Growing
Scented Geranium Plants: Fragrant Herbs Indoors or Out
My love affair with scented geranium plants started decades ago. The proprietors of my husband’s restaurant cultivated an herb garden on the premises.
Read More
How to Take Care of a Poinsettia Plant for Years of Blooming
The poinsettia plant has come to represent the holiday season in much of the world. Knowing how to take care of a poinsettia plant can mean years of growth and blooming.
Read More
How to Grow a Christmas Cactus for Generations of Blooms
Like my grandmother, I have a hard time keeping any houseplant alive. She did know how to grow a Christmas cactus though.
Read More
Growing Hemp on the Homestead
Recent interest in growing hemp as an agricultural crop isn’t as recent as you might think. Hemp is an ancient plant. Evidence points to the plant’s use 10,000 years ago where it has been used for centuries as a form of textile fiber.
Read More
Winter Cover Crops And Green Manure Strategies
Cover crop strategies refer to cover crops scheduled into a crop rotation plan. Organic farming relies on soil health and cycling of nutrients through the soil using natural processes.
Read More
The 6 Best Houseplants for Clean Air Indoors
We’re all aware of the rising health risks from indoor air pollution. It can be frightening and we may feel helpless to protect ourselves.
Read More
Sea Buckthorn: It Started With a Prayer
Studies have shown sea buckthorn is able to actually remove cholesterol from arteries. The seed and berry oil are used topically after radiation exposure due to medical treatments, accidental exposure or severe frostbite/sunburn.
Read More
Sprouting Seeds at Home for Winter Nutrition
Sprouting seeds at home has long been an easy and delicious way to gain nutrition when greens are scarce. You can do it for you or your chickens.
During the springtime and summer, sweet greens grow all over our yard in the forms of cultivated vegetables or simple grass and weeds
Read More
Hybrid vs. Heirloom Seeds
I am a diehard for plants grown from heirloom seeds, and I save most of my own seeds for our farm. I thought now would be a good time to give a lesson on the basic differences between hybrid and heirloom seeds.
Read More
Evergreen Tree Care and Diseases
Learning the basics of evergreen tree care can yield a bounty of useful products for your homestead. In addition to shade, wind insulation, and oxygen production, various evergreens can yield nuts, edible buds, as well as inner bark and needles for tea.
Read More
Goldenrod Uses for Herbal Home Remedies
When most people think of goldenrod, they don’t necessarily think of goldenrod uses for herbal medicine and home remedies. Goldenrod is usually thought of as something that causes seasonal allergy symptoms like runny nose, puffy eyes and sore throat.
Read More
Which Cover Crops for Gardens Work Best in Your Climate?
When it comes to cover crops for gardens, the list of benefits is extensive. Choosing the best cover crop to accomplish the job in your climate is where most people run into difficulty.
Read More
7 Steps for Preparing Vegetable Gardens for Winter
Our farm, Fairhaven Farm, is in U.S. growing zone 8, so we are able to have a garden pretty much year-round. Late January and February is the most down time we see.
Read More
Why You Should Consider Wintering Geraniums
Wintering geraniums not only saves money, it also saves special memories. As a warm October day arrives, I force myself to uproot blooming pots of geranium plants to store away for winter.
Read More
Growing Peas for Winter Greens
No matter what variety of vegetable pea plants you are growing in your garden, all parts of all varieties, including the buds and blossoms, are edible.
Read More