Dear Friends,

I invite you to watch my gardening segment on the Hallmark Channel show, "Home & Family" airing on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013 at 10AM EST.

Have you ever wanted to make a "string garden" but didn't know how to do it?

I'll be demonstrating the basics on the show and writing a step by step blog post later this week for you to enjoy.

String gardens are "no-container" hanging plants and are also known as "kokedama" planting arragements.

These unique hanging plants are expensive when bought but very inexpensive to make!

Set your recorders for the "Home & Family" show, and if you like what you see, please post a comment on the Hallmark Channel discussion forum!

Check your local listings for broadcast time in your area.

The Home & Family show is a unique talk show centered on home and family topics!

Hosts, Cristina Ferrare and Mark Steines welcome experts from every facet of lifestyle including cooking, crafts, design, gardening, relationships, celebrities, fashion and more!

Let the producers know how much you appreciate seeing gardening segments on the show.

Look for Home & Family on Facebook too!

Thanks!

Shirley

You can make a vertical herb garden, a "living spice rack" that spins, using a repurposed tomato cage!

Vertical gardens are very popular these days because it allows you to free up your floor space without sacrificing space for gardening.

One of my favorite pasttimes is coming up with ideas to repurpose materials in the garden that most gardeners already have.

This is the case with my "Living Spice Rack" design.

Materials For Shirley Bovshow's Living Spice Rack

I imagined a lightweight, portable, and affordable vertical garden system to grow lots of herbs indoors, during the winter, or outdoors yearlong in mild climate areas.

1. Tomato Support Cages

I had to look no further than my metal tomato cage which was on it's way to the garden shed once tomato season was over.

The tomato cage with its gridlike design and sturdy composition is the perfect structure to hold a number of metal hanging baskets filled with herbs!

If you prefer wood, you can use an inexpensive wood vegetable support trellis like this one- cost $6

2. Casters and Plant Dollies

Casters and plant dollies, ($15 +) are the centerpiece of the living spice rack, enabling you to spin and move the rack as needed!

Buy some metal planting baskets and cocoa liner and fill them with your favorite herbs before attaching to the tomato cage with gardening tape.

The baskets should wedge into the tomato cage openings, mine are snug.

Make sure to select the right size metal planter by checking to see that it isn't too large or small for the opening.

That's it!

Watch Video: "Vertical Herb Garden That Spins and Functions Like a "Living Spice Rack!"

Watch the videos of the Living Spice Rack that I did for my "Way to Grow" show on Digs channel and take a look at the segment I did for the Home & Family Show on

the Hallmark channel recently!

Tips:

• If using indoors, make sure to place a saucer underneath the large, main planter to catch draining water.
• Water your living spice rack starting at the top so that the overflow water will drain onto the planters underneath it.
• Select a large container to hold the tomato cage. It should be wide so that the rack is not top heavy and topples.
• Spin your herb rack every few days for even sunlight exposure.
• Enjoy!

??

Winter Herbs and Greens for Your Living Spice Rack

• Parsley
• Cilantro
• Chives
• Sage
• Oregano
• Thyme
• Arugula
• Radicchio
• Lettuce varieties
• Kale
• Swiss Chard
• Rosemary

Want to learn how to make a worm composting bin and start transforming your food scraps into nutritious garden compost?

Watch the "Home & Family Show" on Monday, November 12, 2012 between 9 AM and 11 AM PST on  the Hallmark channel.

I'm back as their on-camera landscape designer and gardening coach and will be demonstrating how to make a "starter" vermi composting system.

So, don't throw away your food scraps and coffee grounds!

In case you don't know what vermi composting is, it's the amazing process where worms and micro organisms transform food waste and organic matter such as newspapers, cardboard or straw into the most nutritious garden compost available!

All you have to do is  prepare a suitable living environment for them and they'll reward you with their castings- "worm poop!"

Get started worm composting this Fall so you'll be ready for the Spring- those worm castings are "gardener's gold!"

Detailed, Step By Step Instructions for Building a Red Worm Compost Bin!

If you dropped in to Eden Makers via the Hallmark Channel Home and Family show "How To" page and want to see detailed information about building a vermi compost bin, read "How to Build a Red Worm Compost Bin: Vermi Composting."

The article has detailed photos and a video I made for my "Way to Grow" gardening series.

Please subscribe to the show and learn to garden.

New videos are posted weekly on Fridays on the "Digs" channel on Youtube.

