Grow some Herbs!

Have you ever grown herbs in your garden?   How about a pot or two on a windowsill in your home?    Many people have and are Happy Herb Growers … best part is … it’s relatively easy.   Growing herbs indoors in the winter takes a bit more of  your attention, but if you watch the progress on a daily basis, you will be successful.   A warm sunny windowsill is required or grow lights working 10-12 hrs. a day.    The air in the home is very dry so the soil will need watering almost on a daily basis if under grow lights.   At first the seedlings will grow slowly, but once established they will take off.   What better thrill when you are cooking dinner and you can turn to your herbs, snip off some basil, parsley or oregano to add to your meal and impress your guests with your cooking skills and also your gardening expertise!

I always include herbs in my gardening plans and this year is no exception.   I started several herbs back in November and they are at the “taking off” stage in their growth.   Here is my Dill …..

I love the taste and smell of Dill and I have found planting the seeds all together so the herb grows in a cluster works well since it can grow up to 4-5′ in height and this method supports each individual plant.   Dill requires full sun once planted out and once the days become extremely hot, it will bolt and go to seed.   The neat feature with Dill is that you can use the leaves, the flower head and the seeds in your food preparations.   Using the flower head along with other herbs and spices is recommended when canning up pickles.   Dill works great on seafood, in cheeses, breads and salads.

Drying dill for later use is an easy process.   Snip the amount of dill or other herb (basil, oregano, sage)  gather in a bunch and tie the stems.   Hang upside down in a cool, dark location and in a couple of weeks you have dried herbs.   Find a glass or plastic container for storage and use generously in your cooking adventures.   Experiment with different combinations in your garden and in your kitchen.   The fresh flavors that herbs offer can turn an ordinary meal into a work of art!

I am thinking of adding that bunch of dill to some grated ginger and lemon along with white wine vinegar and oil for a nice salad dressing….oh, and I can’t forget the garlic!   What do you think … time to grow some herbs in your garden or on that lonely windowsill??

My Gardening List for 2011

I finally started work on my Gardening List for the coming 2011 season.   Although I have notes and little reminders here and there, it’s time to pull it all together and get organized.

In previous years I have included my list on the above tab “Gardening” and will continue this year.   My biggest challenge when planning for the coming season is the fact that I am torn between two homes which are a travel distance of 5 hours apart.   I have learned over the past few years that you really have to be on location when gardening and if you are gone for several days in a row, you need to have someone look after all your plants.   This little tip hit hard last summer when I was gone for 2 weeks and the weather scorched out at 115 degrees and did a number on every little and big plant I had growing.   It was a painful experience and still very clear in my thoughts.   So as I look through my seeds, I have to first decide where I will be spending most of my time and if I do leave; will the plants survive.

The garlic was planted October, 2010 – 500 bulbs here up North and about 300 down South.   They are sleeping well underneath the huge layer of snow right now and will wake up as Spring approaches.   Mid-July I will be harvesting all the garlic and then it will cure (dry out) for about a month.   The 5 varieties growing this year are Chet’s Italian, Inchelium Red, Chrysalis Purple, Persian Star and Chesnok Red.

This year I intend to grow more Sunflowers.   They have always amazed me and I find them such a daunting yet graceful (in their own way) flower.   I have my seeds all ready and waiting the exciting season ahead … Chocolate Cherry Sunflower, Junior (good for containers), Cinnamon Sun, Autumn Beauty and I am trying the Edible Snack Seed Sunflower also.

I will be working on “the list” today and although I have my updated version posted, I still have to decide what to plant where and most importantly … Where am I going to be?

Will it be Munchie Monday or Menu Monday … that is the question!   The poll is still open for your vote !   Make sure to have your recipe ready for Monday … when the fun begins!!

Potted Herbs as Gifts

Earlier this week I talked about my herbs which I have growing indoors and they are doing Great!   I planted them back in November so give or take 3 months and you have a good crop to harvest for spicing up your meals!   Then I got to thinking about the upcoming holidays and since I am big on homemade gifts…I thought potted herbs are the perfect gift for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day or any Birthday!   I have recently acquired the Cricut cartridge “Freshly Picked” and haven’t had time to delve into what it can do.

