Growing Roses

We have decided to try a couple of new traditions with our old after Valentine's Day traditions. We love to regrow our Valentine's Day Roses from the leftover stems as they wilt each year. Convinced by a friends suggestion, we gave three methods for growing your own roses from stems a try. Hopefully these will take, and in a few months we will be able to update with which methods worked best for us.

Method 1: Propagation in Water

What you will need:

Water

A vase or jar

Your Roses/Rose Stems with some foliage, preferably the top leaves

Scissors

We saved our petals to use in our Bath Teas and other projects later.

How to:

Cut the bottom of the stem at an angle below a node/bump on the stem.

Cut the rose flower off.

Cut all but the top leaves off.

Place in Water and Expose to light.

Wait for up to 1-3 mths for roots to form in the water. 

Plant the rose in Soil or your choice of growing method.

Water, Fertilize and Expose to light.

Method 2: Plant Stem directly in Dirt, Potted or Outside dependant on location seasonally. 

What you will need:

Dirt and a hand shovel

A vase/jar/space 

Rooting Hormone, such as Fast Root

Water and fertilizer

Your Roses/Rose Stems with some foliage, preferably the top leaves

Scissors

How to:

Have Dirt in vase/jar/space to plant your Rose Stem.

Cut the bottom of the stem at an angle below a node/bump on the stem.

Cut the rose flower off.

Cut all but the top leaves off.

Dip the tip of the bottom of the Rose Stem in a Rooting Hormone.

Place in Soil in vase/jar/space.

Water, Fertilize and Expose to light.

Wait for up to 1-3 mths for roots to form. 

You may use a clear cover to help contain the moisture for your plant while it's rooting. Using something that mimics a greenhouse effect will help ensure that your stems root properly, but monitor your plant to avoid mold or unwanted conditions. 

Method 3: Dip Rose Cuttings in Honey and Plant in a Potato, in Soil.

What you will need:

Soil and a hand shovel

A Potato and Something to poke a hole into it, We used a metal chopstick

Honey

A Bucket/Planter or you may plant it outside dependant on location, seasonally.

Water and fertilizer

Your Roses/Rose Stems with some foliage, preferably the top leaves

Scissors

How to:

Have Dirt in vase/jar/space to plant your Rose Stem.

Poke a hole into your Potato.

Cut the bottom of the stem at an angle below a node/bump on the stem.

Cut the rose flower off.

Cut all but the top leaves off.

Dip the tip of the bottom of the Rose stem in honey and place into the Potato.

Place in Soil in vase/jar/space.

Water, Fertilize and Expose to light.

Wait for up to 1-3 mths for roots to form. 

You may use a clear cover to help contain the moisture for your plant while it's rooting. Using something that mimics a greenhouse effect will help ensure that your stems root properly, but monitor your plant to avoid mold or unwanted conditions. 

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Please feel free to contact us at LittleLakeviewConservatory@gmail.com be added to our email list or with any questions, requests and comments.

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Pine Vinegar

Pine Vinegar

With all the things we use orange peels, lemon peels and lavender vs. all the cleaning that is to be done we have turned to other sustainable ingredients to make our cleaning vinegar. 

Foraging outside we picked up Pine to make a Pine variation of our favorite cleaner. 


https://www.littlelakeviewconservatory.com/p/orange-vinegar.html

Vinegar Cleaning Solution is great for all purpose cleaning. You should test it on the material you intend to clean first. Some varnishes may be taken off by these mixtures. You may add water as desired to dilute your solution to meet your cleaning needs. 

Here is a great link for vinegar cleaning uses: https://www.today.com/home/28-ways-use-vinegar-around-your-house-t72276

Ingredients:

Pine Needles (that may have dropped from your backyard trees).

White Vinegar

A jar to contain your mixture

How to:

Place Pine Needles in jar, fill with vinegar and seal for 3-6 weeks. To make the mixture faster, heat the vinegar before adding it in your jar. 

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All DIY projects shown on LittleLakeviewConservatory.com are purely "at your own risk". As with any DIY project, unfamiliarity with the tools and process can be dangerous. Posts should be construed as theoretical advice only. 

If you are at all uncomfortable or inexperienced working on these projects (expecially but not limited to electronics and mechanical), please reconsider doing the job yourself. It is very possible on any DIY project to damage your cottage, void your property insurance, create a hazardous condition or harm or even kill yourself or others.

Little Lakeview Conservatory LLC will not be held responsible for any injury due to any featured DIY project.

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC

Please feel free to contact us at LittleLakeviewConservatory@gmail.com be added to our email list or with any questions, requests and comments.

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC * Grow a little!

Sustainable Scraps

Sustainable Scraps

Some foods, such as celery, can be regrown from the produce you would normally toss. Instead of tossing our Celery scraps into our compost, we have decided to regrow our Celery. This is a great family project to do with kids or for anyone's own self sustaining household.

Celery from Scraps:

What you will need:

Celery Stalk Cutting
A Cup/or Dish
Water
Sunlight/Plant Light

A method for transplanting the Celery once it is restarted:

• Dirt indoors in a planter or outdoors in your garden.
• Hydroponic planting system
• Aquaponic planting system. 

