What Is Gentian

We don't always achieve the highest stature in society. Photo courtesy Ken Colwell This week, the world lost a very special lady, a lady who faced many of life's hardships and yet always seemed to present herself with grace and gentleness.

« More Farm Inspiration » Tags enthusiasm , farmers , farming , inspiration , passion On paper, there aren't enough hours in the day to make this happen—they all work full-time jobs and have full-time lives on top of their diligent work—yet the...

Logs, branches, tree-trimmings, root balls and similar materials make the ideal base for a huegel, but work with what you have. You've probably come across these and similar gardening techniques before.

As I headed out to my car Monday morning, head ducked against the wind, coffee mug trembling in my shivering, gloved hand, the realization that I had to scrape a thick layer of ice and snow off of my windshield in the subzero wind chill was extraordinarily...

Hahnemann and his followers began experimenting with other plants, minerals and animal substances, conducting “provings” (clinical trials) and entering their findings into Dr. Hahnemann's Materia Medica , a master reference still used to determine...

Hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 9, the deciduous shrub drops its leaves in fall so the berries stand out against bare winter branches. Despite the beauty of its tempting fruit, eating winterberries should be avoided...

I've been chastised in the past for having my head in the clouds instead of focused on the here and now, but I take Gloria Steinem's above quote to heart: dreaming really is a form of planning.

Ashitaba was growing at one of the facilities, and he was quickly hooked. I nodded my head as he spoke because I have routinely thumbed through his catalog looking at the many varieties and yearned to grow more of them here in Ohio.

Leaf-footed bugs are a confirmed garden nuisance in many regions of North America, including portions of California and many states in the Eastern Seaboard, spanning from as far north as New York down to Florida.

Be very leery of any early spring digging, especially if you live in a northern climate. If there is no spring or give to the soil, it's probably still frozen and too cold to work.freestar.queue.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-300x250-ATF-1");...

It may help to water less often or apply fungicide to prevent damping off.may be applied as a soil drench after planting, incorporated into the soil as a dust before planting, or sprayed in mist form on all seedlings.

Compost is often referred to as "Black Gold," and indeed it can play a key role in adding organic material and nutrients to the soil. In many areas, restaurants are selling their food waste to commercial compost operators as well.Let's take a moment and...

The orgins are obscure; some think it even goes back to Abraham Lincoln pardoning his son Tad's pet turkey. Chefs say that they have much better taste than other turkeys. For more information on cooking heritage turkeys:http://www.localharvest.org/features/cooking-turkeys.jsp.I...

Except maybe for the large pot of sauerkraut pork stuffed rolls I will cook for Christmas, into which I will add several laurel dry leaves. You may not believe it, but I still have laurel dry leaves from my store!

Lucky bamboo is not, in fact, related to true bamboo plants. This high-humidity houseplant can grow to heights of nearly five feet.Dracaena sanderiana is considered non-toxic to humans.The ASPCA's Poison Control Center lists lucky bamboo as a toxic substance...

These days, botanical or plant diversity is an oft-heard concept, but it can be difficult to determine what it means to the individual gardener or homeowner. Don't plant the same veggies year after year.

The farmer left the third field unplanted, or fallow, so that nutrients could increase in the soil. In the second field, he planted an annual legume such as lentils (Lens culinaris) or peas (Pisum sativum).

The lumber of this tree is known by many names, among them Acoume, Gaboon wood, Uume and Zouga. Within its native range, Okoume is considered widespread and relatively common. Okoume peels and slices easily and evenly, and this combines with its good...

Or maybe I should just wait for a car with an open window to stop on our corner. It sounds like a busy weekend ahead. The tomatoes have been ripped out (they did eventually succumb to the late blight that plagued gardeners up and down the East Coast),...

I've found that sentiment to be true in other areas of life, too: Novelty and pleasure often go hand in hand. Novelty is the great parent of pleasure. When I was growing up, I was a pretty picky eater.

In fact, the University of California rates bougainvillea as a "reasonably safe bet" when it comes to deer-resistant plants.Bougainvillea is desirable for its showy colored bracts, or modified leaves.

Always find out the acceptable pH range for the plants being grown, and adjust the pH to within a few tenths of the middle of the range. Soil pH can best be lowered to an acceptable range in one of two ways.

But by taking the time to give some extra care and thought to your soil at the beginning and end of each gardening season, you'll cultivate soil that will support the growth of healthy fruits and vegetables that you'll enjoy for years to come.

It offered suggestions for areas to insulate now versus later and explained how each would impact the home's efficiency. I was curious to see how the insulation could be contained, knowing that spray foam expanded once sprayed.

After determining that the chicks have arrived safely, inspecting for pasty butt, and introducing them to heat, water and feed, the question we ask (as the immediacy wanes) is, “OK, which one's which?” I'm not sure why we're so intent on identifying...

It also has the highest number of calories per unit area of any plant.Sugar cane is comprised of stalks, leaves and a root system. Sugar makers clean the juice with slaked lime, which settles the dirt and other particles suspended in the juice.

Other varieties include Jaio Scarlet Eye, Peppermint Cooler and the unusual Blue Pearl, which is an F-1 hybrid with light blue blooms. Colorado State University's website suggests planting vinca if you want to deter deer.Vinca serves well in the borders...