All Posts By:

Jeanette

Cut flowers/ Gardening

9 Self-Seeding “Annual” Flowers To Grow That You Will NEVER Have to Plant Again

My college biology professor used to repeat week after week: “the point of a _____ is to make more_____”, and would fill in the blank with whatever plant, insect or animal he was lecturing about that day.

Flowers in your garden are the same: they want to make more flowers and they don’t alway need your help!

Planting an “annual” seed usually means the plant will die by winter and you will have to replant it every year. But there are some plants that are such prolific seed producers that they will replant themselves for you. Here is a list of annual flowers that reseed come back every year on their own.

  • bachelors buttons
  • sweet peas
  • snapdragons
  • pincushion flower
  • violas
  • sunflower
  • calendula
  • larkspur
  • marigold

In order for these to come back each year you must allow them to “go to seed”. If you cut off all of the blossoms to use in bouquets or crafts, you will not get any new flowers the following year.

But I have found with each of these varieties, that even if I consistently harvest early in the season, by the time these flowers reach the end of their season they have been producing so many flowers that I could not keep up with all of them. And they have thrown plenty of seeds all over my garden just waiting for next spring.

Read on for my tips and favorite varieties of each.

Bachelors Buttons

Bachelors Buttons come in many colors, like this “Classic Magic” blend, and have a sort of shaggy, casual look to them.

However, as you can see by the tulips in the background, these flowers are in full production super early in the year before many seeds can even be sown outside. This makes bachelors buttons an invaluable filler in your cottage or cut-flower garden.

The most familiar or traditional color of bachelors buttons are blue. In fact if you ever find a light blue color in your crayon box called “cornflower” that is named after these flowers. Another common name for bachelors buttons is cornflower.

This variety I grew are called”Blue Boy”, or you can grow the “Classic Fantastic” mix if you want some variation in the blues. I grew these ones specifically to make this red white and blue bouquet for Independence Day last summer.

Sweet Peas

Sweet Peas have the most amazing scent you can not believe is natural. They are great climbers so you should plant them on a trellis or along a fence.

Just make sure you do not plant sweet peas near your vegetable garden, and make sure your family and children in particular know that these are not for eating. When the sweet peas are pollinated they grow into little pea pods that look just like edible garden peas, but are actually toxic.

Make sure no one eats them, but if you let them develop the pods will fall to the ground and come back the following year.

Snapdragons

Snapdragons are one flower I remember my mother growing in her yard. If you want to be able to use them in bouquets you should get seeds of a “tall” variety. Bouquets of snapdragons will fill a room with their spicy scent, so I do recommend getting a cutting variety.

Snapdragons are very hardy and can be a short-lived perennial if your winters are not too cold. Many of mine survived the winter. But I ended up with plenty of new snapdragon babies all over the garden as well.

Pincushion Flower

Pincushion flowers, also called scabiosa, are easy to grow from their funny-looking seeds.

The seeds are shaped like tiny shuttlecocks, and like a shuttlecock will catch the wind and blow around your garden, surprising you next year with where they show up.

I actually have a seedling that started growing in my potted Meyer lemon that is currently indoors for the winter!

Pincushion flowers are on delicate stems that let them “dance” in a bouquet in a really fun way.

Violas

Violas are a low ground cover type of flower. Plant them near the edges of your planting beds so they don’t get lost behind other taller plants.

Violas are sometimes called “Johnny Jump Up” because the flower will jump up above the plant on a little stem. Violas are edible– if you know they have not been sprayed with any chemicals– so I like to collect bowlfuls to sprinkle on salads or press on cookies.

The tiny plants seem so low to the ground, but that did not stop seeds from ending up in all kinds of crannies in my garden and popping up all throughly walkways.

Sunflowers

Bees love sunflowers. They pollinate away and if you leave the sunflowers after the petals drop the seeds plump up and attract all kinds of wildlife to your garden.

I love watching the sweet little goldfinches hop from sunflower to sunflower in my garden. This spreads seeds all around for next year.

Many sunflowers, like this Mammoth variety can grow way above your head. If you want sunflowers for bouquets you may like to try the shorter or branching varieties.

Many flower farmers grow the “Pro Cut” series that are also pollen-less to avoid making a mess inside your house. Unfortunately, the seeds they produce are not true to type, so you would need to replant more pollen-less seeds every year.

Calendula

Calendula Resina are cheerful orange flowers that have edible petals and can also be used medicinally in skincare products.

Some people use calendula in bouquets, but I’ve never really found my stems to be long enough to add to other cut flower bouquets.

