A Day Off....

Verbena that has bloomed all through the summer and winter.

First Monday Trades Days has come and gone, it was a great one.  Being such a good weekend with folks out buying plants for their homes, we were wore out!  So, we took Monday off.

For such a relaxed day, I accomplished a lot in the garden.  The last of the garden boxes had been weeded and all the boxes prepped, so I planted our cool season veggies along with a few others that should do well being planted a little early.  Cucumbers and Squash have always done well for me when planted in March.  Our last freeze date is mid-March and these seedlings should be popping up just after that date.  No matter the previous year, hope springs eternal in the gardener's heart and spring is always full of hope and excitement of what the new growing season holds.

Speaking of the previous year, it would be an understatement to say that it was disappointing.  If anyone managed to grow much, it was with much labor and a high water bill.  Many of us had to draw the line at what would get water and what wouldn't and then just hope that the plants we loved would make it through.  Lots of the plants did not make it.  I have many beds that did not make the watering list.  So, when I began weeding those beds on Monday I was greatly surprised to find many things growing.  The Autumn Sage is looking great, Chamomile, Parsley, and Running Petunia were up and looking great.  The petunias are an heirloom variety that will re-seed itself.  I will be honest, those plants struggled so that I did not think I would see it again.  I am happy to report that I was wrong.  I have about 5 plants up from seed and looking wonderful.

For such a cool, sunny day, I was amazed at how hot it was inside the greenhouse.  Before weeding and planting, I spent the morning in the greenhouse bumping seedlings into their four inch pots.  Cherokee Purple is one of my favorite tomatoes, its flavor is simply outstanding.  Once you have had these heirloom veggies, you just can't be satisfied by what is offered in the grocery store.  Now there are several flats of these plants growing great along with oregano and basil.  Next to be bumped is Ilini Gold and Arkansas Traveler tomatoes, Fish Peppers, Sweet Banana Peppers, Eggplant and winter Thyme.  These are sprouted and should be ready to bump when we get back from Hot Springs.

It was a wonderful day, the kind you would love to say linger on.  Tony and I finished the day sitting in the swing watching the dove and the sunset.  It just doesn't get better than that...                                                

Roses, Herbs, and Compost

Man alive, the weather has just been gorgeous!  As I worked outside over the past few days, there were birds everywhere.  I am so glad to have a business that requires me to be outside.

It may only be February, but spring is really gaining momentum.  I am not the only one feeling it, a lot of calls and emails have started to come in inquiring about certain plants and compost piles.  According to the farmer's almanac, the spring equinox will be on March 20th, the earliest start of spring in 116 years.  Spring is definitely coming early this year.

The compost pile that has been working all through the hot dry summer and this winter did not look like much on top.  I could still see whole leaves and hay on top, but once I shoved the shovel through the first layer, I felt that resistance give way.  Underneath the intact top layer was the gorgeous deep brown stuff my dreams are made of these days.  I haven't decided if I will continue composting in this spot or if I will put in a flower bed there.  If I put in a bed, the ground is already prepared.

For now, the compost is helping the business grow.  Last Thursday, we picked up our first order of David Austin Roses.  Roses are my love and David Austin has done an amazing job of breeding roses for beautiful old world blooms and scent while achieving the repeat blooming of the modern rose and keeping the disease resistance strong.  I have had several of these roses in my garden for several years.  To be honest, they were not thriving like my earth-kind roses were in the same bed.  Then, Mark Chamblee spoke to our Master Gardening Class and said that David Austin Roses like a little afternoon shade in our very hot Texas summers.  So, I relocated the roses and WOW- they took off and thrived right on through this record breaking heat and drought.  Now, I am proud to add the David Austin roses to our product line-up for 2012.  Saturday, four of us- Jonathan, Sierra, Tony and I- potted up 100 roses in 3 gallon pots.  That was some work!  However, we had a good time talking and laughing.  Sierra can now prune a rose bush with the best of them.  Each pot received a mixture of planting medium and compost with a layer of compost on top as a mulch.

