A story in the Albany Times Union had a story about late blight on tomatoes being spread throughout the northeast from plants sold by Home Depot.
The source: Bonnie Greenhouses with dozens of growing ranges in several states. The blight got into a 10 acre field and destroyed the entire crop.
One more reason to buy local....
02 July 2009
One More Reason To Buy Local
A story in the Albany Times Union had a story about late blight on tomatoes being spread throughout the northeast from plants sold by Home Depot.
The source: Bonnie Greenhouses with dozens of growing ranges in several states. The blight got into a 10 acre field and destroyed the entire crop.
One more reason to buy local....
The source: Bonnie Greenhouses with dozens of growing ranges in several states. The blight got into a 10 acre field and destroyed the entire crop.
One more reason to buy local....
04 June 2009
Hooray for Horehound
Over the weekend I was jolted with a case of bronchitis that hit me out of the blue. In a matter of hours I went from helping customers with last minute plantings to asleep on the couch where I remained for almost four days.
A trip to the doc confirmed acute bronchitis. As a precaution due to something showing up on my X-ray I was given an antibiotic as well.
However before the antibiotic had a chance to kick in I went out to my herb garden and pulled some herbs for a tea in hopes of at least alleviating the cough and chest pressure. I then dried some Horehound, lemon catnip, lemon balm, gray sage and basil leaves.
In a hurry I used the microwave. The leaves were dried to crisp perfection in three minutes. I then boiled some water and poured it over the leafy mixture in the bottom of a tea pot. After four minutes of steeping the concoction was poured in a small coffee cup.
The results? At first, very bitter. However a little sugar and some honey sweetened the grog to drinkability.
I must say I felt almost immediate relief from the pressure in my chest and was breathing easier. Long term? I must say it helped. I feel the best part of the mixture was keeping it somewhat bitter to prevent consuming the tea like a soft drink, all at once.
In my opinion slowly drinking the hot herbal blend slowly has a lot to do with the success of my tea.
A trip to the doc confirmed acute bronchitis. As a precaution due to something showing up on my X-ray I was given an antibiotic as well.
However before the antibiotic had a chance to kick in I went out to my herb garden and pulled some herbs for a tea in hopes of at least alleviating the cough and chest pressure. I then dried some Horehound, lemon catnip, lemon balm, gray sage and basil leaves.
In a hurry I used the microwave. The leaves were dried to crisp perfection in three minutes. I then boiled some water and poured it over the leafy mixture in the bottom of a tea pot. After four minutes of steeping the concoction was poured in a small coffee cup.
The results? At first, very bitter. However a little sugar and some honey sweetened the grog to drinkability.
I must say I felt almost immediate relief from the pressure in my chest and was breathing easier. Long term? I must say it helped. I feel the best part of the mixture was keeping it somewhat bitter to prevent consuming the tea like a soft drink, all at once.
In my opinion slowly drinking the hot herbal blend slowly has a lot to do with the success of my tea.
04 May 2009
Historical Perspective on Herbs
The continued popularity of herbs and herbs in the garden amazes me. Few trends in gardening have lasted so long. The Chia Pet comes and goes, aqua globes have outlived their appeal and yes even some day soon the upside tomato planer, a.k.a. Topsy Turvy, will fade from the garden scene. One blast from the past this spring took a little detective work to discover it’s comeback. Dozens of gardeners new and experienced have been requesting large bags of vermiculite to use in their outdoor gardens. I could not figure out for the life of me why all of a sudden gardeners were using 4 cubic foot bags of mica in their planting beds. It finally dawned on me when a brand new gardener approached me and asked for large bags of vermiculite and FIVE different kinds of compost! Compost is such a generic term for anything organic and rotted these days that finding a good source of one kind of compost is difficult let alone five different ones!
This request brought forth a look of bewilderment to myself and seasoned garden industry veteran Jim Howard. We looked at each other and said almost at the same time “Square foot gardening”?The customer said, “Yes, how did you know”? I answered the vermiculite and five different composts gave it away. A ne w organic version of Square Foot Gardening has been released and sales of vermiculite have soared ever sense.
This to shall come to pass since books like Square Foot Gardening are the source of the joke about the $7 per pound home grown tomato. But herbs and herb gardening will never go away as they have entrenched in gardening history and folklore for eternity. The newly rediscovered health benefits of herbs and their ease of growing will see to that their longevity continues unabated.
The first recorded use of herbs is found upon the stone tablets of the Sumerians dating back almost 6,000 years. They managed to experiment with and tabulate the properties of some 250 varieties of herbs. Amongst their writings were poppies, which even then was used fr it’s narcotic and tranquilizing tendencies.
