Shrubs & Hedges Book by Eva Monheim review and giveaway

in book, Garden, giveaway, hedges, landscape, review, shrubs, by Linda A Kinsman, Thursday, March 12, 2020

With the official start of spring just one week away, I wanted to continue sharing helpful gardening resources with you so you can be armed with lots of information and tips to start the gardening season off strong. Today, I’m reviewing and hosting a giveaway for a fantastic resource on shrubs and hedges. This is a newly published book written by Eva Monheim. It’s a practical, ordinary person’s guide to choosing, planting, and caring for the world’s most popular plants, shrubs and hedges. Personally, I love having them in my yard and garden. They add so much beauty and color and are a bee’s paradise. Read on to learn about my favorites and how you to can add shrubs & hedges to your garden plan this year and enter the giveaway!

My All Time Favorite Shrub- Lilac!

Lilacs in bloom

Hello May! Breathe Freely Wellness Bundle Giveaway

in breathe, castile soap, eco friendly, family, giveaways, green, hand sanitizer, May, products, wellness, by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, May 01, 2020

It's May first and Friday, which makes today extra special in my book. I love May for so many reasons! The main one being the weather. May welcomes outside and reintroduces us to our yards that need cutting, our flowerbeds that need tending and our porches, decks and patios that need a deep cleaning. With all that outdoor time, we are prone to coming in contact with lots of dust and pollen, that's why I was happy to team up with a great group of bloggers to bring you today's giveaway. Read on to discover how we are saying Hello May! with a fab Breathe Freely Wellness Bundle and meet some new bloggers along the way.

Breathe Freely Wellness Bundle Giveaway

3 Free gardening apps to try this spring

in bees, butterflies, flowers, Garden, gardening app, growing season, hummingbirds, spring, vegetables, by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, March 03, 2017

I am counting down the days until spring officially arrives later this month. I know I’m not alone in this count- down to March 20^th. My friends and I are watching for and taking note of all the markers that spring is on its way. Here in the south, there is a riot of beautiful Daffodils in yards everywhere, the Tulip trees are blooming and the Bradford Pear trees are budding. Since we gardeners are in a bit of a holding pattern for now, I thought I’d share 3 free (and fun!) gardening apps I’m going to try out this spring to help us pass the time until we can really get out there and garden!

3 free gardening apps to try this spring

1. My first app choice will help all of us who have ever walked through a park or lovely garden setting and thought what is that flower? Aptly named- What’s that flower, this app will help you identify flowers by color, habitat, and even number of petals. Cool right?

What's that flower app

What’s that flower app will narrow down your options to a couple dozen, and then you just scroll through that list until you find the right flower. Once your flower is found, you can read about it and see if it will work in your garden space/home. Android users can download app here. This app isn’t available on IOS yet, so I suggest trying Garden Answers app. It looks like it has similar features. Download here.

DIY Gardening Tiips App

2. My second app just may add a serious amount of phone time to my schedule because it covers so many topics I find interesting. The DIY Gardening Tips app helps you find great gardening and DIY tips that you can easily use. Plus it has tons of useful information for vegetable gardens, something I want to explore more this year. There’s tips on flowers and herbs and even garden design! This app is available for Android here and IOS here.

BeeSmart app

3. My third choice is Bee Smart App. In a time when our bee populations are dwindling at an alarming rate, I know all gardeners share my concern and passion to help aide the bee by planting flowers and shrubs they like. What attracted me (pun intended) to this app was their mission statement: The BeeSmart™ Pollinator Gardener is your comprehensive guide to selecting plants for pollinators specific to your area. Never get caught wondering what plants to buy again! I like the sound of that and it looks so easy to use. Just plug in your zip code and hit enter! If you want to get bees, hummingbirds and butterflies in your garden this spring, download Bee Smart here for Android and here for IOS.

I hope you'll give at least one of 3 free gardening apps a try this spring. If you do, please come back here and let me know your thoughts in comments and be sure to share a gardening app you like in comments too!

Which app do you think you are mostly likely to try and why?

Win Your Outdoor Room Design a Garden you can Live in Book

in #AD, books, design, Garden, how to, by Linda A Kinsman, Saturday, July 06, 2024

Happy July my friends. I’m getting back into the swing of things after a little vacation, and I can’t think of a better way to kick the month off than with a book giveaway! I’m excited to share Your Outdoor Room by Manoj Malde, a beloved BBC TV show and author with you here today.