Not only did I pot roses on Saturday, but I also potted in 4in cups 75 tomato plants.  "June Pink" is an early heirloom variety that is supposed to rippen  up early so those of us who just can't wait to eat fresh tomatoes don't have to wait so long!  My numbers are nothing compared to a lot of growers, but I am doing what I know I can do and do well.  There are 4 varieties that we will offer and all of them are organic.  "June Pink" is first into the pots, but Cherokee Purple, Iliini Yellow, and Arkansas Traveler are sprouted and will soon be in their pots ready for a new home.  As tempting as the weather is, tomatoes won't be ready to plant outside until the end of March. Tomatoes, Eggplants, and Peppers need the very warm/hot weather to thrive.

Herbs have kept me busy as well.  Herbs are second only to roses on my lists of loves.  However, since roses are considered to be herbs- I guess herbs are my first love!  We have flats and flats available and I am doing hanging baskets of herbs this year. 

Spring is no time to rest, but after such a wretched summer and a quiet winter I am ready to be busy.  Five out of six raised beds are ready to go.  So, I plan to have cool season veggies planted by the end of the week and that last bed will be cleaned out and ready, too.  From one 5X20 bed, my pig got 3 bushels of "organic greens", my goodness that is a of clover and weeds!  Happy Spring, Y'all!

An Herb That Makes My Tastes-buds Happy- Cilantro

Cilantro Seedlings @ The Farm On Holly's Hill waiting for someone to take them home!

For years I always wondered what that flavor was in the Mexican restaurants that I could not replicate at home.  Then I became a Pampered Chef Lady back in the nineties and several of the recipes called for Cilantro.  I had to hunt this up in the grocery store as I had never heard of cilantro.  Once home, I cooked up the new recipe and how excited I was to find that flavor I had been missing!  I love it and so do lots of other people, but there are those who DO NOT like it.  So for those of you in the latter category, check back later and we will talk about an herb that you like.

Cilantro is the plant parts of the spice Coriander- which is the seed of the plant.  Cilantro is not hard to grow, but it does like the cooler temps so start it early inside or start with seedlings in the spring.  Moisture is important to this herb so keep the pot or bed watered once a week if the rain doesn't fall for you.  Spring is not the only time to plant cilantro, fall is great, too.  I have plants in my garden right now (February) that have not been bothered by the light freezes we have been having this winter.  You should grow some, not only will your tastes-buds thank you, but so will your body.

Cilantro and Dill growing happily in February!

The Global Healing center has this to say about the medicinal benefits of cilantro:

"This herb isn't just a commonly-used leaf and seed ingredient found in many tasty and exotic recipes, it's also a powerful natural cleansing agent. Cilantro has been effectively used to help remove heavy metals and other toxic agents from the body.

The chemical compounds in cilantro actually bind to the heavy metals, loosening them from the tissues, blood and organs. Cilantro's chemical compounds then aid to transport these harmful substances out of the body through elimination.

There is also a large amount of literature suggesting that cilantro could be one of nature's best chelation agents, particularly for individuals who have been exposed to heightened levels of mercury. Mercury excess is a common problem that may be the result of metallic teeth fillings or over-consumption of predatory fish. Many people suffering from excess mercury report that the feeling of disorientation resulting from the poisoning can be greatly reduced through consuming large and regular amounts of cilantro over an extended period.

Also, the rich qualities of cilantro oil have a powerfully positive effect on our inner digestive tract. The oils aid our digestive system in its production of digestive enzymes, acids and juices. The oil also helps to stimulate digestion through peristaltic motion.

The known benefits of cilantro are extensive, and researchers are discovering more every day. Currently, there are several well-known, well-documented benefits of organic cilantro, including:

List of Cilantro Benefits:

• Powerful anti-inflammatory capacities that may help symptoms of arthritis
• Protective agents against bacterial infection from Salmonella in food products
• Acts to increase HDL cholesterol (the good kind), and reduces LDL cholesterol (the bad kind)
• Relief for stomach gas, prevention of flatulence and an overall digestive aid
• Wards off urinary tract infections
• Helps reduce feelings of nausea
• Eases hormonal mood swings associated with menstruation
• Has been shown to reduce menstrual cramping.
• Adds fiber to the digestive tract
• A source of iron, magnesium, and is helpful in fighting anemia
• Gives relief for diarrhea, especially if caused by microbial or fungal infections
• Helps promote healthy liver function.
• Reduces minor swelling
• Strong general antioxidant properties
• Disinfects and helps detoxify the body
• Stimulates the endocrine glands
• Helps with insulin secretion and lowers blood sugar
• Acts as a natural anti-septic and anti-fungal agent for skin disorders like fungal infections and eczema
• Contains immune-boosting properties
• Acts as an expectorant
• Helps ease conjunctivitis, as well as eye-aging, macular degeneration, and other stressors on the eyes.

