Since my first blog on fighting aphids almost two years ago (When Aphids Attack) I have received dozens of questions on how to kill the critters when nothing else works.

So, if you’re suffering from an infestation, you’re not alone!

In May, one of our readers, Janie Iglesia, of Fisher Island, Florida, wrote:

"I have a young plant of 'Ají cachucha' (also known as sweet pepper) that was given to me to grow and to use for condiments. I got the plant in great condition free of any bugs, so I bought two bags of dirt to be used for vegetables at a local Home Depot. I planted my 10-inch tall plant in a big pot.

"A few days later, I noticed millions of white little bugs that will not go away. I was told to spray the plant with a water previously prepared using 1 gallon of water and 1 tap of Clorox—this did not help. I also sprayed the plant with Sevin ready-to-use, and still nothing. I was reading your article about using rubbing alcohol, which I will try today, but I wonder if these are in fact aphid pests?"

BEFORE: Reader Janie Iglesia noticed millions of white little bugs on her sweet pepper.
Photo by Janie Iglesia

Janie included this picture and, as you can see, this plant is, in fact, infested with aphids. The white “bugs” are actually skin casts from the growing creature. Creature is too nice of a word—these bugs are a nightmare!

Because she wasn’t having luck with any chemical solutions, I suggested that instead of using the rubbing alcohol mixture, which I usually suggest for small infestations, Janie experiment with ladybugs—the most natural and effective means of aphid, scale, mealybug and mite termination. After almost three months she reports that her plant has been saved!

AFTER: After three months of experimenting with ladybugs, Janie's plant was saved.
Photo by Janie Iglesia

In an effort to secure the ladybugs on the plant and prevent them from flying away, Janie created a net using tulle and two metal hangers opened up to create two arches that poke into the soil.

Ladybugs are cheap, effective and better for the environment than pesticides.

You can buy 1,500 live ladybugs for under $15 on Amazon. (Check out The Lost Ladybug Project.) You must release them at night at the base of your plant. If there is ample food, they will stay and even lay eggs killing every bug in sight. Genuine ladybugs will not harm your plants; however, you should always wash leaves any insect touches before consuming.

Lastly, if you are currently suffering from an aphid infestation, you may appreciate this bit of information I just found online: “A [ladybug] larva uses its sharp jaws to crush an aphid's body and sucks out the aphid's juices.”

Wicked, but somehow pleasant. Good luck!

Drying herbs in your car is one of the easiest ways to prevent them from molding in the process. You can lay them out on newspapers, or put them in a paper bag on the front seat. The sun will cook them in a few hours and your car will smell wonderful. (However, now that I've moved to Texas, I’m slowly learning that it might be closer to a few minutes in this Texas heat!)

A simple way to replicate that fresh scent of herbs without butchering your entire plant is to crush a few leaves, stick them in a tea infuser and hang from your rearview mirror. You have a simple air freshener that smells better and is cheaper than those clunky cardboard ones; one that is greener for the environment and looks pretty cool, too.

Photo by Taylor Cole Miller

Infusers are cheap, and come in a variety of shapes. I recommend this heart-shaped tea infuser (pictured at right) from Frontier Natural Products Co-op—it's under $4!

Here are some combinations I have found to be quite successful at freshening up my car without being overpowering:

Rosemary leaves: By themselves, rosemary leaves have a much fresher and more realistic smell than the pine trees you see in every truck on the highway.

Rosemary, cloves and cinnamon sticks: A nice, fresh, Christmas-y scent that packs a little more punch than just rosemary alone. (It was perfect for my Texan Christmas-in-July.)

Lavender: Crush both the flowers and the leaves and fill up the infuser for a relaxing and pretty purple air freshener. This is good for the commuter!

Spearmint: In the process of drying, the mint had a very faint scent but was fresh all the same.

Sage and citrus: A mixture of sage leaves and either lemon or orange peels is my absolute favorite! To strengthen the aroma, just mix a couple drops of your favorite essential oil with the leaves and hang from your rearview mirror.

Have an idea for your own flavorful mix? Share it in the comments section below.

Last spring, I introduced and encouraged you to try planting chinese lantern plants (Physalis alkekengi). If you didn’t try it then, try it now! 

These plants will be difficult to find already started, but the good news is that they do well from seed. Now that spring is here (FINALLY), this is your best opportunity to find seed packets from which to start in any local nursery or superstore. 

After my first blog, which you can read here, I received dozens of questions from interested readers. I think it best to address those questions in three simple, question-answer formats: Growing. Cooking. Healing.

The Chinese lantern plant, also known as the winter or bladder cherry,
bears a small fruit in the tomatillo family with a sweet flavor.
Photo by Ivaschenko Roman

Q. Is the chinese lantern plant an herb? 

A. Chinese lantern plant is herbaceous, which means that parts of the plants are used for both culinary and medicinal purposes. It is a member of the family Solanaceae, most commonly known as nightshade plants. Nightshade plants also include potatoes, tomatoes and petunias, and share the genus Physalis with cape gooseberries (a very close relative).

Q. Why Physalis?

A. Physalis is a perennial plant grown easily from inexpensive seeds. It doesn’t need a lot of attention, grows quickly, attracts few pests and enjoys a variety of uses. It’s a plant of all trades.

Q. Is the chinese lantern plant difficult to grow?

A. No. In fact, one of its flaws may be that it’s too easy to grow. The chinese lantern plant, like mint, has rhizomes that spread horizontally, meaning that even if you chop down the plant without dropping any seeds, it might pop up in another part of your garden.  That’s why Physalis would do best planted in either a contained garden, or in a pot. Or even a pot that is buried in the ground, perhaps disguised with some cedar mulch.

Q. When is the best time to plant the chinese lantern plant?

A. For most zones, the plant does best if sown directly into the ground in late spring. No need to start it indoors ahead of time; just make sure that you’re outside of frost-temperatures.

Q. Where and how should I plant the chinese lantern plant?

A. Physalis can be planted in either full sun or partial shade. It is best to plant them on the sunniest side of your home but in an area that isn’t exposed to full sun for more than 8 hours a day.

Because Physalis can become invasive, it is best to plant it in a pot or in a garden that’s contained. I recommend buying a large, plain terra cotta pot to place with your other herbs and flowers to give the landscaping texture, height and a punch of color.

Q. Where can I purchase the seeds for the chinese lantern plant?

A. Typically, you buy seeds at a nursery or even in the flower section of a superstore. But if you can’t find them, buy them online at BackyardGardener.com.

Q. Can I grow the chinese lantern plant in my apartment?

A. Few plants do best indoors. In fact, even the peace lily, a plant known to do well inside, won’t bloom unless it gets adequate light, preferably in a sunny room. So, if you have a window or a balcony that faces south and gets a lot of sun, you may be able to pull it off.

Q. Why are south-facing gardens best?

A. The sun doesn’t technically rise in true east and set in true west. In the Northern Hemisphere growing season, the sun spends most of its time in the southern part of the sky, so your house will cast its shadow on the northern part of your property. This is because the sun as we see it, is below the zenith. Many outdoor ornamental plants do well in the sun on the east or west side of your house because it isn’t as hot. Window plants, or plants on a balcony, will likely receive less or diluted light, which is why south-facing exposure is best.

Food plants such as vegetables will do best in south-facing, full sun gardens.

Courtesy Flickr/Photo by tanakawho
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28481088@N00/

Q. What is a good companion plant for chinese lantern plants?

A. In the comments section of my blog last year, reader Rainbowstar Linares suggested pairing the plant with Lily of the Valley or bee balm. Her assertion is that because both plants bloom at different times, they encourage mutual growth and bloom.

Q. Do chinese lantern plants attract pests?

A. Not typically, but occasionally lanterns can become infested with flea-beetles, a common pest for many vegetables. They damage the plants with something called “shotholing”, literally chewed holes in vegetable leaves. Often these pests are more of a nuisance than a veritable threat, and generally you can eliminate them with common insecticides. But if you are planning to use your lanterns as a food source, you should talk with your nursery about more organic options for your region.

Q. How do I use the chinese lantern plant ornamentally?

A. Physalis can be used in an arrangement that will last about a week, or it can be dried and used for a dash of color with your fall decorations. To dry Physalis, harvest the calcye or “latern” immediately after it turns red, then hang it upside down in a dark room for several weeks.   

Check back soon to learn about some of the culinary and medicinal uses of this cherished species, the Chinese lantern plant. And if you've got a gardening question, I've got your answer! Shoot an email over to tmiller@ogdenpubs.com.

The Herb Companion has an impressive 20-year history, and a celebrated staple in our magazine is the department "Garden Spaces, which features beautiful illustrations and detailed maps to get your gardening started with inspired and efficient designs.

When I pieced together the book Creating Custom Garden Spaces last year from our dozens of magazines, it was packed with 20 intricate designs, charts, gardening tips and tricks and some conventional wisdom passed down through the years on the myriad uses of herbs. 

I was so animated by this process, that I was able to easily reproduce one of the larger designs, the Mexican herb garden, in my backyard. I have reaped both reward and regard from it.

This four-square garden contains all the bold flavors that have made Mexican food wildly popular.
Illustration by Gayle Ford

The designs are fully customizable and can be adapted for any space large or small. You’ll read about companion planning, building raised beds, and the library of medicinal uses your new plants will provide for you; it is really an excellent resource, and while I may be biased, I think it will make an important and unique addition to your herbal library.

Here’s a peek at just some of the designs in Creating Custom Garden Spaces:

• Mexican herb and green salad food gardens
• Medicinal herb gardens
• Gardens for pots and tight spaces
• Fragrant and flowering herb gardens
• Gardens for children
• Gardens that prevent deer
• Fence line and mailbox gardens
• Hammock and walkway gardens
• Gardens designed for use with a rain barrel
• Gardens that attract birds and butterflies

Creating Custom Garden Spaces is available for digital download or on CD-Rom. Order now. It’s only $10 for a digital download and $20 for your very own CD. 

If you've got a gardening question, I've got your answer! Shoot an email over to tmiller@ogdenpubs.com.

Herbs, essential oils and aromatherapies seem to have endless benefits. And just when you think they’ve thought of everything, someone comes out with a product that, well, knocks your pants off.

I’ve discovered, since I’ve worked here, that certain issues or subjects are difficult to discuss while maintaining a preferred level of professional decorum. Among these are the issues of the digestive tract. We’re conditioned to shy away from this subject, to become uncomfortable by it. Even in early childhood, we're encouraged to call them, “Number 1” and “Number 2.”

But, what I have noticed is that the older I get, the more comfortable the people around me feel discussing their … bathroom situations. I’m not sure what I do to encourage this toilet talk, perhaps it’s just the most notable news of the day, but for whatever reason, eventually, someone brings it up.

This is especially true of my parents, so I’m sure you can imagine the delight on my mother’s face when she presented me with her newest find: Poo~Pourri.

“Spritz the bowl before you go, and no one else will ever know!” she read from the label before she handed it to me, darting a glance in my father’s uninterested direction. “It really works, too!”

These kinds of gifts are typical of my mother, and while at first I might seem unenthused or, in this case, slightly embarrassed, ultimately the reward has … a much sweeter smell.

Reading the label, you’ll discover that the formula is a blend of citrusy essential oils that when sprayed on the surface of the water, create a barrier to trap out the odor. And, to anyone concerned with such things, they have blends that are more manly and blends that are more feminine.

Oh, and for the record, it really works.

From the website: 

“Poo~Pourri bathroom spray deodorizer does more than eliminate bathroom odors - it is forever changing the bathroom experience. Just picture this...Last night's buffet was the best you ever had, but today at the office, all that eating is catching up to you. As you walk out from your second visit to the restroom, you nearly collide with the handsome lad from two offices down. You both pause, staring at each other. Just then, the door shuts behind you. A rush of bathroom air fans past. "Mmmm, citrusy," he says and walks away. You pat your purse and smile -- Poo~Pourri bathroom spray deodorizer, it keeps your dirty little secret.”

While we’re on the subject, here’s one of my favorite comedy routines from Ellen DeGeneres and her experiences with airplane lavatories. 

“You go to the bathroom and constantly lit [is] ‘Return to Seat’ or ‘Return to Cabin’. … Why do they think that needs to be lit? Like, if it wasn’t lit we’d relax in there for a little while?  …

‘Miss, bring my peanuts in here please!’ (to herself) This is beauuuutiful.

I don’t even wanna go. I could be the only one to get up out my seat to go to the bathroom—everyone else is sound asleep when I go. I’ve been in there for what I think is 30 seconds. — you have no concept of time when you’re in there; it’s like a casino, there’s no windows, no clocks, you don’t know how long you’ve spent in there.  Now, I open the door, everyone on the plane is lined up, looking at their watches, making me feel like I’ve been in there forever.

