I shouldn’t judge people, like my mom used to say, but it’s tough when you talk to gardeners who claim to be organic, but have proof lying around that says otherwise, like discovering they hire someone to spray poison on their lawns to kill of the weeds that are tough to get rid of.

Not to be honest you might say you are going organic over saying you are an organic gardener. Then work on going 100% but it’s best to start somewhere, right.

Plan your garden right and you can almost let it go on it’s own. Of course it won’t be 100% without a bit of help from you with weeding and pruning.

Even the weeding can be controlled by the way you plant things. If there is no open ground space the weeds will have a hard time to get a foot hold.

We have started creating our own compost to continually add to our organic garden but we are now looking at creating our own mulch as well. This will help us cover the open areas we don’t with to plant on but to cover it so weeds don’t grow either.

The mulch will keep in moisture for the plants you have so you don’t waste water. The compost will add nutrients to the existing soil.

I remember back to when I was a kid. It was all poisons to control Mother Nature but in recent years we have been moving to all things organic so we are doing our part to help Mother Nature instead of killing her.

Whether you are limited to small-scale gardening, or you just want to grow herbs in the kitchen, always try to be mostly organic – you will be rewarded with healthy, chemical-free garden produce.

Don’t waste all your money on buying insecticides, buy new plants instead. I may not know everything about gardening, but I do know what I want, and have a good notion of what constitutes building a thriving ‘organic’ garden. An organic garden is a healthy garden, nurtured and developed in a timely fashion, no unnatural shortcuts allowed!

Colin West is a huge gardening enthusiast. He has been gardening all of his life, and has recently completed a new ebook on how to Grow Herb Garden At Home – which is available as a download.

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As the ole saying goes, a lot of water has passed under the bridge, since the days growing up on a farm. I was a boy that was full of energy and was always getting into something and then out came the old first aid kit.

My big sister took great pleasure in torturing me with anything and anything that would cause pain. My mom on the other hand had that magic touch and used herbs to soothe me. My sister knew what to do to ease the pain and help me heal, she just liked to see how much pain I could endure without screaming.

Herbs were used instead of all the crap drugs we use so readily these days. Perhaps you didn’t know that many of the medicines that you buy in the drug store have herb plants in them? Wouldn’t it be a lot easier and cheaper if you grew your own healing herbs? By using herb plants from my herb garden to fill my medicine cabinet, I have saved a lot of money.

I am already starting an indoor herb medicine cabinet and plan to increase the number of herbs we grow in our home garden as well. Stock up on some Mother Nature’s meds for the winter months.

Do you have any of these issues? Try herb plants!

• Coriander, chervil and thyme all help awesome for aching joints. For a cheap antibacterial, use calendula, lavender, lovage, marjoram, oregano or peppermint.

• Do you have bad breath? Parsley, mint, anise and sweet cicely will help everyone breathe easier.

• Constipation is never any fun. Help get the kinks out with fennel or dandelion.

• It’s amazing how many herb plants will help with flatulence, such as peppermint, summer savory, lemon balm, ginger, caraway, coriander, beebalm and lovage.

• By the end of the day I can usually go for some chamomile tea for my frazzled nerves. Some other herb plants that could assist include dill, goldenrod, lavender and lemon balm.

• Not much can is better than thyme for helping with your Saturday morning hangover. It works better than the raw egg/tomato juice drink people might tell you to drink.

• Can’t cure your hiccups? Give dill a try It not only has a fabulous flavor; it also works like a charm.

• To take care of your insect stings, even mosquito bites, experiment with aloe, goldenrod, hens-and-chicks and summer savory.

• Unable to sleep? A lot of the same herbs that will calm your nerves can help here too, but chamomile and dill are most likely to help you with your insomnia.

• If you suffer from seasonal allergies or nasal congestion, sage, horseradish and violet are good choices. To clean out your sinus passages in no time at all, experiment with a little horseradish.

• Indigestion and stomachache respond well to dill, fennel, lovage and of course peppermint.

Please do not be alarmed with all these treatments—they isn’t snake oil! You don’t believe me? Experiment with it for yourself!

• Aloe Vera: I have two different aloe vera plants that are always suffering from me breaking off bits to treat burns (including sunburn) and mosquito bites. As a succulent, aloe vera does not need very much in the way of creature comforts and I have to be mindful not to over-water it myself. If you’ve planted your aloe vera in a pot, but sure it has well-drained soil and lots of light. You’ll also want to make sure that it stays firmly rooted by packing the dirt around the stem.
• Chamomile: As one of the more popular medicinal herbs, chamomile is good for both mental and physical ailments.. Chamomile comes in two types (German and true or Roman chamomile), both of these herbs will self-sow if you allow it, which can reduce the amount of time you’ll have to spend replanting these perennial herb plants.
• Horseradish: Just a whiff of this will clean you out, and quickly. As a member of the mustard family, horseradish has a peppery flavor that does not attract horses at all. Although the leaves can grow to 2 feet long, it is the root that is important for the herb gardener.

Good luck with your herb gardening. Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.

Here is more information on Herb Garden Kits. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Herb Gardens.

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Every cook wishes that his kitchen has a variety of herbs and spices. These are used to add that extra zest and flare in everyday dishes and make our food healthier for us. Extensive research is being done on herbs and spices’ therapeutic effects and thyme garden herb.

