Random acts of gardening: Garlic

As I was taking a friend's advice and preparing to sautée some beet greens with garlic and butter, I found this nice little surprise in the vegetable basket.

My heart leapt with joy as my mind immediately planned for which pot and location to plant this welcome surprise. I've never grown garlic before, so I'm glad for the opportunity. I am also very much anticipating a future harvest and propagation of garlic in my garden.

Garlic is good for the heart and helps maintain healthy blood circulation. Perhaps less known is garlic also enhances the immune system. When garlic cells are disturbed by cutting or bruising the clove, allicin is produced, which serves as an antibiotic and inhibits germ growth and reproduction.

It also tastes great! Garlic is like the bacon of vegetables. You can add it to any meal and your food will taste better, but unlike bacon, garlic helps the heart work better.

As part of the allium family, garlic will benefit from a high nitrogen diet, so this little guy will be getting plenty of coffee grounds to aide its growth.

If you want garlic of your own, the next time you buy garlic at the store, save a clove for your garden and experiment with growing it yourself.  

Happy harvesting! Cheers!

Perk Up Your Garden with Coffee Grounds

I recently wrote about how to reduce, reuse, and recycle in the garden, and this idea can be applied to your morning cup of joe, as well.

If you're like me, you probably brew a pot of coffee every day. Instead of throwing out the used grounds, spread them around your garden instead as a nutritious treat for your veggies.

Coffee grounds have high levels of nitrogen, which is a vital nutrient for plants. Specifically, nitrogen promotes leaf growth, so it is particularly useful for leafy greens, onions, and herbs.  I usually dump my used grounds into a bowl with a spoon and let Lily spread the grounds wherever she chooses. It helps to encourage independence and industry, and gets her outside more.

With Earth Day having just passed, and with Arbor Day and Screen-Free Week coming up, this is the perfect time to get yourself and your family out in the garden.  If you don't have a garden yet, then start one!

If you're not a coffee drinker, and you want to try using coffee grounds in your garden, just visit your nearest Starbucks and ask for their used coffee grounds. They give it away freely, and you will probably end up with more than you can use (so share the wealth with other gardeners you know).

Have fun gardening, and happy harvesting.

Cheers!