Calendula come in a variety of types and colors, like this frilly large-headed “Kabloona”, and pink-undersided “Zeolights”. All of them easily self-seed all over the garden.

Larkspur

The tall spikes of Larkspur are a cutting garden must-have. I had a bit of a rough time starting these from seed, but they had no problem coming back on their own the following year. (Gardening can be like that sometimes!)

The ones speckled in pink are the aptly-named “splish splash” variety. This year I want to try some “shades of blue”.

Marigold

Marigolds are a vegetable garden staple for their scent–which is kind of unpleasant. This scent helps to deter pests from the vegetables.

Marigolds need to be dead-headed regularly to keep producing lots of new blossoms. That means removing the old-shriveled blossoms to allow energy to go to flower production instead of seed development.

Inevitably you will let some blossoms stay on the plant too long and they will develop seeds. I deadhead and drop the heads on the ground around the plant as a mulch. So I always end up with marigold babies around where the plants grew the year before.

Sometimes you can get some really interesting variations the following year if they cross-pollinated. These self-seeded marigolds grew with just a single layer of petals that I found to be just charming!

This is the list I’ve had success with. Do you have any other self-sowing flower favorites? Leave a comment below!

January 17, 2022
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Gardening/ Raised Garden

DIY Raised Garden Beds

A simple way to get started growing a garden is in a raised bed and it is not very hard to create that bed all yourself. Follow these easy step-by step instructions, or skip to the bottom for a video of the process and FAQs.

(If you aren’t sure if raised bed gardening is for you read my article about how to choose between in-ground or raised bed gardening.)

Steps to Create a Raised Garden Bed

  • Construct the garden box
  • Lay down grass or weed suppressor
  • Add soil
  • Add amendments
  • Plant bed
  • Surround with mulch if desired

How to Construct Easy Garden Boxes

I usually build my boxes 4 feet by 8 feet. The supplies needed to construct one box are:

  • 3– 2x10x8 untreated boards
  • 8– 3 inch deck screws
  • Power drill/driver

Cut one of the 8 foot boards in half to make two 4 foot boards. All of the big box home improvement stores (Lowes, Home Depot, Menards) will cut a board for free that you are buying from them.

Dry fit the boards together with two long boards making the sides and short boards on the ends.

To avoid splitting the wood you can pre-drill screw holes with a drill bit that is narrower than the deck screws.

Secure the boards at a 90 degree angle at each corner with two screws.

Setting Up a New Raised Bed Garden Area

You can set up a raised garden bed on any surface that provides drainage–including a grass lawn. Just lay a weed barrier where you want to set up the garden bed to prevent grass and weeds from growing up through the bed. I like to use cardboard, but you can also purchase specialty barrier cloth.

Remove all tape and staples from boxes, and only use matte, not glossy coated boxes. And only use blank boxes, or those with a minimal amount of black, not colored, printing.

Overlap the edges to prevent weeds from coming through.

Fill the bed with raised bed mix. You do not need to use a liner in raised beds, though using a liner can extend the life of wooden beds.

Home improvement stores will sell bags of raised bed mix. Or a local landscaping company or nursery may sell and even deliver bulk mix.

To figure out how much soil you need–can you remember geometry from high school? This is where it comes in handy:

A 4×8 bed is 32 square feet. And the sides are 10 inches high, but you don’t want the soil all the way to the top or it will get washed out by rain and watering. So just fill it 9 inches high which is .75 of a foot. So .75 feet times 32 feet squared is 24 feet cubed.

You will need 24 cubic feet of soil to fill one 4×8 bed 9 inches deep.

A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. If you are able to buy in bulk you could potentially save money by purchasing one cubic yard of soil to fill a 4x8x10 bed. You would just have a little bit extra you could just smooth out on the top, or fill in around your landscaping.

Homemade Raised Bed Mix

You can also make your own raised bed mixes. I have used both these mixes in the past.

DIY Topsoil Raised Bed Mix: use 1/3 each

  • topsoil
  • peat moss
  • sand

DIY Soil-less Raised Bed Mix: use 1/3 each

  • compost
  • peat moss
  • pearlite or vermiculite

I always add soil amendments when starting a new garden bed. I use both Bone Meal and Blood Meal according to the package instructions.

Each year you will need to add amendments, including compost, to your raised beds for good fertility.

The peat moss, sand, vermiculite and pearlite do not get “used up” and will not need to be replenished each year.

The fun part is planting your bed! The soil should be nice and loose which will make planting very easy. After getting rained on and watered a few times the soil will compact more.

