Fertilizer is an essential aspect to container gardens, as most potting soil does not contain right amount of nutrients for healthy plant growth, and fertilizer is available in slow-release and liquid forms. Fertilize a container garden, adding it weekly for healthy plants, with helpful advice from a professional horticulturist in this free video on gardening. Expert: Leigh Anne Lomax Bio: Leigh Anne Lomax is currently the botanical garden and horticulture manager for Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art. Filmmaker: Dimitri LaBarge

Do you have any plans to become Self Sufficient ?
Are you Vegetarians or meat Eaters ?

Produce picks by Michael Marks: Fresh herbs
Whether you’re at a farmer’s market or the supermarket, look for fresh herbs, European plums and strawberries.

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This is the complete guide to container gardening, with practical ideas for creating over 40 beautiful containers of all kinds, from hanging baskets and window boxes to terra cotta pots and stone troughs…. More >>

The Container Garden

I am very sensitive to salad dressing because of all the oils in them and it affects me. But i love salad. The other day i had this killer salad with all these herbs on it and it tasted delicious. But i wasn’t able to get any of the herbs in it…what herbs are good on a salad to replace dressing?

Although the concept of growing your own garden, let alone an organic garden, may seem difficult or foreign to most of us, learning how to grow an organic garden is not as difficult as it might seem. On a base level, it begins with using 100% organic products which are chemical and pesticide free. Whether or not you have tried to grow a garden in the past, despite your success level, gardening the organic way is not that much different. Here are a few tips on how you can begin your walk down the organic gardening pathway of life.

One of the first things you should consider are the benefits that organic gardening will provide you and your family. In today’s society, with the rising prices of fuel and various food products, having the ability to grow your own food at a fraction of the cost of buying it, is a benefit for all who learn how to grow food in their own garden. Organic gardening is an extra benefit because everything that you will be eating is pesticide and chemical free which is healthier for you and your family.

Our bodies are one of the most important things that we have to take care of on this planet. Our families are also important and we need to make sure that the food that we provide for them is not laced with ingredients that can help tear them down over time. This would include things such as herbicides and pesticides that can sit in the body and begin to poison it over time. We can make better choices, and it is a matter of implementing them in order to affect a change.

Right now, take a few minutes and write down the most abundant supply of vegetables an fruits that you eat. Think of a way that you can incorporate your organic gardening to start making this natural alternative ready for you and your family. By growing it yourself, you can save yourself thousands of dollars a year in food expenses. This way, you will be safe in knowing that the food you eat is ready to be consumed without worrying about the consequences.

To start off, you will need to get some fertilizers and bug repellent as you will not be using pesticides or anything chemical as you grow your organic garden. Organic fertilizers are readily available at your local nursery or plant store. You just have to find where they are available and purchase some for your gardening area. Depending upon the type of environment that you live in, and the type of plants that you will be growing, doing early research will allow you to narrow down the supplies you will need as you go along.

You should also consider the type of climate that you are in. If you live in a very warm area that is typically continuously warm, choose your plants accordingly for this type of climate. Likewise, if you lived in an arid area, there are certain kinds of plants that will not grow well and you should do your research as to see what crops for your organic garden would be best for your area. Other things to consider are the type of soil that you currently have and also how much sunlight exposure the plants that you want to grow will need.

There is an extra amount of work necessary when you have an organic garden because of weeds. Unlike a regular garden, weeds will naturally grow and you must do your part and remove them on a regular basis to keep them from spreading. Regular watering and the use of organic fertilization products will also help your plants grow large and strong.

One other thing to consider is that you need to have the space to do this in. Sure, you can create an organic gardening paradise in your home, but you need a lot of space, light, and a desire to make it work indoors that is usually worthwhile once it is set up and going. The are would have to be out of the mainstream of usual traffic, but by keeping it indoors, you can be assured of no temperature variations and shelter from elements that might otherwise kill or harm the crops you are going to grow.

Another tip is to consult local organic gardeners in your area and ask them what type of fertilizers that they use and what plants they are growing that are working out the best. By doing your homework ahead of time, you will save yourself much time and energy, if not money, as you begin to plant your organic crops for personal use and or profit and gain. Organic gardening can be a fun experience especially if you are prepared to do it right.

