GARDEN UPDATE!

Hello Friends! We haven't left you we promise! We have been putting in the man hours getting the land all set for planting and then transplanting everything into the ground.

As you guys saw in the location post we started out with land that was previously maintained by Andrew's grandfather and we have had the amazing opportunity to bring it back to life and honor his memory. Though it may not be as large as it once was we have managed to make it big enough to not only feed ourselves but our families as well!

Over the years the grass became overgrown and the old fencing became buried. So with help from family we rolled up our sleeves and got to work! We mowed the tall grass and dug up the old fence and then Andrew started tilling.

A couple more times and the ground was good to go. Most of the vegetables are going to be put in a fenced off area to try and protect it from any deer and other animals that might pass through and see our garden as a free buffet.

We recycled the posts from the previous garden and purchased new chicken wire fencing from the local hardware store. Don't mind the crooked posts, just focus on that view!

With much consideration we decided to keep all the smaller vegetables in that area and the open area to the left will be for the corn, pumpkins and cucumbers. But before the plants could be transplanted we had to get them over there! So Andrew and I packed up the car and took them all from the greenhouse room into the little shed right next to the garden. And when I say packed, I mean that car was packed full! So we moved them all in to their new temporary home.

 They did amazing in their previous greenhouse home and were literally busting out of their pots! Here is a picture I took of one of the many zucchini plants and if you look at the bottom you can tell the roots have completely outgrown the pod.

May was a hot one for us here in Maine. It was actually the hottest recorded average in the Month of May ever. So our plants took a little bit of a beating with the amount of heat they endured. It was definitely time to get them into the ground and start their lives in their new home! 

Of course I am going to leave you hanging on that one! But be sure to keep watching for more blogs! I won't take a month to post a new one, I promise! And stay tuned for the next post about how our plant babies held up during the transplanting process!

As always, come watch our journey and come grow with Northern Pineapple! And tell your friends! We would love to see that "like" number rise again! Thank you all for your support and we will see you soon!

The Key to Life is Herbs

I can't even explain the joy I get from just walking to the window sill and snipping fresh herbs to incorporate into dinner. No grocery store, no plastic packaging, no cost. It's kind of perfect.

The only imperfect part is that the majority of our apartment is in the shade. The sun doesn't really shine into our apartment, which means its usually a little cooler in here. With the exception of ONE window, our bedroom window. So that's where the sit, soaking up the rays.

Please excuse the lack of rays, it was evening time when I took this. However, we are stocked up on fresh herbs. From left to right we have:

• Lemon Thyme
• Peppermint
• Basil
• Chocolate Mint
• Rosemary

I have yet to use the chocolate mint or lemon thyme, however, the others have succeeded my expectations. 

With the Rosemary we cooked up some potatoes, coated them (with freshly chopped rosemary, garlic powder and oil), and then baked them for a few minutes. It was delicious!

With the Basil I was so excited to try and cook with it that I threw some fresh cut leaves, half an avocado, and some oil in a blender and made a creamy pesto.

And lastly, with the Peppermint I just grabbed some leaves, rubbed them between my fingers to activate more of the flavor and put it in some tea in the morning. The benefits of mint are amazing, I just might have to right a blog solely about it! (foreshadowing...)

Though I am kind of unsure what to do with the lemon thyme (and will most definitely be turning to my best friend Pinterest for some ideas), Andrew and I are pretty excited to put some chocolate mint into our hot cocoa one of these days! Through some research it says that it gives it a richer chocolate taste along with the mint. I just might do that tonight!

Having herbs in your home isn't just about its easy and accessible culinary uses, but just the life it brings into your home. Especially the scents, its your own little aromatherapy. Indoor herb plants are also known to help purify the air. The versatility of these plants is amazing!

Another fun fact is that the mint plants, even the chocolate mint, are also great for repelling flies, mosquitos, and other pests. With summer right around the corner what more could you want!

Yes, I am blabbing on about herbs, but you can't tell me you don't think it's a little intriguing. 

We are new to the blogger world so I completely forgot to take pictures of my herb concoctions (#bloggerfail), BUT don't you fret I will be sure to capture the next one! 

To stay even more updated you should check out our instagram @northernpineapple! And if you have any input about your herbs or what to make with ours please leave a comment below, we would love to hear from you!

Thanks for stopping by!

Location, Location, Location!

