Daily Garden Retreat

Sugar Snap Peas 100+ Seeds -Super Sweet – PLUS PACK!

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The Art of Planting

Takes up the important topic of companion planting to achieve effective plant associations and , season by season, discusses plants that work together both chromatically and texturally. Verey considers every aspect of year-round gardening, from timing and soil conditions to the often-overlooked harmonies between blooms, bark, stems, and fruit. 150 full-color photographs.

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Rosemary Verey’s Good Planting Plans

In this indispensable practical guide, Verey reveals–for the first time ever–the secrets of her unique and highly personal approach to gardening. This unique book shows gardeners step-by-step how to recreate 25 of Verey’s favorite and most successful garden designs. 160 color photos. 35 color plans.

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More Planting Rosemary Products

A Crash Course on How to Grow Rosemary

A Crash Course on How to Grow Rosemary

This book covers several topics including:

- Nutrition Information
- Climate & Growing Conditions
- How to Prepare the Garden Soil
- How to Plant
- How to Water

and much more!

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Article by Seedshop07

You go the nursery to buy garden seeds or seedlings. You see various lettuces: Iceberg, Romaine, Red Oakleaf, Green Oakleaf, Bibb, Butter, and Mesclun. There are enough varieties of lettuce to eat a new salad every day of the year without repeating a single leaf. But lettuce isn’t the only green to grow for a green salad. When was the last time you ate kale, chard, spinach, dandelion, arugula, beet greens, turnip greens, mustard, or collard greens? When was the last time you thought of growing these in your garden?

At a time when salads are becoming the best way to augment a diet with healthy additions, these greens are some of the easiest to grow, the earliest to harvest, and the simplest to add to your backyard.

If you know how to grow lettuce, you can grow most any green leaf vegetable, and add it to your growing vocabulary for the garden.

1. Kale is one of the most nutritious greens to grow. Loaded with vitamins, it’s a great addition to raw salads, or lightly sautéed in olive oil and garlic for a quick side dish.2. Beet tops or beet greens are a wonderful addition to salads. They are bitter and sweet, loaded with chlorophyll, great as a blood builder, and very easy to add to the garden. You can harvest them as micro-greens, or let them grow as beets.3. Spinach – made famous by the Popeye cartoon – is as nutritious as Popeye stated. Added to salads, sandwiches, or lightly sautéed, a great vegetable you can get your kids to eat, and even grow in their own garden area.4. Arugula – used in Italian cooking – is also used to flavor salads and pasta dishes.5. Dandelion greens grow wild as an edible weed, and can be bought in produce and farmer’s markets, but can also be grown in your own backyard. Easy as a weed to grow, they are an exceptional addition to a very healthy salad.6. Turnip greens or turnip tops – also known as Rapini – are one of the most nutritious greens you can add to your dinner table. Loaded with vitamins A, C, folate, and calcium, they are great additions for a healthy salad or for sautéed dishes. There are seed packets marketed exclusively for turnip greens, although you can grow turnips and reap the benefits of the greens.7. Collard greens and mustard greens added a spicy variety to salads, are great additions to sautéed dishes, and are great healthy vegetables to introduce to your family. Easy to grow, every garden should have a few plants to harvest.

These greens should be standard for every gardener who wants to add variety not only to their gardens, but to their menu. Each adds a special flavor and quality to every dish. And they are all healthy, vibrant, and alive. Lettuce in the garden; add these wonderful greens as well.

Related Spinach Growing Articles

Bell peppers have always been a well-loved and widely popular vegetable to plan in the garden. Peppers are native to both North America and Central American continent. Sweet green peppers are an example of pepper that is not yet fully mature. Let it develop and it will turn deep red. Not only will the pepper’s texture completely change but the flavor as well. Planting and successfully developing bell peppers is very simple and easy and it will not take much of your time.

STEPS IN PLANTING BELL PEPPERS

Gardening enthusiasts should plant the seeds 8 week before the last frost using a plant pot that is two inches wide or slightly bigger. You should add compost and fertilizer to the soil where you will plant the seeds. Do not transplant the seedlings outside if the temperature is still cold. Wait until the temperature reaches seventy to eighty-five degrees before placing the bell pepper seedling in your garden.

