My Garden! It is changing too!

This is truly a year of new things!

We are reinventing our garden this year!

I wish I had pictures, that I could find, of my Daddy's gardens.  They were big!  And very bountiful!  It was almost as if the seeds knew that his skilled hand was placing them in the ground.  I don't remember a "failed" crop.  He even broke dry, crusty ground in Dumas, Texas and beautiful tomatoes bounded forth.  From him I learned plant and row spacing, seed depth, hills and mounds, and what perfectly tilled soil felt like under your feet.

I simply don't have the space that Daddy did to sprawl a garden across my city lot.  This year we are rethinking everything.  We are going to attempt square foot gardening.  I have purchased a few books.  I have convinced my Hubby to build them.  I am working on my plant selection and arrangement.  I am deciding what to germinate indoors.  I know how I am going to naturally fight pests. I am hoping for a wonderful idea that will keep the dogs out.

So what is stopping me?  I still live in Illinois!  Daddy's rule was not to plant anything in the ground until Mother's Day (May 11, 2014).  I may cheat that a bit and go with May 1st.

Trust me...I will keep you posted!

Ants vs Peppermint!

Ants!  We have had a constant battle with ants in my sink for 10+ years. Our Terminex guy has watched our children grow. He knows all of us by first name. I have his cell number. 

When I first read this, I saved it for gardening. 

Then the ants came back!  Hundreds of them!  Marching two by two!  Dan called our Terminex guy but it would be the next week. 

WAIT!  Peppermint!  I quickly mixed 5 drops of peppermint and water in a small spray bottle. Squirt squirt DIE!  And they did!  See more, squirt more!  By day four there were no ants!  

Yesterday my Terminex guy came to the house. He couldn't find their trail!  He even acknowledged that the oils definitely work!