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Garden time is coming

Jimi

Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years
Hi, Jimi:

Nature is SO powerful. The smallest drips of water can create canyons, a flea can catapult themselves up to 100 times their body length, and dandelions can root themselves—well, anywhere!

But when it comes to solving human problems with nature, we often think nature can’t help us. What if we open ourselves to the idea that nature CAN help us solve the challenges we face?

That’s exactly what one doctor did! Discover how this doctor thought outside the box and partnered with one of the most feared animals—and saved an entire town.

Read more here

To thinking outside the box and in nature,

🌱 The Grow Your Own Vegetables Team 🌱
 

Jimi

Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years
Header: Pickling Party

Today’s the day, Jimi! Are you ready?

It’s the first day of the Pickling Party!

Day 1 is all about “The Real Reason You Preserve Fresh Food.”



We are going to flip the traditional view of preserving on its head.

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It’s easy to boil down preserving your fresh food to just another time-consuming task that you have to check off for the season.

😧 That’s the #1 mistake people make when they think about preservation.

This one mistake leads to a bunch of challenges where they…

🚫 DON’T turn it into a fun event or activity with their family and friends
🚫 DON’T break things down into small easy steps
🚫 DON’T value the time saved in future meal prepping time
🚫 DON’T recognize the benefit of the dollars saved by the task

All these problems are just symptoms of this same #1 mistake.

🎉 Instead, you should treat preserving your harvests like a celebration because food is supposed to be fun!

Let’s concentrate on the positives of preserving your harvest such as the fact that you…

✅ DO save up to 40% on your grocery bill by preserving
✅ DO keep fresh food from ending up in your compost pile or trash
✅ DO stock your pantry full of tasty fresh goodies for year-round consumption
✅ DO make lifelong memories and create family traditions
✅ DO gain a headstart on your harvest so that nothing goes to waste

Today is going to be a whole pantry full of great lessons!



Button: Watch Day 1 Pickling Party Here

🥬 Don’t leaf this opportunity behind!

🌱 The Grow Your Own Vegetables Team 🌱



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Jimi

Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years

Oven Drying Herbs & More​

Learn solar drying, dehydrating, indoor air drying, refrigerator drying, and oven drying herbs at home for the freshest homegrown herbs, so you never need to buy dried herbs again.​

Choosing a Food Dehydrator​

Is a dehydrator worth it? Before choosing a food dehydrator, learn about the differences between stackable dehydrators and box-and-shelf dehydrators​
 

Jimi

Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years

How To Dehydrate Garlic​

How long does dehydrated garlic last? Learn how to dehydrate garlic to enjoy it year-round. It's simple to turn your gourmet bulbs into crunchy, golden chips.​

DIY Food Dehydrator Plans​

Learn how to dehydrate food with a dehydrator for long-term food storage. You can make a DIY food dehydrator powered by the sun, a stove, or electricity.​
 

Jimi

Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years
Grow Your Own Delicious & Nutritious Sprouts
Using These 4 Tools
Sprouting seeds at home is a simple and cost-effective way to add nutritious greens to your diet—and all you need to get started is a canning jar, sprouting lid, water, and of course, seeds.
Explore the benefits of sprouting seeds, identify which seeds are ideal for sprouting, and discuss exactly how to sprout seeds, step-by-step.​
 

Jimi

Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years

Lasagna Gardening 101​

Learn the basics of lasagna gardening, a non-traditional organic, earth-friendly, easy gardening method using layers of newspaper, cardboard, compost, hay, sand, and rotted barn litter.​
 

Jimi

Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years

Square-Foot Gardening Planting Guide​

Create an organized garden plan that ensures proper spaces by following this square-foot gardening planting guide, and you’ll have a thriving veggie garden in no time.​

5 Container Gardening Ideas For Vegetables​

Want to gather some container gardening ideas for full sun? These container gardening ideas for vegetables will help you grow thriving plants in a small space.​
 

Jimi

Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years

How To Support Solitary Bees​

Learn how to support solitary bees and create a home for the native bee populations in your area. Find some important solitary bee hive instructions, support pollinators and boost your plant health.​

Succession Gardening​

Enjoy a year-round harvest with these techniques for succession gardening. Expert gardeners discuss when to plant and what to plant for an extended season.​
 

Jimi

Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years
Header: Pickling Party


You made it, Jimi!

