Patsy Bell Hobson is a garden writer and a travel writer. For her, it's a great day when she can combine the two things she enjoys most: gardening and traveling. Visit her personal blog at http://patsybell.com/ and read her travel writings at http://www.examiner.com/x-1948-Ozarks-Travel-Examiner.

In my Zone 6 garden there are always three kinds of tomatoes: a paste tomato for sauces, a cherry tomato, because these small tomatoes are always the first to ripen (and later, when the big tomatoes are producing, these small ones will be dried), and a big, meaty tomato for eating fresh (and for bragging rights). I love tomatoes and when I saw Tomatoes Garlic Basil (St. Lynn's Press, 2010), I judged the book by its cover. It is beautiful. Eventually, I was tempted to open the paperback tribute to the garden and kitchen's favorite produce and I'm glad that I did. The book only gets better!

Tomatoes, garlic and basil are the holy trinity of the vegetable garden.

Doug Oster's Tomatoes Garlic Basil is a love letter about our favorite home garden produce. If you are one of the millions of backyard gardeners who grow tomatoes, this book is for you. Tomatoes are the star of the show. And, just like most gardens, basil and garlic have strong supporting roles in the book that magnify the magic of home grown tomatoes.

The book will not overwhelm you with soil science and plant genetics. It will give you some good advice about soil preparation and plant selection. The pleasure of reading this book grows as Oster offers us many choices with these three simple garden staples.

Like most gardeners, Oster is generous in sharing his experience and recipes. If you are new to gardening, try the simple combination of these three plants. He also encourages people who do not have garden space and shares some planting options. Each chapter begins with a garden or food quote that ties into the chapter. In Chapter 2, I was inspired by "Summer Celebrations" and looked forward to incorporating some of his ideas as I create new traditions for my own family. And by the time you get to the great advice in Chapter 9, which is about soil preparation and weed control, Oster will feel like an old neighbor

Oster is still on the big adventure of trying some different tomato plants every year as well as growing his favorites. It's a good idea and you will never run out of tomato varieties to try. After reading this book you will be able to speak about basil and garlic as well as tomatoes with any home gardener.

This book would make a great gift for either a new or experienced gardener, as well as for the recipients of your produce bounty. (I recommend you buy the print version to enjoy the artful photographs.) The only difficult part is deciding whether to put this book with my cookbooks or on the shelf with the gardening books. I decided to take the book into the kitchen and try the recipes with my own fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil.

I enjoyed the humorous and serious gardening stories and there are plenty of artsy photographs throughout the book. I will definitely put Doug's recipes and gardening tips to use this summer.

Cherry tomatoes are heavy producers.

Book Details

• Tomatoes Garlic Basil: The Simple Pleasures of Growing and Cooking Your Garden's Most Versatile Veggies by Doug Oster
• Paperback: 272 pages.
• Publisher: St. Lynn's Press; 1st edition, ISBN-10: 0981961517 and ISBN-13: 978-0981961514
• See Doug Oster's Blog at http://www.dougoster.com/books/ to read “My favorite story from Tomatoes Garlic Basil.” 

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.”

Now that the holidays are over and I’m back into the swing of things, my eyes are showing it. Lack of sleep and dehydration has triggered the hereditary eye puffiness that I’ve had since I was born – I actually came out of the womb looking exhausted.

And while I know that cucumbers can have an amazing impact on cooling and hydrating my eyes, I don’t usually have time in the morning for a cold cucumber compress. I barely have time to brush my teeth as it is.

Courtesy of www.yestocarrots.com

That’s where this new product, Say Yes to Cucumbers: Eye Love Cucumber Soothing Eye Gel, can help. Like other products in the Say Yes to Carrots line, this eye gel is made from natural ingredients, including dead sea minerals, algae, aloe (Aloe vera), chamomile (Matricaria recutita), broccoli (Brassica oleracea), dill (Anethum graveolens), green pepper (Capsicum annuum) and spinach (Spinacia oleracea) extracts – it’s a veritable vegetable feast for your eyes.

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

I use it at night before I go to bed to prevent puffiness and also in the morning if I need a little boost. For extra coolness you can keep some in your fridge and use it as mid-day pick me up.

In case you’re out of cucumbers and you don’t want to purchase yet another beauty product check out some of our articles with herbal tips and recipes for reducing unwanted eye puffiness.

• Body & Soul: Simple Eye Care Tips, by Janice Cox
• Body & Soul: British Eyebright, by Janice Cox
• Natural Healing: Chamomile Eye Soother, by Laurel Vukovic

Also, don’t give your eyes all the attention. Try some of these cucumber-enhanced recipes to sooth your entire body.

