be able to toil day by day
bless the soil in which I plant
To bring forth fruit Lord please us grant.

Bless the lettuce, beets and potatoes please
Let them grow and produce with ease
allow the carrots, beans and kale
onions and radish come without fail

Bless the corn that it may rise
to reach the clouds in your blue sky
Its golden nuggets so ripe and sweet
give hearty meals to us who reap

Grant us much sunshine dear Lord we pray
so that our gardens will grow each day
It’s not just for our family or for greed
But to help feed others that are in need

Bless the fruits of our labor dear Lord we pray
and give us strength to plant another day.

Author: Gary Brill
Simple Gardens Exposed

Please feel free to copy The Gardeners Prayer if you so desire. I would only ask that the authors name be included. Thank you!







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Picking the Perfect Pineapple

When it comes to tropical fruits; the Pineapple is second in sales directly behind the Banana. The fruit is sweet and when eaten will give you a burst of flavor like no other fruit. It is as if there is an explosion of sweet freshness that over-whelms the senses.

The Pineapple is not just tastee, but it is packed with nutrients that is extremely important of the internal organs and muscle health. And although this article is not necessarily about the health benefits of the little miracle...I think they are worth looking into. Therefore, if you will will go to Nutrient Data you will fined out just how vitamin packed the Pineapple really is.

Now that we know that the Pineapple is good for us...we can discuss the best method for picking out the little jewel.

In my thirty or so years in the Produce business, there was not a week that went by without some sweet little lady coming to me asking me to pick her out the perfect Pineapple. I was of course; perfectly willing to do so, but I always felt just as obligated to instruct her on learning the task herself. I finally realized that some of those wonderful ladies already knew how to pick out their Pineapple, but what they really wanted was just someone to talk to. And usually the joke was on me, because I never really ever seen it coming.

Pineapple is like most all other fruits...they are picked too green for human consumption. They are picked this way because of the need for in-store shelf life. They are gassed to kill insects and to excite the enzymes of the fruit to continue the ripening process. I am not one whom agrees with this particular process; however, I am also not anyone who can change it.

Therefore, one might say that "we just have to go with the flow" and in most cases the delectable fruit will finally come to ripen. And of course, it then becomes our responsibility to find that mature point of edibility. And of course; your question about the subject is...when is that?

The best way to pick out that perfect Pineapple is to navigate your way to the top of the leaves (also known as the crown) and reach into the very top of the crown and try to pull a leaf from the very center. You should not have to pull hard in the least. Give the leaf a slight tug and if the Pineapple is ripe...the leaf will come out very easily.

In some cases the leaf you touch might even just fall out. If this happens, take a second look at the Pineapple itself and make sure it is not bruised in any way. You don't want the Pineapple over-ripe.

A second method is to look on the bottom portion of the Pineapple and observe the core. If you have small amount of mold just starting to grow on the core...this is a good sign that the sugar content of the fruit is high. This type of mold needs two sources in which to grow and they are moisture and sugar. Therefore, if you've got a little mold, then it must have a fairly good source of sugar available. Don't be afraid of the mold, but don't consume it either. It will wash and or cut off without doing you any harm.

Now if you pick a Pineapple where the top center leaf plucks out easily and when you turn it over and find a small amount of mold on the core, then you've hit paydirt. That Pineapple will be both juicy and sweet. When you peel the fruit for eating just cut the mold from the core and then enjoy. But don't throw that core away!

There is probably two dozen things you can do with that core, so don't waste it. Here's just a few.

Blend it up to make a delicious smoothie
Use it for your Pina Colada
Use it for a meat tenderizer
Rub the core and the Pineapple on your skin to reduce the signs of wrinkles and aging. See Pineapple Face Mask
Put the core into a chicken and roast it (delicious)
Put them into a punch bowel
Slice up the core and put a chunk into your tea or lemonade

You get the idea here? In other words...you paid for it so by-all-means utilize the core. Why throw it away? Do some research and find out the many other uses for your Pineapple core and skins. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Good Luck!Read more!

Simple Seed Germination

One of my favorite tunes from Elton John is the song entitled "The Circle of Life". Although germinating a seed has nothing to do with the movie...the concept of a life full circle remains the same. It is magnificent to watch something so small and trivial as a seed perfect itself into a sustainer of life.

It is that full circle that perpetuates a seed to grow into a life that will draw from the soil its needed sustainment and then grow into a plant that will take carbon dioxide and filter it and produce oxygen. It is also pure amazement to me that a seed so insignificant can grow into a fir tree that will reach 90' tall. And from that same tree, we will heat our homes, build our house, create furniture and paper.