Garlic and onions were used by Egyptians around 2000 BC. These potent herbs were fed to the builders of the pyramids. An ancient Egyptian document written on papyrus lists hundreds of medical prescriptions for herbs. In addition herbs were used by Egyptians in the embalming process as well as fumigation and cosmetic uses. This document known as the Ebers Papyrus dates back to 1500 BC. This writing was discovered in the 1870's by archaeologists.
The Ancient Greeks were also important recorders of herbs beneficial uses. Greek herbals were written by experts on the sub ject about 300 BC. These writings contained information on some 500 species of herbs from information written down by Aristotle himself.
The standard herbal for the last 1500 years was written by Discorides in the first century AD. His treatise entitled “De Materia Medica” has been the basis for national pharmacopeias ever since. In fact much of the information contained in De Materia Medica still holds true today. In detailed writing Discorides describes the method of use for over 600 different plants having medicinal or curative properties.
However after the Roman Empire fell and the world entered the Dark Ages little additional research was done on discovering the benefits of these wonderful plants we call herbs. It was not until the reformation that science began to gain respectability and studies of herbs returned to the forefront.While Europe was muddling through these dark times scholars in the Arab world began translating the Greek manuscripts into Latin.
The first use of herbs in formal garden settings were gathered from the wild. They were then grown in and around temples and used in religious ceremonies. The Benedictine Monks in St. Gall Switzerland had detailed plans for a monastery herb garden as early as the 10th century.
Using herbs for household and culinary uses did not begin until the 1200's. Before gaining popularity as culinary20delights the scents of various herbs played an important role in the home. Highly scented herbs, sure to include lavender, were hung in bunches around homes in old times to discourage vermin such as rats and mice from taking up shop. Rich folks carried around sachets filled with aromatic herbal mixtures to ward off bad smells and reduce the risk of infection. Personal hygiene was highly lacking in those days.
Herbs began to be used in culinary form as a way to bring back flavor to foods preserved heavily with salt. At first most herbs used for cooking and flavoring were those only grown locally. As explorers opened up the world to more markets they returned with herbs and spices that ignited an insatiable hunt for the secret passage to India. In history class we revere these explorers for bringing back to their homes wonderful new products and foods. Yet at the same time we want nothing but food grown locally and close to home. How many of you could go without that morning cup of coffee with beans grown in the far flung reaches of the world?
While lacking in conventional wisdom the Dark Ages did have wide range of uses for herbs. Religious rituals were not the only ones herbs. Witches , magicians and sorcerers were also fond of conjuring up the burning smells of dried herbs when practicing their rituals. Mandrake is a feared herb of old. Resembling a human form beneath the surface of the ground it was said to emit shrieks of fatal terror when dug up that dogs were used to unearth the root.
Herbs have shown up in all forms of literature as well. Even in the Bible. “Better a dinner of herbs where love is than a stalled ox and hatred therewith” says Proverbs. Shakespeare, never at a loss of descriptive verbiage, wrote in The Winters’ Tale, or you there’s rosemary and rue, these keep seeming and savor all the winter long”.
So there you have strong evidence regarding the staying power of herbs. There is a new breed of snake oil salesman on Sunday afternoon talk radio and the endless info-mercials touting an herbal medley for your digestive tract. While their pitch may be venomous there are thousands of well documented studies proving herbs deserve a place in our dietary rotation.
This request brought forth a look of bewilderment to myself and seasoned garden industry veteran Jim Howard. We looked at each other and said almost at the same time “Square foot gardening”?The customer said, “Yes, how did you know”? I answered the vermiculite and five different composts gave it away. A ne w organic version of Square Foot Gardening has been released and sales of vermiculite have soared ever sense.
This to shall come to pass since books like Square Foot Gardening are the source of the joke about the $7 per pound home grown tomato. But herbs and herb gardening will never go away as they have entrenched in gardening history and folklore for eternity. The newly rediscovered health benefits of herbs and their ease of growing will see to that their longevity continues unabated.
The first recorded use of herbs is found upon the stone tablets of the Sumerians dating back almost 6,000 years. They managed to experiment with and tabulate the properties of some 250 varieties of herbs. Amongst their writings were poppies, which even then was used fr it’s narcotic and tranquilizing tendencies.