How to:

Once you have finished using your Celery, you will be left with a cut Celery Stalk. 

Take the Celery Stalk Cutting and place in a Cup or Dish with water covering the bottom of the Celery and leaving the top exposed to air. Place the Cup or Dish in a window for sunlight or under a Plant light if you have one. 

Change the water out with fresh water daily. After about a week or two you should see some growth in roots in the water, and leaves appearing on top.

Once there is regrowth, you can transplant your Celery to Dirt in a planter or outside depending on the season in your area. Celery is a harder plant to grow outside.

We have gone with an indoor small Hydroponic System to replant our Starters. 

What we used:

• Organic Clay Pebbles for a Media
• A Net Cup Pot
• A 32 oz Wide Mouth Mason Jar
• A water soluble Fertilizer to feed our Celery.

 

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC was est. in 2019 to provide sustainable plants in NH and to share information to help people create self sustainability in their own homes.

Please feel free to contact us at LittleLakeviewConservatory@gmail.com be added to our email list or with any questions, requests and comments.

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC * Grow a little!™

Banana Peel Tea

Banana Peel Tea Recipe:

Save your ripest Bananas for your Smoothies or Homemade Banana Bread. Save your Peels for Tea!

Ingredients:

Clean Ripe Banana Peels
Hot Water
Cinnamon Stick (Optional)

How to:

Steep Clean Ripe Banana Peels in Hot Water as you would most other Teas. Cut the peels in necessary to fit them in the steeping method of your choice. Toss the used peel into your compost when you are done. Add a Cinnamon Stick or other Flavors and Spices to Taste.

Be careful, hot tea is hot.

If you are using the Tea for a Fertilizer, do not add anything to the tea and wait for it to cool so you don't cook your plant.

All DIY projects shown on LittleLakeviewConservatory.com are purely "at your own risk". As with any DIY project, unfamiliarity with the tools and process can be dangerous. Posts should be construed as theoretical advice only. 

If you are at all uncomfortable or inexperienced working on these projects (especially but not limited to electronics and mechanical), please reconsider doing the job yourself. It is very possible on any DIY project to damage your cottage, void your property insurance, create a hazardous condition or harm or even kill yourself or others.

Little Lakeview Conservatory LLC will not be held responsible for any injury due to any featured DIY project.

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC was est. in 2019 to provide sustainable plants in NH and to share information to help people create self sustainability in their own homes.

Please feel free to contact us at LittleLakeviewConservatory@gmail.com be added to our email list or with any questions, requests and comments.

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC * Grow a little!

Fertilizer

Fertilizer:

Plant Food:

Just like Humans, Plants need water and nutrients to live and grow.

Plant fertilizers are labeled in a NPK format. N=Nitrogen, P=Phosphorus and K=Potassium/Potash(Plant Ashes).

http://www.ncagr.gov/cyber/kidswrld/plant/label.htm is a great link for better understanding the fertilizer label. They also have other educational links for Children and Families. Information explaining plant nutrients: http://www.ncagr.gov/cyber/kidswrld/plant/nutrient.htm

The ratio or Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium in a mixture of fertilizer will serve different plants differently. Below is a chart explaining the three and their roles in plant growth, with information from Better Homes and Gardens: https://www.bhg.com/gardening/yard/garden-care/what-do-nitrogen-phosphorus-and-potassium-do/

There are many different types of Fertilizers that can be applied in different ways. Finding the right fertilizer depends on how you are caring for your plants, the envioronment in which they are stored and which type of plants you are fertilizing.

Types of Fertilizer:

• Straight
• Mixed
• Complete 
• Incomplete
• Organic
• Inorganic
• Soluable
• Nonsoluable

Some plants, such as Air plants, don't have roots in soil. They would get their nutrients best through misting a liquid fertilizer on them, or when they are scheduley soaked. Plants that are able to be grown in Hydroponic Gardens will need a fertilizer that is water soluble. An Aquaponic Garden should fertilize itself. If you're growing in an indoor garden or with houseplants, most likely you won't want a harsh smell associated with your home. Each plant has its own needs for best fertilizing them. Always research the needs for a plant's care based on the type of plant and where you are growing it.

This link has a reference chart with a list of Organic Fertilizers and their average NPK ratios:
https://www.americantreeinc.com/healthy-soil-healthy-plants/ 

  

Where Plant care meets Selfcare:

Some teas that do double duty for human and plant care:

Black Tea:

Black Tea is high in Potassium and Phosphorus.

Green Tea:

Green Tea has Nitrogen in it, and is less acidic than Black Tea. Different Plants require more or less acidity to thrive best. 

Chamomile Tea:

Seasonally we use our own Chamomile, grown here at Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC. Chamomile Teas can be used as a calcium fertilizer. 

This link has a recipe for Chamomile Fertilizer:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/calcium-fertilizer.htm

Banana Peel Tea:

A fantastic Potassium source can be found in Banana Peel Tea. Whether made for a fertilizer source or for drinking yourself, Banana Peel Tea is easy to make. It is a great way to reuse your discarded fruit peel.

