Chia Seed Microgreen

This Chia Seed Microgreen method has NO SOIL. 

I set out to grow chia seeds I already had as micro greens. I did not want to use soil because we finally got our gnat problem down and did not want to invite bugs of any kind back in.  Some of our salad green come in these big plastic containers. I love reusing something before recycling it. This worked out perfect for the humidome part. This is where the rainforest effect happens inside of the closed space when it is watered and has no where to evaporate to.  

Friday the 11th, I started by a wetting paper towel with water and sprinkled some Chia seeds onto it. I then placed in a closet to let the seeds germinate.  I gave it some more water on Sunday, the Chia seeds all appear to have sprouted. It looked very wet in there so I left the lid off of it for a few hours before placing it back in the closet. This closet has no doors and so it was not super dark, just not in light.  On day 3 or 4 of the seeds being in the closet with the lid on and being sprinkled with water every day I moved them out to a space with indirect sunlight. By day 7 they were looking really healthy and yummy. I am going to let my go a bit longer before harvesting for my pita pocket sandwich. Once we have another salad container I will rotate another crop in at about this mark, where we are a week in. So that we will always have fresh greens! 

Day One. Sprinkle the seeds on a damp paper towel. Cover it with a lid

Re-Using a plastic container as my growing humidome. Then placed it in a closet. 

Top down view of the seeds all popped into little seedlings. I was afraid they were too wet so I vented the lid a bit for the day. 

June 18th, 7 days after I started this experiment. 

Top down view of day 7 of sprouting in indirect sunlight, You can see them all leaning towards the light. 

Close up view of the Chia Seeds Sprouts on the 7th day. I turned the container around so that the next few days they can lean the other way towards the sunlight. 

 

What starting a Garden Coach business feels like.

 

Hello friend! Are you struggling to see how you can take your joy and knowledge in a thing and turn it into a business? 

This is what starting a Garden Coach business feels like. ::Pictured here elation and bit of madness, the good kind like the mad hatter holding my booklet about consulting on kitchen gardens via Gardenary's Garden Coach Society training::

Are you struggling to get through the idea of providing a consult? I feel like I'm "not doing it right... yet” and today just looking up "consultation" makes me see that you are asking to be paid for your time to hear a persons needs and help identify a plan of attack" That's it! When you are used to talking about a subject you like and willing to offer help to those that have that dreamy eyed "wish I could grow stuff/do that thing you are doing" you know you are in the right spot.

Though I am cheating this week a little and on consult #2 (we will call her B) with just friends and have not pressed send on an email to my contact list (which is a different beast in and of it self and I am not sure I should use old work contacts), I am realizing that even these friends are close to doing the thing but something is stopping each of them! B has seeds and starts even that she grew from seed that desperately need out of their container. Simply knowing I was coming over for the consult she cleaned up so much oversized debris in her yard for recycling and tackled some of the other yard issues that she had been putting off. She also expressed her love for the questionnaire because it connected her more to the process. She was excited and though it will be a DIY renters special, I can see how even if I just left her with the 3ish plants per season to focus on and how to care for them, she was so happy about the experience. She even loved my specialty which is discussing/using free or found things for that extra personal/rustic touch. 

Converting VCF to CSV files on a Mac for free, for real, no downloads or upsells.

Converting VCF to CSV files on a Mac for free, for real, no downloads or upsells.

 Whether you know it or not, you are coming along with me to this business starting adventure.  Many MANY of us love the Apple products and though it comes with a lot of great things, converting files back out of it can be a challenge. 

Here is the way that I was able to convert my VCF to CSV files for free, on my Mac, for real, no downloads or upsells. Caveat is that you have to have a gmail account. I mean if you do not have GMAIL yet... what are you even doing! 

Export your iPhone contacts card on your computer using https://www.icloud.com.  

Log into your account and go to your contacts app and click on the setting button in the lower left hand corner. Select the Export vCard option. Know what it is named and where it is downloaded to. 

Next log into your Gmail account. And find your Contacts app in your Google apps button those 9 dots in the upper right by your photo. 

Find your Contact app it will look something like this below. 

Import your contacts, which they accept iPhone VCF (vCard) files as contact lists! 

The VCF file converts to CSV file when you go to export it out from there! 

You may be wondering, Katrina, why in the heck would I even need to do that? Well I will tell you. You will want all of you contacts in your CRM. More on the importance on a Client Retention Manager later!

I am a Garden Coach

I am a Garden Coach.

I want to remove your fear of failure and the amount of confusion you may have around growing food. Focusing on food that you already enjoy eating, incorporating what works locally to the Denver Metro surrounding suburbs, and to be more connected to your community and yourself. You will be able to enjoy your Kitchen Garden with confidence.

I am offering Kitchen Garden consults. These are 1 hour in person with a virtual follow up. This will cover the basic consult with a pre-consult questionnaire. In person I will help identify a plan of attack for your particular needs of where you are thinking of having your kitchen garden and what you would like to plant. I will create quick design with measurements. We will talk strategy for the follow up. This is where you decide if you would like to purchase a design and installation of the kitchen raised bed garden and even a planting plan.  My specialty is using free or found things for that extra rustic / personal touch. So let me know now if there is anything you dreamed of being in the garden.  

Whether or not you decide to have me design a planting plan will be up to you for this additional service. This includes a detailed design based on your preferences out of some set options that work well in your space in the garden and in the state.