How to Grow an Avocado Plant from Seed

My dad has an amazing avocado tree.
The avocados produced from the tree are the best tasting avocados I've ever had
and I'm not saying this because he is my dad, I've had friends try it without them knowing where I
got the avocados from and they absolutely love it.  His tree produces the large kind,
not the small black avocados used for guacamole, although you can grow those as well.

I am now inspired to grow my own.

Treasures lie in the kitchen when you want to grow your own fruits or vegetables.

The potential for exotic houseplants, fruit and vegetable gardens are contained in the seeds, 

pits and other seemingly useless parts of exotic edibles.

The next time you find yourself eating an avocado, keep the pit.

Instead of tossing it, consider growing the plant yourself. It is easy

and entertaining to raise from seed.

Source: Beautiful Gradens Made Easy

The Avocado plant is fun to grow, all you need is the pit from a very ripe fruit.

Do not cut the seed and do not peel it either.

Support the seed with three to four toothpicks half way up around the pit, 

with the tip exposed to the light, in a glass of water and the

bottom of the seed in the water at all times.  

If the water evaporates, make sure to add more water.

Change the water every two weeks as needed.

Be patient.

The seed may crack giving way to roots and stem growth on the top.

You will notice that the bottom of the seed will begin to sprout roots after a few weeks. 

After two or three leaves form, transplant it to a good potting mix in a container.

Pinch out the tip to encourage a bushy plant with numerous branches.

Give it full sun and warmth and watch it grow.

Isn't that simple?
What are you planning to grow this year?

I Spy in the Garden

I spy with my little eyes fruits, vegetables, flowers and many butterflies!

This is the first year that I have grown raspberries.  My son and I love it!  They are so tasty and rich in flavor. I also couldn't believe how fast it grows and how quickly it sprouts, it's amazing how the fruits and vegetables vary in growth.  

The peppers are growing at a slow rate this year, I'm not sure why, perhaps it's the heat, the soil, the bugs? 

Now this little tree had been fruitful this year and for that I'm so grateful.  I love key limes!

This summer has been brutal.  Many of the plants, grass and flowers this year have been burned by the sun, no matter how much I water them, they still get dried out. Nothing beats a good rain fall.  Rain is so good for the plants, so I can't wait for the storm to arrive and bring on some rain, we need it!

We have loads of these gorgeous butterflies, the Eastern Tiger Swallowtails and we just love them!

The garden comes alive with the beautiful butterflies.  I don't see one, nor two, but many all at the same time.  It is magical and beautiful.  Can you tell I'm a city girl?  I can't get enough of these beautiful creatures.

 I spy three butterflies, can you?  These are called Gulf Fritillary.

 Aren't they amazing?

During this time of year you will also see Monarch Caterpillars around your plants.  If you have Monarch Caterpillars in your area, now it's the time to head outdoors and check them out.  I shot a few pictures of a caterpillar and will post them later on.

Enjoy!

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How to Grow Sunflowers

One of the many flowers that we are growing in our garden this year is the sunflower.  

This flower is easy to plant and it does well on it's own, so there is very little

 maintenance.  My son has taken the pleasure of planting his own sunflowers 

around a couple of flower beds and he is a proud little gardener as he watches 

them grow.

If you want to grow your own sunflowers, here is what you need to do:

Buy a packet of sunflower seeds from your local garden store.

Sunflower seeds are best sown outdoors directly into the garden. 

For individual planting, put the seedling or seeds in just about any sunny location.  

Make sure they are visible from your deck, porch and windows; 

you will want a good view for these lovely flowers.

Whether you plant directly outdoors or transplant them, 

make the final spacing as follows:

• Giants: Space three feet apart in rows three to four feet apart.
• Regular/Intermediate sizes: Space two feet apart in rows three feet apart.
• Miniatures: Space one foot apart in rows three feet apart.
  
  Poke your finger into the soil making a small hole in the
  ground and plant one seed then cover with soil.
   After planting, cover them with a screen,
  as the birds and animals love to dig the seeds out.
  You can also start them in a seedbed and transfer them when they are small.
  
  Sunflower plants grow well in average to rich soils. They need to grow their roots deep and wide, to enable them to withstand strong winds. If you have a choice, sandy soils are not recommended, as they are easily uprooted in loose soil. Rich soil is important when growing giant varieties.
  
  You can protect the sunflowers against birds and squirrels by covering the entire flower with an old nylon stocking, a cheese cloth bag or any other covering that allows light and especially air to flow through.  Do not use plastic bags, it will rot your plant.
  
  These lovelies have grown pretty fast in our yard.
  Do you know that sunflowers face the direction of the rising sun?   
  These flowers will make your yard look beautiful and you may also
  use them to adorn your home with cuttings.
  