It’s the last day of the Pickling Party. 😢

But don’t be sad because today’s training is when the REAL fun happens for those of you who love fresh food. Day 3 is all about finding your hidden Flavor Ninja!

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Button: Watch the FREE Training - Harvest Into Meals Secrets

In the past two days, you learned six great preservation techniques and seen how EASY it can be to pickle your own vegetables.

Today, it’s all about unleashing the wild and wonderful fresh flavors in your harvest! You’ll learn how to:

🍲 Think like a restaurant owner to create nutritious meals in minutes
🍲 Prep those nutritious meals with one healthy habit
🍲 Use your inner Pantry Fairy to easily answer the question “what’s for dinner?”
🍲 Discover your own Flavor Ninja, who can create exciting meals from pantry staples
🍲 Transform your fresh harvest into meals for the whole year

It’s going to be a blast! The past two days together have been delicious fun, and today will really put the cherry on top of preservation for you! 🍒

Click below to join in the fun of the last day of the Pickling Party!

Button: Watch the FREE Training - Harvest Into Meals Secrets

If you like the sound of turning your harvest into delicious meals for the whole next year, you can’t beet today’s lesson!

🌱 The Grow Your Own Vegetables Team 🌱


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Jimi

Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years
Header: Pickling Party


We just wrapped up the Pickling Party, and the responses are fantastic!

One of the great things about this community is how inspiring you all are!

“I never thought about drying greens. This was the best tip of all. I am so pleased that I can stop wasting my food and start preserving.” ~ Nicole H.

“I have a dehydrator that never gets used. Now I can use it again. Thanks for the tips.” ~ Dany J.

“I have been canning for years but putting more organization to it makes so much sense! I'm inspired!” ~ Diane P.


😃 Seeing some of you start to pickle or preserve your harvest for the first time puts a huge smile on our faces. You are definitely doing your part to live healthier lives, take care of the planet, and provide for the people around you.

🥒 If you want to catch up on any days you missed, you can view the replays HERE until 11:59pm Pacific tomorrow.
 

Jimi

Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years

Fresh Habanero Salsa Recipe​

Looking for the perfect habanero relish recipe for canning? Find that and a fresh habanero salsa recipe to make these versatile ferments that pair well with a variety of flavors.​
 

Jimi

Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years

Best Carolina Reaper Hot Sauce Recipe​

Learn to make the best Carolina reaper hot sauce recipe using a vinegar-based hot pepper sauce recipe made with a variety of peppers.​
 

Jimi

Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years

Annie's Homemade Salsa Recipe for Canning​

Learn how to make this delicious homemade salsa recipe for canning with vegetables from your summer garden.​
 

Jimi

Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years

For anyone canning I highly recommend this book ;) ;) ;)

Enjoy over 350 recipes from loved-classics to fresh new flavors!​


THE ALL NEW BALL BOOK OF CANNING AND PRESERVING​

From the experts at Jarden Home Brands, makers of Ball canning products comes the first truly comprehensive canning guide created for today's home cooks. This modern handbook boasts more than 200 brand-new recipes ranging from jams and jellies to jerkies, pickles, salsas, and more.
THE ALL NEW BALL BOOK OF CANNING AND PRESERVING

 

gopher_byrd

Cranky Old Fart
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ECF Refugee
Member For 5 Years
VU Patreon

For anyone canning I highly recommend this book ;) ;) ;)

Enjoy over 350 recipes from loved-classics to fresh new flavors!​


THE ALL NEW BALL BOOK OF CANNING AND PRESERVING​

From the experts at Jarden Home Brands, makers of Ball canning products comes the first truly comprehensive canning guide created for today's home cooks. This modern handbook boasts more than 200 brand-new recipes ranging from jams and jellies to jerkies, pickles, salsas, and more.
THE ALL NEW BALL BOOK OF CANNING AND PRESERVING

We have this book. Just got some mason jars and have some peppers fermenting now. I've also dehydrated a bunch of peppers and have been using them for cooking.
 

