Unlocking the Culinary Potential of Your Garden With Edible Flowers

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Edible cut flower gardens can bring so much joy to your kitchen. I love topping a fresh salad with spice nasturtiums, or pressing pansies into shortbread cookies. I’m a firm believer that adults need opportunities to play too - and growing flowers that we can eat is the perfect way to incorporate that playful energy into our days. Outside of garnishes and baking, they can make an excellent cup of tea, or folded into fresh churned butter you can add color to your breakfast toasts and more. The options are endless when it comes to what you can do with edible flowers. Playing with texture, scent and color can turn an otherwise basic recipe into something really special to share with friends and family this summer and beyond. My favorite cakes have been topped with sage leaves and calendula blossoms, and you can make a mocktail truly unique with just a few sprigs of lavender.

Health Benefits of Flowers

There is a growing body of evidence to suggest that fresh flowers inside can have a positive impact on mental health. Here are a few of the key benefits:

Boosts mood: Research has shown that flowers can have an immediate impact on mood, making people feel happier and more relaxed.

Reduces stress: Flowers have been shown to have a calming effect, reducing feelings of anxiety and stress.

Improves memory: Studies have found that having fresh flowers in the home can improve memory, particularly in older adults.

Increases creativity: Flowers have been found to stimulate the mind and increase creativity, making them a great addition to workspaces or creative spaces.

Promotes well-being: Fresh flowers have been shown to promote a sense of well-being, helping people to feel more balanced and centered.

Provides a connection to nature: Flowers are a reminder of the beauty and abundance of nature, providing a connection to the natural world and promoting feelings of peace and calm.

When starting a cut flower garden with edible flowers, you may not know in advance if you’ll actually enjoy the flavor of the flowers you are growing - most of us have never eaten flowers before! Often, they taste a lot like they smell. But in the case of nasturtiums for example, they can have an unexpected heat. Go into your garden planning with a mindset of experimentation and you are sure to be amazed, even if your flowers end up being more for the birds and bees than your plate. There’s no such thing as a flower failure. And don’t forget that many of your favorite vegetables and fruits like snap peas and strawberries start off as flowers that can be eaten and adorned too. If you’re new to gardening, these experiments will give you the experience you need to grow confident in all your future gardening endeavors. If you’re already a gardening expert, edible flowers offer the opportunity to bring something new and unexpected into your regular gardening routine, a colorful surprise to enjoy all summer long.

Overall, fresh flowers inside have been shown to have a positive impact on mental health, helping people to feel happier, more relaxed, and more connected to the world around them. Whether you enjoy having fresh flowers in your home, workspace, or creative space, the mental health benefits are undeniable.

Below are some of my favorite flowers for a cut garden bed. They all have a good vase life and are easily started by seed. There are many, many other edible flowers not included on this list, so I encourage you to do some research of your own.

Calendula

Calendula prefers partial shade, and grows 10-12” tall. For the longest vase life, pick the flowers when they’ve just opened, and pick often to encourage more blooms.

The leaves and flowers of Calendula are edible. The leaves are bitter, and best used in salad. The flowers are rich in antioxidants and are used in salads, or as a garnish. 

Both the leaves and flowers can be used to make tea. Pick fully open blooms, and if you’d like, leaves. You can use them fresh, or save some for later. For storage, let them dry indoors until they are crunchy and save them in an airtight container.

Calendula has been used externally to treat rashes, burns, and wounds for hundreds of years. Its dried flowers are said to boost the immune system.

Zinnia

Zinnia prefers full sun, and its height depends upon which variety you are growing. To determine when they should be picked, use the wiggle test: hold the stem about 8” down from the flower and shake it gently. If the stem bends, it is not ready. If it stays perpendicular, it’s ready for harvesting. Harvest often for more blooms.

Zinnia is used in salads and as a garnish. Fresh or dried flowers can be used to make tea. They can also be used to make a simple syrup for use in cocktails (or mocktails).

Zinnia have been used medicinally for their antifungal, antioxidant, antibacterial, and antimalarial qualities.

Flower Sunspot Sunflower

Unsurprisingly, Sunspot Sunflowers grow in full sun. They are a dwarf variety, growing only 2-3 feet tall.. For the longest vase life, they should be picked when they are just starting to fully open.

Sunflower seeds are packed with nutrition and are a source of protein. The seeds are ready for harvesting when the back of the sunflower has begun to brown. At that point, they will be dry enough to remove from the flower. Alternatively, they can be kept on the flower in a dry space.

Sunflower petals can be used in soups or salads, or as a garnish. Dried petals can be used to make tea.

Sunflower seeds support the immune system, and are linked to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. They have antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. 

Dried Sunflower petals are used in salves, facial scrubs, and soap, among other things. 

Snapdragons

Snapdragons grow in full sun. Their height varies depending on variety. They should be picked while still closed for the longest vase life. They should be picked often to encourage blooms.

Snapdragon leaves and flowers are edible and anti-inflammatory, but some varieties can be bitter. It is used to make tea, in salads, or as a garnish.

The leaves and flowers of Snapdragons have been used for a wide variety of symptoms and diseases, from watery eyes to liver disorder. 

Lisianthus

Lisianthus grow in full sun, reaching between one and three feet tall. They should be picked when one or more flowers on the stem are open. They are also used in dried flower arrangements.

Lisianthus flowers are edible, but are quite bitter.

Lisianthus has been used for its antibacterial and antifungal properties. 

Pincushion

Pincushion grows in full sun, and is 6-12 inches tall and 9-24 inches wide. They are used in fresh and dried floral arrangements. Pincushion flowers should be picked when they are still in bud for the longest vase life.

Pincushion is used in tea, salads, and garnishes. 

