Herb Gardening - Preserving Herbs by Freezing

Enjoy Fresh Herb Flavor All Year

By Marie Iannotti, About.com Guide

Many gardeners dry herbs from their herb garden, so that they'll be able to enjoy their fresh herbs for a few months longer. Drying herbs is an easy, efficient means to preserve fresh herbs, but herbs with a high water content seem to mold before they ever dry. To preserve herbs with a high water content, like basil, chives lemon balm, mint and tarragon, fresh freezing is a better option. The herbs will become limp in the process, but their flavor will be intact.

Frozen herbs will keep their flavor for several months. Unlike dried herbs, where the flavor gets more concentrated when drying, frozen herbs can be used in the same proportion as fresh herbs.

To Freeze Herbs:

Method 1:

1. Harvest the freshest, healthiest leaves.
2. Wash, if necessary, and pat dry with paper towels
3. Spread the individual leaves on a small tray or cookie sheet. Freezing the leaves flat and individually will prevent them from freezing together into a brick.
4. Cover and place the tray of leaves into the freezer
5. When frozen solid, place in airtight containers and return to the freezer. Once frozen individually, the leaves will not meld together.

Method 2:

1. Harvest the freshest, healthiest leaves
2. Wash, if necessary, and pat dry with paper towels
3. Stuff 2-3 individual leaves or a spoonful of chopped herbs in ice cube trays.
4. Fill the tray half way with water. Make sure the leaves are down into the water, as best you can. They will tend to float, but we'll fix that with the next step. Place the half filled tray in the freezer.
5. Once the ice cubes are pretty much frozen, finish filling the try with water. The leaves will no longer be able to float and should be completely surrounded with water. Now place the tray back into the freezer to freeze solid.
6. Once the ice cubes are frozen, remove from the tray and store in zip closure bags.
7. When ready to use, toss the whole ice cube into your favorite stew or dish.

Herb Gardening - Preserving Herbs by Freezing

Enjoy Fresh Herb Flavor All Year

By Marie Iannotti, About.com Guide

Many gardeners dry herbs from their herb garden, so that they'll be able to enjoy their fresh herbs for a few months longer. Drying herbs is an easy, efficient means to preserve fresh herbs, but herbs with a high water content seem to mold before they ever dry. To preserve herbs with a high water content, like basil, chives lemon balm, mint and tarragon, fresh freezing is a better option. The herbs will become limp in the process, but their flavor will be intact.

Frozen herbs will keep their flavor for several months. Unlike dried herbs, where the flavor gets more concentrated when drying, frozen herbs can be used in the same proportion as fresh herbs.

How to make your own homemade hair conditioner

Lemon Delight


¼ cup of plain yogurt (Here’s your chance to splurge. Bypass the nonfat yogurt) 1 egg yolk
2 pinches of lemon rinds

Mix up all the ingredients. Rub the mixture gently into your hair, starting at the scalp before washing your hair. The lemon rinds will help to bring out the shine, and the yolk and yogurt work really well together to add elasticity and moisture to your hair. You don’t have to wait very long before you shampoo this conditioner out. Just be sure to do a thorough job of massaging it into your hair. This conditioner is revitalizing and is a great treatment for you to give yourself on a sunny spring day!

Avocado Hair Spa

1 avocado
1 egg yolk

Mash up the avocado either using a blender or potato masher. Add the egg yolk and mix until the two ingredients are well combined. Gently apply the mixture to your hair, making sure to spread it evenly. When you are done applying it to your hair, sit back and relax for approximately 15-20 minutes. Then, rinse the mixture out with warm water and shampoo as usual. The natural oils of the avocado do a really nice job of moisturizing drab and dull hair. For an added treat, give yourself a mud mask while waiting for the conditioner to do its trick!

Tropical Dandruff Conditioner

3 tbsp pure lime juice
¼ cup coconut oil

This conditioner is an awesome for treating dandruff without making your hair feel too oily. Simply mix the two ingredients and massage into your scalp. Wait about 1 hour and then shampoo your hair with a gentle shampoo. While waiting for this treatment to work its magic, treat yourself to some tropical fruit, or maybe even splurge on a margarita or a pina colada for the ultimate tropical spa in your own home!

