Laundry on the Line

Drying clothes on the line is one of my favorite things about a return to warmer weather. There is nothing like the look and feel of clothes and linens that have dried in the sunshine. And the smell -- oh, it's wonderful.

Sure, there are drawbacks -- like having to run out and gather in the clothes in a sudden downpour. (But secretly, I enjoy being out in a summer rain, so even that isn't so bad.)

Another drawback is the time it takes. I have a clothes-tree in an unused corner of the yard. It holds two loads, so that's my maximum number of loads in a given day. (Which means no more marathon laundry sessions? Remind me of the downside of that again??)

The positives are easy to list. Pinning up the clothes gives you time outdoors, it keeps you in tune with the sounds of the birds and the feel of the fresh breeze blowing through the trees. Sunshine is free, unlike the gas and electricity it takes to run my clothes dryer. The time it takes to line-dry my clothes gives me time to reflect and think deep thoughts, to watch the children playing in the yard, to be grateful.

Of course, I imagine there are those who prefer the feel of machine-dried clothes and smell of fabric softener to fresh air. If you're concerned that your jeans or towels might not be as soft if they're dried on the line, try tumbling your clothes for 5-10 minutes before hanging them out. They will dry wrinkle-free and gorgeous. Or, you can give them a short tumble in the dryer after you take them down from the line to help the fibers in your towels, for instance, soften up. Either way, you're saving energy and money.

At our place, the return of line-dried laundry is the return of summer simplicity. We bike to the store instead of driving. We spend our days outdoors. We swim at the pool instead of dragging ourselves out the door to school every day. We grill out and visit with our neighbors on the sidewalk as our children ride their bikes up and down the street. We pull fresh produce from the garden. Lazy, simple summer days.

It all starts with the warmer weather and the clothes line. Now I find I'm checking the calendar and starting the end-of-the-school-year countdown.

Those easy summer days can't come soon enough.

- Midwest Mom

Midwest Gardening: Spring Starter Chores

We had a wonderful Spring weekend here in the Midwest.

It was typical -- a little sun, some gentle rain, and by the end of the weekend, 50 mph winds with tornadoes and power outages.

Ahh, the Midwest! Isn't it grand?

This was the weekend when my garden clean-up chores began. It was muddy and wonderful to get out with my spade to start moving perennials. This was the weekend when garden plans started to become garden reality. But, there is a lot to do! It was hard not to feel daunted by the sheer volume of work.

After a long Winter, the sun and warm temperatures made the work worth it. (Maybe I'm part plant.)

My spring clean-up chores were few, but significant. I have decided to devote our entire side garden to vegetables this year. I will be setting aside some space on the south slope of our yard for vegetables as well. To make the most of both planting zones, I will build raised beds this week.

But first, I had to get started moving perennials. I started digging up Brown-eyed Susans and peppermint from the herb garden. I moved them back to the sunny edge of our wildflower garden. All it will take is a few plugs of each to make a beautiful border back there.



When moving vigorous perennials, try to cut them from their bed with a large spade. Lift the entire plant with at least 5 inches of accompanying soil. Keeping the roots intact will reduce stress on the plant and increase the chances of survival in its new location. Dig a deeper hole than you need, and backfill it loosely with soil. I usually put water into the hole before inserting the plug of rooted perennials into the moist soil. Try to keep the level of soil even with the earth around it and press firmly to ensure good contact between the roots and the soil. Water again thoroughly.

Another chore I started to tackle this weekend was moving the compost pile. We use a 2-bay compost system, where we fill one bay each year. In the Spring, I move material that is not completely broken down from the full bay to the empty bay. It is a long process. But my philosophy of Spring chores is Slow and Steady Wins the Race. If the Earth can take it's time getting ready for growing, so can I.

I will work on the compost over the course of the next month. I combine moving it over with other clean-up jobs, so that I am layering older material with newer. We mulch our beds with leaves in the Fall. When the time comes to remove that mulch (not yet) each bed will provide a nicely broken-down layer for the new compost bay. If you're moving the compost at your house, be sure to make the outside edge of each layer a little thicker than the middle. A compost pile that is lower in the center than the outside funnels rain into the pile and breaks down faster. If you build your pile like a haystack, the rain will sheet off and the center of the pile will remain dry.

With steady work over the next few weeks, the compost will be completely moved and the lowest layer of soil, rich in nutrients, will be ready to work into my vegetable garden. There is no better fertilizer than fresh compost. It is my garden's "secret ingredient".

