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  • Growing Ornamental Grass: Unique Picks & Easy Care Tips

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    We underestimate just how beautiful ornamental grasses can be in the garden. They can be statement plants, the key to a modern garden look, and the textural component you may be looking for. Read on for my tips for growing ornamental grass, and find the perfect match with my unique list of grasses you haven’t tried yet.

    Grasses are VERY underrated when it comes to the garden. When I was a novice gardener, I went to the garden centre and absolutely fell in love with purple fountain grass and Japanese blood grass. I thought they were some of the most stunning plants in the whole place.

    Of course, I bought them. They became star plants in my garden that summer. The dark leaves and big bush flowers of the purple fountain grass grew to 5 ft. tall, making a dramatic appearance. The Japanese blood grass also had dramatic colouring, with cranberry red grass blades.

    I was really sad when they eventually died, as I considered them an investment. But they were my first foray into growing ornamental grasses, and I’ve been hooked ever since.

    Today, I’ll share with you some tips for growing ornamental grasses, as well as a few standouts to prove just how fun they can be in the garden

    Stephani in tall ornamental grass towering over herStephani in tall ornamental grass towering over her
    Some ornamental grasses can be so tall they tower over you!

    Designing With Ornamental Grasses

    In most cases, people use ornamental grasses as filler or as a part of xeriscaping. And they’re really great for that! But I encourage you to think beyond the plain ornamental grass and to make them the focus of the garden as well.

    My modern take is a garden made entirely of ornamental grasses. The grasses become the star, and they create a very tranquil atmosphere. This would be perfect for a meditation garden.

    Ornamental grasses can belong in just about any type of garden setting, mostly because native grasses can be found all over the world. From cottage gardens to rock gardens, there is a grass that will work. They’re also wildlife-friendly, providing habitat and food for insects and birds.

    Most ornamental grasses are pest and drought-resistant, and a majority can tolerate partial shade. They’re one of the most low-maintenance plants you can grow, so I encourage you to try growing them in those hard-to-grow areas in your garden. For instance, Japanese forest grass became a star in my shady garden where other plants struggled.

    orange chairs on patio next to stone stairsorange chairs on patio next to stone stairs
    This modern patio utilizes green grasses for a lush, zen appeal.

    10 Unique Ornamental Grasses to Grow

    Before purchasing any ornamental grasses, make sure you check that they’re suitable for your area. Some grasses can be invasive, spreading aggressively, while others nicely clump.

    Japanese Forest Grass

    Hakonechloa macra

    • USDA Zones: 4-9 (perennial)
    • Sunlight requirements: Partial shade
    • Notable characteristics: shade lover, yellowy foliage, natural round shape

    Japanese forest grass has a bright yellow tone to it, making it a lovely plant to brighten up dark corners. I’ve used it in my shady areas to help provide a golden pop, giving the illusion of more light. It’s a rare grass that thrives in shady areas.

    What’s also lovely about this plant is the natural round shape it creates. It grows up to 18” high and 24” wide, and is not known to spread invasively like other grasses.  

    japanese forest grassjapanese forest grass
    Japanese forest grass provides a bright hue for shady areas.

    Bunny Tails

    Lagurus ovatus

    • USDA Zones: 4-10 (annual)
    • Sunlight requirements: Full sun
    • Notable characteristics: soft texture, dried flower favourite, winter interest, re-seeder

    I first grew bunny tail grass in my children’s play garden. They have the softest texture, and the little puffs at the end really do look like they belong to a bunny. They grow about 30 cm tall, making them the perfect height for littles to walk through and touch in the play garden.

    They’re an extremely popular cut flower, being a beautiful pale green in the spring and summer before maturing into an ivory and sometimes pinkish colour in the fall. They also dry amazingly, and are often dyed fun colours.

    Bunny Tail GrassBunny Tail Grass
    Bunny tail grass produces fluffy heads all summer long.

    Wandering Chilean Iris

    Libertia peregrinans

    • USDA Zones: 8-10 (perennial)
    • Sunlight requirements: Partial to full sun
    • Notable characteristics: narrow sword-like foliage, orange shade, fragrant white flowers

    For those who live in warmer zones, the wandering Chilean Iris is such a fun and vivid ornamental grass to grow. It retains this bright orange colour all year long, becoming a focal point that will test even the showiest flowers.

    To get the best colour, you’ll want them in full sun. The foliage brightens in the winter, so it’s great for some winter interest. The plant can also produce small and fragrant white flowers that grow on top of the narrow, straight stems. These bloom starting in late spring.

    libertia peregrinans grasslibertia peregrinans grass
    Libertia peregrinans received the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society.

    Blue Fescue Grass

    Festuca glauca

    • USDA Zones: 4-8 (perennial)
    • Sunlight requirements: Partial to full sun
    • Notable characteristics: unique blue foliage, mound shape, fast-growing

    Blue fescue grass is a classic ornamental grass option, and for good reason! The blue foliage is notable, providing a teal-silver colour you don’t often see in the garden. It’s known for being fast-growing, softer texture, and returning year after year.

