Herbs are such versatile plants. From seasoning our food, helping our bodies to delicious teas. And then they are also such helpers in the gardens. They can repel unwanted insects, four legged critters, even some not so friendly insects.🪰 These versatile plants are a must have in our garden. We've been expanding each year on which ones we grow for helping to protect the garden and giving us some delicious flavors for our kitchen. What' your favorite herb to grow and why? ❤️

Plants aren’t just for the garden—they’re one of the easiest (and healthiest!) ways to decorate your home. Whether you have a tiny apartment, a sunroom full of light, or just a cozy corner, greenery can bring warmth, freshness, and personality to your space. 🌱 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬? * 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫r – Plants purify the air and create a calming environment. * 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫 – Adds color, texture, and vibrancy to any room. * 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐞 & 𝐀𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 – From statement floor plants to small shelf accents, greenery works everywhere. 🪴𝐒𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 * 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 – A tall fiddle-leaf fig or monstera in a decorative pot can anchor a room. * 𝐆𝐨 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 – Use wall planters or hanging baskets for trailing plants like pothos or ivy. * 𝐌𝐢𝐱 𝐒𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐬 & 𝐓𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 – Pair leafy ferns with structured succulents or flowering houseplants for contrast. * 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐒𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 – Small plants like succulents, snake plants, or peperomias add life to bookshelves or desks. * 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐖𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬s – Herbs like basil, rosemary, or mint thrive in sunny kitchens while being useful for cooking. 🌸 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐬 * Rotate plants with the seasons: flowering kalanchoes or orchids in spring, bright coleus in summer, and deep green evergreens for winter coziness. * Dress up containers with baskets, clay pots, or decorative covers to match your home’s vibe. 💡 𝐏𝐫𝐨 𝐓𝐢𝐩𝐬 * Cluster plants in groups of three or five for a styled look. * Use plant stands to add height and dimension. * Don’t be afraid to combine art and plants—a gallery wall looks amazing with greenery framing it. ✨ 𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑟 ℎ𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑙𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑖𝑡’𝑠 𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑠. 𝐷𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑖𝑠𝑛’𝑡 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑠𝑡𝑦𝑙𝑒—𝑖𝑡’𝑠 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎 𝑠𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑠 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑠ℎ, 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑑, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑙𝑦 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠.

For the past couple of months, I didn't obtain better growth with my cuttings when propagating them in water, until... ...I observed one of the gardeners' outstanding results in a WhatsApp group. Based on his results, he: 💡 Used LED lights in close proximity, 💦 Changed water, each day, and, 🌱 Incorporated clay balls after obtaining 3 to 4 inches of root growth on his cuttings. So, based on his practices, I made a few tweaks, though, but it did improve my outcomes, i.e., accelerated root growth in my cuttings. Placed my plants' cuttings where they could receive morning sunlight, 💧Change water each day, 🍶 Due to the limits of having brown bottles, used them to propagate my P. micans, and found them beneficial, 🫗 As roots were growing longer, lowered the water level further to expose some part of the root to obtain oxygen. So, after few weeks, planted most cuttings in soil and taking time to adjust. Now, feeling confident to grow more cuttings in future.

How will I know when this eggplant is ready to harvest? Apparently, I’m supposed to “wait until it’s fully mature,” but I’ve been hovering over it like a kid eyeing the last slice of cake at a birthday party. I’m trying not to grab it too soon out of pure excitement, but at this point, the eggplant’s probably stalling on purpose—just to see how long it can keep me guessing before I crack.

It's been around a week or two, since find better place for my outdoor plants to get more sunlight exposure. Within few days, some plants gets its leaves torn by some birds or animals. So, instead of panicking, have to calm and think of ways of how to prune them for maximal growth. P.S. How do you protect your plants from birds and animals?