Calming Lavender

Lavender is loved and renowned for it's calming properties.This beautiful purple herb is easily grown in containers. When starting your own vertical or container garden, why not add Lavender to the mix?

Lavender not only helps calm and sooth your senses, it also keeps insects at bay. Pluck a few Lavender flowers, crush, and rub along your arms and legs while sitting outside for a natural insect repellant. You will have to watch for bees though, as they actually love the scent of Lavender as much as we do. To make an insect repellent spray, mix Lavender flowers and white vinegar in a spray bottle. Allow to sit and infuse for 2 weeks, shaking daily. Applying the mixture to places where you have already been bitten can also soothe the itch and irritation. 

One of my favorite uses for Lavender is adding it to a sachet and sewing into a loved doll or stuffed animal. The calming herb does wonders to gently soothe a child and help them drift of peacefully to sleep. These sachets are also great to add to drawers, closets, or just to keep nearby for any time that you need a moment to relax. Get creative in how you use them.

I like to plant my Lavender near my entryways and windows so I can always enjoy a calming moment before I walk in the door, or before I leave out into this hectic world. I use Nancy Jane stacking planters to mix my Lavender with other herbs like Mint, Parsley, or Cilantro. I also use a Woolly Pocket for stand alone Lavender in my vertical garden designs.

You can find both of these planters and so many more on our website,

www.VerticalGardeningSystems.com

What do you love to use Lavender for? 

Sage~ "The Healthiest Herb"

Sage is known as the herb of the wise. It's name is derived from the Latin Salvare which roughly translates as "to rescue" or "to heal". Traditionally is it believed that those who ate Sage became immortal in wisdom and life. In modern times, we still recognize how wonderful Sage is and although it won't make us live forever, it will improve the life we have been given. Leaves are used fresh or dried to flavor wonderful food dishes as well as work against bacterias that cause digestive issues, food poisoning, and more.

Sage is a very hardy plant that is able to withstand harsher climates with the proper care. Sage is a clumping herb that thrives with full sun and moderate watering without an overly moist soil. It makes the perfect container plant, alone or as greenery to flowers. As soon as the leaves have grown large enough to serve your needs, you can start harvesting them. Sage is also rated as one of the world's healthiest foods and is not a commonly allergic food.

Sage is a great anti-oxidant, anti-septic, and anti-inflammatory, as well as so many other things. It has been used in a tea or oil form as a remedy for respiratory infections, congestion, cough, and sore throat, packing a big punch in a little plant for cold season.  needs. Sage is also used externally to treat sprains, bleeding, and swelling. It works wonders as a muscle relaxer because of the anti-spasmodic properties that reduces tension in smooth muscles. It is thanks to this property that it is also a great alternative to use for dizziness, nervousness, and excitability.

Sage is also used to treat or help in these common ailments:

• Clean ulcers or sores
• Kidney troubles
• Hemorrhage from lungs or stomach
• Joint pain
• Night sweats
• Nervous headache
• Lack of appetite
• Mouthwash
• Liver complaints
• Insect stings and bites
• Excessive, scanty, or irregular periods
• Hot flashes
• Oral inflammation
• Improvement in memory

*Sage should not be used internally by pregnant or nursing woman for more than just food seasoning. Medicinal doses can cause a reduction of breast milk in nursing mothers. In pregnant women, it can cause uterine spasms. To add flavor to your dish should not cause these side effects.*

Since Sage is such a simple to grow herb and so very useful, I like to keep plenty around. I am not a fan of digging big gardens myself for herbs. I like to have them at a level that makes picking simple. I absolutely love wall planters. A beautiful living wall of plants and herbs brings such peace. My favorites include Grovert framed wall planters. If you have good lighting, you can have an herb garden right in your kitchen because it is designed to protect your walls.

Another wonderful option is Wallpots. 3 deep pockets encourage deep rooting and can be hung on any outdoor vertical surface. Use just 1 or group together for your own unique garden. Maybe you don't want to create a living wall because you're renting or trying to sell. A Nancy Jane Stacking Planter boasts of 9 planting cells that are self watering. You can grow a mixture of plants, herbs, and vegetables while using very little space.