Now I’ve got to explain the smell that was in there before I went in there. …

Has that ever happened to you? It’s not your fault, you’ve held your breath, you just want to get out, you just wanna leave, and now you open the door …. Oh! (nervous giggle)

(uncomfortable pause, eyes darting from impatient passenger to impatient passenger)

Listen, there’s an odor in there and I didn’t do it.  It’s bad. … You might want to sprinkle some club soda.”

Someone once told me that, in any good relationship, there is a gardener and there is a chef. If you have read anything I've written you probably understand that while I can tell you that asparagus is spindly in its first few years, a long time ago, when a friend handed me a butcher knife and said, "Take. Cut. Prepare." I shrugged out a nervous giggle before trying to explain that I wasn't even really sure which end to eat.

Thankfully, now when I am confronted with a new vegetable I have grown but never before prepared I respond with, "You know, someone once told me that, in any good relationship there is a gardener and there is a chef."

I am a single man. A bachelor. And while I have given it many honest attempts, I've only ever had one really successful relationship. I am not proud of this fact, and while I have a number of good friends who CHOOSE TO BELIEVE it was "them" and not "me," I can't help but feel a little guilty for morphing into a total bat when I become involved. But, eventually, when things do come to a close, for better or for worse, I pick myself up, dust myself off and hope that the next attempt will bear much sweeter fruit.

It's important for me to tell you before I go on, that at this moment in the game, I do not go on blind dates and say, "You know, someone once told me ... that in any good relationship, there is a gardener and there is a chef. So, c'mon, quick, which are you?" But I will admit to you, that everytime I meet someone for that nervous first dinner or that awkward first movie, I always sit and think to myself, "I wonder what this person would do ... if I handed them an artichoke."

For the record, I have since learned how to pick and prepare just one asparagus dish. And here, I'm sharing with you, my simple little recipe that any gardener without his chef could easily make. I hope that in return, in the comments section below, you leave a little recipe you think even I might be able to handle.

Photo by Esteban_Cavrico/Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36179943@N00/

The Asparagus Recipe Every Gardener Should Have

• 1 bundle asparagus
• 2 cloves garlic
• Olive oil

1. Pick up a bundle of asparagus with unwrinkled stalks and tight leaf tips. Smell the heads: Good bundles will have a fresh clean smell, while spoiled or aged bundles will have a fishy odor.

2. Take one spear from the bundle and snap off the woody end. (This is usually where the stalk turns from green to white.) Put it back with the rest of the bundle to use as a guide point, and chop the rest of the spears for quick preparation.

3. Lay spears on a cookie sheet and drizzle them with olive oil. Sprinkle chopped garlic cloves, salt and pepper and mix with your hands. Bake at 325 degrees until tender with a fork. Eat and enjoy!

About asparagus: Asparagus enjoys a long herbal history as a plant with plenty of nutritional purpose. It is said to help prevent heart disease, aid the digestive system, re-energize the body, and serve as a low-calorie, healthy source of folate, potassium, vitamin C and beta-carotene. Asparagus also pairs well with tomatoes in companion planting, both preventing eachother's most common pests.

Garlic is easy to grow, and while it is relatively hassle-free, you will reap some pretty awesome rewards at the end of the growing season. 

There is no time like the now-time (late fall) to think about planting your bulbs, and I have a couple quick tips to get your garlic garden started!

1. Get the grocery store goods: You could pay a bundle for a bulb or two of garlic at your local nursery, and it might grow.  But, if you just want to have some garlic to spice up your kitchen and are unconcerned with knowing the exact variety, there is a much easier and cheaper way to get started.  Go to the grocery store!  All you need to plant garlic is a garlic bulb, and you can buy a pack of 10 or 11 for under a buck, or buy a string at your local farmer's market!  But, make sure to pick the organic variety - other bulbs may have been grown with artificial fertilizers or be pumped with hormones that prevent new growth.

The garlic you buy in the store is a garlic bulb. Buy an organic bulb, and you're well on your way to growing garlic! Here are some I harvested this summer that came from an organic Mexican variety.

2. Split up the bulb: A garlic bulb is typically composed of about 8-10 cloves. Split up the bulb and set aside the smallest cloves for kitchen use. With your four or five remaining UNPEELED cloves, head out to the garden and find an optimum spot that gets plenty of sun.  Most of garlic's growth is vertical, and it can get quite tall, so cloves can be planted near eachother - about five inches apart without issue. It's important to plant garlic in the late fall or early winter (in most climates) because it needs a very long growing season. In the winter, it can work on developing its roots and forming its bulb and in the summer, it will begin to grow.

3. Plant the cloves: Dig a small hole 6-8 inches and, with the pointy end up and the stout end down, push the garlic directly into the soil. If you have any leftover coffee grounds, a handful on top of the clove will help it grow, as garlic likes an acidic soil pH. But, if you are not growing the garlic near a sidewalk, a foundation or in a rocky area, this shouldn't be a concern. Cover the clove with soil and a bit of mulch to keep it insulated over the winter. 

4. Sit back and relax: Garlic needs very little attention except attentive weeding. Move the mulch aside when temperatures are warm. Water it normally, holding off in times of rain. Garlic flowers are large, beautiful ball-shaped blooms, but if you let your plant flower, the bulb will likely not grow as large, so cut off flower stalks as you see them.You may notice over the winter that bulbs may begin to sprout - but do not be concerned. Even if they die down in the frost of the winter, they will come back next spring, and will be ready to harvest in the fall.

5. Harvesting time: When the leaves have yellowed and died, it is time to dig up your cloves, which are now ... tada ... garlic bulbs!

Garlic flowers are very beautiful. But if your main concern is harvesting the largest possible bulb, you should snip off flower stalks so the plant can focus its energy into bulb growth. I plant several cloves each year so I can enjoy both the beautiful flowers and the larger bulbs.

And it really is just that simple. Garlic may very well be the easiest herb to grow.

For more information about garlic, read these Herb Companion articles:

• Dancing in the Kitchen with Garlic
• Garlic Obsession
• The Goodness of Garlic 

If you've got a question, I've got your answer! Shoot an e-mail over to tmiller@ogdenpubs.com.

Check this out! It's called the Floating Garden - the newer, more modern version of the Peace Lily betta*.

The floating garden eliminates fish waste and keeps the tank clean by filtering the water over a sand-filled device and absorbing nitrates from fish poo to fertilize the plants.  Pretty cool, huh?

From the press release:

"It gives concrete form to a ‘passion for waterworks’ shared by Benjamin Graindorge and Duende Studio. What with Graindorge’s ‘Domestic landscapes’ and the ’Local River’ project developed with Mathieu Lehanneur by Anthony van den Bossche, it only needed one step more (and a lot of experiments) for the principle to be turned into a commercially-viable product, realistic but full of poetic potential. Elegant design associated to extended function make ‘Floating Garden’ an object rich in paradox – thoughtful and forward-looking."

Because of how the tank is created, each is unique in design, and will begin being sold in spring of 2010. And I imagine for a mighty price tag.

*Peace lilies, also called Mauna Loa or The Closet Plant, are easy to grow with exposed roots in water. However, this is not, nor has it ever been, a reccomended environment for a fish, especially a betta, which needs to come to the surface to breathe.

Scented geraniums are rooted deep in the culture of herbal tradition, finding their prominence in 17^th century homes freshening hallways and masking body odors. Think of them like Old Spice with flowers.

Their varied smell and relative growing flexibility make them a favorite amongst herb enthusiasts, and not only is their aroma inviting, but many types can be used to flavor your home and your food. For those especially interested in herb gardening, scented geraniums, or more accurately pelargoniums, were the 2006 Herb of the Year.

You may have heard someone speak of a plant as being a “tender perennial.” This means that that particular plant is likely to overwinter well, either by bringing it indoors as a houseplant or sitting it in a cool, sunny window in a garage to rest for the winter.

Geraniums can even be dug up or removed from their pots, shaken free of soil and hung upside down in a cool, humid place to encourage plant dormancy over the winter – but this can be a fairly difficult process to master, and you’d have to be willing to take the risk. Every few weeks, the roots should be soaked for a few moments in water.

Having said that, it’s important to note that most geraniums grown originally outside will do only moderately well inside your home. But with a little bit of determination and a couple bits of advice, you can enjoy these beautiful aromatic plants all winter long.

1. The single most important thing you must do when you transition outdoor plants indoors is to thoroughly wash them. When a plant is outdoors, even if it is infected with insects, it’s likely the pests will be kept in check by natural predators.

When you bring a plant indoors, you create a dry and warm environment ideal to most household plant pests especially aphids and spidermites, which are very likely to hitch a ride on your plants and pots. So use an insecticidal soap not only on the top and undersides of all your leaves and stems, but also on the soil surface and the pot itself.

2. If your geranium is planted in the ground, uproot it and plant it in a very normal potting soil, but one that doesn’t boast any kind of amazing fertilizer power, because you want your plant to have nutrients, but not be overfertilized. In most cases, you’ll fertilize your plants half as much in the winter as in the summer, because plants will naturally go into a dormant phase and fertilizer is more or less unnecessary. 

Most potted plants will also need to be transplanted as they have depleted the nutrients in the potting soil you used at the beginning of the growing season. However, in neither case should you use garden soil.

3. For the winter, most geraniums will like a cooler temperature with ample humidity and plenty of light, so placing a tray of pebbles filled with water under your planter will help keep the moisture consistent. Make sure, however, that your pot is not sitting in the water, but rather elevated above it. To do this, you can fill a large saucer with pebbles and water, turn over smaller terra-cotta saucer, and set your pot and its saucer on top.

Or, if you have a sunny bathroom window, that would be an ideal spot to raise your geranium.

4. Finally, cut the geranium back to 1/3 its original size and plant in a pot an inch or two larger than the rootball to allow the roots to spread. If you do not cut it back, leaves, stems and flowers are likely to become spindly and make for a homely-looking plant.

While most will be successful using these tips, it’s important to understand that gardening is often just a gamble, and results will be impossible to predict.  Do not be discouraged if at first you don’t succeed – just try, try again.

Economic and financial issues plaguing the globe have spawned a new wave of interest in sustainability, fostering the need for more urban gardeners. For those living in such a densely populated area, growing space is often limited, and you need to think creatively and maybe even squint your eyes a little to make it work.

Such space concerns are why vertical planters are becoming increasingly popular. A year ago, I picked the top Top 8 Gardening Products for Fall 2008, and among them listed the Living Wall by ELT.

This year, another company sent me a different kind of wall-hanging potter called the Woolly Pocket, which prides itself in adding a touch of class to any home (and it does). The long, almost windowsill-type potters are made out of a dense fabric that feels like a wool peacoat, and they come in coated and uncoated varieties, depending on if you’re planning on using it indoors or out.

I requested the coated version so it would not leak, but opted to set it up outside for the summer – and maybe clean it for reuse indoors for the winter. The Pocket was easy to install and within a few months tomatoes were producing and producing well in the Pocket compared with those on the ground. This is a major advantage if you’re wanting to keep animals away from your plants, especially indoors where most common houseplants are toxic to your pets.

The Woolly Pocket website gives detailed information on all of their planters with colorful photos like this one that make you see both the company and the product as unique. While the imagery with the naked people doesn’t really bother me, nearly every plant shown in this photo is toxic to animals (we’ll hope the dog wasn’t hungry), so I wouldn’t recommend using a sitting planter if you have an indoor pet.

The fabric of the Pocket, unlike with the Living Wall, prevents scratching on your walls and is a better safeguard to leaking because of the inner-coating. The coating covers the inside of the planter, protecting your walls and floor from leaks that may come from overwatering. However, this is a particular concern, because those of us that tend to give our plants more water, will be more likely to kill a plant or create an environment susceptible to root rot.

So, if you were planning on using the Pocket indoors, I might suggest lining the bottom with 2 or 3 inches of Perlite for the best possible drainage.

Other than that, the Woolly Pocket, which comes in many shapes and sizes, would make a great gift for anyone and everyone with a bright, empty wall considering starting a new garden or consolidating some of their favorite houseplants.

It may be the thought of winter – the death, the icy roads, the erratic temperatures … the ridiculous decorations – that makes me want to protect my garden indoors every autumn. The thought of that perfect pot of mint, that fragrant rosemary or even those tangy chives sullied and soggy under the lush Kansas snow is too much. Woe is winter.

But I’m a realist – there are only so many things that can survive indoors, and without a lot of experience or a gardening expert on your side, it can prove difficult to predict what will and what will not work.

