Gardening on a Budget - Trimming the Trees

I managed to get some of the trees trimmed in the garden.  They have been growing happily but can become a problem if you allow them to grow too tall.

I got our guy who cuts the grass to cut them back for me and now there is a lot of branches and leaves to make use of throughout the garden.

There are many things that you can do with the cut branches which once laid on the beds will help the plants overtime and is a cheaper way that having to have a dedicated compost bin, this helps to keep all the moisture in the beds and stops the plants from drying out.  You can also use some of the branches and seed pods in creative projects in the studio.

Here is what the pods look like on the trees, and once the pods are dry they split open and each can contain between 8 and 13 seeds.  

Come and join me in the garden, you will get to see how some of the plants are doing and may be share how you are doing in your green space, however big or small.

Before You Go

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Tropical Garden Update - Growing Bananas

 

Come and join me in the garden to check out what is happening to my banana patch.  I had moved a small plant in the space and it has now grown and has many small suckers growing around it.

I also noticed a flower growing and then before you could turn round there was a rack of bananas attached, which you can see in the photo below.

The garden is my happy place while there is usually quite a bit of work to be done out there I always take time out to just sit and enjoy all the things that are growing.

Join me next time in the garden to see what else is growing on.

Before You go

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Embracing the Seasons - Tropical Garden Tour

Hello and welcome to the Garden! I'm Amanda, if you are new here and I'm thrilled to share another enchanting garden tour with you. As the seasons shift from dry to rainy, and maybe even hurricane season, my little oasis transforms into a lush haven of greenery. Join me as I update you on the latest garden growth and some of my favorite plants.

The rain has been abundant lately, breathing new life into the garden. I couldn't be happier with the progress. There is always something in the garden that surprises and delights from plants that the birds have sown to discovering some of the ways that the plants can be used to improve on health and wellbeing.

We have a lovely selection of scented plants and as you walk through the space you get wafts of sweet aromas which offsets the  challenges that arise, like dealing with pests, but I take each obstacle as an opportunity to learn and improve. 

As the garden continues to flourish, I encourage you all to find joy in growing, whether in pots or large spaces. Embrace the seasons, and discover the beauty of nature's gifts in your very own green haven.  Do take a look at the video, and thank you for joining me on this tour, and until next time, happy gardening!

Before You Go, Check out this Garden inspired Course - How Does Your Garden Grow 

Creative Garden - Creating a Bird-Friendly Haven in Your Garden

Creating a Bird-Friendly Haven in Your Garden

Welcome to my garden, a sanctuary where creativity meets nature. One of my primary goals is to provide a comfortable environment for birds, allowing them to thrive and build their nests. In today's video, I'll take you on a tour of the birds favorite spots. 

One of the key elements in attracting birds is offering trees of varying heights. By doing so, I provide them with options for nesting. The diversity of trees in my garden ensures that different bird species can find their perfect nesting grounds.

Apart from providing trees of varying heights, offering a plentiful food supply is another crucial aspect of attracting and sustaining birds in the garden. In my garden, the tall pomegranate trees have a unique purpose. Some of them have split open, rendering them unsuitable for human consumption. However, these fruits make perfect feeding stations for the birds. Their high water content makes them a refreshing treat, especially during hot days we have been getting - with more to come!.

Observing the birds enjoying the environment as they build their nests is also a fascinating process, and you can witness some of the materials birds use from the garden. They incorporate cotton and grass, both of which I have intentionally placed in various spots and every so often they find some strips of fabric that are also added to the nest. 

The birds also aid in insect control. Birds are natural predators, and their appetite for insects helps maintain the balance in the garden. I am grateful for their presence as they munch on insects, keeping their populations in check. Without them, I would likely encounter more issues with pests in my garden.

Birds aren't the only garden helpers - we have lizards, toads, and at dusk the bats come out. Lizards also play a vital role in insect control. I'm fortunate to have a diverse array of lizard species residing in my garden. They diligently feast on insects, including moths, contributing to the overall harmony.

I am privileged to host an array of bird species, including wood pigeons, hummingbirds, parakeets, and several other varieties. The bird song creates a symphony that resonates throughout the garden in the early hours of the morning.  It's a joy to witness these birds in their element, congregating and making themselves at home.

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey. I look forward to sharing more delightful moments from my garden with you in future blog posts. Until then, remember to take a moment to appreciate the beauty and diversity that surrounds us in the natural world. Happy gardening, and may your garden become a thriving sanctuary for both humans and feathered friends alike.

A Garden of Imagination: Taking a Tour of the Creative March Garden

Check out my latest gardening video, I am excited to take you on a tour of the garden. Here are some highlights:

I currently have growing five papayas trees, one male and four female, but I am having some issues with slugs, snails, and even a monkey is taking bites out of the fruit  The male Papaya has a beautiful scent, and yellow flowers.

You will get to see some other plants in the garden, including, guinep, cassava, and five-fingered fruit. I am doing my best to keep them all healthy despite the challenges of the drier season and pests.  

The Suriname Cherry is in full bloom and looks gorgeous - I expect to see some fruit either later during the year or next year, and the mango tree has been flowering - so we should see some fruit in September, 

Despite the challenges and being on a budget there are so many lovely areas of the garden that helps you appreciate the work you put in.  

Join me in the video and stroll with me around the garden.

Gardening Zen in the Tropics

Gardening is a wonderful way to relax and unwind, and today I'm taking some time out to tend to my garden chores. I decided to take a break under the shade of my flamboyant tree, to admire how the garden is looking at the moment. The Flamboyant tree that we are sitting under has lovely red flowers and this tree has grown well in this area.