Garlic and onions were used by Egyptians around 2000 BC. These potent herbs were fed to the builders of the pyramids. An ancient Egyptian document written on papyrus lists hundreds of medical prescriptions for herbs. In addition herbs were used by Egyptians in the embalming process as well as fumigation and cosmetic uses. This document known as the Ebers Papyrus dates back to 1500 BC. This writing was discovered in the 1870's by archaeologists.
The Ancient Greeks were also important recorders of herbs beneficial uses. Greek herbals were written by experts on the sub ject about 300 BC. These writings contained information on some 500 species of herbs from information written down by Aristotle himself.
The standard herbal for the last 1500 years was written by Discorides in the first century AD. His treatise entitled “De Materia Medica” has been the basis for national pharmacopeias ever since. In fact much of the information contained in De Materia Medica still holds true today. In detailed writing Discorides describes the method of use for over 600 different plants having medicinal or curative properties.
However after the Roman Empire fell and the world entered the Dark Ages little additional research was done on discovering the benefits of these wonderful plants we call herbs. It was not until the reformation that science began to gain respectability and studies of herbs returned to the forefront.While Europe was muddling through these dark times scholars in the Arab world began translating the Greek manuscripts into Latin.
The first use of herbs in formal garden settings were gathered from the wild. They were then grown in and around temples and used in religious ceremonies. The Benedictine Monks in St. Gall Switzerland had detailed plans for a monastery herb garden as early as the 10th century.
Using herbs for household and culinary uses did not begin until the 1200's. Before gaining popularity as culinary20delights the scents of various herbs played an important role in the home. Highly scented herbs, sure to include lavender, were hung in bunches around homes in old times to discourage vermin such as rats and mice from taking up shop. Rich folks carried around sachets filled with aromatic herbal mixtures to ward off bad smells and reduce the risk of infection. Personal hygiene was highly lacking in those days.
Herbs began to be used in culinary form as a way to bring back flavor to foods preserved heavily with salt. At first most herbs used for cooking and flavoring were those only grown locally. As explorers opened up the world to more markets they returned with herbs and spices that ignited an insatiable hunt for the secret passage to India. In history class we revere these explorers for bringing back to their homes wonderful new products and foods. Yet at the same time we want nothing but food grown locally and close to home. How many of you could go without that morning cup of coffee with beans grown in the far flung reaches of the world?
While lacking in conventional wisdom the Dark Ages did have wide range of uses for herbs. Religious rituals were not the only ones herbs. Witches , magicians and sorcerers were also fond of conjuring up the burning smells of dried herbs when practicing their rituals. Mandrake is a feared herb of old. Resembling a human form beneath the surface of the ground it was said to emit shrieks of fatal terror when dug up that dogs were used to unearth the root.
Herbs have shown up in all forms of literature as well. Even in the Bible. “Better a dinner of herbs where love is than a stalled ox and hatred therewith” says Proverbs. Shakespeare, never at a loss of descriptive verbiage, wrote in The Winters’ Tale, or you there’s rosemary and rue, these keep seeming and savor all the winter long”.
So there you have strong evidence regarding the staying power of herbs. There is a new breed of snake oil salesman on Sunday afternoon talk radio and the endless info-mercials touting an herbal medley for your digestive tract. While their pitch may be venomous there are thousands of well documented studies proving herbs deserve a place in our dietary rotation.
Historical Perspective on Herbs
The continued popularity of herbs and herbs in the garden amazes me. Few trends in gardening have lasted so long. The Chia Pet comes and goes, aqua globes have outlived their appeal and yes even some day soon the upside tomato planer, a.k.a. Topsy Turvy, will fade from the garden scene. One blast from the past this spring took a little detective work to discover it’s comeback. Dozens of gardeners new and experienced have been requesting large bags of vermiculite to use in their outdoor gardens. I could not figure out for the life of me why all of a sudden gardeners were using 4 cubic foot bags of mica in their planting beds. It finally dawned on me when a brand new gardener approached me and asked for large bags of vermiculite and FIVE different kinds of compost! Compost is such a generic term for anything organic and rotted these days that finding a good source of one kind of compost is difficult let alone five different ones!
This request brought forth a look of bewilderment to myself and seasoned garden industry veteran Jim Howard. We looked at each other and said almost at the same time “Square foot gardening”?The customer said, “Yes, how did you know”? I answered the vermiculite and five different composts gave it away. A ne w organic version of Square Foot Gardening has been released and sales of vermiculite have soared ever sense.
This to shall come to pass since books like Square Foot Gardening are the source of the joke about the $7 per pound home grown tomato. But herbs and herb gardening will never go away as they have entrenched in gardening history and folklore for eternity. The newly rediscovered health benefits of herbs and their ease of growing will see to that their longevity continues unabated.