James A. Duke, Ph.D., a former botanist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and author of The CRC Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, states that cilantro has been shown to settle the stomach. He recommends drinking a cup of the tea made from a handful of the leaves, when experiencing any form of stomach discomfort.^4"

^{Just another great reason to have an herb garden!}

A January Harvest

 

 

Not a bad harvest for January 5th!

Today was a very pretty day.  It was cool, but not at all unpleasant.  There was a very full list waiting on me, but it was all things I enjoy.  When you love what you do it just doesn't feel like work.  Yesterday's list was full as well, so much so that about half the list got bumped to today.

I spent the morning processing the herbs I had drying in the kitchen for a few weeks.  Once I had them stripped off the stems and chopped up, I made three different kinds of infused oils.  Once the oils are done in 10 days, I will strain the herbs out and turn the oil into massage oil, bath oils, and salt scrubs.  This is fun work and you get a huge session of aromatherapy to boot!  My girls have gotten spoiled to handmade bath products with organically grown herbs.  The benefit to your skin is huge, make growing herbs for this sole purpose worth it!  Of course, my herbs have many purposes.

Mint is going great.  Once you get mint started, you don't have to give it much attention.  Unless, of course, it grows like mad and tries to take over your bed.  For this reason I only plant mint in a container or in an area of the yard I want it to take over.  Who wants to mow?  Dandelions are also flourishing.  In my garden these are NOT WEEDS!  If you want to be healthier, make a tincture of dandelions.  That is my go-to medicine around here.  Not only does it help with colds and such, for us it works great on allergies.  And unlike man-made medicines, there are no side effects.  Rosemary, of course, is doing great.  This plant actually doubled in size over the horrid summer with no extra water!

Surprisingly, I found Dill coming up in the garden boxes.  The freeze should have killed it, but it did not.  So I picked it!  There was a bit of lavender left to harvest and some parsley.  All in all, I was very pleased to find so much in the Garden.  Sage, Salad Burnett and Thyme are still doing fine, but they had not grown much since my last harvest  and I choose to leave them for another day.  So many of the herbs are evergreen and hardy through the winter, at least here in East Texas.

As you can see, herbs really pull their weight in the garden.  Everyone should have some.  Your food will taste better and you will be healthier.  Most all culinary herbs double as medicinal herbs.  The local library is a great resource for learning about herbs.  Then, if you find a book you like you can purchase it online or at a used book store.  This keeps you from buying books that are really not that helpful.  My favorite herb book of all time is Growing 101 Herbs That Heal, by Tammi Hartung.  101 herbs may be more than you are looking to grow, but this book is very good and you will learn how to grow the ones you want to use.

Summer's End

One think I love about Texas gardening, is the fact that our first freeze usually comes pretty late.  This gives us the ability to keep harvesting veggies a long time after most of the country has said good-bye to fresh Basil.  But, all good things must come to an end and the weathermen said that our end was coming Saturday night.

So, Saturday found us moving the plants that were sensitive to the greenhouse and harvesting all the herbs that were left. Now, there are a lot of herbs that are perennials and do not mind the cold in winter.  These herbs are not herbaceous- weird, huh?  Herbaceous means that the plant's aerial parts die back in the winter and return come spring.  But, I cut them anyway.

Most of the herbs will be made into Salt Scrubs, scented oils, Bath soak teas.  I love hand-crafted bath items the quality and potency are unmatched.  A few of the herbs will become tinctures.  Tinctures are made by taking medicinal herbs and soaking them in an alcohol like Brandi or Vodka.  The great parts of the herbs are absorbed by the alcohol.  Then the alcohol is strained and the alcohol stored in a dark bottle and used  when someone is in need.  The tincture I like best is made with dandelion, it is great for any kind of winter illness and works great for Tony when he is having trouble with allergies.  We ran out this summer because of the heat and drought the dandelions said good-bye.  Finally we got some wonderful rain and cooler temps and out popped the dandelions. 

Well, the weathermen were off by one day- the first freeze came Sunday night.  I am so glad I harvested the last of the herbs.  Of course, the kitchen looks a little funny with the bundles of herbs hanging around- but it smells great!