A really nice way to finish out raised beds is to surround them with a pathway border of mulch or gravel over weed barrier.

This will help prevent weeds from getting into your beds by growing up under the edges from the outside. It is necessary in areas with crabgrass because of their aggressive runners. In areas without such troublesome weeds, leaving grass between the beds is an attractive option.

Watch the whole process of setting up two new garden beds in the video below.

FAQs

Should I use raised beds or garden in the ground?

Visit this post I wrote about how to decide between gardening in beds or in the ground.

Do garden beds have to be 4×8?

Garden beds do not have to be 4×8, it is simply a common size.

Most of my beds are 4×8, but I have a few 3×8 beds as well

What is the best size garden beds?

Garden beds should be no larger than 3-4 feet wide and 6-8 feet long. This is so that they are narrow enough that you can comfortably reach to the center without stepping on and compacting the soil in the bed. And this ensures they are not so long that you are tempted to cross the middle of the bed by stepping on and compressing the soil rather than walking around to get to the other side.

Do I have to pre-drill the wood?

Pre-drilling wood is not necessary, but makes it less likely that the wood will split when screwing together.

Can I put dirt in my raised garden beds or pots?

Plain “dirt” from you yard is generally not suitable for raised garden beds. Dirt in many parts of the country has too much clay and will be heavy and not allow water in the beds to drain well. Topsoil is mixed with peat moss and some sort of grit such as sand, pearlite or vermiculite to improve friability and drainage to be made suitable for raised beds.

Will animals get in my raised beds?

If you have groundhogs or moles you can staple a layer of hardware cloth inside the bottom of the bed before adding soil, this will prevent burrowing animals from coming up under your bed and eating your crops.

If you have rabbits you will probably need to make your raised beds taller to keep them out. You can stack two bed boxes on top of each other and secure with a 2×4 inside the corners.

Is using peat moss in the garden sustainable?

Though peat moss is only a slowly renewing resource many people choose to use it in gardening as part of a sustainable lifestyle. Peat moss is only required at the set-up of a garden and never needs to be “replenished” like you do with a yearly addition of compost or fertilizer. Home gardening and home composting for gardens have so many positive benefits for the planet that the one-time modest amount needed justifies its use.

(ie getting food from your backyard instead of letting it travel to you from a continent away, turning food waste back into useable fuel for garden growth rather than putting it in a plastic bag to pile up in a landfill, and others.)

January 11, 2022 (Last Updated: February 23, 2022)
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Handmade

Embroidered Lavender Sachets

A few years ago my mother-in-law decided to grow lavender on a large scale. It was a fun project for her for a number of years, and I ended up with so much dried lavender. I put it into soaps and scrubs and all sorts of things.

These sachets were fun to make and besides smelling great, are very useful

Why Use Lavender in Sachets?

The essential oils in lavender are known for being soothing and relaxing for most people, but they have a very different effect on insects.

Lavender acts as a repellant to moths and insects.

When you make sachets with dried lavender you can help deter the insects that will eat holes in your stored clothes, without using toxic, smelly mothballs.

Enclosing the lavender in a breathable natural fabric such as linen or muslin cotton will prevent any possible discoloration from direct contact of the lavender or oils with your clothes, but will still allow the fragrance to freely release.

Lavender sachets do not have to be used for long-term storage. They are also wonderful for releasing a faint scent in your drawers of socks and underthings.

How to Embroider and Sew Sachets

This project is perfect for dipping your toes into embroidery. You can easily practice a number of different stitches to gain experience before moving on to a larger project.

Even better is that even though these little sachets are beginner-friendly, they are highly valued and appreciated as sweet little handmade gifts.

I loved coming up with all the little embroidery designs.

Embroidery Supplies Needed to Get Started

  • embroidery hoop (4″ is sufficient, but you could go larger)
  • embroidery needle (one with a bigger “eye”)
  • embroidery floss in coordinating colors
  • sharp sewing scissors
  • unbleached muslin or linnen

Also, to make the sachets, you’ll need some loose dried lavender flowers.

Tips for construction

It is easier to embroider on a large piece of fabric, so do not cut out the sachets until after you are done embroidering.

You can mark out the sachet in pencil on the fabric. Mark out a rectangle in a 1 x 2 ratio. (These were roughly 2.5 x 5 inches.)

Embroider designs as desired in one half of the rectangle– leaving 1/2 inch space around the designs.

I tried to stick mostly with the purple and green color scheme since they are lavender sachets.  I embroidered on a recycled linen fabric that I think is really nice for it’s use as a sachet.

These designs were made using the basic embroidery stitches: backstitch, french knot, satin stitch, and a detached chain stitch.