The final "chore" of the weekend was to complete my seed purchase with Johnny's Selected Seeds. I cannot say how clearly superior I find the seeds from Johnny's as compared to hardware store packeted seed. Their varieties are specifically designed for disease-resistance and many are tailored for Northern growers. They also have a wide variety of organic seed. They have a place on their website for gardeners to make a 'garden wish-list'. I love that I can shop for seed, choose a few varieties, and save them until I'm ready to buy. This weekend, I finalized my list. As soon as my seeds arrive, I'll post directions for home seed-starting.

As expected, our lovely Midwest Spring weekend is transforming into a chilly week. Rain today and tomorrow will help those perennials I moved to take root. But our trusty weather channel tells me that night-time lows will be well below freezing after Wednesday, so the layer of protective mulch I have on the flower beds must stay in place for now -- even if the daffodils and day-lilies are poking through the leaves to find the sunlight.

I'd love to hear about your gardens. Are you going to try to plant more vegetables this year? What chores are your biggest challenges of the Spring?


- Midwest Mom

Garden Wake-up Call

Today is the fourth day in a row with highs above freezing. The weather report claims we may get to 60 degrees before nightfall.

Hmmmm.... feels like Spring, doesn't it?

Well, my plants will sure think so.

The snow is all but gone, and there is mud everywhere. We took full advantage yesterday evening, wearing our boots for a puddle-splashing walk around town.

It is February Thaw, when the earth telegraphs a message to every plant in my garden that it's time to wake up! ... but the Winter is far from over.

The snowdrops and crocuses will foolishly start poking their heads out of the ground. If the thaw lasts more than a week, they may be joined by the tips of my tulip bulbs. Grape Hyacinth mounds from last year are already up and greening, even though we won't see blooms on them for another two or three months.

As a gardener, I have to force myself NOT to get out my rake and peek at my carefully tucked-in beds of bulbs. It is so tempting to get outside and get muddy cleaning up all the winter debris from the last few months.

But I know better. Regardless of the gentle blush of green the grass holds, the shrubs are still sleeping. The robins haven't arrived. I know it's best to wait and keep all the beds well-mulched.

It is so hard to be patient.

I have been taking daily tours of the garden. The only signs of life come from the indestructibles. The ground-covers -- creeping charlie and goldilocks. Some of my strawberries are peeking out, too. But my large perennials, my sage and azalea and lavender and clematis are all bare. They are survivors, waiting until the warmth feels real and lasting.

All that's left for an impatient gardener to do is to peek at seed catalogs instead of the garden. I use a few companies that cater to areas with cold-winter climates. My favorite is Johnny's Selected Seeds in Maine.

When I think about what I want to plant, it helps to make a diagram of my garden space and to think about what worked or didn't work last year. Since times are tougher these days, I think I will devote more garden space to vegetables and less to ornamental plants. So I'll make a list of what I want or need to move and diagram how much space I have in sunny, part-sunny, and shady locations.

As I look at seeds, I will think about what will mature early, mid-season, and late. I'll do my best to arrange my plantings one after the other, to make the most of my garden space and provide the most produce for my family. I'll look at the calendar and plan our when to move the compost pile and when to till the garden. This year, we may make a few raised beds. I'll set a date to build them well before planting time.

To me, planning the garden is the best way to spend these few warm days in February. As the children play in the muddy sunshine, I can dream.

In a week or two, it will be cold again, and our bodies may forget this warmth ever came. But I'll be watching the mailbox more than the weather-channel. And when my seeds arrive, we'll have our own miniature garden growing under the lights downstairs.

Call me crazy, but I can't wait.


- Midwest Mom

Update: the Monkeys are Happy

I blogged a few weeks ago about redecorating our children's bedroom and the fact that we were going to let them paint it. I got several responses lauding our personal bravery for doing such a thing and many more requests for pictures.


Well, no one can say I ignore my readers, can they?


We had a wonderful time on painting day (rather, painting night).





Some of us painted like real professionals.





While others needed a little sisterly advice.





Some seemed like they were born for this work -- natural artists.



While others had to stretch their skills.




Some even got a mild scolding for being just a touch too messy.
(Couldn't see that one coming, could you?)






But in the end, the room was finished. We moved all the furniture back in, and got everyone settled back in their home again. Even the monkeys.





And when the Monkeys are Happy, we're all happy.





- Midwest Mom

Springtime at Midwest Moms

As you can tell from Midwest Moms' new design, we are ready for Spring to arrive. It may be bitter outside, but here it's always sunny and warm. I like it that way.

Thanks go out to Kim Maki at Retro:Kimmer for her help with the new design. Kim is a web developer and promoter, and I think she's done a wonderful job helping me to remake Midwest Moms. She is a smart lady and was a huge help. (And she made all those fabulous buttons for my favorite blogs!)

