I enjoy discovering different ingredients to use in my cooking, especially ingredients I can grow myself. Cuban oregano is one of those interesting flavors. A potent and versatile herb, Cuban oregano is known around the world by several different common names. Depending on your locale, you may have heard it called “soup mint,” Mexican mint, Spanish thyme, or Indian borage.
The best small tomato plants to grow (aka micro tomatoes!)
If you like growing tomatoes but don’t have enough space for full-size plants, try growing the small tomato plants known as micro tomatoes or micro dwarf tomatoes. These compact tomato plants taste just like the tomatoes you’re familiar with, but they grow on itty bitty plants. In this article, I’ll introduce you to these tiny treasures and share some of my favorite varieties to grow. Plus, you’ll find tips for plant care and ideas for where to grow them.
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Are pansies edible? Using pansy flowers in sweet and savory recipes
When spring is springing, I want to celebrate it both indoors and out. Every new bud and bloom is exciting,o and spring blooms are brought inside as decoration. Forced forsythia branches are added to vases with freshly cut tulips, at least one primula is potted up to brighten a room, and pansies are brought into the kitchen to decorate spring dishes. It’s fun to add fresh, edible blooms to salads and baking. They add a wow factor to the plate. If you’ve ever been wondering, are pansies edible, well, you are in luck. Because I love to include flowers in a variety of recipes (it’s basically edible crafting), I thought I’d share some different ways to enjoy pansies.
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Growing snap peas from seed: A seed to harvest guide
Snap peas are a spring treat and growing snap peas from seed is an easy and reliable way to enjoy a bumper crop of this popular vegetable. Peas thrive in cool weather and are among the first crops planted in early spring with the harvest beginning 50 to 70 days later, depending on the variety. Snap peas are often called ‘sugar snaps’ and have plump edible pods that are sweet and crunchy. This relatively new type of pea is delicious raw or cooked and can be grown in garden beds or containers. Below I cover everything you need to know when growing snap peas from seed.
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Basil companion plants: The best garden partners for basil plants
Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is an annual herb that not only brings flavor to the kitchen, but also surprising benefits to the garden. There are dozens of varieties of basil, and they all make great companions for so many other edible plants. This article isn’t focused on increasing your basil yield or even on how to make your harvest. Instead, it’s about which basil companion plants are great choices to grow side-by-side in the garden.
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When to cut back roses: Pruning advice for timing and technique
In late winter and early spring, as our green thumbs are itching to get back in the garden, there are a few tasks that can be accomplished as we wait for warmer temperatures. Knowing when to cut back roses is one of those to-dos that fits within this pre-gardening season timeframe. I will say that a lot of roses, especially the newer varieties, are pretty low maintenance and don’t require a ton of care. If you are buying a small plant, it will take some time to become established, so you don’t necessarily have to touch it for the first couple of years or so.
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