The first recorded use of herbs is found upon the stone tablets of the Sumerians dating back almost 6,000 years. They managed to experiment with and tabulate the properties of some 250 varieties of herbs. Amongst their writings were poppies, which even then was used fr it’s narcotic and tranquilizing tendencies.
Garlic and onions were used by Egyptians around 2000 BC. These potent herbs were fed to the builders of the pyramids. An ancient Egyptian document written on papyrus lists hundreds of medical prescriptions for herbs. In addition herbs were used by Egyptians in the embalming process as well as fumigation and cosmetic uses. This document known as the Ebers Papyrus dates back to 1500 BC. This writing was discovered in the 1870's by archaeologists.
The Ancient Greeks were also important recorders of herbs beneficial uses. Greek herbals were written by experts on the sub ject about 300 BC. These writings contained information on some 500 species of herbs from information written down by Aristotle himself.
The standard herbal for the last 1500 years was written by Discorides in the first century AD. His treatise entitled “De Materia Medica” has been the basis for national pharmacopeias ever since. In fact much of the information contained in De Materia Medica still holds true today. In detailed writing Discorides describes the method of use for over 600 different plants having medicinal or curative properties.
However after the Roman Empire fell and the world entered the Dark Ages little additional research was done on discovering the benefits of these wonderful plants we call herbs. It was not until the reformation that science began to gain respectability and studies of herbs returned to the forefront.While Europe was muddling through these dark times scholars in the Arab world began translating the Greek manuscripts into Latin.
The first use of herbs in formal garden settings were gathered from the wild. They were then grown in and around temples and used in religious ceremonies. The Benedictine Monks in St. Gall Switzerland had detailed plans for a monastery herb garden as early as the 10th century.
Using herbs for household and culinary uses did not begin until the 1200's. Before gaining popularity as culinary20delights the scents of various herbs played an important role in the home. Highly scented herbs, sure to include lavender, were hung in bunches around homes in old times to discourage vermin such as rats and mice from taking up shop. Rich folks carried around sachets filled with aromatic herbal mixtures to ward off bad smells and reduce the risk of infection. Personal hygiene was highly lacking in those days.
Herbs began to be used in culinary form as a way to bring back flavor to foods preserved heavily with salt. At first most herbs used for cooking and flavoring were those only grown locally. As explorers opened up the world to more markets they returned with herbs and spices that ignited an insatiable hunt for the secret passage to India. In history class we revere these explorers for bringing back to their homes wonderful new products and foods. Yet at the same time we want nothing but food grown locally and close to home. How many of you could go without that morning cup of coffee with beans grown in the far flung reaches of the world?
While lacking in conventional wisdom the Dark Ages did have wide range of uses for herbs. Religious rituals were not the only ones herbs. Witches , magicians and sorcerers were also fond of conjuring up the burning smells of dried herbs when practicing their rituals. Mandrake is a feared herb of old. Resembling a human form beneath the surface of the ground it was said to emit shrieks of fatal terror when dug up that dogs were used to unearth the root.
Herbs have shown up in all forms of literature as well. Even in the Bible. “Better a dinner of herbs where love is than a stalled ox and hatred therewith” says Proverbs. Shakespeare, never at a loss of descriptive verbiage, wrote in The Winters’ Tale, or you there’s rosemary and rue, these keep seeming and savor all the winter long”.
So there you have strong evidence regarding the staying power of herbs. There is a new breed of snake oil salesman on Sunday afternoon talk radio and the endless info-mercials touting an herbal medley for your digestive tract. While their pitch may be venomous there are thousands of well documented studies proving herbs deserve a place in our dietary rotation.
This request brought forth a look of bewilderment to myself and seasoned garden industry veteran Jim Howard. We looked at each other and said almost at the same time “Square foot gardening”?The customer said, “Yes, how did you know”? I answered the vermiculite and five different composts gave it away. A ne w organic version of Square Foot Gardening has been released and sales of vermiculite have soared ever sense.
This to shall come to pass since books like Square Foot Gardening are the source of the joke about the $7 per pound home grown tomato. But herbs and herb gardening will never go away as they have entrenched in gardening history and folklore for eternity. The newly rediscovered health benefits of herbs and their ease of growing will see to that their longevity continues unabated.
The first recorded use of herbs is found upon the stone tablets of the Sumerians dating back almost 6,000 years. They managed to experiment with and tabulate the properties of some 250 varieties of herbs. Amongst their writings were poppies, which even then was used fr it’s narcotic and tranquilizing tendencies.