Bananas and Honey

1 banana
½ cup of honey

Puree the banana in a blender, or mash it up really well. Mix it with the honey until the mixture is well combined. Try as you may, but you know you’re going to taste this one! Go ahead! Shampoo your hair first. Apply the mixture to your wet hair. Leave it on your hair for about 40 minutes before rinsing it again.

Finally, there are a few incredibly useful ‘one ingredient’ recipes that can condition your hair nicely. Plain white vinegar works really well as a clarifying rinse. If you have an itchy scalp, you can try massaging a little peanut oil on your scalp before shampooing. Have fun exploring your kitchen, and don’t be afraid to freely swing those deliciously shiny locks when showing off to your friends!

How to make your own homemade hair conditioner

Lemon Delight

How to make your own shampoo

Photo Credit: Svetlana Larina

By Susan Pitman
Before you start, there are a few things to know about homemade shampoos. Since you will not be adding any sudsing agents, they will not lather up as much as a commercial shampoo. Commercial shampoos contain both sudsing agents and substances to break down the suds. Your homemade shampoo may not be as thick as a commercial shampoo. However, it will clean just as well and very likely be much less expensive.

A simple castile shampoo is made with 4 ounces castile soap flakes and one quart water. Bring the water to a boil. Turn off the heat and pour water over the soap flakes. Stir until the soap flakes dissolve. Once the mixture has cooled, store it in a plastic bottle.





You may vary this recipe by adding essential oils to the shampoo. Lavender is very calming and makes a good addition to the shampoo. Peppermint and citrus are invigorating. Experiment with different oils to find the ones you like best. If you wish to add essential oils to your shampoo, mix 4 to 8 drops of the oil in a teaspoon of rubbing alcohol. Stir it into the soap mixture just after all the soap has dissolved.

You may also use this recipe to make an herbal shampoo. Instead of plain water, make an herbal infusion. Use one-half ounce of dried herbs for each quart of hot water. Let the herbs steep for at least 20 minutes. Reheat the infusion if necessary, pour the hot infusion over the soap flakes, and stir well. Rosemary is good for dark hair, while chamomile is a good herb to use for light hair. If you have hair that is too oily or too dry, make an infusion of burdock root, comfrey leaves, nettles, and rosemary leaves. This will help restore the natural balance of the hair.

A good shampoo to use for very dry hair is made of 1 cup of the basic shampoo recipe mixed with one-quarter cup olive, avocado, or almond oil. This helps eliminate the extra dryness caused by the chlorine from a pool or from exposing your hair to too much sun.

You can also make a dry shampoo. This is good to use when camping, when you are sick, or in the winter if you do not wish to get your hair wet. Mix 1 tablespoon cornmeal, 1 tablespoon powdered Orris root, and 1 tablespoon finely ground almonds. To use this shampoo, brush your hair very well, from the scalp down to the very tips of your hair. Rub the mixture into your scalp. Brush your hair very well again. Do not be concerned if some of the particles are left in your hair. They will easily wash out when you wash your hair with a regular shampoo. This shampoo is also very good for extremely oily hair.

To buy all your ingredients go to 

To find what you need to make this recipe or any others just add to search box what it is you are looking for.

How to make your own shampoo

Photo Credit: Svetlana Larina

By Susan Pitman
Before you start, there are a few things to know about homemade shampoos. Since you will not be adding any sudsing agents, they will not lather up as much as a commercial shampoo. Commercial shampoos contain both sudsing agents and substances to break down the suds. Your homemade shampoo may not be as thick as a commercial shampoo. However, it will clean just as well and very likely be much less expensive.

A simple castile shampoo is made with 4 ounces castile soap flakes and one quart water. Bring the water to a boil. Turn off the heat and pour water over the soap flakes. Stir until the soap flakes dissolve. Once the mixture has cooled, store it in a plastic bottle.

