Author: Erin
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Winter Sowing Without Milk Jugs (Clamshell Containers Work!)
A Simple Winter Sowing Method Using Recycled Containers Most winter sowing tutorials assume you have milk jugs, but how do you winter sowing without milk jugs? I really wanted to winter sow, but we get our milk from the neighbor’s cow! So no milk jugs. What to do! Use plastic veggie containers, clamshells! I almost…
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7 Best Metal Raised Garden Beds for Kentucky (Zone 7 Tested)
7 Best Metal Raised Garden Beds for Gardeners and Homesteaders in Kentucky (Zone 7 Friendly!) Looking for the best metal raised garden beds for your Kentucky garden? After two seasons of testing raised beds in Adair County’s clay soil and unpredictable weather, I’ve narrowed down the top 7 options for Zone 7 homesteaders. Whether you’re…
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Sourdough Discard Tortillas: My Go-To Low-Iodine Bread Substitute During RAI Prep
If your family is preparing for radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment, finding safe bread alternatives is one of the hardest parts. These sourdough discard tortillas use only LID-safe ingredients — non-iodized salt, lard (no dairy), and unbleached flour — and can replace bread for every meal. (PS. Even after treatment this is our go to recipe!)…
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Kentucky Fall Garden Planting Schedule: 24 Veggies to Grow
Every fall, I see new Kentucky gardeners ask: “is there a PDF Kentucky Fall Garden Planting Schedule?” I saw a need so I built This free Fall Kentucky vegetable planting schedule and calendar plus an Interactive calendar that answers that question—with 24 crops for zones 6b, 7a, and 7b across Western, Central, and Eastern Kentucky.…
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How to Grow Cantaloupe Vertically on a Trellis in Kentucky – What Worked in my Zone 7 Garden
Growing cantaloupe vertically on a trellis in Kentucky is one of the best decisions I’ve made in my Zone 7 garden — and I almost didn’t try it. If you’re dealing with limited space, humid summers, or just tired of playing garden yoga trying to find melons hiding under sprawling vines, this method is worth…
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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 – Fluffy Every Time
It’s Sunday morning and my grandson wants pancakes, he’s not used to the homemade life yet. So I whip up these easy sourdough discard pancakes that he gets to help with. He loves to sift the flour and “crack the eggs”. That’s really his favorite part. Looking for a fast recipe for two? Checkout my…