Fortunately for us, we live in the golden age of technology, and there are tools in our belts fit for such a project. Meet EasyBloom, your plant diagnostician in a box.

The premise is easy – plant, plug and play. Plant the EasyBloom anywhere in your garden, indoors or out, for 24 hours, plug it into your computer, and download a reading of all the environmental conditions for that particular spot, including soil moisture, light exposure, humidity and average temperature.

Then, EasyBloom’s website will generate a list of plants that would grow well in those conditions, helpful when you’re planning for next year’s garden. Explore thousands of plants in its extensive database and connect with other like-minded gardeners from amateur to extraordinaire.

After you’ve downloaded the information from one spot in your garden – say, where your mint pot lives – then, try different sites inside your home that might be environmentally similar. You will not find conditions that are exact and you are bound to lose some plants no matter what you do. But with the EasyBloom you can figure out where in your home might provide you with the best probability for survival or where to shelter your plants for the cold to come.

Cool, huh?

This late in the summer, conditions are ripe to begin testing environmental conditions indoors and out, so you can plan on starting the great plant migration in late September and early October.

The EasyBloom is easy-to-use and relatively affordable, considering how much you have probably already invested in your plants, and it could only be improved with the ability to test soil acidity or pH. But, all in good time, I suppose.

The EasyBloom retails on the company’s website for $59.95 and makes a great gift for any age.

For a full list of tips and tricks on indoor gardening, check out my post, Five Tips for Indoor Gardens, or, for any gardening question, shoot an e-mail over to tmiller@ogdenpubs.com.

I think I’ve mentioned in the past, I’m an awful cook.  Desperate, really. But with a backyard of herbs, it’s tough not to do some experimenting and, with me, desserts are the way to go!

Here are some great recipes I’ve made, perfect for any mint-grower. And believe me, if I can make them, you can too!

Candied Mint Leaves:

Serve these easy-to-make candies as an after-dinner mint or a garnish to a sorbet. They’ll leave you with a surprisingly refreshing taste like you’ve never experienced.

My candied mint leaves were a big hit at my 4th of July party. I served them aligned in rows on a platter I bought from Natural Home magazine (which is now on clearance!)

• 1 egg white
• Small amount of water
• Handful of rinsed mint leaves (chocolate-mint, spearmint, peppermint, lemon-balm, orange mint and/or cinnamon-mint)

1. Beat egg white with water.

2. Dip or brush mixture on to mint leaves.

3. Coat mixture in granulated sugar.

4. Cool in refrigerator for one hour and serve. 

“Hint of Mint” Dark-Chocolate Truffles:

So easy to make and always in demand, these dark chocolate truffles can be a bad-cook’s best friend!

Inspired by truffle mushrooms, good chocolate truffles should have a fresh-from-the earth look. Pictured here are a few of my truffle variations rolled in cocoa: mint, orange-almond and coffee. I served them with a sprig of chocolate mint and I used a recycled glass bowl from Natural Home magazine (which is also on clearance!). 

• 1 large handful of freshly-cut chocolate-mint leaves (substitute peppermint leaves)
• 1 pound dark chocolate baking chips or baking chocolate bar, chopped
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

1. Rinse mint leaves and crush in a mortar and pestle until smooth. You can also chop them using a food processor or  just crush them with a spoon.

2. Pour chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate bars) and crushed mint leaves into a mixing bowl

3. Bring cream to boil in saucepan and immediately pour over chocolate chips. Let cool for 60 seconds

4. Next, take a whisk and, beginning in the center, very gently stir the mixture at the surface in small circles. As the cream melts the chips, you can continue to stir deeper and more quickly until the mixture is even and shiny. This smooth, almost pudding-like mixture is called a ganache.

5. Now, you should let the ganache chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour. When you remove the mixture, it will have firmed and can be sculpted.

6. For my truffles, I used a small melon-baller to scoop spheres and rolled them in cocoa powder as a coat. You can also roll in crushed cookies, graham crackers, hot chocolate powder, or you can coat with chocolate syrup that hardens.

Substitutions:

By simply substituting other ingredients for the mint in this recipe, you can completely transform the flavoring of your truffles for a wonderful mixture of candies.

- Lemon Truffles: Substitute lemon balm and a pinch of lemon juice for the chocolate-mint leaves to punch up a citrusy flavor.

- Lime Truffles:  Peel, chop and mix-in half a lime and all its juice.

- Lavender Truffles: Crush and chop finely a handsome bunch with a touch of mint leaves to taste.

- Orange-Almond Truffles: Substitute freshly-chopped orange zest or orange oil extract and a small bag of chopped almonds.

- Coffee Truffles: Use instant coffee and a bit of cinnamon to taste. A little can go a long way in terms of flavor.

- Spicy Truffles: Add a few shakes of cayenne pepper (I would half this recipe with another variation of truffle if you’re not sure you’ll like it).

The variations really are endless, try ginger, white-chocolate and saffron, peanut butter, etc. Any basket of truffles would make for a thoughtful, homemade gift.

If you've got a question, I've got your answer! Shoot an e-mail over to tmiller@ogdenpubs.com.

Continued from 7 Tips for Everday Outdoor Gardening, Part 1 and 7 Tips for Everday Outdoor Gardening, Part 2. 

15. Sprout your Seeds – A lot of people ask me about growing peanuts, moonflowers or pumpkin seeds because they have trouble getting them to germinate.

Resolution: Place seeds inside three or four wet, stacked paper towels and set on a plate in the sink. Keep the seeds moist, cool and dark; check after 72 hours for the sprouting of cotyledons or seed leaves. Once they have grown, plant the seed in a small paper cup or empty egg carton of dirt and set in a sunny window.

16. Strengthen your Seedlings – Frequently, seeds started indoors will germinate weak stemmed seedlings, because the plant invests only as much energy as it thinks it needs in holding the plant erect.

Resolution: Lightly brush your hand back and forth over your seedlings a few times a day, helping them become accustomed to stem movement.

17. Explore the Benefits of Bugs – In Tip 13, I explained a simple, organic way to control pests – but let’s say your infestation is a bit more severe than just out-of-control.

Resolution: Many garden-dwelling insects are harmless to our plants, and do us a service in terms of pest control. Before spraying your vegetation with toxic pesticides that kill both good and bad insects, ask your local nurseries about beneficial bugs. Mantids, for example, will eat nearly any insect they catch, including aphids and mosquitoes, while lady bugs are used especially for aphid infestations that would be difficult to control with chemicals or soap-washes. You can also buy predatory bugs specifically bred to kill spider mites, larvae, worms, thrips and mealybugs; however, these insects can be difficult to control.

18. Be Aware of Toxic Plants – If you have children, becoming aware of the toxicity of, what may seem like common plants, is very important. Many indoor tropical plants are toxic to both humans and animals, such as philodendron, pothos, spiderplants and mistletoe.

Many common outdoor varieties can cause abdominal pains or cardiac complications, such as sweet pea, iris, clematis, foxglove, poinsettias, amaryllis, hydrangeas, lilacs and vinca. (For a more complete list, visit this website: http://www.aragriculture.org/horticulture/ornamentals/toxic_plants.htm)

19. Make Propagation Easy – You’ve tried seeds, you’ve tried seedlings, you’ve given them everything short of blood, yet nothing seems to make them grow! 

Resolution: Plants can also be grown from cutting, layering or dividing.

• Cuttings – With several plants, you can take a cutting from just below a leaf node and stick them in water or the ground to produce new roots. Mints and pothos plants can both be grown effectively from cuttings. In fact, pothos plants, which are often mislabeled as philodendron by florists, are hydroponic, meaning they will thrive in water. Make sure to remove any leaves from the part of the stem submerged in water.

• Layering - Some plants will send out stolons or “runners,” which are prostrate stems that have the ability to root the plant elsewhere. These include mints, many shrubs and even strawberries. For example, forsythia, a very common leafy shrub that is bright yellow in the spring, can be propagated by layering. Simply bend one end of a stem to bury in the ground. In a few weeks, roots will develop and the bent stem can be snipped from the mother-plant. With strawberries, runners can be pinned to the ground with a rock to encourage rooting; snip them when they show signs of growth so they don’t leach nutrients from the parent plant. Dig and transplant as needed.

• Dividing – Digging up and dividing roots is one of the most effective means of propagation. Lilies, especially, can be divided and transplanted. Dig them in the fall after the flowers are spent, and replant where desired for re-growth in the spring.

( The Herb Companion Guide to Propagating Herbs ) 

20. Consider Using your Hair – Occasionally, orthodox solutions just don’t work for curing your garden of rabbits or skunks or strays.

Resolution: Take a bag of human (or cat) hair clippings and spread around the yard. Many beauty salons will give you a bag of clippings but with a sideways look. Garden-dwelling animals are sensitive to predators and will be discouraged from invading marked areas. Another option, and one that I have found most effective, is to spray a hot pepper-wax or essential oil solution on plants, making them unsavory.

21. Never Over-water –A flooded plant is a dead plant. 

Resolution: It’s better to underwater a plant you’re unfamiliar with, rather than overwater. It seems like, ironically, our concern for life causes us to kill – so take it easy with the hose next time you water your favorite new flowers.

And that does it! If you have any suggestions, comments or additions to this list, leave a comment below. If you've got a question, I've got your answer! Shoot an e-mail over to tmiller@ogdenpubs.com.

Continued from 7 Tips for Everyday Outdoor Gardening, Part 1.

Also read 7 Tips for Everyday Outdoor Gardening, Part 3.

8. Use Newspaper to Line Garden Beds – Unlike plastic tarps or cloth weed killers, newspaper is a great solution for lining garden beds.

Resolution: When the paper is wet, it mats down grass and weeds, killing them in a few short days. This gives you a fresh canvas in which to plant, and it breaks down quickly, to assure you aren’t harming nature in the process. Lay down newspaper and attach to the ground using garden staples (or dry-wall nails - see the next tip!), wet with your hose, wait a week, cover with top soil and begin planting your new, weed-free garden.

9. Think Outside the Garden Box – However, funnily enough, if you ever HAVE used garden staples, you know what a pain they can be: one side goes in, the other bends out of shape and you push and push with all your might, but your efforts fail.

Resolution: I’ve discovered that, where possible, using dry-wall nails is an excellent substitute. The nails come in boxes of hundreds (compared with the 30 or so that come in a box of garden staples), puncture the soil more easily than garden staples and keep your weed-cover down more securely because you can use more of them per square foot than with a garden staple. Tada!

10. Bring Back Healthy Tulips, Lilies and Daffodils – When spring flowers fade and fall, it can be tempting to cut back the green foliage nature left behind, but don’t. A plant invests a lot of energy building greenery before it blooms, and it needs that energy restored in its roots to come back at full strength next year.

Resolution: Wait until the leaves of the plant begin to yellow, and then snip away.

11. Water in the Morning or the Evening – During warm summer months, you may have to obey certain city water ordinances, especially daytime “curfews” allowing you to water only during designated time slots.

Resolution: Watering early in the morning and early in the evening assures your plant absorbs the maximum amount of water before it evaporates off, meaning you’ll use less water for the same plants than watering in the heat of the day.

12. Know Your Mulches – Mulching is an essential part of any garden. It prevents weeds, retains moisture, deters some pests and can add a finishing touch to any pleasant garden.

Resolution: Say you have a flower garden you want to garnish with a beautiful mulch: Choose un-dyed cedar. The warm brown hue creates a palette from which your flowers will pop – plus, insects hate it. Cedar mulch also lasts longer than other mulches, and smells amazing, making it an investment for any long-time flower garden.

Now let’s say you have a vegetable garden, and you want to add as much organic matter to the soil as possible. Here, you should choose pine mulch, which breaks down much quicker than cedar, inhibits weeds and also helps to insulate the soil from extreme heat or cold, protecting your plants.

13. Easy Pesticides – You have animals you’d like to keep, and bugs you’d like to … sleep. (Sorry, best I could do.)

Resolution: Ants hate cinnamon. Sprinkle it around infected plants, under potters, along the side of your house. It is easy, safe and healthy to use around family members of all ages and breaks down easily in rain without infecting our water sources – reapply as needed.  

Spiders hate cinnamon oil. Mix a little cinnamon oil with water and spray on annoyingly placed webs. While some spiders are dangerous and others just scary-looking, killing them off could make other, more annoying, pests worse. Just divert them where possible.