Though we love our apartment, it can have its disadvantages. The biggest being no yard. No yard equals no garden. And for a couple who is creating a brand based on gardening that doesn't really look good for us. Luckily we have great family who offers us their land, in return for fresh vegetables, of course.

Today was especially exciting because we got to get the lay of the land, so to speak. I got to check out the place that Andrew grew up around, and that we get to grow food with. Let me tell you, it is beautiful. But if you don't believe me I took pictures as evidence.

If you look closely there is a beautiful view! You have to admit, Maine is a pretty cool place (I say that because the snow is finally gone).

Now, it is definitely a work in progress. Over the next couple of weeks we will be raking and tilling, getting the land ready to plant our seedlings that we showed off last week. But it is so much more than we expected to have when we started this idea, and we are so grateful. 

Not only have we upgraded our garden space but we have upgraded to buildings as well! Here is what we have in mind.

We have a miniature greenhouse in our apartment, we have access to a little green room off site, so we decided why not have a greenhouse right here! Lucky for us, there was already one there. So with some tender, love and care this will be just that! But that's not all. There is one more building we will be putting to good use.

It's adorable, I know. And though we haven't 100% decided what we will use it for just yet you know that we will keep you posted. I mean, we can't reveal everything or it wouldn't be a journey and learning experience!

The only true thing I can reveal is how excited we are, and that we have A LOT of work ahead. Of course we bring you guys along every step of the way. 

Don't forget to check out our Facebook and new Instagram (northernpineapple) and see what we are up to on the daily basis! #northernpineapple

So of course, stay tuned, keep checking in and watch out for Operation Garden Renovation. Coming Soon! 

HERE COMES THE SEEDS!

Good morning! We are back and have officially started our seedlings! This is a very exciting time for Northern Pineapple and lucky for you we documented it all on camera. Don't forget to check out our first official episode in our Youtube series. It's right there, go ahead and click it!

We were fortunate enough to have a great indoor greenhouse-type room to plant our seedlings in. But if you don't have access to one you can always just set them by a sunny window or buy a small indoor greenhouse for pretty cheap. 

We got ours at Tractor Supply Co. for 20 dollars and it worked wonders before we planted so much and had to relocate. But if you are planning on just a few different varieties I highly recommend getting one of these!

The most important thing to remember is to plant what you like and if you're feeling adventurous plant something you have never tried before. I know there are a couple things that I have never really experimented with but I am excited to get on Pinterest and check out new recipes. Who doesn't love Pinterest! But I am rambling, so here is a list of what we planted and what you didn't see in our video (because you watched it, right??).

• Cucumbers
• Tomatoes and Old German Tomatoes
• Eggplant
• Pumpkins (Pie and Jack O'Lantern)
• Zucchini
• Broccoli
• Brussel Sprouts
• Cabbage (Regular, Red and Baby Choi)
• Habanero Peppers
• Okra

And that's just the beginning. We also have all the root vegetables that will be planted straight into the ground. But that's for another time, and another video.

We are getting geared up to head outside and prepare the garden for transplanting. If you want to keep more up to date don't forget to check out our Facebook pages and the newest addition to Northern Pineapple social media, our INSTAGRAM page (just search "northernpineapple") where we will be blowing up your news feed with our gardening adventures.

So as always, stay tuned and come grow with us!

Holy Pineapple!

Northern Pineapple isn't just an interesting and cool name (I know you're thinking it). So we couldn't just bypass trying to grow our Northern Pineapple mascot! After months of waiting to see if we could actually grow a pineapple in the northern part of the United States we have finally started seeing growth!

If you look closely all the pale, dead leaves are from the old pineapple and the pineapple plant that is beginning to grow is that bright green in the middle. Though it did take quite some time to root and get started its actually pretty easy to do, you just need patience when it comes to it actually showing progress which was the hardest for me. This is what we used as kind of a guide on what to do:

We cut the top off and soaked it for about a week or so, then removed any remaining fruit pieces that were still attached. Then Andrew planted it in soil and we set it in our little indoor portable greenhouse. Not much was happening for awhile, we checked it a few times and eventually started seeing roots growing underneath. At one point we picked up a bigger grow light and put it under to keep it heated well. But don't leave it under too long or it will burn, we learned that the hard way. Luckily the burning wasn't that bad and it's bouncing back. Then just queue the jeopardy music and wait! 

I have no idea what it is going to look like as it progresses but be sure to watch out for updated pictures of our very own northern pineapple!

Hello, Youtube!

