Our home freeze dryer finally arrived a couple of weeks ago but we’ve been so busy working on the greenhouse (no, it’s not done yet!) that we haven’t had time to get it set up. In the meantime we’ve been harvesting a ton of tomatoes, cayenne and, of course, herbs. Last weekend Kim, Linde and …
We’ve talked a bit about borage before, but it’s a beautiful and delicious plant, and deserves a revisit! It’s not only a great companion plant, but it’s a useful one to herbalists. Borago officinalis is a cooling and moistening relative of comfrey. This is important information to remember. We actually don’t have that many moistening …
I am so blessed to have a hubby who not only takes an interest in my herb garden, but he has so much knowledge about cultivating and managing soil. Because of his continual commitment to that goal, my garden is flourishing. ?? Four years ago, the entire area was a graveled parking lot, and now …
Most will recognize that lovely fragrance of a honeysuckle and children love to pull the stamen in order to enjoy a drop of sweet, edible nectar (hence the name: honeysuckle)! Lonicera ciliosa, the orange honeysuckle or western trumpet honeysuckle is what we have growing here in North Idaho. The twining, trailing vines can climb up …
Trifolium pratense AKA red clover is a great plant to add to your garden, especially if you’d like to improve the soil. It’s a great ground cover that replenishes nitrogen in the soil and is just plain beautiful. (And maybe you’ll find a lucky “4-leafer”!) Cultivating Cultivating is so simple. It’s right up on my …
Elder (Sambucus canadensis) is a perennial. We are cultivating several elderberry shrubs on our property. It’s more commonly wildcrafted than it is cultivated, but today, I’m going to give you tips on growing them. When planting elder, you’ll want to place it in an area where it will get full sun or partial shade. They’re …
Calendula officinalis has proven to be one of the easiest plants to grow. You can start it inside to plant out in the spring or sow the seeds directly in the ground. It prefers healthy, loamy soil in full sun. You will not get good results if you pick a shady area. It likes a …
Note: If you didn’t read Cultivating Garlic, go back and read that post first! Garlic is something we use everyday. Unlike many, I LOVE the taste AND smell of garlic. Once you’ve planted your garlic patch, all you need is a little patience and be ready to harvest when the time is right. In the …
One of the reasons I love garlic is its accessible almost worldwide. Garlic is a powerful herbal ally, as well as an easy-to-find addition to your diet and lifestyle. Of course, you’ll likely have garlic breath, but just think of all the wonderful cleansing properties that are enveloping your respiratory system! Besides, the cure for …
Let’s talk about harvesting lemon balm! Thankfully, because lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is so vigorous, it’s very difficult to over-harvest. It can be harvested all throughout the growing season by clipping several inches of new growth of the top of the plant. If you do that consistently before it flowers you will have many rounds …
