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Meet @HoneyGirlGrows! Beekeeper & Garden Designer

Beautiful imagery that tells a distinct story fills her newsfeed. Her love of homegrown, organic produce turned into healthy and mouth-watering dishes will leave you with a strong desire to grow more of your own food at home.  She shares her garden with her little friends, the bees, and enjoys educating others on the harmful effects that pesticides are having on their population. 

Meet @HoneyGirlGrows! 

What tips and tricks would you like to share with other people?

People are always amazed by my pictures and what I grow and it always surprises me honestly. Because even if you only have a patio and garden nursery black buckets — you can grow something in your climate with relative ease. All it takes is water, light and tending. I use chicken fertilizer called, “Chickadee-Doo-Doo” and my breakfast eggshells or calcium shale when planting tomatoes to prevent, “bottom rot.” Store-bought soil doesn’t drain well enough often, so I prefer cactus soil or mix in something coarse for drainage – which seems key for my happy tomatoes. I’ve yet to try hydroponics but I’d love to soon. I’m also really close to the beach so I fend off white powdery mildew by spraying backing soda with water (1 tablespoon per gallon). I use Epsom salts (a tablespoon per gallon) to make peppers explode with growth, as they love the magnesium. However, these tricks are all things any gardener can find easily online.

Whether you’re growing edibles or merely flowers or landscaping, the most important tip I can share is also very much unknown by most: When not growing from seeds, please only purchase plants from Lowe’s or any garden store who has pledged not to buy from suppliers who use bee-killing NeoNic pesticides. Neonicotinoid pesticides are the nicotine-based pesticides are used on ALL of our crops. “NeoNic’s” (as we call them), sound great in theory. Nothing is sprayed in the environment or on a picker – instead the seeds are dipped in the pesticide, and it grows into the DNA of the plant. But in combination with a rare mold, these pesticides have been proven the cause of Colony Collapse – the devastation of bee hives worldwide since 2006. Worse, our crops are only single-dipped in NeoNics, but growers for nurseries are now TRIPLE dipping seeds. So we’re now naively killing important pollinators with our own gardens and yards – the last thing any gardener would wish. These plants are often the cheapest to buy so most small and local nurseries are also buying them. So what can you do? Contact the management and the owner, the corporate office online… if they “don’t know” if they’re selling NeoNics, they likely are. But your statement that you won’t do business with them until they can promise they aren’t, is exactly what pushed Lowe’s to stop carrying them. Your voice makes a difference. I want everyone to shop local, but only if you’re certain they’re not buying from a supplier who uses NeoNics. Change will only come if you speak up in email, online, in dollars, with your voice. And spread the word with other gardeners. Without pollinators, we’ll have no gardens.

What are some of the other things you would like to have other people understand about living a healthier and self-sufficient life style?

There's really no such thing as self-sufficient, everything requires community. So if having a garden seems overwhelming, get a partner in on it with you. A garden gives a harvest worthy of sharing and sharing the watering and pruning makes the rewards great and the time required less for all. I know of an older woman who can't garden but allows others to grow and plant in her yard for 50% of the harvest. A shared garden could also be in pots on a patio, or a balcony with a neighbor. Your food not only tastes better, and you get to connect with nature -- but it's also incredibly convenient to walk outside to see what's for dinner or not have to run to the store for ingredients.

What are your favorite plants to grow in the garden?

Ha! Tomatoes. Tomatoes. and Tomatoes! I’m a complete tomato maniac (growing around 40 heirloom varieties spring-summer and 10 year-round). Also peppers, lettuce, beans, onions, herbs, berries ---- and bees! (I'm an amateur beekeeper).

Facebook.com/honeygirlgrows

Instagram: @HoneyGirlGrows

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👇 MORE ARTICLES & BLOG POSTS 👇 

SPRING & SUMMER GARDENING:

Spring Gardening Chore Checklist - View

Herbs & Veggies to Plant NOW for a Summer Garden - View

Heat Loving Veggies & Herbs You Can Grow RIGHT NOW in Summer! - View

12 Plants That You Can Grow This Summer To DETER Mosquitoes - View

Have a Better Summer Garden With These 7 Tips! - View

 

FALL & WINTER GARDENING:

5 Fall Vegetables Worth Growing In Containers This Year - View

Grow a Fall/Winter Harvest - Plant these seeds in July/August - View

Planting a Fall Garden. Step-by-Step - View

How to Store Vegetables for Winter - View

10 Vegetables You Can Over-Winterize - View

19 Frost Hardy Vegetables to Plant this Fall - View

Fall and Winter Gardening Made Easy - View

16 Crops To Plant NOW for Fall! - View

15 Vegetables You Should Be Planting NOW for a Fall Harvest - View

Tips for Starting Your First Fall Garden & 19 Crops That Can Withstand Freezing (or almost freezing) Temperatures! - View

