I grew up with a garden – really just a giant sized kitchen garden – full of veggies, herbs and flowers. Every spring, I would watch my Dad till the soil, the my sister and I would follow behind and pick out the rocks. Then we would go to the garden center to pick out seeds and seedlings. After we carefully planted everything, I loved watching each little sprout grow!

Now that we move every three years and are kind of limited in space, my garden has shrunk considerably. Base and rental houses are not exactly excited about having full-on veggie gardens, tilled soil and all.

Grow a Container Garden No Matter Where You’re Planted

So for the last decade or so, I’ve been creating mini container gardens at each of my homes. Now, I’m certainly no expert, but my potted plants have done pretty well so far.

Start Small & Hardy

Whether you grew up around veggie patches or are just starting to dig in the dirt, it’s important to start small. Like really small, as in just one plant.

Pick something hardy and easy to care for with a proven track record of success. If you’re not sure, consult with an expert at a local gardening center or nursery. Shopping small and hyper-local instead of hitting the big box stores is definitely the right move in this situation.

Sometimes, starting with an herb like rosemary or mint is the right move. Both are super sturdy and do well in many environments, including drier climates and sub-tropical zones. I’ve successfully cultivated thriving rosemary plants in both of these locations!

Pick the Right Pots & Soil

Not every plant grows in the same soil or needs the same kinds of pots and containers. Each type of plant needs a different amount of space above the ground, plus depth and room to spread out their roots.

Before you stick your new plants into just any old pots, do a little research into what they need. Ask that local garden expert what your new sprout needs. Keep in mind that you might need to swap out pots as your plant grows up, too.

Just like pots and containers, each plant needs a specific type of soil. Dirt has different pH levels and nutrient contents. Plants will respond to some soil better than others.

For example, my Mom tried to grow hydrangeas for years and years. Every spring, they would grow beautiful, lush leaves but never even bud or blossom. Turns out, the soil was way too acidic and well irrigated for the bushes to fully develop. Once she added in a different fertilizer, she’s had amazing giant flowers every year!

Be Realistic About the Work

Plants take work and space, some more than others. Before you commit to growing pumpkins and tomatoes, know what you’re getting into first.

Every garden needs to be watered and weeded, but there are ways to make that simpler. Drip irrigation systems can help make watering more hands-off. Plus, there are ways to set up your garden, like the square foot method, to maximize space and cut down on weeds.

Setting up a schedule to delegate plant tending duties can be super helpful. It also helps you to keep track of watering and weeding to make sure that you don’t over tend your pots.

Plant within Your Space Limits

You also need to consider your space limitations. Vine-type plants, like pumpkins and cukes, need a good bit of space. Not super ideal if all you’ve got is a 4×4 raised bed.

But there are ways to grow lots of plants in small spaces, like training vine plants with lighter veggies or fruits up a trellis or using another vertical gardening technique.

Co-planting techniques, like the infamous Three Sisters (beans, squash, corn), can greatly maximize your space and increase your output.

Grow What You Like

Pick veggies, herbs and flowers you actually enjoy. If you don’t love tomatoes, don’t plant them!

I love roses and try to find a way to plant at least one rosebush at every single one of our houses. In fact, my original rose garden is still blooming in base housing at Camp Pendleton! My Okinawan roses are about to be passed down to a neighbor.

I also always grow rosemary and basil, plus other herbs that might be harder to find. In Okinawa, whole leaf sage is really limited. So I grew my own! Those leaves sure made my Thanksgiving turkey super tasty!

Whether you’re aiming for a colorful plot full of blooms or an ultra-productive veggie patch, follow your heart and what you can honestly handle! Sticking to these guidelines, plus consulting with a local gardening center, can help you have a positive container gardening experience.

Do you container garden? Share your best tips and tricks with our community!

The silent ranks, holding down the home front, doing all the things. Military spouses are there, 24/7/365, providing support for their serving spouses, keeping things even keeled at home. Too often, we accept the service and sacrifice of military spouses as just what happens.