Pincushion has been used to treat inflammation, and to treat coughs, sore throat, and fever. Externally, it is used for skin conditions such as eczema and rashes.

China Aster

China Aster grows in full sun, reaching 3 feet tall. Flowers should be picked when they are halfway open for the longest vase life.

China Aster flowers and leaves can be used fresh or dried, in salads and tea. To make tea for storage, dry your flowers upside down until they crumble easily, then put them in an airproof container.

China Aster has been used to treat earaches, headaches, and toothaches.

Gomphrena (Globe Amaranth)

Gomphrena grow in full sun and are about 2 feet tall. When harvesting, their stems should be cut at the base of the plant. They are beautiful in fresh and dried arrangements.

Gomphrena’s fresh flowers are not appetizing due to their texture, but can be used as a garnish or to make tea. 

Gomphrena has been used for a wide variety of medicinal purposes, from diabetes and high blood pressure to respiratory disorders. 

Verbena (Common Vervain)

Verbena grows in full sun, reaching 1-5 feet tall. They are annual or short-lived perennials. Harvest when half of the flowers have opened.

Verbena is used in fruit salads, desserts and for tea. 

Verbena is used externally to treat burns, arthritis, and itching, and internally for insomnia, epilepsy, and anxiety.

Stock

Stock grows in full sun or partial shade, and is from 1-3 feet tall. For longer vase life, flowers should be picked when they are a third to halfway open. They are excellent for use in dried flower arrangements.

Stock is a member of the cabbage family. Its flowers and pods are edible and are used in salads and tea, but its leaves, stems, and roots are not edible. Their flavor is a bit peppery. 

Stock has been used as an expectorant and as an aphrodisiac. 

What edible flowers do you grow?

Preserving the Beauty of Peonies: Strategies for Prolific Blooms and Healthy Plants [Guide]

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May is for three things; asparagus, rhubarb and peonies. These are the first true signs that spring is really here to stay after a long, cold and dark winter. Our pink double peonies live just outside my bedroom window, and in May I begin checking on them daily for signs of life. Almost overnight they can burst into a beautiful display of fragrance and color, the many petaled blooms soon overrun with my least favorite garden visitor (ants).

Double peonies seem like they have hundreds of petals all packed in close together, and the denseness of them even in full bloom always amazes me.

We also have a huge patch of white single peonies that I am tempted to bury my face in every year. This plant is so well established now that we have more blooms than I even know what to do with at times. The single peonies are a lot more delicate, with five to ten thin petals bending off the pollen bearing stamen in all directions in a wild display that somehow feels chaotic and classic all at once. Just writing this I can practically smell them again!

Each spring I bring fresh cuttings inside and the diverse texture stands alone in a vase with no need to add fillers or greenery. But, these beautiful blooms are short-lived and leave me wanting more every time. Thankfully I have a trick for extending the life of my peonies and enjoying fresh cut peony flowers in my home up to a month after they would normally be blooming. But before we delve into that, let’s make sure you are set up for success in growing peonies of your own. That way, even if you do not have peony plants blooming in your garden this spring, you can get them in the ground come fall and save this post for next year.

Where do peonies grow?

Peonies are hardy to Zone 3 and grow well as far south as Zones 7 and 8. Peonies even relish cold winters, because they need chilling for bud formation.

How to grow peonies

If you’re wondering how to plant peonies, you’ve come to the right place! Peonies are most commonly grown from a bare-root tuber. While you can grow peonies from seed, it will take five to six years before they bloom, so generally you’ll be starting with a tuber. You’ll want to plant your peony tuber in an area that gets full sun, in well draining soil. They will rot in water logged soil. The most important thing about planting your peonies is orienting the tuber correctly in the hole. Peony tubers have a top! You should plant your peonies in late fall - September or October.

• Space peonies 3 to 4 feet apart - they can get very big and bushy!

• Dig down two feet to loosen the soil. Then backfill until your hole is only about 2 inches deep and place the tuber so that the “eyes” face upward and the roots are about two inches below the soil surface.

• You can enrich sandy or heavy soil with compost and incorporate about one cup of bone meal into the soil, but it’s not necessary.

• Water immediately after planting.

There are six peony flower types to choose from: anemone, single, Japanese, semi-double, double, and bomb. Peonies come in many shades of pink, purple, red, white, and yellow. I love to grow pink double peonies because they are so fluffy with all the extra showy petals! But a simple white peony is such a classic too.

A final note; choose your location wisely, because peonies do not like to be transplanted. They are unlikely to bloom for 2-3 years after transplant.

Grow peonies in pots

You can grow peonies in pots, but you’ll need a very large container with excellent drainage. The planting depth should be the same as when you are planting peonies in the ground - only about an inch or two below the surface. Peonies grown in pots should be allowed to almost dry out before watering. They will also need to be protected from deep freezes in the winter.

How tall do peonies grow?

There are two common types of peonies, so if you’re wondering how big peonies can grow, it’s important to know which type you’re looking at. Herbaceous peonies grow best in zones three through seven and can grow to be two to three feet tall and two to four feet wide. These are the typically bushy type peonies seen in most gardens. Tree peonies grow best in zones three through nine and resemble small shrubs, growing as tall as seven feet. We’re talking about herbaceous peonies in today's post, but let me know in the comments if you grow tree peonies in your yard!

How long do peonies take to grow?

Peonies are slow growers and can typically take up to three years to fully mature. If you grow tubers from an established plant you may see one or two blooms in the first year. Growing peonies from seed can take six or seven years and isn’t typically recommended. The older your peony plant is, the more bushy and bloom filled it will be.

How much sun do peonies need?

Peonies love the sun, although they are sensitive to extreme temperatures. Peonies grow best in areas with six to eight hours of direct sunlight. It’s also important to make sure you’re spacing your peonies at least 2 feet apart in order to increase air circulation around the plants and reduce the risk of fungal disease.

