For so many of us here in Morris County, our gardens are our little piece of heaven. And I say that as a new veggie garden planter, blissful over my tomatoes and peppers and soon-to-be cucumbers. For longtime gardeners, it becomes a ritual to plant ‘the usuals:’ tomatoes, peppers, basil. You know right where they go, and it’s a rite of passage when you put them in the soil.

But since variety is the spice of life, why not add a little something new to your garden?

Choose a slightly different vegetable or herb, just to mix it up a little. For instance, while looking for my red bell pepper plants at The Farm, I was amazed to see how many different kinds of pepper plants there were. I’d never heard of a banana pepper, for instance. Same goes for the many types of beans I saw on the beds that day. I’ve never planted jalapenos, but given the fact that salsa clears up my allergies, I could use a hot pepper or two in my home-made salsas, which we eat and which I love to give as hostess gifts. No more canned, salty-tasting jalapeno circles from the grocery store. I’m going to grow my own.

Lettuces are one area I plan to branch off into next season, when I have my expanded garden bed. From salads to wraps to garnish on plates during my parties and book club meetings, the crisp and scented freshness of home-grown lettuce is a wonderful thing.

Which new plantings would you love to try in your garden bed? Trust me, you’re going to discover some amazing new varieties when you walk through The Farm’s collection of garden plants, with an open mind…not just zipping over to the basil plants you recognize. And keep in mind my garnish tip…any plate will look so much more presentable with a tuft of spinach and some julienned zucchini, or the bright red arches of jalapenos on it.

Sharon Naylor is the author of over 35 books on family celebrations, including weddings, bridal showers, vow renewals, and more. She is beyond thrilled to be the new guest blogger for The Farm, and she will be posting inspirations and tips for your parties, get-togethers and big family moments throughout the year. Visit her website www.sharonnaylor.net for more on her books and articles.

Your vegetable garden and flower garden, as well as your flowering trees can make you the best neighbor ever. Not only for the beauty factor that impresses neighbors passing by, but because they make great gifts to bring over. No reason. You’re just sharing your bounty.

Last summer, my next-door neighbor popped over to give me a bag of onions that she had grown in her garden. She had way too many to use, and she knew that this Italian household cooks often with onions. It was a spectacular gift, a sweet offering, and we were beyond touched at her thoughtfulness.

Imagine how happy you can make your neighbors when you pop by with your extra organic tomatoes, peppers, thyme, or rosemary.

Make your gift pretty by packaging your goodies in a basket, and print out a recipe card for your favorite homemade treat. If you have kids, they can decorate a simple paper bag to hold those peppers.

We’re all so busy with our to-do lists, but it adds so much to nurture your relationships with your neighbors! What will you be growing in your garden this year, and who among your neighbors would love your thoughtful gift of some fresh and fantastic veggies or herbs?

Sharon Naylor is the author of over 35 books on family celebrations, including weddings, bridal showers, vow renewals, and more. She is beyond thrilled to be the new guest blogger for The Farm, and she will be posting inspirations and tips for your parties, get-togethers and big family moments throughout the year. Visit her website www.sharonnaylor.net for more on her books and articles.

Organic gardening has become an even greater trend this year, with local New Jersey home gardeners planning for both organic vegetable gardens and organic fruit trees and plants. Since our gardening Zone 6 to Zone 7 temperatures provide for ideal plantings of such fruit trees as peach and apple, you may wish to add a fruit tree to your own garden design.

But that option is months away. As the winter cold continues to keep your outdoor gardens dormant, consider starting your fruit crop indoors through the planting of organic fruit seeds or small organic fruit plants. You’ll find many varieties of dwarf fruit trees that can be planted in containers and kept in a sunny, warm spot in your home for a supply of fresh fruits year-round.

Organic fruit planting starts with the planting of organic seeds in peat pots, nurtured with organic soils and organic plant foods. For instance, many of our Northern New Jersey customers begin their strawberry plantings from seed, and many also purchase organic strawberry plants to nurture indoors before moving them into outdoor containers or terra cotta strawberry planters that add to their garden design or front porch garden décor.