But military spouses do quite a lot to make sure that our troops can complete their missions. This May, show the military spouses in your life just how much their dedication means to you!

Celebrate Military Spouses on May 10!

Honoring military spouses is really pretty simple – mostly, just say how you feel. But if you’d like to do a little more to show your appreciation, try these tips and ideas!

Celebrate MilSpouses in Your Unit

Host a celebration event in honor of Military Spouse Appreciation Day! Plan a small luncheon, brunch or coffee social and invite the spouses in your unit. You can use the on-base MWR facilities to help plan and coordinate your event.

At your event, give away prizes and honor individual spouses for their efforts to support the unit or base.

If you don’t have the funds for an event, you could find another way to honor spouses. Send cards to the spouses in your unit with a handwritten note of appreciation. You could also share a video message from the command team on social media.

Celebrate MilSpouses in Your Home

Are you a married service member? Then you should 100% be honoring the military spouse in your life on May 10!

Try these easy ideas:

• Schedule a spa day: just a simple single treatment or a full day of pampering
• Make it a date: take your spouse out on the town, eating at your favorite places and maybe catching a movie
• Say it with flowers or plants: bring home a big bouquet of flowers or a plant to add to the garden
• DIY dinner date: make a special meal at home – then do the dishes
• Write a note: say “thanks” for all the ways your spouse makes your military missions possible in a thoughtful note
• Take over at home: give your spouse the day off, while you take over all the household details – it’ll give you a new appreciation for all they do

Mostly, just taking time out of your day to show how much you care is what’s important. Your spouse does a lot and sacrifices quite a bit to make your family’s military life as smooth as possible.

Treat Your MilSpouse Friends

Military spouses know that our biggest supports are each other. Through deployments and trainings, long nights and early mornings, your fellow military spouses are 100% there for you.

Take time on May 10 to show your core crew of military spouse friends your appreciation.

Make the day special with these ideas:

• Go out for brunch or lunch: pick a cool cafe or swank restaurant for a nice meal out together
• Host a MilSpouse night in: invite your closest pals over for a night in, complete with dinner and drinks; ask your collective spouses to watch your kids
• Have a fun night out: grab some sitters (or your spouses) and head out for a fancy dinner and drinks in town
• Drop off flowers: show your best military spouse friends the love with a small bouquet of flowers; give your blooms at lunch or leave a sweet surprise at their door
• Send a note: send a sweet card to your friends, showing your appreciation for their support and love

For some military spouses, you might be the only person to show your appreciation on May 10. Spread the love and show just how much having a strong community means to you!

Show Yourself Appreciation

Let’s be real: not many people outside of the military community even know about or recognize Military Spouse Appreciation Day. So, fellow military spouses, treat yourself to a little pampering and relaxation today.

• Enjoy a nice beverage: relax at a cafe or restaurant, even your own dining room table, savoring the beverage of your choice
• Buy yourself blooms: brighten up your day with a personally picked bouquet with all your favorite flowers
• Grab lunch: treat yourself to lunch at your favorite local spot
• Just sit: seriously, take a minute and just sit down, do nothing for a while
• Binge watch a guilty pleasure: host a tv or movie marathon of your all-time favorites; munch on yummy snacks while you watch

No matter what happens or who else remembers Military Spouse Appreciation Day, it’s important to take time to recognize the sacrifices you make for your family and our nation. Military spouses play a vital role in the success of military troops and missions.

How will you be honoring military spouses on May 10? Share your creative ways to show your appreciation!

By Marguerite Cleveland

    The Department of Defense released the results of a survey in February of this year and one of the findings is that military spouses experience high levels of stress. “I’m surprised at the results,” said no military spouse ever. We all know we experience these levels of stress and so often that seems normal. A trend in travel the past few years has been for girls trips where you gather up your besties and getaway for the weekend or longer. The idea is appealing and having taken advantage of a trip or two, myself I can honestly say it goes a long way towards self-care and relieving military spouse stress.