Garlic and onions were used by Egyptians around 2000 BC. These potent herbs were fed to the builders of the pyramids. An ancient Egyptian document written on papyrus lists hundreds of medical prescriptions for herbs. In addition herbs were used by Egyptians in the embalming process as well as fumigation and cosmetic uses. This document known as the Ebers Papyrus dates back to 1500 BC. This writing was discovered in the 1870's by archaeologists.
The Ancient Greeks were also important recorders of herbs beneficial uses. Greek herbals were written by experts on the sub ject about 300 BC. These writings contained information on some 500 species of herbs from information written down by Aristotle himself.
The standard herbal for the last 1500 years was written by Discorides in the first century AD. His treatise entitled “De Materia Medica” has been the basis for national pharmacopeias ever since. In fact much of the information contained in De Materia Medica still holds true today. In detailed writing Discorides describes the method of use for over 600 different plants having medicinal or curative properties.
However after the Roman Empire fell and the world entered the Dark Ages little additional research was done on discovering the benefits of these wonderful plants we call herbs. It was not until the reformation that science began to gain respectability and studies of herbs returned to the forefront.While Europe was muddling through these dark times scholars in the Arab world began translating the Greek manuscripts into Latin.
The first use of herbs in formal garden settings were gathered from the wild. They were then grown in and around temples and used in religious ceremonies. The Benedictine Monks in St. Gall Switzerland had detailed plans for a monastery herb garden as early as the 10th century.
Using herbs for household and culinary uses did not begin until the 1200's. Before gaining popularity as culinary20delights the scents of various herbs played an important role in the home. Highly scented herbs, sure to include lavender, were hung in bunches around homes in old times to discourage vermin such as rats and mice from taking up shop. Rich folks carried around sachets filled with aromatic herbal mixtures to ward off bad smells and reduce the risk of infection. Personal hygiene was highly lacking in those days.
Herbs began to be used in culinary form as a way to bring back flavor to foods preserved heavily with salt. At first most herbs used for cooking and flavoring were those only grown locally. As explorers opened up the world to more markets they returned with herbs and spices that ignited an insatiable hunt for the secret passage to India. In history class we revere these explorers for bringing back to their homes wonderful new products and foods. Yet at the same time we want nothing but food grown locally and close to home. How many of you could go without that morning cup of coffee with beans grown in the far flung reaches of the world?
While lacking in conventional wisdom the Dark Ages did have wide range of uses for herbs. Religious rituals were not the only ones herbs. Witches , magicians and sorcerers were also fond of conjuring up the burning smells of dried herbs when practicing their rituals. Mandrake is a feared herb of old. Resembling a human form beneath the surface of the ground it was said to emit shrieks of fatal terror when dug up that dogs were used to unearth the root.
Herbs have shown up in all forms of literature as well. Even in the Bible. “Better a dinner of herbs where love is than a stalled ox and hatred therewith” says Proverbs. Shakespeare, never at a loss of descriptive verbiage, wrote in The Winters’ Tale, or you there’s rosemary and rue, these keep seeming and savor all the winter long”.
So there you have strong evidence regarding the staying power of herbs. There is a new breed of snake oil salesman on Sunday afternoon talk radio and the endless info-mercials touting an herbal medley for your digestive tract. While their pitch may be venomous there are thousands of well documented studies proving herbs deserve a place in our dietary rotation.
12 April 2009
Germination Achieved
Bottom heat is the secret to getting seeds to germinate properly. The cilantro I planted on 4/5 and listed germination as 7-14 days showed 100% germination in six days a heat mat.
The young seedlings are resting comfortably under a 150 watt high pressure sodium lamp courtesy of National Garden Wholesale.
The Serrano chiles are just starting to pop. Planted also on 4/5 they listed a germination time of 14-21 days. Lift off here occurred in 7.
The young seedlings are resting comfortably under a 150 watt high pressure sodium lamp courtesy of National Garden Wholesale.
The Serrano chiles are just starting to pop. Planted also on 4/5 they listed a germination time of 14-21 days. Lift off here occurred in 7.
06 April 2009
Cilantro...........
For the lack of anything better to do since the soil is cold I started some cilantro seed last night. Got the seeds on a hydrofarm heat mat with a large gro-dome to keep the heat close to the soil. Our home is kept cool around 59*.
Cilantro should sprout in about a week. Then time to transplant into larger pots and wait for warmer weather to plant them out in the garden.
Cilantro should sprout in about a week. Then time to transplant into larger pots and wait for warmer weather to plant them out in the garden.
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