Thriftism

Thyme is a great herb to try if you're just starting out as it is easy to grow and is a perennial. If you let it flower, it will produce tiny white, pink, or purple flowers that add to the visual appeal of your garden, while not detracting too much from herb flavor. Plant up front as this is a short growing perennial.  Burning thyme can help reduce insects in house or yard.  Thyme has many medicinal uses. Thyme has been known as a natural antibiotic. Some use for gargling or tea to help treat cold sores, bad breath, allergies, and the common cold. It can be used external as a hot compress to help relief chest congestion, though I have not tried this myself. It has been said to help improve blood circulation as well as treating nail or foot fungus when used as a soak. Can be applied to cuts/scraps to help prevent infection or used in toothpaste. People have used for acne and rashes as well. Thyme may help relax tense muscles helping relieve headaches. Thyme oil can still be...

This lesser known veggie is in the cabbage family (Brassicaceae) and while looking somewhat alien, tastes great in a wide variety of dishes.  Planting For starters, you can plant seeds or transplant live plants. Kohlrabi is a full sun plant, but actually grows best through filtered sunlight (think through tree leaves or near taller plants). It also prefers lighter, well draining soils with a pH of 6.0-7.5, but can be grown in heavy clays or sands with adjusted watering. Seed Direct sow when soil becomes workable, in mid April or early May, spaced at 1" and cover with 1/4" soil. When seedlings emerge, thin to 4" spacing. Plant second crop in mid July following same planting procedures. If you choose to start indoors to speed summer production, plant 6 weeks before transplanting. Kohlrabi thrives in lower temps (60 -70 F). Harden off before transplanting outdoors.  Growing Mulching will help keep weeds to a minimum. Use a hose to remove ...

As with all vegetables, there will be the lovers, haters and the unaware. My family used to fall into the haters group - bitter, mushy asparagus, no thank you! In the recent years, we tried it again but from friends that had grown it in at home and cooked using different methods. Boy, did that make a difference. Fresh grown asparagus has a vibrant flavor and a light crunch when cooked correctly. So we decided to grow our own as well. Plus some say asparagus is a natural blemish remover (skincare) as well as a natural diuretic.  Planting For starters, you can plant seeds or bare roots . We chose to go the route of bare roots, but we'll also cover the basics of planting from seed. Begin by choosing a variety proven to thrive in your area. Check with nursery before purchasing. Different varieties will grow better in different zones and soils. Carefully choose your location, asparagus can thrive in one spot for over 20 years. Asparagus is a full sun plant, but ca...