Learn How - Hydroponics and Greenhouse Gardening
By Charlotte
By: Charlene Rennick
Chamomile is an attractive addition to any garden. It is a tiny, shrub-like plant that sprouts an abundance of delicate white and yellow blossoms similar to a daisy. Its tendril-like leaves are soft and feathery. Chamomile is a good candidate for early germination in hydroponic gardens. It can be moved outdoors when the weather is warmer and harvested as needed. Chamomile has been cultivated for its medicinal properties since the beginning of the first millennium.
By Charlotte
If you are new to hydroponic gardening, basil is a very easy and
rewarding herb to grow. I have grown it with great success in both
our little Aerogarden as well as our ebb and flow system. It just
seems to proliferate.
A quick and easy way to get started is to buy seedlings and
transplant them into your hydroponic system. Be sure to carefully
rinse off all of the soil first. Hold the roots under lukewarm,
running water and gently massage the dirt off.
Some hydroponic gardeners suggest that basil prefers a slightly
warm growing solution. (I haven’t experimented with this myself as
I tend to grow a variety of herbs in the same system.)
There are many types of basil to choose from, including sweet,
opal, lemon and Thai.
In the kitchen, basil of course has many uses. Fresh, toss it into
pasta sauces, curries, salads. Medicinally, basil is used to treat
nausea, migraines, and cramps. It’s also thought to inspire love!
By Charlotte
Oregano and Marjoram are often confused or simply considered the same herb. They are not, however. Oregano has long been called wild Marjoram, but scientists have discovered that the two herbs are actually distinct. This is hardly relevant, however, as throughout history the two herbs are used interchangeably.
By Charlotte
Make Your Own Cajun Spice Mix
Authentic Cajun spice is a combination of herbs. This mixture works best if dried herbs are combined and ground up together, although fresh herbs can be chopped, added to olive or herbed oil and rubbed into the meat.
Mix thoroughly and rub into meat or sprinkle over vegetables. This can be mixed up ahead of time and added as a spice to pasta sauces or used in a marinade. It makes a great flavour zapper for tomato sauce.
By Charlotte
By: Charlene Rennick
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Herbed Vinegar
Fresh, home-made herbed vinegars can be used as the base for marinades, salad dressings and pasta sauces.
Picking your own herbs or snipping from an indoor hydroponic garden or kitchen aerogarden adds extra love in the flavour. Always pick herbs before the light begins to warm up the plant. The natural oils from the plant will be at their highest concentrate.
The best herbed vinegars are made from wine, rice or apple cider vinegar. Start with a clean mason jar or other bottle with an air-tight cork or lock. Stuff the jar full of herbs and pour approximately 2 cups of the vinegar over top. Seal it and leave to age. Taste it after a season; it should be ready for cooking. The herbed vinegar will keep in the jar for several years.
[Read more…] about Start with the Basics: Make Your Own Herbed Vinegar and Spiced Oils
By Charlotte
By: Charlene Rennick
People want food that tastes good without devoting a whole day to the preparation of the meal. We want quick and easy solutions, but we don’t want to admit that we have been reduced to buying the glossy, pre-packaged, high carbohydrate food. The new consensus is that food grown in cardboard is unhealthy; yet, we don’t have time to start right from garden on a regular basis. Where is the balance?
[Read more…] about Using the Whole Herb: Holistic Hydroponics