Stevia is all the rage right now. Just walk down any grocery store baking aisle and you will likely find several sweeteners that have stevia in them. They go by names like Truvia, Stevia in the Raw, Sweet Leaf, Nustevia and many other names. I’ve always wondered about the processing of these sweeteners because, well, […]
6 Gardening Books for Kids
I grew up on a farm, and I remember the shock of some of our young friends when they found out that we ate food we raised ourselves. Kids of the past few generations are more and more out of touch with where there food comes from. One way to remedy this is to include […]
How to Grow Roses for Medicinal Use
“I know a bank where the wild thyme blows where oxlips and the nodding violet grows, Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine with sweet musk – roses and with eglantine.” ~A Midsummer Night’s Dream The rose is one of the oldest flowers in cultivation and is still considered one of the most popular garden flowers today. […]
How to Grow Aloe
Aloe Vera is one of the most beneficial plants you can add to your garden. This amazing plant comes with a multitude of skin healing properties, and it’s easy to grow to boot! Once you start growing this wonderful plant, you’ll wonder why it took you so long. Aloe is a succulent, meaning it retains […]
Grow Your Own Basil
I’m so excited to be sharing about growing basil. It’s one of the things that we’ve managed to not kill for years, and we use it constantly in our cooking! The basil you see in front of my daughter (and behind her, too) all started from a $3 plant from our HEB grocery store. Here’s […]
Grow and Use Dill in the Herb Garden
Few flavors say “summer” to me as distinctively as dill. At my house, dill is a salad seasoning. Specifically, we use it to flavor potato salads and pickles and virtually never add it to anything we plan to cook. (Well… I might add dill when I bake seasoned yeast bread.) Dill is almost certain to […]
The Secrets to Growing Marjoram in Any Zone
Note: Today’s guest post comes from Chris from Joybilee Farm. She lives on 140 acres in Southern BC, Canada. Chris Dalziel is a veteran homeschool Mom with 3 graduates, a published writer, with 30 years of homesteading under her nails. Living in a log house, in the mountains and surrounded by pines, and pasture, Chris […]
Plant Profile: Lavender Herb Growing Guide
Here’s an in-depth profile of a favorite herb plant: lavender. Learn why this herb is prized in the garden and how to select and care for this popular edible perennial. With a famous scent, and a delightful, cottage-garden look in the landscape, perennial lavender plants will earn a place in any herb gardener’s heart. Cultivation […]
Growing Roman Chamomile
Roman chamomile has many of the same uses as the more popular German Chamomile. The visual differences are in size, growth rate, and growing style. Roman Chamomile is of the low growing, creeper variety. Much like mint, it will take over the space it is in and the surrounding area. The plants I have are […]
How to Grow Garlic (and Why)
Note: This is a guest post from the wonderful Tessa at Homestead Lady. She’s got some great tips here on fueling your garlic habit by growing your own – but her blog and Facebook page are chock full of plenty of other tips, tricks, and homestead ventures. Tell her we sent you! Raise your hand […]
Growing Yarrow: The Plant With A Long Resume
Yarrow, or milfoil (Achillea millefolium), is a perennial herb that seems like the shy one in the garden. However, it’s named after the Greek god Achilles, and yarrow is deserving of its name. This powerful medicinal plant is a valuable first aid plant that’s found in many gardens, and since it’s tolerant of most weather […]
Growing Thyme in the Herb Garden
Thyme, an ancient herb plant long known to gardeners, can be added to every garden space. This plant is native to Mediterranean area, and the first documented use of thyme was by the ancient Egyptians. Thyme was originally used for cleansing and incense but now is one of the most widely used culinary herbs, often […]
