Herb Garden Thirst Quenchers

Most people when they start an herb garden, they have dreams of homemade salsa, pesto, or fresh rosemary. But, that's not everything you can do with herbs.

Many of you know the classic southern drink, the Mint Julep (recipes below), but there are heaps more drinks you can make with the herbs you've been growing. Here are some suggestions: Herbal Soda, Thyme Lemonade, Watermelon-basil Margaritas, and The "Capote" Martini.


Here's how you make them,

Mint Julep



Ingredients:

• leaves from 4-5 mint sprigs
• 2 sugar cubes or 1/2 oz simple syrup
• 2 1/2 oz bourbon
• mint sprig for garnish

Preparation:

Place the mint and simple syrup or sugar into a julep cup, collins glass or double old-fashioned glass.
Muddle (crush) well to dissolve the sugar and to release the oil and aroma of the mint.
Add the bourbon.
Fill with crushed ice and stir well until the glass becomes frosty.
Garnish with the mint sprig.

from chicshopperchick.com

Herbal Soda


(Serves 4-5)

Ingredients

1/4 of sugar (or preference)
1/2 ounce fresh herbs, such as basil, lemon verbena, mint, tarragon, or thyme (plus some for garnishing) choose one
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Sparkling water or club soda, for serving

Preparation:

Put sugar and 1/2 cup water into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and add one kind of herb. Cover it and let it cool completely.
Pour the resulting syrup through a wire mesh filter into a small container and discard herbs. Stir in lemon juice. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
In ice-filled glasses, add 2 to 4 tablespoons syrup, top with sparkling water or club soda, and stir. Garnish with sprigs.

from thechalkboardmag.com

Thyme Lemonade



(Serves 4)
Ingredients

3/4 cups sugar
1 bunch fresh thyme, plus sprigs, for garnish (optional)
1 cups fresh lemon juice (from about 5 lemons)
1/2 cup gin or vodka (for adults only)

Preparation:

In a medium saucepan, bring sugar, thyme, and 1/2 cup water to a boil. Stir this until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in lemon juice, gin (if you want it), and 3 cups of cold water.  Strain the mixture into a large pitcher. Refrigerate. Serve over ice, garnished with thyme sprigs.

from tastykitchen.com

Watermelon-basil Margaritas


(Makes 3)

Ingredients

3.75 pounds watermelon, rind and seeds removed, fruit cut into 1-inch cubes
2 teaspoons superfine sugar
3 ounces (1/3 cup) silver tequila (or none for "virgin" margaritas)
12 basil leaves, plus more for garnishing
1.5 ounces (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) triple sec (or none, of course)
3 cups of ice
Cucumber slice for garnishing

Preparation

Place about half the watermelon cubes on a baking sheet and freeze (1 hour minimum).
Puree remaining watermelon and the sugar in a blender until smooth.
Pour tequila and basil into a glass pitcher, and muddle (crush) with a wooden spoon. Stir in watermelon juice and triple sec. Refrigerate. Place watermelon cubes in glasses. Pour watermelon margarita over the watermelon ice. Serve garnished with basil or cucumber or both.

from cozydelicious.wordpress.com

The "Capote" Martini


You'll make Truman proud with this drink.


Ingredients

1/2 ounce Cream Sherry
2 1/2 ounces Vodka (If you're using a lower-end vodka, make sure to run it through the water filter--it helps)
1 green olive, stuffed with a pimento (or more if you prefer a very dirty martini)
1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, plus 1 sprig for garnishing

Preparations:

Combine the sherry, vodka, and rosemary needles in a martini shaker filled with ice. Shake, and strain into a chilled martini glass. Stick the bottom of the rosemary sprig through the olive(s) and place it in the glass.

from celebtoast.com

Oh My Aching (fill in the blank) !

Gardening can put a lot of stress on your body, so it's important that you stretch properly. Some strength building exercises can also be helpful.

I've compiled some of the best gardening exercises from all over to help keep you from pulling a muscle instead of a weed.

Gardening involves a lot of bending and can leave many people with back pain. Here are some exercises to strengthen your back and help you stay healthy.

The Bird Dog!