Youtube is my guilty pleasure. I am constantly watching Youtube vlogs and videos and Andrew already knows the answer when he asks "what are you watching?". But don't let him fool you he watches them just as much as I do, except his are all about gardening.

So why not do something we both enjoy watching in our spare time?

Andrew and I are pleased to announce our new youtube channel, Northern Pineapple! We have just posted a little introductory video and would love for you guys to check it out!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4TuN8WMDEk

It's just a click away! Hope you all enjoy and STAY TUNED!

Pet Worms and Composting

I have a container of worms that live in my apartment. That's right, WORMS. 

Trust me I was a little grossed out about it at first. Especially when Andrew first moved them into our apartment and they began escaping and crawling around our kitchen floor. I never imagined the words, "Andrew the worms got out again!", coming out of my mouth, nor becoming comfortable picking them up and putting them back in their home. Luckily, that phase didn't last long and our rebellious worms became comfortable in their new living environment.

My point to the worm story is that they make a great "ingredient" to a composting bin! Apparently their, for lack of a better word, poop is a great fertilizer for plants which Andrew informed me when he initially moved our new roommates into the apartment. 

Having the worm bin eventually transitioned into creating a compost bin. Which I have become to love! 

As a young couple just starting out our financial situation isn't always ideal and the idea of wasting food and the money we used to buy it by just throwing it in the garbage and sending it off to the dump is unbearable. So I do as much as I can to remember to empty all of our food scraps into the bin so that we can use it in our garden come spring time once the snow has melted. (All you people who are enjoying snow-less springtime on this April Fools day suck, no offense)

Making your own compost bin is super easy! If you live in an apartment like we do all you need is a small bucket or bin depending on how big your apartment is and how much space you want it to take up. Andrew put his in a small tote, this is what it looks like.

I just stash it away underneath our kitchen table. Right in between the recycling bin and crock pot apparently. Note to self, put the crock pot away. Easily accessible for all my composting needs.

Here's what the inside looks like! 

If you are going the worm route, like we have, you want to put a good base of paper scraps towards the bottom and keep it a little moist. Also not too many fruits because of all the acid. I try to put as many scraps as I can but usually check with Andrew to make sure it is safe for the worms when I am unsure. 

Don't know what to do with the extras from your veggies? Throw them right in the compost bin, too! Andrew also puts his used up soil from his house plants and seedlings that didn't grow properly. Pretty much anything will do. I actually plan on throwing in my cucumber skins and coffee grounds that I used up earlier once I am done writing this blog. The more you mix it up and add to it, the richer the compost will become.

Then you just set it and forget it! I will say that we were getting some fruit flies for awhile but they have disappeared on their own, but I will do some more research and keep you updated on that one. 

Overall, I highly recommend a composting bin. It just feels good knowing your recycling your food to make more food! It's a great start to a sustainable lifestyle!

(also if your landlord wont allow you to have pets so the worms are all you have, haha)

If I missed anything or you want to tell me how you compost send us a message or comment! We would love hearing how other people recycle and re-use. Like I said in our last post this a journey to learn and grow, so feedback is more than welcome!

I hope you all had a great April Fool's Day and stay tuned for more posts!

Nice to Meet You!

Did you know that in North America the pineapple has become a symbol for hospitality?? I didn't know until I was "googling" pictures of pineapples the other day. I was pleasantly surprised seeing as how perfectly it works with our business name. I mean, everyone has heard of southern hospitality, but is there such a thing as northern hospitality? If not, I think there should be and we might as well start the trend now. 

That's me, Tayla, and to my right is my boyfriend Andrew. We are a young couple from Maine looking to make northern hospitality, or in our case, Northern Pineapple a business and a lifestyle. And we want to take you guys on our journey. 

Andrew is very passionate about sustainability especially when it comes to growing your own food. And I am a huge fan of watching vlogs on youtube. Together we watch gardening videos to see how others create their own sustainability and plan out their gardens. Yet, all those videos are of people in amazing climates with rich soil and sunshine all the time. Unfortunately, that's not the case for some of us. Living in Maine it can get pretty cold, very quickly. And the gardening season is a much shorter time span than other states. That's where Northern Pineapple comes in.

We want to make it our mission to not only learn how to support our own little family but show that it is possible to create your own food, no matter where you live. And by no means are we experts, we are a work in progress learning and improving as we go. 

So come grow with us!

And welcome to...

Oh and P.S. Check out our Youtube Channel! See you soon!