We understand that the whole perpetuation of the vegetable life is dependant upon one small seed being able to germinate so that it can reproduce itself by many fold. It seems; at times, a contradiction of life itself that a seed must produce a plant, and then that same plant be required to die in order to reproduce.

It seems that most all life is based upon this very same principle and as much as I am awe-struck of this concept...I am glad that it is so.

It is for this reason why that one or two plants can virtually turn into millions of plants that will either produce a flower, grain or a fruit that will virtually help feed millions and billions of people. Every time we sit down to eat; we as humans minimize the fact that something has given its life, so that we may be nourished in order to grow.

Therefore, it is for this reason that gardening for me is such a pleasure. I get to help return the favor to nature and its abundance to my well being by spreading and propagating the seeds in order for them to continue their mission of life sustainment to me and mine. And one of the ways that I perform this task is to simply give the seeds and opportunity to germinate. And this; of course, is the reason for this writing.

I would like to share with you a quick and simple way in which I germinate a lot of my seeds-if I am for some reason...way behind in getting my seeds started. This method is fast and I don't recommend it for all seeds, but it works for many of them.

I first take a piece of aluminum foil that's about 24" in length. You can make it any length you choose, but I very seldom plant more than a row of any one item longer than that.

Then I will take paper towel and lay it down on top of the foil about the same length. Then I will lay out my seed in the desired spacing on top of the paper towel.
For lettuce...I don't worry to much about spacing, but for radish's; I will space them about 1" apart. You can look on a package of seed and it will usually tell you about how far to space them.

Then I will take another strip of paper towel and lay over top of the seeds. (I don't use the full width of the towel. I use just enough width to adequately cover the seeds.)

I then take a misting bottle full of non-chlorinated water and spray the paper towels until wet.

Take your fingers and press the paper towel down over top of the seed until the towel does a good job of folding around the seeds. Then I place the whole thing on top of my fridge or in some other warm place.

I mist the paper towel every day so that the towel stays moist. Do not over-spray. You just want the towel staying moist. The area that you place the seed in or on should be at least 72 degrees. This could be on top of the VCR, refrigerator or a stove of some sort. Just make sure the top of the stove don't get to warm.

You don't need light. At this point...light is not necessary.

Somewhere in the vicinity of 5-6 days; your plants should be sprouting and on their way to growth. You can check them and you will see when they have germinated and are on their way to growth. This is the time when I take them out to the garden for planting.

Planting this way is also very simple and easy.

Take the seeds to the garden while still on the foil...this will give you a little stability in handling.

Make a very shallow trough in your garden row the same length as your paper towel.

Lay the foil and seed on top of the trough, then slide the foil out from underneath the paper towel. Now the paper towel should be lying on the soil.

Then cover the entire paper towel and the seed with about 1/2" of soil. (Don't pat the soil down.) Take your spray bottle and soak the soil. As the water is sprayed on the soil, you will see it compress as the air in the soil is replaced by water.

And this completes the germination and planting process. There is no pots that you have to deal with, no potting mix preparation and no root shock. The paper towel will act as somewhat of an insulator from chilly nights and it will decompose in the soil.

I don't try to impress on anyone that this is the best way to start seeds, but it is certainly simple and fast. I don't do this with every seed that I put in the garden, but I do love it for lettuce, radish, carrot, and greens.

You will find that with small seed such as those mentioned above...it will make life a whole lot simpler and you don't have to go back later and thin out.

Just another simple idea to ponder!












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The Trouble with Tomatoe's

I have met a tremendous amount of friends and acquaintances throughout my years and many of them because of a common interest...the fun of gardening. However,out of all the conversations that I have engaged in about gardening, the most talked about has been growing the Tomato. And the most important thing that I think I can tell anyone about the trouble with growing the Tomato is that there is to much human intervention

When these acquaintances found out that I was a farmer and avid gardener they immediately assumed that I might know everything there was to know about growing the Tomato. And I would like to make one point perfectly clear...I don't. Of course most of us know the common element of the species... and that is that they like lots of sun and they seem to be susceptible to every disease and bug on the planet. This of course is the reasoning as to why many folks have went to growing the Hybrid Tomato.

Some has resolved to the fact that since we seem to be incapable to growing the sensitive fruit on our own, then we can turn to science for all the answers.

But I daresay that science has not done that great of a job in and of itself. Science in its quest to answer and solve every question of the world; has decided that they can do a far better job than nature, or in my belief; God himself. They figure that nature has not done a good enough job on its own; therefore they can improve by genetically changing the way the tomato grows.

