Book Review: The Elderberry Book

30 Aug 201930 Aug 2019

I just received this book in the mail, it was a recent purchase that I waiting to arrive. It talks about how to forage, cultivate, prepare and preserve elderberries. It…

Herbal Highlight: Basil

26 Jul 2019

Basil is most commonly used as a cooking spice, but it has many other uses. Some include pesto, dressing, infused oils, essential oils, hair rinse, cleaning spray, infused water, etc.…

Homemade Pesto

19 Jul 201918 Jul 2019

Last Sunday, we wanted some pesto to go with angel hair pasta and mussels. I didn't have a jar or enough basil but I had plenty of sweet potato leaves.…

Herbal Highlight: St John’s Wort

21 Jun 201921 Jun 2019

St John's Wort St. John's wort is a plant with yellow, star-shaped flowers and five petals that grows in Europe, North and South America, Australia, New Zealand, and Eastern Asia.…

Plantago Major: Properties and Uses

15 Jun 2019

I have a few types of plantain growing in my yard. They are: plantago major, plantago lancelata and unknown plantain (I'm still researching this one--it is a small leafed plantain).…

Organizing Your Pantry

7 Jun 20196 Jun 2019

I recently bought Urban Pantry: Tips & Recipes for a Thrifty, Sustainable & Seasonal Kitchen to help me organize my pantry. On a visit from my Dad, we expanded the…

Natural Plant Dyes

31 May 201930 May 2019

I found a nice picture frame at Goodwill, inside are 12 sample plant parts that dyes can be made from. A small woven cloth is in the center and the…

The Forgotten Vegetable: Salsify

24 May 2019

I recently found an article on the Grow Network about Salsify. It is a vegetable that many people that don't live in Europe know about. It is in the dandelion…

Book Update: Herbs

17 May 201916 May 2019

I've recently added 4 new books to my herbal library. These books will help me learn their uses and how to care for them. Herb-A-Day by James A Duke. A…

Garden Update: Irrigation

10 May 20199 May 2019

I finally finished the irrigation system for my raised beds last weekend. I've been working on this most of the weekends in April and May. Of course, improvement will probably…