Do peonies attract ants?

While it’s a myth that peonies need ants in order to bloom it is true that peony buds secrete a sweet, sugary nectar that attracts ants. Scientists have yet to figure out the true purpose of this symbiotic relationship, but it’s fun to imagine the possibilities!

Should peonies be cut back in the fall?

Since peony plants start from tubers, you want them to store as much energy as possible underground over the winter. This is why you should always cut back your peony plants as close to the ground as possible in the fall after the foliage has completely died back or yellowed after a hard frost. This advice only applies to herbaceous peonies - tree peonies should be cut back immediately after they bloom.

Should you mulch peonies?

It’s not necessary to mulch established peony plants, but you can apply a thin layer of straw mulch in late fall on plants that are less than two years old.

How do you winterize peonies?

To winterize peonies, simply cut back to the ground. If the plants are less than two years old, you can add a thin layer of straw mulch to protect them when the ground freezes.

Should you deadhead peonies?

Cutting off your peony blooms or deadheading will allow your peony plant to redirect its energy into the roots and grow bigger. And with the tip below, you’ll want to cut off all your peony blooms right away so you can save them for later anyway!

How to make peonies last longer

Did you know that you can make your short-lived peony blooms last for a month or longer? Peonies are strongly associated with spring, but you can have fresh peony flowers into early summer with this trick. The key is timing your cuttings correctly and using cold storage. If we cut our peony blooms before they have a chance to open, then suspend their growth by convincing them to go dormant using cold temperatures, you can effectively pause their bloom cycle and restart it again when you want fresh flowers for your table in June or even early July.

• Time your cutting perfectly: This is key. The bud should still be closed, but squishy and only slightly firm like a marshmallow. If your peonies aren’t white, the petal color should be showing through.

• Cut the stem at a steep angle using your sharpest clippers just above a set of leaves.

• Remove all of the leaves and place in a plastic Ziploc bag. You can wrap in a damp newspaper, Stasher bag if it’s large enough, or plastic wrap. But you’ll have to keep the newspaper damp at all times.

• Place the bag in the coolest part of your refrigerator, close to the back.

• When you're ready to use your flowers, take them out of the fridge and place in tepid water. As they warm back up, the petals will open revealing perfect fresh blooms! This can take a day or so.

The hardest part of this process is knowing when to pick the flowers. If you struggle with your blooms not opening or opening while still in the fridge, you’ve picked them at the wrong time. Keep an eye out over on Instagram as I’ll be sharing a post showing the correct stage for harvesting as soon as my peonies bloom this season!

Will you try this with your peonies?

10 Perennial Plants That Will Thrive in Your Shady Garden

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Choosing the Best Flowering Perennial Plants for Your Shade Garden

Beautiful shade gardens are a bit trickier than sunny gardens simply because there’s a much wider variety of perennials that grow in full sun than perennials that grow in shade. It can be done, though, and I’m here to help you do it.

One way to make a garden is to fly by the seat of your pants – go to the garden center, pick what looks pretty to you, make sure they like the shade, then figure out where to put them when you get home. I did plenty of that myself in my early years of gardening, and still do sometimes. As I’ve become more experienced, though, I’ve come to appreciate the role of planning in garden design.

What is a Perennial Plant?

First, let’s talk about what a perennial plant is not. You know when you go to a garden center in the spring and there are plants already blooming with bright flowers and you’ve been starving for color all winter and you Must. Buy. Them. All? Those are annual plants, plants that will die in the fall of the year you put them in the ground.  You get the instant satisfaction of pretty colors in your yard, but you’ll have to do it all over again the next spring, and the one after that. 

Perennial plants may die back to the ground in fall or winter (some don’t), but their roots are still alive, and, year after year, each spring the plant will come back bigger, stronger, and with more blooms. These are the plants we use to build a garden that will become more lush and beautiful every year. Another great thing about perennials is that as they grow we can divide them, creating many plants from the one purchase.

How Do You Divide Perennial Plants?

As I explained in this post, most perennials are happy to be divided. There are two basic methods I use to I divide a perennial plant. The first is to use a sharp-edged shovel. Pressing straight down on the shovel with my foot, I can separate the roots belowground. It’s then easy to dig out only the section I want to move. The other way I divide a plant is to dig the whole thing up. Some plants’ roots will easily separate into pieces once they’re out of the ground. Others will need to be split with a shovel or gardening knife.

The benefits of making a plan for your garden

A little planning will ensure you choose plants that will thrive in your yard’s conditions. Maybe your shady area has one end that gets partial sun, you have a pile of rocks to plant around, or the area tends to be dry. Choosing the right plant for the right spot sets your plants up for success.

Planning your garden also allows time to think about what size each plant will grow to be, what its watering needs are, what types of foliage you’d like to see near each other, how much maintenance will be needed, and what color the flowers will be. 

You can also take the time to learn which plants might have edible or medicinal uses, making your garden both beautiful and useful.

**Please note that many plants which are edible for humans may be toxic to cats and dogs.**

How Many plants Should you Buy?

It’s tempting to buy one of each of the perennial plants you like, and that can be a good way to experiment and learn how different plants grow. As far as garden design goes, though, it’s better to choose fewer varieties of plants and get more of each of the ones you choose. 

Large swaths of the same plant have a bigger impact that a collection of different plants. They also make your garden look lush and intentional. Additionally, you might want to put the same variety of plants in different areas of the garden to provide balance.

Three is generally a magic number in design, and that holds true in the garden. If you can afford more than three, stick with an odd number for the most attractive outcome.

What Perennial Flowers for Shade Should you Buy?