As for me, I just smile every time I look at the new design, because it gets me thinking and dreaming about gardening again.

Sure, it's 5 degrees outside.... I know. But before you know it, the weather will start warming up. And the fun part of being a gardener is that I get to start way before the ground is actually ready to plant.

For the next couple of weeks, I'll peruse seed catalogs with increasing frequency. As the weather warms (I'm thinking February thaw might be just about right) I'll get the urge to set up my own indoor seedling wonderland. It happens every year. Just wait.

Until that time comes, though, I can log in to my sunny, terrific blog every day and write about what matters to me.

I hope you like the new design. Give a shout in the comments to let me know what you think! (Or you can email Kim by clicking on the Mackeyplanet logo at the bottom of my page. Didn't she do a great job?)

- Midwest Mom

Going Green: Getting the Garden Ready for Winter

Autumn is a second spring,
when every leaf is in flower.

- Albert Camus

I have been out today enjoying the last of our Autumn color. The moderate temperatures and gentle rainfall have given us the gift of fantastic foliage this year. It has been a rare thing, reminding me of my young autumns in New Hampshire, where my heart would nearly burst as my eyes drank in the vibrant colors. Falling leaves made life there seem like slow motion until the first snow at Veterans day. Then nature would finally allow life to catch up. In the bi-color dank of winter, my eyes would long for October's yellow-ochre and November's fiery orange. My memory of that time and those colors stays with me here in the heartland. This was the first year that nearly approached that breathless beauty. I hate to see it fade.

But the skies have been grey lately, and fall's crisp blue has been replaced by drizzle. The yellows and reds are changing to gold and brown. My mind and heart are reminding me to get out into the garden. There is work to be done, and it won't do itself.

I will admit, I have spent the past month and a half just taking produce from the garden without doing a whole lot of chores. We grew squash and pumpkins -- well, you could hardly call them pumpkins, more like munchkins. We grew those little pumpkin-shaped gourds small enough to fit in my three-year-old daughter's hands. They make great decorations and were so easy. I let the children plant them from seed, water them when they remembered to, and harvest them. It was quite a success.

We've had a few frosty mornings, so the last of the tomatoes have come in. I spent the morning pulling up the plants and raking leaves into the perennial beds to protect the gems I want to survive the cold. Now is the time of year when all gardeners put our plants to bed for the Winter. We tuck them in tenderly and hope they survive until Spring. I always use leaves as the "blanket of choice" for my garden. To me, there is no reason to pay for mulch from a garden center when nature gives an abundant supply of the best mulch there is.

It always makes me laugh to see the lengths people go to to get rid of their leaves, too. In my mind, the only way to collect leaves is with a rake and a tarp, to be dumped on the compost or swept into a flower bed. Of course, that should happen only after you've given the children 57 rides around the yard on the leaf-covered tarp and let them bury you until you emerge as the leaf monster. It isn't autumn if you don't do those things.

But, back to the garden... today I used my head a bit. Autumn is the perfect time to think about what worked in your garden and what didn't. I tried some new placements for tomato plants, beans, and melons. They didn't pan out so well. Lesson learned. I also had terrific success with my roses and clematis (on a beautiful arbor that my husband built for me.) Now is the time to guarantee those successes for next year.

To winterize my roses, I started by building wire cages around them. I used chicken wire or old fencing wire, staked well away from the plant itself. I kept the wire 6-8 inches from the base of the rosebush. I then placed about 5 inches of peat moss at the base of each plant, making sure that it covered the place where the lowest branches emerge.

Then I used nature's autumn gift, those beautiful leaves, to loosely insulate around the plants. Giving your roses a gentle covering of leaves will help prevent die-back during the cold of winter. It will also help keep them from drying out as the wind gets more bitter and dry.

When the weather gets warm enough in the Spring, it will be easy to take down the fencing and gently remove the leaves before they start to break down too much. At that point, you can prune off any dead portions and shape the rosebush. The acid of the peat moss will feed your roses through the winter and early Spring. It can be worked into the soil when temperatures get warmer.

Remember, as the autumn gets colder and loses its color, that the work you put in now to cover your perennials and to cover beds that hold your Spring bulbs will be worth it. As you remove the mulched leaves at Winter's end, you will see tender shoots already sprouting beneath their leaf blanket.

Until then, tuck your gardens in tight and remember the beauty of the Fall. I hope you have enjoyed this garden season just as much as I have.

Spring is not as far-off as you imagine.

