This is one of several shortbread recipes that I enjoy giving as gifts during the holiday season. It has light flavor with just a hint of cinnamon, which makes it pair nicely with morning coffee or tea. I like to add all of the ingredients into a quart-sized canning jar and use it as an […]
Make Your Own Pure Vanilla Extract
If you’re a baker (even if only once in a while), you know how important it is to have vanilla on hand. Oh sure, you can purchase the typical imitation vanilla or the commercial version of pure vanilla extract. But you’ll never know if it’s adulterated (unknown additives) or not, and you won’t have the […]
Local Resources for Great Gardening Information
Gardening information is everywhere; from books to online to your next-door neighbor. But many questions are region-specific and you’re unable to find (or are unsatisfied) with the answers you’re gathering on your own. There are places that you can go to in your hometown to get some one-on-one advice. My very favorite resource for consulting […]
Self-Pollinating Plants: A More Civilized Garden
Guest post by David King ~ Seed saving marks the beginning of our modern civilizations. Science can tell when grains like wheat and barley were domesticated because as soon as humans began to plant them for food, reserving some of the seed for next year’s planting, the seeds changed to make that job easier. Suddenly, […]
Growing Melons in the Home Garden
When you hear the melons, often the first thing that comes to mind is watermelons or perhaps cantaloupes. But the melon category offers much more than the average juicy, green-striped dessert of summer picnics including muskmelons, honeydews, charentias, and crenshaws. No matter which melon tickles your tastebuds, this fruit is easy to grow and one […]
Planting Peas in Your Home Garden
Peas are the cool ladies of the spring and fall garden. Like every other vegetable I can think of, they’re just so much better when they’re fresh from vine to plate — plus they’re easy to grow. Varieties generally fall into one of two categories: shelling peas, also called English of garden peas; snap peas, […]
Successful Gardening with Herbs at The Untrained Housewife
Any way that you look at it, herbs are a win-win for the gardener. In the kitchen, they’re indispensable; in the garden they’re beautiful, textural, and attract beneficial insects. Plus, herbs are one of the easiest plant groups to grow. In fact, when a would-be-vegetable-gardener asks me what crop they should grow first, I […]
Growing Rosemary in Your Kitchen Herb Garden
This woody perennial has evergreen, needle-type leaves that produces dainty, blue blossoms repeatedly year-round. It’s useful in the kitchen, plus fragrant and good-looking in the garden.
Growing Sage in Your Kitchen Herb Garden
Sage (Salvia officinalis) is a shrubby perennial that’s not only an obvious herb choice for the kitchen, but it’s a great garden plant in its own right. It’s leaves have a thick, “bumpy” texture, and feel rather fuzzy. Depending on the variety, foliage colors can be bright green, blue-green, purple, or edged with cream or […]
Creative Garden Themes
Even if you never talk to a landscape designer in your life, the design idea are endless. A clever way to incorporate your personality into your garden is to use plants that reflect some of your other interests by using a theme garden. Below is a list of ideas to adopt as your own: Color […]
Growing Grapes in the Home Garden
Photo by Nick.Allen When your picture grape vines, you may envision them in rows and rows along rolling, hillside vineyards. I have to agree that these plantings are lovely. But, did you know that grapes tend to fit neatly into backyard gardens? much the way that espaliers do. Grapes can be easily trained against a […]
Growing Cucumbers in Your Vegetable Garden
Photo by mallydally Cucumbers (Cucumis sativis), affectionately known as “cukes”, come in many forms: bush variety, vines, lemon-shaped, yard-long types, and burpless. If you’ve thumbed through any seed catalogs, you’ll notice that they break them down into the groups such as slicing (for salads and sandwiches), for cooking recipes, and those that are perfect for […]