Jimi

Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years
We have this book. Just got some mason jars and have some peppers fermenting now. I've also dehydrated a bunch of peppers and have been using them for cooking.
Especially peppers, hot or sweet, should always be organically grown homegrown or organic, they use some pretty wicked stuff to say the least on the commercial non-organic peppers ;)
 

Jimi

Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years

The Many Benefits of Cover Cropping (Plus 7 Varieties We Love)​

 

SnapDragon NY

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Senior Moderator
VU Donator
Diamond Contributor
Press Corps
Member For 5 Years
VU SWAT
@Jimi
What kind of egg plants are those?
Mine are the dark purple I guess standard egg plant variety, which are growing great by the way. They will be ready to pick next week.
I saw a white variety of egg plant too plants for sale, but not sure how they are and so I stuck with the usual dark purple ones.
 

Jimi

Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years
@Jimi
What kind of egg plants are those?
Mine are the dark purple I guess standard egg plant variety, which are growing great by the way. They will be ready to pick next week.
I saw a white variety of egg plant too plants for sale, but not sure how they are and so I stuck with the usual dark purple ones.
Those are an oriental variety, they grow long and slender and are very tasty
They are called pingtung long
They are also heirloom so you can save some of the seeds to plant next year ;)
I have never tried the white ones, might give them a try next year
 

Jimi

Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years

Best Salad Greens To Grow In The Fall​

Learn the best salad greens to grow in the fall and when you should do your fall greens planting. Beauty, flavor and money in your pocket: a fall salad garden delivers it all.​

Fast-Growing Vegetables​

Consider sowing these fast-growing vegetables that are ready to harvest in 60 days or less.​
 

Jimi

Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years

11 Vegetables to Plant in the Fall​

If your summer garden was a bust, consider starting fresh with these vegetables to plant in the fall.​

What is Succession Planting?​

What is succession planting? Succession planting is a technique of continued planting of seeds with a goal of continuous and uninterrupted supply of harvested fresh vegetables.​
 

Jimi

Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years
Jimi, did you enjoy yesterday’s Q&A?

We love it when our great gardening community asks us questions because it lets us know how we can best help YOU!

If for any reason, you missed yesterday’s Q&A—or you would like to rewatch it, there is a replay available. PLUSmany have asked about Stacey’s contest-winning spaghetti sauce recipe! 🍝 You can hear all about that in the replay as well! More about that below, but first we wanted to share some important info with you…

📰📰📰 EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT! 📰📰📰

According to a recent article by yahoo! finance, even though food prices haven’t risen as much between 2022 and 2023 as they did the year previously (over 11% increase between 2021 and 2022 and closer to 7% between 2022 and 2023), grocery bills are still a major budgetary item for most households.

The article lists the reason for the continued grocery cost increase being that “labor and transportation costs are still quite high…and those things feed into [the] grocery prices that consumers see.” [1] c 😲

So, are you ready to find a better solution to save money AND be more confident in the foods that you eat?

Gif: YES


The “Preserve the Harvest” course features the “Harvest Into Meals” 7-Step System, which is proven to save users 10, 20, or even up to 40% on their grocery budgets!\



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Bliss Doubt

Platinum Contributor
Member For 5 Years
Those are an oriental variety, they grow long and slender and are very tasty
They are called pingtung long
I like those long slender ones best. They're less watery, more meaty.