What I really like about this cartridge is it’s all about Gardening…one of my favorite things in the world.   So today I took some time and made a few seed packets and little paper signs.   This is only a start … I can do so many creative things with this!

I had the herbs growing in the standard black plastic pots so I transplanted them into nicer terra-cotta pots.   You can decorate the pots any way you desire, any color and even personalize them with names, dates, etc.

Add a packet of those saved seeds you kept from your garden last year and you have a spectacular homemade gift!   You can even include some garden themed chocolates…..Yum!         Perfect!!

Starting Seeds Indoors …Free seeds

 There is nothing quite like the feeling that fills your every cell when you spot those first seeds starting to sprout.   The excitement just wants to burst from your insides as you stare in amazement at the little green stems pushing their way out from underneath the dark black soil.

The journey that lies ahead for these tiny sprouts of green is nothing short of a miracle.   From tiny seed to fresh juicy vegetables and colorful blooming flowers in a matter of months …… a lifetime for most garden plants. 

These are my pepper seedlings which I started back in December.   Rather early to start seeds indoors for the coming season, but I have found peppers grow at a slower rate than other plants.   This year I want to transplant some big ole pepper plants into the ground!   That way I will be able to harvest peppers earlier than in the past … which was late summer.   I may need to transplant these into bigger pots before they find their final home in the outdoor garden.   I have attempted to start tomatoes earlier and they tend to get leggy and unmanageable so it’s best to wait on them for a few more weeks.

Back in November I also started some herb seeds indoors and they are doing great!   I plan to harvest some this week.   I am fortunate to have a nice setup of wire shelving racks with grow lights that supply constant heat and light for my little growing garden.   I do water at least every other day since the air in the house is very dry.

Can you name the types of herbs in the three pictures above?   Three common every day herbs ….   During the winter months I go through my saved seeds every few weeks and decide if there’s something I can start planting.   Since I have accumulated quite a number of flower seeds this past season (I am obsessed with saving seeds), I decided to send some along to you!   So watch for next week’s Tuesday post and how you can receive your free seeds.   It will be easy so don’t worry.

I also like to send a Thank You to Renee’s Gardens for the recent Media Kit they sent along with a packet of  Mesclun seeds (which I might just start any day now).  Thank You!

Also take a look at P. Allen Smith’s plant suggestions.   If you are new to gardening or looking for Spring ideas, bookmark his site which is filled with helpful ideas.

Happy Gardening Thoughts!!

Monday is Food Day!

Good Monday Morning!   Let’s start the first week of the New Year with my Monday topic pick which is “Food”!   You would think I had enough food over the holidays, especially sweets, to tide me over for at least a month…but nooooo.   I was going to start with the healthy route since I am a huge fan of eating healthy except for the fact that I had these two recipes which I never “got to” over the holidays – so I baked them up yesterday.

Cranberry Orange Biscotti

Lemon Lavender Cookies

I have to mention once again Chef Paul over at The Pantry Blogger and the fantastic giveaway he held recently which I won!   I used several of the great goodies making the above cookies and I am now blessed to have a food grater that I can successfully use without grating my fingers!

My fingers will be forever grateful (nice play on words….I know, I know…corny!)  

Thank you and I look forward to many more of Chef Paul’s wonderful recipes in the coming year!

Over the holiday season I discovered The Spice House which is right in my own neck of the woods.   I was searching on the internet for orris root to use in the potpourri I am making and found them listed.    

I found the shop stocked with all types of herbs and spices, gift sets and even recipes – the above Lemon Lavender Cookies I picked up from them.   I received personal attention as each purchase I made was taken from the jar and bottled up for me.   I can’t wait to head on back there!

I can honestly say that since I have been baking with the fresh chicken eggs there is a definite difference in taste.   The chicks are still laying eggs even in this brutal cold weather but not as many as during the warmer months.  