Remember to plant your seedlings eighteen to twenty-four inches and in rows that are twenty-four to thirty-six inches apart.

The seedlings should be water regularly especially during dry and humid months. Bell peppers like wet soil and they will taste bitter if they do not receive enough water. You should also remember to place mulch around the seedlings to keep unwanted weeds from growing around them and stealing the moisture that is for the seedlings.

You can also use an organic insecticide to protect your seedlings from pests like spider mites. Harvest your bell pepper when they have reached a size that they can already be eaten. Aside from the color red, mature peppers can be yellow, purple and orange. Clipping the bell pepper by their stem is the correct way to harvest them.

ADDITIONAL REMINDERS

You should also remember that the seeds take around 6 to 8 days to germinate.

After the first seedling start to grow, place about two table spoons of fertilizer around each seedling and then water it. This will improve the overall quality and yield of your harvest. It can last for about 3 weeks if placed at forty-five to fifty-five degrees and a substantial amount of humidity.

You should also avoid placing too much nitrogen because it will just produce a big green plant with a minimum number of peppers. Planting peppers is very easy and an enjoyable way of relaxing especially if you prepare first so that you know what you are doing and will have better results.

Roses for Dummies

“American Beauty,” “Dublin Bay,” “Rocketeer,” “Betty Boop,” “High Noon,” “Pearly Gates”…with a distinctive name for each of hundreds of varieties, the array of roses that could adorn your garden is both dazzling and daunting. So which ones survive hardily on their own for weeks on end, and which ones wither and die without constant attention? How do you tell a climber from a shrub, and how does each thrive? And don’t even start with pruning!Despite all the (ahem) thor

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Reclaiming a Garden Plot …

In our last issue of “How to Grow a Vegetable Garden Series”, (March) we discussed planting seedlings and soil preparation. I ordered my seed from an on-line seed supplier and they arrive the first of April. While the seedlings are sprouting, we have 3 to 5 weeks to get everything else in the garden ready for this season’s crop. We can use this time to till in last year’s garden plot to eliminate several weeds that have started to sprout, as long as weather conditions co-operate. Its also a good time to clear any land that may be overgrown and needs reclaiming for garden space. Gardens that go untended for a few years have a tendency to become filled with young saplings from surrounding trees, and before you know it, there is a stand of trees where you once had corn standing. After tilling my gardens from the previous year, I still have plenty of time on my hands, so this is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate a little land clearing for those of you that would like to have a garden but don’t know where to start.

I live next door to my Grandmother’s old house where she grew a garden every year as long as her health would let her. I believe the last garden she planted in this plot was in 1989, and my Grandmother was 85 years old. For several years I would mow the area a couple of times a year to keep the trees from growing back in, but I have let it grow up for the past 4 years to the point that I will need the use of a chain saw to remove some of the trees. Most of the saplings are an inch in diameter or less and won’t be much of a problem, and will actually provide material that I will be able to use in the garden this year. The root balls from the hard grasses will be more of a challenge, and will have to be removed before any actual tilling can take place. Since this was a previous garden in years past, I don’t expect to encounter any problems with rock like you might expect in a virgin garden plot.

We first begin by removing any trees or saplings with what ever tool is necessary to perform the task. I prefer to dig or pull saplings rather than cut them off when possible because the saplings that are cut leave a root that will have to be extracted in order to work the soil properly. Some type of saw will be required for the larger trees whether it be a power saw of some type or hand saw. Some may even prefer to use an ax if there aren’t too many trees to be cut. I prefer the chain saw because I am very efficient with this particular tool, but that is only because I use one several times a year to cut firewood. I would not recommend using a chain saw to anyone who has never operated one before, because inexperience with such a powerful tool can be very dangerous. A set of short nosed pruning sheers works very well for the smaller saplings, allowing you to nip them off very close to the ground. Its very important to cut any trees or saplings very close to the ground if you were unable to dig them out, allowing mower blades to pass over the area cleanly without damaging your blades or mower. Once the trees and saplings are removed, place them neatly out of the way for future use, or place them in any draw that may be having erosion problems, and search the grounds very closely for any rocks or hidden debris of any kind that may hinder the mowing process.

