Happy New Year!

It’s that time of year again – we are all making New Year resolutions or at the very least setting goals. Mine always seem to include losing weight and “getting in shape.” This year, I will be aided by a new organic garden we’ve started at home. We’ve included vegetables we commonly eat, such as lettuce, tomatoes and peppers. We’re also growing our own basil and oregano, onions and even potatoes.

We’re able to grow organically utilizing a family recipe, handed down by my father. As you can imagine, we have a few too many bugs in Florida to grow without utilizing any sort of treatment. The recipe from Dad meets our need to remain organic while keeping the bugs – and even the birds – away from our veggies. I’d like to share it with you as you may find it useful in your garden at home. In a garden sprayer (or even a spray bottle) mix 1 gallon water with 2 to 3 tablespoons of cayenne pepper and just a drop of dish soap. (The dish soap helps the cayenne pepper stick to the plant leaves.) Spray as needed. So far, I found the mixture to keep everything from aphids to snails away from the garden and it’s even helped keep the dogs from sniffing around the plants and the birds from snipping away at the tomatoes. Use caution and ensure that you don’t spray yourself with the mixture though!

Happy organic gardening in the New Year!