Gardening

[Editor's Note: Author, blogger and new Austinite Georgia Pellegrini is a true Jill or all trades. She hunts, cooks and apparently also dabbles in woodworking and gardening. When Georgia spotted some planters she was smitten on at one of her favorite restaurants she immediately thought to herself: “I could make that”. And make that she did. Check out her full tutorial on building your own chic patio planter. - Jen]  Read more

[Editor's Note: Dee over at Start Dreaming has several informative posts on starting seeds indoors. This is not her first time at the veggie garden rodeo so she shares with her readers everything she has learned along the way. This home schooling mom is not only starting seeds for food, but also for educational purposes. - Jen]  Read more

[Editor's Note: Lemon Balm is a lovely, but sneaky plant. Don’t let the pretty name and various culinary and medicinal perks fool you. Lemon Balm, much like it’s close relative mint, is quite invasive. Amy from She Wears Many Hats learned the hard way about where you should plant lemon balm. Hint – not near anything you don’t want crowded out. - Jen]  Read more

[Editor's Note: Thank you ecoKaren for bringing Smart Gardener to my attention. Smart Gardener is an online tool that gardeners of all skill levels will appreciate. Easily figure things out like when to plant what seeds as well as when you will be able to harvest just by entering your zip code. This great post highlights several of the different services Smart Gardener has to offer. ecoKaren also interviewed Smart Gardener founder Kristee Rosendahl so be sure to click through and read the interview. - Jen]  Read more

[Editor's Note: When planning this year’s herb garden not only consider what might season your food nicely, also consider what might replace things in your medicine cabinet. Stinging nettle, chamomile, elder flower and blackberry leaf all have medicinal purposes. You can grow these herbs all spring and summer long to help with ailments such as stomach upset and anxiety. When summer ends you can dry them for use throughout the winter. - Jen]  Read more

[I have done a lot of work to my own house and yard, and I've watched a lot of my friends do their own work and contract out work. I can tell you that doing it yourself -- while hard -- will save you ridiculous amounts of money. I love the fact that Suzanne also reused a ton of materials and plants from other projects -- check out her gorgeous photos and learn how she did it. -Rita]  Read more