Organic gardener growing food and flowers, lovin' pollinators and birds.

Despite last year's controversy, Cheerios offers cosmos seeds for 2018 #BringBacktheBees campaign

The original packet of seeds from Cheerios that I sent away for last year (left) and this year's packet found in marked boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios (right). 
Last year Cheerios launched a social media campaign – #BringBacktheBees – tied to helping bring attention to the declining numbers of honeybees. They removed their mascot Buzz from Honey Nut Cheerio boxes to draw attention to the plight and used the space to explain how bees are needed to pollinate crops.  

The main draw of the campaign was the ability to request a free packet of wildflower seeds online with the goal of creating a pollinator-friendly garden. The company gave away 1.5 billion wildflower seeds in 2017, surpassing the goal of 100 million.  

I also requested the seeds last year and they arrived quickly in the mail. But while the seeds were in transit, proponents of honeybees were quick to point out a flaw in the program. The seeds that people were able to request included a mix of varieties, but potentially included some seeds that could be considered invasive in certain states, such as California poppies in the southeast. (The main controversy centered around the assumption that invasive forget-me-not was included in the seed mixes, which turned out not to be true and is explained in a long article here.) Due to all the controversy at the time, I decided not to plant the seeds, but I did hold on to them. 

Most negative press and feedback would deter a company from pursuing the idea further, but I give Cheerios credit: they are back again this year, partnering with a new seed company (Page’s Seeds) and offering Cosmos ‘Sensation Mix’ (Cosmos bipinnatus) seeds in specially marked boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios.  

No more shipping seeds and no room for confusion. The seeds, according to the Cheerios website, are “suitable as a garden plant across the country. The seed mix will help to create new places for pollinators to thrive.” The site also includes an endorsement from the Xerces Society* that cosmos can be planted “without risk of becoming invasive.” It appears that the company has learned from last year’s fumble. 

When shopping at the grocery store last month, I noticed the Honey Nut Cheerios box display with the advertised seeds inside and purchased a box for our home, even though I usually don’t eat the cereal. Now I have two seed packets – the wildflower mix from last year and the cosmos seeds from this year – which I’m going to try growing in my garden this year.  

*Xerces Society has already helped Cheerios in reaching its 2020 goal of having its oat farms host about 3,300 acres of nectar- and pollen-rich wildflowers. 
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Floral Friday: April 20

Spring has arrived in the front and back gardens, with a competing show between the hellebores and the many daffodils. Each year I try to plant more of each, and this year I am being rewarded handsomely with the results. Here is what is blooming this week in the garden, beginning with hellebores:








Late-blooming winter aconite:



Many, many daffodils:







Returning to the back garden, one more look at hellebores, spicebush and scilla:




Inside, the seedlings are growing steadily. Here are snapdragons under my grow lights.


What is blooming in your garden?
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Challenge accepted: Grow more food and eat healthier

A main priority for my garden for 2018 is figuring out how I can make the best use of my outdoor space to grow food for my family – which includes me, my husband and two hungry house rabbits!

This means reevaluating my current growing areas, intermingling edibles with ornamental plants, and using all the veggies and fruits that come from my garden – and not letting them spoil or go to waste.

One of the reasons I want to revamp the garden and grow more of my own food in the limited space I have is because I also want to kick the sugar habit that I’ve grown accustomed to. I was a child that grew up on soda and fast food, and while I have changed my eating habits over the years toward the right direction, I still would like to eat more food made from scratch.

I enjoy growing vegetables but when it comes to eating them, I have difficulty using them all before they spoil. Of course, every gardener has a vegetable or fruit bounty that they share with all the neighbors and friends, but I want to do a better job of getting to the berries before the birds get them or using up all the pears in storage before they turn.

I’m ready to grow new plants and try new recipes to jumpstart this lifestyle change.

Another reason I want to be more engaged in the edibles I grow is because I am looking to include more anti-inflammatory fruits and vegetables in my diet. And luckily, most are – which means with a little effort, I should be able to significantly reduce the household use of processed foods. The best part: I already practice organic gardening, which means I’d actually be saving more money in the long run (because we all know how expensive organic food can be at the store).

I know that if I start to eat better than I will feel better, and I’ll have more energy to not only garden more but exercise, too.

Making up my mind to grow more food was the easy part. Now I need to make better use of my space — which means editing out plants that do not deliver 100 percent joy or purpose. “When in doubt, toss it out” is a tagline I grew up with — even though items usually were repurposed or donated to an organization or person who could use them — but the same really does apply to the garden. (Come this May, I think my town’s garden club might receive an influx of ornamental plants from my garden for the annual plant sale.)

I’m ready to utilize my Eco Garden System to help me with the challenge (a self-watering raised bed I started using last year in my driveway – a previously unused portion of my property that ended up producing healthy plants that saved me money at the grocery store). 
To keep the crops coming, I need to really be on top of succession plantings, so that way there is a continuous crop available to harvest. Of course, I do expect gaps, but that’s where the local farmers market is sure to help.

The Garden Lifestyle Challenge is about eating healthier and feeling better. I know it won’t be easy, but I’m ready to see how much of a difference I can make with a concerted effort.

Look for the graphic above on my blog to read about updates as the growing season progresses. I can’t wait to share the journey with you.

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Floral Friday: April 6

It's hellebore time! (And still crocus and snowdrop time!) What's blooming in your garden this week?









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