I must also mention a spectacular email I received yesterday from Sea Willow Herbs informing me that I had won their giveaway!   Thank YOU Jennifer …… I await my gifts with much excitement!!   I am feeling quite fortunate and happy as I bring in the Year 2011 ….

Baby Herbs

A little over a month ago (November 9th) I planted herb seeds under grow lights looking forward to fresh herbs throughout the winter months.   They are doing well and are oh so Cute!   It’s funny …. as I take pictures of the little herbs I think how they are cute like puppies or little babies who eventually grow up!

Baby Basil

Baby Dill

Baby Cilantro

Baby Anise

Herbs or any seeds started indoors in the winter do grow somewhat slower and seem to be more ……what’s the word?       touchy or fragile    The atmosphere indoors can be dry and cold drafts are lurking around those hidden corners!   The trick is to be ever so watchful just like caring for a new puppy or your little baby (ok…. so the winter weather has gotten to me already!)

Aren’t they cute though??

Flaxseed in the Garden

Flaxseed seems so mysterious, right?   I seem to find myself drawn to unusual plants and the discovery of  how they grow;  luffa, ginseng, gourds, cotton, so flaxseed seemed to fit right in.   We have been purchasing flaxseed and adding it here and there to our recipes.   The cost is quite high but we figured our health is well worth it.   It lowers cholesterol and is a healthy addition to most any recipe; it does have a strong flavor though.   The flaxseed flower is small, purple in color and grows into swaying stems adding a beautiful scene for your garden landscape.   The flower then goes to seed at the end of the season and each seed head contains several seeds.   Harvesting the seed when they are dry is rather easy, but cleaning for the flaxseed is very, very time-consuming.

Would I recommend growing flaxseed in your garden?   Only if you are looking for an easy flower to add to your garden or if you have the proper cleaning equipment which is a huge investment then yes – Grow Flaxseed.   The seed can be ground up into powder which can be accomplished with a coffee grinder, but the time to get to this point is like I said … very time-consuming.  

I am always looking for the ultimate healthy (sweet) snack so I decided to create another cookie recipe using flaxseed and they are pretty Good!   I named them Oatmeal Apple Flaxseed Cookies and posted the recipe at Mixing Bowl in the new group Garden Dish I recently created.   As with all recipes, ingredients can be added or eliminated depending on your tastes.   I wanted to use the Sage I had just harvested also (another strong flavor) – surprisingly it’s flavor is somewhat faint….maybe more next time.

The batter was somewhat dry so I ended up adding 1 tablespoon of oil – that’s all it needed!

Oatmeal Apple Flaxseed Cookies

On my way to creating the Ultimate Healthy Sweet Snack!

I decided to start some herb seeds now under my grow lights.   I already miss my gardens and the snow hasn’t even started to fall yet!   I have a nice setup with lights to start seeds so I planted a few trays; mostly herbs with a few flower seeds.  

 

This past summer I ordered and planted Stevia seeds.   When I received the seeds there were very few in the package – about 5.   I thought this must be an expensive, unique plant so I saved seed from my own plants and this is one I just planted under the lights.

Stevia seed – I didn’t really do much with the stevia as far as cooking, but I made sure to taste the leaves and they taste just like sweet sugar!   I hope to create some healthy food this coming season – I already see there are a few cookbooks using Stevia out there!

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Lovely Lavender

My quest to grow lavender started about 3 years ago when we purchased our place down south.   I wanted to fill the acres of land with wonderful smelling lavender and create crafts and sell some great products.   Lavender comes in many varieties and has different purposes and some are better for dried arrangements or making oils or even for cooking.    It takes about 3 years to get a good harvest and I witnessed that this past year.    I planted many tiny seeds way back 3 years ago and after the transplant shock and the drastic heat experienced in the new land … the harvest this past spring  was actually very encouraging.

The majority of lavender I have growing is Lavender Vera while I also grew a few Grosso and Munstead.  

Lavender is very easy to dry and I have noticed the Grosso is more fragrant than the Vera when dried.   The Grosso grows taller and is typically easier to use in making lavender wands.  While the Vera can be started by seeds the Grosso cannot – it has to be started from clippings or bought as a plant already started.