We don’t often think about the additional benefits of commonly used herbs and spices. Take cinnamon for example, the first things that pop up in our minds are breakfast buns and apple pies, but cinnamon has anti inflammatory properties and is used widely to reduce cholesterol and blood pressure. One can soak cinnamon sticks in water to make a healthy tea and enhance its flavor by adding a bit of honey and lemon.

Adding More Flavor and Health

Another herb that has anti-inflammatory benefits is Rosemary; it also has high level of antioxidants that can possibly help in improving memory. Rosemary’s flavor is said to be close to lemons. It is usually used in stews and lamb dishes and makes an excellent addition to eggs.

In our list of herbs and spices, another cherished ingredient is garlic. It is thought to have anti-microbial properties and thus helps build immunity against numerous cancers. Garlic also helps in lowering blood pressure and in preventing cardiovascular diseases. It is also used in various everyday dishes including stews, soups, sauces, salad dressings and also in marinades.

Fennel is believed to have anti-inflammatory properties but is well known for its influence as an anti oxidant. Seeds of Fennel are used in Italian sausages and as a rub on pork and chicken. Its flavor is similar to that of Anise. Fennel stalk is eaten as a vegetable and thus doubted being part of or belonging to the family of herbs and spices. The stalk can be used as a side dish with meat or eaten either roasted or raw.

Peppermint brings in mind sweets and candy canes, but what we don’t know is that it has high level of anti-oxidants and is also believed to contain antiviral and anti-microbial substances. An upset stomach can be soothed by peppermint and it may also help in relieving pain. Fresh peppermint is used with vegetable dishes containing carrots or peas or with various fruits such as strawberries. It adds a refreshing taste to salads as well.

Herbs and spices not only enhance the flavor of plethora of foods and dishes but provide an added benefit with its therapeutic effects. This diversity of herbs and spices is a great factor.

Ms. Reynolds, shows you how to dazzle and protect your friends and family with ease. Get the facts about Herb Garden Plants inside this free 2,506 word special report.  Available for a limited time at www.herbgardenacademy.com.

Bird Houses From Dobbies – Get a bird house you and your birds will be proud to have in your backyard garden. We have owned a few properties here in our city but no room to grow much and no trees, shrubs or flowers, until my wife started planting a few flowers.

It’s years later now and we have a property we are proud to own. It has lots of space for flowers, trees, shrubs and veggies. Plenty of room for birds and butterflies.

We do have a few birdhouses that were here when we purchased our home but they look like they have been through a war and are falling apart. What respectable bird would want to move in there?

We enjoy home gardening and like to grow things birds will enjoy, plus the shrubs and bushes we have along our property fence keep a lot of bird fed during the winter months.

I am going to try my hand at making a couple of birdhouses this year to see how I do.

I love the bird house on the right, it’s just one of the many bird houses availabe at Dobbies but it’s the one I think I will be getting first.

It will be the first bird house we have the is large enough for the robins we see in the early spring. Up until this year they would visit our yard to eat but then have to go somewhere else to find a home. Not any more.

Brrrr, it’s winter, it’s cold and I don’t want to go outside if I don’t have to. Instead I’ve been browsing online and scanning through the gardening magazines I like. I’ve been looking for the garden tools that I should be getting now before planting season starts and I still don’t have them.

I started out looking for a chainsaw, we thought we would maybe buy an electric chainsaw so we can stay as green as we can without having to use a hand saw. But then I started seeing things that we need more than a chainsaw, heck Geoff next door has offered the use of his chainsaw if we need so I think I can put that one on the back burner for now and see what else we need that will make gardening even more fun and less hard work, like a good wheelbarrow would do.

So here is a list, a wish list of garden tools that would come in handy.

I usually just guess when it come to measuring but when it’s all said and done my guessing isn’t very good so when I saw this first garden tool I kinda laughed and told myself I needed this.

My first little garden patch was far from square when I was done digging it up and had to do some fixin’ before my wife got home from work and laughed at me.

Smart Stik

Now my garden rows will be straighter for a change, which makes for better pictures once the veggies start growing.

The guess work is taken out of seed spacing when you use this ingenious garden ruler as your guide.

It’s a 4-foot rule, marked in 1/4″ increments and has planting instructions for 21 different types of vegetables. It makes a great gift for a new vegetable gardener!

The smart stik makes planting rows fast, accurate and easy Includes guide to planting 21 types of vegetables.

Make your planting just that much easier and faster with the Smart Stik

gardener’s Supply Cart, Red

We have been looking at a gardeners cart or wheelbarrow for some time and the only type that we really like are those that are well balanced with big wheels. It really sucks when you hit a divet in the lawn or garden and dump your load.

These garden carts were designed specifically to meet the needs of gardeners young and old.

The big wheels with pneumatic tires roll easily over rough terrain. High sides prevent loose loads like mulch and compost from bouncing out. The axle is positioned to distribute the weight and balance the load. The long handle lets you push or pull with equal ease and has a comfortable neoprene grip.

The Medium Gardener’s Supply Cart carries 400 pounds which would take me a long time to haul by hand not to mention how my back would feel after that.