Have never tried the little white ones that actually look like eggs, because I've never seen them in any store.
 

Bliss Doubt

Platinum Contributor
Member For 5 Years
Well they sure didn't do me any favors this year:(

I was logged out, and I need to stay logged out to clear my desk and get ready to go out this evening, but I got notification of your comment, so I HAD to log back in.

Yes, weather modification isn't to do us any favors. You heard Kaku say how it has been used on the enemy in wars. This year they've been trying to create a "boiling" world to promote the climate change hoax they want to use to make us lock down, close our businesses, go bankrupt, then come begging for universal basic income. I knew all along it was weather modification. They don't want you using "their" water on your garden. They want you to be a beggar and eat bugs.

It's the oldest struggle there is, trying to hang onto our freedom and dignity while the world's wealthiest do all they can to make us their serfs.
 

Jimi

Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years

Fall Container Vegetable Gardening​

Wondering what to plant in a fall vegetable garden? Plan out your fall container vegetable gardening this year to keep a steady supply of produce while preserving your soil.​

Succession Planting Vegetables​

Looking to find some succession planting examples? Succession planting vegetables is an excellent way to extend your harvest and make the most use of the space you have.​

Fall Vegetable Planting​

Choose bolt and frost-resistant late-summer vegetables for fall vegetable planting to keep your vegetable garden productive through fall.​
 

Jimi

Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years
The growing season can sneak up on you. And your TO DO list sometimes grows FASTER than your garden (well, except the zucchini 😉).

This is when overwhelm can creep in. It can slow you down... it can even paralyze you.

It can keep you from getting things done and make you fall even MORE behind than you already feel.

Before you know it, your garden is a mess and you don’t want anything to do with it. UGH… that’s the worst feeling in the world. Isn’t this supposed to be the place that nourishes you?

Watch this video from our Master Garden Instructor, Stacey Murphy, for your first step in eliminating garden overwhelm so you can get back to enjoying your garden and the nourishment it has to offer you.

[Video] Escaping Overwhelm in the Vegetable Garden
Image: 3D Computer of Video Still

Turn your garden overwhelm into garden gratitude. 🙌 🎉 Your garden is a gift.

To Your ABUNDANT Garden!

🌱 The Grow Your Own Vegetables Team 🌱
 

Bliss Doubt

Platinum Contributor
Member For 5 Years
It's really hard to find this information in the regular censored online search engines, but Mexico was a country BRICS wanted and invited. Mexico planned to stay out of BRICS and honor NAFTA, but when they tried to phase out and ban GMO seed and glyphosate, they got pounded, absolutely hammered, by the multinational corporations doing the genetic modification and selling the ag poisons. Finally the Mexican equivalent of their supreme court said Obrador was free to enforce these bans. Now Mexico faces NAFTA sanctions, because NAFTA is not for the people of its member countries. NAFTA is about profits for the multinational corporations. So off they go to BRICS, and I would say with a middle finger salute to NAFTA, but Mexico is too classy for that.


Also a weird twist: Chinese leader Xi Jinping was to give a keynote speech at a recent BRICS meeting and they CANCELLED HIM.
 

Jimi

Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years
Jimi, as the end of the summer season (in the US) draws near, we want to check in to see how your garden went for you this year? Any great stories to share? We would love to hear them!

We hope it was a plentiful and delicious harvest. However, if it did not go quite as you planned or hoped, don’t worry…you’re not alone!

There are many things that can affect your garden outcome such as:

❄️ Early frosts can kill or harm plants
🐛 Pests appear almost overnight right when our first fruits are starting to show
🌱 Soil amendments may not produce bumper crops that are as big and luscious as expected

If your mind isn’t prepared to handle these gardening protagonists, it can be easy to give up!

However, remember that you are not alone. Even the most seasoned gardeners face these issues some years.

🔑 A helpful key to surviving these frustrating occurrences is having the right mindset and plan.

