Five natural ways to keep your plants healthy!

Gardening is the perfect to relax, engage with nature and to spend some time outside. Now seems to be the time where everyone is out in the garden planting so I thought it was an ideal time to share this. 

There's a treasure trove of natural remedies that can work wonders for your plants without the need for harsh chemicals here are some that I have discovered.

Cinnamon!

Cinnamon isn't just a flavourful spice, it also possesses antifungal properties that can help protect your plants from diseases and promote healthy root development. 

Dust cinnamon powder onto freshly pruned or damaged plant stems to prevent fungal infections and encourage healing or dip cuttings or seeds in cinnamon powder before planting to reduce the risk of fungal diseases and promote successful propagation.

Epsom salts!

Epsom salt or magnesium sulphate is a natural mineral compound that can improve nutrient absorption, boost plant growth and deter pests. 

Mixing some Epsom salts into your garden soil will help your seeds sprout. Diluting the Epsom salts with water (2 Tablespoons Epsom salts in a gallon of water) and spraying the mix onto plant leaves should result in greener leaves, bushier plants and more flowers.

Coffee grounds!

Coffee is a part of many of our daily routines but it can also become an essential part of your plants lives. Coffee grounds are packed with nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, and other trace minerals that benefit plant growth and soil health. 

Mix coffee grounds into your compost pile to enrich the soil with organic matter and nutrients. The grounds also help accelerate the decomposition process.

Sprinkle coffee grounds around the base of acid-loving plants such as azaleas, rhododendrons, and blueberries to provide a natural fertilizer boost and help maintain acidic soil pH.

Use coffee grounds as a mulch to suppress weeds, retain moisture and gradually release nutrients into the soil as they decompose.

Eggshells!

Eggshells are not just waste, they're a valuable source of calcium which is essential for plant growth and cell structure. Crushed eggshells can be incorporated into your garden in several ways:

Add crushed eggshells directly to the soil around calcium loving plants like tomatoes, peppers to prevent blossom end rot, a common calcium deficiency disorder.

Brew eggshell tea by soaking crushed eggshells in water for several days. Use this nutrient rich solution to water your plants, providing them with a calcium boost.

Bananas!

Bananas are not only a delicious snack but also a valuable source of potassium, an essential nutrient for plant growth, flowering and fruiting.

Chop up banana peels and bury them in the soil around potassium hungry plants like tomatoes, peppers, and roses to provide a slow-release potassium boost.

Create a potassium rich liquid fertilizer by soaking banana peels in water for several days. Use this nutrient rich solution to water your plants, promoting healthy growth and strong root development.

How do you keep your plants healthy?

My top 5 favourite movies to cry to!

I wouldn't say I am a big movie buff but I do have a lot of favourite films and I have been listing them for a few months.

You can read about my favourite action movies, Sci-Fi movies, my favourite Animated movies and my favourite musical movies and my favourite disaster movies. In the run up to Halloween I shared my favourite scary movies and the week after I shared my not so scary movies which were more up my street for the spooky season, in the run up to Christmas I shared my favourite Christmas movies a little while ago sport movies and most recently my favourite Easter movies. This time it is all about the movies which make me cry!

Movies have an amazing ability to evoke emotions from joy and laughter to heartbreak and tears. For those moments when I need a good cry there are certain films that I will turn to.

My Girl!

My Girl is a 1991 coming of age comedy drama. Set in the summer of 1972, the film revolves around Vada an 11 year old girl living with her father. Vada is obsessed with death. Her mother is dead, and her father runs a funeral parlour. When Vada's father hires Shelly, a makeup expert and begins to fall in love, Vada is outraged and does everything in her power to split them up. She is also in love with her English teacher and joins a poetry class over the summer just to impress him. Thomas J, her best friend, is allergic to everything and sticks with Vada despite her hang ups. 

I went to the cinema to see this and it was a world before spoilers so did not see what was coming! I think it was one of the first movies that I ever cried at. Please, don’t ever say “He can’t see without his glasses” around me or I’ll start sobbing.

Titanic!

We all know the story of James Cameron's Titanic. An epic, action packed romance set against the ill fated maiden voyage of the R.M.S. Titanic. It was the "ship of dreams" which ultimately carried over 1,500 people to their death.

I have seen this at least 20 times and every time I watch it I still cry, laugh, smile, and feel. I still get angry that Rose says "I'll never let go, Jack. I'll never let go. I promise" and then lets go. lol It 

The Fault in Our Stars!

Teenager Hazel Grace's life changes when she meets Augustus Waters at a cancer support group. The two then embark on a life changing journey which brings them even closer.