Dried lavender and sweet william above – both can be used to create crafts; wreaths, flower arrangements and little bundles to decorate gifts.

I save many seeds and dry many herbs and usually I am very good about labeling everything I save.   I had some dried (what I thought was lavender) in the cabinet and had plans to add some to the Ricotta Cakes I wanted to try.  

When I opened the baggie, I realized the dried herb was anise hyssop not lavender.   I did use the anise hyssop and reminded myself to always label everything I save! 

Ricotta cakes with anise hyssop and chocolate chips

I created a Group on Mixing Bowl called GardenDish to share recipes that we create from our garden harvest.  If you have some good recipes, please do share!

Pressed Herbs and Flowers

Experimenting with my new Cricut has been fun and has stirred up all kinds of creative ideas!  I made these gift bags which I thought would be a bit bigger but I have to keep in mind the size of the machine.  I was envisioning the gift bags you pick up at the store but the ones I created are much smaller.  I can use them for candies or soaps but the best gift I thought to use them for would be seed packets…they are the perfect size!

I used pressed dried herbs and flowers along with paper cut designs to decorate the gift bags.  Dried sage is used as the stem and leaves in the design above.  Herbs are easy to dry either by hanging or press them flat in a heavy book as I did with these.

 Pressed basil, parsley, sage, flowers and leaves

I have realized that an area for laying out all my materials is crucial for the designing of projects. 

There seems to be an unlimited amount of projects and creations on the internet and I have only just begun to discover some of them.  A really clever idea that I did happen to find and can’t wait to use it in a design is using foil tape to cover cut out paper designs for an embossed look.

I think an embossed Running Garlic sign would be cool … oh, the possibilities are endless ………

Herb Show and Herb of the Year!

We visited the Midwestern Herb and Garden Show this past weekend and had the privilege of hearing Mel Bartholomew speak about his “All New Square Foot Gardening” method and book.  He is very knowledgeable and his mission is to end world hunger by teaching his square foot (meter) gardening techniques around the world.  I was surprised to learn that he also offers a course whereby you can become a certified teacher at one of the 3 day SFG Symposiums that are offered.  The next one being offered is in North Carolina and then one in Hawaii – you can read more about these on his website.  There is also an online course offered from the SFG University.   A young man named Josh was there to assist in the presentation and he is the youngest person to complete the course (he graduated 8th grade last year).  I was very happy and impressed to see a member of the younger generation with such interest in gardening.  There is also a cookbook published and Mel did mention that he will be writing his next book on Herbs!  He will be asking for the assistance of the Midwestern Herb group who hosted this event and mention them in the book  (I thought that was pretty cool)!

Speaking of herbs … I just recently started planting some herb seeds.  Since it is still too early to plant most of the vegetable seeds, I reason that I can get a good headstart with the herbs and even start using them for cooking.

 Dark Opal Basil

 Dill seedlings

This Rosemary and Stevia I did purchase at the show even though I have planted seeds of my own.  This is the first time with stevia and the seeds are very tiny and there were only a few in the packette so I thought I would purchase a plant already started.  Same for the rosemary – it can be fickle at times to start from seed.  Other herb seeds started are lemongrass, oregano, marjoram, lavender, winter savory, thyme, sage, anise, cumin and lemon balm. 

Each year the International Herb Association chooses the Herb of the Year and this year’s choice is Dill.  You can find information on their website and I also discovered this nice post along with some recipes by Jim Long on his blog.  He is author of 25 books on herbs, gardening and cooking.

Advice from “Great Garden Companions” by Sally Jean Cunningham states that “dill is a great companion for cabbage family crops, such as brussels sprouts.  The brussels sprouts support the floppy dill, while the dill pulls in the predatory wasps.”

“Planting squash with plant friends, like dill and nasturtiums, gives the squash a competitive edge against pests.  The nasturtiums help repel squash bugs and the dill attracts aphid predators.”

Also … I received word yesterday that my blog was added to About.com which is very exciting!  I submitted my information and if you have a gardening blog of your own you would like added there you can go to the above link and submit your information.