Get on all fours, with your hands directly beneath your shoulders and your knees beneath your hips. Tighten your stomach and leg muscles. Then, raise your right hand and left foot simultaneously and hold them straight out for 6 ~ 10 seconds. Now, switch and hold out your left hand and right foot. Remember to keep your back straight! Do this 10 times per side.

The Swimmer!


Lie flat on the floor, face down, with your arms stretched straight out over your head and your legs straight back. Like with The Bird Dog, you're going to raise your right arm and left leg simultaneously and hold for 6 ~ 10 seconds. Then, raise your left arm and right leg in the same way. Do this ten times per side.

from sparkpeople.com

The Superman!


While in The Swimmer's starting position on the ground, raise both of your arms and your legs simultaneously  (like superman flying). Hold this for 6 ~ 10 seconds.  Repeat 10 times.


The Squat!


Keep your torso upright and your stomach tight. Stand with your legs shoulder width and your feet facing forward. Bend your knees and lower yourself until your bottom is about the same height as your knees. Be sure to keep your back straight and don't stick your butt out! If you're having trouble with balance, try using a chair for support and build up to doing it freestyle.

Stretches!

page 119 of "Stretching" from www.shelterpub.com

For those of you into yoga, try some garden yoga early in the morning before the heat hits. It'll help you stay in shape and give you peace of mind!

Farmers' Markets Here We Come! Do Dah Do Dah

If you want to get fresh and unique local produce and locally produced products, you'll have no better luck than at the two weekly farmers' markets.

On Thursdays, check out Market in the Park.

It lasts from 3:00 p.m. ~ 6:00 p.m.

Located at the Mobile Museum of Art, next to the beautiful Langan Park, this market features locally grown honey, breads, pastas, flowers, soaps, and more! There's live music, childrens' activities, and free admission to the Museum during the Market! It doesn't last all year, so hurry by while you still can!

For more information call 208-1558

If you're busy during the week, then on Saturdays, check out Market on the Square.

It begins at 7:30 a.m. and lasts until 11:00 am.

This market is located on Cathedral Square in Downtown Mobile. And, if you're looking for fresh produce, this is the place to go. It features a much larger variety of foods for you to sample or purchase. Some of the locally grown vegetation featured is: tomatoes, potatoes, sweet corn, cantaloupe, watermelon, and much more. You can also find flowers, seedlings (for your own garden), baked goods, pasta, locally produced honey, handcrafted goods, and lots more to choose from. This year, organic vegetables will be featured! And once you're there, stick around for a while and enjoy the live music!

For more information call 208-1558

Top Ten Plants for Clean Air

Is your house feeling a bit stuffy? Freshen it up with these plants!

• Areca palm

from bp.blogspot.com

• Reed palm

• Dwarf Date palm

from realpalmtrees.com

• Boston fern

• Janet Craig dracaena

from plant-care.com

• English ivy

• Australian Sword fern

from landcraftenvironment.com

• Peace lily

• Rubber plant

from maysfloralgarden.com

• Weeping fig

Got Sunburn? Get Milk!

If you've been spending a  lot of time out in the yard pulling weeds, or if you've spent too much time stopping to smell the roses, you'll need some relief for that red skin. Everybody knows that aloe is a great choice to ease your sunburn, but did you know that milk is also great?

Get a rag and dampen it with cool (not cold) milk. The coolness helps with the burning and the milk helps create a protein that will help your skin get back to normal.

And remember, there's no such thing as a "healthy tan" all tanned and burned skin can lead to Melanoma, so don't forget to apply that sunscreen before you head outside!

Stain, Stain, Go Away!

If you've been enjoying the beautiful weather we've had lately, you've probably spent a fair amount of time in your garden or yard. It's not uncommon after a long day of trimming hedges and tree branches, digging holes, pulling weeds, and mowing the lawn to come in with some grass, dirt, and even blood stains on your clothing. I know most of us probably aren't out there in any Louis Vuitton, but that doesn't mean it's okay to let the stains stay. Here are some easy tips to knock those stains out!

As always, when  trying new cleaning or stain removal techniques, try it out in an inconspicuous place first. You don't to ruin anything because of rashness. 