Happy July Book Giveaway:

Your Outdoor Room by Manoj Malde

Friday Faves: Quick Dinner Ideas, Good Books, Bedroom Closet Organizing Ideas

in #AD, #gardening, dinners, foodanddrink, olympics, organizing, planners, by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, February 06, 2026

Happy first Friday in February! I’m excited to watch the replay of the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games with my husband tonight, so dinner has to be quick and easy. I’m sharing a dinner that fits busy nights, a set of lovely books for the American Horticultural Society and a few bedroom closet organization essentials in this edition of Friday Faves.

Friday Faves First Week of February

Friday Faves First Week of February

The Garden Patch Growbox Giveaway

in container, Garden, gardening, giveaway, growbox, patch, by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, May 03, 2013

During one of our recent family meetings, we all agreed that we grow our veggies in containers again this year. This frees up some of our summer and gives us a chance to bargain shop for a much needed rototiller and a few other gardening tools we're missing.

Do you container garden as well? Then you are going to love this giveaway! I've partnered with some great bloggers to bring you:

The Garden Patch Growbox Giveaway

grow box

Courtesy:TheGrowbox.com

My blogging buddy Colleen at My Vegan Gluten Free Life shares her experience with The Growbox below:

"Garden Patch was having a photo contest. I sent in a photo of the tomato plants that I grow using Garden Patch Growboxes. I put them in my south-facing windows of my home in Homer, AK. To my delight and surprise I was one of the photo winners in The Garden Patch Photo Contest, with your voting help! My picture is in their mailing flier.

winner

Courtesy: My Vegan Gluten Free Life

I just love to Garden and since it's rather difficult in our Alaskan climate I love these Growboxes! I grow cucumbers and green beans also in my house! Of course these Growboxes are used outside but for those of us with challenging growing conditions it is so nice to have one of these inside to grow in! I now have 7 Growboxes & LOVE them!
I LOVE the fact that it has a water reservoir at the bottom of the Growbox. It is large and the access is through the easily seen pour spout. I can leave my home for a week after filling the reservoir, which I do frequently, and when I return the vegetables are in fine shape and condition! The roots grow through the planting media and into the water. It is a fantastic system.
When I received notice from The Garden Patch telling me I had won and they would send me a Growbox, I asked if they would give one as a giveaway instead of sending me one since I use them already. Again to my delight and surprise, The Garden Patch said they would gladly send one as a giveaway prize but also would send me one! Isn't the Garden Patch absolutely fabulous? So one lucky winner will get to have one of these great Growboxes!"

The Garden Patch Growbox Giveaway:

The Garden Patch Growbox comes complete with fertilizer, easy instructions and planting guide. It is made of Tough UV construction lasts a long time! You can see by my picture below. I just hosed off and cleaned my Growboxes getting them ready for use here shortly. Our Alaskan sunshine is lasting at least 12 hours already. All you have to do is just add plants and potting mix. They are a nice 28"L x 14"W x 12"H in size and green or terra-cotta in color. I have the terra-cotta ones. They are USA made.

This Garden Growbox giveaway is open to the US.

Giveaway closes May 31, 2013 at 12:00 AM EST .

Enter on the Rafflecopter below and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What do you Garden?

The First-Time Homesteader Book: A beginners guide to Homesteading

in #BookReview, AD, giveaways, guides, homesteader, how-to, self-sustaining, by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, October 21, 2022

Have you been enjoying the crisp fall air this week? I sure have, even though that meant covering my plants and bringing in my herbs a little sooner than I normally do. It’s all part of the growing cycle here on our little homeplace. Notice, I call it “homeplace” not “homestead”, so why am I reviewing a book all about starting a homestead? Because I felt it was time for me to understand what it takes to set up a homestead and if it’s right for us. Do you have questions about homesteading? Read on to see if this book can help.

Homesteading Guide:

The first time homesteader book

Grow Your Own Spices No Matter Where You Live Book Review & Giveaway

in #AD, #BookReview, #gardening, #giveaway, at home, books, spices, by Linda A Kinsman, Wednesday, February 24, 2021

February with it’s cold, dreary winter days always makes me yearn for spring. I know I’m not alone in this need for warmer temperatures to arrive and wipe away the last bit of winter, but we have a few more weeks to wait until spring shows up. Now is the perfect time to start your gardening plans if you haven’t already. I’ve got three books to share with you in the next few weeks that will help with that. Today’s book review and giveaway is all about Spices and how you can grow them no matter where you live.

Grow Your Own Spices at Home!

