Sprucehaven Farms

Archive for March, 2010

Herb garden plants are probably one of the more useful plants a gardener can grow in his or her garden.

Whether indoor or outdoor, herbs are relatively easy to raise, if one knows how. There are many types of herb garden plants to consider if one wants to get into herb gardening.

Each type has their own special needs, some may be similar to each other, and others may be radically different. To maximize the chances for your herbs to flourish, one must read and learn all about the specific herbs he or she wishes to grow.

The most basic classifications of herbs are annuals, perennials and biennials. Annuals, like basil, summer savory and cilantro will never survive in a frost. These type of herbs need to be planted via seed or sapling every year.

Perennials on the other hand, like sage and winter savory are hardier to winter conditions and will return year after year. As for biennials, these plants first form their leaves in the first growing season, and in their second season, flowers and seeds, then wither and die.

Biennial herbs should be planted directly into the garden during late spring.

To prepare the soil for biennial herb garden plants, you should first work the soil into a fine texture and wet it slightly. Place the seeds in shallow rows then pat the soil solid on top of them.

Some of the more fine seeds can be planted in a soil mixture of sand to help them spread more evenly.

During germination, it is recommended to cover the bed with a wet burlap bag or paper bag to keep the soil moist. Types of biennial herbs include parsley, angelica and caraway.

Another categorization of herb garden plants is how they are used.

Probably the most useful types of herb garden plants are culinary herbs. As the name implies, these herbs are used for cooking and these include thyme, basil, sage, savory and marjoram.

These herbs are known for their strong flavors. Parsley, however, is more commonly used as a garnish for dishes.

Then there are the aromatic herbs.

Known for the pleasant smell of their flowers and leaves, aromatic herbs are used in toilet water, perfumes, colognes and their various scents. These types include loyage, mint and rosemary.
These can also be used to scent clothing and linens, as well as dried up and made into potpourri. Lavender and lemon verbenas are great herbs to use for potpourri.

Then there are the herbs used for medicinal purposes.

Believed for many centuries for their healing properties, the present knowledge of their medicinal properties are mostly overrated, though some are indeed effective, so it is best to use extreme caution when attempting to use these herbs to heal the sick.

Some can be dangerous to eat so it is best to consult a doctor first.

Herb garden plants are not all just used for cooking, scenting and as medicine, some herbs are also used for their aesthetic qualities.

Called ornamental herbs, these usually have bright colored foliage and flowers, with many having whitish or lightly colored flowers like valerian, with crimson blossoms, and borage and chicory, which blossom beautiful blue flowers.

Given these categories, some herbs are not restricted to their classifications since some have multiple uses.

One example is mint, which not only is used for cooking, but is effective as well for pest control. Whatever herb you decide to use for herb gardening, you will find that these plants are one of the more useful plants you will raise.

Choose which type of herb you most likely will be using, and learn how they are taken care of. Herb garden plants are one of the more fulfilling plants a gardener can grow.

Do you grow, transport, store, or sell farm produce? Do you prepare any manner of produce in a restaurant? If so, you need to read this article!

If the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 (HR 875) is passed, organic farming as we know it, will be forever changed. Once law, this bill will mandate that anyone who produces fruit or vegetables for public consumption will register and comply with new standards. The government will give birth to yet another agency which will be empowered to detain, seize, condemn and take “other appropriate enforcement action” against any person exhibiting non-compliance. Under the guise of food safety, organic farmers will be told what chemical to use, how much to use and when its use is required, and violators will be prosecuted. Furthermore, growers of organic produce will be told what kind of seeds can be “safely” used and where they must be purchased.

Once law, the parameters covered by this bill could easily be expanded to cover all food grown on private property for personal use. And your input and preferences won’t matter.

Does this all sound far-fetched? There are people working hard right this minute to make it a reality! I’m not talking about a group of patients in a facility for the criminally insane – I’m talking about a member of the United States Congress who has introduced a bill which is already being studied in committee.

Let’s look at the motivation behind such an idiotic piece of legislation.

First, the bill was presented by Democrat Rosa DeLauro, the wife of Stanley Greenburg, who is an executive at Monsanto. Monsanto, as you probably know, is the world’s largest manufacturer of chemical herbicides (grass and weed killers) and genetically engineered seeds.

Can anyone say “conflict of interest!”?

Second, let’s peruse Section 3, Article 14 of this bill. Please note that the official definition of ‘food production facility’ means any farm, ranch, orchard, vineyard, aquaculture facility, or confined animal-feeding operation. That means any farm, regardless of size– even a small family farm.

