Preserving Herbs

Rosemary, Sage, and Oregano tied in bunches

 My last post was about prioritizing in the garden. This is a great follow up as it's the best time of year to be harvesting your perennial herbs. 

First off, if you're into gardening but not into herbs, you're missing out on a great source of culinary wonderment. Nothing beats fresh grown herbs in the garden mixed in with your supper. For more information on herbs, check out this post. 

Right now we're talking about perennial culinary herbs like rosemary, oregano, chives, thyme, and winter savory. Late Spring/Early Summer is the best time to harvest them, before they go into flower. Just take a clean pair of scissors into the garden on a dry morning and selectively cut longer pieces being careful not to cut off more than a third of the plant. Then bring your cuttings in and give them a good wash in the sink. 

Thyme, rosemary and winter savory on a tray

Finally, I take the longer pieces and tie them in bundles to hang in the basement. Any cool, dry, dark place with some air circulation is best. The shorter pieces I place on a paper towel lined try to dry above my kitchen cabinets. Check on them a in a few weeks and when they are completely dry, place them in clean, dry glass jars with lids and labels. Don't crumple them up as that will release some of the flavor. I like to give them their last bit of crushing right before adding them to my food. 

A few special notes. First, don't bother drying chives as they will lose all their flavor. Chives are much better frozen. Second, basil also doesn't dry well. I'm going to try some experiments with basil this summer and I'll let you know what I find out. Finally, be sure to remove the leaves from the stems before eating. None of the stems are good. 

Do you like growing herbs? What do you grow and how do you preserve them? Feel free to write in the comments below. 

How to Grow Chives and What to Do With Them

Recently, I was listening to a gardening podcast and the lady speaking referred to "confidence building plants". She didn't mention any specific plants but I immediately thought of chives. They are ridiculously easy to grow. If you have any interest in herbs, or in beautiful, edible landscaping  then you should try chives!

Chives are easiest to grow from a purchased plant but they are hardy perennials that will easily come back every year. In the Spring they have beautiful mauvish colored flowers that make nice cut flowers in arrangements. Both the leaves and flowers are edible and have a lovely, mild onion flavor. They are delicious in anything you'd enjoy onions in: eggs, potatoes, chicken, you name it.

When you bring your chives plant home, just plant in any soil with partial to full sun. It will do the rest.

The only way I'm aware of preserving chives is to freeze them. If you try to dry it then it looses all it's flavor. However, you can chop it up and freeze it in cubes to put in soups all winter. Have you grown chives? How do you like to use it?

Deer In The Garden

Many people have complained to me recently about the problems deer have caused in their garden. Some are about ready to give up on gardening all together. If you are  in this boat and really frustrated, don't give up just yet. Here is a primer to get you thinking how you can garden with deer around.

1. Fencing
It's expensive and often unattractive but this is the only completely fool proof way to guarantee that the deer are kept out. For smaller vegetable patches, covering with chicken wire fencing on the sides and the top is a very doable solution. However, for orchards or around foundation planting, the cost can be prohibitive. I've also heard of people using electric fencing but if you have pets or young children then that may not be doable either.

2. Sprays
There are many sprays on the market that supposedly repel deer with varying costs, toxic chemicals and efficacy. It's worth considering, but you should really do some research before buying. Also, most sprays will need to be reapplied periodically.

3. Hanging trash
Sounds weird but one running theory is hanging shiny things like aluminum plans from the branches of a tree in the thought that it will scare the deer away. If your orchard trees are out back some where then this might be a good option for you. However, the deer will adjust to anything so I'd recommend you don't put them out till the fruit is coming on in the summer and take it down after harvest. I suppose you could also put shiny objects on sticks to keep deer away from you plants but to me it looks terrible. To each his own.

4. Grow deer resistant plants
So, this approach is a partial admission of defeat. It means giving up on most fruit trees, blueberries and Hostas (and so much more). However, if you're just trying to put out some lovely landscaping around your house, then you CAN select plants the deer will leave alone. Loads of articles have been written on deer resistant plans like these:

Deer Resistant Plants

The Best Deer Resistant Plants for Your Garden

It's also good to note that most herbs are deer and rabbit resistant.