Banana Peel Tea Recipe: https://www.littlelakeviewconservatory.com/2019/12/banana-peel-tea.html

Always use plain, cooled, unsweetened tea for plants.

Always check with your Doctor or Medical Professional to best serve your own dietary needs.

All DIY projects shown on LittleLakeviewConservatory.com are purely "at your own risk". As with any DIY project, unfamiliarity with the tools and process can be dangerous. Posts should be construed as theoretical advice only. 

If you are at all uncomfortable or inexperienced working on these projects (especially but not limited to electronics and mechanical), please reconsider doing the job yourself. It is very possible on any DIY project to damage your cottage, void your property insurance, create a hazardous condition or harm or even kill yourself or others.

Little Lakeview Conservatory LLC will not be held responsible for any injury due to any featured DIY project.

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC was est. in 2019 to provide sustainable plants in NH and to share information to help people create self sustainability in their own homes.

Please feel free to contact us at LittleLakeviewConservatory@gmail.com be added to our email list or with any questions, requests and comments.

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC * Grow a little!

Homemade Herb​al Tea

Homemade Herbal Tea:

Making your own Herbal Tea from Scratch. 

Some Methods for Making Hot Tea:

• Microwave Hot Water in a Microwave Safe Mug.
• Brew Hot Water on the Stove in a Tea Kettle. 
• An Electric Tea Maker.

We used a Tea Kettle to Brew Hot Water here on the Stovetop.

Some Ingredients you can use:

• Fresh or Dried Herbs -Mint, Lavender, Chamomile, Echinacea, Lemon Balm, Rose, Rose Hips.
• Fresh Fruit
• Banana Peels
• Fresh Ginger
• Dried Spices
• Other Beverages, Honey or Flavors can be added to taste.

Here's helpful and informative links we found:
https://www.marthastewart.com/1512086/make-your-own-herbal-tea-blends-what-need-know

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-herbal-teas

Whichever method for water and ingredients chosen, next you will need to steep your ingredients in the hot water to taste. Be careful, hot tea is hot.

We used our own Mint grown here at Little Lakeview Conservatory, Oranges from the our fridge and Spices -Cinnamon, Anise, Whole Cardamom, Whole Cloves, Whole Nutmeg and Dried Orange Peels. Discover your favorite recipe and share with others for gifts or get togethers!

We used one of our all time favorite gifts, a Green Remi Glass Tea Mug with a stainless steel infuser by Teavana. It's been a cherished kitchen item here and would make a great gift for anyone, perhaps with some of your own homemade tea. Here are some amazon links for these and similar products:

   

Another gift idea for sharing your favorite Tea Mixture are Drawstring loose-leaf disposable Tea Bags. And whether for a gift or just for yourself, this Long Handled Heart Shaped Tea Infuser is adorable. 

As an Amazon Associate, Little Lakeview Conservatory LLC earns from qualifying purchases. Since we love Amazon, enrolling in this program was an easy choice.

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC was est. in 2019 to provide sustainable plants in NH and to share information to help people create self sustainability in their own homes.

Please feel free to contact us at LittleLakeviewConservatory@gmail.com be added to our email list or with any questions, requests and comments.

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC * Grow a little!

Orange Peel Cleaning Solution

Orange Peel Cleaning Solution Recipe

How to make an Orange Peel Cleaning solution:

What you will need:

• A Jar
• Oranges/ Orange Peels
• White Vinegar
• A Funnel (Optional)
• A Spray Bottle

How to:

1. Peel Oranges.
2. Place Oranges in a Jar.
3. Fill the rest of the Jar with White Vinegar.
4. Leave the Orange Peels to sit in the Jar full of Vinegar for 2 weeks.
5. Patch test the Solution on the item you are going to clean.
6. Clean.

Some Recommended uses:

• Glass Cleaner
• Air Freshener
• Adhesive Remover
• Oil Spot Cleaner
• Wood Cleaner
• Hard Surface Cleaner
• Floor Cleaner
• Appliance Cleaner
• Grill Cleaner
• Ant Deterrent
• After Shampoo Hair Rinse

We used an Upcycled Pickle Jar and Cleaning Vinegar. Cleaning Vinegar is more acid than Regular White Vinegar. We only used the cleaning vinegar because we happened to have it on hand. The Oranges were snack bagged for kids' lunch snacks. Double use for the oranges. A Non-Toxic, All Natural, Bio-Degradable cleaning option.

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC

All DIY projects shown on LittleLakeviewConservatory.com are purely “at your own risk”. As with any DIY project, unfamiliarity with the tools and process can be dangerous. Posts should be construed as theoretical advice only.

If you are at all uncomfortable or inexperienced working on these projects (especially but not limited to electronics and mechanical), please reconsider doing the job yourself. It is very possible on any DIY project to damage your cottage, void your property insurance, create a hazardous condition, or harm or even kill yourself or others.

Little Lakeview Conservatory LLC will not be held responsible for any injury due to any featured DIY project.

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC was est. in 2019 to provide sustainable plants in NH and to share information to help people create self sustainability in their own homes.

Please feel free to contact us at LittleLakeviewConservatory@gmail.com be added to our email list or with any questions, requests and comments.

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC * Grow a little!