- Midwest Mom

Going Green: Today, I Moved A Mountain!

Thanks to those of you who encouraged me to get out in the garden and get the job done this week. We've had terrific weather, and I've gotten quite a bit done!

My children begin their fall break today and are off for three weeks. So, now that we are finally lighter on the schedule (the boys' teachers have run me ragged lately!) I can spend a little time each day getting the garden chores done one by one.

I started three days ago with the toughest job of all: ridding my front garden of a certain ground cover called "Snow on the Mountain".

In the Spring, Snow on the Mountain is one of the first foliage plants to fill out. It has variegated leaves of pale green and white that make a beautiful mound wherever it is growing. Delicate white flowers grow on tall, slender stalks that poke up out of the mountain of leaves (thus, "snow" on the mountain!)

However, in the heat of Summer, the leaves brown horribly and the matted root-mass of this ground cover spreads into parts of the garden you never intended it to be. Now that Fall is here, sprouts of the stuff are coming up in and around almost all of my shrubs.

To remove this garden-hydra, I have had to use a spade to dig up the top 3-4 inches of soil throughout my garden and sift out the bean-sprout-like roots. In some places, they were thickly interwoven enough that the top layer of dirt came up like a carpet.

After three days of intermittent work, I think I finally got the last of it this morning.

Hallelujah!

Now comes the task of making sure the roots of the remaining shrubs are well-cared for. I will mix peat into the soil and start watering and feeding them to prepare for the cold weather. In the process, I may even put in some tulip and crocus bulbs to brighten our Spring.

- Midwest Mom

Going Green: Diary of a Lazy Gardener

I will admit it -- this time of year, I am an incredibly lazy gardener.

The gardening season begins so auspiciously for me. As soon as the sun is capable of warming the skin -- even for five minutes in February -- I get the itch to garden. It is as though my mind has a photosynthetic switch. I start going through seed catalogs and digging through last year's hastily stacked seedling trays. I start 8,000 different types of seeds, mostly flowers, but now also vegetables. I get them going under full-spectrum artificial light in the basement, misting them with water 2-3 times a day. My seedlings are like nested eggs waiting to hatch. When they do, I spend the month of April planning exactly how I can possible cram all 7,999 (one didn't germinate; I wonder why?) into my garden.

May is spent hardening seedlings, preparing them for the harsh reality known as the outside world. I introduce them to a lovely thing called sunshine. They usually love it. Around Mother's Day, I am ready to plant. The rest of the month is spent feeding and tending and watering to ease the transition from the crib to the nursery.

June is every gardener's golden month. The first fruits of the garden are harvested with enthusiasm and eaten at the very first opportunity. Flowers abound and the myriad shades of green that greet the eye wherever it may rest are in themselves fulfilling. The weeding is done religiously. There is not a plant out of place.

July is equally abundant, but the heat of the Illinois summer begins to nudge us indoors. The helping hands that had been so willing at planting time would rather be splashing in the pool or waving wildly as my children run through the sprinkler.

In August and September, I finally succumb to the wonder that is summer. My relentless pursuit of weeds, my insistence that watering follow a schedule, my careful measuring of the week's growth are forgotten in favor of the rigors of fun. To weed in August is pure asceticism.

And now September is drawing to a close, and after two months of walking from the house to the car with blinders on -- except to notice the pleasant surprises gardening has to offer, like our many 'volunteer' butterfly bushes or the delicious yellow cherry tomato plant that is flourishing, but that I most certainly did not plant -- I must force myself to open my eyes to the flood of fall garden chores that certainly face me.

This week promises to be a last breath of summer, and I am on the horns of a dilemma. Do I step backward and pretend September never happened? Or do I look at the jumbled chaos that is my late summer garden and dig in to the long work ahead?

I must admit, I am undecided. The idle person inside me could again claw her way to the surface.

Then again, she just might be too lazy to claw. Maybe she'll just mosey.

- Midwest Mom

Going Green: Blooms & Bloomin' Pests

I planted this lily when I was pregnant with my youngest daughter. Just shy of three years later, it has finally bloomed! Whenever I look at it, I think of the miracle of her.

* * * *
Midsummer is such a fun time in our garden. Spring and early Summer plants are setting seeds before Fall arrives. Tomatoes and peppers are fruiting heavily. The green beans are ready for a third picking and already blooming for a fourth. And the eggplant, cucumbers, pumpkins, and cantaloupe are all flowering profusely. I am so glad I decided to plant more than just tomatoes this year. We are enjoying the abundance that comes from vegetable gardening in the Midwest.