Thousands of students have used Spirit Gardening to get through their gardening questions, obstacles, and doubts. You can, too!

📧 Beginning this Friday (September 15th) and continuing for five days, we invite you to go on a five-day transformational journey with us!
Spirit Gardening: Stage 1-5

Button: Yes! I want to go on this 5 day journey
No, I’m good but thanks. Please don’t send me any more emails on the 5-day journey...

You will receive a daily email containing a short inspirational video from Master Garden Instructor Stacey Murphy explaining one of the Five Stages of Spirit Gardening.

Some of the wonderful things that Stacey shares with you over the next 5 days include:

💚 How to visualize and find more joy and ease in your garden
💚 How to dive into why your soul wants to garden
💚 How to tap into the secret language of your plants to feel more connected
💚 How to listen to what your plants “really want”
💚 How to enjoy gardening without shame, guilt, anger, or frustration
💚 How to increase your garden’s yield—it’s not what you think!
💚 How to ensure garden success with any crop with a mindset shift

If this sounds like something that will help take you to the next level of gardening and gain more peace and relaxation, click the link below and we’ll send you the daily emails starting this Friday.

🧚 Yes, I want to be a part of the Spirit Gardening journey! 🧚

Through this five-day journey, together we can help you to love your garden again and experience your garden as a source of fun, excitement, and joy in your life. No matter what Mother Nature sends your way! 🍃

Your garden is mint to be enjoyed!

🌱 The Grow Your Own Vegetables Team 🌱

P.S. —
👫 If you have a friend and fellow gardener that can also benefit from the Spirit Gardening journey, let them know they can join us at: https://growyourownvegetables.org/spirit-gardening-qa/
 

Jimi

Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years

How to Store Vegetables All Winter (In the Pantry and In the Ground)​

 

Jimi

Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years

Fruit Trees That Change Color for Beautiful Fall Landscaping​

Fruit trees that change color in fall, such as spirea, potentilla, and decorative plums and cherries, offer exceptional autumn foliage.​
 

Jimi

Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years

Fruit Tree Planting Tips​

Are you going to be planting new fruit trees? Get all of the best fruit tree planting tips including on site selection, how deep to plant the tree and air flow.​

12 Steps to Successfully Planting Fruit Trees​

If you're thinking of planting fruit trees, have a look here so you'll know how to do it right.​
 

Jimi

Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years

Cold Climate Figs: How to Prune Fig Trees​

Take advantage of fig tree hardiness to harvest figs even in cold climates. Learn how to prune fig trees for a good crop and how to prep a fig tree for winter.​

Sugar Maple vs. Red Maple Trees​

Learn to recognize sugar maple vs. red maple trees with maple tree identification pictures for red and sugar maple tree identification.​
 

Jimi

Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years
Jimi, we hope it was a plentiful and delicious harvest. However, if it did not go quite as you planned or hoped, don’t worry…you’re not alone!

🔑 A helpful key to surviving these frustrating occurrences is having the right mindset and plan.

Thousands of students have used Spirit Gardening to get through their gardening questions, obstacles, and doubts. You can, too!

📧 Beginning this Friday (September 15th) and continuing for five days, we invite you to go on a five-day transformational journey with us!
Spirit Gardening: Stage 1-5

Button: Yes! I want to go on this 5 day journey
No, I’m good but thanks. Please don’t send me any more emails on the 5-day journey...

You will receive a daily email containing a short inspirational video from Master Garden Instructor Stacey Murphy explaining one of the Five Stages of Spirit Gardening.

Spirit Gardening is a method of communicating with your garden and reconnecting to the magic and wonder of nature.

