Egg Carton Garden

I went to a Relief Society Meeting. We learned about gardening. Whenever I go to a gardening class I always realize how much I don't know about growing stuff. Stuff can be hard to grow sometimes depending on your soil ph and composition! I learned I need to put some sand in my soil as we live in a clay rich area. I can do that. I also learned about sprouting seeds. Prior to last year, when it was time to plant my garden I would go to a nursery and pay $1.50 for a single already-growing plant. When I lived in an apartment and had a tiny garden, that didn't cost a whole lot but now that I have a fair sized garden, it costs a lot more. Last year I tried seeds, with decent success, but I like total success if I can get it, so this year I am sprouting.

I bought a big bag of potting soil and put some in a bucket. We added water...

and then mixed it all up with our bare hands (cuz we're not sissies).

We then dug up handfuls and filled four egg cartons. Yes, I said egg cartons and no, I haven't lost my mind. The egg cartons are made up of 100% recycled material and are totally biodegradable. When the plants are ready to go into the dirt, just separate the individual egg containers and put the whole thing in the ground. Since plants don't really love to be transplanted, this eases their pain.

After our cartons were full of dirt, I poked 72 holes and the kids planted 72 seeds.Grant really liked planting the seeds. I may have a little gardener in him!

We planted corn, beans, peas, spinach, zucchini, crook-neck squash, 3 kinds of tomatoes, watermelon, "spooky" pumpkins, peppers, cilantro, rosemary, mint, basil, lemon basil, Italian parsley, thyme, oregano and our new experiment for the garden - cucumber. After placing each seed in it's designated spot Grace exclaimed, "They are all in their homes!" I agreed and said that we should put them to bed, so we carefully smoothed dirt over them and brought the cartons into the house. Here they will stay until they have grown up enough to get kicked out into the wide world where, hopefully, they will become big and strong and bear fruit (if we're talking tomatoes) or veggies, whichever the case may be. God bless our garden!

P.S. - The peach tree that I planted with much prayer and sweat and back-breaking shoveling is starting to blossom! Yippee!!














My cute tree is still so small and skinny it put me in mind of Moses and Aaron and Aaron's stick which blossomed and bloomed. No idea what I'm talking about? See Numbers 17: 1-8. ;)