They modify and try to create a seed that is resistant to bugs, will produce earlier, attain greater yields, grow in cooler climates and have better nutrition. And it's all well and good just as long as we continue to purchase and plant the seeds that science creates for us. However, in depending upon science, we seem to lose our own ability to sustain ourselves. These Hybrid seeds will not reproduce themselves; which means you are now completely dependent upon someone else for your gardening endeavors.

I do have a somewhat reserved appreciation for science, but not when it comes to messing with our food. Science has unlocked quite a few doors about the questions we have always had about why things go wrong. They have taught us about the PH factor of our soils, they have explained what's in soil and what makes it produce the foods that we consume and science has helped reveal the type of nutrition that is available in those foods. And as far as I'm concerned...that's as far as science needs to go. The growing process should then be left to us.

I believe that we as gardeners should take the common sense approach to growing the Tomato. And of course; my common sense approach is to first get away from the Hybrid seed. You do have the ability to grow the old fashioned, been around for thousands of years Tomato. Just use common sense. And since I have opened my mouth; I will do my best to explain how I do it.

The first step is to plant Heirloom seeds. These seeds have been around since time began. They are strong and have adapted themselves to growing in places that we thought a Tomato could never grow. Nature is like that...it survives if left alone.

The first consideration to growing any plant in the garden is the soil. There again; science offers us so many quick fix's and easy solutions. But here again; I use the common sense solutions. Your soil has most of every thing it needs to grow good Tomatoes; however, if we nurture the soil a little, then we can produce great Tomatoes.

Always remember that your soil is alive. It is a living element that has good minerals and bacterium that feeds the plants that you grow. Therefore, if you take care of your soil...it will take care of you. Amend the soil with an all natural compost, you can grow cover crops in the fall of the year, you can till in roughage such as wheat or oat straw to help make your soil loamy and you can stop using chemical fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides which destroys the good bacterium in your soil. You can also prepare your soil in the way in which I describe in my book Simple Gardens Exposed and you will help build a soil to its ultimate abilities.

Now for the common sense approach to successful Tomato yields. The human make-up is to nurture. We do it with our children when they are babies. It's in our DNA. We want to make sure that a baby has everything it needs to grow up healthy and strong and productive; therefore, we nurture it. But sometimes we have a tendency to go a little to far.

Let's use an example or hypothesis of what I'm speaking of. If you were to have a child, and let's say that you carried that child constantly. You would never let it down because you were always affraid to let that baby crawl or learn to walk because of the fear you would have of it falling and getting hurt. Then by reason; you would have over-nurtured and done that child a great dis-service by never letting it strengthen its muscles and grow. Therefore, it's a possibility that your child would always be sickly and unable to care for itself. Even into adulthood.

I'm going to say that the Tomato is much the same way. We're so afraid that it's going to hurt itself, that it's going to take a fall and get a bruise or bump. We want to nurture that plant because we are afraid of the risks involved in its learning process. Here's my advice to you...leave the poor thing alone and let it learn to walk and crawl with minimal assistance. When a child is learning to walk, we might aid in that child's endeavor by holding its hands while its learning and gaining strength in its limbs, but eventually that child's instinct is going to take over so it can walk by itself.

If we do what is right for the soil, then that Tomato plant will have most all the assistance that it needs from us to prevail. But our nurturing instinct tells us that we have to water it, feed it, help support it all the way through its growing and producing life. And most of the time all we are doing is aiding in its ability to become sick.

If you take a look at all the disease's that can affect the Tomato, most of them is caused by our need to over nurture. Allow me to explain...

Problem: Plant producing more foliage than fruit.
Cause: To much Nitrogen/Lack of Calcium

Problem: Early Blight:
Cause: Usually to much water

Problem: Gray Leaf Spot
Cause: Usually from over-head watering

Problem: Verticilium Wilt
Cause: Lack of good bacteria in soil


Problem: Anthracnose
Cause: To much water/Over-head watering

Problem: Blossom End Rot
Cause: Not enough calcium/Phosphorous

Take a look at just a few of these diseases and causes. Most of the causes are because we are doing either to much nurturing or we're going about the nurturing in all the wrong way. Two of the most damaging reasons for sick Tomato's is because we haven't taken care of the soil properly, or we are watering incorrectly.

If you are using an over-head sprinkler system to water your Tomatoes...you are inviting disease and bugs. If you are watering properly-that is to say at the root or ground level, then you're watering correctly, but possibly to much.