No cook tomatoe sauce

• 1 pound tomatoes, chopped
• 1⁄2 cup chopped red onion
• 1⁄2 cup pitted and quartered brined olives, such as kalamata
• 1⁄4 cup finely chopped sweet marjoram leaves
• 1⁄2 cup finely chopped Italian parsley sprigs
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt to taste
1. In a mixing bowl, combine tomatoes (and their juice and seeds), onion, olives, marjoram, parsley, vinegar, pepper and oil. Cover and allow to rest at room temperature for up to 2 hours. Add salt to taste. (Note: Can be made up to 1 day ahead; remove from refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.)
2. Serve with bruschetta or toss with hot cooked pasta.
Bruschetta
To make bruschetta, slice a loaf of French bread diagonally into 1⁄2-inch slices, discarding ends. Brush lightly with olive oil. Bake at 375 degrees for 5 to 6 minutes or until lightly browned.

No cook tomatoe sauce

• 1 pound tomatoes, chopped
• 1⁄2 cup chopped red onion
• 1⁄2 cup pitted and quartered brined olives, such as kalamata
• 1⁄4 cup finely chopped sweet marjoram leaves
• 1⁄2 cup finely chopped Italian parsley sprigs
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt to taste
1. In a mixing bowl, combine tomatoes (and their juice and seeds), onion, olives, marjoram, parsley, vinegar, pepper and oil. Cover and allow to rest at room temperature for up to 2 hours. Add salt to taste. (Note: Can be made up to 1 day ahead; remove from refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.)
2. Serve with bruschetta or toss with hot cooked pasta.
Bruschetta
To make bruschetta, slice a loaf of French bread diagonally into 1⁄2-inch slices, discarding ends. Brush lightly with olive oil. Bake at 375 degrees for 5 to 6 minutes or until lightly browned.

Different Types of Ferns

Different Types of Ferns
ds_matthew9522 Contributor
By Mark Orwell, eHow Contributing Writer

Ferns are low-lying shrug plants that are often added to yards and gardens for aesthetic purposes. There are over 20,000 species of ferns that grow in various regions of the world. In fact, the only parts of the world that don't grow ferns are the arctic regions. Even deserts have species of ferns that are designed to grow in dry, arid climates. The following are just a few of the types of ferns you may encounter.

Lady Fern

1. Lady ferns have been a popular house fern since Victorian times. They have green, perennial leaves, and are found in deciduous forests in North America and Eurasia.




Sensitive Fern

2. Sensitive ferns are medium to large-sized, and found in wet marshlands and humid forests; it got its name from being very sensitive to frost.






Cinnamon Fern

3. These ferns are noted for their cinnamon-colored fiddleheads that grow out of the center of the plant. They are eaten by both hummingbirds and the rough grouse.






Bracken Fern

4. Bracken ferns are large and found all over the world, except in Antarctica. They are considered problematic by some for their tendency to obscure and damage archaeological sites.




Staghorn Fern

5. Staghorn ferns are found in tropical jungle climates in Asia and South America. They are often found growing high up in trees.

Different Types of Ferns

Different Types of Ferns
ds_matthew9522 Contributor
By Mark Orwell, eHow Contributing Writer

Ferns are low-lying shrug plants that are often added to yards and gardens for aesthetic purposes. There are over 20,000 species of ferns that grow in various regions of the world. In fact, the only parts of the world that don't grow ferns are the arctic regions. Even deserts have species of ferns that are designed to grow in dry, arid climates. The following are just a few of the types of ferns you may encounter.

Lady Fern

1. Lady ferns have been a popular house fern since Victorian times. They have green, perennial leaves, and are found in deciduous forests in North America and Eurasia.

Raised Garden Beds NO DIGGING !!!

 I have taken this article from No Dig Vegetable Garden website here is the link for more projects .

http://www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.com/index.html

Of course this can also be used for Flowers or mix them together.

 I like to do add flowers with the vegetables some flowers are good to detract insects also.

A raised vegetable garden is loved by gardeners' backs, because there is less stooping and digging.