5. Have a Dog
Just this morning a lady told me that they never had problems with deer till after the family dog passed away. If owning a dog isn't for you, I've heard that just the smell of a dog can keep animals away. I've thought about borrowing the neighbors dog to let him mark his territory all over. If any of you have tried this, please comment about it below.

Have you tried any of these methods? How have they worked for you? Please share your story in the comments below.

Grow Outside of Your Comfort Zone!

Generally speaking, its always a good idea to try out a few new plants each year. Its super fun to experiment and you might discover something awesome that you can't live without. However, this year I've gone a little bit overboard with new varieties and I'd love to share some with you. At the end I'll let you in on my sources.

Strawberry Spinach
Did you know you can buy spinach seeds that produce not only delicious leaves but also sweet berries? How cool is that? I've not grown them yet, but I'm going to this year and I'll let you know how they turn out.

Antique Flemish Poppy
Traditional poppies have never interested me as their flowers are simple and they make terrible cut flowers (they wilt quickly). However, some poppies have extra petals that make them prettier (to me) and a few types will produce culinary quality poppy seeds! If you're into baking you're probably aware of how expensive poppy seeds are at the store. Imagine getting to grow your own!

Lovage
This herb is rumored to taste just like celery and it's a perennial that is available this year. I have a bad history of throwing out celery before it's used up and this would be just awesome. Lovage doesn't have the same crunchy stems as celery but the leaves would be great for soup and casseroles.

Gherkins
Imagine if a cucumber and a cherry tomato had a baby - then you'd get gherkins. I've had one before at a friend's and it's delicious. If you like cucumbers then you should definitely try these.

Those are just a few of the new things I'm trying out this year. If you're interested in trying some you can find lots of great things from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (I don't get any money from them). Territory Seeds and Johnny Seeds are also trusted sources. For unusual fruit trees, look up Trees of Antiquity online (I only wish these places gave me money to mention them). If you're really brave, you can even find unusual plants on etsy but that's always a gamble.

Feeling inspired? Go out and try something new! It's also fun to do with kids. I love showing my daughter new plants and trying new foods. Feel free to post in the comments below on how you've grown out of your comfort zone!

Garden Center Review: Ashcombe Farm and Green House

Every once in a while it's good to try something new, so here's my first garden center review. Anyone who's into gardening loves a good garden center so here's my take on Ashcombe Farm and Greenhouse in Mechanicsburg, PA. Please note I'm not getting paid by them or any other garden center to write reviews.

So, I'd heard about Ashcombe's from my co-workers back when I was a full time florist. However, I just assumed it was a small green house in a field some where. Out of desperation for some winter savory, I decided to follow the signs off of route 15 in Cumberland county and see if they carried unusual herbs. Boy, was I surprised to find a massive barn encompassing a gift shop, a cafe/ice cream parlor, a winery booth and more. Outside of the barn was several green houses with the largest selection of plants I've seen anywhere. They also have a picnic area, a children's garden and a separate area for bushes and pond plants.

If you're looking for a great selection, Ashcombe has it. Their herb selection was amazing. (Yes, they have winter savory). Imagine whole rooms full of tomato, pepper, and any other kind of vegetable and flower plant you can think of. Having a two year old, I was a big fan of the children's garden which is a bit rough around the edges but my daughter didn't notice. She loved it. The picnic area is very pretty and we really enjoyed the ice cream parlor too.

Where there any down sides? Sure. Most of the gift shop was way too expensive for me. It's not the cheapest place to get plants either but if you want an unusual variety then I think it's still worth it. Some plants seemed reasonably priced to me and other seemed too expensive. Also, their clearance plant section was overpriced. If a plant looks that bad, you've got to mark it down more than 25% to get me to buy it.

Getting back to positives, the staff were all helpful and pleasant. They also have a lot of special events, including stuff for kids. Over all, I'd definitely recommend going there but give yourself lots of time and prioritize your budget ahead of time. For more information, check out their website at www.ashcome.com. Have you been to Ashcombe? Feel free to write about your experience below!

5 Recent Lessons in Gardening

One of the best things about gardening is that there is always more to learn. I'm always making mistakes but I learn from them and get better. Here are some lessons I've learned so far this year.

