5 Reasons to Grow Sunflowers

Why grow sunflowers? There are many benefits to growing these beautiful blooms including their cut flowers and free edible seeds. They also attract pest-patrolling birds and bees to improve your harvest, and even help detox contaminated soil. These flowers are not just pretty faces!

The botanical name for sunflowers is ‘Helianthus’ – ‘Helia’ meaning sun and ‘Anthus’ for flower. Sunflowers are called ‘tournesol’ in French (meaning ‘turns with the sun’). Curious to learn how to use these cheerful flowers to advantage in your garden? Read on…

5 Reasons to Grow Sunflowers

1. Feed your Pollinators

The showy large outer petals help attract many species of bees to your sunflowers including honey bees and bumble bees. The centre of the sunflower houses hundreds and thousands of tiny individual florets that contain nectar and pollen, a food source for bees.

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Anne Gibson2019-02-02T11:55:20+10:00Categories: Colour & Fragrance, How to Grow|Tags: Bees & Pollination, Contaminated Soil, Flowers, pollinators, Safe seeds, seeds & seed saving, Sunflowers|3 Comments

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Raising Seeds

Have you tried raising seeds but they failed to germinate successfully? It may be due to one of these five common causes.

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Raising Seeds

Raising Seeds: 5 Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Choosing Unsafe Food Seeds

Did you know the majority of seeds (non-certified organic and some heirloom and open-pollinated brands) are sprayed with fungicides? This chemical process is used to stop rodents and insects from eating the seeds during storage. GMO (genetically modified) seeds are also creeping into our food system. Read the packets carefully when buying your seeds. Look for wording like “Certified Organic” and “Non-GMO”.

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Anne Gibson2021-06-19T17:21:10+10:00Categories: Garden Maintenance, Planning & Design, How to Grow, Problem Solving, Tips & Tricks|Tags: Moon gardening, Potting Mix, Problem Solving, Safe seeds, Seed raising mix, seeds & seed saving|9 Comments

Seed Starting Guide: Quick Tips for Starting Seeds Successfully

Do you struggle to raise seeds successfully? Are you a beginner gardener? Then follow this tutorial on how to be a successful plant ‘parent’. Avoid the most common mistakes when starting seeds.

As a parent, there’s no greater joy than sharing the journey of nurturing a baby from infancy into a healthy young adult. But I confess – I’ve been a bad ‘parent’ many times … Before I learned how to raise my plant ‘babies’ successfully, they starved, drowned, died of thirst or neglect, too much love – or too little! If this sounds like you, then read on for my best tips.

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Anne Gibson2022-06-14T12:06:15+10:00Categories: Grow Your Own Food, How to Grow|Tags: Container gardening, Getting started, grow your own food, how to grow, Safe seeds, Seed germination, Seed raising mix, seedlings, seeds & seed saving|12 Comments

Easy Guide to Growing Microgreens

Second only to sprouts, microgreens are the quickest food crop we urban gardeners can grow! If you have limited time, space or gardening skills let me introduce you to growing microgreens. You can learn how to grow microgreens – tasty, nutrient-dense ‘fast food’ – in just a few easy steps.

What are Microgreens?

With sprouts, you eat the fully germinated seed. I think of sprouts as the ‘babies’ of the plant world. A seed that bursts open with the first root and shoot(s). Whereas sprouts are seeds that germinate by being soaked and rinsed in water, microgreens are grown in seed raising media. Their roots have direct contact with a growing medium and they photosynthesize with the aid of grow lights or sunlight after germination, producing chlorophyll.

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Anne Gibson2023-02-01T06:23:52+10:00Categories: Gardens & Projects for Kids, Grow Your Own Food, Herb Gardens, How to Grow, Indoor Gardens, Recipes, Vegetables & Herbs|Tags: grow your own food, how to grow, Micro gardening, microgreens, Safe seeds, Seed germination, Seed raising mix, seedlings, sprouts|56 Comments

Growing Your Own Food from Seed

Do you grow your garden by planting seedlings and potted mature plants or by sowing seeds? There are times when it makes sense to some of each. Seedlings and larger plants can save you time, but there are many advantages to sowing seeds too.

As a seed saver, I’d like to share some important reasons why we should all grow at least some of our homegrown food from seed.

5 Reasons Why You Should Grow Your Food From Seed

1. Save money!

Seeds represent great value for money so investing in even one seed packet will reap huge rewards if you choose the right kind of seeds. However, if you learn how to save your own seed you won’t need to continue to buy it.

On a tight budget? Most seed packets have more seeds than you need. If you swap seeds with others you can grow your garden for very low cost. (more…)

Anne Gibson2020-07-19T10:54:50+10:00Categories: Grow Your Own Food|Tags: grow your own food, Safe seeds, Save money, seeds & seed saving, vegetable & herb gardens|5 Comments

5 Reasons to Grow Sunflowers

5 Reasons to Grow Sunflowers

1. Feed your Pollinators

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Raising Seeds

Raising Seeds: 5 Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Choosing Unsafe Food Seeds

Seed Starting Guide: Quick Tips for Starting Seeds Successfully

Easy Guide to Growing Microgreens

What are Microgreens?

Growing Your Own Food from Seed

5 Reasons Why You Should Grow Your Food From Seed

1. Save money!

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