Grow your own spices book

Two Vegetable Gardening Books to help you Create your Best Garden Ever

in #AD, #gardening, garden books, giveaways, vegetables, by Linda A Kinsman, Wednesday, March 27, 2024

The first full week of spring has passed and in some parts of the U.S. gardening is in full swing! Seedlings are ready to be planted, the second wave of flowers and trees are in bloom and I am ready to get started! I know better though, since I live in gardening zone 7b (Nashville, TN. area), which means a few more frigid nights before planting can begin. To help pass the time, I’ve been reading two books on vegetable gardening, which I’ll share with you today along with a giveaway for each.

Create your Best Garden Ever!

Create your Best Garden Ever book giveaway

Dried Flowers: Low Maintenance way to add floral beauty to your Home

in #AD, dried flowers, floral, greeting cards, home decor, homeandgarden, low maintenance, wreaths, by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, June 16, 2023

Even though I grow flowers and bring fresh bouquets to add beauty and nature to my space, I’m always sad to see the blooms wither and have to be thrown away. I’ve tried drying special flower arrangements over the years, but my efforts were unremarkable and I knew I needed to leave this endeavor to a professional! Today I’m partnering with Roxanne’s Dried Flowers to show how dried flowers are a low-maintenance way to add floral beauty to your home.

Dried Flowers add Floral Beauty!

Feathers and Flowers Wreath on Mantle

Friday Favorites The January 2026 Reset Edition

in #AD, #NewYear, calendars, Friday Faves, hobbies, homeandgarden, houseplants, January, jigsaw puzzles, reset, by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, January 09, 2026

Happy Friday, friends, and welcome to my January reset edition of Friday faves. We’re nine days into the new year, and I’ve spent the majority of those days offline resetting our home. Once the Christmas decorations are down and stored away for the year, I get busy. I enjoy cleaning, organizing, and adding decor to freshen up our home. Here’s what I’ve been enjoying so far this year.

Friday Faves- January Reset

Friday Faves January Edition

Wordless Wednesday: Watering

in container, flowers, gardening, herbs, south, watering, by Linda A Kinsman, Wednesday, July 01, 2015

The dog days of summer aren't upon us yet, but things are heating up in the south come July. Watering is a daily chore that I really don't mind- most days. Happy July, happy gardening readers!

My WAHM Plan: front porch watering #gardening

The watering can peaking out of our front porch railing is a call to action for me.

gardening, south, container, flowers, petunia's

I'll be swapping out Petunia's for Begonia's soon enough.

My WAHM Plan: watering Rosemary

Rosemary likes a a nice cool drink of water.

My WAHM Plan: watering and gardening in the south

Sometimes a light misting on plants and people is in order.

Please share in comments: What are you watering daily? Herbs? Flowers? Tomatoes?

Wordless Wednesday: Basil, Blackberries, Bananas

in fruit, Garden, herbs, summer, by Linda A Kinsman, Wednesday, August 02, 2017

Happy August and happy Wordless Wednesday! This post isn't going to be wordless though, since it needs a little explanation. Since I've been on a summer schedule here on the blog, posting about once a week, I thought it would be fun to show you what I've been doing offline besides being with my family.

Basil plants in containers

The Productive Garden: An Essential Guide Toward Self‑Sufficiency Book Review & Giveaway

in #AD, #gardening, #giveaway, books, self care, self sufficency, by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, April 10, 2026

Happy Friday, readers. It’s been a few weeks since I reviewed a book and hosted a giveaway, so I’m happy to say, I’m fixing that today with a wonderful new garden book from Stephanie Hafferty, award-winning homesteader and no-dig garden expert, called The Productive Garden.

The Productive Garden: An Essential Guide Toward Self‑Sufficiency

The Productive Garden: An Essential Guide Toward Self‑Sufficiency

Wordless Wednesday: summer flowers in bloom

in flowers, gardening, pots, summer, wordless wednesday, by Linda A Kinsman, Wednesday, July 29, 2015

The summer heat has taken its toll on some of my flowerbeds and containers, but these faithful plants bloom for me season after season.

My WAHM Plan: Begonias in pots

My WAHM Plan: Succulent blooms

My WAHM Plan: Gladiolus

My WAHM Plan: Marigolds

Please share in comments: What's blooming in your garden this hot July?

Kitchen Garden Revival Book Review and Giveaway

in #AD, books, garden help, gardening, giveaway, how to, kitchen garden, raised beds, by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, June 05, 2020

I first learned about today’s book author, Nicole Johnsey Burke on my Instagram feed. Her account, GardenaryCo. is a lush, colorful garden paradise! If you love to garden, or want to start, you’ll want to follow that Instagram account for sure. Today’s post is about her newest book- Kitchen Garden Revival- A modern guide to creating a stylish, small scale, low maintenance edible garden. I am thrilled to hold this book in my hands! I have talked myself out of having another garden for one too many seasons, but not this summer. It’s not too late for me or you to have a small kitchen garden this year, so let’s get started.