Of special note is the success of our herb garden. I have always grown oregano, parsley, and basil, because I use them heavily in our home cooking. Last year, I planted lemon thyme, rosemary and peppermint as a way to branch out. What success!

The peppermint, especially, has been thriving and is in bloom. Although I have to tend it carefully to make sure it doesn't steal garden space from other plants, I love the look and smell of it in the garden. I have even caught the children stealing nibbles of the minty leaves.

Elsewhere in the garden, we are enjoying carpets of black- and brown-eyed Susans. Large sunflowers and smaller 'wild' sunflowers are providing the birds with plenty to eat. Since yellow is my favorite color, I find the display delightful.

* * * * *

There is, however, a pest I've been battling for at least a month. The dreaded Japanese Beetle has made a home in our garden -- again! Each year, I wage war with this creepy, seemingly indestructible bug. Fortunately, I find that my hatred (I know it's a strong word, but fitting) of this pest is overcoming my tendency to be totally creeped out by it.

I typically have used Japanese Beetle "bug bags" out to lure these beasts to their doom. In theory, the citronella-smelling bait attracts these horny devils into a bag, trapping them because they're either too stupid to fly out or too distracted by the teeming beetle orgy that eventually takes place. Personally, I don't care which it is... as long as they don't keep eating my plants.

I have noticed, however, that there are certain plants the Japanese beetles find irresistible. In my garden, it is the zinnias, evening primrose, and apple tree that have sustained the most damage. Lately, I have had success going from plant to plant knocking beetles into a cup of water and then pouring the fiends into the bug bag. I go around in the morning and evening, and I usually can collect 18-25 of the disgusting things in the cup before I'm done. It has helped to minimize the damage.

You may wonder why I don't just spray with an insecticide. I'll tell you -- chemicals are stupid. They don't know the difference between the super-creepy Japanese Beetle and the 20+ beneficial pollinators that help our plants be more productive. When a commercial- or home-gardener decides to let a spray do the work, they are choosing to kill bees, butterflies, and other fantastic insects like walking sticks and leaf-hoppers, and even spiders, praying mantis and other hunters. Garden chemicals can also easily leech into groundwater. I suspect they may be, if not the cause, certainly a contributing factor in our nation's honeybee problem, Colony Collapse Disorder.

Even against a pernicious pest like the Japanese Beetle, I don't believe chemicals are the answer. So, for now I'll keep doing the circuit with my cup of water. It's a good excuse to get out in the garden on a daily basis...

.. even if it is pretty creepy.

Midwest Mom

Going Green: Time off in the Garden

After weeks of rain in the Midwest, we have finally had one whole week of sunshine. It has been in the high 70's each day with a light breeze. Weather like this almost makes you forget that the hot stuff is on the way.

This is the reason I love the month of June.

The kids and I took the morning off to spend time together and play outside. Because it's been dry, we decided to do some watering... the old fashioned way. To water my plants, I usually fill a 5-gallon bucket and put it near the flower garden or the vegetable garden and ask my children to choose one of the 17 plastic watering cans in their toy box. They water the plants, they water each other, they water me. As a matter of fact, I'm sure I've grown as a result. (ha. I'm such a shorty.) We have fun, and they help me to notice all the small changes in our plants since the last time we were out.

Spending that time -- they are much more observant and thorough than I am -- made my wonder whether it was time for a garden update. I checked the blog, and LO! It is.

After a healthy run -- clearly the best spinach year ever on record in this house -- all the spinach has finally bolted. We had one variety that lasted a really long time -- I wish, now, I could remember what it was called. But, it is done and setting seed. I will probably have one more really good harvest -- enough to make a big batch of wilted spinach with slivered garlic a'la The Barefoot Contessa. I could eat the whole bowl of it, it's that good.

The lettuce, though, is going strong. This wet, cool, long-lasting spring has been a salad-lovers dream. In the past, I always planted mesclun, but this year I opted for Green Leaf lettuce. It is so nice to just go out and pick a whole head of it for the evening's salad. You can't get any better than fresh lettuce, and it is so good, it doesn't even need dressing.


In worse news, my sugar snap peas have been totally decimated by the cutest baby bunny I've ever seen. Why does the creature ruining my peas have to be so darned lovable? It makes it impossible to be angry. I even sat with my daughter about 6 feet away from the thing (about the size of one of her shoes) while it ate an entire plant from root to tip. Total pea harvest =5.

We have several vegetables in flower, and as long as our bunny friend doesn't get to those, we should be okay. They are: tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins, and green beans. There are seedling basil and cilantro plants in the garden that are looking quite healthy, too. So, the next month should be a fun one for cooking with fresh vegetables and herbs.

