Tag: gardening

Early Garden Vegetables

I generally plant lettuce, spinach, and Swiss chard in April. I add fertilizer to the garden soil and work up the ground with my garden tiller. My garden rows are 30 inches apart, so I can quickly till between them. I plant my seeds shallow so they will not have trouble coming up if we get a lot of rainfall that packs the soil. April is also a good time to plant radishes, beets, carrots, peas, potatoes, onions, kale, and turnips. I plant my tomatoes on May 10th, butternut squash, and green bean seeds. You can plant more green bean seeds on May 25th if you wish to do so. Thank you, God, for the seeds that turn into excellent food for us to eat year-round. Tending to your garden is a joy as you watch the fruits of your labor flourish. Gardening is a fantastic exercise for you and has many health benefits.

Springtime Flowers

I enjoy looking at our tulips and the flowers on our Magnolia tree. I appreciate the early crocuses and daffodils. I love looking at the blossoms on our old Bartlett pear tree and the crabapple trees. The Red Bud tree flowers open a little later in the season but are also truly beautiful. The tulip festival in Pella, Iowa, is lovely to look at. They have wonderful places to eat and fantastic candy stores with almond letters. I love to look at the early flowers in the parks and look for morel mushrooms.

Planting Trees

Now is the time to plant fruit, shade, evergreens, and ornamental trees. Make sure you open up the root ball before you plant your new trees. An open root ball will ensure a healthier tree with room for its roots to expand and grow, and soak up the moisture in the soil quickly. Water your new trees as recommended by your greenhouse.

Freezing Excess Vegetables

I love to freeze lots of green beans as they are good to eat in winter. I also freeze squash, Swiss chard, spinach, tomatoes, and raspberries. I used to freeze pumpkin, cherry, gooseberry, currant, and mulberry pies.. I also froze several rhubarb crisps.

Springtime Brings All Kinds Of Beauty Back To Life

Once again, our lawns look green, plush, and lovely, and we keep them manicured by mowing and weed-whacking around trees and bushes. We hear birds singing with glee every morning, or when the sun is shining, Robins look for worms, and generally they succeed in unearthing one for a tasty meal. Many animals are born in the spring and enjoy eating the long grasses and their regular feed. God’s beauty is found everywhere we look. Thank you, God, for the beauty you have put in the world for us to see and appreciate.

Tags flowers, gardening, tips, Trees, vegetables

What Can I Do To Keep Busy Once I Retire

What Can I Do To Keep Busy Once I Retire?

Post author By Laura Weers
Post date January 10, 2025
No Comments on What Can I Do To Keep Busy Once I Retire?

God Will Direct You

God knows what he wants you to do when you retire, and he will guide you and show you the way. When one door closes, God will open another door for you with much more behind that door. I became a lay minister for my church, and I love to call people on the phone and read my inspirations with laura post to them. I also visit with them, and I learn a great deal from our visits. I play my harmonicas at some assisted living facilities and rest homes. I love visiting people at the rest homes and look forward to our visits. I love to try to lift people’s spirits and listen to their joys and concerns. God knows all about you and where you can do the most good at whatever point you are on your life’s journey.

Gardening

I love gardening, and it offers bountiful harvests of many different types, such as exercise, enjoying the great outdoors, and eating healthy vegetables. Working the soil and raising crops gives one a great sense of accomplishment. It has been proven that gardeners are more mobile, fit, and trim than those who do not. I love mowing my yard and keeping my place looking neat and trim. I also love to keep my trees trimmed and bushes and brush under control. I use a small chainsaw that takes care of most tree trimming.

Travel

If you have not traveled much, start now, as one’s health and body can deteriorate quickly, making travel impossible. If you have a particular location, make plans to go there and enjoy the food, sights, and people and see all that you want to see in the time frame that you have allocated. Traveling with someone you know who enjoys the same things you do makes the vacation twice as lovely, and you will share and cherish those moments forever.

Get Out With Friends

In retirement, the worst thing you can do is stay in your house and be bored. Friends make even the bad times good by knowing what to say to you and motivating you in the right direction. If someone wants to be a friend with you, never say no if you think the friendship would work out well for both of you. One can never have too many good and trusted friends. God put family and friends on earth to help us along our journey in life.

If You Have A Desire To Do Something You Always Wanted To Do Now Is The Time

If you want to write and publish a book, write a song, do artwork, and much more, go for it. Some people have an old car that belonged to their Father, which they have always wanted to redo, and they now have time to make that dream a reality. You may want to remodel your home or downsize, so do it now and enjoy it for many years. Never put things off, or you may never get your dream completed. Think positive and keep your mind active with lifelong learning classes, reading, crossword puzzles, and more. I hope you enjoy a happy and healthy retirement for many years.

Tags gardening, get out with friends, God Will Direct You, Inspirations with Laura, retirement, Travel

Basic Gardening

Laying Out Your Garden

I try to rotate my garden crops every year. By moving your garden crops around, you do not deplete your soil with the necessary nutrients for what you are growing in that area. Rotation also improves the number of garden pests, weeds, and fungi you must deal with. I plant my squash in the corner of my garden so the vines will not grow over and prevent sunshine from getting to my other garden goods. I try to plant items that will not last so long on the edge of my garden. I always grow my tomatoes in a row with cages around them. I use two rows of green beans side by side, making picking the beans easier.

Garden Fertilizer

I buy garden fertilizer from a local garden center. I put fertilizer on my garden at the beginning of the season and the end of the season. I work the fertilizer into the ground with my garden tiller. Once my seeds are established, I sprinkle weed preventer around the plants and between the rows. I put wood chips around my tomato plants and green beans to prevent plant fungus that can kill off beans and tomatoes. Remember to sprinkle more weed preventers around your plants according to the directions on the container.

Garden Tilling

Always work up your garden soil at the start of the season. Till in between the rows to help prevent weeds. Tilling loosens up your soil so your plants can absorb necessary nutrients easier, get a more extensive rot base, and produce a bountiful harvest for you and your family. Weeds rob your plants of nutrients and make your garden look unattended.

Planting Your Garden

I plant garden seeds, and I love to watch them grow. I buy tomato plants, eggplants, and squash plants. I use an old garden hose, make a ridge for my seeds, and gently cover the bases. I place paper around the bottom of my plant so rootworms will not eat off the plants. Ensure you leave enough room between your rows for quickly weeding and picking your products.

Thinning Out Your Seeds

Pull out plant seeds that are way too thick. By thinning out your plants, you will have more extensive, healthier plants that produce more. You can remove extra tomatoes from your plants by trimming off additional leaders. If you have a sick-looking tomato plant or another plant, remove it so your other plants will not become infected.

Harvesting The Fruits Of Your Labor

It would be best to have-looking and other plants you eat. e eating fresh garden lettuce, radishes, Swiss chard, and other greens ready early in the gardening season. I never get tired of eating fresh green beans and butternut squash. I freeze squash and green beans, which I enjoy eating in the winter. I have raspberry bushes in my garden that produce well. I love raspberries in my breakfast food in the morning. An apple tree makes for a beautiful apple sauce or apple pies. I have some rhubarb plants that I make rhubarb crisp with. I hope you have a bountiful harvest from your garden this year.

Tags gardening, tips