Spirit Gardening teaches you…

🧚‍♂️ How to visualize and find more joy and ease in your garden
🧚‍♂️ How to dive into why your soul wants to garden
🧚‍♂️ How to tap into the secret language of your plants to feel more connected
🧚‍♂️ How to listen to what your plants “really want”
🧚‍♂️ How to enjoy gardening without shame, guilt, anger, or frustration
🧚‍♂️ How to increase your garden’s yield—it’s not what you think!
🧚‍♂️ How to ensure garden success with any crop with a mindset shift

Thousands of students have used Spirit Gardening to get through their gardening questions, obstacles, and doubts. You can, too!



Through this five-day journey, together we can help you to love your garden again and experience your garden as a source of fun, excitement, and joy in your life. No matter what Mother Nature sends your way! 🍃

Your garden is mint to be enjoyed!

🌱 The Grow Your Own Vegetables Team 🌱

P.S. —
👫 If you have a friend and fellow gardener that can also benefit from the Spirit Gardening journey, let them know they can join us at: https://growyourownvegetables.org/spirit-gardening-qa/
 

Jimi

Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years
burgers

Canned Pizza Sauce

You can make this with fresh tomatoes or stick them in the freezer and make this when it's cooler or you have more time. The bonus with frozen? You can pour off the juice as they thaw and shorten the cooking time!

Copycat Rotel for Canning

This is a simple tomatoes and chili mixture that I came up with using a tested tomato mixture recipe substituted with the ingredients on a can of Rotel. Very close dupe.

Favorite Thick Salsa for Canning

I've now made 5 batches of this (and a few of the roasted chipotle salsa) to give us a year's worth of salsa. I ran out in June this year and found salsa is expensive and not as good! Lesson learned.

Sourdough Artisan Bread

Whew, no more tomatoes, ha! Rounding out the top four spots is this easy, one day sourdough loaf. Apparently it's get-back-to-baking time as well as preserving!
 

Jimi

Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years
Spirit Gardening Banner

Jimi, have you ever watched children playing house? Or maybe you remember doing it yourself?

The children pretend to be adults going about their daily life—going to work, making dinner, going shopping. They turn things that most adults find dull and boring into PLAY…and they have a blast doing it!

Numerous studies have shown that imaginative Play is how children develop their social, emotional, and language skills.

🧚 No surprise…Stage 3 of Spirit Gardening is about PLAY.

Play is learning. This is the reason that so many math, reading, and science games exist. You learn more when you’re having fun. Playing in your garden helps you to learn about your specific garden’s needs—what works and what doesn’t.

Image: 3D Laptop

🧚 Learn how to Play in your garden in the Stage 3 Spirit Gardening video above 🧚

Spirit Gardening
is different from learning from books—or even from many other courses.

In Spirit Gardening, instead of thinking “I should plant tomatoes because that’s what everyone else is growing in my neighborhood,” you ask yourself, “What do I think would be fun to grow?”

With Spirit Gardening, you plant a garden full of the vegetables, fruits, or herbs that you actually want to grow and see what happens.

In Stage 3, you take your Wonder questions from Stage 1 and combine them with the observations that you made while you were at Ease in Stage 2 to get…

Inspired action that feels like PLAY!

Consider what you have noticed around your garden. What questions have those observations raised for you? Listen to the little intuitive hints that seem to come out of nowhere. Trust them and try them.

When you approach gardening this way, you’ll find surprising things happen. Some will be good—like toads acting as a natural pest control. Some not so good—like dandelions making a home in your new flower bed. However, here’s the beautiful thing about approaching your garden with a playful mind…

There’s no failure in Play!

There is no right or wrong. You try…you see what happens…and you try some more!

We can’t wait to hear about all the fun you have with Stage 3 of Spirit Gardening during the live Q&A on Wednesday, September 20th at 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern. Submit your questions related to Play HERE.

Until tomorrow…when your Spirit Gardening continues to evolve!

🌱 The Grow Your Own Vegetables Team 🌱

P.S.
Did you miss the previous videos about WONDER and EASE? Access the Stage 1: Wonder video or the Stage 2: Ease video HERE.

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