As this is your very own garden, you should choose the plants you find most beautiful. While you’re looking, pay attention to what color flower each plant will produce. Maybe you want a garden where all the flowers are different shades of one color, or a garden with a certain palette of colors. Or maybe you want a riotous mix of every color you can find.

Pay attention also to the foliage of the plants. Perennials that grow in shade sometimes have flowers which  do not bloom for as long or as strikingly as sun-loving perennials do. The good news is each plant has a unique foliage color and shape, and they can be combined in ways that look good even when the plants are not flowering.

When choosing what perennial plants to buy, there are a few other things to think about. It’s important to look up each plant’s growing zone. You can find your own growing zone with the USDA’s Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Plants outside of your zone will not grow in your area. Because I live in Zone 6b, my favorites may not be appropriate if you live in a very cold or very warm climate.

Also find out each plant’s size, whether it can tolerate partial sun, and what its bloom time is. You probably don’t want to end up with a garden that only has flowers in June! 

The Best Flowering Shade Perennials

Of course it’s not possible to determine what the ‘best’ plants are. You can research yourself to find what you think are the best perennials for your shady garden, and buy what you like. To save you a bit of work, though, I’ll tell you what some of my favorite shade perennials are. 

Here’s a list of 10 flowering perennials that grow in the shade, along with some information that will help you decide if they are the right plants for you:

Geranium
Zones 3-8

Geranium flowers are available in a multitude of colors and sizes. Many of the varieties will be quite happy in full shade. Others can handle partial shade. The plants will spread, making shorter varieties a great groundcover, and they don’t spread so aggressively as to become a problem. They can also be divided.

Geraniums range greatly in size, anywhere from 4-48” tall and 6-36” wide, and can bloom from spring to fall. Geranium flowers and leaves are edible, and are also used for medicinal purposes.

Barrenwort
Zones 5-9

Barrenwort has colorful foliage, and in mid- to late spring, tiny flowers in pink, orange, red, white, or yellow appear.

It grows well in full shade, but in partial shade it will produce more, and brighter, blooms. Varieties range from 6-15” high and 6-24” wide.

Bleeding Heart
Zones 3-9

A particular favorite, Bleeding Heart flowers come in many colors – classic pink, white, yellow, wine, violet, and red. In ideal conditions, they can grow to 3’ tall and 6’ wide. Blooms will appear in spring and if you cut the plant back after the flowers are spent, the plant may bloom again later in the summer.

Astilboides Tabularis
Zones 5-7

This is what to choose if you’d like an impressive plant with giant, umbrella-like leaves. It produces creamy white flowers from May-July, and the plant grows 4’ tall and 3’ wide, with some of its leaves measuring 24” across. Perfect for full shade, it can handle partial shade as well.

Astilbe
Zones 3-8

Astilbe plants produce gorgeous, fluffy flowers in white, pink, red, purple, or peach. Early-blooming varieties will flower in May or June, while late-bloomers begin to flower in July. By choosing more than one variety, you can set yourself up for color over the whole summer.

The varieties measure from 1-4’ tall, making them a good choice whether you’re looking for a tall shade perennial or something a bit smaller. It prefers partial shade, although it will grow in full shade, producing fewer blooms.

Astible is edible, and also used medicinally.

Hosta
Zones 3-9

There’s a certain variety of Hosta that seems to be everywhere, from shopping centers to yards, and honestly I don’t like the look of it at all. Luckily for me, there’s a huge number of Hosta varieties, each sporting different foliage colors and size.

A favorite of mine is the Filigree White Hosta, because it emerges with leaves that are white with green veins, which then progress to green as the season goes on. It grows to 24” tall and 24” wide, and produces lavender-colored flowers in mid-summer.

You may be surprised to learn that all parts of a Hosta plant are edible. Early spring shoots can be cooked as you would asparagus, a plant to which the Hosta is related. The leaves will taste better when they’re younger, and can be used in place of lettuce or spinach. The flowers are great as a garnish or tossed into a salad for a bit of color.

Dolce ‘Silver Gumdrop’ Coral Bells
Zones 4-9

With silvery leaves, this plant is beautiful whether it’s flowering or not. It blooms in mid-summer, its pink flowers growing about 20-24” above the plant itself, which is 6” tall and 16” wide.

It grows well in both shade and partial shade.

Fringe Cups
Zones 4-7

Blooming in April and May, with flowers that are first white, then pink, then red, Fringe Cups grow about 3’ tall and 2’ wide, with 2’ of that height coming from the flowers, which grow high about the foliage. Their leaves color up in the fall, and they are happy in partial shade.

‘Jack Frost’ Heartleaf Brunnera
Zones 3-8

Jack Frost produces blue flowers in mid- to late spring, but it’s best quality is its striking, variegated leaves. It grows 15” tall and 15” wide, and does well in both shade and partial shade.

Oxalis Oregana
Zones 6-9

This plant makes a beautiful groundcover, spreading through rhizomes underground. It grows up to 8” tall, and produces small pink or white flowers from early spring to summer.

The most exciting things about Oxalis Oregana, though, is that the underside of its clover-shaped leaves are purple or pink. I love a good surprise! Walking through a patch of plants, your movement will ripple the leaves, allowing you to see both colors. 

The flowers are edible, as are the leaves, which should be cooked before eating. The plant also has medicinal uses.

Is That Enough Plants for a Perennial Shade Garden?

I first want to acknowledge that plants are not cheap. Making a garden is not something that has to be done in one swoop. We can buy plants as we can afford them, and some years from now we’ll have the garden we imagined. And remember, gardening friends will be happy to give you splits of their plants, and some plants are easily grown by seed.

Whether the plants I listed are enough for your shade garden will, of course, will depend on the size of your garden area and the number of each variety you plant. 

