gardenchick's blog
33 weeks 5 days ago
I planted my apothocary garden, and Michele at Possum Creek Herbs gave me a horehound plant for free. I have heard of horehound cough drops, but was not very familiar with the plant. It grows quite large (up to 2 feet tall) and is not the prettiest of plants so it was planted at the back of the garden. Horehound is easy to grow, and will tolerate poor soil conditions, heat, and drought. (Sounds perfect for the weather we are experiencing in the south). The only thing it cannot tolerate is wet and heavy soil.
The horehound plant's leaves are soft and wooly and will bloom small white flowers...
34 weeks 6 days ago
Most of us are out in our yards and gardens, busy with weeding, watering, and bringing in the "fruits of our labor." I guess my house has suffered a little (a lot). Working full time, helping my mother, granddaughters, and trying to run my Gardenchick business, little time has been left over for the dust bunnies, cobwebs, and kitchen sink. I remember my grandmother would be out in her yard, pulling weeds and gardening, while dishes were piled in the kitchen sink. Now I know why. Weeds and dishes, they are always there, so why bother? But at some point, either embarrassment, or the...
37 weeks 6 days ago
There are so many essential oils available, that I will never be able to sample them all. Some I use for their medicinal quality, others simply for their fragrance. I tend to lean toward the sweet smelling floral ones; such as jasmine, neroli,or ylang-ylang. Vanilla is another scent I love. Others such as patchouli are a little too "earthy" for me. I use lavender a lot in my bath salts, linen sprays, monster spray and dream pillows because of its calming and sedative properties. But I admit, its fragrance is a little too medicinal for me, and I often pair it with vanilla,...
38 weeks 3 days ago
It's official! The summer solstice occurred yesterday, marking the first day of Summer. Like most of you, I didn't need a calender to tell me that. Did I miss spring? Sweltering temperatures in the 90's with a heat index in the 100's have lingered here for the last week or so. We were out in the garden early yesterday morning to weed and water, and by 9:00 a.m. the heat was oppressive.
Sol + stice is derived from a combination of Latin words which mean "sun" and "to stand still." In the Summer Solstice, the sun reaches its highest peak in the sky, resulting in the...
45 weeks 4 days ago
The current garden project I am working on is an apothecary garden. I want to make more tinctures, oils and salves for myself and for my business , so I have plans to fill it with a number of healing herbs. Like any herb garden it will need to be planted in full sun, and drain well. Any of the mints may need to be contained. Yarrow, and St. John's Wort can be invasive, so I haven't decided if I want to plant in one big bed, or use raised beds and containers.
Some plants I am considering include:
Calendula (calendula officinalis)
St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum)...
47 weeks 11 hours ago
We started off with three blueberry bushes in our garden a few years ago. We are down to one. One succumbed to the Barbie Jeep, and I have no idea where the other one disappeared to, so blueberry bushes are on my list of purchases when I visit the Chattanooga Market next Sunday.
Most blueberries need a different variety near them to encourage a lot of fruit. The one bush left standing bears very good and is a "rabbiteye" variety, which grows well in the south, and is a more compact variety. We will need to look for a different variety which is for our Zone 7.
Be sure and choose the...
47 weeks 4 days ago
My first earth day celebration was in 1986 when my oldest son Josh was in the first grade. His school hosted many activities including beginning to recycle at his school. This project was sponsored by a number of "room mothers", including myself, and approved by the principle.
Today, 23 years later, I am enjoying introducing my granddaughters( 5 and 3) to gardening and a love of the outdoors. One minute they are playing with their dolls, dressing in high heels and make-up, the next catching minnows in a little branch running down our property, and digging for worms. You can see my...
48 weeks 4 days ago
What was once old is now made new
I have said a number of times my love of gardening was handed down by my grandmother and father. I vividly remember when I was young, my grandmother waiting until just the right time to plant,according to the moons phase, and the signs of the zodiac. Was it a new moon? This was the best time to plant above ground annual crops. After the full moon? In go the root crops such as onions and potatoes. My Dad often consulted the Farmers Almanac to see when to plant.
The resurgence of organic and natural gardening has reignited a growing interest in lunar...
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Wife, mother and grandmother who enjoys gardening,and whose goal...
gardenchick
October 28, 2008
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