The true spirit of the season is to love and protect each other and our Earth

This holiday season is marked by widespread economic and environmental trials. We are all being asked to look honestly at our actions and our choices. For many, this means the always difficult task of finding unique gifts for our loved ones has taken on the new depth of finding unique, meaningful and purposeful gifts!

As we are faced, both as a country at large and within our own families, with the challenge of making smarter choices, the backyard garden is finding a new home in our hearts.

Here are my Top 5 suggestions of Seeds to give as gifts this Holiday Season. I chose these seeds based both on the meanings they hold on on the usefulness and/or beauty of the plants they produce.

Enjoy!

5. Vervain

Beautiful Blue Vervain may help bring you love money and sleep!

Give Blue Vervain Seeds as a unique way to wish your friends and family blessings of Love, Healing, Protection, Peace, Purification, Chastity,Youth, Money and Sleep. Blue Vervain has also been used for thousands of years as an herbal remedy for a variety of ailments.

4. Thyme

Thyme is useful in your garden and your kitchen and may improve your Health and bring you blessings of Healing

Thyme was considered by the Greeks as a symbol of courage and sacrifice. Thyme is believed to have been in the straw bed of the Virgin Mary and the Christ child. In the Middle Ages, ladies would embroider a sprig of Thyme into scarves they gave to their errant knights. At various periods in history, Thyme has been used to treat melancholy, reproductive system ailments, and to improve digestion. In the 18th century, it was recommended as a cure for a hangover.

Give Thyme as a gift of Courage, Strength, Health, Healing, Love, and Purification.

3. Echinacea

Echinacea is frequently used to shorten the common cold or flu

Echinacea is one of the most well known and widely used herbs in America today. Native American are thought to have used Echinacea as a “cure-all”.

Today, people use Echinacea to shorten the duration of the common cold and flu and reduce symptoms, such as sore throat, cough, and fever. Many herbalists also recommend Echinacea to help boost the immune system and help the body fight infections

Echinacea should be given to bring wishes of Health and Strength.

2. English Lavender

Beloved worldwide for its unique Fragrance and Calming remedies

Lavender is well known and loved for it’s beloved fragrance and calming effects. Ancient Greeks and Romans used Lavender to scent their bath water. The flowers are believed to contain a special magic- they bloom over an extended period of time and have the unique quality of retaining their scent even after drying.

Give Lavender seeds to those you wish to bless with Love, Protection, Happiness, Peace, Chastity, Purification, Sleep and Longevity.

1. Bells of Ireland

The "Luck of the Irish" is said to live in these pretty flowers!

Bells of Ireland flowers don’t actually grow in Ireland. This flower gets its name from the luscious green color of its leaves. The lovely white-veined green bells are not flowers at all. Rather they are calyxes, which clothe the small sweet white flowers found within.

Bells of Ireland symbolize good luck in all areas of life. The flowers are said to contain the “luck of the Irish” because of their green color and whimsical shape.

Give Bells of Ireland to bestow great Luck to your loved ones!

Tips on giving seeds as a gift:

There are endless creative ways to present your gift of seeds, here are a few suggestions:

• Fill a peat pot with seeds, decorate with bay leaves and attach a small note describing the seed and its meaning.
  

  A cute and creative way to present a gift of seeds

• Place seed packets between the pages of a new gardening book:
  Beginner’s Guide to Gardening by Reader Digest
  The Gardening Book (for kids) by Jane Bull
• Place packets of seeds inside a bouquet of flowers. This is romantic way to say…my love for you will continue to grow…
• Wrap the seeds with an article or section of the paper that pertains to their meaning or significance. Tie up with a pretty, bright piece of ribbon, string or raffia. Be sure to include an explanation of the seed and the articles significance!
• A can or jar can be used as a very creative gift wrap. Start with a clean jar or can. Paint the lids, add a “belly band”of printed paper, wrapping paper, bandana or piece of fabric around the midsection. Cover the lid with a piece of fabric or lace and tie on with ribbon or string. Fill the jar with your seed packets and add a decorative tag with a note!
  

  Even a very simply decorated jar makes a great way to turn seeds into a gift!

Happy giving and happy gardening!

A moon garden brings magic to your garden!

“The moon was but a chin of gold, a night or two ago, and now she turns her perfect face, upon the world below.”

(Emily Dickenson)

“When I admire the wonder of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in worship of the Creator.”

(Mahatma Gandhi)

When we think of gardening, most of us think of the warm sun overhead, we have forgotten the power and mystery of our gardens at night!

Planting a Moon Garden is a great way to make the most of your garden. Your Moon Garden will allow you the pleasure of enjoying the enchantment provided by the moonlight and the flowers that love it!

What is a Moon Garden?
A Moon Garden is a garden that is planted with the intention of being most beautiful at night…by the light of the moon. The selected plants are frequently white and many, like the Flowering Tobacco, bloom at dusk and after sunset. The plants in a Moon Garden have unique scents that will attract night pollinators like moths and bats. The white color of the flowers and the green foliage will often make a moon garden appear to float in the night air. Some Moon Garden flowers, like the Star Flowers,  are selected for their unique shapes that reflect the stars of the night sky.

