Learn why currant tomatoes are an excellent addition to your garden and how to grow them! We’ll also focus on two varieties of currant tomatoes- Gold Rush Currant and Sweet Pea Currant. Both tomatoes are grown and cared for in the same way. About Currant Tomatoes These bright, pea-sized heirloom delights look similar to currants…
Learn how to grow Antler Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum sensu lato) using an indoor grow kit. It’s a super easy way to produce your own medicinal mushrooms at home! While we selectively forage wild reishi mushrooms from our land, and also grow them on inoculated buried logs down near our creek, we can’t resist buying indoor…
Our native passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) is a plant with many uses: it produces edible fruit called maypops, the leaves and buds have gentle calming properties, and the beautiful flowers are adored by pollinators! In fact, one specific butterfly, the Gulf Fritillary, relies on species of passionflower for its continued survival- it’s the only host plant…
Learn to grow and care for Sulfur Cosmos, a long blooming favorite of native pollinators, butterflies, and bees! A staple of pollinator and meadow mixes are the many varieties of cosmos. Two of most commonly used are the Wild Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus) also known as the common Cosmos; and Sulfur Cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus). The striking…
Learn how to grow and care for Indigo Rose Tomatoes. They’re beautiful and full of healthy antioxidants, plus perform well during high heat and drought conditions! About This tomato’s an interesting one! Between the name, the coloring, and its high anti-oxidant and anthocyanin content, Indigo Rose Tomato snags your attention when you come across it…
Learn how to grow and care for Dragon’s Egg Cucumbers. They’re mild, delicious, and fun to grow! About: Dragon’s Egg is a sweet and unique cream-colored cucumber that originates from Croatia. This is an excellent cucumber well-worth growing at least once in your garden- it’s a mild, faintly sweet-flavored, thin-skinned delicate little thing, free from…
Learn how to grow, harvest, and dry bee balm (wild bergamot), plus 8 creative ways to use it, including recipes for bee balm salve, tea, infused honey, and more! Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa, M. spp.) also called wild bergamot, is an excellent plant to put in a pollinator garden! Beloved by bumblebees, butterflies, and hummingbirds,…
Learn how to grow lavender from seeds or cuttings, tips on pruning, watering, and other growing requirements, then how to harvest and dry the flowers and leaves! Want more lavender in your life and flower beds? Try growing your own plants from seed or cuttings! How to Grow Lavender from Cuttings Rooting or propagating your…
In this article, you’ll learn how to forage for mullein flowers, leaves, and roots, then how to harvest and preserve them! Common mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is a favorite summer plant to forage! It has a unique look and lots of healthy benefits. Once you learn about mullein and the things you can make from it,…
Want a tall, bushy green plant loaded with tons of ruffled white flowers that the pollinators absolutely adore? Kilimanjaro white marigolds might be just what you’re looking for! The 2″ creamy flowers have open centers, unlike many marigolds, where the petals are so strongly ruffled that the pollen of the flowers is simply inaccessible to…
It’s a common point of confusion for many people – What’s the difference between calendula and marigolds? They’re basically the same thing, right? Can’t I just substitute one for the other? Calendula and marigolds are two very different plants with different actions, and trying to substitute one for the other isn’t advised. We personally blame…
Spilanthes is an herbalist’s best friend! The flowers, which look rather eyeball-like due to their shape and coloration, have natural medicinal properties and are a vital part of our herb garden. We always have a jar of spilanthes tincture in our medicine cabinet! It’s tied with lemon balm tincture for most used herbal remedy in…