Sometimes you just get tired of using the same old recipe that tastes the same time after time. But we are all so busy we are looking for easy ways to spice up are repertoire. One way that many cooks forget is to use blends of herbs to add subtle flavor distinctions. The French have been doing this forever.

The French never use just one herb in there dishes but rather a blend of herbs that they call a “bouquets garni”. Don’t be put off by that fancy name, it simply means a bouquet of herbs. The blend of herbs adds subtle but distinct flavors to every dish you prepare. The trick is to get the right blend for so no one herb dominates the dish. You want the flavors to be delicate.

With just a few herb bouquets you can change the taste of a recipe instantly. Now, old recipes have added spark and will get you plenty of “This is Greats”. Your aim here is to create a complex flavor that is balanced making each guest want to instantly take another bite. Of course there is different garni for each recipe. You want to achieve the right herbs and spices that compliment each other. You want to use the right relationship between quantities of each herb you are using.

For meat based casseroles, stews, stocks and soup, the old tried and true garni of parsley, thyme and bay leaf still apply. But go one step further and add a twist of citrus (lime, lemon, or orange) for a little zip. The formula for this garni is 3 sprigs of parsley, 1 sprig of thyme and 1 bay leaf. Get a piece of cooking string and tie the bundle together. Viola, just add the bundle to your dish and remove it before serving. Please use fresh herbs, they’re so much better. If you have to use dried, sprinkle the herbs into a patch of cheesecloth and tie the cloth together with the string. .Fine Herbes and Herbes de Provence are to other bouquets that the French use in their cooking.

You can buy these at the grocery store or a gourmet shop but why not make your own. Finely chop fresh oregano, thyme, marjoram, savory, and marjoram for Herbes de Provence. Add one tablespoon of each to your dish. This combination can also be used in salads, meat dishes and vegetables.

The English version of Herbes de Provence is sage, rosemary, marjoram, Italian parsley chives, tarragon and thyme. Mix them all together and use on lamb, pork or in stuffing.

For Fine Herbes, mix together chopped parsley, tarragon, chives and chervil. Experiment with the quantities. Be adventurous! Keep careful notes when you are experimenting so that you can duplicate the successes and toss the disasters. Remember that creating beautiful tasty dishes is a more of a craft that an art.

You will need to identify the flavor and strength of each herb so that you can group them into either mild or robust. Examples of mild herbs are basil, bay leaf, chervil dill, and marjoram. These herbs combine well with most other herbs and their flavors become milder during the cooking process. With mild herbs you can use larger amounts and with more variation. They can also be used in salads and other dishes where the leaves are not cooked or briefly cooked.

Your robust herbs stand up to cooking. Often, they are used for braised or roasted meat or domestic fowl, soups, stews and even grilled foods. You will have work on the recipe since sometime the herbs alter subtly during the cooking process. They will either become more muted or in some cases intensify. They can always be combined with the mild herbs. Robust herbs include sorrel, rosemary, garlic, oregano, sage, tarragon and thyme.

Another cool easy to use fresh herbs is to flavor oil or vinegar with a blend of either mild or robust herbs. You will need pretty glass jars (preferable dark) and a tight seal. Simply put your combination of herbs in the jar, add the oil or vinegar, seal and let it sit for several weeks. Oils should be stored in the refrigerator. The herbs will add a subtle flavor to the liquid and will be delicious in a variety of ways.

You can make really healthy tinctures with fresh herbs. But I would urge you to master the cooking with herbs before you branch out to other areas. By know exactly how each herb flavors each dish you will instinctually know what to use in tinctures.

Again be adventurous, mix and match, keep trying new things and keep notes so your successes can be repeated. After you have mastered cooking with herbs, who knows? Maybe you will start an herb garden so you will always have fresh delicious herbs on hand.

Here’s to Good Cooking!

Copyright © 2006 Mary Hanna All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

This is my first real attempt at indoor container gardening. This is the first video in a series to document my progress. See more at www.weirddivide.com

I try to garden without any chemicals added. What tips do you have? Especially in regards to pest control?

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Product Description
Botany apparatus; GrowLab II; Tabletop indoor garden; Double the growing area of the compact indoor garden unit; For use on any table that measures at least 54L x 23W in.; Frame: 54L x 23W x 40H in. (135 x 57.5 x 100cm)… More >>

GrowLab II Tabletop Indoor Garden; Frame: 54L x 23W x 40H in.