1. Don't freak out about a few bugs. My green beans had something eating them early on and I thought about spraying them but they did well despite the bugs and I've been impressed with how many beans I've gotten off them. Vegetable plants are rarely perfect, don't sweat the small stuff.

2. Don't mulch your basil. I tend to mulch everything. Mostly because I don't enjoy weeding or watering and mulching reduces the need to do both. However, basil plants prefer dry soil and will turn yellow if they're too wet. Fortunately, I figured that out before my plants were killed.

3. Don't underestimate cute little furry things. Jeeze, those darn rabbits. My daughter thinks they're so cute but they need to stay the heck away from my garden. I figured on the lettuce, but can't they leave my little apple tree alone? Darn things.

4. Speaking of rabbits, don't try using moth balls to get rid of them. I'm cheap and lazy so putting moth balls under my shed to get the rabbits out sounded like a great idea. Yeah, now the shed stinks so bad you can't stay in there for more than a minute or so and the smell waifs out into the yard at times too. Sigh.

5. On the plus side, I've learned that wild currants are delicious. Seriously, everyone should be growing them. Even my two year old couldn't get enough.

So, what have you learned this year in your garden? Feel free to share your thoughts - and your ideas for getting rid of rabbits, in the comments below.

Growing, Harvesting and Preserving Parsley

If you follow my blog, you know I really enjoy herbs. One herb most gardeners consider essential is parsley and it's easy to grow. There's no reason why anyone can't grow their own parsley even if you live in an apartment. It tastes great in soups and with chicken and has other uses and growing your own is much cheaper than buying it fresh at the store every time you want to cook with it.

Now, if you want instant gratification, you can buy plants everywhere from Lowe's to the grocery store. However, I'm cheap so I prefer to buy seeds. I've had no problem growing parsley from seeds, it just takes a little longer for the seeds to sprout. Be patient! Parsley has no unusual needs, just decent soil, water and full sun.

The plants on the bottom left corner are healthy parsley plants grown from seeds. The flowering plant is a second year plant that is just going to seed without much in the way of leaves to harvest. 

One interesting fact about Parsley is that it's a biennial - meaning it lives two years. If you grow it outside, it will come back for a second year. However, when it comes back the second year, it will just set seeds without much of the foliage you want for eating. The only reason to encourage the plant the second year is if you want to harvest the seeds. My approach is to buy a small packet of seeds every spring and plant a few weeks before the final frost date.

To harvest parsley, just pick the leaves you need for the recipe you;re making when you need them. Parsley will stay fresh in the fridge for several days, especially if you put it in water. To dry parsley, just tie them in bunches and hang them upside down in a dry, ventilated, dark place for a few weeks. Easy peasy.

The nice thing about parsley is that it grows great in containers as well, so if all you have is a sunny windowsill, then you can still grow it. Do you grow your own parsley? Feel free to write about it in the comments below!

Garden Spotlight: Kimberly

As a gardener, I LOVE seeing other people's gardens. My friend Kim's garden is no exception. She is so artistic and creative and it really shows in her yard. I love how she lets plants grow a little wild and informal. Here are some highlights.

I am such a sucker for arbors and this one ins no
 exception.
The perennials blooming around it are just perfect. 

My daughter just loved playing in Kim's Garden.
I'm not a big fan of lots of  non-plant decor but Kim's
over sized mushrooms are lots of fun. 

Kim has lots of shade so this variety of hosta plants are a great call.
Hostas are a great low-maintenance plant for shade. 

Ah, the lady herself. Probably my favorite part of her garden is her hand
made waddle fence around her herb garden. Waddle fences are historical and
very attractive. Someday I'll get around to building one myself. 

Not to be outdone, the front yard gets more sun and consequently,
is a great home for lavender. If you have a sunny dry spot, do yourself a favor
and plant some lavender. 

Who's garden do you enjoy visiting? What do you admire most about other's gardens? Feel free to post in the comments below.

An Update on Projects from Around the Homstead

Spring has brought on a lot of little projects here and has certainly spiffed up what were some real eye sores around the yard. Everyone loves some before and after pictures so here are a few for you. Keep in mind, with me projects are never completely done, they just improve slowly over time.

