Thank you for dropping by my Raising Jane Journal to participate in my giveaways! We’ve chosen winners for this giveaway already, but don’t be afraid to leave a comment anyway. I love reading them.
In the Oct/Nov 2021 issue of MaryJanesFarm, “Hitting the Hay” (on newsstands Sept. 7), I led you here to my journal for a chance to win our favorite brand of long-sleeve, scoop-neck T-shirts from BCS (BCSAmerica.com), our longtime farm-implement advertiser. It’s the perfect weight, stretch, length … everything. We have a L and an XL to give away (specify the size you’d prefer in your comment).
For a chance to win, send me one of your tried-and-true
household or garden tips in the comments below. (It might make it into one of
our upcoming issues.) I’ll toss your name into a hat and draw a lucky winner
sometime soon.
Stay tuned for more magazine-related giveaways. If you’re not yet a subscriber
to my magazine, MaryJanesFarm, subscribe
here for $19.95/year.
I save the empty milk jugs and cut out a hole, big enough to hold my gloves and trowel etc. and you carry it by the handle. When done the handle can be hung up on a hook ready to grab.
I save the empty containers that strawberries come in. I fill up with potting soil, drop a seed and cover it up, close the lid. These have tiny slits on the side, so, I place a lid under it to catch the water and set it in my window till my tiny seeds start to sprout. Can also use empty egg cartons to start your seeds.
I use 5 gallon pails a lot in my big garden to carry water, haul weeds to the composter, put produce in to carry to the house and so on. The wire handles used to have plastic on them to grab but have broken off. I cut sections from an old garden hose, slit it the long way , slip it over the wire and secure it with duck tape. No more cutting into my hands while carrying.
Years ago I had issues with starlings breaking off green beans & others plants in the garden. My mother-in-law told me to buy a package of aluminum pie pans. Poke a hole in the edge, tie to a rod, twig, whatever I could stick into the ground next to the beans. The breeze would move the pans, make noise, & sometimes even “sparkle” in the sun & keep the starlings away. At first, I thought it looked rather tacky, but actually it added a dab of glamour to the garden.
An older friend gave me this tip for watering my inside plants that would get rid of little bugs. She told me to add a tablespoon of ammonia to a gallon of water as it would take care of bugs and help plants to grow. AND she was right! I’ve never seen another bug & my plants look great.
Tried and true household or garden hint? To get rid of pesky weeds, pour simple BOILING WATER over the weed, and it’s like magic . . . gone in no time at all.
I’d love to win an Extra Large t-shirt, thank you.
We have deer that love to raid our garden, and they particularly like tomato and pepper plants. I find that dog hair on the plants will deter them. I tie up little tufts of dog hair with string and tie towards the top of the plant. That way the wind doesn’t blow it all away. I call them anti-deer “toupees”.
I have my grandparents old mailbox standing at the edge of my garden. It still has my grandpas name and address of the house where I spent so many hours as a kid. Now I store gardening gloves, scissors, pruners, extra garden seeds and anything else I want handy for gardening. BTW I love your magazine!!!!
For weeds and grass that pop up between stepping stones, my husband told me to use Rock Salt to put on them and to put it between each stepping stone. I did what he told me to and the grass and weeds started dying. You could see them turning brown.
Do you have socks that are mysteriously missing their mates? I save all of them and put them in my cleaning rag bin. They are Great for a quick little cleaning projects and are especially useful when dusting furniture. You can even wear them on your hands to clean. Just toss when done!
My best garden tip is to remove blooming flowers before planting, giving the roots a great chance to get stronger before sending up blooms, usually many more than before. Gardening is my LARGEst and best hobby.
To keep squash bugs off of zuchinni plants, sprinkle wood ash around the plant every couple of weeks.
When planting onions, I have found that putting Epsom salt in the ground under the onion set deters the cut worms that kill the onions. I was told that the Epsom salt sweetens the ground and the cut worms don’t like it.
I use empty milk jugs to start my garden and flower seeds. You cut the milk jug not quite in half so that it is hinged, punch a few holes in the bottom, add dirt, seeds and water. Tape the milk jug back together and you have a mini green house. Raise all my plants this way
The dish ware does remind me of past kitchen times – AWESOME!!