After successfully removing the saplings, survey the area and take note of any large grass root balls that may need removing. A 5 lb. pick mattock works well to dig under the root balls and pry them from the ground ready for removal. These may be placed on your terrace or placed in draws on your property to prevent erosion. Just remember how difficult they were to remove in the first place and try to put them in an area they will remain. Once you are sure everything is out of the way, you may mow the area. For larger areas that are encumbered with large grasses, after the root ball removal it is possible to use a riding mower to cut the grass. I recommend using a bush hog for the initial cut to keep from damaging your lawn mowing equipment. No matter where you live in the United States, there always seems to be someone in the area that is willing to “bush hog” your property for a price. Check the local papers or ask around. I guarantee there is someone that knows someone, that knows someone else, that will bush hog your property for you .

Hiring someone (perhaps your bush hog man) to turn your field with a disk plow will save you countless hours behind a tiller. Although some areas you are preparing may be small enough to break up with a tiller, you may find the soil is so tightly compacted a turning plow will be the only way to break the soil to an acceptable depth. The soil needs to be tilled to a depth no less than 8 inches to insure your crops success.

Preparing Hills for “Set” Crops …

For this task, first time growers may find it handy to use a string-line and a couple of stakes to insure straight rows as well as the spacing between the rows. Using your hoe as a measuring stick can also be helpful. I like to start be placing marks on my hoe handle to indicate certain distances. By measuring from the blade of the hoe, measure 24″, 30″, 36″, and 48″, marking appropriately with a permanent black marker to insure the marks will not wear off easily as you are using the hoe. We will also need containers of water (gallon milk jugs that have been washed works well), fertilizer or composted manure, and the plants we are ready to set out.

Some people will plant to the edge of their garden to use every available square foot of their garden, but I recommend starting a tiller’s width away from the edge to allow you the opportunity to till on both sides of your edge row. Once you have determined how far to start off the edge ( 24″, 30″ or 36″), Use the marks on your hoe to place a stake at the proper distance on both ends of your row and suspend a string between the stakes to indicate the row in which you wish to follow. After establishing a starting point at the end of the first row, dig a hole about 6 to 8 inches deep, rolling the dirt gently back in a fashion it can be drawn back into the hole. Place the blade of the hoe in the first hole and follow the string with the handle of the hoe to measure the distance ( 24″, 30″, 36″ or 48″) and repeat the process until you reach the end of the row.

After you have your row of holes ready, its time to mix in the composted manure or fertilizer with some of the dirt you removed. When using composted manure, I like to add about 1/2 gallon to each hole and mix lightly with soil, so be sure to have your holes deep and wide enough to accept the compost. For those of you that are using commercial fertilizers, about 1 teaspoon per hole is sufficient if mixed with plenty of soil to prevent burning up your new plant when watering. Taking this into account, it stands to reason that anyone using commercial fertilizers Will not need as large a hole to start. As you mix the compost or fertilizer in the holes, leave a coffee mug sized hole in the center where you plan to set your vegetable plant.

Once a row is prepared, its time to get your plants and a few jugs of water. Some people think a water hose will work just fine, but when you use a water hose to fill the holes as you set out your plants, you will find that you break or damage a lot of the plants you just finished setting out when you drag the hose from hole to hole without paying close attention. Believe me when I tell you,”Jugs of water work best.” Fill the coffee mug sized whole in your hill with about 1 quart of cool water, gently remove the plant from the starter container, place gently in the hole and pull the surrounding dirt to the plant supporting it in an upright position. When set, the plant should be centered in the prepared hole that measures 8″ to 10″ in diameter, and the entire hill should resemble more of an indention about 2″ below the surface of the garden proper rather than a mound. Pack gently around the plant to insure it will remain upright, then repeat process until your row is finished. After all rows are set, I like to place a large can over the plant to protect it from damage, then dress the hill with 2″ to 3″ of mulch. Once the mulch is in place, remove the can and gently pull the mulch to the plant and repeat the mulching process for each individual hill. Its a good idea to use the garden tiller once again to loosen any soil between the rows you may have compacted while working your new garden to help promote irrigation.