Check out these planters and so many more to create your own unique vertical garden at 
www.VerticalGardeningSystems.com

Mint ~ Not Just For Fresh Breath! PLUS! Soup recipe!

It is widely known that mint is wonderful for providing fresh breath. Our toothpaste, gum, and breath fresheners all have the benefits of mint. My favorite ice cream is mint-chocolate chip and I also love peppermint patties, but did you know that fresh mint has many more benefits than that? 

Cold season is fast approaching, for some of us it is even already staring us in the face. Mint can help give relief if a cold does strike you and your family. The strong aroma of mint provides great relief of congestion and irritation in the nose, throat, and lungs. This means you can breathe easier when you have a common cold or even ongoing respiratory disorders, like asthma. That being said, do not overuse mint for these purposes because too much can cause irritation.

Now that shorter days are coming, some people may feel the Winter Blues. This is a very real thing, but mint can help you combat it. Mint is a natural stimulant. Sometimes, just the smell alone can kick your brain back into high gear. When you are feeling tired, anxious, sluggish, or even depressed try fresh mint or essential oils. Add some to your tea or coffee, take a deep whiff, or even dab some on your skin. You will notice a quick, refreshing recharge. 

Even though insects are not as prevalent during cooler months, they will be swarming us again before we realize it. Mint has anti-pruritic properties, which are wonderful when used to treat insect bites such as mosquitoes, wasps, hornets, and more. Mint provides a cooling sensation which will calm the itching sensation these bites cause and a natural anti-inflammatory to bring the swelling down. Mint is also a wonderful repellant for bugs because the smell is unappealing to them. The same properties that give you relief from insects will also help with acne. It will soothe pimple irritation as it helps swelling and itching go down.

Mint aids in weight loss in a natural and healthy way. Not only does it stimulate your mind, mint also stimulates your digestive enzymes that absorbs the nutrients from food and consumes fat to change into energy. This means when you add mint to your diet, you are aiding in turning fat into energy. Not only will you feel like being more active, you will burn more fat while you are active. That is a win-win to me!

Growing Mint is simple. You don't have to have a lot of space to do it in either. I love the Nancy Jane Stacking Planter. It allows you to grow many different herbs and plants all at the same time. You can have a full blown herb garden in less than a foot of space! Maybe you would like to spruce up a drab wall or railing, Wallpots are perfect for that. Attach them right to your wall and start growing!

 If you would like to start your herbs from seeds, then a Seed Sprouter is just what you need. It takes

up very little room and you can keep an eye on those precious seedlings.

 

If you plan to use fresh walnuts that you gather yourself, then we would like to help you gather and crack them. Use a Nut Wizard to roll right over them, even in grass, so you don't have to bend over to gather them. We also carry a nice selection of quality Walnut Crackers so you can put that hammer down! 

All of these items and so much more are available on our websites. 

www.VerticalGardeningSystems.com

www.855sheller.com

www.GardenHarvesters.com 

 

Cilantro: Natural Healer

Did you know that some of those herbs you have planted are wonderful for more than just great flavoring in your favorite dishes? I love finding natural alternatives to use in place of some medicines and over a few blog posts, I want to share various ones with you. Today I will share about Cilantro. It is one of my favorites and I use it often. I especially love a fresh homemade salsa with Cilantro added.

Cilantro, also known as Coriander, is a wonderful cool weather herb. It thrives in a cool, moist garden, while it doesn't linger around in hot weather. You may recognize Cilantro from the unique flavor the leaves give when added into your favorite Mexican or Thai dishes. Cilantro seeds are also known as Coriander, which is a prime ingredient in Indian curries. It is noted to be one of the oldest spices in the world, dating back to 5,000 BC. Aside from a wonderful and refreshing flavor, Cilantro is a powerful digestive aid. Its cleansing properties are capable of removing heavy metals as well as other toxins from your body. Cilantro is also known to be a strong antioxidant, good source of calcium, and increase levels of HDL while lowering LDL. It has anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, antibacterial, anti-nausea, and antimicrobial properties. There are many more benefits to this little herb. I highly suggest adding it to your garden or herb box if you haven't already. Here is a simple recipe to use Cilantro. I am using the one from RealSimple.com that I enjoy. Eat this pesto on toast, in pasta dishes, and more for a refreshing flavor.