This flamboyant tree is relatively new, but it is already starting to produce large pods and seeds - I still have to find out more about the properties of this tree - it is used in some countries to line streets.  I have two of them in my garden and will keep them at a particular height, as they can grow quite tall. 

I'm also repairing a hole that my dog Cole made in the Mexican sunflower hedge.  Mexican sunflower needs to be cut back regularly to stay vibrant. When I cut it back, it encourages new growth and keeps the plant healthy. Over the years the cuttings that I have taken have been planted in other parts of my garden. These cuttings will flower in the year that it is planted because has been taken from a mature plant.

Another plant that I'm currently working on is my scaevola. I want to retain the path near my Aloe plants, so I'm cutting it back to a certain height, so it doesn't hang over the path. I'll be using the cuttings as chop and drop in my moringa patch and other parts of the garden.

I've got a lot of other trees to trim and will get to them over the course of the week, including my Shak Shak tree and Clammy cherry tree. I've been documenting my gardening adventures on my Channel, and you can take a look at some of the videos to see how things have grown and changed over time.

Gardening is a great way to take time out and relax. It's an activity that allows you to be present in the moment and focus on the task at hand even if you are doing chores in the garden. Check out the video above to see the work I'm doing in my garden today.  You can also check out my Amazon Gardening Guide for details of some of the plants that I have in the Garden.  Check out my online course which takes lessons inspired by the garden.  You can check it out HERE or click on the image below.

 

Gardening Behind the Scenes and Planning

In today's video I share some plans in the garden.  I will be sharing the update as this video was taken 

Welcome, you get a bit of the behind the scenes in the Garden today. This are of the garden was a space that I am working on creating a hedge. It is besides my recycled tires in the garden and want to create an area that I can possibly place a bench and relaxing area as well. It is a work in progress and all the projects take a while to come to fruition. I will be sharing an update to this area of the garden next week.

You can check out the video below

If you would like to check out some of the things I am working on in the garden that was seen or mentioned in the video: Yard and Garden Furniture - check out this book to create your own - https://amzn.to/3NksXUN DIY Garden projects - https://amzn.to/3SRKTqT Composting made easy - https://amzn.to/3UeBOcU Wheel Barrow - (on my ideas list) - https://amzn.to/3DqBQHz Lattice Fencing - https://amzn.to/3Ds6Nv2 https://amzn.to/3SOYSh3 https://amzn.to/3Fw5bmI The Secret Garden book - https://amzn.to/3DnfDKM

Because the garden has practically no budget, it is important to look at ways in which I can either use what is growing, found objects and swaps. I have found some of the trees that grow really fast, like the 'river tamarind' - can be cut and the branches used for projects, pallets are things that my local hardware store gives away, so I may be able to make use of the wood - it would need to be treated as we have an issue with termites in the garden.

Do let me know if you have any queries or comments about the garden and stay blessed. You can check out some of the other gardening videos - HERE

Previously on Creative Gardener......

Garden Stroll - Time to be Present

 

In todays video we take a stroll around the garden.  It is important to spend time just being present, seeing how things are growing, watch the bees as they make their way round from flower to flower, see the birds chase one another and hear their chatter.

Awaken the senses in your green space where you can, combined with the sunshine and a cool breeze all make for providing you with wonderful therapeutic benefits.

While you are there check out some of the other videos of plants that are growing in the garden.

How Does Your Garden Grow

Check out the Self-Directed, life-time access course How Does Your Garden Grow .

We take our inspiration from the garden, and the plants that you find, looking at the shapes and patterns and then we take what we have into our studio spaces and create mixed media art designs.

You also get a selection of background pages and downloads of images - plants, coloring book, patterns, and a digital print of the art produced for use in your own creativity

Check it out HERE

Stay blessed and be a blessing!

Creativity and the Garden

 

One of the things that I love doing is spending time in my garden.  I have been creating a 'Food Forest' for the past 5 years and have a range of trees and plants.

I try and spend time on a daily basis to take note of what is happening, how plants are growing and check up on the birds that call my garden home.

We have around 7 species of bird in the garden and the main ones that seem to build their nests in the trees are the 'Banana Quits'.

In the video above I share with you the different families that we currently have boarding with us.  Check out some of the other videos I have on my channel HERE.

Foam Stamps

I am also on day 53 of the 100 Days of Foam stamps and they too happen to be a series of birds that I am sharing over the next week or so.

Here are the birds that have been shared over the past few days

If you would like to see the stamps daily you can check out my Instagram HERE

I am also taking part in the Ultimate Blog Challenge and you can check out the posts HERE

DAY 5

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Mixed Media Art Courses to Check out

SALE - Enjoy $10 OFF all courses until 30th April Click on the image to see the course.

Use the Code at the checkout - create2

Creative Gardener - Harvesting Cassava

Come and join me in the Creative Garden this week as we look at harvesting Cassava from my garden.

You can see more images on my Patreon Blog

Experiments in the Garden

Come and join me in my Creative Garden and see some of the things that I use for my creative projects. Let me know what your getting up to in your green space.

You an also check out some of the other Gardening videos while you are there:

Join me the Creative Gardener

Wood Burning - Harvested Wood

 

Moringa Wood

I have been harvesting wood from my Creative Garden to use in my art projects.  I harvested Moringa wood from the garden and after drying out I used my Wood burning tool and created a series of pattens.

I decided that I wanted to challenge myself by using one tool and see how many different ways it could be used.  Check out the video to see how the piece developed.

Wood burning designs

I will be sharing more of the different projects that I will be using them with.  You can check out some of the Wood burning tools and supplies HERE