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Seeds Will Help Heal Hurricane Ravaged Areas
1 commentVegetable gardeners can put their hobby to good use by ordering seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds by October 6. All the proceeds from online seed sales will be used to help hurricane victims in Puerto Rico and beyond.
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Leila Arboretum in Battle Creek , Michigan
On a recent road trip to Michigan, we happened upon the Leila Arboretum--and what a find! If you are in the neighborhood--go check it out! Wonderful gardens and a great place for kids; this is one not to miss.
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Is it Welsh Rabbit or Rarebit?
3 commentsRarebit or Rabbit--it's basically a cheese sauce over toast. I made this for the Great Hops Cookoff (had just 10 minutes) at the IHA conference and of course, I added herbs and a good hoppy IPA for maximum flavor, along with a dead ripe summer tomato. This is a quick and easy dish to make when you don't know what to have for lunch or supper and you don't feel like another sandwich.
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International Herb Association Conference in Michigan featuring Hops, Herb of the Year 2018
Last week the IHA held their conference in Hickory Corners, Michigan at the Kellogg Biological Station, which is a great place to hold a conference and be in nature at the same time. There's walking trails along Gull Lake, an amazing number of beautiful old trees, a bird sanctuary, the Manor House and more.
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3 Easy Ways to Preserve the Herbs
Cooler nighttime temperatures mean the end is near to another vegetable gardening season. Instead of letting those beautiful culinary herbs go to seed, take a few minutes to snip and save them for winter.
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Summer Heights
Summer is near about peaking. Plants are reaching for the sun and growing fast in this heat, so there are many tall annuals and perennials in the garden. Pictured are a few that stand out.
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Garden Seeds, Fruits and Flowers to Watch for Now
Many garden plants are already setting seed, which come in infinite shapes, sizes and textures. Want to know when to harvest? What to leave and for how long? What to remove right away? Though there are many books written on the subject of seed saving, here are some seeds, as well as a few berries and flowers you might be seeing now in your garden that are ready to gather--or just admire.
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You Can Grow a Lot of Hot Weather Plants Down Here in the Ozarks
I'm still here in the Ozarks after teaching summer folk school classes last week. This gardening season, the gardeners planted lots of plants here with the upcoming Herb Harvest Fall Festival in mind. This year the featured countries are Central America, the Caribbean basin and Mexico, so plants from those regions are growing here. Those regions of the world are hot and tropical and those plants seem to be doing well here in the Ozarks where the hot temperatures have been extreme.
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Be a Blue Ribbon Vegetable Winner
It’s county fair time and your chance to get some recognition for a season of vegetable growing. Here's how you can win ribbons and prizes for your vegetable growing efforts.
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How to “Grow” Black Garlic
1 commentIf you saw a head of black garlic would you think it was garlic gone bad or would you eat it up?
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Botanical Waters (Aguas Frescas): Celebrate the Season with Flavorful Healthy Beverages
We are having hot weather, which means we should be hydrating a lot. I'm harvesting the mints and monardas and lemon balm and these herbs are wonderfully refreshing when infused in water. Add a little fresh seasonal fruit--and you have a fiesta in a glass--full of vitamins and minerals and delicious! I call these herb-and-fruit-infusions botanical waters or flavored waters.
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Visit Your Local Botanic Garden
Last weekend was the You Can Grow It! Festival at the U.S. Botanic Garden. There was a good turnout and visitors got to pot up an herb plant and a carnivorous plant, view a beehive and taste honey, observe insect activity in the Butterfly Garden, smell the roses in the Rose Garden, enjoy the native blooms in the Regional Garden and then cool of in the Conservatory while enjoying the many plant collections from tropicals and medicinals to rare & endangered. There is always something going on at your local Botanic Garden or Arboretum--and an everchanging seasonal landscape--so find one near you and go visit!
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Harvest Nettle Seeds to Make a Tasty Condiment: Gomasio with Nettle Seeds & Sea Vegetables
With the onset of warm weather, I allow the nettle patch to flower and make seed. Since the seeds are edible, I like to harvest and dry them, which is a bit labor intensive, however well worth the effort. The way that I like to use them best is to combine them with sesame seeds and sea salt and sometimes, seaweed, to make an incredibly tasty and nutritive version of gomasio.
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Nettles: Last Harvest until Fall
Once nettles flower and set seed, most sources say they are too bitter to eat and that the leaves become stringy and gritty with calcium oxalate. Right now I am after the seeds so I can make gomasio and also I want to cut them back so that I will have a fall crop.
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Growing Tomatoes and Peppers in the Garden using Black Plastic Mulch
Oh boy did I open a can of worms when I started to do research on the pros and cons of using black plastic mulch! Yes, it does warm the soil, extend crops growing time, hold moisture in the soil and keep down a plethora of weeds. No, black plastic is not organic. Most black plastic eventually goes into the landfill in a season or two—unless you use one of the newer biodegradable or photo-degradable black plastic mulches.
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Basic Vinaigrette & Variations
Vinaigrettes are so easy to make and are far better than store-bought bottled dressings. This is my "little black dress" dressing--my family's favorite--simple and tasteful.
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Cilantro Recipe: Mango Habanero Salsa with Cilantro
In my blog on Cilantro & Coriander, Herb of the Year 2017, I promised to post a recipe. Here is a bright and flavorful salsa that is great with chips, on a taco salad or quesadilla, and with anything from the grill!
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Just Released: Cilantro & Coriander, Herb of the Year 2017
Every year the International Herb Association chooses an herb of the year to feature, as well as publishes a book on the selected herb so we can all get to know the particular herb up close and personal. This year we celebrate cilantro & coriander (one is the herb leaf and the other is the herb seed--both from the same plant--so we get two for one this year!)
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Vegetable Seeds for Easter Baskets
Let the Easter bunny plant the seeds of gardening by adding a few vegetable seed packets to the basket this year.
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Insect Pest Warning System for Vegetable Gardeners
Wouldn't it be nice to know when to expect an invasion of insect pests to your vegetable garden? Then The Big Bug Hunt needs you!
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