Helpful Tip: To help protect your young plants from animals and pets, try placing leafless limbs over the entire hill in a fashion that discourages digging. Once the plant has been in the ground for a month or so, remove the limbs and start planning to stake your tomato and pepper plants.

Most seed packaging will have recommended quantity and spacing requirements and planting directions on the package. Although these are good for teaching the beginner, as time goes by year after year, you will find that you develop your own preferences for planting and spacing. I place tomato and pepper plants 24″ apart in 36″ wide rows. Pretty much the same with cucumbers (when trellised), or 30″ to 36″ apart when the plant is allowed to spread on the ground. Summer squash such as yellow or zucchini will need to be spaced a minimum of 36″ to allow the plant to spread. Watermelon and other vining melons such as honey dew or cantaloupe will need to be spaced 48″ apart in rows that are 48″ wide to allow plenty of room for growth. If the information is inadequate on the packaging, I find that many seed companies with websites give full description of plants maturity size and how long it takes for the plants to bare. Any time you have questions about vegetable plants and their requirements, I find the internet to be a very valuable resource for research.

Planting Row Crops …

Any time you plant seeds in the ground directly in a “Row” fashion, this is considered a “Row Crop”. Corn, beans, okra, peas, and potatoes are good examples of row crops that are planted directly in the rows rather than starting plants. When planting this type of crop we only have a couple of things to worry about to insure a good stand. Soil temperature and depth are the most important. Seed placed in the ground when the soil is still too cold have a tendency to rot before they have a chance to sprout. Seed planted too deep will also have difficulty sprouting and more often than not will have to be replanted. Before you start, it may be a good idea to make sure the average soil temperature is 55 degrees or above. This seems to be a general consensus among agricultural experts when consulted by professional farmers about planting times.

Because my fields run northeast to southwest when planted, my crops stay pretty evenly lite except for along the wood-lines in the early mornings and late evenings. Depending on which way your fields lay will have a big factor on where each crop should be planted in your plot. Fields running east to west will do better if taller crops are placed in the northern section, while fields running north to south, the taller crops should be planted on the eastern or western edge. This helps to keep from over shading shorter crops that may be planted along side, although some crops such as cucumbers tend to do much better if they receive a lot of morning shade. Since the garden you are planting is basically your classroom, anything you decide to do will be fine as long as you remember the results from this years crops for future garden plots. Experience is always the best teacher when it comes to growing a vegetable garden because there are so many variables to take into consideration. Soil , light, moisture and weather conditions in general, all play important roles when it comes to having a truly successful garden.

Once you have a deep till in your garden of no less than 8″, and the average soil temperatures are acceptable, its time to lay off your rows and prepare to drop your seed. I use the edge of a hoe to lay off my rows, digging a shallow trench somewhere between 4″ and 6″. Each row should be spaced apart according to the equipment you intend to work the field with. 30″ to 36″ is a pretty standard measure for row spacing, and will allow you to use your garden tiller between the rows after it has been planted. If you are using a commercial fertilizer, many people will sprinkle the granular fertilizer in the bottom of the trench lightly and work the bottom of the trench with a hoe to mix in a little dirt so the seed are not placed directly on the fertilizer. This prevents the seed and sprouts from being burned or killed by the dissolving chemicals. Once the fertilizer has been mixed, its time to drop your seed. (If you plan on using a manure compost, drop the seed directly in the trench and cover lightly with about 1″ of soil. After the plants are 2″ to 3″ tall, add manure and compost to the trench and fold in dirt from the sides with a hoe.)