Our mailbox was such a problem. A rotted, hollow post falling into the street. We gave it a much better replacement.

Before

After

The front flower beds where an erroding mess of weeds when we first moved in. That spot has taken some serious work but it's getting better all the time. You can find more info on how to build the retaining wall here. 

Before

After

Finally, this past weekend I FINALLY got my perennial herb garden installed. Mostly. Still looking for a few plants but I got a lot of good ones including English thyme, rosemary, sage, and oregano. In the after picture you'll notice it looks a bit empty but these perennial plants will grow to fill in the space. It's important to not crowd your plants. Decorative rocks can visually fill the space till the plants do so. You can learn more about growing herbs here.

Before

After

 So there's an update from our yard. What projects have you been up to? Feel free to post in the comments below.

Keep Mosquitoes and Ticks Out of Your Yard

After writing about pests for three weeks, I decided to keep on topic by writing about mosquitoes and ticks. Who does not hate mosquitoes and ticks? They can absolutely ruin your garden time and make cook outs miserable. If you're like me, then spraying a bunch of pesticide everywhere and bathing in DEET doesn't sound desirable. Before you grab the chemicals, try a few natural methods to reduce their presence in your yard from the get go. I'm not getting into personal bug spray here as that's not my area of expertise but rather going over ways to keep them out of your yard.

Mosquitoes

First, and most importantly, get rid of all standing water in your property. Mosquitoes don't need a lot of water, small puddles in discarded tires or old buckets are plenty big for laying eggs. Be sure you're not providing good reproduction habitat by getting rid of standing water.

Second, encourage the mosquitoes natural predators. If you have the space, and it's not against your zoning laws, you may want to install a bat box to encourage bats to your property. Bats eat lots of bugs. If that creeps you out, you can install a purple martin box as they too will be happy to eat your mosquitoes for you. If you really want to keep the pond on your property, then put in some Koi fish to eat the mosquito larvae. Dragon flies also eat mosquitoes but I have no idea how you'd attract them to your yard.

Third, try planting mosquito repelling plants around your patio and back yard. I've not tried this myself but many people swear by it. Plants that are most often recommended to repel mosquitoes include: marigolds, lavender, rosemary, basil, garlic, catnip, and geraniums. Actually, is kinda sounds like you just plant an herb garden which I highly recommend anyways. You can read more about growing herbs here.

Fourth, for special occasions, I don't mind burning a citronella candle  or the tiki torches. I wouldn't bother with them all the time for the hassle and expense but for a party of some sort, it could be a great idea.

Ticks

Oh, how I hate ticks. A hundred itchy mosquito bites are nothing compared to the vile grossness of finding a tick half buried in your skin. One of those nasty things got me last November and the memory of it still sets off my gag reflex, and even that is nothing compared to the awful diseases they carry. Here in PA, we are in prime Lyme's disease territory. Having had a few friends battle the disease has made a strong impression on me so keeping ticks away is a big priority.

If you have the option, chickens LOVE to eat ticks and are great and keeping them out. I've been told three wandering hens can clear an acre of ticks.

If chickens are not an option, then be sure to eliminate their habitat in your yard. Don't leave piles of old leaves lying around or let your grass get too long. I have no value for a perfectly manicured lawn but a shorter cut one won't attract as many ticks. Leaf piles are the worst.

Small rodents carry ticks so anything you do to keep them off your property will also keep the ticks away.

Ticks, apparently, don't like to walk on wood chips or gravel so if your property is connected to a woody area, try putting in a three foot buffer of either material to keep them out.

Wood piles can really attract ticks (and rodents) so if you have any on your property, keep them neatly stacked in a full sun area.

Finally, according to Rodale's Organic Life magazine, beauty berry bushes have been shown to repel ticks. Even if they don't, they're really pretty so why not plant a few?

So, there's my best advice on preventing bug bites in your yard. Do you have any natural prevention's you like to use? Feel free to comment in the area below.

How to Grow and Eat Herbs for Beginners

In my previous post about saving money gardening, I listed growing herbs. If you haven't tried cooking with herbs, then you are in for a treat. Herbs are a great way to add loads of flavor to your food without adding any sugar, fat or preservatives. What would Italian food be without basil? How boring are chicken and potatoes until you add some rosemary? Herbs can have non-culinary uses but for this post, I'm going to focus on their benefits to your dinner plate.

