Mint is a favorite perennial herb of mine. I always have some growing in my garden. Currently I have spearmint, peppermint, and chocolate mint growing in my garden. I don’t think I could tell you which is my favorite! Let’s take a little time to do a deep dive on one of my favorite herbs....
Herb Gardening
If you visit a market, you’ll probably see tons of products labeled as ‘organic.’ Everything from pizzas to burritos to bread. But how does all that organic stuff in the grocery store relate to organic gardening?
Truthfully, it doesn’t really. All that stuff, even if it’s organic, is still processed and a far cry from an organic garden.
Organic gardening is a practice that seeks to work with mother nature instead of against her, cultivating a garden ecosystem that bolsters your plants and reduces pest issues naturally.
Organic gardens are nearly always without any kind of synthetic chemical use, be it pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or fertilizers. Organic gardeners use natural techniques to reduce common problems that gardens experience.
Organic gardeners often plant a diverse array of fruits, vegetables, and herbs. They also use natural solutions, like lady bugs and praying mantises, for getting rid of unwanted insect pests. The objective of a garden shouldn’t be to go scorched earth and destroy all pests, but to reduce their numbers enough that those beings can continue to survive and so can your garden. It’s the natural way to go about growing your own food.
The benefits of organic gardening speak for themselves. When you set up an organic garden, you do a lot of good for the environment and yourself. The fruits and vegetables you grow are healthier for the earth and for you too. And let’s face it, organic produce just seem to taste better than the conventionally grown stuff you find in the store!
Cilantro is something I have to grow in my garden every year, and I do it for free too. How? Because I harvest the seeds! Cilantro is one of those plants that are so easy to grow and propagate, I wonder why any gardener wouldn’t grow it. Plus, thrown into some fresh guacamole – you...
The blossoms of May Night Salvia are recognized for their vibrant color. They are also prized for attracting a variety of colorful fauna to the area. May Night Salvia is only one of many plants in the fascinating genus that has something unique to offer growers with a wide range of preferences. In 1997, it...
The Yarrow plant is also a fragrant herb with several medicinal benefits. Gordaldo, devil’s nettle, nosebleed plant, old man’s pepper, milfoil, sanguinary, thousand-leaf, soldier’s woundwort, and thousand-seal are some of the other popular names for this species. The flowering plant Achillea millefolium, also known as the common Yarrow, belongs to the Asteraceae family. It is...
Rosemary is a very easy plant to cultivate, and once established, this perennial herb will last for years. Rosemary is a beautiful shrub with needle-like leaves and bright blue blooms. Evergreen Rosemary blossoms bloom throughout the spring and summer, infusing the air with a pleasant pine scent and attracting numerous pollinators like bumblebees. Gardeners use...
Cats in the garden are never a good thing. They can damage plants and will gladly use your freshly tilled soil as a litterbox. This is why I almost never recommend planting catnip in your garden. Catnip is extremely attractive to cats. Catmint is as well, but less so. This herb is a beautiful plant...
Pineapple sage is perhaps one of the most fitting descriptions for a plant’s fragrance I’ve ever encountered. Gently rubbing the leaves of this plant produces that sweet, tangy citrus smell of pineapple with a hint of traditional sage aroma. It really is a plant out of this world, which is why I have five of...
Cuban oregano is one of my all time favorite plants because it’s so easy to grow and smells amazing. Cuban oregano, also known as Spanish thyme, Indian borage, and Mexican mint, isn’t actually a type of oregano but is a type of succulent. And like most succulents, they are drought resistant and hardy. Being related...
Fennel is one of my all time favorite herbs to grow. It’s a tall, sturdy, hardy herb similar to dill that adds a wonderful aroma to my garden and is good in several dishes that I frequently cook. I just like the plant too. The frond-like leaves swaying in the breeze on a warm summer...
I love growing unusual plants that you wouldn’t normally find. Some gardeners, such as myself, really want those unusual plants, flowers, vegetables, and herbs that make folks say ‘wow!’ Turmeric is one such plant. Knowing how to grow turmeric will give you a fresh source of the spice and dazzle folks who visit your home....