    It’s important to note that blue fescue is different than the tall fescue, which you see in turf lawns. I included blue fescue grass in my jack-o-plantern below!

    Common Cattail

    Typha latifolia

    • USDA Zones: 3-10 (perennial)
    • Sunlight requirements: Partial to full sun
    • Notable characteristics: aquatic, up to 10 ft. tall, herbaceous perennial, fluffy brown tops

    First, you had bunnytails; now, I present to you cattails! Anyone who grew up on prairies and in BC will recognize these fun and fluffy plants. Aquatic plants, they grow along the edges of marshes and bogs, growing up to ten feet tall.

    While they have large, long leaves that grow from the base of the plant, the most notable aspect is the cattails. They’re firm and brown when fresh, and turn fluffy as they age.

    cattailscattails
    Cattails prefer full sun and consistent water.

    Japanese Blood Grass

    Imperata cylindrica

    • USDA Zones: 5-9 (perennial)
    • Sunlight requirements: Full sun
    • Notable characteristics: bright red tips, Deer resistant, serrated foliage, invasive

    Another bright favourite of mine is the Japanese Blood Grass. Bright green on the bottom and dark red on top, these offer a fun pop of colour. They work well as accents or in borders.

    It can have invasive qualities, so keep this in mind when deciding where to plant it. Look for sterile cultivars such as ‘Red Baron’ and ‘Rubra’ to avoid this concern.  That being said, this is also why it’s known as an extremely low-maintenance plant.

    japanese blood grassjapanese blood grass
    You can also grow Japanese blood grass in containers to limit its spread.

    Purple Majesty Ornamental Millet

    Pennisetum glaucum

    • USDA Zones: 4-9 (annual)
    • Sunlight requirements: Partial to full sun
    • Notable characteristics: dark foliage, accent plant, height, pollinator favourite

    I included purple majesty ornamental millet in my pollinator seed collection way back in 2018, and it remains one of the most stunning grasses I’ve grown. The dark purple foliage and cattail-like heads make it a great focal and accent plant.

    It can grow up to 1.2 m tall, so it works great planted at the back of the bed or somewhere you don’t mind a little height. Then sit back and watch the bees visit!

    purple majesty ornamental milletpurple majesty ornamental millet
    Purple majesty ornamental millet grows tall, so note the full maturity size when planting.

    Weeping Brown Sedge

    Carex flagellifera

    • USDA Zones: 6-9 (perennial)
    • Sunlight requirements: Partial to full sun
    • Notable characteristics: golden-brown colour, low mound, evergreen

    Another grass I featured in my jack-o-plantern, the weeping brown sedge, stays a beautiful golden-brown colour that feels so autumnal to me. It grows best in mild climates where it acts as a herbaceous evergreen perennial, though it is short-lived.

    The leaves are very fine, providing a nice textural and low-growing element near the front of garden beds

    array of grasses next to a wheel barrow with pumpkinsarray of grasses next to a wheel barrow with pumpkins
    Plant perennial grasses in the fall to get the best deals.

    Curly Rush Grass

    Juncus effusus ‘Spiralis’

    • USDA Zones: 5-9 (perennial)
    • Sunlight requirements: Partial to full sun
    • Notable characteristics: spiral stems, patio plant, houseplant, likes moisture

    The curly rush grass may be the most fun one on this list of grasses. It produces corkscrew-shaped stems that are smooth and upright. They grow in nice clusters and produce small yellowish flowers in late summer.

    Some grow the curly rush grass as a houseplant, but it also works well as a container plant for the patio or as part of a children’s garden, thanks to its fun shape and texture.

    curly rush grasscurly rush grass
    Curly rush grass loves damp soil.

    Horsetail

     Equisetum hyemale

    • USDA Zones: 4-9 (perennial)
    • Sunlight requirements: Partial to full sun
    • Notable characteristics: grows in any conditions, spreads quickly, toxic to grazing animals

    Horsetail is a fun-looking evergreen perennial. It grows tall and upright, appearing somewhere between a grass and bamboo.

    Horsetail can handle whatever you throw at it and will grow where nothing else would. In most places, it’s considered a weed. Since it reproduces through spores and underground rhizomes, it can spread very quickly and easily fill in an area.

    So when would you use horsetail? It can grow in dry, poor soil when you need something to fill an area. It can also grow in standing water, making it a good aquatic plant if you have a contained pond. Just know what you’re signing up for!

    Rough horsetailRough horsetail
    When in doubt, control the spread by growing it in a container.

    Tips for Growing Ornamental Grass

    • Dividing. Eventually, your perennial grasses will need to be divided, typically to control the size or when the centre of the grass is dead. Divide them in early spring when the plants are just starting to turn green. Dig up the whole root ball, and cut it in half (or more), removing any dead parts before replanting.
    • Water tolerance. All grasses will have different water requirements. While most are drought-tolerant, others thrive in damp and moist conditions. Be sure to check the plant tag to know its water requirements.
    • Sharp edges. Many grasses have sharp blades and barbs on them. If you touch them the wrong way, they can cut you. It’s their defence mechanism after all. Just be careful when working with your ornamental grasses, wearing gloves when necessary.
    Savanna Trail GrassesSavanna Trail Grasses

    Ornamental Grasses Care FAQ

    When to plant ornamental grasses?

