Ask Mavis – Everything You Ever Wanted to Know {And More}

You have burning questions, I have some possibly helpful answers. I love your questions. They are so diverse and cover the entire spectrum of what I blog about on the site {and what I don’t!}. Sometimes they make me laugh, sometimes they make me have to use my brain. All good things. Here is the latest round of questions. As always, if you have an answer or some insight, pretty please share away. Sharing is caring.

Hi Mavis!!! We are looking to buy a new greenhouse, and I just LOVE yours! Can you please tell me where you bought it? Thanks, in advance!

~Brooke

I bought my greenhouse at the Glass Gardener in Tacoma. I freakin love it. I have a Magnum Glass Greenhouse with a British green finish. I would highly recommend the company to anybody looking for a greenhouse {and really, I’d recommend it even if you aren’t looking for a greenhouse. Because greenhouses are awesome, and everyone should have one. Or two).

Mavis, I missed reading about your new East Coast Vacation spot? What!!!!!!!!!!! Where can I read all about it and how did you convince the HH?

~ Barbara

Okay truth time. I might give my husband a hard time for buying me boxes of corn or shopping at Fred Meyer for an anniversary gift, but this year I got the coolest present on the planet. My 20th anniversary gift was a vacation home on the East coast!  I think it might be impossible to top that. I am in love with it. In. Love. I promise I will bombard you with so many pictures soon that you’ll be sick of seeing and hearing about it in no time. Because did I mention I love it. Another thing about being on the east coast that makes me giddy: you are pretty much within 5 hours of anywhere. And you know how I love to travel. But back to that vacation home. Buckle up kids. A slew of pictures are on their way… {Okay, okay. So maybe not the house pictured above, although that one is totally on the East Coast too!}

Hi Mavis, I recently moved to Tacoma and I’ve begun my journey as an urban chicken farmer and gardener with gusto. However, I’ve run into some snags and was hoping you could shed some light on a matter. I would like to save money by starting my own seeds for my winter garden and next year’s garden.

The instructions for seeds starting I’ve been finding online indicate that the trays will need up to 6 hours or more of sunlight in order to grow. Here in the PNW, especially in the winter there’s not much sunlight during that time of year. So does that mean I have to buy grow lights? I plan to grow my seed trays in a Garden Igloo, so they’ll be protected while outside as there’s no space in my house for the seed trays. I’d rather avoid the added expense of grow lights. Am I over thinking this? Do the seed trays need sunlight all day, every day? Help?

~Jessica

Okay so you’re in luck. While it’s pretty common knowledge that grow lights help your little seedlings, standard fluorescents will work just fine {Watch for end-of-season sales on growing supplies around mid-summer to keep costs down if you do go with actual grow lights}. Because we live in an area that gets pretty limited sunlight, any extra help you can give them during the winter months is great. Many will survive without any additional light, but you’ll be much more successful if you give them a boost! I use the larger version of this system and it’s awesome: Hydrofarm 2-Foot Jump Start T5 Grow Light System.

Howdy! Love your blog! Are you going to finish your review for Rodan and Fields, I’m dying to know!

~ Mari

After trying Rodan + Fields for 30 days I did not see a visible difference in my skin. And quite honestly, maybe it works for some people. I wasn’t one of them. Putting all that stuff on my face every morning and evening was a major time suck and I have happily gone back to using my free hotel lotion {and other random lotions} on my face. For what it’s worth, my money… It’s staying in my pocket. And that’s my honest opinion.

With all those mushrooms you dried, I wondered if you have a homemade condensed cream of mushroom soup recipe. Would you share it, if you have one? Thanks!

~ Tifany

I don’t, but I totally need a good recipe. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

I have been wanting to know if I should do a big garden, I have lots of seeds and the space available to me. Good soil, sunlight, and 3 acres of land. I’m a Girl Scout, and my troop was thinking of ways to fund-raise. I was thinking of doing my whole back yard with almost everything I can think of. Do you think that would be possible? We have 5 people in our troop and plenty of volunteers to help weed, plant, and water. Would it be cost effective, by that meaning would we actually earn enough money? I love to garden and I love all the ideas I get from you.

~Hope

Oh my goodness, DO IT!! You have all of the ingredients to grow an amazing garden. And here’s what I have to say about that: You’ll probably earn some money if you are diligent about selling your produce. But what you {and all the girls in your troop} will gain by spending time in the garden and learning to grow your own food is priceless!! I can’t encourage you enough to give it a try. It won’t be easy, but it will totally be worth it!

~Mavis