I save strawberry containers put tissue paper and six eggs from my hens and tie with twine for friend and neighbors.
My husband and I live in an extremely wooded area. A friend of mine gifted me with some iris bulbs from the garden of another friend who had passed away. I randomly dug holes in sunny spots in the woods, dropped the bulbs in the holes, and now they bloom all throughout the area. Pretty purples, whites and yellows… A gentle reminder of the woman who nurtured them to begin with and a fun discovery while wandering in the woods.
I save every jar or bottle to repurpose. I send soup to my elderly neighbor across the street in them. I pick posies and wrap a pretty ribbon around the “vase” to take to a sickly friend.. i create button jars and make pincushions on the lids …. my grandchildren have made piggy banks out of them and designed their own labels….homemade salad dressing goes into those cute odd shaped bottles. The list is endless…. the ideas are fun and functional ***
I mounted an old mailbox to a post near my bee hives. I keep a smoker, a hive tool and a veil in it so if I need to do a quick check on a hive, I don’t have to go back to the house for anything.
I live in mountains with well water. Our well has extremely hard water and it builds up in the toilets. I put white vinegar in the toilet bowl and let it soak overnight. In the morning, the build up wipes easily away with the toilet brush. Very little scrubbing.
Stephanie from NM.
brazil.steph@gmail.com
I’d prefer a L sized shirt.
This is an awesome gnat and fly trap recipe.
3 tablespoons apple cider or distilled white vinegar
1 cup of water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons Dawn dish soap
Mix everything in a jar or glass and leave on the counter.
I cleared my kitchen of gnats in a day!
I use a drizzle of dawn dishwashing liquid, couple tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (with mother) in a small shallow bowl cover it with plastic wrap…cut several slits or holes in the top… To catch those dreadful nat/fruit fly/tysie flies!
I have some of this dishware from 40 years ago. It reminds me of when my children were young.
Love it! Size L please!
I use Epsom salts in my flower beds to give flowers a boost in the xxx Spring, my Bleeding Heart plants do well.
It’s not good to water your plants with the cold water out of your hose, so I put it in my pails for all day long and I water them at night, they really like it that way, Beckyanna
I like to grow milkweed for the monarchs butterflies. They are the true meaning of summer for me in Indiana. I had never seen one before 2011 when I moved here. This year I have been collecting a lot of seeds and learned about herbalism. I made my first goldenrod infusion. So exciting. I love your magazine and all the support of farmlife and women. I would love a size large shirt. Thank you 🌷
I keep a salt shaker by my back door.
When I go out after it gets dark to close up my chickens and ducks , I take a walk around my gardens with my salt shaker and sprinkle slugs on my plants.
I wear a head lamp for easy viewing.
Thank you for the drawing… I would love to win a shirt size L
To clean your coffee pot put some ice cubes in your pot and add several tablespoons full of table salt.swirl around until bottom of coffee pot is clean. Your magazine is amazing. Thank you.
When I need hot water from tub or kitchen sink I catch the cold water in a gallon jug to pour on the garden. Trying to not waste water so we can grow food and plants.
That is a good idea.
I do that too but use it to fill coffee pot and pet water.
I save the granddaughter’s baby food jars to store herbs that I have dried. I use up file folder labels to adhere to the jars to identify the content. Paula
I wanted drawers in my tiny,old fashioned bathroom, so my then husband and I repurposed turquoise drawers from some discarded refrigerators and built a frame that the drawers slide on and kept the drawer tops as shelves in between. the walls are done in antique recycled bead board, painted back to about the same “hant-blue”, so it coordinated well. We also changed out the old “shot” tub faucet set with a recycled commercial sink set with a soap dish on top and installed antique lavatory from a 1904 house that we helped tear down. many compliments and smiles over the years! Original house dates to 1859 and I have had to undo a few so-called updates, I love it old look! I would love the xl -t-shirt, if I get lucky.
I always keep cinimon bark in my cupboard. My family has always eaten it or drunk the water off of rice for nausea. We also keep a little soup stock warm on the back of the stove, ready for busy times when we can’t all sit down at once or if you need a little extra. My family will add a little water to the soup to share.
Xl
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