If you were to plant all ten of these perennials, you could enjoy white, yellow, pink, red, orange, peach, purple, and blue flowers. You’d have plants of many different sizes, and a wide variety of foliage shapes and colors. Between them all, you’d have at least one plant blooming from spring to fall. But remember, you may want to consider choosing fewer varieties and getting more of the ones you do choose.

Whatever plants you decide on, keep in mind that gardening isn’t about perfection. It’s about playing in the dirt, connecting to nature, and expressing your creativity. Whatever you think is beautiful, is beautiful! 

Plant a Sustainable Future: Celebrating Earth Day with DIY Wildflower Seed Balls

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One of my most loved books from childhood is Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney. Miss Rumphius was inspired by the real life "Lupine Lady," Hilda Hamlin, who spread lupine seeds along the Maine coast. The story follows Miss Rumphius through her younger days into old age as she spreads lupine seeds from her bicycle all the way up until she is lying sick in bed and enjoying the view she has created outside her bedroom window after spreading all these seeds over the years. This imagery has always been powerful to me, but it was made even more so after I read The Well-Gardened Mind by Sue Stuart Smith this past winter and learned how patients staying in hospital rooms with a nature-facing window recover 37% faster than patients who do not have this visual access to nature at all. This is leading to more hospitals instituting green spaces throughout their campuses as a real, science-backed method of care.

Reading this fact, it got me thinking that even outside of the carefully date driven measurements within a hospital, surely there must be some benefit to our wellbeing in simply going about our days surrounded by natural beauty. It’s not a far stretch when you picture how much more peaceful you feel outside. The sturdy presence of ancient trees combined with swaying branches, birdsong and the thrill of a flower in bloom stimulates our minds and encourages us to be mindful.

I imagine spreading seeds just like The Lupine Lady herself did, bringing beauty to the landscapes I call home and even leaving a legacy in the form of wildflowers throughout the land. It is the kind of quiet hope we all need these days - a flower popping up where there wasn’t one before. An offering to pause and enjoy our surroundings.

With the arrival of Earth Day 2025, I am feeling the pull even stronger than usual to do something to connect with the Earth, celebrate the natural beauty around us and bring awareness to what needs to change in order to protect our home planet. The first Earth Day took place in 1970, marking the beginning of the modern day environmental movement as we now know it. It offers us the opportunity to promote conservation and sustainability, raising awareness of the impacts our decisions have on the environment. On this day, around 1 billion individuals across more than 190 countries take action to raise awareness of the climate crisis and bring about behavioral change to protect the environment through reducing our energy use, carbon footprint and more. It really is a great opportunity to reflect and find new ways to support our one and only home.

So where do seed bombs fit into all of this? Seed bombs are a fun and accessible way to bring a joyful nature activity into your Earth Day celebrations. Seed bombs are simply a collection of biodegradable materials like paper and clay shredded and combined with a variety of wildflower seeds, molded into a ball shape (or any shape you like really) and dried. Once dry, you can drop them on blank areas of earth by roadsides or parks and the ball will naturally break down in the elements, leaving only the seeds behind which will plant themselves and hopefully grow into beautiful flowers to support our pollinators. 

As you’ll see, there are as many ways to make seed bombs as there are hands to make them with. But here are some of the main ingredients you can use in a seed bomb DIY:

Newspaper/paper scraps: any paper destined for the recycling bin will do, although you may want to ensure any dyes used were soy-based if you’re concerned about leaching dyes into the soil. Personally I think newspaper is just fine even if you can’t confirm the inks are soy based, but I wouldn’t necessarily use a brightly colored construction paper for this one since the dyes probably aren’t good for the soil.

Clay: if you’re having trouble with your seed bombs sticking together, clay is an excellent binder that can help give them some structural integrity. You don’t need this for a successful seed bomb though.

Topsoil and compost: Compost and topsoil aren’t strictly necessary for a wildflower seed bomb, but they will provide your seeds a little extra boost and may increase germination rates (or how many of your seeds will actually grow into flowers) since you’re effectively coating the seeds which mimics being buried in the ground. The thing about wildflower seeds is that they spread through landing on the surface of soil all the time, so they don’t really need to be buried to grow usually.

Seeds: You won’t need a huge bucket of seeds here since the majority of the mass of the seed ball is made up of the paper, but it is important to choose wildflower seed varieties or herbs and vegetables that are native to your area and will not encourage invasive species to grow.

The importance of choosing native seeds

Why does it matter what seeds you use in your wildflower seed bombs? Because the last thing you want to be doing on Earth Day is actually planting invasive plants that will crowd out native species. An invasive species is an introduced species that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. Not a good thing! On the other hand, native plants will encourage and support your local pollinators by providing a diverse food source and tend to require less care, watering and other maintenance since they are hard-wired to grow well in your climate.

The easiest way to ensure you’re planting native seeds is to buy a seed mix like this one. If you are outside of the USA, try to find a local garden supply company that can help you. Otherwise I’d recommend just choosing three or four flowers you’d like to grow and using trusty Google to confirm they are native to your area. I could give you a list that would cover the major areas, but you’ll learn better from doing a bit of the research yourself!

One last thing; I’m sure you know this, but it has to be said! Never distribute your seed bombs on private property or protected parks. Stick to civic spaces that have long since been neglected or local public areas that could use a bit of rewilding.

What plants are best for seed bombs?

We’ve talked a lot about wildflowers, but did you know that you can also use edible plants such as lettuce, sage, basil, cilantro and even tomato seeds in your seed bomb DIY? I personally used meadow flowers in my mix including black eyed susan, cornflower, marigold, Californian poppies, cosmos and bachelor button. I think using edible flowers and herbs would be so fun - imagine taking your morning walk through the neighborhood and seeing little patches of lettuce and calendula free for the taking for your afternoon snack! I dream of a day when our wild spaces are full of edible free food to share with our communities.

