Whether you are fully self sufficient, in a transitional in-between stage, or just a dabbler in do-it-yourself projects, making your own wine is a fun, relatively easy, and very satisfying endeavor. Good results are not difficult to produce, and with a little practice and familiarity with your variables, truly great results are within most folks’
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When I think of rhubarb, I always think of my grandmother. Like many gardeners of her time, she grew this large, old-fashioned, perennial vegetable in a sunny corner of the garden. The leaves, which are poisonous, were discarded, but she cut the tender, red stalks to use in pies, jams, and syrups, usually combined with strawberries. As a child, I loved to eat the raw rhubarb stalks. Grandma would cut a few stalks for me and my siblings and send us outside with a cup of sugar. Rhubarb is very acidic and causes a pucker
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Pumpkins are more than bright orange decorations for Halloween and the basis of a tasty pumpkin pie – they can be an amazing source of nutrition and health. The key is looking beyond the bright orange shell to the benefits inside. What better way to do that than a little pumpkin trivia? These eight insights will help you look at pumpkin in a different light and teach you a few interesting facts about pumpkins you probably don’t know. Pumpkins are all-American. The earliest pumpkins have been traced back to Northern Mexico and the American Southwest,
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There is something quite incredible and alluring about any recipe that starts with the instructions to chop up a few scallions. These sweet and tasty little members of the onion family add robust flavor to stir-fries, stews, soups, breads, omelets, and even tuna salads. Versatile, healthy, delicious, and affordable from every farmer’s market defines these green onions in a nutshell, so to speak. What many might not know about them is that they can actually be regrown from bare roots alone; which, when combined with the fact that they can be dried and frozen really
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You probably associate the name echinacea with a medicinal herb. It enjoyed much attention several years ago as an ingredient in cold remedies and preventions and was a trendy product in the herbal supplement aisle of many drug stores. While it may have gone out of style lately (at least in grocery stores), echinacea does
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Interest in gardening doesn’t just happen. Children gain interest in gardening by being out in the garden with their parents, grandparents, and/or older siblings, following them around, asking questions, and being allowed to get their hands dirty. I gained my love for the outdoors by following three special people in their gardens; these were my dad, grandmother, and great grandmother. Each had very different gardens and taught me very different lessons about growing fruit and vegetables, beautiful flowers, and prize-winning roses. Now I have my own gardens to get dirty in and to coax to
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Sprouts have long haunted the refrigerated sections of health food stores and the insides of vegetarian sandwiches. Those who have been eating sprouts for years know how great they are for your health. When beans are allowed to sprout, enzymes that were dormant are released, creating a healthier product. Sprouts also have protein, vitamins, fiber, and anti-oxidants. You can make sprouts yourself, and it’s easy! You need just a few inexpensive items that you probably have around the house and some beans and seeds. It requires very little effort and just a few days to
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Potatoes can make an excellent addition to your home garden. They have been a staple of many people’s diets for thousands of years. They are fairly easy to grow, although they do have certain pests and diseases to contend with. There are plenty of varieties that can give you a harvest that lasts from early in the season to late in the fall. Potatoes are also great for storing and eating throughout the winter. With a quick lesson on growing potatoes, you will be ready to start a potato section in your garden. The Potato
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Melons have been enjoyed for more than 4,000 years. They originated in the hot valleys of southwest Asia, specifically in India and Iran. Early American settlers grew honeydew and casaba melons from seed brought with them from home as early as the 1600s. The first mention of melons in recorded history was found in John Ayto’s Dictionary of Word Origins in 1395. It suggests that the word was derived from the word Melos (the Greek Cyclades Islands, best known for…