The difference between serving tea made from herbs you grow yourself and herb tea from a bag “is like the difference between serving your guests a good vintage wine instead of some cheap plonk,” says Conrad Richter, president of Richters Herbs in Goodwood, Ont. “Herbal teas packed in bags are usually powdered,” he explains, so they’re “almost never as flavourful as whole … [Read more...] about How to grow and brew herbal teas
how to
Overwintering rosemary
Overwintering rosemary indoors can be a challenge, but there are ways to turn the challenge into an opportunity so you can enjoy this Mediterranean herb year-round. Start with a potted rosemary; uprooting and moving an in-ground plant is difficult. If you don’t have any container-grown rosemary, buy one near the end of summer to overwinter indoors. Rosemary resents being … [Read more...] about Overwintering rosemary
Brugmansia mania
It started innocently enough with just one plant, but that led to another and then another. When all were packed into the basement one winter, I counted 50-plus brugmansias stowed behind the furnace, in the cold cupboard — even in the washroom. My wife, Shelley, concerned by my new obsession, suggested I stop taking cuttings and making more plants every time one came out of … [Read more...] about Brugmansia mania
Allergy-free gardening
If you wheeze and sneeze when you set foot in the garden, just think about sex — plant sex, that is. “What people don’t realize is that many plants are either male or female,” says Tom Ogren, pollen expert and author of Allergy-Free Gardening: The Revolutionary Guide to Healthy Landscaping (Ten Speed Press, 2000). “Male plants produce huge amounts of pollen, the biggest … [Read more...] about Allergy-free gardening
How to dry hydrangeas
Hydrangeas are one of the easiest flowers to dry, and given their size, you need only a few to fill a table arrangement or decorate a wreath. Drying hydrangeas Cut when the blooms are partially dry and slightly papery — usually between August and October. If cut too soon, the blooms will wilt and not dry; cut too late and they will be brown and less attractive. There are … [Read more...] about How to dry hydrangeas