Aphids on the other hand, should die, and at the hands of rubbing alcohol. Mix 1 part rubbing alcohol with 2 parts water, spray directly on the plant, around the plant and make sure to spray the undersides of leaves. Reapply twice a day for two weeks, then taper off over the next three. (read more about killing aphids, in my blog post: When Aphid's Attack)

14. Mulch your Grass Clippings as Often as Possible – It is very tempting to want a "Brady Bunch lawn," but there is a smarter solution.

Resolutin: Your grass and your back will be happier if you use a mower-plug to shoot clippings out the side of the mower instead of collecting them. The residual grass clippings are rich in nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, breaking down to add a  quarter of your lawn’s fertilizer needs and a wealth of moisture back into your soil.

Stay tuned for part 3! UPDATE: Also read  7 Tips for Everyday Outdoor Gardening, Part 1  and  7 Tips for Everyday Outdoor Gardening, Part 3 . 

If you've got a question, I've got your answer! Shoot an email over to tmiller@ogdenpubs.com 

Also read  7 Tips for Everyday Outdoor Gardening, Part 2  and  7 Tips for Everyday Outdoor Gardening, Part 3 . 

1. Kink Your Hose – Ever been dragging your hose around the garden, just to have it kink right before you get to the plant you want to water? “I just want to water that flower right there…no.” And then you shake the hose like a jump rope dreading to walk those 10 or 15 feet to the kink, don’t you? Or, do you have difficulty rolling up the hose in a nice circular pile when you’re through, ending up with something more closely resembling a five-pointed star than a circle?

Resolution: The trick is to keep water pressure in your hose so it maintains its shape. Just kink the end you’re holding or use a water nozzle that shuts off the flow of water while you're moving from plant to plant or rolling it up. It’s not fool-proof, but it works pretty well!

Photo by Eric Vondy/Courtesy Flickr www.flickr.com/photos/vondy

2.  Enjoy Summer Nights Bug-free – You’re sitting on the patio, enjoying the cool breeze from a warm summer day. Frogs are croaking, crickets chirping and June bugs are smacking you in the face.

Resolution: String large-bulb lights around the garden away from your lawn furniture. You get to enjoy the pleasant twinkle of the lights from afar, while your bugs enjoy them up close and away from you.

3.  Keep Dirt from Under Your Fingernails – Let’s not front, garden gloves are good for your hands, but you lose a lot of dexterity through that thick cloth. That in mind, you also want to keep your fingernails shiny for a night on the town later.

Resolution: Scratch all your nails on a bar of soap before going into the garden. This will seal off spaces under your nails, and will wash out more easily than dirt. Plus, you’ll be clean!

4.  Easily Train Vines – Say you have some up-growing vines like morning glories or Virginia creeper you want to train around a doorway for that cool, welcome-to-my-cottage look. You’ve tried sticks and twisty ties, but they’re just not cutting it.

Resolution: Use jute twine! Texture from the twine makes a great growing medium for most vining plants, blends well with natural foliage (especially if you use a green), and bends easier for a customized look. Tie down the ends to a rock or nail for extra support; the jute can be trimmed and sometimes removed after the vine is trained.

Photo by jozephine/Courtesy Flickr www.flickr.com/photos/7790557@N07

5.  Fresh-smelling Cars Go Great with Dried Herbs – Your car stinks and you need some dried herbs in a jiffy.

Resolution: Cut herbs as desired, lay in a single layer on a newspaper on the front-seat of your car and leave to set in the sun.

6.  Worm Poo Works! – Let’s say you're growing food and want to fertilize your garden more organically.

Resolution: Worm “castings” as they’re called, are rich in nitrogen and certain bacteria, which help your plants grow, and the best bit, they don’t stink like other manure! You can buy a worm composter (like this one) and use your kitchen scraps to cultivate healthy, rich organic material that your flowers and herbs will love. You can even compost things like dryer lint or used tissues! Wild!

7.  Encourage New Blooms – Some tips may seem common sense, but many people wouldn’t know that more blooms can be encouraged if spent blooms are removed.

Resolution: Cut off the dead flower stems to the base without removing any leaves like with geraniums or daisies. With day lilies, pinch off only the flower leaving the green stick for texture. When the plant fades in the fall, the stick will brown and can be easily pulled from the ground for fun crafts, like this authentic-looking witch’s broom I made for Halloween.

Check back next week for seven more outdoor gardening tips! UPDATE: 7 Tips for Everyday Outdoor Gardening, Part 2 and 7 Tips for Everyday Outdoor Gardening, Part 3. 

If you've got a question, I've got your answer! Shoot an e-mail over to tmiller@ogdenpubs.com.

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the Missouri Botanical Garden while visiting St. Louis. The 79-acre national landmark features a beautiful display of flowers, herbs and plants from across the world, including an amazing orchid garden, a Japanese strolling garden, a geodesic dome, an arid-climate garden, a Victorian garden (complete with hedge maze), a rose garden and even an iris garden.

The first stop on the tour, conveniently located near the restrooms, was the orchid garden. Lately, I have become fascinated with orchids. Right now, I have a 4-foot moth orchid (Phalaenopsis amabilis) and a jungle monarch orchid (Oncidium maculatum), both of which are doing surprisingly well. However, neither of them are nearly as exotic as some of the ones in the display! This is a Brassia rising star, which is a spider-like orchid.

These beautiful red flowers, which I believe to be ginger blossoms, were everwhere in the geodesic "rainforest" dome of the garden called the Climatron. The Climatron is the first climate controlled green-house dome of its kind and, in my opinion, the single most fascinating part of the botanical gardens.

Here are a couple shots of the interior of the Climatron geodesic green-house dome. The dome covers a half-acre area and contains thousands of plant species - a microcosm of the rainforest. It includes a handful of tropical, medicinal herbs and spices such as banyan (used to treat diabetes), ginger (for motion-sickness), neem (a repellant against viruses, bacteria and insects, such as lice), pineapple (aids in the treatment of swelling and inflammation), artemisia (calms stomach aches and fever), nutmeg (said to fight diarrhea) turmeric (a spice in curry that may reduce the risk of cancer) and wild plum (used for treating various skin conditions like acne and eczema).

In the footer of our trip, we visited the extensive gift shop, where, in addition to the many garden tools, plants and books for sale, there was one item I just couldn't leave without. Meet Henry the Talking Gnome.

Simply press and hold the button on Henry's foot, record your message and listen to a gnome-version of your voice peep from your new petite pal. Hours of fun if you're like me, and one of the highlights of our trip. I would definitely recommend this as a gift. While it was a little pricey, the gnome should be sure to get a laugh out of you and your friends.

Fortunately for us, the talking gnome has created something of a cult-following on YouTube, spawning hundreds of "webisodes" of the gnome's life. See one YouTube user's demonstration of the talking gnome below, and follow this link to get your own! Tell them The Garden Gnome sent you.

The fifth of May, or Cinco de Mayo, is traditionally celebrated in the Mexican state of Puebla. It is a commemoration of Mexico’s defeat of French forces in its 1862 war toward gaining independence (not to be confused with Mexican Independence Day, which is September 16).

The date has become a celebration of Mexican culture worldwide, often jubilated with traditional Mexican dishes, which feature some fun and flavorful herbs, and is a cherished part of my life as a Spanish-speaker and, let's face it, as a future-crazy-Spanish-teacher!

To celebrate, I’ve gone and scanned the InterWebs to find four great, unusual recipes that my friends and I can enjoy using some of the herbs growing in my garden!

Photo by BenSpark/Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/abennett96/ 

1. Cilantro is used often in Mexican dishes as the perfect tangy offset to its strong, spicy components. I planted my cilantro a little too early in the season, but it started coming back last week with a vengeance! 

Try this recipe for Black Bean Salsa With Cilantro, courtesy of www.grouprecipes.com.

2. Featuring a less common herb, epazote, these authentic Mayan tortillas are stuffed with a hard-boiled egg filling covered with a pumpkin-seed sauce. Sounds wild, right? I also discovered last fall while making a cheese plate for work, that the biting, spicy flavor of epazote tastes great sandwiching a slice of white cheese; I used Manchego.

Try this recipe for Papadzules, courtesy of www.about.com.  

3. An important dessert herb in Mexican cooking is what is known regionally as la hierba buena (yerba buena), which we often call wild spearmint, the perfect ingredient in a fabulous mojito, and a great companion to my party dishes.

Try this recipe for Mint Mojitos, courtesy of www.stephscafe.blogspot.com.      

4. I also found a strange dessert, that really has no mention of herbs, but sounded so fantastic I felt compelled to include it! To make it even tastier, add a bit of chocolate mint to the recipe to give it that extra herbal kick.

Try this recipe for Chocolate Banana Burritos, courtesy of www.gourmetsleuth.com.

Wow, yum. Stomach pangs. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go eat. But, in the mean time, if you've got a gardening question, I've got your answer! Shoot an email over to tmiller@ogdenpubs.com, and I'll try to answer it on the site!

Way back in September, I requested some exotic bulb samples from Dutch Gardens. This spring, I have been impressed by the results the freshman tulips and hyacinth have produced. They are both way more vibrant and fragrant than any pre-grown perennial I've bought at local nurseries.

But, don't take my word for it, have a look for yourself! Here are some photographs I shot in my backyard garden.

Early in the fall, I planted the bulbs in the new garden I built based on an Herb Companion garden space design, Mexican Herb Garden. The design uses a four quadrant grid with a tree in the center. I built mine around a honey locust and built a circular garden in the middle that I covered with these tulip bulbs. Find more intricate garden space designs in our new book, Creating Custom Garden Spaces, available in e-book format or on CD-ROM. 

This is one of the hyacinth flowers that came up this spring, I should have taken the photos a little earlier in their bloom, because here, they have become a bit spent. However, even with our strong Kansas winds and some invading rabbits, these compact flowers have weathered well and still smell more fragrant than any I could find for sale early this spring.

Several of the tulips are multi-colored, are striped or have differently colored petal tips. I had several people ask me where I found such unusual varieties, different from the solid yellows and reds they had in their own gardens.

I would suggest these bulbs to anyone who asked - the service was prompt, the flowers bloomed immediately and they weathered the freezing temperatures, the rain, the wind and ... the rabbits with class. Visit DutchGardens.com for more details and ordering information, just in time to collect some flowers to plant this spring! 

If you've got a question, I've got your answer! Shoot an email over to tmiller@ogdenpubs.com

(Photos used with my permission for this blog post only. Please do not use without consent.)

Even though we’re still having hard frosts, sigh, our garden centers and nurseries are already beginning to sell herbs and plants, and I’m having trouble restraining myself. You see, it used to be that I was an emotional eater, and to a certain extent, I still am. But now, I think I’m an emotional plant buyer, and it’s been a LONG WINTER.

Check out my latest additions:

1. MINTS: I have always had a lot of success with mint, especially because, when I first planted mint (catnip) during my freshman year of college, I planted it directly into the ground. Big mistake – it spreads like a weed. On any given summer night, you can still catch me chasing cats from the yard or watching as Pitters and Janie (my two fancy felines) flirt through the dining room window with the drunk kitties of the night. 

Peppermint (Mentha × piperita)

So far this year, I’ve bought chocolate mint (Mentha piperita cv.), spearmint (Mentha spicata), and peppermint (Mentha × piperita). Read about all kinds of mints from the article Many Mints: Recipes and Growing Tips for Mint, found in the latest issue of The Herb Companion by herb expert, Jim Long.

I grew spearmint and peppermint last year, so I’m excited to experiment with chocolate mint this year. It is said to leave an Andes Chocolate Mint flavor in your mouth. Here’s a recipe I found from Mountain Valley Growers:

Chocolate Mint Banana Bread

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 extra large eggs
• 1 cup mashed banana
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/8 cup dried crushed chocolate mint
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and butter loaf pan.

2. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, banana and vanilla. Add flour, soda, salt, chocolate mint and nuts. Mix well.

3. Bake for about an hour – a knife inserted in the middle should come out clean. Freezes well and mint quantity can be adjusted for taste.

2. PINEAPPLE SAGE (Salvia elegans) and LEMON THYME (Thymus × citriodorus): Still excited about the idea of dessert herbs, I added these two really fragrant herbs to enjoy when the weather starts to warm up, which, I hope, will be happening soon-in the very NEAR future. Ahem, anyone up there listening?

I was introduced to pineapple sage my first day working for The Herb Companion and was fascinated with the potent fragrance – I’m looking forward to using it in some dishes this summer, like this one from a 2005 article in The Herb Companion, Sizzling Summer Treat: Herbs on the Grill. 

Pineapple sage (Salvia elegans)

Tropical Chicken 
In early fall, when the rest of the garden is drifting into slumber, this 6-foot-tall herb ignites the sky with a lipstick-red flower that’s just as tasty and heady as its leaves.

