Second prize in the Victory garden contest goes to Allissa Jacobs from Toledo Ohio. Allissa has been a gardener for 6 years and prefers organic gardening and using raised beds. She credits her Grandfather for her interest in gardening.

Allissa sent in two tips that she feels go together. Natural fertilizers and organic materials keep the soil and plants healthy and birds thrive on organic gardening without chemicals that can harm the birds. The birds pick any of the remaining insects keeping her garden pest and chemical free.

Allissa’s Victory garden tip:

Natural fertilizers, compost and organic materials encourage earthworms. Earthworms are nature’s soil conditioners. They leave behind castings (fertilizer) that are very rich and they also aerate the soil so roots of plants will breath better.

Birds also have helpful garden benefits and eat many of the bad bugs. By not using chemical sprays you will help the birds to stay healthy and pick off the bad bugs from your gardens

Allissa receives 10 packets of seeds for her garden and a 1944 Victory Garden pamphlet filled with gardening tips, recipes how to plant a Victory garden.

I would like to thank Sue Neitzel for judging the Victory garden contest. I met Sue through gardening and our interest in herbs and foraging for wild food and herbs. Sue lives in West Plains, Mo., and describes herself as a Web writer, Wife, Mother, Grandma, Gardener, Crafter, Friend to Mother Earth and a Woman of Faith. I describe her as a great friend and an inspiration.  Thank you Sue!!

Check out Sue’s blog:
www.countrypleasures.blogspot.com
And Etsy Store:
www.heart2home.etsy.com

Thanks again to all the people who entered the contest. Plant a Victory garden or a Row for the Poor this year. All Victory Garden participants also all get a copy of the winning garden tips. Watch your email! Denise

Gardening is great exercise but it’s easy to pull a muscle, get dehydrated or put in too much work in a day, particularly in the spring. Many people also forget to use a sun block or lotion while working in the gardens.

In the spring after a winter of less outdoor activity it’s best to start with a few exercises before working in the garden. A few simple stretches will help limber those muscles up. Check with your doctor before starting any type of exercise, including the stretches listed below.

The most common gardening injuries are back strain and knee pain. You can stretch your back by lying on the floor, pulling your knees into your chest and wrapping your arms around them. Hold that position for a minute, relax and repeat two more times.

Stretch your shoulders by holding a towel over your head. Bring the towel behind your head, with one hand and lower the other hand to below shoulder height. Hold and gently pull on the towel. Switch sides and repeat.

Legs will benefit from a runners stretch such as bracing yourself on a counter top while you stretch first one leg behind you and then the other.

Also just taking more walks before the gardening season will help loosen muscles.

Here are a few tips for successful gardening with less muscle strain:

• Pace yourself.
• Do the hard labor first, before you’re tired out and more likely to overexert.
• Practice good posture and don’t hunch. If you squat when you weed make sure to keep your back as straight as possible.
• Move along as you weed and don’t reach too far.
• When lifting, always bend from the knees not the waist. And try to keep your back straight. Use your thigh muscles to do the lifting.
• Move your feet closer to the object you are lifting and take a wide stance, to balance yourself. Keep the object close to you as you lift it.
• Don’t lift and twist in the same movement. This will pull muscles out or create cramping.
• Kneel on both knees at the same time and avoid the temptation to twist or strain.
• Use a kneepad. An old blanket or garden pad will also help.
• Choose tools with comfortable handles. For added protection wrap the grip with an old piece of hose or coat with rubber paint. Changing hands from time to time will help too.
• When using long handled tools, stand straight and keep your knees relaxed. If you need to twist or pivot, step into the twist to ease tension on the back.
• Get out the wagon or wheelbarrow. It saves time and back strain.
• Keep a barrel or jugs handy for watering. Lifting water buckets outs a strain on the back
• Keep a water bottle handy and if you haven’t been out in the sun a lot keep an eye out for sunstroke.
• Take breaks and don’t work during the hottest part of the day when the UV rays are the most dangerous to your skin

Gardening is fun, but it’s also work, particularly the first week when you are getting the garden in shape. I have found raised beds and container gardening simplifies gardening and are easier on the back.

Here is the last set of the Victory Garden contest gardening tip entries. There were 8 groups in all plus the winners. I hope you have found some valuable gardening tips of the next year and encourage you to plant a victory garden. Thank you to all who participated!

1. Hang shiny objects that flap in the wind, such as aluminum pie plates or even strips of aluminum foil, to discourage birds from eating the flowers and fruit from your trees and plants. Long colorful pieces of material that will blow in the wind will also scare off birds. (David Klark, Dallas Texas)

2. To plant a shrub: Set the new plant in its hole so the root ball is at, or slightly above, soil level. To eliminate air pockets, firm the soil around the roots as you fill the hole. Water well. Add a 2 to 3″ layer of mulch and water again. (Sue Collins, Boone N.C.)

3. Prune azaleas just after blooming. Doing it any later will damage the bud formation that produces next spring’s flowers. (Sue Collins, Boone N.C.)

4. Planting trees, shrubs, vines, and flowers that appeal to birds is the most important step you can take toward creating a backyard bird haven. Adding a source of fresh, clean water is a second essential step. (Doug Hayes, Minn.)

5. Container gardening is a great solution for those who do not have a lot of gardening space or have health limitations. You can plant your containers close to the house or on a porch up high where you don’t have to bend or lift a lot. (Debra York, Vermont)

6. Rotating crops in your garden from year to year can help reduce pest problems. (Larry Ivy, Norman Park, GA.)

I have used the aluminum and cloth strips to keep birds away from plats. It works. Cloth strips that are long enough to flap in the wind will also keep deer away from trees. I have used them on my apples trees a lot.

I am also a firm believer in rotating crops. Its better for the soil and it really does help control insects and pests. It also keeps plants in the garden healthier. Happy gardening all! Denise