1. The first tip is a classic: Club Soda. Soak the item of clothing in club soda for a few hours to help loosen up stains, then wash as normal.
2. Hydrogen Peroxide. Yes, it's not just for cuts!
3. Baking Soda. Make a paste using 6 tablespoons of baking soda and 1/2 cup of water. Rub this on clothing to help remove stains.
4. Effervescent tablets. That's right. It doesn't just get stains off dentures. It'll get them off your shorts too!
5. Last, but not least, one of our best friends, Vinegar. Just soak the clothes in vinegar, then wash as normal.

Name That Plant!

Can you name this flowering plant? If so, you could win a complimentary spot at our next container gardening seminar! Just post your answer in the comments or on our Facebook page!

Photograph by Brandon McLeod

Photograph by Brandon McLeod

Photograph by Brandon McLeod

PTL Planting the Language - Landscape Design and Gardening Terminology

PTL QUIZ!


1. Plant species that tend to spread out of control?
     a. In-law
     b. Invasive
     c. Aggressive

2.  Symmetrically Designed Garden using Geometric Patterns
     a. Knot Garden
     b. Geology Garden
     c. Mirror Garden

3.  What are creepers?
     a. TLC
     b. That weird guy who keeps messaging you on facebook.
     c.  Viny plants that generally grow close to the ground

4. A mixture of decaying organic matter.
     a. Compound
     b. Baldwin County Landfill
     c. Compost


Answers below!

Now's a Good Time to Have Some Manure!

It's time to fertilize all of your citrus plants. This includes everything from kumquats and loquats to lemons and limes. Citrus tress should be fertilized three times a year: before and after blooming then once more in the fall to maintain the nutrients they need to give you the fruit you love.

Citrus tress prefer low levels of phosphorus, so you need to check the packaging before you go dumping some chemical fertilizers on the roots. Fertilizer labels are always in order of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and then Potassium in the product information. So look for something with a 5-2-6 or similar formula.

from lowes.com

This bag is "7-1-2". So it's high in Nitrogen, but low in Phosphorus and Potassium. If you use this, you may want to beef up the Potassium with a second fertilizer. 

from sarasotafruitandnutsociety.org

Loquats!

from wikimedia.org

Lemon!

Gallery of Gardens! See Planting the Seed Work in Person!

That's right. It's time for Mobile Botanical Gardens' Gallery of Gardens featuring 8 of the Mobile area's most delightful private gardens. Guess who designed the first one on  the list? ... That's right, Planting the Seed's very own Melanie Lobel.

As a teaser, here's a photo and description of the first garden on the tour (from mobilebotanicalgardens.org)

from mobilebotanicalgardens.org

Garden of: Mike & Phyllis Saxon
This hidden oasis nestled in the heart of Spring Hill features butterfly bush, bottlebrush, banana shrub, and agapanthus. The courtyard showcases a water feature encircled by Japanese magnolias, crepe myrtles, knock-out roses and angelonia. A custom pergola houses an inviting seating area surrounded by jasmine, while a Japanese maple provides shade for sasanquas, espaliered camellias, ferns and oakleaf hydrangeas. Stroll this garden slowly or you will miss variegated dwarf gardenias, quince, and  hydrangeas. Daylilies are tucked throughout with masses of seasonal color, providing surprise and bloom throughout the seasons.
Designer: Melanie Lobel, Planting the Seed


(Click "Read More" below to see pictures of the other gardens.)

• May 11-12, 2012
• 9 am – 5 pm Daily
• Tickets for this event are $20 in advance or $25 on tour days. 
• Group discounts are available. 
• Mobile Botanical Gardens will be open on tour days for the purchase of tickets.
• Ticket outlets include:
• A Bloom Nursery
• Carpe Diem
• Garden Gate Nursery, Gulf Breeze
• Laura Kay’s Nursery
• MBG Office
• MBG Marketplace
• Old Tyme Feed & Seed, Fairhope
• Page & Palette, Fairhope
• Robertsdale Feed
• Spring Hill Ace Hardware
• Wild Birds Unlimited
• Zimlich’s Patio & Garden Center
• Call 251.342.0555 for more information

PTK - Do It Yourself - Sub Irrigation Planter

If you're looking for an interesting way to conserve water and nutrients in your garden, you'd be hard-pressed to find a method cheaper to start and more efficient than sub-irrigation planting.


