And The Winner Is …

And The Winner Is …

It’s nearly the end of 2016, and time for us to recount the highs and lows of this past growing season. We all have our areas of interest, but for me, it’s all about you …. Trends in what gardeners wanted this past growing year. Basically, what plant sold THE BEST in 2016.

And, the winner is: Eucalyptus, Silver Drop. Always in the top 5, but never a winner. This year, Eucalyptus pushed out Lemongrass and would have done even better had we not run out near the end of the spring.

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Fall Gardening- My Favorite Time Of The Year

Fall Gardening- My Favorite Time Of The Year

The sadness of summer fading can only be cured by the excitement of fall.

Cooler temperatures and the bountiful harvest draw our attention away from what was, to the beautiful changes before us. It feels good to bundle up in a favorite fleece for a morning jaunt into the garden. I hope you are making that little jaunt each morning; even ten minutes of trimming, weeding and piddling will brace you for the days work. Think of it as a kind of yoga or meditation practice. After a few weeks of practice, you get flowers and veggies. All that squatting down, reaching around, and scratching in the ground does kind of limber you up, and a few quiet moments looking over your plants does clear your mind, and those veggies will nourish your body and soul. Flowers brighten your day!

Fall is our favorite time to garden

Why would we not start the day in the garden? I don’t know because all of the above is true and we all know how busy and complex life is today. I try to visit my little home herb garden each morning, my excuse is to let the chickens out, but I always piddle and pull a few weeds or pick a little something to leave in the kitchen for dinner. This is a nice start for me because I also know that during the day, through some intrusive media source, word of mouth, or just something I see walking down a city street will give me pause. And I will truly wonder how the human race has gotten thus far. Since there is not much to be done about the world at large, one needs some means of maintaining sanity. The only salvation is a sanctuary, and home with a garden has the deepest roots. Whatever goes on elsewhere, it is grounding to know that the garden is there, orderly and bountiful. (more…)

The Ultimate Easy Mint Mojito Recipe

the ultimate mojito recipe

A perfect drink for a warm sunny day, or even a cold wintry day when you want to feel like you’re at the beach.  A few years ago, we began growing Mojito mint – what a plant!  Like all mints, it is easy to grow and provides plenty to cut.  But, the added attraction is that this is the real deal and an essential ingredient in a mint mojito, a cool summer drink that has been popular in Cuba since the 1920’s.

Remember the secret:  fresh mint that is crushed with sugar to release the mint’s essential oil.

Bonus tip: if you grow this indoors, you can enjoy fresh mojitos all year long. (more…)

An unexpected response, growing holy basil plants

Holy Basil

Here is a confession:  I haven’t always been an herb grower.  Sure, I grew herbs along with everything else.  Proven Winner Annuals, perennials, succulents, foliage plants, bulbs … you name it, I grew it.  We had a garden center in Richmond, VA and my customer base was my guide.  Whatever they wanted, I grew.  Or, was it the other way around?  Whatever I grew, they wanted?  We had a very good relationship, my customers and I.  It was truly an EXCHANGE.

But, in 2005, when I decided to close the store, my intention was to take EVERYTHING online.  I would keep growing as I had been since 1985.  Guess what?  Everyone else had the same idea.  There were plenty of folks growing and selling perennials online.  I just had to get in line.  It didn’t take me long, with the help of Google, to realize that what folks REALLY wanted was a quality herb grower.  I had grown herbs all along, and actually loved growing them.  But, here was my chance.  I could begin growing MORE than the ‘usual suspects’;  I was a kid in a candy shop.  Send me the seeds, and I will grow them.

So, the unintended consequence?  Enter some of the ‘unusual suspects’ with a BIG following.  Among the most important?

Holy Basil

This was one of those eye opening experiences ~ I began growing two types, Holy Red and Holy Green.  I was getting seeds from a variety of vendors, but that was my first mistake.  What was I really growing?  Among my first customer was a wonderful grower from Texas.  She was Hindu, and she educated me right away: ‘this is not Holy Basil’!  Well, it said so on the seed package.  My education began. (more…)

24 Yummy Basil Recipes

24-yummy-basil-recipes

Anytime is a great time to add basil to your recipes!  Fresh from the garden, or indoor garden, paired with tomatoes or other produce, basil adds a great burst of flavor.

The highly fragrant herb is related to peppermint and comes in many varieties to give added depth and options to your recipes.  Basil plants are generally green, however some varieties are purple.  Basil plants such as lemon basil, anise basil, clove basil and cinnamon basil have unique flavors that are suggested by their namesake.

Fresh basil is used in many recipes and is generally added toward the end of the cooking process.  Most of the time basil is added at the last minute as cooking it too long tends to dilute the flavor. Many people are already familiar with basil as the main flavor ingredient in pesto – along with olive oil, garlic, and pine nuts. Yet the possibilities for adding basil to your recipes is nearly endless.

Basil is best when used fresh from your kitchen garden, although fresh cut basil can be kept in the refrigerator.  To store basil, wrap it in damp paper towels and place in a plastic bag and put it in the refrigerator. This will keep fresh basil for about four days.  Or you can place the basil, stem down, in a glass of water with a plastic cover.  This will keep the basil for about a week if you change the water on a regular basis.  For longer term storage, basil can be blanched quickly in boiling water and kept in the freezer.  Although when dried, basil loses much of its flavor, and the taste may be significantly different. Dried basil can be kept in a cool, dark place for up to six months.

Healthy Benefits of Basil

A study by Purdue University showed that basil is rich in antioxidants, has anti-aging properties and can help to reduce inflammation and swelling.  Basil is rich in vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin C, magnesium, iron, potassium, and calcium.

Below are 24 of of our favorite basil recipes found around the web.

Breakfast Basil Recipes

frittata-tomatoes-basil-mozzarella

Frittata with Tomatoes, Basil and Mozzarella

If you’re into the paleo or primal lifestyle, Whip up this tasty, grain-free breakfast treat.  It’s easy.  It’s healthy and it tastes great.

basil-breakfast-strata

Basil Breakfast Strata

Pair this tasty egg casserole with kielbasa.  Even better you can make it ahead of time so there’s less preparation in the morning.
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