Watch Shirley's step by step video on how to build a red worm composting bin!

One of the most unique and entertaining shows to emerge recently for daytime television is Hallmark's Home & Family Show, a daily, two-hour live show!

Created by Woody Fraser, and his multi-award winning production company, Home & Family is a home and garden talk show hosted by Paige Davis, (Trading Spaces) and Mark Steines, (E Entertainment).

I have to admit, I'm a bit partial to the show since I've been appearing as a garden lifestyle expert and enjoying putting together my gardening segments!

Don't we need more garden programs friends?

I dropped in on the set during taping of their Halloween show to prepare for my garden segment, airing on Friday, Nov. 2, 2012 between 10AM and 12PM PST on the Hallmark channel.

Boy, was the cast and crew having a good time!

Nothing like a group of "Hollywood" people in costume.

Expect the unexpected!

Paige and Mark were dressed up as "zombie" versions of Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley.

Those of you who are familiar with Paige Davis, know that she's a Broadway actor with musical theater chops, so donning other personas comes natural to her.

Mark Steines, on the other hand, has established himself as a TV journalist and talented on-camera interviewer of the powerful and famous.

As the show has evolved during the past four weeks, Mark has revealed a very playful side and his inner "character actor" is emerging.

This guy is not only a gracious host, DIY enthusiast, and  skilled photographer, he's funny and a talented actor too!

Who knew?

Here are some behind the scenes photos of the Home & Family show, Halloween program.

Creator of the show, Woody Fraser, getting his hands and head dirty!

Woody's passion for television shines through the green slime and huge smile!

Marilyn Monroe rises from the grave through Paige Davis!

Paige kisses one of the cute dogs featured in the dog costume fashion show!

If you get the Hallmark channel on your cable package, watch my appearance on Friday, Nov. 2 as I demonstrate how to create a raised garden planter with straw bales!

Do you want to learn how to make a straw bale raised planter?

Hi Friends!

I invite you to watch my appearance on the "Home and Family" show this week as I re-purpose a straw bale into a raised planter for herbs and greens!

The show airs on the Hallmark channel which is on most basic cable packages and stars Paige Davis of "Trading Spaces" and Mark Steines of "E Entertainment.

Garden designer, Shirley Bovshow (l) with hosts Mark Steines and Paige Davis (center) and expert contributors to "Home and Family" show.

I'm the garden lifestyle expert for the show!

The show airs on Friday, Nov. 2, 2012 from 10AM- 12PM PST.

Thanks to De Wit tools for supplying their legendary tools for the segment- they  customized a bulb planter for easier cutting through the bale and sent an assortment of tools from The Netherlands!

De Wit tools are  handmade in The Netherlands and are made with the highest quality Swedish boron steel and FSC-accredited European ash.

De Wit customized their bulb planter making it extra sharp and long so I could cut into the straw bales easily!

Bonnie Plants supplied an assortment of fall herbs and greens as well as their liquid plant food.

Thanks Bonnie Plants!

Please check your local listings for accurate time and leave your questions for me below!

Happy Halloween and happy straw bale planting!

I've had lots of requests to re-post the video interview that Capessa ( a women's website community) did with me almost a year ago. I talk about how I was a stay at home mom, got into landscape design and ended up as a garden television host! Enjoy the "encore" post and read Amber Scott's article on my advice on avoiding common gardening mistakes.  

Eden-Maker Tip

When I was new to gardening, I went crazy buying every tool I could get my hands on.

I wanted to have the best- stocked tool shed, although most of my gardening activity was limited to planting, pruning and transplanting.

In retrospect, I should have been more practical and spent less money on tools and more money on plants!

Do gardeners need all these shovels?

I remember the anxiety I felt facing the tool department those days.

I came in for a shovel and there were so many different types to choose from, I had no idea what I needed!

A straight edged shovel? A pointed shovel? An over sized shovel?

I ended up buying one of each!

Hand tools can be multipurpose or for specific tasks such as hedge trimming

Hand pruners were another source of confusion.

Did I need anvil pruners or bypass pruners?

What size?

Selecting tools for the new gardener can be as daunting as selecting cuts of meat for the novice cook or selecting the proper wine for your cuisine.

Check out this video on basic garden tool selection.

I hope it gives you some direction so you don’t spend money on unnecessary tools like I did!

For more gardening 101 information and garden design inspiration, visit EdenMakers’ Blog.