I know what way works for me, and I can tell you it's more than one way! I successfully tried:

• Layers of old natural carpet instead of paper or cardboard.
• Mushy kitchen scraps slopped straight onto tangled weeds and grass, sprinkle of lime, wet newspapers, topped with piles of fallen leaves and grass clippings... then planted seedlings in with small handfuls of soil or compost.
• Bulldozed pile of cleared backyard mess (just moved there) with mostly branches, giant weeds, even old washing machine parts, and the odd cannabis plant... planted zucchini and pumpkin plants each in a good dollop of compost in the pile... and watched as the pile shrunk and the zucchini and pumpkins took off!

And so on... the point being, is that there are hundreds of ways to make a raised vegetable garden, and there's no digging involved and they are built up from the ground, sometimes in boxes, tires, crates, or just natural mounds.
Improve garden production with raised bed garden kits.
Here's some links to tell you more about the finer points of:
No Till Gardening
Lasagna Gardening
Straw Bale Gardening
Sq ft Gardening


And thanks to Les Boucher from Australia, who has provided the following photos of building a raised vegetable garden (See Les' comments below):

Step 1. Lay out your garden area. Leave the grass it will die, or cut it if you wish. The garden beds can be any height. I've previously built ones for community groups of about 1m (3ft) high to allow for wheelchair access. It's a matter of layering to get things to the height you want.

Step 2. Lay out old cardboard. Try your local supermarket for this... recycling again...love it...

Step 3. Wet your newspaper before you spread it out — it will stick together when you overlap it.

Step 4. Spread WET newspaper OVER cardboard making sure that it overlaps by about a quarter to one third of its size. By doing it this way you are cutting out the sunlight and the grass will die and it, as well as the cardboard and paper, will all rot back and feed Mother Earth.

Step 5. Next comes a layer of Lucerne Hay (more food as it breaks down).

Step 6. A thin layer of Manure (in this case "Moo Poo") is then laid out...

Step 7. Finally this is all covered with a layer of straw (I use Pea Straw as it adds more nutrient as it breaks down) and it also works as a mulch for your plants keeping them warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Step 8. From here it is just a matter of making a small hole in the top layer of straw and adding a handful of potting mix or compost and planting into it. You can see the results of this one that I prepared earlier.

I hope that this inspires you to build your own raised vegetable garden and to get out into your yard and smell the
roses (or cabbages).

Here's Les, and his comments:
"Since building these garden beds, I have gone on to share this idea with others, including building eight beds 4m x 2m (13ft x 6½ft) for a men's shed complex near where I live. These are about 1m (3ft) high to allow access by wheelchair bound people as well as those able bodied people who have bad backs." Les Boucher

Raised Garden Beds NO DIGGING !!!

 I have taken this article from No Dig Vegetable Garden website here is the link for more projects .

http://www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.com/index.html

Of course this can also be used for Flowers or mix them together.

 I like to do add flowers with the vegetables some flowers are good to detract insects also.

Fiddleheads

Just bought some fiddleheads I'm anxious to try them  tomorrow , Here is an old post I have on them How to cook and a few recipes
Would love to hear how you liked them or if you have a good recipe for them.
Debbie.
http://debbie-deevajay-essentials.blogspot.com/2010/04/fiddleheads-are-oyster-ferns.html

Fiddleheads

Just bought some fiddleheads I'm anxious to try them  tomorrow , Here is an old post I have on them How to cook and a few recipes
Would love to hear how you liked them or if you have a good recipe for them.
Debbie.
http://debbie-deevajay-essentials.blogspot.com/2010/04/fiddleheads-are-oyster-ferns.html

Bringing Back an old Post ! How to Grow Lavender from Seeds?

Jan 4, 2010

How to Grow Lavender from Seeds?