• Cucumber After Bath Splash
• Home Body Wrap 
• Soothing Cucumber Facial Mask

Have you used this product before? How do you get rid of puffy eyes? Leave me a comment and let me know.

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.

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.

After a long winter season, I’m ready to get rid of my thick body lotion for something lighter and more fragrant. While walking down the body care isle at my local natural foods store, I saw Pangea Organics hand and body lotions. After trying a tiny drop of the lotions I was sold.

With the simple desire of making things better, Pangea Organics produces organic beauty products. The Boulder, Colorado-based company says it selects only the highest quality ingredients for their product without compromising the planet. None of its products contain artificial colors or fragrances, parabens, GMOs, petrochemicals or other harmful components.

My favorite lotion is Pyrenees Lavender with Cardamom. The fragrant lavender soothes and alleviates tension while the cardamom acts as an antiseptic and cleanser. Some lotions leave an oily residue or don’t moisturize enough, but the Pyreneese Lavender with Cardamom moisturizes without that oily feeling. The hand and body lotion is perfect for spring and summer or moist climates as it is light lotion.

Have you tried the Pangea Organics line? Which one is your favorite? Let’s chat about it, drop me a comment or email me at snelson@ogdenpubs.com.

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.

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

Last Friday I was a bridesmaid for one of my best friends. So Friday morning found me doing inventory before leaving for the festivities:

Dress? Check                      

Shoes? Check                           

Wrap? Check

Minimal, yet comprehensive makeup supply? Check

Am I wearing a button-down shirt that won't ruin hair and makeup at the last minute when I change? Check

I was ready to leave for the reception site (where we would all primp together in the hours precluding the ceremony), wearing proper down-time pre-wedding yoga pants and flats, tossing a flat-iron in my tote with some mints. And then my phone rang. It was another bridesmaid, and she needed a favor.  

"Listen, you know that stuff you had at the bachelorette weekend?"

www.BodySenseShop.com

Ah-ha. A month previously, at the bachelorette weekend festivites, I packed a bottle of Brittanie's Thyme Organic Acne Treatment. Unsuprisingly, with a bevy of ladies who stretched their schedules to travel for the party (a combo of stress + airports + rich food + cocktails), we had some uninvited guests - pimples, that is. My bottle of Brittanie's Thyme was in high demand.

"Could you bring that organic stuff with you?" she continued.

The thing is, Brittanie's Thyme (a mixture of witch hazel and lavender and tea tree essential oils) is dependable. It dries trouble spots right out, and works quickly. And unlike pimple creams (which leave a white film), it can be used right before applying makeup so that it can continue to work. The scent is quite strong if you are unused to essential oils (like some of my friends), but by the end of the wedding experience several of my fellow bridesmaids were devotees.

Most days I just don't have time to make breakfast. It's the most important meal, though, so usually it's a Larabar and juice for me. I like Larabars because the ingredient list is short and they are delicious. My favorite bar, the Apple Pie, is just dates, walnuts, unsweetened apples, almonds, raisins, and cinnamon. That's it! They also have Cinnamon Roll, Lemon Bar and Banana Bread bars.

www.CherryPharm.com

So what to sip with this delicacy? I recently stumbled upon a delicious cherry juice called Cherry Pharm. The cherry juice is not from concentrate (although apple juice from concentrate is added). It contains the juice of 50 tart cherries, and accounts for 2 servings of fruit. Plus, the tangy zing wakes me up on the way to work.

Problem solved. A satisfying and yummy breakfast that will keep you going all morning.

Two months ago, I received a complete worm composting system from Uncle Jim’s Worm Farms. Having 4,000 worms arrive in a package frightened one of my unsuspecting coworkers, but so far, my experience with worm composting has been deliciously disturbing. 

This is the Worm Factory, which advertises itself as an incredibly-efficient, easy and odorless method for recycling kitchen waste into nutrient-rich compost.  Or growing fishing worms!

Politically named a “vermicomposter,” each factory comes with several bins to fill with bedding and food material, along with red wigglers (Eisenia fetida).  The composting system recreates the recycling process in nature at an advanced pace using thousands of worms and millions of bacteria.  

The Worm Factory is most certainly efficient – perhaps a little too efficient.  The worms are expected to double in numbers by month 3, so, soon, I should have nearly 8,000 worms that require half a pound a food (minus meat and dairy) a day. That’s a lot of wigglers!

