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.

• Chives
• Thyme
• Marjoram
• Catmint
• Mint
• Chives
• Yarrow
• Parsley

 


Herbs That Attract Bees

Bees prefer single-petaled flowers as they make it easier to get to sweet nectar. Try planting:

• Basil
• Lemon balm
• Lavender
• Anise hyssop
• Hyssop
• Borage
• Germander
• Sage
• Savory
• Chamomile
• Rosemary
• Dill
• Betony
• Lamb's ears
• Thyme
• Dandelion

Check out the Vegetable Gardener's site for the rest of the list, including plants for hummingbirds!

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!

If within 60 seconds I can think of another use for what would normally be considered trash, I keep that item.  Egg flats aren't great for storing our eggs, but I figured they would make great seed starters, as the material will degrade nicely when I transplant the seedlings outside.  I used these two flats to plant butterhead lettuce.  The old plastic bin lid underneath allows me to soak the seeds from the bottom.

The other day I planted a flat full of seeds.  To ID which space has what seed, I used a toothpick and some masking tape and wrote the name of each seed, then inserted the toothpick.  Easy plant ID using
materials you already have!

Here is a photo of one of the seed flats with all the ID toothpicks.  You can see last year I used this same flat, and used masking tape to ID each row.  This year, I planted more varieties of seed, but fewer of
each, so labeling each row wouldn't work.  I find that I can almost always solve every problem with things that I already have, rather than going out to buy something.

I don't like the word "weed".  It's connotation is that of something that is unwanted, unuseful and ugly.  I, for one, prefer plants that will grow without being asked, as well as benefit myself, my family and the local fauna.

One man's weed is another man's treasure.  ;)

Here is the link to the original source at http://www.thereadystore.com/

I am kind of a germ freak.  I don't like shaking hands, or touching doorknobs, or the very idea of public restrooms.  As a result, I try to go to town as little as possible, especially in the winter when people are confined and schools, workplaces and homes are turned into little petri dishes of bacteria growth.

The other day I simply HAD to go to town, no way around it.  My personal facebook page is chock full of locals talking about how everyone is sick with this or that, missing work and school, or going to work and school while sick, spreading the wealth.

While out and about, I tried to touch as little as possible, and I washed my hands as soon as I got home.  Last night I realized that I was rewarded for my trouble with swollen glands and a sore throat.  Time to do battle.

The above photo shows herbal tea that I would use for an upset stomach; honey, mint, lemon and ginger.  For germ warfare, my attack is layed out like this; elderberry syrup twice a day, up my D3 intake from 1000 IU to 2000 IU, and tea, as much as I can drink, made with honey and cinnamon, both powerful anti-bacterials, and dehydrated orange peels for the Vitamin C (I never throw out citrus peels!!!)

I can also drape a hot sock around my neck when my throat gets really sore.

Protecting yourself from germs, and fighting them when they do take hold, is an on-going battle.  Using herbal medicine is a way of life, and it's rarely the quick fix that synthetic medicines offer.  However, using food as medicine and avoiding chemicals whenever I can just makes sense to me. 

And so, I will stay inside and drink my teas, and hope that my children will learn that most often, nature offers the best cures around.

I don't like people telling me what to do.  So, when listing all my my favorite things and how I was going to go about growing them for myself and my family, I come across the fact that black pepper vines will not grow in my zone (6).  Fine.  I'll keep it in pots and move it inside and out until I have a greenhouse.  I got this vine as a teeny baby from Companion Plants (he has many plants that are difficult to find), and it is ready to be repotted to grow upward and give me lots of peppercorns. 

I have an entire cabinet full of stuff from Mountain Rose Herbs.  They sell very nice stuff if you make soap, lotion or just like to have essential oils on hand.  And again, I don't work for them and have nothing to gain from this post.  I just like to share reliable resources.