    All annual ornamental grasses should be planted in the spring so you can get the most out of them. Any perennial grasses can be planted in the spring or fall. I like the fall, as that’s when perennials are all on discount!

    Do ornamental grasses need fertilizer?

    I wouldn’t worry much about providing fertilizer to your ornamental grasses. I mix in compost when planting, and add it to all my garden beds throughout the summer.

    If your grass is in a container, then it will need monthly fertilizer applications during the growing season. If you have poor soil in your garden beds, you may want to add some organic granular fertilizer at the beginning of the growing season.

    Do I need to cut back my ornamental grasses?

    Leave your ornamental grasses for the fall and most of the winter. They can provide some winter interest in the garden, and also a necessary habitat for wildlife. In late winter or early spring, cut back last year’s growth to the ground before the plant shows signs of growth again.

    ornamental grassornamental grass
    Grasses provide movement and softness to the garden.

    More Low-Maintenance Gardening Tips

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    Stephanie Rose

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  • Herbal Roll-on Remedies for Headache, Sleep, and Cold & Flu – Garden Therapy

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    Whenever I feel a little under the weather or sense that I’m coming down with something, these essential oil roll-on remedies are the first thing I turn to. These essential oil roll-on recipes are super simple to put together and really work. I’ll show you my favourite recipes to help relieve symptoms from headache, insomnia, and cold and flu viruses naturally! 

    Roll-on remedies are a quick and natural first line of defense against common (yet super annoying) ailments: headaches, disrupted sleep, and cold and flu viruses. They are made with high concentrations of herbs and essential oils in a gentle dilution of carrier oil that is convenient to use.

    Today, I’ll share the three essential oil roll-on recipes that I turn to so I can avoid popping pills.

    This post will cover…

    fresh-cut herbsfresh-cut herbs
    Herbs have many different healing properties, depending on which you choose.

    Do Roll-On Remedies Work?

    In a word…yes!

    Somehow, I’m always surprised at the effectiveness of my homemade roll-on remedies. Even though I use a lot of essential oils and remedies on myself and with my family, I still have the tiniest jolt of awe every time they work.

    And why shouldn’t they? Herbal healing has been around for longer than me, or you, or Western Medicine, for that matter. The power of plants is something that you can easily harness into a pocket-sized roll-on bottle to help with little ailments before they get out of control.

    iHerb Online Order of Essential OilsiHerb Online Order of Essential Oils
    I include essential oils in many of my recipes both for their scent and herbal properties.

    Selecting Essential Oil for Your Roll-On Recipes

    Before I give you the recipes for my roll-on remedies, I want to share a little about essential oil brands. I’m not affiliated with any essential oil network marketing companies and, to be honest, I’ve only tried a few of the products they offer.

    Over the years, I have tried a large number of brands from traditional stores, though, and I like to shop around for different brands to experiment with. I use my nose and other senses to evaluate how the oils work for me.

    I have researched and even chatted with the makers of a number of brands and have learned two things:

    1. There is no certification or industry standard for essential oil brands, meaning the quality of the products is all over the map.
    2. More expensive oils are not necessarily better. Some brands that have high price points have far inferior products than those with lower price points. Yes, ingredients are one reason for the price of the bottle, but that number is also influenced by marketing, customer demand, and supply scale, among other things. I used to bypass the inexpensive essential oils brands, thinking that they were of poor quality, when in fact the price of some brands is low because they produce so much that they are able to gain more economies of scale.
    essential oil bottles and fresh herbs and spicesessential oil bottles and fresh herbs and spices
    Do your research to ensure your essential oils are of good quality.

    Are Roll-On Essential Oils Safe?

    Essential oils are compounds extracted from plants, meaning they are supercharged with the plant’s aromas and herbal benefits. They’re potent and strong, one of my favourite herbal ingredients, and completely safe for use when used right.

    When using essential oil roll-ons, it’s important to get the dose right. Typically, you never want to place pure essential oil directly on the skin. That is why I dilute it with a high-quality carrier oil to make it completely safe for skin application. Certain essential oils should also be avoided for skin use, such as cinnamon bark and oregano.

    And as mentioned above, you want to make sure you’re using high-quality essential oils. So do your research into any brand before buying, regardless of price point. This will make certain that you’re actually getting results from your roll-on oil!

    Grapeseed oil as a career oil for essential oilsGrapeseed oil as a career oil for essential oils
    Essential oils will need carrier oils to be safely applied to the skin.

    How to Use an Essential Oil Roll-On

    I made three of my favourite roll-on remedies from the essential oils, and I used grapeseed oil as the carrier oil to dilute them.

    To apply your roll-on oil, make sure to perform a patch test beforehand to see how your skin will react. To do this, wash your forearm with soap and pat it dry. Roll on your essential oil remedy and wait 24 hours to see if there is any kind of reaction.

    I apply every one of my roll-on essential oils differently. Some I like on my face, behind my ears, on my chest, and even on the bottom of my feet. I noted for each roll-on oil how I like to use it, but experiment for yourself. Just make sure to keep the oils far enough away from your eyes!

