Take a close look in your garden, and you may find that you already have a few species of beneficial insects calling your garden home. These may include lady beetles, green lacewings, hover flies, parasitic wasps and predatory mites. The predators, such as lady beetles, lacewing larvae and mites, prey on aphids, caterpillars, mealybugs, leafhoppers, whiteflies and insect eggs.  The parasites, such as wasps, defend your garden against tomato hornworm, cabbageworm and tent caterpillars by laying their eggs on or into them.

Your friends at Gurney’s have the perfect solution for attracting beneficial insects to your garden: Gurney’s Beneficial Bug Blend! This superior blend of flowers and herbs has been specially formulated to attract beneficial insects to your garden. Irresistible to good bugs such as ladybugs and lacewings, which work to eliminate pests that do damage to plants and crops – also attractive to pollinators such as honeybees and butterflies.

This is why we have started a new series here at Gurney’s Blog called “The Minimalist Garden.” Each month, we will discuss ways you can simplify and organize different aspects of your garden! Today’s entry: Vegetable seeds!

If you have a garden space, you can easily get by with a 4’ X 4’ area. No garden? No problem. Just get a half a dozen large pots, about 18-24” across the top, and fill ‘em with potting soil. Vegetables like lots of light, so both garden areas and pots need to be in a sunny spot.

Fresh veggies have lots of advantages. You know where they came from, you know what was put on them, and you will never get anything fresher. Ideally, you’ll want to start them from seed, so that you can be in complete control of your garden edibles. That’s why we’re focusing on vegetable seeds!

So what are you going to grow? Well, that’s up to you, of course. I like to grow lettuce, tomatoes, radishes, and maybe some spinach, but that’s me. Maybe you could try a pepper? Those are always fun to grow.

Okay, so let’s assume lettuce is on your list (since it’s so easy to grow from seed). You can start lettuce as soon as winter’s last frost has passed (now, for most areas). First, moisten the soil. Next, get a small piece of wood, like a ruler. Press the edge into the surface to make a tiny valley. Sprinkle the seeds into your mini-valley ever so gently; try to get them about a half-inch apart. Press the soil back over them so they are about a quarter-inch deep.

Water lightly, and wait a few days for the seedlings to appear. When they are about 2” high, you’re ready for your first garden-fresh salad! You have to thin them out anyway, so might as well enjoy the greens. You’ll want to clip the plant down to about the soil level. About a week later, do it again, removing every other plant.

Lettuce and spinach will re-grow if you cut them about 1-1/2” above the ground, just above the heart of the plant. This method will get you several salads per plant. You can even sow the lettuce and spinach seeds at different times so you can enjoy fresh salad uninterrupted!

The tomato varieties best suited to a small space are the cherry types. They come in all kinds of colors, and they are crazy prolific. Most cherry tomatoes need to be tied to a stake, and they’re very easy to start from seed.

Radishes come in three varieties: the familiar round, red balls; longer French types that look like red baby carrots; and Japanese daikon radishes. The first two pop up and mature with a couple weeks, while daikon takes twice as long. For a constant supply, sow more seed every two weeks, and make sure you thin them out, or they’ll get spindly roots that won’t fill out.

With these few plants, you can legitimately call yourself a vegetable seed gardener! Now go enjoy yourself a fresh and wholesome harvest!

My favorite herb tea is mint, but some varieties are tastier than others. I use the English mint I grow in my backyard, which has a full mint flavor with no off notes. For a good mint tea, pick about a half-cup of leaves, packed, then bruise them on a cutting board. Place in a warmed teapot, add two pints of boiling water, and steep for about five minutes. Strain and serve…then enjoy! Apple mint is delicious, too, as is peppermint.

Use the same method with catnip (yes, catnip!), chamomile flowers, sage, dill (double the amount of leaves), Echinacea, lavender, thyme or rosemary (half the amount of leaves). You can also use an herb to flavor regular tea, especially green tea, for a delightful drink. Earl Grey tea is flavored with bergamot fruit rind to give its distinctive taste.

Lemony herbs, such as lemon verbena, make good teas by themselves or with other herbs. Lemon verbena with mint is a nice combination. If you use St. John’s wort, add about a tablespoon of thyme for a much better taste. With this and other herbal teas, the best sweetener is a good honey, which sweetens without masking the taste of the tea.

Light and temperature

Most plants like bright, indirect light, like an east- or west-facing window. Some plants, especially those that flower or produce fruit, may require more sunlight. Too much direct sunlight can burn a plant, while too little light can lead to “legginess” since they stretch towards the light source. Even if the plant is getting the correct amount of light, it will tend to grow towards the light source. I rotate each of my houseplants every week when I check them for watering. This keeps the plant balanced and looking its best.

If the amount of natural light in your home is limited (and who’s isn’t?), use grow lights. I have found that a full-spectrum grow light is the easiest way to provide more light just where you need it, especially during the short days of winter.

Plants are also affected by temperature, and most do well in temperatures that you will find comfortable (55-85°). Sometimes light needs and temperature needs are in conflict. For instance, a drafty window may be too cold for a particular plant, regardless of the valuable sunlight it provides. Likewise, a plant may get too warm if placed near a radiator or heating vent. And keep in mind that these problem spots will change with the seasons. A vent that blows warm air in the winter may in turn blow cold air during the summer.

My personal new favorite this year is our new Seed Starting Kit, which allows you to quickly, easily and successfully start all kinds of seeds. Each kit contains everything you need for fast germination and vital root growth. I’ll talk more about this cool kit in my next post, which will also include some great seed starting tips!

The new Spring Catalog will feature all of your familiar favorites, including our popular Ka-Bluey™ Blueberry, Gotta Have It™ Sweet Corn, and Flat Wonderful™ Peach, in addition to some new favorites and surprises.

To receive your FREE copy of the 2010 Spring Gurney’s Seed & Nursery Catalog, or to place an order, click here!