Youtube is a great resource for watching beginner embroidery stitch tutorials.

Cut out the rectangles. Fold rectangle in half–like a taco–with the good side of the embroidery on the inside. Sew up both sides 1/4 inch from the edges.

Turn right-side out.

Fill with fragrant dried lavender.  Don’t overstuff or you won’t be able to sew it closed.

Tuck the raw edges of the top down inside 1/4 inch. Topstitch close to the edge to seal the pocket

Using Lavender Sachets to Protect Clothes

Always make sure the area you will be storing clothes is freshly vacuumed, and that your clothing is freshly laundered.

Place clothing into a garment bag or plastic tote. Place a lavender sachet on top of clothes inside container.

Lavender sachets will need to be replaced when you do your seasonal swap every six months. Or you can refresh the scent of your dried lavender with a few drops of essential oil.

January 5, 2022 (Last Updated: February 28, 2022)
2
Condiments/ Recipes

Tips For Thick Homemade Mayonnaise

The emulsion needed to make a thick spreadable homemade mayonnaise is about as close to witchcraft as cooking gets.

An emulsion is created when the oil droplets are suspended completely evenly through the mixture. But since we all know that oil and water “don’t mix” this is a challenging task.

Thick homemade mayonnaise is made by properly emulsifying the oil called for in the recipe with the remaining ingredients. For guaranteed success follow these three tips:

  • Begin by slowly adding oil with a dropper
  • Add additional oil to make consistency thicker
  • Re-emulsiphy a failed batch by starting with a fresh egg

These three tips will guarantee you don’t spend another moment wondering if you should have waited until the next full moon to try making homemade mayonnaise again.

Begin by Slowly Adding Oil With a Dropper

The first bit of the oil is the most crucial when mixing an emulsion. If you dump the oil all at once, or even a few glugs of it before you start mixing, you run a high chance of a failed batch where the oil never mixes in no matter how long you blend it.

I like to use a dropper to start slowly dripping the oil in as I mix because we basically have to slowly sneak it in when “no one” is looking!

The mustard and egg yolk both help with the suspension and once the emulsion process gets going (after adding about a quarter of the oil) we can speed up how quickly we are adding in the oil.

Mixing quickly helps as well. I like to use an immersion blender. But you could use a full-size blender, or just a whisk if you want a really good workout.

Add additional Oil to Make Consistency Thicker

I like how this recipe turns out. But if you try a different recipe and you do succeed in creating an emulsion (with no oil separating out)but the mayonnaise is still not as thick and spreadable as you would like, just continue adding more oil.

It seems counter-intuitive that adding more of a liquid oil would thicken the consistency of something, but that’s how this type of emulsion works.

Pour oil in a thin, steady stream while mixing until it looks thick enough for your tastes.

Mayonnaise Recipe

Re-emulsify a Failed Batch by Starting With a Fresh Egg

All is not lost if your mayo doesn’t work out your first try. If you tried to make a batch without understanding how crucial the slow start is–or if you tried to go slow but still ended up with major oil separation–don’t despair!

Start over with a fresh egg, start mixing, and just drip the failed batch in one drop at a time (as if it were just the oil) to get it to emulsify.

I wish we would have know that was possible the first time we tried (and failed) making homemade mayonnaise!

I hope these tips are helpful. Let me know if it works for you, or if you have any other helpful mayo hacks!

Print Recipe

Mayonnaise

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Condiments
By Jeanette – Serves: 9
Prep Time: 10 min Total Time: 10 min

Basic recipe for the classic mayonnaise flavor

Ingredients

  • 1 egg*
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp mustard powder
  • 1/8 tsp sugar
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 Tbl white wine vinegar
  • 1 C salad oil**

Instructions

1

In a pint glass jar or narrow bowl use an immersion blender or a whisk to mix together egg and dry ingredients. Combine lemon juice and vinegar in a separate bowl. Mix half into the egg mixture. Start blender, then begin adding the oil a few drops at a time while mixing until the liquid seems to thicken and lighten a bit, (once you have added about 1/4 cup of the oil). Add more oil in a thin stream. Once half the oil is in, add the remaining lemon juice mixture.

2

Continue whisking until all of the oil is incorporated or the mayonnaise is your desired consistency. Refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Notes

*Consumption of raw or undercooked eggs, shellfish and meat may increase the risk of foodborne illness. **Extra virgin olive oil is too strong for this recipe. I sometimes use half pure (light-colored) olive oil mixed in with another kind. But feel free to experiment.

January 4, 2022
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