Perennials are the most helpful plants to keep in your garden. Once they are started they take care of themselves and bring seasons of rewards. One of the best kind of perennials are those that are edible. I recently purchased some tree collards cuttings, which will provide years of fresh greens. They are very simple to grow and only require soil, water and sun. I added cinnamon to assist my tree collard cutting with rooting. Cinnamon has anti-fungal properties that can prevent rot. However, it is not required to use a rooting hormone or an anti-fungal treatment at all , that is just my preference. Tree Collards can handle temperatures as low as 20 degrees, in some cases they may simply die back if the temperature goes any lower.
Tree Collards can grow up to nine feet tall and can thrive in your garden for up to twenty years. Although tree collards are known for thriving on an average of five years.
Black Seed oil can be used as a natural remedy for a variety of ailments. Black seed oil has most commonly been use for asthma, cold , flus and other respiratory ailments. However, Black seed oil is also used as a treatment for immune system support to ease rheumatism, inflammation, high blood pressure, various allergie, candida, thrombosis and even intestinal parasites. Black seed oil has a long history of almost 4,000 years as a known medicinal herb.
What is Black Seed Oil?
Black seed oil is extracted from the Nigella Sativa Seed. The seed is commonly know as “black cumin seeds”. It is a from the Ranunculaceae (buttercup) family. It has a variety of esters of unsaturated fatty acids and it’s chemical composition is very diverse since it has a unusual structural makeup. The active ingredient in the black seed is crystalline nigellone, which contains 15 amino acids. The Black seed oil is composed of :
carbohydrates
fatty acid (linolenic and oleic)
volatile oil
alkaloids
dietary fibre
calcium
iron
sodium
potassium
The Blessed Seed has certified organic black seed oil that is 100% virgin quality, cold pressed without any added ingredients. The oil comes from Bangladesh and is 3 time more volatile than most black seed oils that are available in the market.
Who can benefit from Black Seed Oil?
Since Black Seed Oil is effective as a anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory remedy, it is beneficial to anyone who is trying to fight an infection or boost their immune system. Black seed oil is great at increasing milk production for nursing mother. A person who has allergies can benefits since black seed oil can also act as an antihistamine and reduces the symptoms of watery eyes and sneezing.
Where to find authentic Black Seed Oil?
Black seed oil can be found at http://theblessedseed.com/our-products/learn-more/ produced by Blessed Seed. There are three options to choose from, which includes mild, medium and strong. The mild seed oil is less pungent , the medium contains more volatile oils than the mild with 1.5% of volatile oils, and lastly the strong 3 times more volatile and is great for respiratory ailments. Black Seed Oil is such a great product that blessed seed offers a 40 day money back guarantee if you are not completely satisfies.
Preserving native plants is very important. Often with development or just purely by maintaining our lawns we eliminate native plants and vegetation. Some volunteer have made efforts to visit woods, forrest and plains to ensure they preserve the natural vegetation by removing noxious weeds, and replanting wildflower seeds. One thing that can easily be appreciated in Iowa is that the wild flowers are allowed to grown on the side of the road and easily you can appreciate their beauty. One of my favorite wild flowers is the Iowa Thistle it is a pom pom of gorgeous pink and fuchsia hue. It protects itself well from predators with it's obvious and hidden thistles. I decided it would be a great idea to pick some of the thistle flowers and quickly learned that it did not want to be bothered. It was covered with a variety of pricks from the flower, stem, and leaves. I personally would not be surprised if the root could prick you. After, the Iowa Thistle blooms it creates seeds by that are very similar to dandelions. The seeds have feather like parachutes that allow it to be carried for miles by the MidAmerican winds. If you are interested in growing your own Iowa Thistle check out https://www.etsy.com/listing/194446250/iowa-wild-thistle-seeds?ref=pr_shop * How to Grow Iowa Thistle You can start the seeds in flats or sow directly in the garden. Since, Thistles are prickly use caution when deciding where you would like to plant them. Press the seeds into the soil without covering them and keep them moist until they germinate. They are actually drought resistant, once they become established. If you are in a mild climate, it is best to sown in fall during a rainy period. Thistle likes full sun so its best to put them in a sunny position. Be advised that thistle can become invasive and their seeds are easily spread by birds.
The Litchi Tomato also known as Morelle de Balbis, or Fire and Ice plant is a edible Solanum. What makes it special is that you can grow a small fruit, that mocks the taste of a fresh cherry in your own backyard. This easy to grow plant is similar to growing a tomato plant. The only difference is the unique prickles that cover the plant. But don't be alarmed by the prickles they don't prick at all. A matter of fact I get more pricks from an okra plant or an eggplant than from a Litchi Tomato.
The Litchi can grow rather quickly and has beautiful decorative leaves with a zig zag shape. What also makes them so interesting is the paper-like delicate flowers that they display. After , the flower is pollinated it formulates the fruit within a thorny husk. Finally, when the fruit ripens it turns a bright red and is exposed from the thorny husk.
The fruit has an excellent flavor which is reminiscent of a tart cherry. The fruit are quite prolific and almost cover the whole plant. I've been growing litchi for at least 5 years and I am always impressed by the full beautiful display of fruit received in the fall.