Dwarf fruit trees that you might maintain in indoor containers as supplements to your organic gardening plans year-round, include lemon trees, lime trees, and persimmon trees. Bear in mind, though, that some fruit trees start off well in containers, but then are best planted outdoors in the garden ground for their thriving as beautiful focal points and the creation of a more bountiful crop. And some dwarf fruit trees remain perfectly happy, healthy and lush in indoor containers. The Farm’s expert staff here at our Chatham garden center can advise you on each type of fruit plant’s needs.

To help your indoor fruit trees grow and remain healthy, ensure that they are potted in well-draining organic potting soil, and insert a plant stake alongside the plant to keep it upright, secure and attractive as its roots continue to establish themselves. Place your potted fruit trees in full sun and keep each container plant’s organic soil moist, but not over-watered. Use a soil testing tool to monitor the plant’s ph levels, and visit The Farm’s organic gardening section for products that provide nutrients tailored to your particular fruit tree, as well as organic pest control products to eliminate aphids and other plant-damaging organisms that can feed on your fruits before you do…or keep them from you entirely.

With proper care, your organic fruit trees will create an ongoing supply of citrus fruits to accent your home recipes, and paired with your organic herbs and organic vegetables from your garden in the spring, summer and fall, you’ll add flavor and vital nutrients to your family’s healthy eating lifestyle.

Sharon Naylor is the author of over 35 books on family celebrations, including weddings, bridal showers, vow renewals, and more. She is beyond thrilled to be the new guest blogger for The Farm, and she will be posting inspirations and tips for your parties, get-togethers and big family moments throughout the year. Visit her website www.sharonnaylor.net for more on her books and articles.

Some don’t think twice about gardening in fall. Many gardeners start in spring and have vegetables through the summer. The fact is here in New Jersey we have hard zones from 5 to 7 which makes for great fall family vegetable gardens. You could be planning in fall or planting in fall, it doesn’t matter. Planting in fall has key benefits for gardens and there are a few tips to follow to have a successful fall garden.

There are many benefits to fall gardens. The benefits to a fall family vegetable garden are that it’s cool in the fall for the most part. Insects are usually less of a problem for gardeners come fall. Falling leaves can be used as mulch and compost in most situations. With weather moderately cooling, the bugs will start to diminish, it will be more pleasant to work in the cooler days, soil will become moister and your need to water will be less. The only drawback to fall gardens is you must act fast before it’s too late for many crops. With fall gardens it is usually ideal to start from plantings to avoid the winter coming and destroying your corps.

There are many vegetables that will thrive in a fall family vegetable garden. You can plant summer squash, green beans; cucumbers maybe even another round of tomatoes. You can plant cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, collards, Brussels sprouts, and more. So many plants to start with and the perfect time to do it, with fall being a cooler season in most areas; the whole family will enjoy working together keeping up the garden and eating the fruits of the families labor. What is stopping you? Grab a gardening catalog and see what you can plant in your local area today.

vegetable garden

In today’s day and age young children don’t want anything to do with their vegetables, seem to not want to partake in family activities, nor are they getting enough exercise. Why is this that most families are getting fast food for dinner more often, not spending time together, and not getting enough exercise? Too many people are busy at school, working on their careers, playing on video games, and watching their favorite shows? Something needs to be done to get the family together, eating well, and to get them much needed exercise.

How about starting a family vegetable garden? I know, lil’ Jimmy doesn’t like his vegetables and wants to play his video games after school. Wouldn’t it be a site to see lil’ Jimmy eating his vegetables, getting his exercise and spending time with you? It’s not just lil’ Jimmy that needs help, you need to make that extra time for him and you need to be creative.

Starting a vegetable garden means you will work together as a whole family. Not only spending time together, all the digging, bending, and lifting means all in the family will exercise and have fun doing so. Get this, once lil’ Jimmy sees that his vegetables are producing real food… he may want to eat the fruits of his labor and may even want to work on cooking meals with his new creations. Gardening and cooking as a family, what a site to see!

