By John Moody Elderberry is an amazing thing. The University of Wisconsin calls it a true super fruit. Ancient people had slightly different ideas about the berries than we do – one of their earliest uses was as hair dye! In the middle ages, the berries were an important defense against vampires – you could leave them on your windowsills and when the OCCD (obsessive compulsive counting disorder) riddled vampire tried to enter your abode, they would be stuck counting the uncountable little berries until sunrise, and would scamper home sans having enjoyed a meal at your family’s expense....

QUESTION: I’m harvesting a lot of okra. Can okra be frozen? What is the best way to freeze it? -Heather R ANSWER: When freezing any vegetable, you will get the best final product by first selecting the freshest produce you can find. The ridged okra varieties split easily so it is best to purchase or grow the smooth-podded varieties if you are wanting to freeze them. The freshest, highest-quality okra pods should be firm and crisp....

Succulents Are you trying to decide between the Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter Cacti to determine which one would be the best for your home or indoor gardening space? Are all these 3 cacti different, or are they the same? In this article we examine each of these succulents to compare the terminology, and how these plants measure up to one another. By Jason White Last updated: December 21, 2022 | 8 min read The Cactaceae family has approximately 150 genera and roughly 2,500 species found around the world....

Table of Contents If you were to Google the words “elephant ear,” you would find a range of images, from the delicious, doughy staple of fried fair fare to those enormous pachyderms in all their gray, wrinkly glory. As a gardener you will zoom in on pictures of large, green leaves that so cleverly resemble those flappy elephant ears on the real animal. After scanning perhaps hundreds of pictures of elephant ear plants, you may find yourself filled with a burning desire to add these tropical beauties to your own garden....

The wonky look of Euphorbia lactea will add a character to your garden that no other plant can. It has three-sided, candelabra arms and a tall, lanky stem. The silhouette is wobbly. In fact, Euphorbia lactea nearly resembles a child’s drawing. Table of Contents Adding to E. lactea’s charm are short spines along the edges. They’re small but still sharp. The whole plant is green with mottled white stripes. This inspired the common nickname Mottled Spurge....

Lavender is one of my favorite perennial herbs to grow in the garden. I mean, who doesn’t love lavender? Not only does it look gorgeous in the garden, it attracts tons of bees too. It also smells amazing, and can be used for so many things! I love collecting seeds from my garden so I can grow more of my favorites, or share them with friends. Harvesting lavender seeds is easy, and doesn’t take much time at all....

I used to hate the idea of growing roses, partially because I didn’t like growing anything that I couldn’t cook with, or anything that was overly fussy. Rosa spp. There’s one thing that I constantly run into when talking to gardeners who are interested in growing roses: A sense of being overwhelmed. There seems to be so much involved, right? It’s true, there are a ton of different varieties and cultivars, from wild to floribunda to tea roses....

By Jennifer Poindexter Succulents are becoming all the rage. They’re great for natural home décor and many gardeners love them for their simplicity. Hens and chicks (also known as sempervivum tectorum) are a favorite amongst the succulents. They can be grown indoors or outdoors and are a wonderful selection for areas where nothing else will grow. Did you know they’re even edible? It may not be the first item you go for in a food shortage, but it’s good to know they’re there if needed....

Whenever we hear the word kiwis, an image of delicious aromatic fruits comes to our mind. But is it possible to grow this in a home garden? In a limited space, especially in containers? Well, the answer is yes! Here is all you need to know about How To Grow Kiwi In a Pot and enjoy it homegrown! Check out our article on growing Oranges in pots here What are Hardy Kiwis?...

By Jennifer Poindexter When you think of the word ‘herb’ which one comes to mind? For me, it’s rosemary. This gorgeous herb is full of lush foliage and packs a delicious flavor, too. Would you like to have more rosemary on hand without purchasing it? You’re in luck because rosemary can be a great herb to grow indoors, so you can enjoy it throughout the year. I’ll be upfront in telling you that rosemary isn’t as simple to grow indoors as other herbs....

