by Herb Exchange | Jul 13, 2016 | Gardening, A Year in the Life.., Flowers |
With over 35 years of growing plants under our belts, we began to focus on herbs in 2008. We’d always loved growing them, but honestly, the demands for perennials and annuals in our local market meant that herbs only accounted for about 20% of the plants we grew. Once we hopped onto the world wide web, and were able to really use data to research what people wanted to grow, but couldn’t get locally, herbs became our focus. For the past 8+ years, we had added more and more herbs to our lineup. Now, we are offering over 160 different types of herbs for you, our customers!
But, since we are growers and addicted to growing a variety of plants, we’ve been ‘toying’ with the idea of introducing a closely related group of plants. Of course, you don’t need to have a garden to grow plants. You can start with growing your plants in a container and transitioning, or just have house plants instead. You can even check out a website similar to gardenersdream.co.uk to get more information if this is something you’re interested in doing. Just remember that there are many different ways to achieve your garden dream, so, drum roll, please… (more…)
by Briscoe White | Jun 11, 2016 | Flowers, Gardening, Herbs, Inspiration, Life on the Farm |
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…)
by Herb Exchange | May 10, 2016 | DIY Gardening |
For most of us, spring is still just a distant dream on the horizon, while snow blankets the ground and frost sparkles on every surface of our garden. Although the wintry outdoors can be beautiful, the avid gardener often wishes spring would come early, itching to get out and begin the projects he or she has been planning since fall. These projects don’t have to just include planting; it’s is all about making your garden look aesthetic and turning it into a cozy outdoor living space to enjoy in the sun. Perhaps you want to implement some decking in your garden to increase your houses’ market value, or simply because you’re planning some outdoor parties in the summer and a deck would be a good asset. If you’re looking for some decking boards, https://www.dinodecking.co.uk/category/composite-decking-boards/ has plenty of choices.
The good news is that it’s never too early to start on next season’s gardening plans. Many of us have greenhouses or indoor gardens, where we’re already coaxing the earliest seedlings into life with the help of some vitamax plus. Now is the perfect time to start organizing and working on a variety of gardening projects that don’t require warm weather to enjoy. You might also want to have somewhere to store, your stool when you’re finished. Luckily there are a ton of reviews out there similar to these keter store it out max customer reviews that might help you find the perfect storage shed. Here is a sampling of some of our favorites, which are sure to get you in the mood for the warmth and color of spring!
Creating Works of Art From Old Pots
Old pottery lends a charming and rustic appeal to any outdoor setting, and can even turn into the focal point of an inviting patio. Flower pots of all shapes and sizes can be found at yard sales and thrift stores for a bargain. It doesn’t even matter if the pot is cracked, discolored, or unattractive at first glance. With a few different shades of bright paint (meant for withstanding the outdoors), you can give new life to any number of old pots. Have fun experimenting with primary colors, patterns, and crackle paint. A quick internet search can give you dozens of ideas for pretty pots for your spring flowers. (more…)
by Herb Exchange | Mar 25, 2016 | Basics, DIY Gardening, Gardening |
A garden filled with herbs is beautiful, fragrant and useful. Herbs can be utilized in preparing delicious meals, creating relaxing spa treatments and treating a variety of ailments. Some repel mosquitoes and flies while others protect vegetables from ruinous pests. With the proper preparation an herb garden can thrive in any climate. (more…)
by Herb Exchange | Mar 12, 2016 | Basics, Flowers, Gardening |
Gardeners are creatures of habit, it is only the changing seasons that give our garden activities variety. And like all creatures of habit, we collect favorite tools, seeds, and even favorite methods and motions as we happily plod through garden chores. To the casual observer, we may not appear locked into our set ways. But there is one favorite that always gives us away, our favorite plants! Using our Charming Bench Company products, we love to sit and watch our favorite plants and flowers blossom, creating a beautiful and tranquil outdoor space. I must add, different furniture styles pair well with different types of plants. Wooden furniture pairs well with light-colored plants and shrubs and dark pieces of furniture work well with boldly colored plants as there is a significant contrast between the plants and furniture, making the plant’s beauty stand out.
There is those few plants a gardener plants year after year. One of those plants, for me, are my most cherished moonflower vines. For moonflowers to grace my patio rail in summer, the young plants must first scale a four feet high brick wall to reach the railing. They cannot do this alone, and this wall must be crossed and covered will foliage before the summer sun makes the bricks too hot for vines and leaves. For moonflowers to grace the patio rail in summer, the planting should be soon after night temperatures are over fifty degrees. Ipomea alba is a tropical plant and cool nights will stunt or kill young moonflower plants. (more…)
by Herb Exchange | Feb 18, 2016 | Basics, DIY Gardening, Gardening |
Herb gardens are generally defined by the plants that are grown in them, so once you decide on the purpose of your garden, the next steps should flow fairly easily. After 30+ years of growing and selling herbs, we know that the majority of our customers are using their herbs in the kitchen, so we will start there!
Your Herb Garden Placement
The first step is deciding where to put your garden. The one rule of thumb that we always abide by: put your garden in easy reach of your kitchen. You are less likely to add that tablespoon of fresh marjoram if you have to trudge across the yard to the garden that you’ve tucked out of sight, behind the garage. Make use of the space right outside of your kitchen door; it should be as easy for the cook to head out of that door as to head into the pantry for the dried version of your herb. You don’t need a lot of space, and if you are really limited, then grow these culinary herbs in pots. A nice variety of culinary herbs can be grown in a 6’ x 6’ plot, although if you’ve got the space, go bigger and add some variety with annual flowers and veggies to make a real statement! In addition to location, you need to make sure that your garden will get enough sunshine as herbs need at least 6 hours of sunlight a day. Good draining soil is crucial, as well as healthy soil. And make sure that you have easy access to water. With the location sorted. During the winter months, the herbs won’t grow in very cold temperatures so it’s wise to store them in a safe and dry space. (more…)