Our flower garden has also been fun to watch. Our roses are in full bloom, although we lost one planting near the arbor in our backyard. We replaced it with two clematis vines. So, keep your fingers crossed. Our petunias from last year seeded themselves, so we have a mixture of pink, purple, and white petunias popping up all over the place.



In the wildflower garden, there are day-lilies, tiger lilies, bluebells, and forget-me-nots. It makes for a few pockets of color, but the big bloomers, like the bee balm, purple coneflower, brown-eyed-susans, sunflowers, and cosmos are waiting for warmer weather. They have a good number of buds, though! So, it looks like we're promised a colorful July.

That's all from the garden! I hope you don't mind if I head out again with the kids. You just can't pass up a day like this!

Midwest Mom

Going Green: Update

There is a little bit of garden news to report. But first, I have to file an update on my promise to run errands by bicycle instead of using my car. I have to say, it ain't easy!

Last week, my son finished school on Wednesday. So, from then until Saturday, my car sat still. We took bike rides with the kids, practicing all the roads we'll need to go grocery shopping on two wheels instead of four. They did great. Even my 5 year old -- fully under his own power -- went on one bike ride that was over 3 miles! His training wheels were burning up the road.

Our only problem came when -- and if you live in Illinois, you know what is coming -- we got such torrential rain that I could have rowed to the grocery store. So, as I joked with my neighbor about ark-building, I did use my car (1.2 miles each way) to buy food.

Oh, the shame of it all.

Ha. I'm in control of many things, but the weather's not one of them. I'm sure that, moving forward, we'll be able to do a lot more under our own power. Being more conscious of gasoline usage has made me realize two things. One, that I really did use my car an awful lot, just for the convenience of it. And two, that (in good weather) I really can get along without it pretty well. So, it's parked for now. We'll see how long I can go this week.

As for the garden, I have one variety of spinach that has bolted, one that's holding off. So, I may try freezing some spinach if we can't eat it all fresh. The lettuce is still beautiful, too. But, my children saw a game of tag between a bunny and a chipmunk yesterday right in the middle of the garden where my peas and beans are. It was hilarious to watch, but in the process, four pea vines got cut. Darn bunnies.

I have renewed understanding for Mr. MacGregor.

Going Green, Part 3 - The Lawn

Two years ago, my husband and I completely re-landscaped the front of our house. It was back-breaking work. And, yes, plenty of our neighbors slowed down as they drove by to say, "Hey! what are you doing?!?" When you're up to your elbows in dirt for the fourth afternoon in a row, you get tired of answering that question.

But, being the frugal family we are, we weren't about to spend ten times the money to have a group of 4 or 5 shirtless 19 year olds doing the work for us... (Darn! I think I missed out on something there!)

Well, the point is, we did it ourselves. Yet another way to save dough. And two years later, we have a beautiful garden and lawn. I said two years... T-W-O. We learned some lessons from the work we did. I thought it would be useful to share them. (Did I mention it took 2 years?)

Out with the Old, in with the New ... Lawn

When we got started on our landscape project, we decided it would be best to get rid of everything first. My husband grabbed his 1996 Ford Ranger (basically a wheelbarrow of a pickup truck) and a chain. After about 15 minutes, we realized we'd have to call in his dad's GMC. 15 minutes after that, six evergreen bushes were out and hauled away. A great start. I distinctly remember saying, "No problem! That was quick!" Ha.

Our (my husband's) next task was to break up the old sidewalk and remove it. Yeah. A little more difficult.

I got started removing the lawn. With a spade and a wheelbarrow. Not wanting to waste, I made sure everything was composted. Did I mention I was pregnant at the time? Yeah. No more "that was quick."

So, two and a half weeks later (or two containers of Icy Hot, however you mark time) the lawn was out. We had to re-grade so that water would drain away from the house. More dirt. More back-breaking labor. No, not LABORlabor.... just hard work.

Essentially, you can tell we did nothing the easy way. What I have found since then is that there are actual tools available that would help with this whole process! So, if YOU are planning a tear-out of your lawn and plant a new one, here's what you need to do:

1.) Go to your local tool-rental place and ask for a sod-cutter. It is a machine that will actually cut and roll up your weedy lawn. What took us a couple of weeks will take you a little cash and a couple of hours. Then roto-till. Get the ground nice and broken up.

2.)Add whatever you need to the dirt to make it light and the right pH. You can use peat moss, dry manure, compost, and even some sand if your soil is mostly clay. Till it again.

