Welcome! I'm Melissa J. Will a.k.a. the Empress of Dirt (Ontario, Canada). I've got creative and frugal ideas for your home and garden. New to this site? Start here.
There are lots of annual and perennial flowers to start from seed indoors ahead of the outdoor growing season. By sowing instead of buying plants, we have more options (so many varieties to choose fro ... [Read More...]
This indoor seed starting plan is designed for cold climate gardeners in Canada and the United States. Use this streamlined schedule to sow seeds right on time in the months and weeks leading up to la ... [Read More...]
This homemade peanut butter suet recipe feeds wild birds in the winter when food is scarce. It's a simple way to make suet without lard and well-loved by various birds including woodpeckers and nuthat ... [Read More...]
Yes, you can grow vegetables indoors including lettuces, arugula, spinach, kale, carrots, radishes, beet greens, tomatoes and more. Best of all, it can all be done with basic shop lights. Most of … [Read more...]
This easy guide shows how to germinate a mango seed found inside any mango fruit and start growing your own mango plant at home. You can also grow an avocado from seed using the same … [Read more...]
If you want to upcycle or recycle your Christmas tree after the holidays, there are all sorts of crafts and decorations to make from the wood, branches, and twigs for your home and garden. For … [Read more...]
There are many trees and shrubs to prune in late winter while the plants are still dormant and before the warmer weather returns. I’ve included a plant checklist to save for future … [Read more...]
On a family outing, my husband’s wedding ring flew off his finger and landed on a reed in a muddy swamp. What happened next still seems impossible all these years later. If you enjoy my personal … [Read more...]
Garden myths spread fast, yet many are rooted in old folklore, not facts. See why popular fixes like Epsom salt and household remedies may do more harm than good. You can avoid a lot of … [Read more...]
Shrunk your favorite wool sweater? These tips from fiber expert Kristi Porter may help you gently un-shrink and reshape it back to size. This post will show you how to assess the damage, and … [Read more...]