Starting a family garden is a benefit to the whole family for health reasons and to keep the family strong with values. You may even catch lil’ Jimmy working out in the garden by himself a time or two. Even better, he may invite his friends over to partake, creating a community bond because of your excellent example of setting a family bond like no other.

This is a guest post written by Elizabeth Krause

Elizabeth Krause publisher of an Italian food website featuring simple Italian recipes.

Gardening is becoming a popular hobby in recent years. One can attribute a few factors for this increasing trend. First, the trust people have in many of the companies that supply our food has been shaken. Because of salmonella outbreaks from food in Mexico to even within the United States, some of us begin to wonder if it just wouldn’t be safer to grow our own vegetables at home.
If you are interested in having your own garden, whether small or large, here are a few tips to help make your garden as green as possible:
1. Use organic soil and fertilizers. This insures your soil is free from harmful chemicals and pesticides.
2. Use only water from a trusted source. Tap water or water supplied from your city contains large amounts of chlorine. Of course, this is needed to kill the bad bacteria which otherwise could send us to the hospital. But the contribution of chlorine to our plants is unnecessary. Use either fresh rain water by using a rain water bucket (enclosed so it will not attract mosquitoes), or use filtered water. This is common practice in places in Italy which cannot rely on city water. Many Italian farms are not equipped with water irrigation systems and instead place huge water tubs or barrels in the field.
3. Use drip irrigation systems. These work in a way that you can position the hose, and mark where you want the water to drip out – obviously only at each plant. This has two main benefits – first, less water is being wasted. Second, by concentrating the exact place where you need the water, you will experience fewer weeds in the surrounding area because most weeds need water to grow. By limiting or eliminating the water to those pesky weeds, they will have less chance of survival.
4. Use organic pesticides. These products are made of natural ingredients, such as garlic, water, vinager etc. There are many homemade concoctions available online. You can also check your local nursery to see if they carry these products.
5. Use organic compost. This is not as intimidating as it may appear. By now you pretty much have an organic garden more or less. So when you use your fresh fruit or vegetables such as tomatoes, zucchini or peppers, do not throw away the unwanted leftovers. Instead, place them in a composting unit, or for some people, a pile at the back of the garden. Give them a good turning from time to time throughout the season and let them decompose, thus turning into a rich organic material loaded with nutrients for next year’s garden.
There are many ways you can make your garden greener. By following these 4 steps you will be on your way to a healthier garden and therefore a healthier food supply for you and your family.

This is a guest post written by Elizabeth Krause

Elizabeth Krause publisher of an Italian food website featuring simple Italian recipes.

Less than 50 years ago, growing your own food in your backyard or using indoor pots was common practice. As society progressed and much of the food industry became larger and more powerful, we soon found many new stores began to meet all our culinary needs.
Gradually over time more and more homes soon turned into two career households. Less time at home meant less time to garden. Buying your own food was extremely convenient and fully embraced.
But in recent years the 30 and 40 year olds who had previously spent their time focused on their careers and fast paced life, between yoga work outs and kick boxing classes, have begun to cultivate a desire to learn more about this dwindling activity – growing a vegetable garden.
Growing your own food is still very popular in many European countries, for example Italy. Italians belong to a culture where food is very important – not just to live, but to also be enjoyed. Much of their day to day recipes involve the use of fresh ingredients – most of which are grown in their own yards or on their balcony.
Being able to learn the skills of gardening isn’t hard, yet it is not magic either. It takes time, patience and a willingness to learn from mistakes. For example, planting basil too early can cause it to go into shock and die. Understanding that basil is a fragile herb susceptible to the cold weather and therefore must be planted only when it is certain there will be no more frosts is critical.
Learning to manage your own garden whether you choose container gardening or not, holds many advantages. Here are three of them:
1. Vegetables in your back yard are not subject to major price fluctuations caused by troubled economic times, as are retail stores. If tomatoes increase in price to $3.99 a lb, you can get your free right outside your door. You can also recycle your seeds from one year to the next – now that’s efficiency!
2. Understanding how to use organic pesticides (or even making your own), you can grow your own organic vegetables and fruit. This is a lot less expensive than buying organics at the store. Having control over the quality of the soil, seeds, fertilizers and even water is a huge benefit.
3. Convenience is key. Yes, buying your food is convenient, but when making a dish of fresh pasta or when craving your favorite chicken cacciatore recipe which calls for a bell pepper – isn’t it more convenient to just walk out to your garden and pick one fresh off the plant rather than postponing the recipe until you can find time to go to the store?
The old phrase, “You can give a man a fish to eat or you can teach a man to fish…” is very true. Learning to grow your own food will help you in times of plenty as well as in times of need. There are a variety of benefits to this practice, and with some planning and thoughtful preparation you will soon be able to experience them firsthand.