When planning a spot for your Moon Garden, be sure to note where the moonlight peaks in your yard. It is also important to make sure you have a nice spot to sit, to allow your eyes to adjust to the night so you can fully enjoy the splendor of the colors and shapes of the post-sun enchanted garden!

What are the Effects of the Moon on Gardening?
It has long been thought that the moon , its phases and the signs of the zodiac all have a strong influence on when certain crops should  be planted or harvested. In general, the lore says that above ground crops should be planted during the waxing moon (between new and full) and below ground crops should be planted during the waning moon (between full and new).

Folklore uses the moon phases as a crop planting guide

In addition to the moon’s phases, some believe it is also important to be aware of which zodiac sign the moon is occupying. Certain signs are thought to be better for specific tasks than other. For example,when the moon is in Gemini, its a good day for weeding or mowing and when the moon is in Libra, it’s a great day to plant flowers!

A summary of the signs of the zodiac and their effect on your work in your garden

Even when the moon is in the right phase for planting, check the moon sign, (zodiac) to make sure the sign for that day is fruitful. For example, if you plant when the moon is in the right phase but the moon sign is in the Bowels, you will get garden plants that grow and bloom vigorously, but will produce little fruit. For a complete day to day guide to the moon and the zodiac, visit a Farmer’s Almanac Guide.

Once you fall in love with the night, your fondest gardening will not only occur with the sun in your hair, but also with the moonbeams at your feet.

“I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day.”

(Vincent Van Gogh)

Chili Pepper, Spicy Peppers, Hot Peppers...whatever you call them, the timeless fact is, we are enamored with them!

The History of the Beloved Chili Pepper

For more than 8,000 years, people have been finding creative ways to integrate the Chili Pepper into our diets. We crave the sensation of spice and the “heat” that only the Chili Pepper can provide.

7000-6000BC:

The first known records of the Chili Pepper were found by Archaeologists at burial sites in Peru.

3991 BC:

Chili Peppers are known to have been “domesticated” and used to season foods in Central America and, specifically, in SW Ecuador.

1400-400BC:

The Olmecs, Totonacas and Huaxtecas developed an agriculture based on corn, beans, squash, wild animals and fish. They seasoned their foods with Chili Peppers, herbs and other spices.
The Olmecs were an ancient civilization living in south-central Mexico

370-286BC:

The Greek philosopher, Theophrastus, wrote about Capsicum in one of his 200 botanical treatise.
Theophrastus wrote so extensively on the nature of plants and his knowledge was so remarkable that he is often referred to as the father of botany.

40-100:

Roman poet Martialis known best for his clever Epigrams, described the “Piper Crudum” or Raw Pepper. His description was of a long pepper containing seeds. This description does not fit a description of the Black Pepper and has been interpreted as referring to a Chili Pepper.

400:

The Ancient Aztecs and Mayans were the first known civilizations to serve Hot Chocolate. They flavored it, not with sugar, but with Chili Pepper!
Try it!

Chili Pepper Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

• 1 2/3 cups milk
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 1 red chili pepper, split with seeds removed
• 1 cinnamon stick, around 3-4″
• 1/2 oz chocolate (bittersweet)

Preparation:

• Simmer milk in a saucepan with vanilla bean, cinnamon and chili. Heat through for about a minute.
• Whisk in grated chocolate, and continue to simmer until melted
• Remove from heat and let ’steep’ for another 10 minutes.
• Strain out the spices and serve.

Serves 2.

1493:

Christopher Columbus encountered Chili Peppers in the Caribbean and called them “peppers” because of their similarity in taste (not appearance) to the Old World Peppers (genus: piper).
A physician on Columbus’ Voyage by the name of Diego Alvarex Chanca, brought the first Chili Peppers to Spain.
Chilis were very popular to grow in monastery gardens.
Portuguese traders brought the Peppers to many countries including, Persia, India and Indonesia.

1494:

Physician Diego Alvarex Chanca wrote about and published medicinal effects of Chilis he also described them as a principal food of the “Native Americans” and compared them to the Turnip.

1912:

In 1912, Wilbur L. Scoville, a pharmacist, developed the first modern technique for measuring a pepper’s “heat”.
The Scoville Heat Unit is still used as a numerical way to compare pepper’s bite.

The Scoville Scale gives a great comparison of well known and rare Peppers

Scoville’s methods are slowly being replaced by a new method of measuring pungency known as High Pressure Liquid Chromatography.

1956:

Newsweek magazine published a story on a pepper-eating contest held near the home of the famous Tabasco sauce, in the Bayou Teche country of Louisiana.
The article reported the Jalapeño pepper to be the “the hottest pepper known.” It stated the jalapeño is “more fiery than the green Tabasco or red cayenne.”

1987:

The Cayenne pepper is shown to be an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C and dietary fiber.