    So let’s put these oils to good use, shall we?

    Headache Roll On RemedyHeadache Roll On Remedy

    Headache Relief Roll-on Remedy

    Add the drops of essential oil into the roller bottle and fill with grapeseed oil, leaving a bit of headspace for the roller cap. Pop the roller into the bottle and add the cap.

    How to Use

    When I first feel a headache coming on, I use this roll-on for headaches by creating a halo around my head. Rolling it around my hairline from my forehead to temple, around the nape of my neck, and back up to the starting point. If I catch a headache before it gets momentum, this remedy will help take it away.

    Sleep Well Roll-on Remedy

    Add the drops of essential oil into the roller bottle and fill with grapeseed oil, leaving a bit of headspace for the roller cap. Pop the roller into the bottle and add the cap.

    How to Use

    I apply this remedy before bed to help promote restful sleep. To use, I roll it behind my ears, the back of my neck, and the soles of my feet. I also apply hand and foot lotion at night, so I roll the ball in the palm of my hand, mix it in with the lotion, and then rub it into my hands and feet.

    Cold and Flu Roll On RemedyCold and Flu Roll On Remedy

    Cold and Flu Roll-on Remedy

    Add the drops of essential oil into the roller bottle and fill with grapeseed oil, leaving a bit of headspace for the roller cap. Pop the roller into the bottle and add the cap.

    This one has a lot more ingredients, but every drop is worth its weight in gold! Having gone through every single virus the last few years that my son was in daycare, I stopped getting 80% of them when I started using this combination.

    How to Use

    I apply this remedy in cold and flu season and when there is a virus going around. Usually, I roll it on my chest and the soles of my feet. I also use it as a hand sanitizer when I’m out in public and can’t wash my hands.

    Herbal Roll on Remedy with RosemaryHerbal Roll on Remedy with Rosemary
    Thanks to their small size, you can bring these remedies with you on the go.

    For fun, I added some fresh herbs to my essential oil roll-ons to help me identify them. I added a tip of young rosemary to the cold and flu remedy, and a few small peppermint leaves to the roll-on for headaches.

    I also added small lavender flowers on the stem, plus some purple Centaurea Classic Artist Mix petals (because lavender doesn’t hold its colour in oil, but Centaurea does) to the sleep remedy.

    Herbal Roll on remedies with herbs
    Add fresh or dried botanicals for appearance.

    But…you can go a bit more traditional by using a label maker to identify the name of each of the essential oil roll-on recipes, too.

    Roll on Remedies Head Aid Sleep Well and Immunity BoostRoll on Remedies Head Aid Sleep Well and Immunity Boost
    Add labels, especially if you plan on gifting these remedies.

    Either way, you’ll be sure to love these fantastic essential oil roll-ons. I recommend mixing them up so they are ready for you the next time you feel symptoms coming on. You’ll be thankful you did!

    More Ways to Use Essential Oils

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    Stephanie Rose

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  • Herbal Guide to Thyme: Growing, Benefits, and Uses

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    Thyme is one of the best herbs you can have growing in your garden this (or any) year. Here’s everything you need to know about thyme benefits, uses, and growing thyme.

    With cold and flu season on the way, thyme is a powerful herb you will want on your side. Thyme is a well-known aid for the upper respiratory and digestive systems, which can help you with coughing, phlegm, nausea, and other symptoms.

    Thyme is also the perfect addition to the chef’s spice rack. It packs a punch of flavour, but its powerful remedial actions make it a must-have for the herbal cabinet.

    Thyme is the general name for 300-400 species around the world. Its botanical name is Thymus vulgaris and it is a part of the mint family, Lamiaceae. Thyme is native to Europe and Asia and likes to grow in temperate climates. Thyme benefits are numerous, and it is additionally known for its great flavour, it is used for culinary, medicinal, ritual, and ornamental purposes.

    There’s a lot to know about this versatile herb, so let’s jump in.

    thyme benefitsthyme benefits
    Thyme grows as a perennial in many climates.

    LoriAnn’s Green Blessings

    This article was reviewed by herbalist LoriAnn Bird. This is not to be used as personal medical advice; always consult your health care professional for individual concerns.

    This is what LoriAnn has to say about Thyme:

    Vulgaris is Latin for commonly known or something that is derived from the masses of common people. How interesting that the species with the name vulgaris tells us this plant was commonly used for its many benefits.

    I would suggest, which is fast and simple, steaming this helpful herb for its ability to open up the airways and breath in all it’s antimicrobial properties. Research on Japanese forest bathing called shinrin-yoku confirms that plant aerosols keep us healthy.

    fresh thyme on a wooden cutting boardfresh thyme on a wooden cutting board
    Thyme is known as an upper respiratory aid.

    History of Thyme

    Thyme has a deep connection to our fuzzy buzzing friends, bees. Burning thyme in your house was believed to help get rid of insects, and it was also used as a fumigator for early beekeeping in Rome. The herb is a favourite among bees and was used as a sign to determine the quality of the honey that year. Later in the Middle Ages, women would also embroider a bee and thyme together on scarves, which they gifted to knights.

