Dakota Blooms: Your Guide to Midwest Gardening

          The fall season of the year can be quite chaotic and challenging trying to manage a household and take care of chores in a timely fashion. The kiddos are going back to school, the weather is changing, and you forgot about those tomatoes that finally ripened in the garden and now they started to rot. You just spent tons of money on back-to-school supplies and were not anticipating a grocery store trip for tomatoes. Never fret; I want to share some time and money saving tips and tricks to help you make the most of (if at all) your free moments and pennies. These practices will also help you become more resourceful and innovative, and hopefully , you won't end up losing any more tomatoes.  Meal Prepping.      I know a lot of people might hate that phrase, and sometimes so do I. Meal prepping is pretty much the same things as saying, "eating leftovers". I am not saying you need to make 3 meals a day for an entire week all...

       Hello fellow garden enthusiasts! Today, I am thrilled to share some exciting news with you all. Dakota Blooms has been featured on the illustrious platform called Matthew's Planet . This website seeks out unique niche blogs that offer captivating content, and I feel incredibly honored to be chosen.       Matthew's Planet is dedicated to capturing the essence of a diverse range of niche blogs. With an appreciation for both intriguing content and stunning art designs, they curate a collection of blog posts that take readers on an inspiring journey within various fields of interest. By offering an opportunity for bloggers to gain exposure and reach new audiences, Matthew's Planet has become a go-to platform for discovering exceptional blogs that stand out.       Thank you to Matthew's Planet for recognizing the quality and niche of Dakota Blooms. This recognition is deeply treasured and encourages our continued growth with...

  A Beginner's Guide to Water Bath Canning     It's canning season! Canning is a simple and effective way to preserve all sorts of food from fruits to vegetables, and even sauces to jellies. It's a great resource for storing a surplus of produce from the garden. There are two main types of canning: water bath and pressure. Water bath canning is for high acidity foods and allows you to safely extend the shelf life of your harvest.  I don't know about you, but I have thrown away my fair share of moldy vegetables and it saddens me every single time. Canning can save you from excess waste and is easy to do. This blog specifically addresses water bath canning. I hope to publish more posts about pressure canning when I become more familiar with it.  I added the rings for the aesthetics. 🤣     Foods That Can Be Water Bath Canned      Some examples of high acidic canned goods would be anything pickled (beans, cucumbers, beets, etc.) or any...

     A recent devastating disaster has encompassed my garden after a torrential storm. Luckily, all my plants stayed intact. However, I discovered all my Roma tomatoes have started to rot on the bottom. As a novice gardener who is learning as she goes, tomatoes have been my biggest struggle for years. I thought this year was going to be the best one yet for a good tomato harvest, up until last week. Let's talk about what blossom rot is and how we can avoid it next time so you don't make the same mistake as me. 😢 What is blossom rot? Blossom rot is a common gardening issue that manifests as discolored, sunken spots, on the bottom of the vegetable, rendering inedible. It is also known as blossom end rot. Blossom rot typically affects the fruits of plants of the nightshade family which includes tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. This rot looks like a dark, dry, or water-soaked lesion at the bottom end of the fruit (pictured-above). What causes blossom rot? I have h...

      I have a bad habit of buying plants that sound fun or unique, but when it's time to harvest them, I realize I don't know anything about it. Thus, here I am writing to tell you what I have learned about the ever-so-spreading peppermint plant in my backyard. Thankfully, I planted it in a container. I'm sure I had plenty of ideas on how to use the peppermint plant upon purchase, but here I am now wondering what I am going to do with all of these very aromatic leaves. Let's dive in and discover the many uses of the medicinal herb. Starting with my favorite so far: Homemade Peppermint Essential Oil     Although you cannot make "true" essential oil from the peppermint without proper distillation (which requires some equipment if you're wanting to try), you can make a similar variation. Here is the recipe I follow: 1 cup peppermint leaves 1 cup olive oil (or another similar oil such as grapeseed) Directions: 1. Crush the leaves by using a pistil and mor...