     Don’t get me wrong, I love our family vacations but for most military spouses it goes something like this. You do all the planning, arrange for pet care, do all the laundry and pack or supervise the packing for everyone on the trip. By the time you get going on the trip, you are exhausted. Then you have to make sure everyone is dressed for the day with sunscreen (a whole other nightmare) applied. Instead of lying out by the pool or beach you are constantly alert making sure no one drowns. My family trips are always fun but I arrive home exhausted instead of refreshed.

     A girl’s trip on the other hand is all about me with dinner with adults, spa experiences, sleeping by the pool in the warm sun, reading a good book and enjoying time with friends. So do you say, yay or nay on a trip. A few things to consider, remember your spouse works hard and when he is out to sea, deployed or in the field it is also work and not fun. Factor in your budget; I could never justify spending money on a girl’s trip if it took something away from my family. So here are a few thoughts and ideas.

• Gifts – I have pretty generous family members and when they give me cash or gift cards for the holidays or my birthday I put these aside for a “me” trip.
• The Kids – Consider your children’s ages and your spouse’s (other family member or babysitter) ability to care for them.  Babies and toddlers can be a challenge so your girls’ trip may just be a few hours away. Go see a movie or get a pedicure with your friends. Even a few hours away can be a nice break.
• Staycation – Spend a day or a weekend locally and do all the not family friendly activities you can find. Eat at restaurants that don’t have children’s menus. No pizza, burgers, hot dogs or mac and cheese allowed.
• Further afield – Score an offseason deal at a high end resort and enjoy the luxury by sleeping in, ordering room service. Take advantage of all the amenities that you normally don’t have time for when caring for your crew.
• I tend to like to stay within driving distance and phone call range.  I have a few friends that take a cruise every other year as their budgets allow. Big trips can be fun but again look at your family budget before you go big.

     What are your thoughts on taking a Mom vacation?

Marguerite Cleveland is a freelance writer who specializes in human interest and travel stories. She is a military brat, a veteran and now a military spouse.  Her military experience is vast as the daughter of a Navy man who served as an enlisted sailor and then Naval Officer. She served as an enlisted soldier in the reserves and on active duty, then as an Army Officer. She currently serves as a military spouse. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two sons. Visit her website www.PeggyWhereShouldIGo.com

When we moved to Japan in 2016, it was honestly pretty simple to get our pup here with us. Okay, it was 100% stressful to juggle all of the pup requirements while also organizing an OCONUS move with a toddler. But, on balance, pretty easy and not all that pricey in the grand scheme of things.

We could ship our dog as cargo using a DIY method, allowing him to join us a few weeks after we arrived in Okinawa. Now, that option doesn’t seem to be possible.

In the last three years, a good bit has changed when it comes to shipping cats and dogs between the US and overseas military duty stations. As we head into the heart of PCS season, it’s time for you to get the skinny on updated rules to moving with your furry family members.

New Rules for PCSing OCONUS with Pets

First things first, every single country has their own set of rules you’ll need to follow in order to bring your pet when you PCS. Yes, you must follow the host nation’s rules EVEN when executing military orders.

Most countries will require vaccinations and a period of quarantine. For example, Japan requires the rabies vaccine and a 180 day quarantine; there are several other vaccinations recommended for different animal species.

To check the specific import requirements, please consult the USDA website.

It’s also important to remember that the US also has rules for bringing back animals from other countries. You’ll need to follow specific rules for areas with screwtape or Foot and Mouth Disease.

Whether you’re leaving the US or coming back home, you’ll need to get an official health certificate from either a US military or USDA-certified veterinarian. Try to get the health certificate as close to your flight date as possible.

TL;DR: you’ll need to get a series of vaccines, probably keep your animal away from others and get a health certificate.

Actually Flying Your Pets

Okay, here’s the thing: getting your pet through the different hoops for import is just part one of your journey. Now, you’ve got to actually get your pet onto a flight or series of flights.

You’ve got some options:

• AMC Flight aka The Patriot
• Pet Shipper
• DIY Accompanied or Cargo

Every single option will have a cost associated with it, though the final bill will vary based on your preferred transit method and your pet’s breed and size.

