Gardeners comprise one giant family the world over and most of us love nothing more than to commune, relate and share our love of the garden and the plants with others. The fact this nursery specialized in the largestanywhere (example of which pictured...
A benefit of purchasing a rose at a florist is that you generally choose from a larger selection and get a higher quality rose. Most florists don't prepackage single roses, so you will likely have more control over how you want the rose wrapped.Grocery...
It may seem hard to believe, but the first day of spring is less than a month away. You can minimize this loss by making sure the honey never gets hotter than 120 degrees. Other additions that work well are ginger, garlic and citrus zest.To add multiple...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ruled that the effectiveness for this use is not sufficient to market cloves for this use. Bring to boil.Fill jars with beets and onions leaving ½ inch headspace.Process pints and quarts 30 minutes in boiling...
Ceylon cinnamon is also referred to as "true cinnamon", while the Chinese variety is known as "cassia." Both are relatively similar in characteristics and feature a fragrant, sweet and warm taste.Cinnamon has been known from ancient times.
I thought I knew a lot about spices until I began to research this article. Come and learn with me all about spices, and today, nutmeg. Cilantro is the leafy herb of the same plant that gives us the spice coriander.Nutmeg is a seed of an evergreen tree...
Discard bay leaves. Why laurel leaves? Apollo in turn made the tree sacred, so it became a powerful symbol of honor, not just as a crown for athletes, but as a spiritual medium/hallucinogen for the oracle of Delphi and as a nod of respect.In the Middle...
(Yes, even the vegThe word Cumin comes (via Greek and Latin) from Hebrew and Sumerian virtually unchanged. Indian and Iranian cooking still feature Cumin prominantly but Chinese, not so much.
While some of these are easier to do yourself than others, here are a few natural choices to get you started:Oakmoss - This is a lichen that grows on oak trees (and occasionally pines and sometimes other deciduous trees) in temperate forests in both Europe...
The leaves, which resemble the needles of an evergreen, are deep green on the top and silvery on the bottom. The husks of the nuts are removed and processed separately to make a similar-tasting spice called mace.
I use fine scissors to carefully cut the stigmas and drop them into an envelope before taking them inside. The leaves appear after the flowers have bloomed and died and often remain for 1 to 3 months.
Trees are coppiced, or pruned nearly to the ground, encouraging the formation of many small shoots. Cinnamon trees would naturally grow to 30 feet or more in height, but under cultivation they resemble large bushes.
After my experience with aspirin and the beneficial aspects of using it to help plants fight off infections, I mused about other naturally occurring substances or products that might have similar uses.
Sprinkle some on baked dishes and breads. There are many recipes on the internet for party dips made with sesame tahini (commonly found in hummus); dishes like Baba Ganoush, and Falafel all are traditionally made with a sesame paste, plus all the confections...
Here are a few things to keep in mind when shopping for a lawn aerator. Hand-pushed aerators offer the advantage of simplicity (all they need is muscle power to operate) and are less expensive as well, but they're more tiring to use and naturally aren't...
There are several different types of plants to choose from. It also gives you a nice cascading effect. Let's make a "me" place to do just that. When done properly with the right plants it will a lovely place to relax both day and night.Here is a diagram...
The trans-continental railway, completed in 1869, made sure that middle class children all over the country could have an orange in their Christmas stocking. By the end of the 19th century, oranges were in plentiful supply in Florida, Arizona and California.
Cinnamon in particular is useful as an antifungal agent, and is a primary ingredient in many traditional mulling spice recipes.Creating a mixture of mulling spices can be a highly individualized exercise.
Different florists may have different suppliers, changing their prices because of their wholesale costs. While not particularly cost-effective, it remains an option. While the prices may be lower than florists' prices, the quality may also be lower.
It helps to keep a recordSpice blends can be made in many different variations and ingredient combinations. We used to reach a saturation point near the end of the summer, when we would just let them fall to the ground and go to waste.
According to the USDA's 2007 Agriculture Census, the amount of farmland in Maryland has dropped by nearly 42 percent since 1959 to slightly more than 2 million acres. Marylanders are encouraged to take the official Buy Local Challenge pledge as an office...
Elm trees may be a safer bet since some of West Virginia's ash population has been killed and removed due to ash borer beetles.Monongahela National Forest 200 Sycamore St. Elkins, WV 26241 304-636-1800 fs.usda.gov
I began to gather the red bricks and pavers that I had previously dismantled, and make a plan.My target: a strip on the side of my house where the baking sun made landscaping rocks and a compost pile the only success I could come by.A stray patch of cottonwood...
You can often find scented sugar (sometimes called flavored sugar) at a gourmet shop. Scented sugar is a simple way to dress up any occasion, and jars with the flavoring agents still in them make quite attractive gifts.
The stigmas are the red-orange part of the saffron crocus that is used for commercialsaffron sold in markets. If you are worried about getting true saffron, you may prefer to purchase saffron threads, as opposed to saffron powder.Photo Credits: Saffron...
I also think I sprinkled some in my bed clothes and I definitely sprinkled some on my pillow case.I went to bed that night damp from my bath, and the next morning I noticed that my hair smelled wonderful, as did my socks and my undies.
The large and economical containers of ground cinnamon available at big box stores will work just fine. I've also learned that cinnamon and applesauce can be combined to make wonderful scented ornaments