I can be such a copycat, gardeners envy often gets the best of me and I want to show-off! One day I was enjoying a television show I discovered on netflix called "People, Places and Plants". It was a show about a gentleman with suspenders visiting different farms and introducing us to heirlooms that we don't encounter in everyday life.
On one episode, Roger Swain the host of the show showed off a lovely crop of Rat-Tail Radish. He explained that the plant grows pods at the top that have the taste of the typical bulb radish. He stated that the vegetable was so delicious, and he pulled off a pod and ate it. He chewed with such satisfaction, that I insisted that I had to have a Rat-tail radish pronto. I was not only amazed by his enjoyment of the veggie but I was also amazed by the concept.
Well naturally I got my fancy fingers moving on my keyboard until I could google the best place to find this odd vegetable. When I finally discovered it I ordered it and patiently waited for its arrival. I planted my potential meal the day it arrived and waited with great anticipation. In about 1 1/2 months my plant was filled with white and pinkish flower. I thought that was really sweet but it just reminded me of the simple flowers that you see with arugula, pakchoy and most greens. However, around the 2nd month those flowers turned to pods. The pods were very much like the seed pods you see with most vegetables in the Brassicaceae family. I did not find them to be particularly impressive at that time. Finally, in the 3rd month I finally got my Rat Tail Radish pods, they covered my plant so much that it began to tip over since the harvest was so full. With shear delight in my heart I finally had my moment to taste the vegetable the way that Roger Swain did, with anticipation and optimism. I grabbed the freshest looking pod and chomp right in.
The taste .....oh the taste of it... Well .... the taste did absolutely nothing for me. A matter a fact my feelings were a little hurt.. No way Roger Swain , why were you eating it like it was a strawberry. It burned my mouth like the cross between a very strong ginger, and a very pungent arugula. Well to be honest that was the first time I had ever tasted a radish, so it did throw me off a bit. However, I did eat "real radish" shortly after that and they do have similar taste. The "real radish" was not as spicy but it definitely was swinging from the same family tree.
My harvest from the Rat-Tail Radish was so large that I sold several packs of seeds on the Internet. One of my customers was totally in love with it. She told me about how many of her friends love it, and she shares it. Since, I have way too much pride not to eat anything I grow I am going to try to serve it in another way this year. I might try it roasted, pickled or fried I will keep you guys posted on how that goes. But, in the meantime, if you are interested in growing your own Rat-tail-Radish please feel free to check out my etsy shop at https://www.etsy.com/listing/25035244/rat-tail-radish-seeds?
I discovered the Bule Gourd by reading a seed catalog. So I ordered them as soon as I could and patiently waited for their arrival. Once I received the plant I was overjoyed and I planted the seeds by a gate since the instructions suggested that they are going to grow into a 15 foot vine and should be grown on a trellis or gate. When I planted the seeds I was living in Wichita Falls, Texas ,and as they say everything is bigger in Texas. My seeds took off the first week by the end of the month they had already reached about five feet. On occasion I would look outside of my window and watch the plant grow before my eyes, It was faster than Jack and his beanstalk. To my surprise in the second month the Bule was full of beautiful white flowers.
Upon seeing the flowers my curiosity got the best of me and I wanted to absorb their fragrance The smell reminded me of cornflakes. Yes, you heard it right it smelled like cornflakes!! That had to be the weirdest thing ever but that wasn't the weirdest part. The flowers were not all identical, some had a fruit at the bottom and others did not. I discovered that that was a distinction of which flowers were male and female. Naturally the female flowers carried the fruit and the males pollinated. Oh, how beautiful the joys of nature can be. I had not received my first fruit, however I was on a long trail of discovery and knowledge.
Finally, In the third month I had a vine covered with lime green warty apples. I think it was about 10 apples per vine. Yes, as expected those warty apples looked fresh out of a snow white story. It was such a feeling of accomplishment to bring a picture of a peculiar fruit into my own backyard. My family marveled at the amazing fruit which originated in France and made its' way to my backyard in Texas.
But, that was not the best part!!! Bule Gourds like most Gourds can be dried and preserved to create crafts. So when my vibrant lime green gourd had passed its' moment of beauty it dried out and showed off it glory in as a tan brown leathery looking wooden warty apple.
Being a garden enthusiast is an awesome way to live you find so many remarkable wonders. When I discovered this fruit that shows off beauty years after being picked off the vine, I realized that gardening is a never ending adventure. If you are interested in purchasing the Bule Gourd please check out my etsy page at https://www.etsy.com/listing/28805662/bule-apple-gourd-seeds?ref=listing-shop-header-2
Networking can be complicated for home growers. In most case home growers are limited to selling their produce at the local farmers market. However, many farmers markets have strict regulations such as business license requirements, processing fees and other politics that limit certain people. However, with the Grabafruit app you are not limited to the possibility of networking with people who are interested in purchasing your products.
Grabafruit is a app that could be downloaded to your iPhone or Android. It allows you the opportunity to sell, trade and network with other local farmers or consumers. It even allows the option of mapping out where to forage local fruits, mushrooms, nuts, and edibles. If you decided that you wanted to trade your local organic watermelons with a fellow farmer who has heirloom cabbages you can allow Grabafruit to be the platform for that transaction. Grabafruit is beneficial to the farmer, consumer and community. For further information check out Grabafruit and download it on your android or iphone device.