Gardening Chores for January - View

Our TOP 10 Favorite Fall & Winter Gardening YouTube Videos! - View

19 Crops You Should Try Growing This Fall or Winter - View

TOP 9 QUICK GROWING CROPS FOR FALL & WINTER - View

It's Winter!  What to do in the garden now?! - View

Most Popular Seeds to Plant Now for Fall/Winter Gardening - View


SEED STARTING:

6 Tips That Every NEW Gardener Should Know  - View

Tips for Successfully Starting Your Seeds Indoors - View

Egg Carton Seed Trays - View

Use Muffin Tins To Start Your Seeds In! - View

How do I Know Which Seeds to Direct Sow and Which to Seeds to Start Indoors? - View

How to Get Better Germination From Your Seeds - View

9 Steps to Harden Off Seedlings - View

7 Tips For Using Rockwool To Start Your Seeds - View

Are you starting enough seeds? - View

What's the proper way to thin seedlings? 🌱 🌱 - View

Seed Planting & Spacing Cheat Sheet - View

WAIT!  Don't start these seeds indoors yet! - View

OK!  It's time to start these seeds indoors NOW! - View


RAISED BED GARDENING:

Tips on Building Perfect Raised Beds! - View

How to make a Hugelkultur Bed & What the heck is a Hugelkultur? - View

Great Materials For Making Raised Beds! - View

Build The Benefits of Raised Beds - View

How To Plant a Straw/Hay Bale Raised Bed - View


CONTAINER GARDENING:

5 Simple TIPS to Growing Herbs in Containers - View

6 Tips for Gardening in Containers - View

9 of The Best Vegetables to Grow in Small Gardens  - View

5 Fantastic Tips for Watering Your Container Garden - View

Small Space Gardening Ideas For Your Boat or RV - View

 

RANDOM POSTS:

Why You Should Join a Community Garden - View

Inspirational Gardening Quotes! - View

How To Make A Bean Teepee - View

How to Build a Vine Tee-Pee - View

How To Grow & Care For Your Strawberry Plants - View

How to Grow Perfect Parsnips - View

How Do You Cure Potatoes? - View

How To Tell When An Eggplant Is Ripe - View

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Squash Blossoms - View

4 Easy Steps to Dry & Cure the Small Ornamental Gourds You Grew! - View

8 Gardening Hacks You Need to Know - View

Tips for Growing More Food Indoors, All-Year-Long! - View

Everything you need to know about gardening through all the seasons - View

14 Green Fruits and Vegetables You Should Be Eating - View

How to Use a Mason Jar as a Cloche - View

Are You a First Time Gardener? Start Here! - View

5 Season Extension Techniques for Year-Round Gardening - View

32 Edible Perennials (or plants that can ACT like Perennials!) - View

How to Grow Your Own Salsa Garden - View

How To Make a Pizza Garden - View

How To Successfully Plant a Straw/Hay Bale Garden - View

The Secret to Building a Salad Keyhole Garden - View


SPROUTS & MICRO-GREENS:

How to Grow Sprouts at Home *Without Soil*  - View

How to Sprout Wheat Berries at Home in a Mason Jar - View

How to Grow Sprouts Easily at Home Using a Mason Jar-View

Micro-greens! The Benefits are anything but MICRO! - View


ANIMALS & PETS:

What to Plant for a Pet Friendly Garden - View

Which Plants Do Bunnies, Cats, Dogs, and Chickens Like to Eat? - View

How To Supplement Your Animal Feed by Growing Fodder at Home - View


WATERING:

Ways To Conserve Water in Your Vegetable Garden - View

8 Tips on How to Water More Efficiently - View


COMPOST, MULCH,  & SOIL AMENDMENTS:

Composting DO's and DON'Ts - View

18 Things You Should Never Compost - View

Your Vegetables Like Coffee, Just As Much As You Do! -   View

How to Use Coffee Grounds In Your Garden - View

How to Use Eggshells in Your Garden - View

How To Use Seaweed In Your Garden  - View


 


 

PESTS & PROBLEMS // GARDEN CONTROL:

