Our garden update August 07, 2015 + Sponsored Video

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(Disclaimer: This post contains a sponsored video. Every time one of our lovely readers watches our sponsored videos, we get paid a small commission that contributes to the maintenance of this blog, so that we can keep on sharing photos of our garden and lifestyle, reviews of products we believe in, and future giveaways. While the video is sponsored, the rest of the content is our own honest opinion. All rights to the content of this site, for exception of sponsored graphics, or content, belongs to The happy reviewers blog.) 


As the first week of August is over, we have found the good, the bad, and the ugly in our small organically grown edible garden.

We found out that our "100 sweet" cherry tomatoes are in fact grape tomatoes. How did that happen? No idea, but it's okay, since they are as delicious as the ones we thought we were growing. That is one thing that you never really know with seeds. Between getting the right ones, and them not being cross pollinated by other strains of tomatoes, anything can happen. I do have to confess that no matter what tomatoes, it is always very gratifying to see your crops grow, harvest them, and enjoy them at the end.


Though we have been having cucumbers growing in our balcony, considering that we had more sun up there than in the front yard at the beginning of the summer, we adventured to start growing some in the front yard once the trees were cut down. It is amazing how a little bit of extra sun can create so much of the good stuff, and by that I mean, loads of goodies to eat with our salads!


Our intentions were to save some seeds from our beautiful gypsy peppers. However, we just realized that the peppers that may grow from those seeds may be spicier than the original strand, due to the peppers that were growing around them. We are still going to save the seeds and see what happens next season. Saving seeds is a great sustainable way to keep your crops going year after year, and saving yourself money. Just make sure you have the rights to do so.


Our Italian tomatoes are also doing great. Once again, the extra sun is giving them all the energy they require to grow big and delicious. It is up to us to keep the good work by taking care of the organisms in the soil and the nutrients that our tomatoes are getting. A useful tip if you want sweet crops. Sea minerals are great to boost the sweetness in your fruits and greens. This is how we get to enjoy crops such as Swiss Chard and certain berries even more. This is the size they are now. We will take pictures when they start turning and compare again to share with you their size when that happens.


Last year we tried growing the Indigo Rose cherry tomato, but we got the wrong tomatoes. They looked more like chocolate tomatoes. This year, as the tomatoes started maturing, we noticed that they are in fact what they should have been last year. I can't wait for us to try them out, I am super curious about the flavor. Did you know that Borage is a great companion plant for tomatoes? We usually grow Borage in the same bin. They attract beneficial insects that help us pollinate both the borage for future seeds, and the tomatoes for delicious fruit.



We also found these tiny and super fast beneficial native bee. It is incredible when you realize that a small plant such as the Thai Basil can attract 4 types of beneficial insects at the same time. Good bugs mean that some pests can be controlled, and we get seeds after pollination.


We also found the not so good aphids on our butterfly weed. It was very sad, because with those in that plant, monarchs don't even feel encouraged to lay eggs there. However, when you allow some to survive, and you have a balanced ecosystem, other good predatory insects also arrive. We caught this ladybug hunting for some aphids, and hopefully laying eggs, so that they can fill our garden with tiny specs of colorful red, and get rid of the nasty aphids that are hiding or plan to attack other plants.



We also found this Saw Fly on our peach tree. This is the ugly, because it could potentially endanger our tree. However, we will be spraying the stems with neem oil so that it doesn't get worse. Remember that if you spray products such as neem, you need to make sure that the weather is not over 89 degrees Fahrenheit, or they will get burn. Always read the directions of the products you use.


Overall, I must say, that my favorite part of growing a sustainable and organic garden is that I get to walk out in the morning to harvest some basil and garnish my kefir-cheese toast with it. Yum!


Thank you for visiting our blog, and if you've become a subscriber, thank you for following along. Every time we gain a subscriber or follower, a fig-princess cries of happiness.


 Have an amazing weekend, and smile, because it is contagious!
(Disclaimer: This post contains a sponsored video. Every time one of our lovely readers watches our sponsored videos, we get paid a small commission that contributes to the maintenance of this blog, so that we can keep on sharing photos of our garden and lifestyle, reviews of products we believe in, and future giveaways. While the video is sponsored, the rest of the content is our own honest opinion. All rights to the content of this site, for exception of sponsored graphics, or content, belongs to The happy reviewers blog.) 













About Missha and James

Missha and James love home-grown organic goods, home-made food from scratch, and trying out new organic products that include food, health, and beauty products. They love appreciating art, enjoy going to the movies, and hanging at home while learning new gardening or DIY projects. While Missha loves crafting, sewing, sketching, and making music; James loves cooking, gardening, and reading a good book. They are proud parents of three adopted cats with unique personalities, but hope to expand their family even further soon, with a little one that will rock their world. They both enjoy reviewing products that are practical and adjust to their lifestyle.

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Missha & James

Missha & James

About

We are a happily married multi-cultural couple with optimistic plans to expand our Hispanic-Viking family. We love cooking, gardening, crafting, watching movies, listening to music, DIY projects, collecting different things, and we have a passion towards organic farming and sustainable living. We laugh a lot and like doing things that makes us happy. We have three adopted cats, who are part of our extended furry family. This is a PR Friendly blog.

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