• 4 chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 20-ounce can pineapple chunks in juice
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup dark rum
• 2 sprigs cinnamon basil, chopped, stems removed
• 2 red peppers, cut into chunks
• 12 large pineapple sage leaves, torn in half
• Skewers
• 1 handful pineapple sage flowers

1. Wash chicken and pat dry with a paper towel. Set aside. Reserving juice, drain pineapple chunks. Set aside. Mix pineapple juice, brown sugar, rum and basil in a medium-sized glass bowl. Place chicken in mixture and marinate for at least 30 minutes. Thread chicken, pineapple chunks, red peppers and pineapple sage leaves onto skewers, alternating ingredients.

2. Place skewers on prepared grill, away from direct heat. Grill for 5 to 6 minutes per side, basting with marinade. Garnish with pineapple sage flowers.

Lemon Thyme Cookies
Makes 3 to 4 dozen

This recipe is from a 1995 article in The Herb Companion, Herbs in the Cookie Jar. 

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/3 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons freshly snipped lemon thyme

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Beat the ¬butter with the sugar until fluffy, then add the flour and thyme. Roll the dough 1/4 inch thick and cut out shapes (we like stars). Place the cookies on ungreased baking sheets and bake 10 minutes. Cool on racks.

3. CILANTRO: Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) is an essential herb for most dishes of the Mexican food variety, my other emotional crutch (which also happens to be what I gave up for lent). I have a sad face right now, but I'm thinking it’s going to be a nice summer.

Photo by Ciordia/Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciordia/ 

Here’s a cilantro recipe I found from a 1998 article in The Herb Companion, The Cilantro Seduction. 

Shredded Chicken in Cilantro Sauce (Pollo Encilantrado)
Serves 8

Serve this dish with small bowls of chopped cilantro, chopped white onion, chopped serranos, and lime wedges. It’s also good with rice instead of corn tortillas or tostadas (deep-fried tortillas). Any extra sauce keeps for several days in the refrigerator. Tomatillos look like small, green-husked round tomatoes. They have a sweet-tart flavor and are widely used in Mexican cooking.

• 2 pounds (about 20 medium) tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed
• 1/2 white onion, quartered
• 13 cloves garlic, peeled
• 10 to 12 serrano chiles, stemmed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 white onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups cilantro sprigs, packed
• Pinch of sugar (optional)
• 5 teaspoons canola oil
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 4 cups cooked chicken, shredded into bite-sized pieces
• 20 corn tortillas or tostadas

1. Place the tomatillos in a pot with enough boiling water to barely cover along with the quartered onion, 4 garlic cloves, serranos, and salt and pepper; reduce the heat and simmer for 7 minutes, or until the tomatillos lighten in color and become soft. Don’t cook them so long that they burst open. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid.

2. Puree the cooked ingredients in a blender with the chopped onion, 6 garlic cloves, and 3 to 4 tablespoons of the cooking liquid. Add the cilantro and coarsely blend. Season to taste with sugar, more salt, or additional chopped serranos. Set aside and keep warm.

3. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large pan; add the green onions and remaining garlic, minced, and sauté briefly. Add the chicken and toss over medium heat for 2 minutes.

4. In a large saucepan, heat the remaining oil and add the cilantro/tomatillo sauce and cook for about 3 minutes on medium heat.

5. Place the chicken in a large bowl and pour about 3 cups of the warm tomatillo sauce over it. Serve over tortillas or tostadas. Pass the remaining sauce.

4. FRUITS: I also added a few brambles (raspberries and blackberries), some blueberries and a self-pollinating cherry tree I'm particularly excited for. I have also purchased a few perennials, ferns, hyacinth and columbine as well as a beautiful exotic indoor orchid, The Jungle Monarch (photos of which will be posted when in bloom!)

So, that's what I've been up to so far this spring, how about you?! Any exciting experiments?

If you've got a question, I've got an answer. Shoot an email over to tmiller@ogdenpubs.com.

Q:  Taylor, my question is multi-layered. I live in the Western NC mountains (Waynesville) at about 3500 feet. Last summer, I put out two upright rosemary plants in areas with Eastern exposure, also a winter-hardy gardenia and a trailing gardenia, none of which survived our winter this year. I learned a very expensive lesson. Therefore, they're going to need to be pot plants. My question: What dimensions/depth should the planters be for:

• Upright gardenia
• Trailing gardenia
• Upright rosemary
• Trailing rosemary
 
Also, finally, how long could they each stay in their respective planters at these dimensions?  How will I know they're unhappy?
 
Thank you so much for your help,
–Lanie

A:  Admittedly, I’ve never grown gardenia plants before, but like I say to users who submit questions, either I will have an answer, or I’ll go out and find one for you. So, I spoke with a couple gardening experts, did some heavy reading, and arrived at a few learned suggestions for Lanie and the blogging community regarding gardenias, which are some of the most beautiful, most fragrant white flowers out there.

First, the quick answer: Pick a pot 2-4" wider and 4-6" deeper than the rootball of the plant you buy to start off the summer. You'll need to transplant them before the summer is through. Find out how to tell when they're ready, below.

1. Know your growing environment: 

Gardenias originated in an oriental environment with mild winters and warm summers – so in a region 6 growing zone, even when labeled “hardy,” if they aren’t in a protected area, they’ll freeze. So, at least with the gardenias in your area, you’re right to pot. (Note: Gardenias will thrive in warmer growing zones throughout the winter.)

While outside, your gardenia will want bright, filtered light (not direct sun), and it will want to stay at a temperature around 73 degrees Fahrenheit. When you move it indoors over the winter, however, it will need the brightest window.
 
2. How to pot: Gardenias are very finicky and like acidic, moist (but not TOO moist) environments, like azaelas, so it’s smart to mix your own potting soil rather than using a standard “garden variety” like Miracle Gro.

Fill the pot half way with organic top soil and then add a handful-or-so of coffee grounds to lower the PH level (make it more acidic). Mix thoroughly. Now add a third more top soil and find some dead leaves to mix in. Leaves will help the plant with moisture, but more importantly, this organic material will help the soil retain acid from the coffee. Finish with enough top soil so that the plant sits right below the mouth of the pot.

Gardenias will want an acidic PH level between 4.8 and 6.2. When mixing your own soil, especially when it’s this specific, it’s best to make only enough for what you need at the moment. Occasionally top soil will come with a PH reading, but if not, any garden center should be able to test the soil for you if you are really concerned with a correct balance. You will also want to refertilize your plants in mid-summer, near the end of June. This can be done with either more coffee grounds or an azaela fertilizer that's commercially available.

Most resources say that, outside of over-watering, an alkaline soil environment will kill your plant fastest, or prevent root formation, which inevitably stops the plant from coming back in the spring. Although they may have been fine during the growing season, it is possible that the plants had stored most of their resources in their leaves and could not grow back from their roots.

(About PH: A soil PH of 7 is neutral. Anything below is acidic and above is alkaline. Stones and building materials like limestone, gravel and concrete are alkaline and can affect the surrounding soil, so if you plant gardenias into the ground, it is best to plant them away from the foundation, walkways and driveways of your home to avoid difficult PH balancing.)  

3. Don’t over/under water: Water your plant every second day, because unlike most outdoor plants, gardenias are very susceptible to root rot, so you only want to water when they are nearly dry. On the second day, you’ll want to soak them well but make sure the plant is not sitting in water (drainage holes in pots are essential with gardenias), and saucers should be emptied.

The best way to ensure that your gardenia is watered (but not overwatered) is to mulch. Using a cedar mulch around the base of your plant will discourage pests (which are common with this flower) and will hold mositure in for a long period of time. This moisture is released more slowly into the soil, so the roots aren't sitting in a pool of water.

Some say that misting gardenias is important, which is in a way, true. Gardenias need humidity - but if they are over-misted and water begins accumulating, their leaves may also begin fostering black fungus, so take it easy with the misting, if you do it at all. Much like with indoor orchids, a better option when you bring the plant inside is to set it on a pebble tray filled with water. (Note: Do not sit roots in the water, instead set the pot above the pebble tray using a small clay saucer turned upside down).

When is the plant unhappy? You will notice that your plant needs to be upgraded to a bigger pot when the soil dries out very quickly because of the size of the roots eating up all the water. Gardenias like to be tight in their containers but not root-bound. And they should be transplanted when necessary, perhaps a few times throughout the growing season, to encourage the maximum amount of growth.

Several sources say that the best gardenia flowers for pots are the more vigorous growers, such as Belmont or Miami Supreme.

About your rosemary:

Herb Companion garden columnist and herb expert, Jim Long, said that it is possible for you to raise rosemary outside your home in your growing zone in North Carolina, and may be preferable to potting it. He said he learned an important lesson about rosemary from one of his mentors, Madalene Hill, late president of International Herb Association: It’s not the heat of the summer or the cold of the winter, but how you treat your plant.

Clipped directly from Jim’s blog:

“[Madalene] went on to explain that rosemary plants have very small root systems and suggested I try this: Plant the rosemary plant in the garden in the spring, regardless of what size the plant is. Grow it all summer and after the first frost, dig the plant, repot it and bring it indoors. Keep the plant in an unheated room, with light, like a garage window or unheated back enclosed back porch. The following spring, unpot and plant the rosemary back in the garden, then leave it alone. And by golly it works! I followed her advice and have rosemaries in the garden that have been there almost 10 years, growing quite happily.”

After reading that, I think it’s still important to exercise caution with your rosemary plants. So, try an experiment; plant two rosemary plants directly into the ground and two in pots following the instructions above. You might find that, when the plants are sown directly into the ground, they will develop larger and more fully than those grown in pots. It is also very difficult to give rosemary the requisite amount of humidity it needs when planted indoors (and not allowed to go dormant).

Plant rosemary in full sun, or slightly filtered light, allowing the potting soil in containers to almost dry before watering; it’s also important that your potted plants have good drainage. Transplant at the same depth as they were growing in the nursery, with a neutral soil PH. Cactus soil with a bit of perlite is your easiest option

You can read more about growing rosemary in challenging conditions from Jim’s post and check out his blog.

If you have a question, I've got your answer! Shoot an email over to tmiller@ogdenpubs.com.

On Friday, I had the opportunity to speak with one of the very few reporters on the scene at the groundbreaking of First Lady Michelle Obama’s new "victory garden." On site were 26 fifth graders from Washington's Bancroft Elementary who helped the First Lady dig up the L-shaped plot and prepare the soil for planting.

The garden, the first White House vegetable garden since Eleanor Roosevelt’s during WWII, came partially in response to pleas that the White House promote locally grown food. Mrs. Obama said the project would give the First Family access to healthy fruits and vegetables and educate the students and the country on the importance of a healthy diet.

"What I found with my girls is that they like vegetables more if they taste good," Mrs. Obama says, according to pool reports. "Especially if they were involved in planting it and picking it, they were more curious about giving it a try."

The new garden is all organic and includes a variety of perennial herbs including sorrel, thyme, oregano, sage, rosemary, marjoram, chives, chamomile, garlic chives and anise hyssop with mint growing in a separate container. There are also a few annual herbs: dill, cilantro and parsley in addition to the many vegetables and even some edible flowers including nasturtium and marigolds, which help keep bugs away.

My source said that the plot is actually quite far from the house, nestled in the southeast corner of the South Lawn toward where the public might catch a glimpse through the gate on E Street. The L-shaped garden is approximately 1,100 square feet and the herb section was partly prepared by the First Lady herself for ten minutes before she said jokingly, ‘Are we done yet?’ The students will be back in a few weeks to begin planting.

On a side note, I think this is a really simple, yet effective way of personally inviting us to feel like a part of the First Family. This relatable, conversational style of government has translated well from the early days of Obama's campaign to his presidency.

When I got the chance to meet the now-president Obama when he first started campaigning, I was impressed by how down-to-earth and caring he really was, willing to address us individually and even pose for a picture. I'm glad to see this personable interaction has not been lost (so far) in translation - it demonstrates the kind of movement toward greener living and environmental-conciousness I'm proud to believe the United States is shifting toward. Hey, maybe I'll send them a gnome in honor of The Herb Companion!

Working with a bunch of green magazines, I get to have the distinct joy of playing with products all day long – both in-house items (ones we loved so much we decided to sell) and products that companies around the world send me.

When these products are unusual and innovative, I can’t help but to spread the word. And it might sound like a shameless plug, but sometimes the best of those products are ones we sell here at The Herb Companion, such as our Natural Radius Grip (NRG) gardening tools.

