Author: Erin
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How to Grow Cucumbers in Kentucky — Raised Beds, Trellises & What Actually Worked
How to Grow Cucumbers in a Kentucky Raised Garden Bed This summer (2025) I grew my first cucumbers in a Kentucky raised bed—and honestly? I had no idea what I was doing. But that Pok Choi I randomly planted? It saved my entire harvest. That cattle panel trellis I threw together? Pure gold for our…
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Tomato Trials Part 5: Conquering the Cattle Panel Trellis
I’ll admit it—I felt silly waiting so long to set up my cattle panel trellis. Post-surgery, I doubted I could tackle it alone, especially pounding T-posts into the ground. As an overthinking “good idea fairy,” I scoured the internet for inspiration from gardeners who’d already nailed this. The Backstory: From Kitchen Garden to Raised Bed…
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Tomato Trials Series Part 6: Supporting Cherokee Purple and Roma Tomatoes
I’ll admit it: my Cherokee Purple and Roma tomatoes had me sweating after Kentucky’s summer solstice on June 20, 2025 heat prediction. Plus the week before brought tons of heavy rain to Kentucky. These beauties in my raised in-ground garden bed were sprawling like nobody’s business, and I worried about sunscald and that pesky “green…
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Summer Solstice 2025: A Gardener’s Guide to the Longest Day
Hey there, Bloom and Peck family! The summer solstice is here, lighting up our gardens today, Friday, June 20, 2025, at 9:42 p.m. Central Time. It’s the longest, sunniest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, and for us gardeners and homesteaders in Zone 7, it’s a celebration of growth, abundance, and the magic…
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Easy Sourdough Discard Pancakes for Beginners
The Sourdough discard pancakes are a kids’ favorite, easy for beginners and sourdough lovers alike! I do NOT earn commission on any of these links. I am sharing what my picker eater grandson has loved and my picky husband said he like. We loved this one so I make extra and keep em in the…
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Sourdough Discard Banana Wheat Germ Muffins Low Iodine
Adapted from Little Spoon Farm for our low-iodine diet with regular diet substitutions. Still an amazing muffin, they do not last in the kitchen. PS I am not a dietitian or a dr. These are just my experiences, please consult your dr if on a low iodine diet. I do NOT earn commission on any…
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Can You Plant Thyme with Tomatoes? (Yes — Here’s How I Did It)
Discover how to companion plant tomatoes with lemon thyme in containers. Boost tomato flavor, deter pests naturally, and garden successfully in small spaces.
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Tomato Trials Part 4: DIY Trellis for Roma Tomatoes in Raised Bed
An Arched Trellis for Roma Tomatoes Creating a Polyculture Welcome back to the Tomato Trials series, where I’m growing vibrant, sustainable gardens one step at a time! Gardening’s been my recovery haven, turning my Zone 7 homestead into a place of growth—literally and figuratively. In Part 1, I shared my Mother’s Day container garden with…
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Raspberry Container Gardening Success: A Food Forest Journey
Raspberry Revival Part 2: Tula Magic Raspberries Bloom with Patience Some links in this post are affiliate links (but not all). This means if you click and buy, I might earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Your support helps keep my garden dreams growing—thank you from the bottom of my heart!…
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Tomato Trials Part 3: Planting Heirloom Tomato in My Kitchen Garden on a Trellis
🌱 I’m Erin with Bloom & Peck, and I’m back with Part 3 of my Tomato Trials series from my Zone 7 KY homestead. It’s May 17, 2025, and I’m 24 days post-surgery, sticking to my 10lb limit and no-bending rule with my homemade planter gardening setup. See the Full Tomato Trials series Here 🍅…