How to Grow Herbs

You can think about growing herbs in three major categories (this is NOT official, it's just how I think about herbs after growing them for several years. I think it's a great place to start for beginners): perennials, annuals from seeds and annuals from plants. Yes, some of these are actually biennials and yes, I'm leaving lots out but this is a great place to start.

Perennials are plants that come back every year on their own. You can establish a perennial herb garden or mix perennial herbs into your flower beds. In general, perennial herbs don't need rich soil, just lots of sunlight and good drainage. Here in zone 6 (central PA), some great perennial herbs are sage, thyme, oregano, chives, mint and lemon balm. All of these are easiest grown from plants.

Annuals are plants that need to be planted new every spring because the winter chill kills them. Some of them, like basil, parsley and dill I don't mind because you can buy inexpensive seeds and grow them right in your garden with the veggies.

Other annuals are nearly impossible to grow from seeds so you should buy plants. Buying plants costs more but I just can't live without rosemary so every spring I suck it up and buy more plants. Marjoram is another fun annual that requires buying a plant every Spring. Like perennials, annual herbs also don't require much from their soil but they do need lots of sunlight and good drainage.

How to Cook with Herbs

You're not going to find this in any book, but I tend to think of eating herbs in three different ways. Obviously, there is some crossover and I'm leaving a lot out but if you're not used to cooking with herbs, this is a good beginning. Fresh herbs can get expensive at the store but when you're growing them yourself, you can afford to be generous with herbs in the kitchen.

Italian Herbs: basil, oregano, marjoram, and parsley. If you're making pasta or pizza or nearly any other Italian dish, these will work well with the dish and with each other.

Savory Herbs: thyme, chives, rosemary, and savory. Any kind of potato, chicken or pork dish will taste much better with these delicious plants.

Drinking Herbs: mint, lemon balm, spearmint, or chamomile. Yes, you can grow and dry any of these herbs to make your own home made tea, or lemonade, or mint juleps, or whatever. yum!

For more information, I highly recommend "Your Backyard Herb Garden" by Miranda Smith. The book is thorough and the illustrations are very helpful. Are you an herb gardener? Please comment in the section below!

The 3 Best Ways to Save Money Gardening

So, lots of people get into gardening to save money on groceries only to find out you can spend LOADS more money growing your own food. Now, there are lots of great reasons to get into gardening besides saving money: exercise, fresh air, therapy, quality time with family, organic fresh food, etc. However, most of us need to pay attention to our budget. So, if you're thinking about getting into gardening, here are the three things you should start with. I'll give you an over view here and then go more in depth in future posts.

First: Loose leaf lettuce. Organic lettuce can easily cost $9 a pound at the store. You can grow your own loose leaf lettuce from seeds. I've grown all the lettuce we needed for six months of the year from a $3 seed packet. Here in central PA, you can direct sow lettuce seeds into soil at St Patrick's Day and enjoy it into late June when it will get too hot. Then, start planting again in August and enjoy your lettuce till almost Thanksgiving. Lettuce likes cool weather. Sow more seeds every two weeks to enjoy a continual harvest.

I also love it because there is much less waste. Haven't we all thrown out old lettuce? If you grow head lettuce (like iceberg or romaine) then you harvest the head once and you're done. With loose leaf lettuce you can just go out and clip what you need for the next day or two and none is wasted. Just don't harvest more than 50% of the leaves off of any particular plant at one time.

Image is of part of the herb garden at Mt. Vernon. George Washington knew what he was doing. 

Second: Fresh Herbs. Cooking with fresh herbs is so delicious but having to buy them at the store can really add up. Start by developing your perennial herb garden. Perennial means they will come back every year. In Pennsylvania, you definitely need to include Chives, Oregano, Thyme, and Sage. Plant them in a hot sunny, well drained area and enjoy for years to come. After that, try growing herbs from seed like Basil, Dill and Parsley. Your cooking will be fabulous!

