Love a good FB bargain. All these for a bottle of wine (about £7/$10). For size comparison the barrel in the back is half whisky barrel! Great for me and my small garden 😁 now what will I fill them with lol 😆

I was out pruning my tomatoes the other day and wanted to share the why & how I do this to reduce disease pressure on my plants. When pruning, I remove leaves that are touching the soil or hanging low enough to get hit by soil splashing up from the rain. (6–12 inches up) 𝘉𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 & 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 Why do I do this? 𝗦𝗼𝗶𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘀 Diseases like Early Blight and Bacterial Leaf Spot actually live in the soil; if the leaves of your plant are frequently in contact with the soil, the chances of them getting a disease increase. 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄 Pruning lower leaves opens up airflow at the base of the plant. Giving mold, mildew, and bacteria far less opportunity to take hold. ⚠️ 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆. 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲. 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁. When you make a cut, you're creating an open wound. If your shears just touched a diseased leaf on the plant next to it, you're delivering disease directly into a fresh cut. My go-to method for sanitizing: spritz your sheers with 70% isopropyl alcohol using a spray bottle between each plant. Bonus tip: Try to prune when leaves are dry. Wet conditions make it even easier for disease to spread. 🍅 So, did you know this? Do you do this? P.S. Want more info on tomato pruning? We covered the why & how of when to prune (and when NOT to prune) in last week's workshop! Find the recording & recap notes here: #Pruning Tomatoes + May 22nd, 2026 Q&A

Welcome to my small backyard garden—my peaceful place to grow, learn, and connect with the earth. 🌱What started as a simple idea has become a thriving space filled with raised beds, fresh vegetables, herbs, and rows of planted crops growing directly from the soil. I’m learning to cultivate food with intention, from leafy greens and herbs to squash and other seasonal vegetables. Every bed represents patience, faith, and the joy of nurturing something from seed to harvest. My garden is not just about growing food—it’s about creating sustainability, wellness, and a deeper appreciation for the process. I’m excited to share my gardening journey, what I’m learning along the way, and hopefully inspire others to start growing something of their own—no matter how small the space. 🌿✨

I don’t know about you guys, but things are happening around here! Every day there is something new to marvel at in my garden, and the joy is unmatched y’all. A few wins/thoughts: - it’s my 3rd year gardening and for the first time, everything I direct seeded or transplanted is growing!! (We won’t talk about the seeds that failed to germinate indoors - I’m looking at you lavender and cayenne peppers) - My first time planting flowers as companion plants and wow! Loving the results! The added color just makes me happy. Although I probably should have done some research on how big calendula and alyssum gets cause mine are OUTTA CONTROL 😂 - Zucchini is growing vertical this year! So far so good. Looking forward to seeing if it helps with the powdery mildew situation. - Interestingly enough, the arugula I transplanted immediately bolted. But the seeds I direct sowed well after the transplants are actually giving me a harvest. Things that make you go “hmmm.” - I want 45 more garden beds. Please and thanks. - Only downside to being outside so much more is I’m constantly covered in bug bites. Ordering cortisone by the gallon these days. It’s worth it.

Has anyone ever grown potatoes in straw?