Ever since humankind figured out how to successfully plant and farm vegetables, gardening has been a way of life. Gardens have become not only a viable food source; they have become creations in living art.
Not that you need to make art with your food, but planting a garden can be a cheap source of food, as well as a wonderful therapy.
To plant a garden, all you need is a little bit of sunlit land, some good soil, and some seeds. Then all you have to do is water every day, make sure the weeds don’t take over, watch your little seeds grow into delicious fresh vegetables ready-to-eat.
There are several ways to go about getting the land ready for planting. If you’re starting from scratch, you can either dig it up, turn it over, and mince it into loose soil, or borrow, buy, or rent a rototiller and let it dig and turn.
Depending on where you live, your soil may be already good and rich. If your soil is full of rock, too sandy or full of clay, you may need to add a layer of top soil to supply the kinds of nutrients your plants can use to grow healthy and strong.
Then you need to decide which way the water is going to run. You don’t want runoff to strip away the soil around your plants budding roots will it tries to grow. Water your soil after all the digging and mincing and observe how it flows through your garden. When you start planting your rows of seeds or starter plants, you’ll want the rows to go in the same direction as the water did, so the water runs down your rows, not over them.
Decide which vegetables you want to grow. And plant them at least 4 to 6 inches apart. They look little as you plant, but as they grow, they’ll need room. Water them at least once a day and watch them grow!
Planting some marigolds her and there throughout the garden will help keep pests away. And a good pest repellent made of a little dish soap and water can be sprayed on your plants if they start having little holes.
Yes, this is a simple version, and getting a good garden book will help, but planting isn’t very hard and you can have wonderful fresh vegetables to go along with your natural meats, and enjoy meals that cannot be duplicated!

We’ve just been buried in snow and more is in the forecast, but I’m dreaming of springtime. Yes, I know it’s only February, but now is the best time to start planning what I’m going to plant in the spring. Last year I planted perennials – some peony and geranium plants – as a foundation for my flower bed. But I need to plan how I’m going to add that extra pop of color or that new sweet floral scent to my yard this year.

I’m considering night phlox (zaluzianskya) or perhaps night scented stock (matthiola bicornis) for a rush of scent in the summer night air. For color, I’m thinking about zinnias, cosmos, and Gerbera daisies. But… I suppose that mixture of plants lends itself to a bit of a mish mash of design. That’s why I rely on The Farm at Green Village.

I love gardening. I love digging in the dirt and watching plants grow. However, I’m not very talented when it comes to landscaping. Colors sometimes clash. The plant sizes are all wrong. Whole sections of the flower garden are out of bloom at the same time. Since I found The Farm at Green Village, that’s not the case.

Last year, I was meandering through the rows of flowers, adding plants to my basket and removing them in a bewildered state, when a staff member noticed the look of uncertainty on my face. He asked about the layout of my flower beds, even asking me to sketch them for him. Then he recommended which groundcover would be most suitable for yard. He even gave me tips on the best mulch and how to perk up a little lilac bush that was dying.

So while my flower beds may be sleeping beneath a foot (or two!) of snow, my mind is thinking about planting flowers in the spring.