Third: Raspberries. All berries are really delicious, really good for you, and really expensive. Even pick your own berries in season are pricey. What to do? Grow your own. Now, growing any berries will save you money but in my experience raspberries are the easiest. I just spent $12 for three bare root plants and I will harvest tons of berries for many years to come. This also goes for black berries or any other kind of "bramble". I've had great success with "Heritage" raspberries.

How about you? How have you saved money on groceries by gardening? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below.

3 Solid Reasons to Create Goals for Your Yard and How to Do It

January is, I realize, a very clique time to be setting new goals. However, what else is a gardener to do in January but dream of Spring? Even if you think you have a black thumb, if you have any yard at all, you should do a bit of planning now to help you out later.

Why?

First, having a plan means things will actually get done. Have you been dreaming of a flower garden for years but haven't gotten around to it? Wanting to create a beautiful play area for your kids but they'll probably be grown before it happens? Thought about learning how to grow fruit trees or herbs? If you write it down and have a plan, you'll be much more likely to do it.

Second, it will save you money. Going to a garden center in the Spring without a plan is like going to the grocery store without a list. You're going to spend more than you should have and you still won't have what you need.

Third, it will increase the amount of time you spend outside which is great for your health. Countless studies have shown the benefits of gardening, or any outdoor exercise for that matter. Creating gardening goals will increase the chances that you'll be spending more time outdoors this spring.

How to go about it?

First, get together with everyone in your household and make sure you're all on the same page. You might be planning a vegetable garden right where someone else wants to install horse shoe pits.

Second, write it down. I like doing this in my garden binder (more on that to come) but you just have to write it down where you can find it later.

Third, write out a plan. Don't just write down that you want to learn how to grow fruit trees. When should you plant the trees in your area? Better do a lot of research before then. Create a timeline and be sure to budget what you need for plants and tools.

This year, my two biggest goals are to start a fruit orchard and have it survive the first year. I've already read a whole book on it to get started. I also want to establish a new perennial herb garden since I lost my old one when we moved.

What about you? What are you wanting to do with your yard this year? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below.

4 Gardening Books for Adults

Last week I shared four gardening books for young children that I love so this week it seems only reasonable to share four gardening books for adults! Winter is truly the best time of year to get in some educational reading on your garden and yard so you'll be ready when Spring comes. Like last week, I'm including links to where you can order these books online but I am not getting any money for it.

1. "Growing Your Own Food" by Monte Burch

Great for beginners, Growing Your Own Food covers everything from getting your garden ready to specifics on vegetables, herbs and fruit trees. If you're new to gardening, this is a great place to start. The pictures and instructions are easy to follow and it gives you enough info to get started without bogging you down with in dept information you can get later on.

Grow Your Own Food on Amazon

2. "Your Backyard Herb Garden" by Miranda Smith

This has been my go to book on herbs for years. After checking it out at the library, I knew I needed a copy for myself. Your Backyard Herb Garden covers everything you need to know to establish a thriving perennial, annual or mixed herb bed. It also covers how to use the herbs culinary, medicinally or otherwise. It's the only book on herbs I've ever felt I needed and is full of useful charts and illustrations.

Your Backyard Herb Garden on Amazon

3. "The Weekend Homesteader" by Anna Hess

I originally saw this at Barnes and Noble and loved it but forgot about it as life got busy. My mom gave it to me for Christmas and it's just fabulous. Designed for part time gardeners (or weekend homesteaders), it has loads of project ideas that cost little and are totally doable for most people. From reading this book, I radically changed the layout of my garden and am looking forward to implementing a lot of its advice in the future.

The Weekend Homesteader from Mother Earth News

4. "Grow A Little Fruit Tree" by Ann Ralph

Mother Earth News ran a story about this book and after a few online gardeners encouraged me to get it, I got a copy. If you are in any way interested in growing fruit trees, then you've gotta read this book first. Ms. Ralph is very thorough and includes lots of details while still being easy to read. Like the other books on this list, Grow a Little Fruit Tree is full of great pictures. Honestly, I think I'd struggle with any gardening book that didn't have good illustrations to communicate what is being taught.

Grow A Little Fruit Tree from Mother Earth News

So, there are four of my favorite gardening books. What are some great gardening books you would recommend? Anything new you're looking forward to reading this winter? Please share in the comment section below.