    This gifting practice stemmed from thyme representing courage and respect. Roman soldiers would exchange sprigs of thyme and bathe in it in an effort to be more courageous.

    In addition to ridding the house of insects, they would also burn the herb to help purify their homes and to conjure courage. The botanical name, thymus, is tied to the Greek word thymos, which represents strength, courage, spirit, and anger.

    In the 19th century, dentists used certain constituents of thyme to treat oral abscesses and inflammation. Thyme was used in ancient times medically for embalming practices as well as lung and respiratory support.

    Of course, the thyme herb is a cooking staple in stews, poultry, stuffing, marinades, dressings, and baked goods. It was also used to keep bacteria from growing in meat and vegetables before refrigeration was invented.

    Thyme is also tied to a hint of whimsy. The Victorians believed that a patch of thyme found in the woods meant that fairies danced and lived there. Areas of thyme were believed to hold fairy houses and were home to fairies who helped tend the garden. Shakespeare reinforced this reference in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, where Titania the Fairy Queen’s shelter is “a bank where the wild thyme blows…” If growing thyme brings fairies to my garden, you can count me in!

    Bunch of garden thyme herb on wooden tableBunch of garden thyme herb on wooden table
    Thyme has been a herbal staple for centuries.

    Thyme Benefits for Health

    As mentioned above, thyme’s benefits are numerous and impressive. Here are just a few ways this herb can aid your health.

    A Respiratory Aid

    Throughout history and still to this day, thyme is well known as a respiratory aid. Thymol, the primary chemical constituent of thyme, is antispasmodic, antimicrobial, and an expectorant.

    The herb is commonly used for breathing difficulties as it works as a bronchodilator and an anti-inflammatory agent. It can be a helpful aid for chronic lung and respiratory problems and has a soothing effect on sore throats for laryngitis and tonsillitis.

    Historic uses for it include asthma, shortness of breath, and whooping cough. Today’s research has yet to prove that thyme can be beneficial to asthma, but more research is underway to confirm its traditional use in this area. Current studies suggest that it could help decrease inflammatory responses and allergic varieties of asthma.

    Traditional Chinese medicine also reinforces the use of thyme for the respiratory system. The lungs, spleen, and stomach are considered meridians for thyme. The warming effect of thyme on the lungs helps to clear congestion, phlegm, asthma, and tuberculosis, and supports the system during the cold season.

    The traditional use of tea (with a recipe at the end of this post!) is a great way to utilize these healing properties of thyme.

    cup of homemade thyme tea to get thyme benefitscup of homemade thyme tea to get thyme benefits
    Many use thyme tea as a primary way to enjoy its respiratory benefits.

    Digestion Aid

    Thyme is also widely known as a powerful herb for the digestive system. Thymol improves digestion, relaxes the smooth muscles of the intestinal tract, and can help prevent menstrual cramps. Thyme is a carminative, meaning it dispels gas and is also antispasmodic. Because of its action on relaxing smooth muscles of the intestinal tract, it makes a great digestive aid and can be helpful for colic, gas, and spasms.

    The warming effects of thyme can also help to warm up cold intestines and can improve appetite. It stimulates the movement of blood, oxygen, and energy to the digestive system, which is how it helps to combat bloating, gas, and upset stomachs. As mentioned above, it is also connected to the spleen and stomach meridians in traditional Chinese medicine.

    More Thyme Benefits and Uses

    In addition to helping us breathe and digest, thyme is also widely used to protect against infections. The thymol in thyme has many benefits as it is an antioxidant and has antibacterial, antimicrobial, antifungal, and wound healing properties.

    Traditional Chinese Medicine uses thyme to aid colds, skin infections, and parasites to help support immunity against infections. Dentists of the 19th century also had it right, as it is still used in dentistry for the treatment of cavity infections due to its antimicrobial actions.

    Thyme has a warming effect, and thyme essential oil can feel very irritating to the skin. However, the herb is much milder and safer than the thymol isolation. Its warming effect makes it a great addition to joint and muscle liniments and salves, or for cleansing cuts and wounds. Its strong antifungal properties also make thyme effective for fungal conditions on skin and nails.

    Thyme is also a nervine, meaning it can help to calm the nerves. It works best when used to treat chronic fatigue, melancholy, tension, anxiety, and mental and physical exhaustion. The herb has also been used as a mood balancer. It can be both stimulating and relaxing, bringing the body back to proper balance.

    It should be noted that thyme may not be appropriate for pregnant women due to its traditional use as an emmenagogue.

    thyme benefits and usesthyme benefits and uses
    Thyme has antibacterial, antimicrobial, antifungal properties.

    How To Grow Thyme

    Botanical name: Thymus vulgaris
    Family: Lamiaceae
    USDA Zone: 4 to 11
    Height: 12 to 18 inches
    Spacing: 18 to 24 inches
    Light: Full sun
    Water: Drought-tolerant. Average water needs. Water regularly. Do not overwater.

    Blooming Common Thyme herb (Thymus vulgaris)Blooming Common Thyme herb (Thymus vulgaris)
    Thyme is fairly drought-tolerant, though it prefers temperate climates.

