When it comes to edible flowers, edible roses recipes are among my favorites. Roses are among the most ancient of flowers and are one of the most revered. Fossil records indicate roses have been on Earth for more than 40 million years—predating humans. Native only to the northern hemisphere, roses will also grow south of the Equator. The Greek poet Sappho summed it all up more than 2,500 years ago when she called roses the “Queen of Flowers.” That's why I consider edible roses recipes to be the queens of edible flowers foods. After all, roses have been cultivated for thousands of years. But the ancient Romans get the credit for introducing the flowers to the world as edible. (Peasants already used the rose hips). Selecting Edible Roses for Flavor There are more than 200 species of roses and 20,000 man-made hybrids. The flavors of rose petals run the gamut from totally flavorless to bitter, sour to sweet, slightly spicy to herbal and apple to minty. With all the roses to choose … [Read more...] about Garden Roses: Queen of Edible Flowers
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Attract Butterflies to Your Garden
If you’re like an increasing number of gardeners, you want to attract butterflies to your garden. Butterflies are truly the winged jewels of our landscape. Not only are butterflies beautiful, they serve the greater purpose of helping to pollinate plants and provide food for other important insects in the pollinator food chain. While monarch butterflies are my current focus, they weren’t always. But as most gardeners soon learn, one thing in the garden leads to another. When you plant a seed, you learn about soil. When plants grow in your garden, you learn about weather and the insects those plants attract. With more insects, more songbirds are likely to visit your property, too. See what I mean? One thing in the garden really does lead to another, and another, and … So, if you want to attract more butterflies to your garden, it’s helpful to know what plants and plant attributes butterflies enjoy. Keep the following tips in mind and you’ll be on your way toward having a … [Read more...] about Attract Butterflies to Your Garden
How to Create a Dog-Friendly Yard
If you’ve got a dog—or you are consider getting one, then now is the time to think about creating a dog-friendly yard and garden. We've all heard tales of puppies pulling out flowers and dogs digging holes in the yard. Many of us have lived through these experiences ourselves. However, with some careful consideration, you can make sure both your plants and your pets will happily and safely share your yard. A dog-friendly garden can certainly be beautiful and lush, and these helpful tips will help guide you through the process. There are a few things to keep in mind when planning a dog-friendly yard that your pets will be able to access. Before you get started on creating a dog-friendly yard, it's important to understand your own dog's unique personality traits and characteristics. Is your dog large or small? Does it like to jump and dig? Is your dog a high energy puppy—or is he (or she) calmly enjoying the golden years? Does your dog chase squirrels, or would she rather laze around … [Read more...] about How to Create a Dog-Friendly Yard
Build an Instant Rusted Corrugated Metal Fence
Our master bedroom garden was an unsightly mess. What it needed was an instant rusted corrugated metal fence, although it took me a while to figure that out. The space was initially designed as coyote-safe place for our small dogs and a sunny location for our raised bed gardens in galvanized stock tanks. But the native grasses had taken over, and the heavy-gauge open mesh fence offered no privacy. It was time for a serious landscaping remodel. Bee Zollo, my life partner, and I decided we wanted a space with a cleaner, more modern aesthetic than the over-grown “natural” look that we currently had. The most important element in the new garden was making it more private. This necessitated replacing the open mesh fencing with a new design. We considered a range of wood options, but finally decided we liked the contemporary appearance of a rusted corrugated metal fence using the existing redwood framing which was in very good shape. Inventing the Instant Rusted Corrugated Metal … [Read more...] about Build an Instant Rusted Corrugated Metal Fence
Top 10 Vegetables for Container Gardening
Container gardens can be an oasis of beauty on a deck, balcony or patio. Even container vegetable gardens can be beautiful. But most gardeners who grow vegetables in containers don’t do it for the beauty. They’re in it for the tasty vine-ripened tomatoes, the spicy hot peppers, the crunchy radishes and the tender salad greens. If you’ve never tried container gardening before, you’re missing out on a great way to learn about gardening. And if you have grown vegetables in containers, you might be surprised at the new varieties of veggies that have recently been introduced with container gardening in mind. Whether you are a newbie to gardening or a Master Gardener, now is a great time to grow a container garden full of edible plants. My list of the Top 10 Container Garden Vegetables is below, along with descriptions, photos and a link to where you can buy the seeds. If you want to read more about container gardening, read Tips for Growing Successful Container Gardens. Start … [Read more...] about Top 10 Vegetables for Container Gardening