How to make seed bombs step by step

Supplies

• Newspaper/paper scraps

• Wildflower seeds

• Bowl

• Water

• Parchment paper

• Baking sheet/plate

• OPTIONAL: clay, compost, topsoil

Instructions:

Making seed bombs is simple. Shred your paper into small pieces and soak in water, or soak whole pieces and then blend in a food processor. Combine your shredded paper with seeds (and compost/clay/topsoil if you’d like) in a bowl. Form into golf ball sized globes and squeeze tightly to compress and remove excess moisture. Place on your parchment paper on the baking sheet or just use a plate and allow to dry for 24 hours before using. You can even place them into a small drawstring bag and give them out as Earth Day gifts to friends and family!

How do you use seed bombs?

Seed bombs are one of my favorite nature craft ideas, because they are simple, fast and easy for anyone to do and the result is a more beautiful planet. Since the seeds do not need to be buried to grow, you can just toss your seed bombs into empty and neglected areas, watch and wait and in a few months you should have some beautiful flowers growing! The patch will likely self-seed and continue to develop and grow with each passing year that goes by.

If you’re looking for nature walk activities to do this Earth Day, I hope you’ll give this seed bomb DIY a try and bring them along with you on your adventure. And remember: every day should be Earth Day, so if you’re reading this and it’s already come and gone, don’t let that stop you from giving it a try and bringing some beauty to our one and only home!

No More Over or Under Watered Plants: A Comprehensive Guide to Watering Your Garden

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We’ve talked a lot about creating systems in your garden to grow more food even with chronic pain and fatigue, and you can find lots more of my tips on that by clicking here. But I wanted to dive deep into how to water plants with chronic illness today because - at least for me - watering plants has been a huge struggle. Unwieldy hoses and heavy watering cans plus the time required just standing there combined with the fact that skipping a day of watering in the hot and dry season because you aren’t feeling well isn’t really an option leads to this being a constant source of stress. The good news is that there are many different ways to water your plants no matter your budget or energy levels.

How to Water Plants

Knowing how and when to water your plants in your garden sounds scarier than it is, I promise! While some plants may have more specific watering requirements, as a general rule you want to keep the soil consistently damp throughout the germination process, and then once your plants are established you’ll wait for the soil to begin to dry out during the growing season.

• Utilize mulching to prevent water loss due to surface evaporation

• Concentrate your watering at the base of the plant

• Confirm the soil isn’t already damp first

• Water in the morning, so excess moisture can evaporate in the sun

When to water plants

Water infrequently but deeply in the morning to encourage resilient plants - 1” of water once per week. A 10-foot soaker hose (the kind with a spray nozzle) will release 6 gallons of water per foot in an hour’s time. For 1” of water coverage, you’ll need to run the hose for about 45 minutes.

How to water in-ground gardens

The best hack for watering in-ground gardens is mulch. Mulch will hold that moisture in so it doesn’t evaporate from the soil in hot dry weather. Once your plants are established (usually a couple of weeks after transplanting or about a month after direct sowing) in ground gardens are pretty self-sustaining in terms of water. During heat waves I will water once a day, but other than that as long as we’re getting some rain once a week or so I won’t water established in ground gardens much at all. Of course your plants will tell you if they are thirsty too by drooping, and if you don’t mulch at all things will be very different - this is when you’ll need to watch out for hydrophobic soil (see more info on that below)

How to water raised bed gardens

Standard raised bed gardens that are in contact with the soil underneath will need slightly more attention in watering than an in-ground bed since the growing soil is elevated slightly. Drip irrigation or olla watering systems work really well in raised beds, or you can follow the tips listed above.  (click here to learn more about ollas)

How to water container gardens

Container gardens are notorious for drying out very quickly. You will need to water container gardens at least once per day - in a heat wave, sometimes twice per day. Raised beds that are elevated off of the ground like mine fall into the container garden category as well and benefit hugely from automatic watering systems like the irrigation trays included with my raised beds or an olla watering system.

Is it true that you shouldn’t get leaves wet when watering your plants?

I’m sure you’re wondering how you’re supposed to completely avoid getting the leaves of your plants wet while watering. The fact is, some plants (especially squash) are more susceptible to diseases that thrive in damp environments like powdery mildew. This doesn’t stop the rain from falling on your plants however, so I wouldn’t worry too much about avoiding any water getting on the leaves unless you are having an especially damp season (in which case, don’t water anyway!)

What is hydrophobic soil?

Hydrophobic soil occurs when a waxy residue builds up on the soil particles resulting in it repelling water rather than absorbing it. This can happen if you do not water consistently, or you don’t use mulching to protect the surface layer of your soil from drying out. You can tell that soil has become hydrophobic because the water will bead up and not soak into the earth normally. You can also confirm your soil is hydrophobic by digging down an inch or two beneath the soil after watering. The surface may look damp, but underneath the soil will be completely dry.

How to fix hydrophobic soil

The easiest way to correct hydrophobic soil is to amend it with nutrient rich compost. However, you most likely won’t be fixing the soil that is hydrophobic - you’re really just slowly replacing the soil that has gone “bad” by mixing in fresh new soil that can encourage better absorption.

My favorite low energy watering techniques

Water your garden with Ollas

Olla (pronounced oya) means “pot” in Spanish, but the concept of using ollas as an irrigation system goes back thousands of years and has been used in countless cultures around the world. An olla self watering system for plants is basically any type of unglazed clay pot that is buried beneath the soil with only a small amount sticking up above the surface and filled with water. You can tell that a pot is unglazed because it will be that classic terracotta red color with no shiny finish, glaze or paint. The water then leeches out of tiny holes or “pores” in the unglazed clay and is pulled through the soil to the roots of your thirsty plants using a process called soil moisture tension. This functions much the same way as osmosis, in that the water is trying to equalize to a certain level of moisture within the soil. This means your soil will never become overwatered either - if the soil is moist, the water stays in the pot until it is needed. 