1990

The Habanero takes the place of the Jalapeno as the pepper with the title of “The Hottest Pepper on Earth”.

1994 – 1996:

Red Savina named “The Hottest Pepper” by the Guinness Book of World Records.
The Red Savina is a cultivar of the Habanero that was selectively bred in Walnut, California.

2006:

Study finds Tarantula venom to have chemicals that target the same pain receptors as Capsicum, the substance in Chili Peppers that gives them their “bite”.

2007-Present:

The Naga Jolokia- also known as the Bhot Jolokia, Dorset Naga, Naga Morich, Ghost Pepper and King Cobra Chili- officially replaced the Red Savina as the Hottest Chili in the World by Guinness World Records.

As we continue our love affair with discovering how “hot” the Pepper can get, mother nature seems to continue to provide with surprise after surprise!

The White House Victory Garden has a long and interesting story.

Contrary to popular belief, The term “Victory Garden” did not actually originate in the United States. The term can be traced back to the 1600s in England when a book called The Victory Garden by Richard Gardner was produced. During the time The Victory Garden was released, England was anticipating a potential attack by Spain. According to the book, the purpose of the new idea of a “Victory Garden” was to prepare cities to be able to provide for their residents in case of such an attack.

300 years later and  again, during a time of war and societal unrest, the term “Victory Garden” found its way to the US.

And so, the United States Victory garden began and, along with it, a great history of First Ladies who, for a variety of reasons, fought for the value they knew existed in the garden’s existence.

Here is my Top 5 list of First Ladies who have had the most profound impact on the White House Victory garden and, as a result, on community and home gardening in the US.

5. Patricia Nixon

Patricia Nixon organized garden tours of the White House.

Patricia Nixon was the wife of Richard Nixon, the 37th president of the United States.
Patricia Nixon started holding semi-annual (Spring and Fall) White House garden tours in 1973.
First Lady Nixon’s goal was to find a way to share the history and beauty of the White House gardens with the general American public.
The White House garden tours continue to be very popular.

4. Edith Wilson

Edith Wilson

Edith Wilson was the wife of President Woodrow Wilson the 28th US president.
President and First Lady Wilson were in the White House during WWI, a time when the country was trying to conserve resources. The Wilson’s brought in a flock of sheep to live on the White House lawn and to serve to mow and fertilize the First Lawn.
The Wilson’s efforts served as a powerful example of a creative way to conserve human, financial and natural resources.

3. Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama, wife of Barack Obama the 44th Us President, broke ground for the revival of the White House Victory Garden (gone since 1954) on March 20th 2009.
By October of the same year, the new White House Victory Garden produced 740 pounds of food. First Lady Obama reports to have spent only $180 on the planting of the garden!
The Garden’s crops include arugula, leaf lettuces, spinach, chard, collards, kale, tomatoes,
berries and herbs like basil, anise, hyssop and cilantro.
Some of the White House produce is used to prepare meals at the White House and some has been donated to Miriam’s Kitchen. Miriam’s kitchen is a Washington DC based foundation that prepares healthy meals for and feeds homeless men and woman in need.

2. Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt was the wife of Franklin D. Roosevelt the 32nd US president.
In 1943, during WWII, First Lady Roosevelt planted a large Garden on the White House lawn. The US Dept of Agriculture objected to the White House Garden but, seeing the potential for the garden to allow her to “lead by example”, Eleanor went forward with her plans.
By the end of WWII, Victory Gardens (behind private homes, in school yards, vacant urban lots, etc.) were producing 40% of the nations produce.
First Lady Roosevelt’s effort to “lead by example” resulted in a national effort that helped to conserve food and numerous natural resources, increase American’s consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. In terms of physical health, this time period is considered to be one of the healthiest times for American’s.
The Roosevelt’s garden thrived until 1954 when President Dwight Eisenhower replaced it with a putting green on the White House lawn.

1. Abigail Adams

Abigail Adams

Abigail Adams was the wife of John Adams who was the second US president and mother of John Quincy Adams who was the sixth.
President Adams, First Lady Adams and their children were the first presidential family to live at the White House.
Abigail and the First Family planted the first “First Vegetables” at the White House in 1800.
First Lady Adams and President Adams did not have the opportunity to reap the benefits of their garden however, when Adams was voted out of office in 1801.
When Abigail’s son took over as the sixth president, he carried on the family tradition in the White House Garden and planted fruit trees, herbs and vegetables  to feed his own family.

The Garden Movement!

The history of the White House Victory Garden and the women who have championed it tells an interesting piece of our country’s story.
The renewed and growing interest in locally grown, organic and sustainable farming and agriculture combined with general concerns over food safety and chemical additives, is leading us toward another Victory Garden revival.
The “Victory Garden” movement has evolved into the “Freedom Garden”, “Peace Garden”, “Liberty Garden” and “Backyard Garden” movements.
Since the beginning, the “Victory Garden” has always represented one thing, self sufficiency sustainability and responsibility.
Now is a great time to start planning your own Backyard, Victory, Peace, Liberty, Freedom Garden!