Category Archives: Edible Flowers

Pretty Pomander Balls Smell Sweet

Posted on November 29, 2021 by Ann Lovejoy
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Leave room between cloves because the orange will shrink Medieval Air Fresheners Back in the day—WAY back—even high-born European people lived in filth and squalor that would make most modern teenagers look like neatniks. With no understanding of the importance … Continue reading →

Posted in Crafting With Children, Edible Flowers, Gardening With Children, Hardy Herbs, Health & Wellbeing, Recipes, Sustainable Gardening, Sustainable Living, Teaching Gardening | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Simple Syrups For Good Cheer

Posted on October 5, 2020 by Ann Lovejoy
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  Stemmed rosemary for simple syrup Soothing Simples Preserve Garden Goodness What a world we are living in! What an astonishing moment in time! What an epic period of history we are experiencing! Do I need to use a few … Continue reading →

Posted in Edible Flowers, Hardy Herbs, Health & Wellbeing, preserving food, Recipes, Sustainable Gardening, Sustainable Living, Vegan Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Love And Lettuce

Posted on February 17, 2020 by Ann Lovejoy
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Another national epidemic concerns food safety, perhaps most notably with Romaine lettuce, which has been fingered in several recent E. coli outbreaks. Though the government investigation is still ongoing, there are multiple possible causes for E. coli contamination, from water passing through areas where livestock is grazing to field contamination from wild animals and birds (not to mention humans; many growers haven’t supplied field toilet facilities, but that’s changing). This fits right into my own ecological grief; when even organic produce may not be safe, what can we trust? Happily, there’s a simple solution: Grow your own. One great thing about greens is that they can be grown in very little space, and many will flourish in containers on a balcony or deck where garden space is limited. Continue reading →

Posted in Edible Flowers, Garden Prep, Health & Wellbeing, pests and pesticides, Soil, Sustainable Gardening, Sustainable Living | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Designing A Dream Garden

Posted on February 10, 2020 by Ann Lovejoy
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Dream assignment time! I’ve recently been asked to design an herb garden to surround a small craft cafe, a place where visitors can drink herbal teas, taste herb salts, herb butters, and herbed breads. The menu will change often but will always offer fresh herb omelets as well as daily soups and salads. In the crafting classes, people can make lavender wands and herbal sachets, bath salts, hand lotions, shampoos and body wash. What’s not to love? I’m already angling for a day job when it opens, assuming it ever does; this delicious idea is the dream child of a very busy woman. That’s so healthy! There have been several studies showing that accumulating the materials for crafting can be every bit as satisfying as actually making the whatever. If the cafe part of this dream project turns out to be just a hope for the future, the owner will still have a marvelous garden, filled with beautiful, fragrant and edible plants. Oh, and a beautiful gazebo, of course. Right?
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Posted in Cooking Schools, Edible Flowers, Garden Design, Health & Wellbeing, Native Plants, Pollination Gardens, Sustainable Gardening, Sustainable Living | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments