Hello again, my frugal farming friends! So, this morning I wanted to post about the updates that have been going on in and around my yard and garden this week.

First, the tulip trees are in bloom, and are gorgeous! They received their first feeding treatment of the year, which as I previously posted is my homemade blend of soaking egg shells in water for one week, straining, and using one cup of this concentrate to one gallon water. How affordable is that? Also, I am starting to clean out the flower beds in front of my home; all deluge goes into my compost bin, and the decorative pine cones that fill my front window boxes in the fall and winter, are used in the fire pit on my patio! I am always on the lookout for new ways to cut costs on kindling and fire wood, and keep your eyes peeled for a later post on just that in the months ahead!

As for the garden itself, I am done seeding the first two tiers, and the butterfly garden seeds have been laid; the square bed in the center of my top tier.  I found a mix at my local Tractor Supply Sor under $3.00, which works well for my envelope savings system! I also found new bird feeders at my local Walmart, for only $1.50 each, which as pictured as well!

Onto the garden itself, as I am starting actual seeds indoors this year, I am in the process of writing up a post on this topic, which I will publish this time next week, and in the meantime have a challenge for those who want to start gardening, or are following along with my gardening progress this year with their own. This week, do the following:

-Buy a Farmer’s Almanac from your local Dollar Tree

-Look online here to find out your specific climate zone.

-Create a list of what you want to plant.

-Decide where you garden will go; actually walk the area off and map this out!

-Once you have decided what you want to plant, map out where ceratina beds will lay in your garden; map out areas for melons and spreading plants like pumpkins, designate areas what will receive full-sun for corn and taller pole beans and tomatoes, figure in areas for hanging containers and potted plant containers, and decided if you will have areas for herbs and long-term seeding plants like garlic and asparagus.

With all of this in mind, keep a look out for next weekend update, because seeds will be planted and my homemade seed starting system will be posted!

Happy gardening!