Second Garden Update

Yay! I'm so excited to finally update you on our garden. Since last time, we have had a major dry spell and then finally a huge storm. The rain really did the garden good! Well, all but my poor tomato plants.

  

Sadly, two of our plants were broke in the storm. Each plant had around 15 tomatoes on them, which were still small and green (we saved a few from the broken limbs, hoping that they will ripen). The limbs we absolutely could not save, were fed to the animals (they loved it) and the ones that we could help have been retied and given support. Hopefully they will make it, but there's no tellin' what will happen.

Other than that, everything is doing GREAT!!!

Our cabbage leaves are getting huge! Hopefully in a couple weeks, they will be ready!

We have more than 25 watermelons starting on our 5 plants. This is the biggest that we have at the moment. It seemed to just appear over night! How exciting!

Our Marigolds are more beautiful than ever! All of our new seeds have sprouted and the sprouts in the containers are ready to go in the ground. I can't wait until the end of the season when they are all bigger!

Our snap peas are doing wonderful! Ever since we gave them the trellises to grow up, they have been doing great!

Lastly, our moldy pumpkin seeds have turned into this mess!

(We had poured a packet of wet, moldy pumpkin seeds in the corner of the garden, thinking they wouldn't grow.... They are doing the best out of our whole garden!!)

Update me on your garden! Comment below(:

Citronella, Citronella, and More Citronella!

After being asked "what is that plant?" by many people, I've realized that a great number of people don't know what Citronella is.

Have you ever bought the outdoor citronella candles that repel mosquitoes? Many will be surprised to hear that those are made out of Citronella plants (Hints: the name)!

I bought my Citronella plants back in June, and they are probably one of my most favorite plants. They are super easy to take care of, they smell wonderful, and they keep all bugs off my porch! Can't get any better than that!
All I did was plant them in bigger pots and set them on each side of the porch. Mosquitoes HATE the smell, so they don't come around!
But it gets so much better than that..
There are tons of uses for Citronella, and it comes back every year!
Keep reading to find out all the amazing uses for this plant, as well as how to preserve it over the Winter months.

Harvesting Citronella 

Harvesting the leaves off the plant is not a hard job at all. Simply just pull the leaves off the stocks and they will regrow themselves. They respond well to pruning, so you don't have to worry about hurting the plant.

Preserving Harvested Leaves

Boiling Method- Bug Spray
Boil the leaves until scent is strong enough. Strain mixture. Use liquid as a bug spray to repel insects.

Slow Cooker Method- Citronella Oil
Blend Citronella leaves into a paste. Add Olive Oil and blend into a slow cooker and simmer for 5-8 hours. Strain and store in a easy-to-pour bottle or container.

Uses for Citronella Oil

You are going to be amazed at what Citronella can do around the house and for your body, beyond repelling pests!

Insect Repellent
As I mentioned before, Citronella is one of the most effective mosquito repellents you can find, but there is more! It can also prevent body lice, head lice, and flies.
Just apply every 30-60 minutes when outdoors.

Pet Control
This miracle plant can:

• Calm barking dogs

Just wave a leaf by their nose so that they can pick up the smell. (It actually works for Brodie and Cooper!)
You could also use the spray or oil for this.

• Keep dogs off the furniture
• Keep bacteria, pests, and odor off the furniture and blankets.

Just spray down the areas in which you prefer!

Anti-Inflammatory and Pain Reducer
Citronella reduces swelling and increases blood flow, which helps with pain. It can also help with joint pain and arthritis!

Digestive Aid
Using the Citronella oil in your diet could do the following:

• Detox body - increases sweating and urination to cleanse body from toxins
• Prevent bacteria growth in digestive tract
• Speeds up healing process
• Can kill parasites and worms in the body
• Protects against a number of diseases and infections

 Natural Skin Care
Applying a small amount of Citronella to your daily cleansing routine could help you:

• Get rid of acne and dark spots
• Fade sun spots
• Fight warts, boils, and age spots
• Heal dermatitis, eczema, and bug bite scars
• Makes skin look more youthful

That sounds great to me!

Muscle Relaxant
This one's pretty self explanatory.
Rubbing the Citronella oil on painful areas can help to relieve cramps, swelling, and pain.

Natural Hair Care
Add the oil to your regular routine to get rid of dandruff and oils, and add volume!







 The great thing is, all of these requires little to no effort after the oil and spray are made! How convenient!
I have added Citronella to my daily life, and it has helped out so much! It is well worth your money!
Consider trying it!

 Until tomorrow!