Olla pots reduce wasted water by about seventy percent, since most of the moisture is held underground and not lost to surface evaporation. This is a huge savings over traditional watering methods and means you can significantly reduce your water consumption in our drought-prone climate. This will lower your water bill as well as make your garden more environmentally friendly! They are also perfect for watering plants on vacation.

Olla pots also help you to grow happier and healthier plants. The root systems in your plants will also be healthier, as they reach out towards the underground water the roots will become larger and sturdier, keeping your plants from falling over. Most importantly, plants that are watered at the soil level are less prone to infection with certain fungal diseases that thrive in damp environments, since the leaves of your plants will not get wet as often. Because of the soil moisture tension phenomenon, your plants will also never be overwatered.

You can click here for my favorite ready-made ollas you can buy or click here for instructions on how to DIY your own.

Water your garden with drip irrigation

Drip irrigation combined with a timer will give you the most hands-off automatic watering for plants. You can truly just set it and forget it, leaving you free to focus your energy on garden tasks you enjoy. These systems run the gamut from complex DIY builds to custom built configurations, but for a ready made option I recommend this Garden Row Snip-n-Drip Soaker System. With this system you can easily create a customized watering system for rows of plants. The kit includes everything you need to water up to four 25' rows, and only takes about an hour to set it up at the beginning of the season. This way you can apply water just where you want it — and not where you don't. You can customize this convenient soaker hose system to suit your vegetable garden or any garden planted in rows. No special tools are required — just use scissors to cut the hoses to the sizes you need. Snap the fittings in place and you're ready to water. The weeping action of soaker hoses delivers water right to the roots, with minimal loss due to evaporation and runoff. Soaker hoses use up to 80% less water than sprinklers!

Water your garden with rainwater

Rainwater collection is an excellent option especially in drought prone areas. This is the rain barrel we use in our garden - the authentic oak barrel texture is molded into each plastic rain barrel and will not fade, rot or risk insect infestation. The unique flat back design allows the rain barrel to sit flush against any wall and is equipped with a durable brass spigot with hose hook-up as well as a screen to keep out debris and insects. Manufactured from rotomolded polyethylene, this rain barrel is impact resistant and UV stabilized to eliminate fading. Don’t forget a stand to elevate your rain barrel so you can have good water pressure to your hose and fill up your watering can easily.

Water your garden with sprinklers

Sprinklers are a great hands-off watering method. Try this Hi-Rise Lifetime Brass Sprinkler. In an age of plastic, one-season sprinklers, you'll appreciate these no-nonsense sprinklers built to last a lifetime, made of coated steel and solid brass. The jet nozzle creates a 360° spray of fine droplets without the need for failure-prone moving parts. Spiked base has a foot tread to make placement easy, and a second fitting so you can connect two sprinklers end-to-end with a feeder hose.

I hope these tips on how to water your garden were helpful. Gardening with chronic pain or fatigue doesn’t have to be harder with a little planning. How do you water your garden? Let me know in the comments!

Make Gardening Manageable with These Must-Have Tools for Low Energy Gardeners

The Cottage Peach is reader-supported. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions are our own.

April brings with it the arrival of the height of gardening preparations, and the demand it takes on our bodies as we assemble new gardens, pull lawn furniture from storage and shovel mulch means that I am ending my days sore and tired. I’ve been gardening for most of my life in one form or another, but ten years ago I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis, and since then I’ve had a whole decade to come up with the best gardening hacks to and gardening tools for gardening with chronic pain and low energy.

Psoriatic arthritis often confuses people who don’t have it - its cousins rheumatoid and osteoarthritis are far more common, so there’s a misconception that psoriatic arthritis isn’t as serious or doesn’t have as much of an impact on quality of life as these more well known forms of arthritis. The fact is that psoriatic arthritis is more than a skin condition. I experience severe joint pain and fatigue, just like someone with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis. I just get the added “bonus” of sensitive dry skin too. While exercise can help with my symptoms, it can also make them worse if I push myself too hard. I’ve had to learn my physical limitations by testing them, and those limits are a lot lower than someone living without an autoimmune disease. The idea that arthritis is an “old person's” condition is so pervasive that people often think it can’t really be that bad, especially since I am young and don’t look sick. But invisible illnesses like arthritis and other autoimmune conditions can dramatically change your life, no matter how old you are.

I’ve hit breaking points with my arthritis while gardening many times. I have sat, covered in dirt and crying because I couldn’t bend over or kneel to clear weeds from an in-ground garden bed. I thought the solution was to just scoot along on my butt, but quickly discovered that even though this was easier on my joints it was still physically exhausting and left me too fatigued to finish. I have lost the hand strength to grip a shovel or rake on more than one occasion. I have felt scared that someday even the little things I do could be beyond my ability if I’m not careful. Gardening is rooted in my soul, a part of my identity, and I don’t know what I’d do without it at this point. Gardening and nature in general have brought me out of the darkest moments in my life. Tending to plants gives me purpose and fulfills my need to nurture. 

This is my why. The reason I sit here day after day and type these words to you: I grew from these challenges, and I want to show you how you can too. Now these hard times that I faced are just more proof that I know I can trust myself to stand up for my needs and prioritize them. They solidified my identity and brought me closer to knowing myself. Most of this came from mindset (we are hard-wired to see the negative first, but that can be overcome) but after that mindset shift, in order to make real concrete change I invested in a few gardening tools that would make it possible for me to continue doing what I love.