I don't use over-head watering with none of my gardens, but especially the Tomato. Now you can't help it if it rains and the plants get wet. That, of course, is nature and you can't control that. However, if you do end up with a problem on your plants because of to much rain, then you can help out a little, but only if it's absolutely necessary.

My method of watering for many years now has been a drip irrigation system, but I'm very watchful not to over-water. I watch my plants and if I see that the foliage is just starting to droop a little, then I know that it's time to water. My drip emitters are 1 gph (gallons per hour) emitters, so I will water them for about an hour and then turn the water off. One gallon of water will do a large, healthy tomato plant for at least 4-5 days. Now if you are in extremely hot conditions...you will be different. But let your plants tell you when they are ready for water.

Now I always prep my soil to make sure that there is all the Nitrogen, Calcium and Phosphorous that my garden needs before I plant, but there is one thing that you can do for your plants that won't harm in any way.

Save your eggshells and throw them into a container that is stored out of the house. The garage would be good! Let the eggshells dry. Then when your plants just start to put on blossoms, take the eggshells and crush them up and bury them around your Tomato plants. They don't need to be deep. Just a couple of inch's should do it. Eggshells are full of Calcium. Putting the eggshells around your plants will give them a little Calcium injection which aids in the production and health of your fruit.

Now we might discuss when we might need to do a little more nurturing. The Tomato isn't unlike any other fruit tree. And of course I'm assuming that everyone knows that the Tomato is a fruit and not a vegetable. Fruit trees have to be pruned for maximum yield and so does the Tomato. They produce suckers that extract and take nutrients away from maximum fruit bearing potential. Suckers need to be removed. If you don' know how to accomplish this, then a great article by Frank Ferrandino can be very helpful and I would encourage you to visit his site.


There are times when your best efforts are somewhat detoured by the on-set of a rainy, moist, cool week and you see your plants become a little stressed. This is a time when they are susceptible to disease and predators. In aid to this condition the following is two natural recipes that have helped me and my Tomato's greatly. These two concoctions can be sprayed on your plants with great success.

Excessively wet plants can bring the on-set of Aphids. Here's a recipe that will help. Aphids and other bugs hate it.

2 cups water (preferably distilled)
1 cup dish soap
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 cup canola oil

Mix together into a garden sprayer and spray the plants. The oil helps to protect the plants from more moisture, the dish soap allows the solution to help stick to the plant and the Cayenne Pepper will give the bugs a very hot pallet. They don't like trying to eat the Cayenne.

This is a recipe that I have used on my fruit trees and garden plants for years and have been very happy with it. This helps to keep the scale off from my apples.

3 bulbs Garlic
1 small onion
1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
2 gallons of water (filtered or distilled)
1/4 cup dish soap

Place the water into a large pan and bring to a boil. Peel and chop the Garlic and onion and add to the water. Boil for approximately twenty minutes. Remove from heat and add the canola oil, Cayenne Pepper and dish soap and let steep over night. Strain the liquid through some cheese cloth or old towel. When ready to use, add a half gallon of water per gallon of the solution and spray onto you plant.

This concoction will not only deter bugs, but will also help to protect the plants from disease. The Garlic acts as a anti-bacterial and helps to ward off disease. Both of these recipe's are great, but of course, the best solution is and always will be... prevention.

Take care of your soil, stop the over-head watering and excessive watering, clip off the suckers, if you smoke...wash your hands before you handle the toms and don't over-nurture your plants. Tomato's will tell you when they need your help, but if they don't tell you...then leave 'em alone.

There is a lot of information that I could continue to share here, but for lack of space...I'll call it good. But if you have any more questions like how to stop cut worms or how to build a drip irrigation system, then you can leave a comment on one of my blogs or contact me at simplegardens121@gmail.com

Good Luck & Great Gardening!Read more!

Meet Texas Gardener Chris

I met Chris on Myspace a couple of days ago and have chatted with her a few times through the ordinary Myspace channels and have found Chris to be very knowledgeable in her gardening endeavors. Chris lives in Fort Worth, Texas which for you unknowing folk is Zone 8. In talking with Chris I can understand her love for the natural aspects of gardening. By the natural aspects; I mean integrated or companion planting. She's found this to be a great asset to the health of her garden and to the success of attracting the good bugs for the pollination of productive plants.