AMC flights are generally the cheapest, but also the most difficult to book. Using a pet shipper will be generally the most expensive since they take care of everything. Accompanying your pet yourself on a commercial flight or shipping your pet as cargo are somewhere in the middle, cost wise.

AMC Flights

There are a limited amount of spots on the AMC rotators and, honestly, they book up quickly. You can attempt to book a pet spot once you receive your orders and get the moving process moving. It’s first come, first served so be prepared to act fast!

On the Patriot, animals are defined as dogs and cats only. So if you have any other pets, you’ll need to rehome them, find a foster home or ship them another way.

Costs can vary between $125 and $375. While there are minimal breed restrictions, except those imposed by the host nation and/or base housing, you cannot transport animals over 150lbs (combined weight of kennel and animal).

DIY Accompanied Flights or Cargo Flights

You can move your pets yourself, without involving a pet shipper, in certain cases. Some airlines are still flying pets, in cabin or in the belly of the plane as accompanied baggage and cargo.

Generally, costs are lower than using a pet shipping service. There might be some exceptions to policy for military families traveling on PCS orders.

The three major US-based airlines are Delta, United and American. There might be other international airlines available to or from your specific destination.

Most commercial airlines have restrictions about transporting pets. Their rules might include:

• heat and cold restrictions
• snub nosed breeds
• species other than dogs and cats
• flight duration
• kennel size
• combined weight

Some airlines allow dogs that exceed the size and/or weight restrictions to be shipped as cargo instead of as accompanied baggage. There are different costs associated with the various kennel sizes and weights, as well as for cargo, accompanied baggage and in-cabin options.

If you’re flying commercial, you’ll need to contact your airline in order to book your pet’s travel arrangements. You will pay the travel costs directly to the airline. There might be some additional requirements for international travel.

Learn more about individual US-based carrier pet travel restrictions on AMC’s Pet Travel page.

Pet Shipping Services

This is how we’re getting our Schnauzer back to the US this PCS. Yes, it’s the most expensive but it’s also the most convenient for us. Using a pet shipper allows us to send our pup ahead of us. That will make the actual travel portion easier – or as easy as traveling with a five-year-old and a two-year-old can get.

To ship with a shipping company, you can use the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association (IPATA) to find your options. There are several IPATA companies that specialize in transporting pets for military families.

The cost to transport your pet will depend on your location, your pet’s size and your final destination. Some shippers will offer either accompanied or unaccompanied travel options.

The benefit of working with a shipping company is that they literally walk you through the entire process, letting you know when to do each step. It also gives you a little bit of flexibility, allowing for advanced or delayed travel.

What’s Changed?

There’s been a lot of chatter in the military community about major changes to pet shipping, especially when it comes to moving overseas and particularly Asia.

Due to several unfortunate incidents over the last 18 months, most major US airlines have tightened restrictions for pet travel. Some changes include:

• firm flight duration maximum of 11-12 hours per leg
• firm breed restrictions for snub nosed dogs and so-called bully breeds
• firm limits on the kennel size and the total maximum combined weight of your pet and their kennel; varies by airline
• firm location-based heat restrictions between May 1 and September 30; varies by breed, location and airline
• firm heat restrictions, limiting travel if the heat passes 85ºF at any transfer point on the flight plan; varies by breed and airline
• firm cold restrictions at any transfer point on the flight plan; varies by breed and airline
• requiring IPATA-registered shipper to be involved in part or all of international pet travel

These changes have definitely impacted how military members are moving with their pets this PCS season. Military members are seeing increased costs due to fewer options. In response, the military branches have been working to provide more flexibility with AMC pet spots and routing families onto commercial flights with their pets.

All the changes and logistics of moving to or from OCONUS locations with pets creates a lot of confusion. To help answer questions, military members can turn to social media and pet shipping companies. One great resource is Military Pets United, a military spouse-run Facebook group that helps provide answers, recommendations and resources.

Have some wisdom to make PCSing with pets easier? Share your tips and tricks with us!