The key to low energy gardening:

These tools won’t give you superpowers. I could give you all my best vegetable gardening tips and tricks but you’ll still find the key to low energy gardening is planning and pacing yourself. This means working in short blocks of time, around the times of day when you know you have the most energy (mornings are hardest for me) and being strategic about resting when needed by encouraging rest through your outdoor garden seating arrangements. They also may not fully address all of the limiting factors you may experience. I hope however that they can serve as a jumping off point from which you will feel inspired to find what feels good for you. I have chosen these tools either because they are specifically comfortable to handle with chronic pain, or they speed up whatever task they are designed to be used for.

Tools used for gardening

Weeding tools

Gardener's Lifetime Taproot Weed Extractor

Remove stubborn taproots and other deep-rooted weeds with less effort! Insert the prongs of this weed extractor vertically, right at the root, until the tubular section rests on the ground. Then, pull the handle towards you, and the weed will pop right out.

Gardener's Lifetime Half-Moon Hoe

Also called a swan-neck hoe, this popular tool cuts weeds just below the soil surface. The ergonomic design lets you stand up straight while working, minimizing back strain, and the curved blade lets you work in tight spaces between plants and rows. To give it extra strength and durability, the wooden handle is bolted into the deep socket

Gardener's Lifetime Cape Cod Weeder

Used by generations of New England gardeners, Cape Cod Weeders slice weeds just below the soil line and are great for working in tight spaces This Lifetime Cape Cod Weeder is hand-forged from the finest high-carbon Swedish boron steel with a pointed, self-sharpening tip. Unlike flimsy tools that are stamped from thin stainless steel, this weeder is ready for a lifetime of use by serious gardeners. To give it extra strength and durability, a 4" metal tang extends into the handle, which is securely fastened with a welded socket.

Best raised garden beds

Self-Watering Elevated Planter Box, 2' x 8'

These no-bend garden boxes keep plants hydrated via a series of innovative, connected reservoirs that deliver water to roots on demand. Four generous 5-gallon reservoirs extend the time between waterings and create more even moisture throughout the bed. And, since water is drawn primarily from the bottom instead of applied from the top, less water is lost to evaporation too! 10" planting depth accommodates a variety of crops, from tomatoes to root-crops like carrots.

The height of the planter box has other advantages too: fewer weeds, reduced maintenance, and fewer critters nibbling at your prize plants. The sturdy aluminum legs won't buckle or sag, and the wood is naturally rot-resistant and safe for your organic crops.

Garden seating ideas

Garden seating is going to be so important if you have low energy or chronic pain. I like to have one main large work table outside that I can sit at for tasks I know will take longer like transplanting seedlings or just organizing a harvest. This is an inviting spot where I can rest while still feeling productive. It’s also a good idea to scatter around various benches and chairs throughout your garden space or at least keep a folding camp chair handy that you can collapse onto periodically in between weeding, watering and harvesting. Always keep water and sunscreen handy - I like to keep my harvest basket stocked with these essentials plus my clippers too, so I’m not walking back and forth just gathering everything. This way you don’t have to go inside every time you need a break, wasting more energy with the walk to and from the house as well as interrupting the flow state of gardening that gives us the most mental clarity.

Deep Seat Garden Kneeler

The extra-wide base makes it much more stable than narrower models, with sturdy sides that lock in place so you can raise and lower yourself with confidence. Easily flips from kneeler to padded bench. Sides fold in for compact storage. Holds up to 250 lbs. Weighs just 9 pounds, so it’s easy to carry.

Bamboo Garden Stool and Basket Combo

Versatile, heirloom-quality, all-in-one basket, stool, and seat. Carry tools and plant starts out to your garden, harvest veggies to bring inside, sit on it to weed and tend or keep potatoes and onions (or bath items, dog toys, and more!) neatly corralled.

Beautifully made from bamboo, a strong and highly renewable resource, it can support up to 250 lbs. as a seat. Quality joinery gives you the confidence to step up or sit down and go about your work. Flipped over, it feels solid in your hands plus the handles are wide and smooth — making it ultra comfortable to carry.

Deluxe tractor scoot with bucket basket

This go-anywhere, do-anything, super-stable rolling scoot lets you work from a comfortable seated position and is perfect for gardening, washing tires, painting baseboards and more. Super-sturdy; holds up to 400 lbs. Bucket Basket holds a 3-1/2 gal. Tubtrug or 5-gal. pail and carries up to 40 lbs.; perfect for tossing weeds or gathering the harvest. Handle extends for pulling, retracts & locks for support. Storage tray holds hand tools and supplies.

Best garden hose

Low energy garden irrigation is going to have to be a whole post in itself, because there are as many ways to water a garden as there are gardeners in the world. I will say that watering has turned out to be one of the biggest physical challenges to gardening for me. Since it often needs to be done daily, and cannot be timed around when I’m feeling best in the week, and winding/unwinding hoses is a special kind of torture to those of us with limited energy. Hoses are a low energy gardener’s number one enemy. I have two solutions to suggest:

Hoselink Retractable Garden Hose

The Retractable Garden Hose Reel is a wall-mounted unit featuring a high-quality spring-loaded hose that automatically rewinds on command. Its specially designed ‘stop-anywhere’ locking mechanism secures the hose at any length, eliminating excess hose to prevent kinks and tangles. To lengthen, simply walk the hose out further and stop wherever you want.

Olla Watering System

You can use ollas like these and never have to water your garden the hard way again, while reducing wasted water lost to evaporation by 60-70%.

Indoor gardening hacks

If starting a full outdoor garden is too much for you I have one last gardening tip to share: consider indoor gardening. There are so many options available now that will actually allow you to grow your own fruits and vegetables inside of your house. My favorite is the Smart Garden from Click&Grow - both stylish and functional tower garden options that bring nature to you. You can read more about my thoughts on the Click&Grow here!