Spacing of the seed you drop is very important. Seed planted too close together will have to be thinned to allow the roots plenty of room to grow, which is costly and time consuming. You not only loose a portion of the seed you purchased, you also have to take the time and effort to pull perfectly good plants one by one to ensure proper spacing. Proper spacing when planting is always the easiest way to provide the space your plants root system will need with a minimum effort. Planning for success with as little effort as possibly can save you countless hours of un-necessary labor and frustration.

Depending on which crop you are planting will determine how far apart the seed need to be when dropped. Beans and peas can be placed 4″ to 6″ apart while corn should be 8″ to 10″ apart. This is a good time to do a little research or at least read the package for recommended planting instructions. Once the seed you are planting are dropped correctly, cover with 1″ to 2″ of soil, leaving a small mound in the bottom of your trench. After the seed have sprouted and are 2″ to 3″ tall, any additional fertilizer may be added and the dirt from the sides of the trenches pulled gently in around your plants. After a few years with a garden, all you will have to know is what type of seed you are planting and the knowledge from years past will come flowing back to you. This is a time for learning and the garden is our classroom. Don’t be afraid to ask questions at your local lawn and garden center when you run into little problems, and don’t forget to research the plants you are growing to help you know what to expect and look for in the upcoming months.

Patti Moreno, The Garden Girl & Mel Bartholomew of Square Foot Gardening, discuss what gardeners are doing in the month of March. Don’t forget to visit squarefootgardening.com and gardengirltv.com for more. Distributed by Tubemogul.
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Related March Gardening Tips Articles

10. Common Dandelion

Taraxacum is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. They are native to Eurasia and North America, and two species, T. officinale and T. erythrospermum, are found as weeds worldwide. Both species are edible in their entirety. The common name dandelion (meaning lion’s tooth) is given to members of the genus, and like other members of the Asteraceae family, they have very small flowers collected together into a composite flower head. Each single flower in a head is called a floret. Many Taraxacum species produce seeds asexually by apomixis, where the seeds are produced without pollination, resulting in offspring that are genetically identical to the parent plant.  

Dandelions, flowers, roots and leaves, have been used for centuries in traditional medicine & medicinal teas, most notably for liver detoxification, as a natural diuretic and for inflammation reduction. Unlike other diuretics, dandelion leaves contain potassium, a mineral that is often lost during increased urination. There is also evidence that this property of dandelion leaves may normalize blood sugar. Dandelion leaves are believed to have a diuretic effect as they increase salt and water excretion from the kidneys. -Wikipedia.org

9. Garlic

Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion family Alliaceae. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. Garlic has been used throughout history for both culinary and medicinal purposes. The garlic plant’s bulb is the most commonly used part of the plant. With the exception of the single clove types, the bulb is divided into numerous fleshy sections called cloves. The cloves are used for cloning, consumption (raw or cooked), or for medicinal purposes, and have a characteristic pungent, spicy flavor that mellows and sweetens considerably with cooking.

In test tube studies garlic has been found to have antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal activity. However, these actions are less clear in humans. Garlic is also claimed to help prevent heart disease (including atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure) and cancer. Animal studies, and some early investigational studies in humans, have suggested possible cardiovascular benefits of garlic. A Czech study found that garlic supplementation reduced accumulation of cholesterol on the vascular walls of animals.

Another study had similar results, with garlic supplementation significantly reducing aortic plaque deposits of cholesterol-fed rabbits. Another study showed that supplementation with garlic extract inhibited vascular calcification in human patients with high blood cholesterol. The known vasodilative effect of garlic is possibly caused by catabolism of garlic-derived polysulfides to hydrogen sulfide in red blood cells, a reaction that is dependent on reduced thiols in or on the RBC membrane. Hydrogen sulfide is an endogenous cardioprotective vascular cell-signaling molecule. -Wikipedia.org

8. Ginger

Ginger is a tuber that is consumed whole as a delicacy, medicine, or herb. It is the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale. It lends its name to its genus and family (Zingiberaceae). Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and galangal. The medical form of ginger historically was called Jamaica ginger; it was classified as a stimulant and carminative, and used frequently for dyspepsia, gastroparesis, slow motility symptoms, constipation, and colic. It was also frequently employed to disguise the taste of medicines.