    More Tips for Growing Thyme

    Thyme is a low-growing perennial; a fragrant herb with a pungent, clover flavour. It has small, fragrant leaves and thin, woody stems. The culinary types are evergreen. There are many different varieties, and fresh or English thyme is most used in cooking.

    Starting thyme from seed indoors is difficult. Growing thyme can be slow and difficult because germination is uneven. It’s easier to buy the plants from the store or take cuttings from a friend and then propagate your own cuttings over time. Plant in the garden near cabbage and tomatoes, or drought-tolerant plants. Growing thyme indoors beside rosemary works well because they have similar needs. Make sure the soil is well-drained.

    Water deeply only when the soil is completely dry. Prune the plants in spring or summer to contain growth and mulch lightly for winter after the ground freezes. Divide plants every three to four years, as they will go woody over time and produce leaves with less flavour.

    For the culinary artists or plain Jane home cooks, thyme is a great addition to your indoor herb garden. It takes well to being clipped often and can be used as a handy fresh herb at your disposal in the kitchen.

    planting thyme in a wine boxplanting thyme in a wine box
    Thyme grows well in containers.

    How To Harvest Thyme

    To get the most thyme benefits from the plant possible, try to harvest before the herb flowers. This can be done any time during the summer if you’re growing outside in the morning after the dew has dried.

    Cut off five to six inches of growth from the top of the head. You will want to leave behind the tough, woody parts of the plant.

    Try to avoid washing the cleaner leaves, as it may remove some of the important essential oils. You can harvest two or more crops during the season. Keep the plant growing by continually trimming it, but leave a minimum of five inches so it will thrive.

    Avoid harvesting the woody stems, instead opting for the top, frehs growth.

    How to Dry & Store Thyme

    Fresh is always best! The powerful oils in thyme are key to the herb. For fresh thyme, lightly wrap the plant in plastic and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

    If you are going to be using dried thyme, it must be done so carefully to preserve the oils. Bundle the thyme with string and hang in a warm, dark, well-ventilated room out of direct sunlight. Alternatively, place the herb on a tray with wax paper and dry. Once dried, store in a clean, sterilized, airtight container for up to two years. Crush the herb just before using.

    Both fresh and dry herbs should be covered in storage to help retain the oils. The more oil, the more powerful and useful your thyme will be!

    various dried herbs and flowers for making teavarious dried herbs and flowers for making tea

    How to Use Thyme – 3 Recipes

    Thyme is such a great addition to your herbal medicine cabinet. There are many ways to utilize the powerful properties in thyme, and I have detailed a few of my favourites below. As with any herb, be sure to proceed with caution and consult your primary health care provider before using thyme.

    How do you use thyme? Let me know in the comments down below how you utilize this amazing herb.

    Soothing Digestive Thyme Tea

    The traditional use of thyme tea (with a recipe at the end of this post!) is a great way to utilize these healing properties of thyme.

    Cook Time5 minutes

    Total Time5 minutes

    Course: Drinks

    Cuisine: Herbal remedy

    Keyword: tea, thyme

    Servings: 1 cup

    Calories: 6kcal

    • 2 tsp dried thyme
    • 1 cup boiling water

    • Place herbs in a tea infuser.

    • Pour boiling water over top and let steep.

    • Drink up to 3 times a day. Avoid during pregnancy.

    Serving: 1cup | Calories: 6kcal

    Thyme Herbal Honey

    This recipe comes from the Herbal Academy’s Herbal Home Remedies for Colds and Flu.

    Cook Time20 minutes

    Total Time20 minutes

    Course: Sweetener

    Cuisine: miscellaneous

    Keyword: drawing salve, dried herbs, honey, raw, thyme

    Servings: 60 teaspoons

    Calories: 21kcal

    • 1 cup raw honey
    • ¼ cup dried thyme

    • Combine honey and herbs into a sterilized glass jar. Place jar into a double boiler.

    • Heat on low heat for 15-20 minutes. Stir regularly and do not let the honey boil or scorch.

    • Remove from heat and let cool.

    • Enjoy immediately or steep for 2 weeks before using.

    • Add to food or use it in cold and flu tea for an extra antimicrobial boost.

    Serving: 1tsp | Calories: 21kcal

    Thyme & Sage Culinary Salts

    This recipe comes from the Herbal Academy’s DIY Edible Gifts to Make at the Last Minute.

    Course: Seasoning

    Cuisine: miscellaneous

    Keyword: dried herbs, easy, quick, salt

    Servings: 240 servings

    Calories: 0.1kcal

    • 2 tbsp dried thyme
    • 2 tbsp dried sage
    • 1 cup coarse salt

    • Add herbs to salts. Give the mixture a quick stir and taste-test.

    • Add more herbs as needed.

    • If using an extra coarse salt, grind quickly in a blender to make it finer.

    • Store the salts in a clean, dry, and sterile saltshaker to prevent spoilage. Use it to flavor dishes or gift to a friend.

