Growing and Using Cilantro and Coriander Seed

Cilantro is a two in one herb, the leaves are cilantro and the seeds are coriander. Growing cilantro is easy and the plant has medicinal and culinary uses.

Cilantro is one of those herbs that people either love or hate. There really isn’t any middle ground when it comes to cilantro. I happen to love it. Fortunately, most of my family does too, although not quite to the same extent that I do. Truly, what’s not to like? It’s easy to grow, is … Read more

Fall Gardening in Zone 9 {with links to other zones}

dinosaur kale in fall garden in zone 9

Unlike other zones, fall vegetable planting in zone 9 doesn’t start until sometime in September. Don’t worry, you won’t be behind, your fall garden will extend into a winter garden. You’ll be harvesting vegetables all they through next summer. Let’s explore the fall garden in gardening zone 9. Depending on where you live you are … Read more

Frugal Gardening Tips: How to Save Money in the Backyard Garden

baskets of garden fresh veggies on ground

I’ve heard it over and over again, “Gardening is expensive!” Well, yes it can be. But it doesn’t have to be. Our family spends about $300 a year on our garden and orchard. We’re able to grow about 75% of the produce needed for our family, which at this time is mostly 6 people – … Read more

How to read a seed packet

There is a lot of information on the average seed packet and it can be confusing to the new gardener. Learn how to read a seed packet and improve your gardening skills.

I was chatting with a new gardener recently about growing vegetables from seed and she mentioned that she doesn’t really understand how to read a seed packet. The information on the seed packet confuses her and it’s just easier to buy transplants. I felt the same way when I first started gardening and I’m sure there … Read more

The May Garden in Zone 9

Lush green leaves surround purple beans hanging from a metal trellis in this vibrant May garden scene. The image features "May Garden" and "SchneiderPeeps.com" at the bottom.

Our May garden is just delightful! Granted I was traveling for the first two weeks of May so it’s been a really short month for me. We’ve also had much more rain and cooler temperatures than we normally have in May so working in the garden has been a delight. While I was gone, my … Read more

Ultimate Guide to Growing and Using Sage

Close-up of vibrant green sage leaves with a soft texture, illustrating the art of growing sage. The text overlay at the bottom reads "Growing and Using Sage SchneiderPeeps.com.

When I think of sage (or smell it) I always think of turkey stuffing.Funny how smells can bring back all kinds of memories and when I was growing up, the sage bottle only came out on Thanksgiving. I’ve been growing sage for many years now and we always have more that we can use just … Read more

The April Garden in Zone 9

The April garden in zone 9 is truly delightful. The plants are just beginning to produce, the heat hasn't come yet and neither have the pests. Enjoy the tour!

Our April garden is truly delightful! We’ve had quite a bit of rain so we haven’t had to water very often. The plants are growing and fruiting, and the heat isn’t too bad just yet.  On a sad note, it appears we won’t have a citrus harvest this year. In January we had temps that … Read more

The March Garden

The March garden in zone 9 is usually full of a lot of summer seedlings with some hang over plants from the winter garden lingering on. It's a great time.

The March garden in zone 9 is usually full of a lot of summer seedlings with some hang over plants from the winter garden lingering on. It’s a great time. Not a lot is being harvested, but oh there is so much potential. I love doing these monthly(ish) updates and showing the good and the … Read more

Succession planting for a more bountiful harvest

Succession planting is a great way to get an abundant harvest. It does take a bit of planning but once you get the hang of it, it's super easy. Learn the different methods and when to use them.

Have you ever done something for years and then did an internet search on it? oh my! My head is spinning after reading all the complicated ways of explaining succession planting. I’m here to tell you it’s not that hard or complicated. Now, I do have somewhat of a “laissez faire” attitude about gardening. Not … Read more

The October Garden

Close-up of a young green plant thriving in soil, adorned with dew drops. "The October Garden" is elegantly inscribed in red script at the bottom, accompanied by "SchneiderPeeps.com" beneath it, capturing the essence of an October Garden.

{Note: The Mother Earth Homesteading Summit is this week. Each day you can listen (for free) to homesteaders who are doing some pretty interesting things. BUT you have to register which you can do here.} Well goodness, I think the heat has finally broken for a few months. We’ve had several days in a row … Read more

8 Tips for Ethical Foraging and Finding Wild Edible Plants

Ethical foraging ensures that there will be edible and medicinal wild plants available in the future. It also means protecting your family, the environment and the plants.

I was first introduced to foraging (finding wild edible plants) by my husband who happens to be an Eagle Scout. Early in our marriage he found a an empty field that used to have a nursery on it and it was full of blackberry brambles. Carl loves to explore and every where we have lived … Read more

How to Make Seed Tape at Home

flour paste in white ramekin with chopstick and a roll of toilet paper and a seed pack on a wooden table to make seed tape.

Seed tape is fantastic for direct sowing small seeds into the garden. Of course, you can buy seed tape but it’s much more expensive than just a packet of regular seeds. Fortunately, it’s super easy to make your own seed tape at home. The best part is, you probably already have all the things you … Read more

The July Garden

A green gourd hangs on a wire fence, perfectly embodying the essence of a flourishing July garden. The text "The July Garden" and "SchneiderPeeps.com" adorns the bottom, capturing the vibrant spirit of summer growth.

Goodness, our July garden is barely hanging on. We’ve had 100°F temperatures almost every day for over a month and they will continue for at least another month. In years past I would work really hard at trying to keep the garden alive through the heat. I’ve learned that we really just need to focus on keeping … Read more

The June Garden

I have a very special treat for you today, in addition to our own garden update, we’re going to go on a virtual garden tour of eleven other gardens! I always love seeing what other people are growing, and how they are growing food, herbs and flowers. Plus, on this tour you will visit gardens … Read more

The May Garden

Close-up of ripe red tomatoes on the vine, nestled among verdant leaves and supported by a metal cage. The text "The May Garden in Zone 9" graces the top, highlighting the thriving bounty of SchneiderPeeps.com.

When we planted our garden this spring (early to mid March) I knew I was going to have to just be grateful for whatever our garden produced this year. During our normal planting time Carl was in Manila, Philippines with MetroWorld Child which meant that the beds weren’t prepared quite like we like them because our … Read more

The April Garden

A close-up of lush green leaves and small plants showcases the essence of an April Garden, with "The April Garden" in bright red and "SchneiderPeeps.com" elegantly placed underneath.

So, I know it’s a few days into May but I took these photos about a week ago and just couldn’t get the post written before April ended. But I wanted to share them with you and what’s going on right now in our garden. Our April garden is doing great! We’ve had enough rain … Read more

The March Garden

A close up of a flower

Well, spring is finally here! Although I know many of us didn’t really have much of a winter, it’s nice to have spring here. I’m finding myself lingering outside each day and “walking the garden” as we call it. Not really working, although I probably should be pulling weeds, but just checking on things and … Read more

Self Supporting Bridge

A person in jeans and flip-flops stands on a partially constructed self-supporting bridge. The text reads "How To Build a Self-Supporting Bridge" from SchneiderPeeps.com. Logs are arranged to form the bridge base on grassy ground.

Note: Each week I try to share a popular post from the archives. This post was originally published in February 2014 Saturday we’re having Gabriel’s Eagle Scout Court of Honor here at our house. He passed his Eagle Scout Board of Review in October but since he wanted to have his Court of Honor here we … Read more