Ginger is on the FDA’s “generally recognized as safe” list, though it does interact with some medications, including warfarin. Ginger is contraindicated in people suffering from gallstones as it promotes the production of bile. Ginger may also decrease pain from arthritis, though studies have been inconsistent, and may have blood thinning and cholesterol lowering properties that may make it useful for treating heart disease. Diarrhea  Ginger compounds are active against a form of diarrhea which is the leading cause of infant death in developing countries. Zingerone is likely to be the active constituent against enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin-induced diarrhea. -Wikipedia.org

7. Lemon

The lemon is both a small evergreen tree (Citrus × limon, often given as C. limon) native to Asia and the tree’s oval yellow fruit. The fruit is used for culinary and nonculinary purposes throughout the world – primarily for its juice, though the pulp and rind (zest) are also used, mainly in cooking and baking. Lemon juice is about 5% to 6% (approximately 0.3 Molar) citric acid, which gives lemons a sour taste, and a pH of 2 to 3. This makes lemon juice an inexpensive, readily available acid for use in educational science experiments. Many lemon-flavored drinks and candies are available, including lemonade and lemonheads. -Wikipedia.org

6. St John’s Wort

St John’s wort is the plant species Hypericum perforatum, also known as Tipton’s Weed, Chase-devil, or Klamath weed, but, with qualifiers, is used to refer to any species of the genus Hypericum. Therefore, H. perforatum is sometimes called Common St John’s wort to differentiate it. The species of Hypericum have been placed by some in the family Hypericaceae, but more recently have been included in the Clusiaceae.

An analysis of twenty-nine clinical trials with more than five thousand patients was conducted by Cochrane Collaboration. The review concluded that extracts of St. John’s wort were superior to placebo in patients with major depression. St. John’s wort had similar efficacy to standard antidepressants. The rate of side effects was twice lower than for newer SSRI antidepressants and five times lower than for older tricyclic antidepressants.

However, this review also noted that studies more favourably supporting the effects of St. John’s wort as an antidepressant, were predominantly from German-speaking countries. The authors could not rule out the possibility that some smaller studies from those countries were flawed and reported overoptimistic results. -Wikipedia.org

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5. Nettle

Nettle is the common name for between 30-45 species of flowering plants of the genus Urtica in the family Urticaceae, with a cosmopolitan though mainly temperate distribution. They are mostly herbaceous perennial plants, but some are annual and a few are shrubby. Nettle root extracts have been extensively studied in human clinical trials as a treatment for symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

These extracts have been shown to help relieve symptoms compared to placebo both by themselves and when combined with other herbal medicines. Because it contains 3,4-divanillyltetrahydrofuran, certain extracts of the nettle are used by bodybuilders in an effort to increase free testosterone by occupying sex-hormone binding globulin.

Fresh nettle is used in folk remedies to stop bleeding because of its high Vitamin K content. Meanwhile, in dry U. dioica, the Vitamin K is practically non-existent and so is used as a blood thinner.  An extract from the nettle root (Urtica dioica) is used to alleviate symptoms of benign prostate enlargement. Nettle leaf extract, on the other hand, is what has been shown to reduce the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-B1. -Wikipedia.org

4. Orange

An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × ​sinensis (syn. Citrus aurantium L. var. dulcis L., or Citrus aurantium Risso) and its fruit. The orange is a hybrid of ancient cultivated origin, possibly between pomelo (Citrus maxima) and mandarin (Citrus reticulata). It is a small flowering tree growing to about 10 m tall with evergreen leaves, which are arranged alternately, of ovate shape with crenulate margins and 4–10 cm long.

The orange fruit is a hesperidium, a type of berry. The extract of bitter orange (and bitter orange peel) has been used in dietary supplements as an aid to fat loss and as an appetite suppressant, although in traditional Chinese medicine it is always prescribed in concert with other support herbs, not in isolation. Bitter orange contains the amphetamine metabolites N-methyltyramine, octopamine and synephrine, substances similar to ephedrine, which acts on the α1 adrenergic receptor to constrict blood vessels and increase blood pressure and heart rate.