    Serving: 0.25tsp | Calories: 0.1kcal

    More Herbal Growing Guides

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  • Essential Oil Perfume: Blend Your Own Custom Scent – Garden Therapy

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    Essential oil perfume allows you to enjoy the fragrance of natural botanicals without any of the icky potential toxins. Plus, it just takes minutes to put together these pretty rollerball recipes. 

    Roller bottles are popular in aromatherapy as a way to apply an individual dose of herbal benefits for a variety of different moods and ailments. Roller bottles can also make beautiful perfume bottles.

    By replacing lab-created fragrances with naturally occurring essential oils, you’ll not only smell good but you’ll feel pretty fantastic too.

    Today, I’ll share some tips on how to make your own custom scent and the base recipe I use for all my botanical perfumes.

    This post will cover…

    homemade perfume with botanicalshomemade perfume with botanicals
    Add some colour and beauty to your perfume with real botanicals.

    How to Create the Perfect Essential Oil Perfume Blend

    Blending essential oils is a skill that takes practice. To get started, take a few of the scents you are usually drawn to and hold the open bottles to your nose. When you breathe in the combination of fragrances, you’ll learn what you like and what you will want to give a pass.

    Understanding Fragrance Notes

    Essential oils’ fragrance characteristics are classified as “notes”. Specifically, top notes, middle notes, and base notes. Here’s a bit about each one so you can start to identify them as you create essential oil perfume recipes.

    • Top notes are light, fresh, fast-acting, and tend to evaporate very fast. This is usually the first scent you smell in a blend.
    • Middle notes help to balance the blend. You might not smell the middle note right away, but the soft fragrance may become apparent after a few minutes.
    • Base notes are very strong and heavy, grounding the blend with their long-lasting diffusion. Balance your perfume creations by blending different notes together to make the end result complex and alluring.

    Some examples are:

    homemade perfume with calendula petalshomemade perfume with calendula petals
    Find a combination featuring top, middle, and base notes.

    Essential Oil Perfume Recipe Blends to Try

    There is a world of fragrances that you can create with essential oils. Here are a few combinations to get you started:

    I also have a post dedicated to my go-to blends, a romantic blend and a fresh blend.

    Carrier Oils

    Carrier oils are oils used to suspend and deliver essential oils. They are the base that you add essential oils to so that they are properly diluted before applying to your skin, which can prevent irritation. Good choices for carrier oils are thin oils without a strong fragrance, as you want the essential oil scent to be the star.

    My favorites are fractionated coconut oil, grapeseed oil, sweet almond oil, or jojoba oil for making essential oil perfume.

    perfume recipe with dried peony petalsperfume recipe with dried peony petals
    Some carrier oils may also have their own scent.

    Great Flowers for Long-Lasting Colour

    Part of the fun of this recipe is adding colourful pops of botanicals. Unfortunately, not all of the flowers that are beautiful in the garden hold their colour well when they are submerged in oil.

    You can test out flower petals and leaves that you have available, or use some of these tried-and-true varieties.

    • Blue and purple –Centaurea (bachelor’s button) petals
    • Pink- Dried peony petals
    • Yellow- Sunflower petals
    • Orange –Calendula petals

    Note: lavender and rose flowers would be an obvious choice if they held their colours well. Unfortunately, both quickly turn brown in oil applications and don’t look that attractive. For that reason, I do not recommend those for clear vials like this.

    essential oil perfumesessential oil perfumes
    Calendula, peony, and centaurea petals in perfume.

    How to Make Essential Oil Perfume

    Now the fun part! Here’s how to make a one-of-a-kind essential oil perfume in just minutes.

    Ingredients and Materials

    Makes one 10 ml aromatherapy perfume

    Make It!

    Spend some time blending essential oils to come up with a fragrance that works for you. Collect fresh or dried petals and leaves to use in the bottles. Prepare the roller bottle by removing the lid and rollerball.

    botanicals and bottle for perfumebotanicals and bottle for perfume
    Roller balls work best for botanical perfumes.

    Fill your perfume bottle with a carrier oil. Choose fractionated coconut oil if you don’t want your perfume bottle to have any colour. The other oils will be in various shades of amber and green (grapeseed oil is shown here).

    adding essential oils to homemade perfumeadding essential oils to homemade perfume
    I used grapeseed oil, which had a faint greenish hue.

    Add 10 drops of essential oils per 10 ml bottle. With the strongest scented oils, start with only one drop and move up if it’s not strong enough. There are some scents—like lemongrass and cinnamon—that are so strong that they can take over the entire blend.

    Add a combination of fresh and dried flowers, leaves, or petals into the oil to decorate the bottle.

    add botanicals to homemade perfumeadd botanicals to homemade perfume
    Botanicals should not be used in any spray bottles; only roller balls.

    Pop the roller ball lid onto the glass vial. Shake well to combine the oils.

    Leave the blend for 24-48 hours to develop. As the oils work together, the scent will change. You may even be surprised at how different it is!

    all-natural perfume recipe with essential oils and botanicalsall-natural perfume recipe with essential oils and botanicals
    Let your perfume sit for 24-28 hours before using it.

    Give It!