Though growing lavender from seeds is inexpensive than that of purchasing stem cuttings, you need to take extra care for maximum germination of the seeds. In case, you are planning to grow lavender for the first time by sowing seeds, then consider using higher amounts of seeds. In such a case, if there is less germination, you can have sufficient seedlings for covering the entire plantation area, as per your plan. Following are some useful tips for growing lavender from seeds:

Growing Lavender

Select the Variety: For growing lavender from seed, choosing the right variety is the most crucial step. Select the best cultivar that thrives well in the soil type and prevailing climatic conditions of your area. Also, make sure to opt for disease and pest resistant varieties. In case, you are confused in choosing a hardy lavender variety, consult your local horticulturist.


Soil Preparation: Lavender herb grows well in well-drained, slightly alkaline, sandy soil. A sandy soil type is important for proper drainage and maximum growth of the roots. So, make sure you mix the soil with sand before sowing lavender seeds. Also, check the soil pH and if necessary, supplement it with appropriate additives to make it alkaline. For poor soil, you can add farmyard compost and/or all purpose organic fertilizer to start a lavender garden.


Sowing Lavender Seeds: As soon as spring arrives, you can sow lavender seeds, preferably in seed trays and/or shallow drills. Regularly moisten the soil to promote lavender seed germination. But, do not make the soil damp and wet, as it can cause rotting of the seeds before germination. Transplant the seedlings in pots or garden soils, as soon as you notice development of true leaves.


Growing Conditions: Considering the basic growing conditions of lavender, it is clearly understandable that you need to plant them in bright sunny areas. Excess humidity can promote disease infestation and damage of lavender plants. Water the plant, only when the soil is dry. Fertilization is not necessary for lavender plants. You can add a layer of mulch to reduce evaporation of soil moisture and control weed growth.

Bringing Back an old Post ! How to Grow Lavender from Seeds?

Jan 4, 2010

How to Grow Lavender from Seeds?

Though growing lavender from seeds is inexpensive than that of purchasing stem cuttings, you need to take extra care for maximum germination of the seeds. In case, you are planning to grow lavender for the first time by sowing seeds, then consider using higher amounts of seeds. In such a case, if there is less germination, you can have sufficient seedlings for covering the entire plantation area, as per your plan. Following are some useful tips for growing lavender from seeds:

Growing Lavender

Select the Variety: For growing lavender from seed, choosing the right variety is the most crucial step. Select the best cultivar that thrives well in the soil type and prevailing climatic conditions of your area. Also, make sure to opt for disease and pest resistant varieties. In case, you are confused in choosing a hardy lavender variety, consult your local horticulturist.


Soil Preparation: Lavender herb grows well in well-drained, slightly alkaline, sandy soil. A sandy soil type is important for proper drainage and maximum growth of the roots. So, make sure you mix the soil with sand before sowing lavender seeds. Also, check the soil pH and if necessary, supplement it with appropriate additives to make it alkaline. For poor soil, you can add farmyard compost and/or all purpose organic fertilizer to start a lavender garden.


Sowing Lavender Seeds: As soon as spring arrives, you can sow lavender seeds, preferably in seed trays and/or shallow drills. Regularly moisten the soil to promote lavender seed germination. But, do not make the soil damp and wet, as it can cause rotting of the seeds before germination. Transplant the seedlings in pots or garden soils, as soon as you notice development of true leaves.


Growing Conditions: Considering the basic growing conditions of lavender, it is clearly understandable that you need to plant them in bright sunny areas. Excess humidity can promote disease infestation and damage of lavender plants. Water the plant, only when the soil is dry. Fertilization is not necessary for lavender plants. You can add a layer of mulch to reduce evaporation of soil moisture and control weed growth.

Bringing Back an old Post ! How to Grow Lavender from Seeds?

Jan 4, 2010

How to Grow Lavender from Seeds?

Though growing lavender from seeds is inexpensive than that of purchasing stem cuttings, you need to take extra care for maximum germination of the seeds. In case, you are planning to grow lavender for the first time by sowing seeds, then consider using higher amounts of seeds. In such a case, if there is less germination, you can have sufficient seedlings for covering the entire plantation area, as per your plan. Following are some useful tips for growing lavender from seeds:

Just a few of my Backyard Friends