When I am growing my own herbs, I like to start seeds in a Sprouter. It helps me keep an eye on their growth and progress. I like to use the Victorio Seed Sprouter because it comes with 4 trays, so I can grow different types of seeds at one time. When they are ready, transplanting into a container is simple when you just remove them from the sprouter and into your rich soil. 

My favorite planter is Nancy Jane Stacking Self Watering Planter. This is a little planter that acts like you have plenty of space. 3 stacking planters offer 9 unique spaces to plant in. You can plant a wide variety of flowers, herbs, and vegetables all in the same planter, yet you don't have to have a lot of room.

To chop my ingredients for Pesto before adding them to the processor, I use a Food Chopper so I can get a smoother consistency without having to run the processor as long. If the Cilantro gets too heated, it can start losing the beneficial properties. 

You can find these items and more on our websites:

www.verticalgardeningsystems.com

www.855sheller.com

www.lawn-gardening-tools.com

Cool Weather Herbs and Rata-stoup-ie

I love to have fresh herbs on hand for all of the wonderful soups that come with cool weather. There is nothing quite like sitting around the table with loved ones to share a hearty and filling meal, unless you know that most of those ingredients came straight from your own bountiful garden. Seeing others enjoy the fruits of my labor always puts a smile on my face that is usually accompanied with a deep, content sigh.

You don't need much room to plant a little herb garden. Even if you are limited on space, you can still have fresh herbs. A few that do really well in mild cold weather months are Parsley, Cilantro, Mint, Sage, Rosemary, Thyme, Chives, and even Lavender. Fall is the perfect time of year to plant them since they are hardy and will grow quickly. Even better than that, you can plant them all together in the same container, or use beautiful green parsley and cilantro to spruce up existing flower gardens that are brimming with beautiful Winter flowers.

Now To Use Them!

I came across a wonderful Rata-Stoup-Ie recipe from Rachael Ray that is just delightful. It will use some of those fresh herbs you have lovingly planted and a few other garden fresh vegetables that you can also grow in small spaces. I hope you love this hearty soup as much as my family does!

Rata-stoup-ie

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup Olive Oil
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 lb potatoes quartered (ANY variety works, but I prefer small red potatoes)
• 1 eggplant, chopped, skin on
• 1 zucchini chopped, skin on
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 4 sprigs fresh Thyme
• 2 sprigs fresh Rosemary
• 4-5 leaves fresh Sage, thinly sliced
• 30oz tomato sauce
• 1qt chicken both
• Parsley, generous handful
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Bread of choice 

Preparation:

1. In a large soup or stock pot heat your olive oil and tilt pot around to cover the bottom and then add garlic over medium heat.
2. Add potatoes, eggplant, zucchini, and onion. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 min.
3. Add Thyme, Rosemary, and Sage, then season with salt and pepper.
4. Stir in tomato sauce and chicken broth, stirring thoroughly. Cover an cook over medium heat for 15 minutes; stir occasionally.
5. Remove from heat. Discard Thyme and Rosemary stems (leaves remain in soup and will have fallen off. You can omit this step but plucking the leaves before adding.) Stir in Parsley.
6. Serve with bread and enjoy!

I use vegetables from my garden and even make my own tomato sauce. For this particular recipe, you can use everything straight from your own garden except for the chicken stock of course. I like to make my own chicken stock when I boil chicken for other things and then I flavor the leftover water and can or even freeze it for later. While preparing everything, I like to have a little kitchen help. Here are the gadgets that help me prepare soups like this. You can find ALL of these wonderful helpers on our website www.lawn-gardening-tools.com or you can click right on the name to take you straight to the product. 