Following the presentation of a healthy young man with a myocardial infarction (heart attack), a case study and subsequent literature review found that the makers of “nutritional supplements” who replaced ephedrine with its analogs p-synephrine and/or p-octopamine from “bitter orange” had in effect simply found a loophole in the FDA’s April 2004 regulation banning ephedra in those supplements by substituting a similar substance the regulation did not address, while permitting them to label the products as “ephedra-free”. -Wikipedia.org

3. Celery

Apium graveolens is a plant species in the family Apiaceae commonly known as celery (var. dulce) or celeriac (var. rapaceum) depending on whether the petioles (stalks) or roots are eaten. The use of celery seed in pills for relieving pain was described by Aulus Cornelius Celsus ca. 30 AD. Celery seeds contain a compound called 3-N-butyl-phthalide that has been demonstrated to lower blood pressure in rats. Celery is thought to be an aphrodisiac by some people because it is thought to contain androsterone, a metabolic product of testosterone. However, it’s just a misunderstanding of androstenone.

Bergapten in the seeds can increase photosensitivity, so the use of essential oil externally in bright sunshine should be avoided. However, this is a potentially useful action in psoriasis, with caution, and celery along with other umbellifers is one of the vegetables to be included in the diet as a source of psoralens for this purpose according to herbalists. It should also be noted that this may constitute a risk factor in skin cancer.

The oil and large doses of seeds should be avoided during pregnancy, as they can act as a uterine stimulant. Seeds intended for cultivation are not suitable for eating as they are often treated with fungicides. A common use for the seeds is as a “blood purifier” and it is sometimes taken for arthritis. -Wikipedia.org

2. Tea Tree

Chinese Camellia sinensis is the species of plant whose leaves and leaf buds are used to produce Chinese tea. It is of the genus Camellia, a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. White tea, green tea, oolong, pu-erh tea and black tea are all harvested from this species, but are processed differently to attain different levels of oxidation. Kukicha (twig tea) is also harvested from Camellia sinensis, but uses twigs and stems rather than leaves.

Common names include tea plant, tea tree, and tea shrub. # The leaves have been used in traditional Chinese medicine and other medical systems to treat asthma (functioning as a bronchodilator), angina pectoris, peripheral vascular disease, and coronary artery disease. # Tea extracts have become field of interest, due to their notional antibacterial activity. Especially the preservation of processed organic food and the treatment of persistent bacterial infections are being investigated. # Green tea leaves and extracts have shown to be effective against bacteria responsible for bad breath. -Wikipedia.org

1. Common Hawthorn

Crataegus monogyna, known as Common Hawthorn, is a species of hawthorn native to Europe, northwest Africa and western Asia. Other common names include may, mayblossom, maythorn, quickthorn, whitethorn, motherdie, and haw. This species is one of several that have been referred to as Crataegus oxyacantha, a name that has been rejected by the botanical community as too ambiguous. n herbalism the active ingredients in flowers are: tannins, flavonoids, essential oil, triterpene-carbonic acids and purine derivatives. The fruits contain tannins, flavonoids, pigments and vitamins. An infusion of hawthorn is used to treat various heart and circulatory problems and to support digitalis therapy. The young leaves are good in salads. Various other uses are traditional in European herbalism. -Wikipedia.org

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Article by M Wilson

Growing cucumbers in pots is possible, but can be a little tricky. In pots, more care must be taken to make sure proper soil moisture levels are maintained, since plants in pots tend to dry out faster than they would in the ground. With cucumbers, wide swings from wet to dry soil can cause cucumbers to be bitter. There is an alternative to growing in pots that produces excellent results with cucumbers and many other vegetables. And it is also a more fun way to garden.

Growing vegetables in pots can be a great way to take advantage of space that doesn’t have adequate soil like a patio or even indoors. But there are limitations to what you can get out of a pot, depending on the amount of soil you can put in them. There is a form of gardening that has just recently started to catch on that can produce more healthy plants in less space than pots or even planting in the ground.

