You’ve got a glut of gorgeous broccoli heads, or the prettiest harvest of cauliflower: but the problem is, you can’t eat this many brassicas before they go bad! Luckily, it’s easy to freeze broccoli and cauliflower right at home. All you need is a few pots, a strainer, a cookie sheet, and a freezer, then…
Elderberry propagation might sound tricky and intimidating, but it’s simpler than you’d think! In fact, between creating clones via cuttings or starting new plants from seed, growing elderberry from cuttings is actually the easier way to get your hands on new plants! With just a sharp pair of pruning shears, a pot of soil, and…
Learn how to grow sweet violets or common violets from seed! Violets are a delightful addition to your woodland garden or tucked into shady areas or pots around your house. The pretty purple flowers are used to make tasty jellies, syrup, and vinegars, and the leaves can be used to makes soothing salves or lip…
Learn how to identify and forage for wild violets, plus how to harvest, preserve, and use them. Often considered a backyard weed, violets provide value to native butterflies, bees, and wildlife, and they offer food and herbal benefits for humans too! Foraging wild violets is an easy and fun springtime activity! Here’s how to make…
Turn edible peach flowers into this pretty springtime lemonade! It’s an ultra easy recipe that creates a single serving of naturally pink homemade lemonade. While ripe peaches are best known for being delicious fruits of summer, the peach tree itself can also be utilized year ’round. In Appalachian herbalism, peach leaves, flowers, and twigs are…
Once you’ve grown your own Alpine strawberries, you’ll find that you want more! An easy way to create more free plants and keep them healthy is to divide your Alpine strawberries every few years. Here’s how to do that! Alpine strawberries grow in dense clusters, forming thick green mounds. It might come as a surprise,…
Native plants are vital to supporting local birds, pollinators, and other wildlife. Learn how easy it is to grow a variety of native plants using the winter sowing method! In nature, wild plants produce flowers, then seeds, which naturally make their way to the ground and spend time over autumn and winter, experiencing lots of…
Learn how to identify and forage plantain, a common backyard weed, plus how to harvest, dry, and use it! The herbal weed we know as plantain belongs to the family Plantago – of which there are about 275 species worldwide. Some of the plantagos most commonly seen here in the United States are non-native, introduced…
Learn how to identify, harvest, and preserve wild American persimmons, a tasty late-fall foraged food! Look for American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) trees growing along field edges. They can sometimes have a shrubby appearance, especially when young, but can eventually grow quite tall – 20 to 60 feet. Unfortunately, many invasive shrubs, such as Autumn Olive…
Grow your own American ginseng from seeds (or rootlets). Learn where to buy seed, how to choose the best spots for planting, how to identify baby ginseng plants, and more! American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) is a valuable native plant that’s been used in herbal medicine throughout history. Because of its monetary value (mature roots sell…
Learn how to turn ripe cayenne peppers from your garden into cayenne powder and red pepper flakes. It’s super easy to make your own healthy and wholesome kitchen spices! Related articles: Grow & Make Your Own Paprika Powder and How to Make Celery Salt When to harvest your cayenne peppers: Harvest cayenne peppers when they’re…
This recipe for yellow squash patties is quick, easy, and delicious. They’re also super simple to make gluten free! A family favorite, this recipe comes straight from our late Grandma Tiny’s recipe collection. Our grandpa grew a ton of vegetables in his home gardens, and as a child of the Great Depression, Grandma let nothing…