My eldest made me watch this, saying it was a nice romantic film (which it was) but didn't tell me the full story about it. It is an absolute heart breaker of a story!

Marley & Me!

Newlyweds John and Jenny Grogan leave behind snowy Michigan and move to Florida, where they buy their first home and find jobs at competing newspapers. Soon afterward, the Grogans adopt Marley an adorable yellow Labrador pup. But Marley soon grows up to be a mischievous handful. Even while he's destroying the furniture and failing obedience school he always manages to bring out the best in John, Jenny and their growing family.

If you haven’t seen Marley & Me, can you even call yourself a sad movie lover? As we know, dogs (unfortunately) have very limited lifespans so you can probably guess what happens. Even though you know it’s coming, it still makes me sob uncontrollably.

The Horse Whisperer!

After her daughter and her horse are involved in a dreadful accident, the mother leaves her high flying New York job to go to Montana to a horse 'whisperer'. He not only works magic on the horse, he also heals mother and daughter.

I read the book before seeing this movie at the cinema and I knew it was going to be traumatic and sad but nothing could have prepared me for how sad it was but beautiful at the same time.

What movies do you always cry at?

Thinking about getting a pet!

About once every 6 months or so for the last 18 years one or both of my girls have asked if we can get a pet. It used to be Guinea pig's or hamsters and over the last 5 years or so they have asked for a cat and most recently a dog. Becky has been scared of dogs since she was about 3 years old so the thought of getting one has never been a thing but a few weeks ago Becky ended up dog-sitting for someone and now she is the one asking for a dog.

I have always said no to getting a pet, my thought is if the girls can't keep their rooms tidy or do what they're supposed to in life without me nagging they are not responsible enough for a pet. Becky did remind me that she's 21 now, almost the same age as I was when I had her so a pet should be no problem. Eek! So that excuse was not going to wash anymore. I had to come up with more excuses and Becky had an answer for everything and her arguments and what she came up with were pretty convincing. lol

Pets take up a lot of time, require attention, love and care. They need you to walk them, feed them and spend time with them. They are not something that you can have a day off from but on the flipside I am always complaining that I get bored when I am home alone and could do with something to keep me company. The walks would be good too, at the start of the year I was great for going out for a walk but I have been skipping days here and there, with a dog I would have to go out at least a few times a day. We live in a fantastic area which has a lot of places suitable for dog walking which I would like to explore.

Pets can cost a lot of money. Vet bills, food, grooming, insurance and all the necessary accessories, it adds up quickly. Becky said she would pay for most of it but like I reminded her dogs can live long lives so she might not want that responsibility in a few years time.

We wouldn't just be able to have a spur of the moment day out or holiday unless it was dog friendly. We would be tied to our home but it's not like we go on holiday every year or have many days out. Going on dog friendly holidays do look like fun, especially one's out in the countryside.

It has got me thinking how a dog could fit into our lives. I am not ready to get one at the moment, it needs a lot more thought but it is something that could happen in the future, I am not saying it's a firm no! If we do get a dog I think it would have to be a rescue dog. When I was a child and teenager we have several dogs and cats over the years and they were all rescued but that is a whole different blog post. 

Do you have a pet? What convinced you to get one?

Our weekly meal plan! 15th - 21st April. #MealPlanningMonday

Last weeks meal plan went brilliantly! We ate everything and all of the Gousto meals were of course delicious even if I did get a bit carried away and added too many chilli flakes to the enchiladas. The pork spring roll wraps was our favourite meal from the week, I would have never have thought of making them without the inspiration from Gousto. That's why I like Gousto, it encourages me to cook things that I usually wouldn't.

Ellie has one more day's holiday before the new term at college so we're off into town. I need new leggings all of mine are worn out, getting holey or have bleach stains on. I only wear them around the house but they're getting just too tatty. For the rest of the week we don't have much planned, it's going to seem pretty boring compared to the last few weeks but I am ready for a quiet, boring week. It might give me chance to do some things that I want to do. 

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Fish fingers, chips and baked beans. This always seems like a childish meal but sometimes they are the best meals.

Tuesday - Gousto meal - BBQ Chicken With Crispy Potatoes And Pepper & Corn Salad.

Wednesday - Gousto meal - Bacon & Mushroom Alfredo.

Thursday - Gousto meal - Sausage & Roasted Veg Traybake.

Friday - Gousto meal - The Henderson’s Relish Beef Burger

Saturday - Pizza. The girls have asked for home made ones, I've said that's fine as long as they help putting the toppings on.

Sunday - I think we're going to have a Sunday at home and a lazy day. Stu has said he'll cook so it's going to be a surprise.

What are you eating this week?