Quick Summary: A guide to creating flavorful herbal tea blends using a formula of a simple base + star ingredient + accent ingredient. Includes 9 tested blend recipes with food pairing suggestions, plus lists of herbs organized by flavor profile (citrus, mint, floral, warming). No special equipment needed; just glass jars, a tea strainer, and …
Quick Summary: These ten herbs are easy to grow in containers or garden beds and produce flavorful homemade herbal blends for tea. Chamomile, mint, lavender, lemon balm, and rosemary are beginner-friendly options that thrive with minimal care. Growing your own herbs means fresher tea with better flavor and more health benefits than store-bought blends. Includes …
Eggplant is one of the most beautiful vegetables you can grow. It has broad leaves, lavender flowers, and glossy fruit in colors from deep purple to white to striped. I grow several heirloom varieties at HeathGlen Organic Farm in Minnesota, including Rosa Bianca and Japanese White Egg. If you want anything beyond the standard Black …
These are the top 5 seed catalogs for heirloom tomatoes based on selections for flavor, growth habits and cost
Quick Summary: Quick Summary: A French tian is ratatouille’s elegant cousin: thinly sliced eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, and tomatoes arranged vertically in a robust tomato-pepper sauce. This dish showcases late summer vegetables at their peak. Prep: 30 min | Cook: 1 hr 15 min | Serves: 4 Jump to: RECIPE | What is a Tian? …
Guide for the beginner on growing strawberries at home, whether in a container, raised bed, or in the garden
Quick Summary: LED shop lights cost more upfront but last longer and produce faster seedling growth than fluorescents. For starting tomatoes and peppers indoors, 5000-lumen daylight LEDs positioned about 4 inches above seedlings for 14 to 16 hours daily works well. Read time: 8 min | Experience level: Beginner to intermediate Jump to: LED vs …
Quick Summary: Six themed herb garden combinations for containers: Mediterranean cooking, Mexican cooking, seafood dishes, craft cocktails, herbal teas, and fresh salads. Each grouping considers which herbs grow well together and which culinary uses they serve. Works for balconies, patios, or decks. At HeathGlen Organic Farm, I grow herbs both in the ground and in …
Quick Summary: Group container herbs by growing conditions for success. Sun-loving herbs: basil, rosemary, sage, oregano, thyme, lavender. Shade-tolerant: parsley, cilantro, mint, chives. Moisture-loving: basil, mint, cilantro, parsley, chives. Drought-tolerant: rosemary, sage, thyme, lavender. Combine by cuisine theme: Mediterranean (rosemary, basil, oregano, thyme), Mexican (cilantro, oregano, chile peppers), tea garden (mint, chamomile, lemon balm, lavender). …
Quick Summary: Match tomato varieties to their best use. Slicers (Brandywine, Mortgage Lifter, Carmello) for sandwiches and fresh eating. Paste types (Opalka, San Marzano, Amish Paste) for sauces. Colorful varieties (Carbon, Cherokee Purple, Green Zebra) for salads. Cherry tomatoes (Sungold, Sweet 100, Matt’s Wild Cherry) for snacking. Read time: 8 min | Experience level: Beginner …
Enhance your Hygge lifestyle and learn to make a Golden Milk Latte (aka Turmeric Tea)
Tips for potting up tomato seedlings to ensure healthy and robust tomatoes and peppers throughout the growing season
Growing tomatoes in pots can be tricky. Here are some tips to help make your container gardening of tomatoes more successful
Detailed tips on how to achieve successful tomato & pepper seed germination, especially with heirloom tomatoes
To prune or not to prune – this is an important question to ask in late fall as we prepare our gardens for winter. Jump to: Pruning Perennials | Pruning Woody Plants | Timing Cutting Back Perennials I don’t think of cutting back perennials as pruning, but whatever you call it, Fall is a good …