A few more high points:

3. Growers will be required to register and comply with all new regulations; non-compliance will be countered by an agency empowered to detain, seize, condemn, and take “other appropriate enforcement action.”

4. Growers will be told what chemical to use, how much to use, and when to use it.

5. Organic growers will be told where to buy their seed.

If this doesn’t sound bad enough, it’s a good bet that the paperwork and compliance regulations are going to be as easy to understand as the current tax laws.

So what happens after you register as an organic grower? What are these new rules that must be adhered to? How much is it going to cost to register? What kind of fees will be imposed? The answer to all these questions is: no one knows yet, because the head of this new agency will decide and this bill specifically states that all regulations will be retroactive.

What is particularly disturbing is that this possible new agency will be headed up by a presidential appointee. (Here’s a few rhetorical questions worthy of consideration: how often, in recent memory, has a presidential appointee actually possessed the qualifications necessary for the job, as opposed to being given a plum position as a reward for some political favor? Can we expect the appointee to be anyone with experience or background in agriculture or food safety? Will the new “Food Safety Czar,” like other agency directors we’ve seen, thumb his/her nose at future congressional inquiries?)

Back to the bill: Ah, but, you’re not an organic farmer or grower, so this won’t affect you, right? Wrong! Further investigation of this bill reveals an expanded scope of authority – to the extent that persons who handle anything defined as “food,” or who are involved in the production, storage, transportation, or preparation of food must register and comply with all the regulations of this new agency.

Doesn’t this sound like something written about Russia back in the cold-war era? Can this really happen in America?
If you think not, consider that the word “terrorist” has been eliminated from the guidelines and official speech of the Department of Homeland Security. Consider that soldiers who have served faithfully with honor in Iraq and Afghanistan have been put on the Department of Homeland Security’s official watch list? The same sort of mentality that came up with those winners is now going to define “food” for us and tell us how to grow it.

If we do not raise our voices collectively and in the streets to confront this kind of silliness, we will soon wake up and find that we have lost our ability to say anything at all. Call your State’s representatives today and tell them to kill this bill in committee! We know that it’s a fact that those who fail to learn from history, will see it repeated. Let’s Roll!

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If you want to find more complete information to select best cabinets for your home, you can visit Aboutcabinets.net. This web has many tips and articles for other home cabinets, such as kitchen and bathroom cabinets. You can also get stylish ideas from their photos gallery.

My husband likes to “tinker” and he has all these tools, equipment and work benches that takes up just about all the garage.  Then there is my hobby. I love to garden and I have my gardening benches, gardening tools, flower pots, bags of soil and mulch, etc.,etc.,etc. Between “his stuff” and “my stuff”, and all of the holiday decorations that we have in boxes stacked up in the garage, there is no longer any room for our cars.  We have to do something, we either have to get rid of something or find more storage space.  Neither one of us were willing to get rid of anything so we decided to look at some outdoor garden shed plans to move all my gardening stuff to.  I was very excited.

We got online and actually found some free outdoor garden shed plans.  But after more research we found out that the free shed plans didn’t have all the information that a good set of professional designed plans had and they were not very expensive.  It was a “no-brainer”, we decided on a set of plans and made our purchase.  We actually went for a shed that was larger than we actually needed, but it will give me more space to work in if weather is bad and we will have more storage space.

One of the things my husband didn’t even think about until he started reviewing the instructions was the load capacity for the roof.  We get a lot of snow every winter and know the damage it can cause if you have a flat roof where snow can accumulate. The weight of the snow  could cause your roof to collapse.

Security is another factor to consider, specially if your storage shed will be located away from your house or if it’s located behind your garage where you can’t see it.  You may want to consider putting bars on the windows, security lights on the outside and absulutely a good heavy door with a bolt action lock.  Maybe you think some of this is over kill, you just have to decide if it is necessary in your neighborhood.

With any structure that you build, it is better to use pressure treated wood.  It is a little more expensive, but it will last far longer than untreated wood. Also, when you are ready to paint your new outdoor garden shed, spend a little more money for a good quality primer and exterior latex enamel paint. The finish will last longer and be easier to keep clean.  Afterall, you want your investment to last a long time.

An outdoor garden shed is a great investment. But if you are going to build it yourself, then get a good set of Outdoor Garden Shed Plans. They will more than pay for themselves by saving you time, money and frustration.

For 12,000 DIY Woodworking Plans, click here:  http://www.build-it-yourself.info