Do you like lavender? I know I sure do. I love the aroma, I love how it looks, and I even bake with the stuff. You might say I’m infatuated with it! Compared to most other herbs that you might grow in your garden or containers, lavender can be highly productive when conditions are right. … Read more
The beautiful and useful North American wildflower Monarda (Bee Balm) is the perfect addition to any homesteader’s garden. With its daisy-like shape and vibrant colors, and its utility as an herb, this terrific plant is great complement to any herb garden or foundation planting. Bee balm is resilient and beautiful, making it a favorite for … Read more
The blooms of the Echinacea Purpurea, also known as the coneflower, are resistant to drought and attract songbirds, butterflies, and winged insects; their daisy-like look appeals to a range of pollinators. Hummingbirds are attracted to its rich nectar, and finches eat and scatter the seeds. Native to central and south-eastern US, this perennial blooms from … Read more
Think of long lazy days in the South of France, and you will be in the lavender fields of Provence. Stretching as far as the eye can see, these blue purple blooms fill the air with their sweet fragrant scent. This eternal symbol of Provence grows with the dazzling Mediterranean Sea as its backdrop. Fortunately, … Read more
What if you could grow a garden that was not only beautiful – but edible, too? One of my major gardening goals for this year was to reduce as many of my “non-purposeful” gardening tasks as possible. Last year, I found myself doing a lot of weeding, mowing, and watering for areas that weren’t really … Read more
Daisies have always been my favorite flower, but filling a cool vintage milk pitcher I scored at a yard sale for $1 was not my objective as I trudged through a way too muddy hayfield recently. Daisies are far more than just a pretty weed, they boast a host of medicinal benefits and have been … Read more
Calendula is a very undemanding plant. In exchange for almost no work from you, it produces beautiful, vivid flowers. Besides being beautiful, the flowers have documented medicinal properties. Calendula is a common ingredient in a wide range of skin care products due to its healing power. Calendula is associated with sunshine because the flowers look … Read more