Fiddleheads are simply the furled fronds, or tender shoots, of a young fern in spring. As the fiddlehead unfurls, they become the ferns new frond, or leaf. Their name comes from their resemblance to the scroll head of a violin and can be found throughout most of the NE U.S. and all of Canada. And they are a wonderful plant for spring foraging. Continue Reading
Do you suffer from cold sores? If so, I highly recommend that you grow lemon balm, Melissa officinalis, in your herb garden. Also called Sweet Melissa, its oil has a strong antiviral effect on the herpes virus and can easily be made into a healing cold sore lip balm.
What this means is that if you apply this lip balm for cold sores topically, it can inhibit the virus directly and can help speed up the healing time (source).Continue Reading
Yes, gardening is definitely exercise and can help to keep us fit. But today I’m concentrating on getting fit before gardening season hits so that you can prevent injury and have more energy for all those spring tasks in the garden.Continue Reading
If you live in a northern climate like I do, you understand how excited we feel at the approach of spring. I’m no winter hater, but there’s nothing like spring to make me feel alive. There’s more sunlight, mild temperatures, it’s time to start indoor seeds, and many spring plants are popping up and ready to forage.
With spring foraging, I love that I can gather wild greens that most people consider weeds much earlier than they are ready in my lasagna garden. And by this time of year my body is really craving those fresh plants. Continue Reading
Whipped cream is the simplest of treats. All you need to make it yourself is heavy cream, and if desired, a sweetener.
And it’s hard to deny that whipped cream makes everything from hot chocolate to pie so much better!Continue Reading
A raised bed is simply a freestanding garden bed built on top of existing soil or grass and is used for no-dig gardening. It generally is framed in to keep the soil confined and can vary in size. A path is built alongside the garden bed; stepping into the bed is strongly discouraged to keep the soil from compacting. Continue Reading