I have also found out that Chris not only loves the gardening lifestyle, but she loves the sustainability in which the garden has supplied her and her family. Chris cans,freezes,dries and preserves as much of her garden goodies as possible. And she also markets some of the fruits and veggies in the local farmers market. She tells me that this helps her to re-coup most of the cost of any extras that she wants for her garden.

Chris seems to grow just about everything that can be grown in Texas and from what she tells me about the size of her garden...she's picked the right state to grow it in. Chris also seems to be a Philanthropist in that she gets herself involved in the community by giving. Chris and her family participates in giving Produce to the local soup kitchens. And with the state of the economy being in such dis-array...it's a great asset to those in need.

Chris doesn't stick to just the staples in her garden either. She grows everything from herbs to Mellon's and a whole lot in between. Chris tells me that she experiments yearly with growing new things. "Let's try it all"; that seems to be Chris' motto.

I am glad that I've had the opportunity to talk with Chris. She is the type of folks in which I speak about in my book Simple Gardens Exposed. Chris is not only self sustaining, but she's able to help many of whom cannot sustain themselves. She grows naturally, using integrated gardening so that her garden stays productive and healthy. Chris utilizes her own natural compost in which gives added life and healthy bacterium to her foods.

Chris has also began a Seed Exchange Program. The basics of this program of course; is that you barter and trade. She may have an heirloom seed that you've been looking for and in-turn;you may have a seed that she wants. So... you trade. It would be a good idea to get in touch with Chris...she may surprise you on what she has available.

You can get in touch with Chris at Texas Gardener Chris and while you are there...check out her blog too. Chris offers some great tips and some good pics. Read more!

Monsanto-Devil in Disguise

Monsanto claims to be an agriculture company who contends to help the farmers by offering seeds with the best possible germ plasm for improved genetics for a higher yield. They claim to deliver superior genetics to allow farmers to get more from each seed that they plant. However, a lot of concerned Americans are afraid that their true intentions lies elsewhere. According to Peter Montague in his article " The Bad Seed; the Monsanto Corp. of St.Louis has been maneuvering to dominate the worlds supply of seed for staple crops.

One point that Mr. Montague points out in his article is that farmers who use these patented seeds must buy new seed from Monsanto every year. A farmer who fails to retain traditional seeds of his own would become solely dependant upon Monsanto for their seed every year.

An investigation by Donald C. Barlett and James B. Steele as released by Vanity Fair in May of 2008, tells of Monsanto's threats to anyone who is even suspect of planting their G.M. (genetically modified) seeds.

An article printed by Organic Consumers Association states that Monsanto is putting normal seeds out of reach.

There are also two other companies that are coming into a close second to Monsanto. Dupont and Syngenta is also a forward thinking group that is also aligned to make an impact in seed market domination. I chuckle when I go to the feed store, or a large department store and I see Northrup King seeds as the predominate seed that the common gardener picks up to plant in their garden.

Folks...Northrup King seeds is not the same company that it was back in 1940. Northrup King seeds is a division of the Syngenta company. If you look on the package of most every seed that they put out...it uses the label Hybrid. These seeds are genetically modified to resist bugs, weather and certain chemicals. It seems that they can resist everything but a tornado or flash flood.

If you are not familiar with Hybrid seeds, then it would be in your best interest to research what the term Hybrid means. In most cases it is lower nutrient content and your ability to glean seeds from the plant is futile. They will produce seeds, but in most cases they are dormant.

Monsanto does seem to have more than just controlling the worlds seed supply as their goal; they are also the makers of Roundup. This product has been the best selling herbicide for the last 30 years. Now (to make it easier on the farmer) Monsanto has now even genetically modified their soybeans to be resistant to Roundup. This seems like a match made in heaven.

The Roundup can be sprayed directly onto the soybeans with the intention of killing the weeds that's growing in and around them without harm to the beans. Aren't you happy for the farmers that grow these beans? They get to save some time and money and you get to eat the Roundup. And we wonder why Cancer is on the rise!

I could go on about Monsanto, Dupont and Syngenta for pages; however, the point that I make with this article is to start planting your garden with Heirloom Seeds. Heirloom Seeds has a great assortment and they are reasonable. You can click on their site right here and see that they have a full assortment of heirlooms. You can purchase heirlooms from them and then start saving your own seeds from your own crops.

I've been asked the question about what heirloom seeds are. The best way to explain it is that they have been around for centuries and are what God created. And personally I don't think that Monsanto can top that...no matter how hard they try. Don't be fooled by seeds that promote faster, bug-resistant and earlier crops. More than likely these are Hybrids and they won't give you the nutrition that your body really needs. GO HEIRLOOM!"Read more!