  
  
  
  Hope that you enjoy growing your own sunflowers this summer.
  What flowers are you growing in your garden this year?
  
  Linked to:
  
  Savvy Southern Style #83

Flowers & Travel

The flowers are growing and blooming and looking rather pretty.  I just wanted to 

share a couple of photos from my growing garden, I hope that you don't mind.

We are preparing for our travels and are taking care of the needs of our plants 

before we go.  

Always prepare when traveling to make sure that your plants will be taken care of.  

You may want to have someone water them for you or check that the sprinkler system 

is working properly, check that the misters are functioning around the flower beds, 

and that all the timers are set for watering.

For potted plants that you have indoors, you may want to take them out 

with the others or have a friend take care of them, it all depends on how long you 

will be gone. I hope that you enjoy the lovely blooms above from my growing 

garden and enjoy your travels.

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A Day Gardening

Oh look!  I got my camera back, yay! 

I spy with my little eyes a turtle in the sky.

Whoopee! My roses are back! I love them and their fragrances are divine.

Today was gorgeous, the sky was clear, a gentle breeze cooled our faces and the sun was radiant.  A perfect day for gardening.

 I removed weeds around the beds, and I have more to pull out, they are so stubborn.

  I planted more flowers, peppers and tea roses.  I mixed organic matter in the soil and layered the top portion with garden soil hoping it will strengthen the root system of these new plants. 

 As I pulled weeds, my little garden helper, re-planted them in small plastic containers.  He was so proud of his handy work.

With so much work in the garden, it was making us quite warm.

 My little guy took his warm clothes off and came out to the yard in his swim trunks.  We splashed a bit while the plants were getting watered and enjoyed every moment.

Are you planting anything this spring?  

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Spring is Coming!

I opened the door and felt the glorious rays of the sun on my skin, I took several steps forward outside and felt the warm breeze hit my face and heard the beautiful song of all the birds among the trees...

I looked to my left and noticed our little tree blooming, such beautiful buds and little blooms on all the branches...

...new life!  

Spring is around the corner and I want to plant and work on the yard.  I'm excited to start growing my fruits, vegetables and fragrant flowers again this year.  The weather is so unpredictable, that I have to wait until I know for sure there will be no frost.  Patience is virtue!  So I'll wait and admire the trees and other colorful blooms and when time permits, I can start my garden. 

Do you have plans to grow anything in the Spring?

How to Germinate Apple Seeds

People have asked me how I germinated my apple seeds, on today's post I will explain how.  

For me, the following method has worked wonderfully. 

 First, take the seeds of an apple(s) and  place your seeds in a damp paper towel (not soaked), fold the paper towel covering your seeds.  Place your damp paper towel in a plastic zip lock bag.  

Place your plastic bag in the refrigerator; the best place would be the little cubicle on the side of the door of the fridge.  It will take a couple of weeks before you start to see the seed(s) sprout.  After your seeds have sprouted, they will look like this, perhaps smaller, I left them in longer.

When they have sprouted like the above, plant them in soil.  For the first days after planting, water just a little every day (one or two teaspoons).  After that, wait for the soil to dry completely before watering again.  The first leaves to appear are called cotyledons, they are similar to the shape of the seed and will eventually fall off.  

Keep the plant away from heat; temperatures that are too high may hurt the young tree.

This is after a month.

(this picture provided by RBERENGUEL)

This is after five to six months.

There you have it!

If you have questions please contact me.

Enjoy and Happy Planting.  

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Sweet Red Peppers

Do you remember a few weeks ago I mentioned  The Garden...  The beautiful red bell peppers you see here are those you saw on my post from my bell pepper plant.  I am thrilled!  You see, these are my first peppers ever, grown by me, so I'm quite giddy about them.  

I love red bell peppers for their sweet flavor and their excellent source of vitamin A and vitamin C.  These sweet peppers are delicious raw, roasted, baked, stuffed, in salads, side dishes and more.  

  

 Did you know that the red bell pepper is also a great source for home remedies for ailments such as Tonsilitis, High Cholesterol, Endometrial Cancer, Cataract, Asthma and many others?  Check out the information on these lovelies.  I have asthma, so I'm going to give it a try.

The Garden

I have a container garden.  I chose containers due to the heavy rain we get during the summer 

months in the South.  Last year the rain ruined all my plants, so this year I took a different 

approach to gardening.  These are just some of the fruits, veggies and other plants that I am growing.

I love my peppers and my key limes!

The first tomato

Growing...

Love it!

I can't wait to sink my teeth into this juicy plump tomato.

My little boy planted Sunflower Teddy Bear seeds this year and it's his absolute his favorite.

The lavender.  Got the seeds from my favorite place, Etsy!

What are you growing in your garden??