All plugs aside, I was tickled to see the unusual NRG hand trowel and hand cultivator set while perusing our shopping site one day. When I intercepted a pair and saw the neon green handles, I thought that they’d have to be impossible to lose in the yard, which many a trowel hath suffered. It has a kind of color intensity that’s noticeable yet not quite strong enough to sore my sight. The curvature of the handle seemed unusual to hold at first, but with good reason – it’s ergonomic and shaped to maximize power!

Normally, when you hold a gardening tool, you hold it with your hand bent slightly downward, which causes stress on the wrist and makes it more difficult to get leverage. With the Natural Radius Grip handles, you hold the tool straight on, and your wrist is not strained as you dig.

The tools are hefty, but lightweight – a far cry from the cheap-o Wal-Mart ones that have actually broken in the thick of my Kansas clay. They’re rust proof, durable, fun, funky and come in lots of shapes and sizes for various functions.

Now, brace yourself for some shameless marketing: I’ll make no apologies: This is a fantastic product, one that all should have. Sure, you could buy a $4 one at Wal-Mart, but would it be ergonomic, rust-proof, light-weight, brightly colored, super-durable and come with a handle and a hook? You get what you pay for. These tools are $12.99 each or $24.95 for the set.

Find more about the entire line of NRG Hand Tools.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you've got a gardening question, I've got your answer! Shoot an email over to tmiller@ogdenpubs.com!

Last week you might have seen that for my final hurrah in the editorial department at The Herb Companion, I shot and edited a holiday video greeting, from our editors especially for our readers.

This holiday greeting came with bloopers. You know, ultimately, writers and editors just don't like being on camera - and when you're holding that camera, they let you know. 

What we ended up with, was great. But, what you didn't get to see, was better (don't you love my Santa Shirt?). Take a look:

You may remember from my blog “The Best Gardening Products of This Fall” that I touted The Aerogarden as the favorite of my Herb Companion samples.  But, I don’t think you appreciate just how much I love it!

They sent me the Aerogarden Classic, which has room for 7 different plants, each in “pods” or pieces of foam you plug into holes on top of the Aerogarden bowl.  The light is adjustable with your plants and goes to a ridiculous height of something like 37”, which was much too high to put under my kitchen cabinets.

So “The Mexican Herb Garden” (with epazote, curled parsley, oregano, basil and thyme) was moved to a shelf in my bedroom.  The kit was supposed to come with two pods of cilantro, which did not grow, so I planted chives (my favorite) and tomatoes, and they’re both growing at an amazing rate.

Let me just say that all hydroponic potters are not created equally.  Sitting right next to my Aerogarden is Prepara’s Power Plant, which hasn’t grown a plant or flower to maturity yet.

So, I bought myself another Aerogarden, this time a much smaller 3 podder that can fit under my kitchen cabinets.  I planted strawberries (!) mini chili peppers (!) and Chinese lantern flowers.

Go buy one!  Seriously, they’re awesome and SO easy to take care of!

Tangently, while brainstorming a title for this blog, I thought of the nursery rhyme:

Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells
And pretty maids all in a row.

I had no idea that this poem is based on the Tudor Queen known as Bloody Mary, daughter of Henry VIII, who executed those who dared continue Protestantism. Silver bells and cockle shells being her common forms of torture.  Silver bells refer to screws that were used to crush the thumb between two hard surfaces, and apparently cockle shells were affixed to the genitals and no further explanation is necessary.

The guillotine, known as the Maiden, refers to the "pretty" (read: easy) form of execution to replace manual beheading, which was, as I read, rarely successful ... within the first 10 blows.

Like herbs, evergreen trees have a powerful fragrance, some even with medicinal properties, and with a few simple steps, you can find the perfect tree to keep safe from fire and fresh throughout the holidays.

1. Aroma is everything. Balsam fir, Arizona cypress and Virgina pine are three of the most fragrant varieties. Balsam fir, a relative of the Fraser fir, has a sharp, rosemary-fresh scent, and its pitch, or the sappy resin that makes a tree sticky, is a natural anti-bacterial and an astringent that was used to treat wounds during the Civil War. Arizona cypress has a steel blue tint and a lemony-mint smell while Virginia pine has the traditional piney-holiday scent classic for the holidays

2. Get it fresh. When selecting a pre-cut tree, pinch a branch near the trunk and pull toward you. If several needles dislodge, the tree is dry and may be dangerous in your home. Next, bounce the tree and notice shed needles – paying special attention to the edges of the tree. More needles should fall from the interior; this is normal.

3. Cut the base and water well. Saw at least an inch off the trunk of your tree when you get it home and place immediately in a sturdy tree stand with a large water reservoir. Trees are amazingly thirsty and can absorb nearly a gallon a day, so check frequently, especially in the first few days. Never let the water level drop below the cut; if it does the pitch will seal the trunk and the tree will not be able to drink.

4. Recycle when you first notice dryness. While a wet, well-watered tree is very hard to set on fire, dry trees are extremely flammable. As you can see in this video, a dry pine left unattended can destroy a living room in under a minute.

Most communities have a tree recycling program, but if not, you can reuse your tree in your garden as a bird feeder, as mulch or even as a weed killer.

While some sites suggest chopping and burning your used tree DON'T! Most trees have something called creosote, which, when burned, even responsibly, can leave deposits in your chimney and can be carcinogenic.

A better option is to use the tree in your garden and adorn with bird feeders - or save the needles to scatterONLY ONweeds as an herbicide. You can also strip the tree of its needles, dry them outside and use them in muslin fabric for a rich, fragrant punch.

I love experimenting with fruit sorbets – so when I stumbled across some research regarding the expansive health benefits of tart cherries – it wasn’t long before I discovered and requested a product called CherryPharm Cherry Juice – an all-natural 100% Juice (with tart cherries, never made from concentrate).

In about a week, I received 8, 8 oz. bottles and was excited to try it out.  The flavor was immediately rich and overpowering – like drinking a cherry pie – at first, sour.

Cherries contain anthyocyanins, the reddish pigments in berries that are high in antioxidants, which are best consumed in an unadulterated form (not from concentrate or in supplements).  Recent studies suggest that consistent exposure to anthocyanins may reduce levels of cancer, aging, neurological diseases, inflammation, diabetes and bacterial infections.

CherryPharm’s Web site also boasts the benefits of “precovery” providing a full list of potential benefits of a daily serving of tart cherry juice, such as lessening pain and speeding recovery after exercise and improving sleep quality.  Read why Tart Cherries.

The downside?  CherryPharm isn’t cheap – 8, 8 oz. bottles sell for $19.99 while 24, 8 oz. bottles go for $49.99.  But while, financially, CherryPharm may seem too rich for your blood, nutritiously, it ultimately isn’t.

And, as an Herb Companion reader, you are entitled to a 10 percent off coupon!  Just enter the code CPHC at checkout to collect your savings – and start getting healthy.

CherryPharm’s rich flavor is intense, and if you cannot enjoy it straight from the bottle, here are some great recipes to benefit from its library of nutrients – with a twist:

Recipes:

Taylor’s Super-Simple Spiked Cherry Sorbet

· 1 pkg. frozen cherries
· 2-3 8 oz. bottles of CherryPharm cherry juice
· 1/4 cup rum
· A bit of lime juice to taste

Blend on high, or mix in a blending food processor until texture is smooth.  Garnish with a cherry and/or whipped cream.

Collin’s Cherry Cocktail

· 1 ½ oz. CherryPharm cherry juice
· 1 ½ oz. Vodka
· ½ Lemon or lemon juice
· Club soda (as much or as little as you like)

Mix and pour into a tall Collin’s glass half-filled with crushed ice and fill in with club soda.  Garnish with a lemon slice and a cherry. 

Belizan Cherry Punch

· Orange Juice
· Apple Juice
· 2, 8 oz. bottles of CherryPharm
· White Rum to taste

Fill ¼ punch bowl with orange juice.  Fill another ¼ with apple juice.  Mix in CherryPharm and add rum to taste.

Click here to order.  

I don’t like tea.  I hate the taste of tinctures.  And I’m terrible at chefing (but trying to get better).  You could understand how these are ironic traits for an employee of The Herb Companion (I garden. That’s what makes me helpful).

So when my boss offered to share an immune boosting tincture with me for this terrible cold, I grimaced.  It was disgusting (no offense, KC).  But, then I remembered a product sample on our shelves – CAPSULINE – and wondered if that could do the trick.   

I dropped a pipet of tincture into a Capsuline flavored capsule (G-Cap, which are grape flavored empty gel capsules) closed the pill and swallowed – problem solved!  So, I used it for Meadowsweet to treat my heartburn (read my blog: Healing Heartburn [and yes, it's working]) then, I started thinking of other uses – powders, crushed herbs, other medicines, etc.  Because tinctures are liquids, you obviously can't fill them in advance, so sitting at a restaurant table filling a drug capsule with a mysterious brown liquid is bound to cause a few eyebrows to lift.  But it makes for a great prank.

When we first got the Capsuline flavored capsules, I winced at their display of “100% Bovine Gelatin” – not appetizing.  Searching their site, I found that the gelatin is Kosher and Halal certified and inspected, uses natural dyes and comes only from BSE-free (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) countries.  Bascially, from cows that are not mad.  Fish gelatin and vegetarian alternatives are also available, made from Kosher-certified preservative free materials that do not contain starch, sugar, corn, soy, wheat or dairy!

You can even get DOGCaps and CATCaps in various meat flavors, to make giving meds easier (and taste better) for all your animals.

Way healthier and animal-friendly than the meat I consume in my daily diet – (chefing [or fancy cooking] is the next goal on my action-item agenda).  I think I can give up hot pockets, but I just can’t do tea.*

I really recommend Capsuline flavored capsules - specifically the G-caps!  It’s much healthier using fresh herbal tinctures or powders from your local CO-OP, rather than those preservative-packed supplements.  And they come in other flavors too:  Strawberry, lime, berry, orange …. coffee.

* When people say something is "...not your cup of tea..." I sigh and respond, "I don't even like tea."

iHola Taylor!  I’ve had a kalanchoe plant for several years, but I noticed today that I have all these little white and green buggy … THINGS … on the leaves.  And a LOT of them!  They kind of look like little crustaceans, but they’re so small it’s hard to describe them.  White, crustaceany, things, I guess.  How do I get rid of them? – Bárbara from Florida
                                  
I had a feeling about Bárbara’s infestation, and when I sent her this photo, she said, THERE THEY ARE! 

They’re aphids (Aphidius colemanii).  And aphid skin casts (observe the white shells).  Aphids come en masse between seasons and reproduce fast.  Also, they secret a substance called honeydew, which can attract both ants and sooty mold. 

CURE:  Bárbara, the first thing I would do is to take the plant outside and spray it off with your hose’s jet setting.  Or if you don’t have a hose, get one of those cans of air (that are so fun to play with) and knock off as many aphids and their casts as you can.

Then move the kalanchoe to an isolated location away from any plant close enough for an aphid migration via air current.  If you only have a garage or a dark location available, you can buy a compact fluorescent bulb which is labeled “natural sunlight” or “natural light” as a sort of make-shift grow light.

Next, mix some rubbing alcohol with water in a sprayer – 1 part alcohol, 2 parts water – and spray on the plant leaves daily in the morning, making sure to get under the leaves, in the plant crevices and on the stems without over-misting.

Aphids are attracted to yellow, so rub Vaseline on some Post-Its and circle them around the base of your plant. Change daily, and when you notice no more insects, you’re probably safe. 

WHY THIS WORKS:  In the US, what we call rubbing alcohol is also called isopropyl alcohol or more scientifically, isopropanol. 

Kalanchoes are succulents that don’t have a high tolerance for pesticides or humidity (both which can be super-effective for destroying infestations).  So isopropanol is ideal, because it’s cheap, doesn’t stink, dries quickly, is relatively non-toxic and it leaves the waxy shine so important in indoor ornamental kalanchoes.

Isopropanol cuts through lipophilic substances, like oil, which is why it’s so great at removing that smudgy gunk on your eyeglasses.  When bugs come into contact with it, the waxy cover of their skin is dissolved, and they are poisoned.

This poisoning works the same in humans, but only in much larger doses.  When the isopropanol hits the liver, it is oxidized into acetone (finger-nail polish remover).  Yikes, huh?  But, every year Americans use 500 million pounds of toxic pesticides wayyy worse than isopropanol.

Because it dries quickly, it’s diluted and you won’t be soaking your plants in it, misting will be safe for you and your kalanchoe – just not for your bugs.

(CAUTION:  If you notice other white or cotton-bally insects growing on your plants, it may be a sign of a more serious infestation.)

If you’ve got a problem, I’ve got a solution – shoot an email over to Taylor at tmiller@ogdenpubs.com.