It improves water retention and porosity of the growing medium, makes the soil crumbly and light, enhances productivity, and reduces root diseases! You can either use commercial one or learn how to make coco peat at home to use it in your homemade potting soil recipes. Required Materials Coconut Pliers Container Bowl Mixture Water 1. Remove Coconut Husk Use pliers or a coconut husk remover tool to separate the layer of coconut coir from its shell....

You have a few options for how you can store fresh apples and you might even choose to turn part of your harvest into preserves. In this article, I’ll cover these various options. With winter coming on, there’s something reassuring about a well-stocked larder. And when it includes an abundant supply of apples for fresh eating and to turn into warm baked goods, that reassurance is especially sweet. But if you want your harvest of homegrown apples to last as long as possible and maintain their delicious flavor and crisp texture, it’s important to keep them in the ideal conditions....

Water is one of the vital elements when starting plants from seed. Too much water and your seeds will drown or rot. Too little and they will either fail to germinate or die once they do. If you are starting your vegetable garden from seed, you have two choices. One, you can start your seeds indoors and then plant them outside as seedlings several weeks later, or you can direct seed into your garden....

Without proper preparation, this tropical beauty is going to suffer – or perhaps even die. No one wants to lose plants they love to frost damage, not to mention the time and money at stake as well. Don’t let winter cold and frost destroy your beautiful bougainvillea! If you’re growing a flourishing vine, shrub, or tree outdoors, in the ground or in a container, then winterizing is a crucial step to take before low temperatures and frost threaten in cooler zones....

All members of the Monarda genus have a tendency to run amok through the garden with their spreading root systems, creating new plants that pop up all over – especially if you have rich, moist soil. Bee balm, also known as Monarda (Monarda spp.), is a well-known flower and herb throughout North America. Its colorful blooms are like a slow-motion, multi-month fireworks display that captures the attention of people, bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds each summer....

If you want to grow a lush and green monstera and multiply its leaves, then here’s this One Brilliant Monstera Growing Hack you should definitely try! Follow the best tips to grow big and bold Monstera houseplants here Monstera Plants Monstera is one of the most popular and loved tropical houseplants. Its large leaves have ‘eyes’ or ‘holes,’ which gives it a unique appearance. If you want to add a plant to your collection that looks so exotic and is a joy to maintain, then this is it!...

To avoid the late season, colorless doldrums, choose from our list of the best perennials to add vibrant shades to the late summer garden. By the time mid-summer rolls around, us gardeners are looking to enjoy the fruits of our labors. We put in those long hours in early spring to prep, shop, and plant, and now it’s time to kick back and enjoy the season. The veggie patch yield is increasing daily, containers of annuals are established and thriving, and the perennial garden is… well, yikes, it looks kind of tired and needs some help!...

From Dianthus to Primula, we need to know which ground each plant prefers. Here’s what’s to come in this article: There is a worldwide discussion today on what is happening to our soil, over the whole planet. This is important, and this topic could comprise a whole article in itself. As gardeners, however, we are more concerned with the ground that we have in our own plots. The more we know about this vital commodity, the better plants we produce, and the better our gardens become....

Aquaponics is a method of growing both fish and plants within the same system. The waste produced by the fish is used as a source of nutrients for the plants, which maintains a healthy environment for the fish. Aquaponics really just mimics what occurs in ponds, lakes and streams naturally. It utilizes the natural nitrogen cycle to maximize efficiency of cultivation of plants and fish, while minimizing waste from the system....

Information Are your garden cucumbers flowering early this season? This can happen for a few reasons, most of which are no need to worry about. In this article, gardening expert and former organic farmer Sarah Hyde examines why cucumbers flower early, and what to do about it. By Sarah Hyde Last updated: November 14, 2022 | 6 min read Cucumbers lend a satisfying, cool crunch to hot summer days and are ubiquitous in salads in worldwide cuisines....