10 Weeds That Heal (from http://www.thereadystore.com) was a fairly popular post, so here is a companion, 10 Herbs That Heal. Go eat some plants!!
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When choosing a property to buy for a new homestead, water is one of the most important things to consider. If you plan on keeping livestock, growing a garden, or being self sufficient in any way, you must have a good source of water, preferably more than one.
We have a well that has a hand pump on it, but we also have two ponds that have trouble holding water during droughts. We also have a windmill that isn't hooked to a water source, so we want to drill a well for our windmill to keep our ponds full. This man has an interesting lesson on how to drill your own well. I haven't tried it yet, but we hope to do so in the spring. Have any of you ever used this method, and if so, what did you learn from it? HOW TO DRILL YOUR OWN WELL Lavender is one of my favorite plants, because it is not only beautiful, but so incredibly useful. I have planted countless lavender plants at my place over the past couple of years (and at the last house too), and just adore it. So easy to care for, and it is lovely year round here in zone 6.
Lavender can be used for calming teas, for aromatherapy, in bath water, to make essential oil, to cook with, to make soaps; the possibilites are endless. Last year when the parking lot plant sellers were getting rid of all their remaining plants, I stopped in and bought ALL of their lavender for about 25% of the original price. There are deals to be had, if you time your shopping just right. I gave some away to friends, and planted the rest. I can never have too much. From www.crunchybetty.com, here are many different ideas for using lavender, one of the most useful plants out there. Crunchy Gift Ideas: Love ALL the Lavender! I am dreaming of spring, and with spring comes the many ideas of building fences, arbors, and railings out of sticks, limbs and logs gathered here at the farm. Below are just a few of the ideas that I have gathered from around the web. I love the idea of building with materials that are not only free, but are also much more beautiful than anything you will find at a store.
Some people count sheep while trying to fall asleep; I count sticks. What will you build this spring? This idea caught my eye, because we are always looking for new ways to use eggs. This isn't my photo, so you'll have to use your imagination as to how to create this for your family!
It is a beautiful, and strangely warm, February day here in Kansas. Many doings are afoot outside, in a furious attempt to get ready for spring. Cleaning out the barn, finishing the rabbit enclosure hopefully before the babies are born, trying to construct the fencing for the broody house so we can hatch some eggs and sell some chicks, babying the seedlings so they will be ready for transplant, finding time to get a new load of straw bales for some raised bed gardens we are planing this year, and on and on the list goes.
I have so many articles waiting to be finished so that I can put them here for you, but I suppose I need to find time when the sun goes down for that; daylight is burning away and there is much to be done outside. My Newfoundland keeps finding bits of a rotting dear carcass, which is making her sick. Woke up this morning to a rather unpleasant gift from her, and found that I have probably killed my celery as well. It appears the pots were too close to the heater I use to raise the air temperature for our seed starting area, and the celery has collapsed. Ah well, I will just start more, and learn that celery does NOT like to be warm. And so, as I drain the last of my morning coffee, all these issues are bouncing around in my head, waiting for me to fix/build/care for them all. I leave you with this photo, which makes me smile, and the idea that homegrown food is not only good for you physical health, but your mental health as well. From the Vegetable Gardener, a really great list of plants for supporting bees and butterflies. If you plant a vegetable garden, have an herb garden, or have fruit trees, this idea will not only benefit you, but also you local bee and butterfly population. When it comes to vegetable and fruit production pollinating insects are the very lifeblood of the garden. For the majority of food plants they're 100% necessary, so it's important to make pollinators at home in the garden and encourage them to stay. This is yet another reason that my heart belongs to herbs -- they're incredible performers on so many levels. In the kitchen as food, seasonings, and garnishes. They're found in everyday beauty products and their natural health benefits have been proven time and time again. As if all of those things weren't enough, many herbs produce flowers that are completely irresistible to pollinating insects, as well as an unlimited number of wildlife species including native bee species, honey bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Complement your vegetable garden some polliantor-seducing herbs. Herbs That Attract Butterflies Butterflies are the happiest in sipping on flowers planted in areas with good sun and little or no wind.
Herbs That Attract Bees Bees prefer single-petaled flowers as they make it easier to get to sweet nectar. Try planting:
Check out the Vegetable Gardener's site for the rest of the list, including plants for hummingbirds! I think this idea has been the most popular on the facebook site so far. Rebar used for support, and row after row of strawberries planted in guttering. The strawberries hang over the sides, allowing for easy gathering, as well as a very pretty photo. Planting strawberries like this would also make it difficult for many of the usual bugs and pests to bother the plants.
If you are trying to plant seeds that are super tiny, a great way to keep track of them and plant them evenly is to layer them between toilet paper. Lay one layer in the dirt, sprinkle the seeds and move them around how you want them, then put another layer on top and spray with a water bottle to dampen the whole thing. Keeps those tiny seeds in place, and the white of the toilet paper allows you to see them.
This photo gives you an idea (not my photo), and it uses several layers of toilet paper. I'll leave the number of layers to you. I'm assuming the photo is just for displaying the idea; you would want to do this outside where you are going to plant. Otherwise, it might all fall apart before you get to the garden! |