Common Gardening Problems & How to Cure Them - View

How To Attract Beneficial Ladybugs Into Your Garden - View

Common Problems In the Garden and How To Fix Them! - View

3 Ways to Kill Weeds Naturally & Quickly - View

Learn How to Recognize and Prevent Mosaic Virus in Your Garden - View

4 Trap Plants You Should Be Growing To Help Deter Pests - View

8 Ways To Get Rid of Garden Pests (Without Any Chemicals!) - View

Natural Pest Control Methods - View

HELP!  My Plants are Tall, Thin, and Leggy.  What should I do? - View

How to Control Powdery Mildew, the Easy Way! - View

Plant THESE To Attract More BEES! - View

15 Plants That Repel Mosquitoes - View

Plants That Naturally Repel Mosquitoes - View

Use Beer To Kill Slugs - View

BEER = An Effective Method for Slug Control [Who Knew!?] - View

Why Won't My Root Veggies Grow? - View

How do You Use Epsom Salts to Fertilize Your Plants? - View


FLOWERS // HERBS // POLLINATORS:

Treat Your Ailments Naturally With Homegrown Herbs -  View

15 Herbs You Can Grow at Home To Make Your Own Tea - View

10 MUST GROW Plants for Herbal Tea Lovers - View

How to Grow an Indoor Herb Garden - View

Top 4 Air Purifying Herbs You Can Grow Indoors - View

11 Easy To Grow Medicinal Herbs - View

Healing Herbs That Anyone Can Grow at Home - View

Top 6 Culinary Herbs You Never Knew You Could Grow Indoors, During Winter! - View

27 Plants That Produce Edible Flowers - View

38 Edible Flowers To Plant In Your Garden - View

PRO Tips for Growing Wildflowers Successfully - View

How to Grow Beautiful and Healthy Sunflowers - View

Save the Bees! Plant a "Bee-Friendly" Garden Today! - View

 

LETTUCE,  SALAD, & LEAFY GREENS:

7 Tips and Tricks for {Fresh} Lettuce {Longer} - View

How to Grow a "Cut and Come Again" Salad Bar Garden - View

Make Ahead "Salad in a Jar”- View

The Secret to Building a Salad Keyhole Garden - View


PEPPERS:

How Hot Will My Peppers Be? Scoville Scale Heat-Ranking for Hot Peppers! - View

Tips on How To Successfully Germinate Hot Pepper Seeds -View

15 Super HOT Varieties Every Pepper Enthusiast Must Try! - View

Tips for Germinating HOT & SWEET Pepper Seeds - View

 

TOMATOES:

4 Ways to Ripen Green Tomatoes - View

Tips for Controlling Tomato Hornworms - View

How to Plant Tomatoes the Right Way - View

How to Make Pickled Tomatoes, In Just 5 Minutes - View

Spank Your Tomatoes! -Get More Fruit on Every Plant- - View

14 Companion Plants to Grow With Your Tomatoes! - View

 

GREENHOUSE:

Tips for Growing Better in a Greenhouse - View


HOOP HOUSE:

How to Build a "Hoop House" for your Fall and Winter Gardening! - View


HYDROPONICS & TOWER GARDEN:

15 Lettuce & Leafy Greens You Should Try Growing Hydroponically - View

80 Plants You Can Grow with Vertical Towers and Hydroponic Garden System! - View

How to Plant a Vertical Tower Garden - View

These are the most popular ways to grow food, Vertically! - View

Aquaponics: Why It Works! - View

Make A Vertical Planter with Terracotta Pots - View

 

SHADE:

How to Grow Vegetables and Herbs in Partial Shade - View

Which Vegetables & Herbs Grow Best in Light - Partial Shady Gardens?  - View


HEAT & DROUGHT:

Heat-Loving Varieties that Grow Great in the Southern States - View

33 Drought Tolerant Crops For Dry or Hot Climates - View

 

DIY PROJECTS:

How To Make Your Own Seed Tape - View

Make Ahead "Salad in a Jar”- View

Make a Tic Tac Toe Game For Your Garden - View

How to Make Watermelon Candy - View

[DIY] Honey-Lavender Luffa Gourd Soap - View

 

CANNING & PICKLING // RECIPES:

Everything You Need To Start Canning Your Homegrown Vegetables! - View

How Do I Can My Homegrown Vegetables? View

Best Crops to Grow For the Home Canner - View

How to Grow & Pickle Homegrown Peas - View

Create Easy Pickled Radishes in Less Than 5 Minutes - View

Which Vegetables are Best to Ferment? - View


OTHER RECIPES:

This is how you make the best hummus dip! DIY Recipe - View

How To Make Amazing Zucchini Chips - View

How to Make a Stuffed Zucchini Crocodile - View

7 Awesome Mint Drink Recipes - View

How to Roast Garlic in the Oven - View

 


 

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