House & Garden
One way to preserve the herbs that you have so painstakingly grown is to dry them. There is more than one technique used for the drying process. We will discuss the options here so you can get the best flavor and oils from your leaves.
Herbs are a way to add extra zest to foods without adding fat. If you’ve ever had cuisine with fresh herbs then you know the difference it makes. The next best thing is dried herbs. Growing and drying your own is better and cheaper than buying them from the store. Continue reading
Herbs are beneficial not only for making your food taste good but also for medicinal purposes. Dried ones sold at the store are good for food but to get the best taste possible, fresh is better. Avoid paying the high costs of buying fresh – start your own herb garden – even in the fall at the onset of cooler weather.
Whether for medicinal or culinary purposes, herbs have been used for centuries, even before recorded history. Many ethnic and regional cuisines still use a variety of fresh herbs and spices for a healthy dose of preventative medicine with each delicious bite.
Herbs are healthy. Many people use herbs as an alternative medicine source, especially in light of the high cost of prescription medications. Herbal remedies are thought of as alternative medicine today but just about all medicines can be traced back to plants, seeds, spices, flowers, herbs and roots. Continue reading
Don’t you just love the colors of fall? There are some really great flowers that can add to the beautiful fall colors in your yard. Here are the ones you can plant to really make your yard look stunning.
Sunflower
One flower that you can enjoy at the end of summer and all the way to the first frost of fall is the sunflower. These large yellow flowers, while you might think of warmth, actually signal that fall is on its way. They begin to bloom in August and will last well into October and possibly even November.
Chrysanthemums
Chrysanthemums are really the perfect fall flower. They came in so many different varieties of colors that you really can get a beautiful vibrant garden with just different colors of chrysanthemums. November just so happens to have only one birth month flower while the rest of the months have two, and chrysanthemums are it for November. Continue reading
If you’ve been gardening all summer, you’ve likely enjoyed the fruits of your labor. Fresh vegetables, fruits or flowers have graced your dinner table in one manner or another. But now the summer is nearing an end. You may be wondering what you can do in September to prepare your garden for the coming winter and the next summer.
When September rolls around it is important to stop fertilizing trees and flowering shrubs. They need the year’s growth to harden off for protection during the winter. Perennials are slowing down for the winter, going into a type of dormancy, so they no longer need fertilization.
For annuals which you’ll replant in the spring, they have served their purpose. They can either be pulled up and put into a mulch pile, or mowed down and tilled under. Either option will break down the plant and add organic nutrients back into your soil. Continue reading