About 100 million Americans suffer or have suffered from heartburn, with 15 million suffering daily. You may take a Zantac, Tums or maybe a Prilosec, but when the problem goes away you tend to forget about it.

Experts say you should be more concerned – not only with heartburn, but what you’re taking to “cure” it.

Call it what you want, heartburn, acid reflux or gastritis – stomach-to-esophagus problems can have serious effects such as swallowing problems, adenocarcinoma, cancer of the esophagus and chronic or violent cough.

There are three levels of heartburn treatment – antacids, h-2 blockers and PPIs.

When I was alerted to the issue, I’d been using Zantac, which is a histamine-2 blocker (as are Pepcid and Tagamet).  Histamine 2 is what signals the stomach to produce acid.  Supressing acid in this way can cause an alkaline environment in the stomach that is ideal for the production of the bacteria Helicobacter pylori. 

This bacteria can ultimately cause stomach ulcers, which, paradoxically, result in reflux problems. Proton-pump inhibitors (PPI) [Prevacid and Prilosec] can have an even more severe effect. Antacids have high concentrations of Calcium carbonate, which can potentially lead to kidney stones.

More frustrating are the contradictory suggestions made online for natural treatments.  But here, I’ve sifted through the suggestions to find the most consistent natural prevention methods and treatments.  Hope they help – both in your case, and in mine.

Prevention:

1.  Avoid carbonated beverages, coffee, alcohol, whole milk and caffeinated tea.

2.  Avoid tomatoes, citrus fruits, chocolates, onions and peppermints.

3.  Avoid fatty and fried foods.

4.  Eat smaller meals more often with plenty of water.

5.  Elevate your head at night with pillows or sleep on your left side.

6.  Avoid eating right before bed or exercise.

Herbal Remedies:

To absorb stomach acid try marshmallow root or slippery elm bark.  To decrease acid use chamomile, licorice root, or meadowsweet. 

For more information, check out these Herb Companion articles:

My husband has acid reflux disease. Help! ... (scroll down for article)
Treating Heartburn Naturally (scroll down)
Holiday Heartburn

You've waited and here they are! My picks for the best autumn gardening products*.

4.  The Wearable Garden Stool – An eccentric addition to your gardening arsenal, the Wearable Garden Stool is a fun, efficient and useful way to garden without backache, and just in time for bulb-ing! Read more in my blog: But It's The Pelvic Stool Thrust.  From: CleanAirGardening.com -- For: $54.99** 

3.  The Living Wall – Although this vertical potter can be somewhat difficult to manage, the unique Living Wall is sure to be the talk of the town – or at least of your home. From: Gardeners.com -- For: $169 

2.  The Worm Factory Composter – Providing you with year-round compost and compost tea, The Worm Factory is a fun, environmentally friendly alternative to fertilizer, and a great place to dump your vacuum dust! For detailed info, read my blog: Open a Can of Worms. From: Uncle Jim's Worm Farm -- For: $69.95 

1.  Aerogarden – Topping our charts as the best Autumn Gardening Tool, the hydroponic Aerogarden is the most effective and easy way to create a bountiful garden indoors – without the mess of soil or even watering! And with the array of seed kits offered, the Aerogarden appeals to all chefs and herb aficionados. What could be better than that? From: Aerogarden -- For: $149.95

Have a product you want sampled for possible appearance here? Or, questions? tmiller@ogdenpubs.com
*All products personally sampled by Taylor Miller.
** All prices as of 10.22.08

In the first of my two part series, here are my picks for this year's best autumn gardening products*!

8.  Meyer Lemon Tree – Kicking off the charts at number eight, this dwarf lemon tree can be grown indoors year-round, and its benefits are fruitful.  From: MeyerLemonTree.com -- For: $49.95** 

7.  Culinary Herb Garden – A garden terrarium makes a great gift for friends, kids or even as projects for students. Easy to grow herbs spring up quickly and can be used in no time For more info, read my blog: Biodome! (sans Pauly Shore).  From: DiscoverThis.com -- For: $23.95 

6.  The Garden Ladder – Increasing your surface area for indoor potted plants, the wooden Garden Ladder is easy to install and makes for a beautiful addition to any home.  From: Gardeners.com -- For: $119.88

5. The Herb Savor – At number five, Prepara’s Herb Savor organizes your cuttings into a clean, space-saving container that keeps herbs fresh for weeks. From: Prepara.com -- For: $29.95

For the top four products ...  Click here. 

Questions/Suggestions/Comments? tmiller@ogdenpubs.com
*All products personally sampled by Taylor Miller
**All prices as of 10.22.08

October is my favorite month.  I get REALLY excited about Halloween*.  I especially love reading Martha Stewart’s Halloween issue.  But, when cutting out construction paper bats and applying a perfectly manicured mansion to the top of a three-layer cake just becomes too laborious, I go out and look for my own terrifying trinkets, and I’d like to share with you a few of my finds!

1.  Use your Hosta -- By now, your Hosta flowers should be about spent, leaving their white, lonely sticks jutting into the air like skeleton fingers.  Normally you might just trim them down, but this year, recycle your plant.  Using both hands, gently pull each of the sticks from the plant.  They are very brittle, so pull from the base.  The long shoots (three of mine are over 6 feet!) make for a creepy vase arrangement, but one that could work year-round.

2.  Use your Day lily – Harvested the same way, Day Lily sticks are much less brittle, which makes them more accessible for other uses.  I took last year’s sticks and with a long piece of jute twine, tied them to a small broken tree branch to make an authentic and unique witch’s broom.  You could also trim and de-leaf your Spirea bushes for a smaller broom.  

The chandelier in my dining room is boring, so I hung some sticks from it tied with spent Morning Glory vines, to up the creep factor.  Day lily sticks also look great just in a vase, and cleaned Morning Glory vines could be draped eeriely almost anywhere.

3.  Use your old records -- These record bowls are great candy dishes (especially for candy corn), not to mention great conversational pieces.  Plus, they’re easy to make:  Find an old record or buy one cheap at a thrift shop.  Put a terracotta pot upside down on a cookie sheet, place the record on top, set the oven at 200 and watch it melt, it won’t take long.

4.  Use your artistic skills – Art projects are fun for the family or for parties.  To make this Hocus Pocus inspired spell-book, I took a hollowed-out book from a craft shop and covered it in a polymer clay called Bake-n-Bend, which doesn’t harden until baked.  I found a pair of mannequin eyes and hand-stitched the cover to look like human skin as described in the movie.

5.  Use your imagination. --  Find things in your garden you could use and be creative.  These are birdhouse gourds I grew two years ago that are just waiting to be painted and hung from the ceiling.    

If you find or come up with any fun ideas, drop a comment!  Or, if you want any help with some of mine, email me.

* My love for Halloween is best represented by this lady’s love of surprise parties.  From SNL. Ooooomiiiiiiigodddddddd

On September 2, DiscoverThis.com sent me three dome terrariums:  The Culinary Herb Garden, The Fairy Triad and Carnivorous Creations.  I thought the dome terrariums would make great gifts for kids, grandkids or even students, and I was right!

Within two weeks, I noticed wobbly, unusually elongated sprouts that didn’t seem like they would survive past the seedling stage.  But after about 5 weeks of absolutely no care, secondary growth (see photo) occurred in both the Fairy Triad and The Culinary Herb Garden.

Steps toward growth were easy:
1.  Spread provided perlite in the base and cover with peat moss.
2.  Water
3.  Cover with dome and leave in a sunny spot
4.  Wait

The Carnivorous Creations batch was decidedly hairier.  I mixed the seeds in a bag and refrigerated (for six weeks!).  Next, I’ll plant the refrigerated seeds and wait 1-3 months for them to germinate.  It’s likely most kids will lose interest way before you see a FlyTrap sprout, but once you do see growth, it’ll likely be the most popular dome.

 I would easily recommend any of these products for kids.  The Culinary Herb Garden would also make a great gift for that special adult in your life with the big black thumb, as almost no care is needed.  Only one thing:  With all that evaporation going on inside that dome, it’s tough to actually see what’s (grow)ing on!

The Particulars

The Fairy Triad includes: Great Blue Lobelia, Clover, Evening Star (although they left mine out), and Thyme, as well as perlite, peat moss, a pinweel, rainbow string, and a little fairy figure (who I named Pauly-ette).

The Culinary Herb Garden includes:  Basil, Cilantro (which can be really tough to grow, but did), Dill, Parsely, and Sage again with perlite and peat moss.

And the Carnivorous Creations Kit includes:  Venus Fly Trap, Yellow Trumpet, Hooded Pitcher Plant, Purple Pitcher Plant, Pale Trumpet, Temperate Sundew Plants and Cobra Lillies as well as perlite, peat moss, and some rubber lizards.

DiscoverThis.com also sells Biblical Garden Kits, Bonsai Village Kits, Graveyard Gothic Kits, Banana Farm Windowsill Kit, Sensory Dome Kit, Witches Woods Kit, and Nickelodeon’s Diego Desert Garden Kit.  They're also full of other fun, scientific gadgets that make for really creative gifts.

 Some people scream “RATS!” when something goes wrong.  Sometimes, though, I think the saying should be “GNATS!”  If you’ve got a bug problem, don’t fret, hope is on the horizon, (or at least in the top layer of your soil).   

Question:  I have noticed more fruit flies in the house now that it's getting cooler. I know that they're attracted to my plants, but they're kind of embarrassing when I have people over. Do you know of a way I can get rid of them, short of walking around and trying to catch each one?? Thanks! - Susan, Kansas

Susan, great question!  First, it’s important to understand the problem:  It’s likely that these buzzers actually aren’t Fruit Flies (Drosophila melanogaster), but a relative insect known as the Fungus Gnat (Sciaridae).  I spoke with an entomologist who said it is a common misnomer.  Even a few exterminators I spoke with had no idea what a Fungus Gnat is (now that is scary, and a good litmus test for a potential exterminator!)   

Fungus Gnats are the most frequent houseplant annoyance and are distinguished from common Fruit Flies because of their darker color.  While Fruit Flies hang out primarily in exposed fruit, rotten food and in leaky fridges, you’ll find Fungus Gnats in wet plant soil, in sewer situations and in household drains.  They’re also attracted to CO₂ (Carbon Dioxide) which explains why they’re always right up in your face. 

Adult Fungus Gnats live a week and a half, and in that span can lay up to 200 eggs each in moist soil.  The eggs hatch in 4 to 6 days and feed on plant roots in their larval stage for about 2 weeks.  They love moist, compost-rich potting soils, so it’s more likely you’ll find them in the brand names, like Miracle-Gro®.

Because Fungus Gnats need moist soil in order to complete this four-week life cycle, most experts think you can eradicate the problem by letting your plants completely dry out and get into the practice of watering "...just enough."  But if your watering methods aren't cryptically precise, there are other more accessible solutions.

Questions about Fungus Gnats:

So, do I have Fungus Gnats?  - To see if you have larvae in your plants, and can’t tell just by looking, cut a potato into ½ inch slices and set on top of the soil. FG larvae are attracted to the potato and will move to the surface to feed on it. In a couple days, check the slices, and discard if engulfed with Gna-ggots.  My advice, skip this step unless you’re morbid and have a strong stomach.

Ack, I have them!  Make them leave!  - Pour a generous layer of sand on top of the soil and cover with cedar mulch.  FGs are attracted to the top layer of wet soil. Because sand drains quickly, adults are confused by the newly dry top layer of soil, even though your plant is perfectly watered.  The cedar mulch is ornamental and most insects hate the smell.

OK, so the larvae are dying.  But how do I kill the adults? – Smear Vaseline® on a yellow sticky note and hang vertically.  FGs are specifically attracted to the color yellow and will bang up against it if it is hung vertically.  Another trick is to uncap and cut the top ^_1/3 off a soda (pop) bottle, turning it upside down inside the bottle (so it looks like a funnel).  Then fill the base with a mixture of vegetable oil and apple cider vinegar.  Attracted to the fermented smell, the FGs will drown when the surface tension is broken by the vegetable oil.     

I think my case is serious! – Most greenhouses use a peat mixture infused with an FG predator called Hypoaspis miles.  The mite lives and feeds on insect larvae and is commercially available for about $30.  You can also buy Gnatrol, a bacterial insecticide that is human and pet friendly and retails for around $20.  Residential exterminators can also control the problem but for, at minimum, $45.

