I used to party, now I plant.  I thought I would merge the two this past weekend and create a “planting party”!!!  During the past few months my family and I were hit HARD by the flu, cold and general sick-i-ness and are FINALLY feeling like our old selves (knock on wood/knock on wood) Trust me, being confined in the house with two sick kids, make it three (my husband is waaayyyy worse than two whiny kids when sick) is the kind of torture the toughest person could not endure.  During my time in torture isolation I began reading up on food.  How it is farmed, raised, GMO seeds etc…. the more education I got the less I wanted to know, which is completely twisted because WE ALL HAVE TO EAT!!  Finally I got up the courage and gumption then announced that we would be starting our own garden.  Yep that’s right planting green things in the dirt!  To my surprise the hubby and the kiddos were totally on board, in fact down right excited!!!  But here’s the thing…it is near impossible to find starter plants that are GUARANTEED organic from non GMO seeds.  After no less than 3 to 4 stops at nurseries and big box hardware stores the local farmers market (DUH!!) had a beautiful selection of starter plants.  Ok folks here is a super cool trick I learned from my farmer friend at the market–

(I explained that while looking to purchase plants, all we could find were healthy looking plants that had no smell and were sprayed/GMO seeds. Most organic plants actually have a strong lovely plant smell)

Simply rub the leaves of the plant and smell your fingers or simply smell the plant itself.  There should be an actual (GASP) plant smell!!  The GMO and sprayed varieties have little to no smell!!!! So simple right?! ( Be sure to check for certified organic labels on any plants that you buy)

I am so proud and happy to have spent some quality family time doing something that will better our minds, bodies and our planet. Planting in gin barrels or wood troughs are also very pretty and add a peaceful feeling to your yard, while taking up little space. Please view our photos and share any ideas, thoughts or suggestions with us!

I cant wait to blog a recipe using our herbs, fruits and veggies!!

Oh yeah….I’m so glad to be back blogging!  Thanks for hanging in  :)

We purchased a gin barrel that actually held wine! mmmmmm the smell
Before planting, flip it over and drill holes for water drainage.

Next, fill the barrel with mommy…..I mean dirt:)

If you want to keep the garden organic be sure to purchase organic mulch…..

After filling the barrel to nearly the brim, it’s time to plant!!!

We wanted the kids to have a say in what they wanted to plant, since they would help take care of the garden and eventually eat the fruits of our labor. We started with green onion, basil, mint, cucumber, cilantro, tomato and strawberries. YUMMMM

YAY! What a beautiful family day and garden….

Cant wait to eat, will keep you posted as to how things are going…..HAPPY PLANTING PARTY!!