The idea behind sub-irrigation planting (seepage irrigation) is that water is absorbed upwards from underneath the plant. Excess water can be recycled to water other plants.

Below is a step-by-step guide to help you get started.


Materials Needed:

• 2 liter empty plastic bottle (any regular soda bottle will do)
• scissors
• Moisture wicking fabric (4inches long and 1 inch wide)
• Potting soil mix (a little peat (sphagnum) moss with some organic fertilizer doesn't hurt either)

Directions:

1. Cut the 2 liter bottle in half. The bottom half should be 5 inches tall.
2. In the top half, make puncture holes spaced 1 inch apart. The holes should be 3/8 in diameter and spaced evenly all the way around.
3. Turn the top half upside down so that the cap part is facing the ground. Remove the cap.
4. Insert the moisture wicking fabric into the cap hole. Leaving about half of one inch sticking out of the cap hole. The rest of the 4 inches should be inside the top half of the bottle.
5. Pour about 3 cups of your potting mix into the top half of the bottle, making sure to work the soil around the wicking fabric.
6. Add about 1.5 inches of water to the bottom half of the bottle (not the half with the soil).
7. Put the top half of the bottle (soil half) into the bottom half (water side). The bottom half of the bottle should hold the top half without your assistance. 
8. Plant seeds or seedlings. Use a little water to settle the soil around the new plants.
9. The wicking fabric should bring the water from the basin and into the soil, so that you only need to add water to the basin once the roots have taken hold.

That's it! Now you have a recycled, water-saving pot. In addition, it's a great conversation piece! Try this out with some fresh herbs like basil, chives, sage, and oregano.

from 2literrocket.com

Too much for you? Stick around. We'll have more great tips for what you can do with other household items coming up soon! Keep planting!

Blackberry Picking for Blackberry Cobbler

Here along the Gulf Coast, it's blackberry time. So if you're like us and love a good blackberry cobbler, crêpe, pie, jam, preserve, or jelly, then it's time to put on your gloves and start picking. There's a long list of things you can make with blackberries, but I'm going to share a recipe for cobbler that will knock your socks off.

photograph by: Brandon McLeod

A lovely blackberry blossom.

photograph by: Brandon McLeod

Don't pick them too early!

What you need:
5 cups blackberries
1 cup or less (if you prefer) of sugar
1 stick of butter, unsalted, cut into tiny bits (plus some for greasing the pan)
1/2 cup flour (All-purpose, unbleached is preferred)
1/2 tsp baking powder
Smidgen of salt
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

How to do it:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix the berries with half the sugar by tossing. Then spread the mixture in a greased 8-inch square or 9-inch round baking pan.

2. Combine the remaining dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining sugar) in a food processor and pulse a couple of times (don't go crazy). Add the butter to the food processor and run it for about ten seconds, until everything is well blended. By hand, beat in egg and vanilla.

3. Dollop this mixture on fruit by the tablespoonful. Do not spread t. Bake until topping is golden yellow and just starting to brown (35 to 45 minutes). Serve immediately.

photograph by: Brandon McLeod

Sugared blackberries!

photograph by: Brandon McLeod

Batter!

photograph by: Brandon McLeod

Dollop!

photograph by: Brandon McLeod

Say "No!" to spreading!

photograph by: Brandon McLeod

Golden-brown goodness.

photograph by: Brandon McLeod

Try it with some delicious French Press coffee.

photograph by: Brandon McLeod

Yum....

Pest Control - Cockroaches

Cockroaches may not ruin your garden but they can ruin your gardening experience.

Here's an environmentally friendly an pet safe way to take care of those buggy bugs!

Take equal parts Baking Powder and Sugar. Mix them well and put it in a bowl or saucer near the problem area.

Note: make sure it's baking powder and not baking soda!

PTG - Planting The Seed Giveaway!

Lawns that have been recently given new life by Planting The Seed are sporting our snazzy yard signs. 

Snap a picture of one and post it to our Facebook Page and get the chance to win a complimentary spot at our next container gardening session!