Fingerprint Fava Beans

Fingerprint Fava Beans are my latest adventure.  I purchased the seeds from therarevegtableseedconsortium.com   This my second time growing Fingerprint Fava, the last time I grew them the cold killed them right after they flowered. I didn't get the opportunity to enjoy as many beans as I would have liked to.  I am not impressed by the flavor of flava beans, a matter of fact I prefer lima beans.  But, the look of them is amazing.  They look like they are made of wood.  They all have their own perfect design.

As I stated before this is my second time growing them so I know the pro's and con's.  The con is that they must be extremely sweet because slugs, rollie pollies and other bugs love to eat them as soon as they sprout.  With the destruction of the seed in most cases the plant does not flourish.  So as a precaution, I decided to sprout the seed before placing them in the dirt.

I simply place them in a napkin, wet the napkin and placed them in a 

plastic bag until they sprouted.  Five out of five of the beans had roots in a week in a half.  So I placed them in the dirt and they are growing in my grow room inside of my house.  I had to make sure I started early so I could enjoy the plant throughout summer and spring.    Check out the video below of my grow room.   Please subscribe to my youtube channel and feel free to comment as well.

Lauritzen Botanical Gardens

There isn't a place more peaceful than the botanical gardens.  I've visited the Botanical Gardens of Atlanta, Dallas and the Lauritzen Botanical Gardens which is located in Omaha.  The Lauritzen is a tranquil place that has a ton of rare species of plants. This garden did not limit itself to just plants.  It also has a beautiful train track that runs through it.

The theme of trains are quite dominant throughout this botanical garden due to Omaha history with the railroad system.  There is also other themes such as the rose garden, children's garden and others.  My family has visited a few times and we really enjoyed it.

If you live in the Omaha or Area I suggest getting a membership and visiting frequently it is worth it. The Lauritzen Garden is located at : 100 Bancroft St, Omaha, NE 68108

The Sunflower Challenge

Sunflowers are a relatively easy plant to grow.  They usually take about
7 to 10 days to germinate from seed and  80 to 120 days to bloom.  The blooms usually stay last a long time and when they cease to bloom they are great for birds and squirrels to munch on.  I took a sunflower challenge with a few youtube friends and displayed beautiful flowers.  The fun thing about the challenge is that there are so many variety of sunflowers and different sizes. So you can decide to    grow sunflowers that have the traditional look, fuzzy flowers like teddy bear or sunflowers with a variety of colors.  I decided to purchase a mix of sunflowers so I could enter the best looking one in the contest.  But, this summer I want to grow something really tall so I might grow mammoth sunflower.

Garden Chatter

Although, gardening outdoors is seasonal there are things that can be done during the winter.  I usually purchase and research what seeds I am going to add to my garden. This is helpful since seeds are on sale and you can find great deals online.  You also can find pots cheaper during the fall and winter.  I also had to bring my plants indoor so I have been experimenting with grow lights.  Check out the video below of some of the seeds that I purchased.  

Strawberries are essental for the home garden

Strawberries are a absolute necessity for the garden, especially if you have children.  Nothing brings me more joy than watching my children eating June baring strawberries straight from our own garden.  The most rewarding thing about strawberries is how they reproduce quickly and in more than one way.  They throw out runners that create more strawberry plants  you can enjoy even more the next year.  The seeds also can plant themselves and spread. You can start with a few strawberries and essentially end up with a large strawberry patch.  It beats paying $3.50 at the grocery store a few times a month and it is a healthy lifestyle in general.  We just aren't eating as many fruit as we used to .  Check out the youtube video below of my garden.  I encourage you to grow your own strawberries, whether you plant them in the grow or in pots.  

Gardens and Grasshopper

Today's children don't get out enough and enjoy the sun.  It seems they are less in tune with nature and have compensated outdoor playtime with indoor video games.  I made it a priority to makes sure my son goes outside when the sun is out.  This way he is able to get in touch with nature and explore his environment.  During my sons playtime he discovered a variety of species of grasshoppers and how they have different looks, behaviors and abilities.  Check out the video below where he rants about different grasshoppers and tours the garden.