For more information on indoor gardening, visit my blog entry:  5 Tips for Indoor Gardens 

Product Provided by CleanAirGardening.com

Stand back Cobra Head Hoe.  Look out Crazy Daisy Sprinkler.  There’s a new funny garden gadget in town.  This is the Wearable Gardening Stool - a rather blah name for a hilarious invention.  When I received it to test from CleanAirGardening.com, I appreciated it more for its comedic value than its actual practicality, demonstrating it to my officemates and encouraging them to “sit on it!” (a la Happy Days).

The stool buckles around your waist like a seatbelt, and can be adjusted for different waist, sides and yes, even rear size (for those of us with something of a ba-donka-donk).  That brings up an important point:  I didn’t feel as though I was suffocating the stool, much unlike my bike seat. 

When you stand, the pogo-like contraption points directly out your rear (I know) and makes for a rather amusing sight.  But I have been working on a new garden inspired by our “Mexican Herb Garden” (read: August/September issue), and eventually I overcame the intrinsic embarrassment value and used it.

After a few tens of minutes, I eventually mastered the pelvic thrust required for hands-free seating, and found myself thoroughly enjoying my new tool.  This gadget is the perfect back-saver for planting flowers, weeding, spreading mulch and … milking cows. 

I recorded only a few complaints during my tenure with the stool.  Primarily, having a seat attached to your bum at any given moment makes it that much easier to take breaks, and mud began accumulating in the spring (but easily sprayed off).

Also, sometime in the 2 or 3 hours I was ‘scaping, I managed to lose 1 screw and 2 nuts (and I’m having trouble finding replacements).  So for now, my stool is on hiatus and I’m sad.  I want to do the time warp again, and I hope it's not because of my ba-donka-donk ... !

The Wearable Gardening Stool retails on CleanAirGardening.com for $54.99.

Essential Oils, or EO’s, have infinite purposes.  Here are 19 tried and true practices for the beginning user.  Believe it or not, this list is by no means exhaustive, but it was somewhat exhausting to write! 

Lots of mixing to ensue.

An Essential oil will release its powerful fragrance if cleverly placed … 

 1.  Put a few drops of Peppermint Essential Oil on a napkin, and rub over a lightbulb.  When you switch it on, the bulb will heat and release a beautiful minty scent.  But please use only on tungstens, not compact fluorescents.  If you are more environmentally friendly, a stove top, when warmed, creates a similar effect.

 2.  I always put a few drops of essential oil on my new furnace filters.  When the air blows through the vent, it circulates the beautiful scent throughout your house (much cheaper and healthier than those room-to-room evanescent fresheners!)  If you use a disinfecting oil, like Lavender or Tea Tree, you can stop some nasties before they invade or to cut back on dust mites, use Eucalyptus.  Every week or so, add a few more drops for continued enjoyment.

 3.  If the night lights in said “fresheners” (Tip 2) are just too irresistible to give up, refill the reservoir with a few drops of Essential Oil and water for an easy-peasy, CHEAP, solution.

 4.  Harvest and dry some of your summer flowers, your spike speedwells and roses, your lavenders and mums.  Dry them by hanging them upside down, and then cut ‘em into small pieces.  Mix in a few drops of your favorite smelling EO, wrap in a tissue or thin cloth and BAM, instant potpourri.

5.  For an air freshener that lasts, mix 10 parts vodka with 1 part of your favorite EO (maybe Bergamont or Cedar) in a spray bottle.  But just don’t drink it, kapeesh?

6.  And why not mix in some EO with a bucket of paint (might I suggest lemon)?  Essential oils aren’t fatty, so oil spots shouldn’t be a problem.  But if you’re a worry-wort (like me), experiment on a small patch of wall and let dry.

7.  ¡Amor, amoré!  Scent love letters by stretching a half cotton ball, doused with a couple drops of Jasmine EO and seal in an envelope.  Caution:  Jasmine is an aphrodisiac.  Well, that may not be so much of a caution, really as just a … a head’s up.   

Many essential oils are concentrated enough, they disinfect!

8.  Vinegar is a super-effective cleaner but smells egregiously bad.  And anti-bacterial sprays do only that, kill bacteria.  But fungal spores are a growing problem (literally), and EO’s can save the day.  In a large spray bottle, mix Tea Tree or Lavender oil (and be generous) with a cup of vinegar.  It’s an instant multi-surface cleaner, so use it.

9.  For caked on gunk (in the bath or kitch), mix in a bowl some baking soda and lemon juice until you have a paste, then add an EO for extra scent and as an antiseptic.  The baking soda is used as a mild-abrasive, and the citric acid in the lemon juice cuts through the grease and grime.  Basically, Lemon juice + EO = Love.

10.  Brush a TINSY bit of EO onto your microfibre or brand name duster to super-scent your daily dust-bust.

11.  Last night I dropped a couple drops of Peppermint EO in the dishwasher with the detergent, and as the dishes heated, the aroma warmed my home.

12.  For a home-made carpet deodorizer, mix some EO with baking soda in a large bowl.  Let the oil dry for several hours (or you’ll have oil spots), then stick in a mason jar and punch holes in the lid.  Shake-it-like-a-salt-shaker on your carpets, let it breathe for 4 hours, and vacuum away!

And surely you’re aware of the health benefits …

13.  The EO vs. the Dust Mite.  Ah, how I hate the dust mite (See the post:  Attack of the Killer Tea Bag).  All my friends have allergies, and I’ve been trying to find effective solutions to make them more comfortable visitors.  I read a study on the USDA Web site that says, in small quantities, Eucalyptus oil, when added to the wash, kills dust mites on fabric (which is tough to do, because most can survive washing AND drying).  Don’t put too many drops of EEO on fabrics or you could potentially damage your washer.  Like they say, a lil’ dab’ll do ya.

14.  After you’ve applied tip 13 in the wash, put a few drops of Lavender EO on a damp cloth and throw it in the dryer with your bed sheets.  Bugs hate it (see tip 15), and studies have shown Lavender to be an effective sleep aid.  Don’t let the bed bugs bite!  You can use the same trick for towels, because it won’t reduce static like fabric softener or dryer sheets (so your towels will still absorb water).

15.  Eucalyptus oil can be your one stop shop for essential health:  Put a drop on your toothbrush to wake up your gums.  Rub a bit under your stuffy nose to clear your nasal passages.  Sit a bottle on your desk at work, and inhale every so often to keep you awake.  Mix with a bit of baby oil and massage on achy joints or muscles.  Mix one teaspoon with some Epsom salts and soak your worked-out feet.  And mix a few drops of Eucalyptus oil with your shampoo to stimulate blood flow to the scalp (baldness-be-gone). 

Bugs vs. Essential Oils, a one-sided war …

16.  My grandma has this beautiful trunk that reeks of moth balls, gross.  There’s a better solution:  Lavender, Rosemary and Sweet Basil all contain a chemical compound known as camphor, which is the effective ingredient in moth balls.  Camphor has a distinctive smell that moths hate, and most of the aforementioned essential oils have retained some camphor in the oil process, but smell good.  Mix it with a Cedar EO in potpourri and wrap them in a tissue or thin fabric to put in drawers, chests or trunks.  BEWARE:  Moth balls, when consumed or inhaled, can be fatal! 

17.  Put Citronella oil on a rag and wipe buggy or spidery walls.  Insects hate it, and if there are no bugs, there are no spiders.

18.  Put a dab of Eucalyptus oil between the shoulder blades of your dog (where they can’t lick it off) to discourage ticks.

  19.  2 cups of water + 1 TSP of Eucalyptus Oil + ½ TSP of Dishwashing Fluid = bug repellent spray for plants.

I’ll keep posting Essential Oil posts as I discover new uses.  Feel free to contribute (with a credit, of course) by writing tmiller@ogdenpubs.com.

Also, a BIG thanks to CleanAirGardening.com for the new  Display Gnome .  The beautiful and detailed 15” Gnome was created by the famous Dutchman, Rien Poortvielt, and retails on CleanAirGardening.com for just $39.99, watch for him in future posts. 

I’m now accepting name ideas for the little guy, so, please, comment away!

Hi!  My name’s Taylor, and I’m gnome for my green thumb.  In this weekly blog, I’ll share with you a few of the tips I’ve learned over the years for growing healthy, beautiful plants; answer or find the answer to your questions; and test out some of the products sent to The Herb Companion every week.  My first topic:  Indoor gardening

Question:  I’ve been successfully growing plants and flowers outside for a few years, it’s easy!  But when it comes to indoor plants, even ornamentals, I’m lost.  The leaves get dusty and brown, gnats are EVERYWHERE, and my cats are constantly conducting business in the larger pots.  What do I do? – Lacey, Kansas

5.  Don’t water straight from the tap:  Indoor plants, unlike outside ones, maintain a fairly consistent temperature.  Adjusting to the correct water temperature directly from the tap is nearly impossible, and too much heat or cold can shock something called the thermoreceptors (thank-you college biology credit!) of your plant.  Also, the browning in leaves and leaf tips on some of the more sensitive plants, especially lucky bamboo, is caused by something called salt burn, the plant equivalent of chemical poisoning.  To kill two birds with one stone, fill a CLEANED milk jug with water and leave at room temperature for at least 24 hours, without the cap, before watering.  The exposure to the open air releases some of the chemicals (not totally scientific, but hey-ho, it works), and the temperature normalizes.  After watering, refill, and set it out for weekly use.

4.  Schedule a watering regimen:  A lot of indoor plants die for two similar reasons:  Too much watering, or not enough watering, but there’s an easy way to avoid both.  Depending on the amount of sun or the type of plant, your watering time might be varied.  First, lightly touch the top of the soil to see if it’s moist, if it isn’t, grab a shish-ka-bob poker to see if it’s wet below the surface.  For most plants, you don’t want the soil to be bone-dry but not drowning, either.  Take notes for a few weeks while you observe how often and how much your plants need watered.  Record the trends and water accordingly.  Simple enough, right?  But, be aware that certain plants, like orchids, have special needs.  It’s always best to check the tags or do a quick internet search depending on the plant.

3.    Like shampoo and conditioner, planters and saucers should be two different things:  The planter + attached saucer combo seems to be the latest trend in indoor garden design, and people think they’re saving money by purchasing two for the price of one.  The problem? Drainage.  My mint pot had an attached saucer, and after a few weeks, I started noticing a curiously fetid smell coming from an otherwise great-smelling herb.  When I noticed that water didn’t seem to drain into the saucer, I got worried.  Stagnant, brown liquid had gathered under the pot and was blocked from draining evenly into the saucer.  Like me, if you already have such a planter, simply take a hammer and cover with a folded cloth or use a rubber mallet to lightly tap off the saucer.  I tapped on all four sides of the planter to make sure it came off evenly, and if you’re lucky, it will.  If not, tap off the sharp edges, and buy a terracotta saucer.  Jiggles the Gnome now has a reason to smile.

2.  Cinnamon, your one-stop pest control:  The soil in many of your freshly planted or transplanted herbs can be home to myriad insects, but because you have pets, you shouldn’t be spraying a lot of pesticides inside your home, especially if your animals are showing an interest in your herbs.  Lucky for you, both insects AND animals hate the smell of cinnamon.  Just sprinkle a thin layer of ground cinnamon (NOT cinnamon oil) on the top of the soil to suffocate the eggs and burrowed insects.  To quickly kill residual bugsters, fill a bowl with soapy, sudsy water and set it under a small lamp to leave overnight.  I have also spread cinnamon under the carpet around my baseboards to fix an invading ant problem.  As for the cats, because their urine has such a high concentration of ammonia, it can be caustic to your peace lily or selloum-philo.  The good news is that cats almost ALWAYS smell where they’re about to go, and they won’t want to go on a layer of cinnamon.  As a triple threat, cinnamon is composed of about 35% of the element manganese, which is essential in photosynthesis and also a common ingredient of most fertilizers.  When the cinnamon breaks down after multiple waterings, it feeds your plant.  Reapply as needed.

1.  Use banana peels to give indoor plants a straight-from-the-florist shine:   Feather-dusting plant leaves just doesn’t cut it when it comes to plant-maintenance, and it might not remove all the dust.  The texture and oils of the inside of a banana peel serve as a mild-abrasive for dusting and shining, and the nutrients of the peel feed the plant.  The trick can be especially useful for nearly-expired bananas (which Bogart the Gnome is handsomely demonstrating) that you might not want to eat. Simply use the peels for your plants, and then use the bananas for a great banana bread.  And heck, why not add some cinnamon while you’ve got it out!

If you have a question, send it to tmiller@ogdenpubs.com or if you have a product you’d like to recommend or ask us to test, mail it to the following address (and email me a note that it’s coming!)

Taylor Miller
The Herb Companion
1503 S.W. 42^nd Street
Topeka, Kansas 66609-1265