I have a special chopping board with knife that makes chopping all of these vegetables a breeze. One board, one knife, simple clean up and storage. I love my EZ Cutting Board. For smaller tasks, I sometimes use my Food Chopper. Either will work just as well and save you time.  For fresh tomato sauces, juice, stock, etc I use a Tomato Press.  I love to gather my garden fresh tomatoes and spend a day making puree, stocks, sauces, and marinara, then I freeze them so I can pull them out all during the year to enjoy. If you would like to can your tomatoes or make your own chicken broth, I highly recommend our Multi-Use Canner. It even has a built in thermometer. How neat is that?!

We even have you covered when you are ready to plant. Check us out at www.verticalgardeningsystems for a wide variety of container planters.

Tree Hugging Displays

Decorating yards, porches, and columns year round is so much fun. It gives you chances to change up the way things look for a fresh feel to your yard. I want to tell you about a neat new way to do just that, but even easier. The Tree Hugger is an ideal way to display flowers, holiday pumpkins, Christmas lights, and more.

The Tree Hugger doesn't require any tools, nails, or fasteners to work. An innovative simple cantilever design holds the Tree Hugger securely in position on any cylindrical shape 4"-11" around. The design also allows you to move it as you desire without damage to the structure you had it on. It can even be attached to crooked or angled trees for a unique decor.

The Tree Hugger holds three 1.5qt (6") flower pots and can also hold hanging baskets as well. Use it to showcase flowers, accessorize bird baths, decorate for Holidays, or even feed and water animals outside.

 Come on over and visit us at 

www.verticalgardeningsystems.com 

 to learn even more about it. We also have all of your other vertical garden needs covered.

No More Weeds In Our Beds!

A huge advantage to having a container or vertical garden is the decreased need to weed it. Having your plants safe and secure off the ground is a huge advantage when fighting weeds. But what if you love having your garden in the ground? The search for an effective alternative to removing weeds by hand can be daunting.  We have a few solutions that will help you in your search.

Another alternative is the Weed Dragon. Just as the name might imply, it uses flame power instead of herbicides. The propane torch kit does not burn the weed, but the high heat destroys the cell structure of the plant to kill the weed for good. This has been a popular green gas option for over 50 years in homes and gardens. The Weed Dragon is great for more than just a weed killer, it can be used to thaw frozen pipes, melt snow and ice, start a campfire, or even light charcoal. I don't know about you, but something that not only keeps my family and pets away from herbicides, but also serves multiple purposes is a winner to me.

We get overrun by Dandelions every year. Of course, my children love them. My youngest daughter will even surprise me in the car with one, which she has to make a wish and blow of course. Dandelion seeds everywhere! For me, I don't mind them so much, but they will take over a yard or garden before you can blink an eye. The only way to stop them is by getting to the root of the plant. most tools only get the bulb, but unless you get the whole root, you are just prolonging the amount of time before they pop right back up. This Dandelion Removal Tool solves that by going deep below ground, wrapping the root up, and pulling it out. Better than that, it doesn't require you to get on your hands and knees thanks to a long handle.

You can find both of these tools, as well as other cultivators, hand tools, and more at our websites:

www.lawn-gardening-tools.com

&

www.gardenharvesters.com

If you wish to try to skip these steps all together and just plant a container or vertical garden, then we have you covered for that as well. We have all sorts of ideas to get you started on a living wall or container veggie garden.

www.verticalgardeningsystems.com

A Pansy Always Remembers

Such a tough little flower, the Pansy, also known as Violet, thrives in cooler weather. I want to share some about it with you today. If you are looking to make a pretty Winter container garden, this is the flower for you!

The name Pansy is dervied from the French word pensée, meaning "thought". It was later changed over to the name Viola in the mid 15th century and the small flower became a symbol of remembrance. It is known as the flower with a face, which gained even more popularity when portrayed as part of the flower bed in the film, Alice in Wonderland.

 

You can grow your own flowers with a "face" with ease. If you are starting from seeds, start indoors for 6-8 weeks before you transplant outside. It is best to plant the seeds in Summer for winter flowering, or in late Winter for Spring and Summer blooms. Of course, you can always do like I do, which is realize, too late for seeds, that I would like to plant a garden. I buy my flowers ready to transplant straight from my local flower nursery. Pansy's love the sun and cooler temperatures. They do best in a moist, rich, and well-drained soil. When planting, space them 7-12 inches apart. Pansy's love water, so if they need to be perked up, make sure you are watering regularly...just don't drown them. These tough little flowers can survive light freezes and even short periods of snow cover.