After the digestion process, worms secret “worm castings” (poo-poos) that are rich in natural nitrogen, an important fertilizer for soil.  Unlike with sensitive artificial fertilizers, worm castings won’t burn your plants.

You can use the soil-like material left in the bins after composting is completed in potting mix or top soil, or collect “Compost Tea” – liquid fertilizer – at any time from a spigot on the front of the factory. 

The composter, if used correctly, as an earthy smell, so it can be used indoors.  Odors occur only when meat or dairy is placed in the composter (a big no-no) or if there is too much food, in which case any kind of fiber can be added such as dryer lint, tissue, wood chips, egg shells, shredded paper, vacuum dust or junk mail (all of which are composted!).

I should say, that to date, my composter is very clean, no red wigglers have crawled out, and no offensive odors have been noted. 

But I just can’t bring the worms into my kitchen – just like I just couldn’t eat green or purple ketchup (remember that?)  The vermicomposter has to be in a temperature between 60 and 80 degrees, so for me, they are safe and out of the way in my garage.

Vermicomposters can ultimately attract other types of bugs, some good and some bad (such fruit flies or fungus gnats [read: Your Fungus Gnats are Showing]), and should be avoided around cats who might use it as a litterbox.

Why?  Cats can be infected by a parasitic protozoa called Toxoplasma gondii, which can result in an infection called Toxoplasmosis.  This infection is one reason why pregnant women should STAY AWAY from cat litter. 

But, in a creepy way, the infection is really cool: T. gondii affects a rodent's natural fear of cats (surgically precise - ONLY its fear of cats), so they are less likely to flee when a cat is near.  When cats prey on the affected rodents, they become carriers, with a high instance of the protozoa in their urine.

The infection, along with the high level of ammonia can be toxic to both you and your worms.  In humans, active toxoplasmosis can cause neurological disorders, organ infections and even death.  Latent infections can cause anxiety issues, feelings of in-security or neuroticism, just what we need, huh?

Keep your cats away from the worms, and all will be right in the world.  Rodents aren't a problem if you don't try to compost meat or dairy.

If you have any questions about vermicomposting, leave a comment or send me an email.  I’ll be happy to provide you with specific and further information about this delightfully disgusting art of recycling.  

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.

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.

HerbKits.com

Last Tuesday, HerbKits.com sent us a few items for review.  A Culinary Herb Kit, an Herb Tea Garden Kit and a Garden Stacker Planter.  The kit also came with  Jiffy Peat Soil Pellets, a how-to DVD, an instruction manual, tea filters and a tea infuser.  Total retail value: $109.95. Sale Price: $94.94! Price: B+ 

Together, the items are meant to create an indoor herb garden that, if tended properly, should yield fresh indoor herbs all winter long.  And that is just what I’m bound to find out!

Immediately I tried constructing the garden stacker, which was for the most part, intuitive.  The 9-pot plastic stacker can sit on the floor or be hung from a chain, which is provided in the box.  The chain was a hard to attach to the pots, as was the saucer. Other than that, it looks pretty cool.  A- on the stacker.

A Basil Sprout

Opening the kits, I found the seeds organized in neat, clearly labeled containers.  They came with a helpful laminated guide showing detailed plant instructions for each of the seeds:  Light, water and soil requirements, germination periods, tips for growing success and successful seed storage.  In addition, a

German Chamomile

I followed the instructions for the Jiffy Pellets precisely, even though they were quite involved (read: confusing).  However, I found plants that would normally take 10-15 days to germinate, sprouting by the weekend!  My German Chamomile came up first, followed closely by a Citrus (Orange Gem) Marigold and quite suddenly by the Basil.  

Out of the 24 herbs they sent (full list below), my potting capacity was for, at most, 18 varieties.  Ideally, one would use a garden stacker for each Herb Kit.  I give it an A for inclusiveness; I would have liked to have seen a few more herbs for the Tea Kit, Jasmine being a prime example. 

So far, I would recommend this product for yourself or for a gift.  Although a bit pricey, it does come with everything you need.  I’ll continually update you on the success and/or failure of the herbs and the stacker as the fall progresses.

Here’s what all I planted:
Parsley
Garlic and regular Chives
Cilantro
Thyme
Oregano
German Chamomile
Orange Gem Marigold
Basil
Sage
Mustard
Savory
Lemon balm
Catnip
Rosemary
Peppermint
Lemon Grass
Lemon Bergamot

Here’s what I didn’t plant:
Lavender
Dill
Sweet Marjoram
Feverfew
Angelica
Anise