by Herb Exchange | Aug 13, 2019 | DIY Gardening |
You have the opportunity to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions, improve your health, reduce waste, and save water, even if you live in a city. How?
By building your own balcony or rooftop food garden.
By 2050, it’s estimated the world’s population will increase by more than 35 percent. To realistically feed everyone, the world’s crop production would need to double.
But placing that burden entirely on farmers when more than 55% of people now live in urbanized areas isn’t practical – nor is it necessary! Step out onto your balcony or patio, and you’ve found a perfect setting to grow food. (more…)
by Herb Exchange | Aug 7, 2019 | Miscellaneous |
Love growing vegetables and herbs, why not choose these edible flowers to grow indoors or outside? Get the most out of your garden, whether it’s an expansive garden or a few flower pots, by combining the tastiness of vegetables with the beauty of flowers. While not all flowers are edible, here are some favorite and tasty flowers that are easy to grow inside, or in your garden, for a rich and aromatic experience.
What Are Edible Flowers?
Whether cooked, steeped, or eaten raw, each of these flowers is edible. However, be cautious when eating flowers. There are many more flowers that are poisonous or inedible. Make sure you know what you’re eating. Be sure you choose an herb that hasn’t been sprayed with pesticides and appropriately prepared. Not all edible varieties are edible raw, while some are best served fresh or as a garnish to your salad.
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by Herb Exchange | Jul 24, 2019 | Flowers, Wildlife |
Humans are a fickle bunch, and try as I might, they are hard to figure. Say one thing, mean another. Say one thing, find out it wasn’t true. Commit to one thing, then change courses. Not saying I’m any different, but the dependability of nature (well maybe not weather) is something that brings me a lot of comfort. Cycles that repeat; you sort of come to depend on them. Geese come south, geese go north. Jenny wrens nesting in the same clay pots they used the year before. My mother in law’s daffodils emerging in late February, as they have been since she planted 30+ years ago. Even the sturgeon have decided the river is clean enough to make a comeback. We brought them to the brink of extinction, then we decided to bring them back. See what I mean? Fickle.
Well there is one cycle that is truly a wonder: the migration of the monarch. Their life cycle is equally awe inspiring but let’s focus on this trip! There are so many wondrous aspects of this flight, described as ‘epic’, so let’s start with this:
The monarch migration is the longest known insect migration on earth.
Chew on this: a monarch can leave Nova Scotia, Canada and travel to the mountains west of Mexico City, which works out to somewhere around 3,000 miles. A butterfly, mind you. Miracle? (more…)
by Herb Exchange | Jun 21, 2019 | Miscellaneous, Herbs |
Ever since humans discovered the many, powerful uses of herbs and spices, they’ve been fascinated by their smells, their tastes and their medicinal purposes. What many people fail to realize, is that the simple herbs and spices that are growing in their gardens and sitting in their kitchen cabinets have had important roles in the history of human civilization. Before modern refrigeration, spices were one of the only ways that people could keep their food from spoiling or enhance its flavor.
Herbs were around before the advent of contemporary medicine, so mixing plant ingredients together in a homeopathic remedy was the only option for relief from some illnesses. From the opening up of the spice trade in Asia in the Middle Ages to the misdirected spice seeking voyage that led to America, spices and herbs have played a powerful part in our legacy as a people. Here are some of the most storied tales of the most popular herbs and spices used today. (more…)
by Herb Exchange | Jun 12, 2019 | Tuesday Tips, Recipes |
Congratulations on growing your own fresh herbs! As you’re harvesting your fresh herbs you may be wondering of different ways to use them. One of our very favorite culinary uses for fresh herbs is to create Herb-Infused Oils. It’s relatively easy to create your own oil that’s at least as good if not much better than the expensive stuff at high-end grocery stores or specialty food shoppes, and at a fraction of the cost.
Use these delicious herbed oils on almost anything:
- Marinades for meats, fish, and veggies
- Perfect as a salad dressing
- Drizzle over bread, risotto, pasta or any other grain dish
- Stir fry
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