If you are short on space, don't fret, you can still have a beautiful garden. We offer plenty of vertical and wall planters. One of our favorites for a Pansy is the Nancy Jane Self Watering Stacking Planter. It features 9 planting sections, so you can have a variety of flowers, vegetables, and herbs all together. Another unique option is a wall planter. The Flovert is a flexible hanging planter that can be used on walls, railings, or even fences. It gives your small space a big appearance. 5 sturdy pockets means endless possibilities.

Nancy Jane Stacking Planter

You can find these planters and so many more on our website,

www.verticalgardennigsystems.com

Prepare For Frost

Fall is rolling in and before you know it frost will sneak up on us. How will you protect your garden when that time comes? If you are like me, I used to lug my plants inside for the night...or nights..and then cart them right back out. It was time consuming and I found many unexpected guests, such as frogs, lizards, and bugs. I decided enough was enough and found some protection. These innovative products will save you so much time (and backache).

Mini Greenhouse

If you have a large amount of potted plants or a small garden, this Mini-Greenhouse includes an outdoor heat lamp for optimal protection of your precious plants during the frost and Winter. Easy to assemble by just popping it open, placing over your plants, and staking or tying down. Then just let this mini-greenhouse do the rest. This plant guard is 100% wind and water proof, as well as flame retardant. It features a full height zippered door for easy access to your plants. When you are finished for the season, just fold down and store inside its special storage bag until next season.

Clima-Hood

 I love hanging plants, but I don't love climbing to put them up, take them down, put them up...you get the picture. Now, I use Clima-Hoods to protect my hanging plants. The protective cover just slips right over your whole pot and plant then gently secure the drawstring for simple protection. These hoods are perfect for small shrubbery as well.

Do you grow your herbs in a window box? I do, so I use these Window Box Hoods to protect my winter herbs from the frost. Leave your boxes right where they are, slip one of these hoods over and pull the drawstring snug. These hoods are great for spring time to encourage early flowering as well. Don't just use and store, but use them year round.

 

These area few of my favorite products and I have used them year after year. They can all do double duty to protect against frost and encourage early flowering as well.  You can find these and so much more on our website 

www.lawngardeningideas.com 

We also have a lot of great planters and vertical gardening systems over at 

www.verticalgardeningsystems.com

Teach A Child To Garden

 

 Delight on a child's face must be one of the most rewarding feelings that a gardener can have when that sheer happiness is result of your garden. That tops right up there with knowing that you helped teach that child to garden. You are doing something magical for them. They get to see their efforts pay off and have pride in working with their sweet little hands. They are learning a life skill that will serve them well. It is proven that when a child helps you grow vegetables and fruits, they are more likely to eat them. They will beam with pride at what they have accomplished and eat healthier in the process. It reminds me of a proverb, but I am going to change it up a little....

A wonderful thing about working with children is that YOU don't have to be a perfect gardener, you just have to be willing to spend time together. As adults, we sometimes forget that things that are not new to us, are new to them. They see the world as full of amazement and wonder. So, get out there, get dirty, and have fun! What if you don't have a lot of space? That is ok also. Whoever said you have to dig in the ground to have a garden? Container gardens are just as wonderful. Any container that will allow moisture to flow through can work. If you are a beginner gardener yourself or want to teach your child about healthy eating, we have a wonderful middle ground. A garden that sits right on your counter top AND will encourage healthy eating.

A Sprout Garden is simple to start, easy to care for, and shows super fast results. You can go from planting to eating in just a few days. We offer a 3 tray Sprout Garden kit that has everything you need to get started, trays, seeds, and instructions. Add sprouts to your salads, sandwiches, and even in your smoothies for a great boost and pick-me-up. You don't have to limit the kit to only sprouts, grow broccoli, garbanzo, lentils, and much more. The added bonus of stackable trays is that you can not only grow many different things at once, but they take up very little room.

Come visit us at

 www.lawn-gardening-tools.com 

to have your kit shipped right to your front door.