Mother Earth Gardener

In ancient times, rue was an important culinary and medicinal herb. It was a common cooking herb for the Romans, often used in a spicy seasoning paste that contained garlic, hard cheese, coriander, and celery seeds with rue leaves. The genus name, Ru

Thanks for the article “Milkweed & the Monarch” in your Spring 2019 issue. The decline of milkweed is due to the lack of land and harm of pesticides. I’m a member of Habitat Hero, and I’ve never used pesticides in my yard. About three summers ago, mi

Stay clean and hands-free as you collect fruits, flowers, herbs, and veggies from your garden this summer! The Roo and Joey Aprons both supply ample pouches spacious enough for holding a serious collection of acorn squash — or even watermelon! The po

WHEN WE ARE WORKING in the yard or garden, our most important tools are certainly our hands and feet. It seems when something needs to be pulled, picked, hauled, or planted, we depend on our bodies to get the job done. These hardworking body parts de

Prominent herbalist Rosemary Gladstar sent out a triumphant announcement in the beginning of 2019, eager to share that a court date had finally been set for Shire City Herbals’ trademark infringement claims against three independent herbalists. The c

In my yard, you’ll find dogwood trees that create a sea of white blooms each spring, red tulips that have faithfully reemerged for at least 18 years, and bright Knock Out roses with abundant blooms. Among the plants that I love more than anything are

Often used in folk remedies for soothing both literal and emotional afflictions of the heart, these delicate, little flowers in the pansy family are also called ‘Heart’s Ease.’ Their blooms display colors of deep-violet, mauve, yellow, and white. The

LAST YEAR, I taught my kids about the ships, the costumes, and the tea involved in the Boston Tea Party, but I missed part of the significance of that December night in 1773. The Chinese tea that colonists were drinking — and throwing overboard — was

I WAS BROUGHT UP in a family where Mum cooked amazingly delicious food from scratch every day, never cutting corners or taking shortcuts. The fantastic meals she prepared for us were all fresh and healthy, and they tasted divine. I believe it’s becau

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S SCRIPTS and sonnets are strewn with plant imagery — flowers, trees, orchards, meadows, and herbs. In his works, women’s lips are compared to roses; gardeners give political speeches; and herbs are used as symbols of characters’

BEFORE SHOPS LINED THEIR SHELVES with brightly bottled perfumes; before craft stores sold artificial blooms for décor; before people enjoyed daily (or even weekly) showers and baths, there were flowers. And as humans evolved, so did the ways in which

ONE JULY, WHEN I WAS LEADING a small group of hikers to explore some remote sites deep in Angeles National Forest, we rested in the shade of a large hillside for a water break. After everyone had a drink from their canteens, I noticed that the tree w

ABOUT 300,000 PEOPLE are diagnosed with Lyme disease every year, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Lyme disease is caused by bacteria that multiply in the bodies of ticks, people, and animals, including

TODAY’S TOMATO (Lycopersicon esculentum) — the large, smooth, red, tasty globe that many of us know and love—bears little resemblance to its South American ancestors, or even to the cultivars that appeared in the American colonies beginning in the 16

IF THERE’S ONE THING WE KNOW about gardening, it’s that moisture is a critical component of the horticultural equation. Humidity — the presence and percentage of water vapor in the air — directly affects the moisture levels in your garden and can pla

FROM PIZZA TO PESTO, basil graces the pans and palates of foodies worldwide. But, are you aware that various cultivars of this attractive, versatile herb possess unique flavors and medicinal qualities? Believed to have been originally cultivated in a

IN 2018, I GREW 76 CULTIVARS OF OKRA. I conducted three separate trials as part of the manic culmination of a six-year obsession with this marvelous mallow, Abelmoschus esculentus. Esculentus is Latin for “delicious” and “full-of-food,” although I fe

ONCE MY DAUGHTERS GREW UP and moved out, I had the opportunity to make my garden my own and fill it with vegetables I love. My garden has undergone many transformations since, as I’ve experimented each season with new crops. I’ve grown foods I’d neve

HAVE YOU HEARD OF the Honeynut squash? At the request of chef Dan Barber, Michael Mazourek, an associate professor in plant breeding and genetics at Cornell University, began to breed this better butternut in 2009. Although not the initial goal, he p

THE SEEDS OF EACH well-loved heirloom cultivar are an unbelievable gift, because within each seed coat are the genes that make that cultivar unique: the incomparable taste of a tomato well-adapted to your community, the unbelievable color or form of

FEW PLANTS OFFER as much potential as the elderberry. It’s easy to grow and can be used for a variety of culinary and medicinal purposes, which makes it an immediate asset to any homestead, farm, or spacious garden. These properties make the plant de

IN MID-TO LATE MAY, elderflowers and roses bloom, and their fragrances intoxicate. In this cake, I really wanted these natural scents to sing, so I’ve used light base ingredients — white spelt flour and golden caster—to make a simple sponge cake, inf