3.) Get a roller to press the soil nice and even, so you don't have too many dips and bumps. It works best either when the soil is tilled nicely OR after the grass has grown and you have had a really soaking rain. Later, when you're mowing, you will appreciate that you took the time for this step.

4.) Spread a seed-starter fertilizer and the best quality seed you can find. Call your local extension office -- they will know what grows best in your area. Keep it lightly watered (I think evening watering is best) until it sprouts. After that, a soaking watering twice a week will be enough. Try not to walk on it and do not mow it until it is 3 inches tall.

5.) You may be concerned about weeds. I can tell you that your new lawn will have weeds the first season. Once you cultivate the ground, you'll expose weed seed and it will sprout. You might be tempted to seed and then throw straw all over. If you do, annual ryegrass (otherwise known as crabgrass) will grow all over your yard. It is just as easy to use shredded newspaper (or nothing) so you don't have all the weeds instantly in there. Whatever you do, and however many weeds are in there, do not use weed killer until you've been able to grow and mow the new grass 4 times (about a month of mowing). Then it will be safe to use a weed & feed type of fertilizer.

Good luck. I think, start to finish, this job will probably take 4-6 weeks.

Did I mention ours took two years?

Midwest Mom

Shopping, Shopping, Shopping, and SAVING

Lately, I've been asking myself all the time, "Why are prices for everything going up?" and (usually when I get to the checkout counter) "How am I supposed to afford this?!?"

Whether we work or stay home, Moms have the glorious task of purchasing nearly everything that makes our families run smoothly -- food, clothing, school supplies, sports supplies -- from sneakers to popsicles to band-aids. When we travel, I decide where we should stay, how expensive a restaurant we can afford to eat in, what activities fit into the travel budget. I have shopped for insurance, homes, cars, credit cards with a good interest rate. I shop for and purchase every single gift and card for every occasion on our family calendar. (And you're welcome! He signed the card, but that gift was, in fact, from me.)

It's funny... men always joke about women shopping. But, where would humanity be if we didn't? I firmly believe that, if I didn't shop, my children would be running around nearly naked, my husband would be wearing the last set of undergarments his mother bought him when he was 17, and our household would own 3 jet skis, a pool table, and a small video arcade -- but no eggs.

So, I thought I would write a few of my tips for saving money. Today's topic: Saving Money on Groceries.

There are a few stores in our local area that I love for bargain hunting on groceries. One is Aldi. It is great for canned goods and basics. You can find low price toiletries, paper goods, frozen foods. Since I started shopping there for my basics, I have shaved about $250 per month from my grocery budget. And, I have to say, it's a nice feeling to get a cart full of groceries for less than $100. I am usually surprised when the clerk says my total -- pleasantly surprised. The downside, you need to provide 25 cents for a grocery cart (you get it back at the end of the trip) and your own bags (reduce, reuse, recycle).

And, although I am no great fan of Walmart, they have something called price-match. That means you can go over the sale ads in your Sunday paper to find the lowest prices on groceries or household goods, make a note of which store has the lowest sale price, and the cashier at Walmart will charge you that price. I heard about this from a dear friend who shops a lot at Walmart. She estimates a savings of about $50 per shopping trip.

A few hints about using price-match:

It is best to make a list of the items you want to buy. Price-match works on store-brand and name-brand items, but it has to be the same item, the same size. For example, this week, Aldi advertised a gallon of 2% milk for $2.49. I had other shopping to do at Walmart, so I was able to buy store-brand 2% milk at the same price.

Occasionally, the cashier will ask you for the advertisement. So, you should also keep a small folder with the ads you want Walmart to match.

Because some extra effort is needed for the cashier to type in the new prices, keep your price-matched items separate from the regularly priced ones. The cashier will appreciate it.

Some final grocery savings notes: it pays to be careful and plan ahead when you're shopping. Do your best to look at your food-buying habits and grocery receipts and be realistic about what is a necessary purchase and what is not. In many ways, home-made items are not only healthier, but more cost-effective.

And, be sure to look at the "Going Green" series on Midwest Moms to see how to use your garden to save money on fresh fruits and vegetables, too.

Good luck with the shopping!

Midwest Mom

Going Green, Part 2

"Going Green" is a chronicle of my adventures in gardening...

So far, this Spring has been awfully wet. We live in corn country, and farmers are having to re-plant their crops because of all the rain.

Their loss is my gain. My lettuce and spinach continue to do great. The rain is holding the temperature down enough to prevent them from bolting. 'Bolting' is when leafy plants lose their compact shape and start to form a flower spike to set seed. When lettuce and spinach bolt, their leaves can get tougher. Mine are still tender and delicious.