Fresh from the Garden!

Kitchen Garden Revival Book shares garden crop

The Garden Journal A Beautiful Five Year Record Keeping Tool

in #AD, gardening, giveaways, home gardens, journaling, new year planning, by Linda A Kinsman, Wednesday, December 20, 2023

Tomorrow marks the first official day of winter, which for most gardeners, or those aspiring to be, is the perfect time to be warm and cozy inside, while dreaming of what we want to do outside once the weather is warm again. I can think of no better book for garden dreaming and planning than The Garden Journal, a beautiful five-year record-keeping tool by Linda Vater. As a special thanks to my readers, I’m hosting a giveaway for a hardbound copy of this book.

The Garden Journal: A Five Year Record Keeping Tool!

The Garden Journal: A Five Year Record Keeping Tool

Five Analog Hobbies I Enjoy and Have Found Online Communities For

in analog, books, embroidery, flowers, hobbies, houeplants, nature, walks, work in progress, by Linda A Kinsman, Wednesday, April 01, 2026

Happy April, dear readers. I’m back from my no-blogging spring break, and I must say, the break did me a world of good. I’m back with creative ideas flowing. Today’s post is one of those fateful things. My daughter gave me a gift, which happened to be part of a Gen Z trend of analog hobbies, and I thought, I’ve been enjoying several analog hobbies forever, I should share them on the blog! I’ll start with five hobbies today.

Five Analog Hobbies I enjoy. Join Me!

Five Analog Hobbies I enjoy. Join Me!

3 local Gardening resources you may be overlooking

in Almanac, Farmers, Garden, local, resources, spring, when to plant, by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, April 11, 2014

By all accounts spring is officially here in middle Tennessee so I should be out there digging in the dirt, happily planting flowers and veggies. And trust me, I really want to be doing just that- but I know better. I’m in a gardening holding pattern waiting for that last frost warning to come and go.

spring, signs, birds, Robin #garden

You see, I am a firm believer in all the old farmers and gardeners around here. The ones who read the weather patterns and can tell you if we’ve gone through the Dogwood winter, or the blackberry winter, or whatever winter remains well after the calendar says spring has begun.

I wasn’t always a believer though. When we first moved to the Nashville area in the 90’s, I still had a west coast gardening mentality and I lost a few plants before I decided I best take heed.

There are several good resources for you to find out the true planting and growing season in your area.

Naturally, you can Google it, but you may not get an in depth answer. You can buy a Farmers Almanac, which I would like to do some day- but let’s face it, I’m not a farmer, and so the almanac isn’t exactly riveting reading for me. You can listen to your daily weather forecast, but most TV stations cover a large viewing area, so again, you may not get the best information for your specific neighborhood.

So what’s a gardener to do? So glad you asked. Go hyper local for your information.

tree, leaves, spring

1. Go to your local Co-Op, Nursery or Farmers Market and ask questions. There will always be somebody there happy to answer them.

2. Join a local Gardening club or befriend a neighborhood gardener. I have two lady gardening friends who give me extra plant starts almost yearly. I pay it forward when I can.

3. Get to know your neighborhood. While you are driving from point A to point B, take notice of who is doing what in their yards and gardens. For instance, I noticed the lady who has a lovely border of Buttercups, Irises and other early spring bloomers out in her beds every morning when I went by to take my daughter to her early Glee practices.

I’ve also noticed that 3 of the local vegetable gardens I admire in the summer have tilled but not planted. And I’m betting if I were to stop and chat with the owners, I'd learn that they’ve had their seeds started for weeks and have been tending to them, just waiting for the last frost to come and go.

Please share with me in comments, what are you planting this year?

Three tips to make the most of Black Friday shopping at The Home Depot

in #AD, #blackFriday, Deals, diy, home improvement, homedecor, shopping, The Home Depot, tools, by Linda A Kinsman, Monday, November 18, 2019

This may come as a surprise to some of you, but I love going to Home Depot! Especially with my husband. He knows all the local stores layouts like the back of his hand and can spot of great deal from a mile away. He waits for big ticket items like power tools to go on sale, much like I await furniture and home goods sales. Case in point, just last night, we were at Home Depot to purchase a new air compressor that was a pre-black Friday deal. While there, I started taking mental notes of other tools he was wishing he had. If shopping at Home Depot is on your radar this holiday season, my three tips to make the most of Black Friday shopping at The Home Depot is for you.

Three tips to make the most of Black Friday shopping at Home Depot #ad

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