Acidic Soil

Soil is acidic, neutral, or alkaline depending on its chemical composition. Acidic soil has a pH lower than 7.0 (neutral).Different plants need different soil. Modifying soil to make it more acidic or alkaline is a common practice when keeping plants....

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Acclimate

The process of adapting a plant to a different environment. This is usually a undertaken in slow stages. Seedlings are typically acclimated to outdoor environments by allowing them more and more time outdoors in gentle weather after having been germinated...

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How To Start a Vermicomposting Bin

You can make fertile, odorless compost, even if you live in an apartment. If you want to go green in your garden or with your houseplants, why not start a vermicomposting bin? Vermicomposting uses worms to convert newspaper and table scraps into some...

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Make Peppermint Ointment

The menthol in peppermint relieves aching muscles and joints. This peppermint ointment is easy to make. It has a milder and more refreshing aroma than over the counter mentholated products, but has the same benefits. If you haven't made a medicinal or...

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Make Dill Bread

An excellent choice with fish, egg dishes, or potato soup, this dill bread is light and fluffy. Use your bread maker for this one. I like to make dill bread when we have salmon steaks. It's also a hit with shrimp scampi. Another added bonus is that leftover...

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Dandelion Jelly

I am a lover of herb related rubs, blends, jellies, vinegars, an oils. I post quite a few myself, but found a beauty I wanted to share from the new about.com herb site.Amy Jeanroy has her site looking great, and has posted a wonderful recipe for dandelion...

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Lemon Balm Vinegar

This lemony vinegar makes a great light dressing for fruit salad as well as an interesting and unexpected addition to asparagus, broiled pork, and steamed carrots.Lemon Balm Vinegar Recipe1½ cups chopped lemon balm leaves3 cups white vinegar¼ cup sugar¼...

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Getting Ready for the Holiday

I'm going to do a little Sunday recap for all those folks out there who'll be cooking Thanksgiving dinner. I've been writing content for the food section of TLC.com, a Discovery Channel website. They have lots of interesting cooking related information.This...

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Comfrey in the Garden

As a medicinal herb, comfrey (Symphytum officinale) was so prized that it was called "knitbone" and "bruisewort" as a tribute to its miraculous healing powers.Although there are modern concerns about taking comfrey internally, it is still recommended...

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Ten Gardening Safety Tips

Spring herb gardening is in full swing, so I thought I'd throw up a few reminders for all of us:Bend from the knees, and don't pick up objects heavier than you can handle.Take a moment to put on your garden gloves. They protect more than your fingernails....

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Planting Tansy

Tansy is a hardy perennial with fernlike leaves. In the garden it does double duty as a nice fill in plant, and as a great insect repellent.Growing TansyPlant tansy in a spot that gets good morning sun and some afternoon shade. It prefers well-drained...

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Make a Five Star Herb Vinegar

If you want deluxe vinegar for your vinaigrette, marinades, sauces or stews, here is a wonderful addition to your cooking arsenal that will use some of your first fresh herb crop this spring. Remember to clean all the herbs well, and try to harvest them...

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