I am worrying a bit about mildew issues and will have to investigate safe fungicides to keep the vines on the melons from withering. If you have suggestions, please write them in the comment section. I'll let you know what I find out in my next "Going Green" column.

We're just starting (even though it is already June!) to feel the heat here in Illinos. When it's not stormy, it's starting to feel steamy. My tomatoes, peppers and green beans will love the heat. This is the time when they will really start shooting up. I can't wait. Maybe that will help the mold issue to resolve? I don't know.

In the flower garden, I can report that I have begun to see HONEYBEES! This year is the second year for our wildflowers out back. (And for those of you who think we must have a huge amount of land, we don't!) Last year, the city brought in earth-movers and replaced sewer line along a defunct alley behind our property. Most of the neighbors re-seeded with grass. We are trying a wildflower garden instead, and loving it! We have lillies of the valley, a redbud, and tiger lillies from before. But we seeded with a Midwest Wildflower mix from American Meadows. [http://www.americanmeadows.com] Now, we have a beautiful border of wallflower, dianthus, bluebells, and dame's rocket. There is plenty of cosmos and sunflowers on the way, along with a few plants I haven't identified yet. It promises to be a colorful summer!

I recently read that the crisis in honeybee populations [called CCD, or Colony Collapse Disorder] is partially because high levels of pollution prevent the bees from "smelling" the fragrance of flowers to pollinate. One sniff of a garden full of wallflower and dame's rocket will let you know that will not be a problem out at our place! We also buck a trend by letting clover grow in our lawn. It is so soft on the feet, and the flowers really help the bees. Healthy bees mean better pollinated vegetables in the new veggie garden!

It's all connected. Here's to going green!

Midwest Mom

Going Green, part 1

If you live on the planet Earth these days, you are realizing that the prices of EVERYTHING are going up. I cannot believe how expensive even basic things like milk and bread are becoming -- not to mention gasoline!

So, I'm starting some new things at home to try to make our budget stretch a little farther. (And go a little "greener" in the process...)

The first thing I'm trying is a little old-fashioned -- a vegetable garden.

In the past (think WWII), having a garden at home was an important way to supplement what was available at the grocery store. Oh, and by the way, the food you get is fresher, healthier and about a twentieth of the cost.

Consider this: Tomato plants cost $1.29 for four plants. Yes, you have to actually wait and grow the tomatoes, but one plant has the potential to yield 25-100 tomatoes (depending on the variety). Multiply that by 4 and you get up to 400 juicy red beauties for a buck twenty-nine. Not bad.

So far, I've planted tomatoes, peppers. peas, green beans, watermelon, canteloupe, pumpkins, and two super-easy growers -- spinach and lettuce. We are already enjoying the freshest salads ever, with no sign of things slowing down. The spinach seeds perform best when you get them in the ground in early spring. So, if you want to grow it now, you'll have to start the seeds in a cool basement and then transplant outdoors. But this is prime time for lettuce. I've sown seeds a two-week intervals for a nice long harvest. As the seeds have grown and time comes to thin them out, we make the "baby lettuce" into salads so fresh, I don't have to talk my kids into eating them!

In terms of dollars and cents, think about how much you spend on lettuce in a bag. For the price of one bag of lettuce, you can grow an entire garden of the green stuff. And keep the other green stuff in your wallet.

If you're worried that you don't have time, or you'll kill the plants, I have a few hints for you.

1. For seeds: Loosen the soil before you plant, and pay close attention to the planting instructions on the package. Water lightly each day until your seeds sprout. After that, water only a few times a week, but for a longer time. You need the moisture to get all the way down to the roots of your plants. As the weather gets warmer, be careful of scorching. You can put a light shade on tender plants, like lettuce, by suspending a cloth cover (like a piece of bed sheet) 6-10 inches above the plants. Plants like peas, beans, melons, and tomatoes will love the heat and sun. Just make sure their roots have enough water.

2. If you're planting plants from your garden center, dig a hole twice the depth and width of the pot to give your plants roots space to spread out. Fill the hole with water (and I use a little potting mix with plant food to fill the hole in, too.) Fill in loosely with the plant and soil to fill the hole, keeping the plant at the same level it was in its pot -- not too deep or shallow. Water again. If the soil settles, add some more. For the first two weeks, water daily. After that, twice a week should be good.

I and my husband and kids are already getting a lot of enjoyment from our garden. Working in it gets us outdoors in the evenings and provides some nice quiet time, and of course the freshest food you can find. (Cheap!)

Good luck in the garden!

Midwest Mom