Adding color and beauty to gardens is something flowers do best, but let’s not forget that some flowers give us some fantastic fragrances, too. Flowers are nature’s perfume, and each variety has its own special scent. Check out these 15 fragrant flowers to grow for your outdoor garden.
For centuries, the people of Mexico have used the flat leaves (or pads) of the prickly pear cactus as a food staple. The pads, called nopales, come from the family of cactus known as Opuntia ficus-indica and are an economically important source of income throughout Mexico.
The temperatures are on the rise, flowers are in bloom and farmer’s markets are stocked full of this season’s finest. If you look, you will find asparagus most dominantly known in its green variety, but also available in white and purple, stocked on the shelves. This nutrient dense vegetable is only available in the produce aisle of your local supermarket from February to June, with its peak harvest in April, when the price for these gems may come down a bit.
Why all the hype about asparagus?
Buckwheat was first cultivated in Japan in approximately 5000 B.C.E. The plant then found its way to China and Siberia in about 1000 B.C.E. It migrated to Europe through Turkey and Russia between the 14th and 15th centuries and arrived in America with the Dutch in the 17th century. The name was derived from the Dutch word “bockweit” which means “beech wheat" as the fruit looked like beechnuts.
Buying a gift for a man can often be difficult, especially when that man is your dad and you’re tired of buying him a tie each year. With Father’s Day right around the corner, however, you might be stressing about what to give, outside of the time you can hopefully spend with him. Here are 6 holistically minded Father’s Day gifts that might be received a little more enthusiastically than the same old tie or baseball hat–and with the added benefit of health.
Wild rice is not actually rice at all, but the seed from a grass of semi-aquatic species found from southern Canada to the eastern United States along the Atlantic coastal marshes. It was the staple food for the Ojibwa and Chippewa people who gathered it by canoe and fire parched the seeds.
If you’re reading Basmati, chances are you care about your health.
There are numerous ways to learn about healthy lifestyle practices, ranging from self-care to nutrition to exercise to yoga. Books, online and in-person classes, workshops, and friend-to-friend chats can all be great ways to learn more about the healing benefits of pine pollen, for example, or if plastic bottles are really safe.
As your garden plan evolves this spring…or as you continue to sow…or at whatever stage your garden is, be sure to leave some room for a few beautiful, edible garnishes! There are dozens of edible flowers you could sow, and not only are they beautiful, but they add a vibrant pop of color to any summer dish – sweet or savory. Also, adding flowers to your garden – vegetable or not – is helpful to attract and support pollinator populations.
Black rice has been known as the Forbidden Rice in China for millennia because it was only served to the Emperors. Research done by Judith A. Carney reveals that the grain was imported to the Carolinas in the United States with the slaves who established it as a crop.