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.