Garden Update: Zucchinis and Marigolds

I love gardening- that still surprises me to say it, but it is just so rewarding. You probably already know that though since I now have 3 gardens this year! So far everything is going well: It is just growing, growing, and growing!

We have picked quite a few strawberries, as well as added fresh basil and cilantro to several dishes.

My favorite so far though is the zucchini , which is just such a fun plant to watch grow. Every day there seems to be some new surprise. A few zucchinis are now growing (deep within the plant). Check out how tiny it was when we first planted it 5 weeks ago:

Since my last update, I planted oregano, mint, and a pickling cucumber (yes, I gave into the cucumber!). I’m just hoping that the bugs don’t get back again this year with the cucumber- but a few readers gave some great recommendations on natural non toxic pesticides (thank you!) that I plan to try to help relieve any buggy-issues.

Some of the tips that readers gave including using chemical free dishwashing soap mixed with water (in a spray bottle), using broken eggshells or hot sauce. Another tip that I used last year (and forgot until after the last post) is to plant marigolds in your garden.

There is a bit of a debate as to how helpful marigolds are, but many gardeners argue that marigolds naturally repel many insects, which makes it a perfect natural pest control. Although I did read that they like slugs and snails, so be careful if those are common pests in your garden. In my experience, after planting our marigolds, we had less little critters, so I’m keeping them.

Now it’s your turn, how is your garden going? Have you planted anything new? What are you picking?

And don’t miss all the fun Summer FREEBIES & Discounts available for your kids!

Tagged as: Gardening