This method may sound complicated at first but it is really simple and takes less maintenance than growing in pots because there is no need to regularly water, fertilize or deal with potting soil at all. Most plants don’t really need soil, they just grown in soil because that is what is available on the earth. It is the water and nutrients that are put into the soil that they need.

Hydroponics came along as a way to grow plants in water without soil, but it is really too much work for most people. Maintaining nutrient levels in the water can be tricky and takes a lot of monitoring and adjusting. Aquaponics is a form of soil free gardening that is taking the gardening world by storm. Aquaponics eliminates the problems of hydroponics and it is all organic. And most of all, it is a more fun way to grow plants.

With aquaponics you use natural processes to give your plants everything they need for maximum growth. Instead of you taking care of them, you use fish to take care of them. Instead of growing them in soil, you let their roots grow directly in water that is constantly being loaded with organic nutrients from the fish in the water. At the same time, the plant roots are a natural filter that keep the water clean for the fish.

You might think that adding fish creates a whole new job for you, but the way the plants and fish work together, it actually makes less work for you. Instead of watering, fertilizing, pulling weeds, and battling with slugs, snails, gophers and other soil pests, gardening becomes about as difficult as giving the fish some food every day. And if that is too much work, there are automatic feeders that will do it for you.

Aquaponics can be as simple as a fish bowl or tank with a floating raft for plants to grow on top, or a separate tank and grow bed with a pump that circulates water between the two. You can use fish like goldfish or other aquarium fish just to look at, or even grow food fish like tilapia. In this case your garden will produce organic vegetables and fish all at the same time and with less work than growing vegetables alone.

This method is great for growing cucumbers and many other vegetables. Since they are always given a constant supply of water and never go dry. This can produce better cucumbers that don’t have so much problem with being bitter. Climbing cucumbers are also great because they can be planted in the aquaponics water and they can grow off in their own direction. These type of plants can take advantage of space far away while leaving more space in the grow bed to grow other plants at the same time.

Learn how to set up your own simple aquaponics system with this aquaponics how to guide.

Growing cilantro is easy to do but the plant likes warm weather better than the cold. It originated in Asia and the Mediterranean area so it is used to quite a warm climate. This is an herb that can grow to be around two feet tall. The seeds of the plant are known as coriander and the leaves are known as cilantro.

Cilantro is used in salads, sandwiches, salsa, curries and Mexican dishes. It is best to plant cilantro by seeds because it does not do well as a transplant. You can grow it indoors at any time of year or plant seeds outside in the spring. You will want to wait until at least May, when the temperatures have warmed up and no frosts are expected.

You should till the soil so that it is free of weeds and clumps. You can scatter the seeds and then thin them out when the seedlings have come through the soil. Or, you can start out by planting them around 24 inches apart and then thin to 16-18 inches apart after they come through the ground.

It is always good to add some compost to the soil when you are preparing the beds.

You can also plant the seed indoors in containers. Make sure to get a container big enough that there will be room for the main root to develop. Growing cilantro requires well-drained soil and you can speed up the growth with a liquid vegetable fertilizer.

Temperatures that are going up and down frequently and a lack of water will both cause cilantro to bolt and start producing seed. Cilantro does not often have any pests or troubles with diseases. It may on occasion have powdery mildew but a copper or sulfur spray can quickly solve the problem.

When the plants are growing well you can pinch off a leaf to use every now and again.

Cilantro is best picked in the morning right after the dew has dried off the plant. It does not keep well so is best when picked for immediate use. If you want to harvest and save the seeds, pull up the entire plants and hang them in the garage or another cool dark place to dry out. This will take several weeks. When the plants are totally dry and the seeds are brown, place the flower heads in a paper bag and thresh them so that all of the seeds are removed. The final thing to do is separate the seeds from the chaff. Store the seeds in a cool dry place.

Many people like cilantro raw in salads while others like to cook with it because it is quite tasty in foods like salsa and other spicy Tex-Mex sort of dishes. If you have never tried growing cilantro, give it a shot next spring. You might find that it grows well for you and you really like the taste.

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