    Package up a collection of four different scents in a kraft paper jewelry box. Use washi tape with a message (I used some that say “With Love”) to create a band on the box lid.

    a set of homemade natural perfumesa set of homemade natural perfumes

    That’s it! Whether you keep it or gift it (or both), essential oil perfume is simple to make and will leave you feeling (and smelling!) great all day.

    Other Natural Recipes to Try

    DIY Essential Oil Perfume

    Learn how to make a custom essential oil perfume blend using botanicals and oils. This diy makes a great gift too!

    • Remove the lid of the rollerball.

    • Fill the rollerball bottle with the carrier oil.

    • Add up to 10 drops of essential oil per bottle. Stronger scents like cinnamon will only need 1-2 drops as they are powerful.

    • Add the fresh or dried botanicals for some colour and additional fragrance.

    • Place the rollerball lid back on, then shake well to combine.

    • Apply and enjoy!

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  • Rosemary Lemon Soap-on-a-Rope (Including Video Tutorial!) – Garden Therapy

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    Soap-on-a-rope is more than just a catchy rhyme. It’s a decorative way to display soap that also keeps it from getting soft or sitting in a little soap puddle in your shower or bath.

    These rosemary lemon soap-on-a-rope stars come straight from the garden into the holiday gift-giving season. This project is extra special because it creates two types of soap in one: stars and bars!

    Stars and bars? Yes! Two kinds of soap come out of this one project. First, you will cut out soap stars, and when that process is finished, you’ll add another soap to fill in the holes and create decorative soap bars. Let’s get to it, shall we?

    rosemary lemon soap-on-a-roperosemary lemon soap-on-a-rope
    You can also try this soap recipe using other cookie cutter shapes.

    Rosemary Lemon Soap-on-a-Rope Video

    Watch this video for a quick overview of how easy this project is, then follow the step-by-step instructions in the rest of this post so you can make these at home.

    YouTube videoYouTube video

    How to Make Lemon Rosemary Soap Bars

    Now on to the recipe!

    Materials

    melt and pour soap base on wooden cutting boardmelt and pour soap base on wooden cutting board
    This recipe requires both a “clear” soap base and an “opaque” one.

    Make it!

    Cut up the shea butter soap base into 1-inch cubes and add it to the Pyrex measuring cup.

    soap chunks in a Pyrex containersoap chunks in a Pyrex container
    Soap will melt quickly in the microwave.

    Melt the soap base in a microwave or in a double boiler so that it is just melted. You want the soap base to melt but not cook. Remove the soap base from the microwave or the double boiler before it starts to steam.

    There may be a few chunks left, but that is just fine. Those will melt if you keep stirring the soap base for a few minutes after removing it from the heat.

    soap base in a microwavesoap base in a microwave
    Check your soap every 30 seconds in the microwave.

    When the soap base has melted, add in half of your herbs, lemon zest, and essential oils to the soap mix. Reserve the other ingredients.

    Pour the soap base into the cookie sheet and move the cookie sheet around quickly so that it fills up the entire space. It should be approximately 1 inch thick.

    Sprinkle the remaining herbs and lemon zest on the top of the soap. Leave it to set on a level surface. Spray the surface with isopropyl alcohol. Note: work quickly as the soap will dry fast.

    rosemary lemon soap on a cookie sheetrosemary lemon soap on a cookie sheet
    Work quickly, as the soap will cool fast.

    When the soap is dry—in only about a half hour—use the cookie cutter to cut out star shapes.

    lemon and rosemary soap barslemon and rosemary soap bars
    screw through star soap bar as well as twine and scissorsscrew through star soap bar as well as twine and scissors
    Use a screw to create the hole for the twine.

    Make the stars into the soap-on-a-rope by using a screw to create a hole and then tying a piece of cotton twine through the hole. The soap-on-a-rope can now be given as a gift or hung in the shower.

    star soap-on-a-ropestar soap-on-a-rope
    The finished soap-on-a-rope bars.

    Now, I’ll show you how to make the bars! Melt the glycerin soap base in the microwave or double boiler as you did with the previous batch. Add the remaining essential oils and stir well.

    melt and pour soap chunks in a Pyrex containermelt and pour soap chunks in a Pyrex container
    melted melt and pour soap in a Pyrex containermelted melt and pour soap in a Pyrex container
    Want more yellow colouring? Add a hint of turmeric!

    Spray the surface of the star cutout soap with isopropyl alcohol to encourage the layers to stick. Pour the melted soap slowly and evenly over the star cut-out soap in the cookie sheet. The glycerin soap will fill in the stars and add another layer of thickness to the soap. Spray the surface with isopropyl alcohol again.

    star soap ready to cut in a cookie sheetstar soap ready to cut in a cookie sheet
    Make sure to evenly spread the soap to fill in all the stars.

    When the cookie sheet of soap has dried, you can use a knife to gently lift the corner of the soap and pull the sheet up.

    Place the soap on a cutting board and cut out rectangles or squares of soap to create soap bars. These can be used as is, or you can punch a hole in them and hang them from a rope just as you did with the stars.

    lemon rosemary soap-on-a-rope barlemon rosemary soap-on-a-rope bar
    Use as bars or also attach twine to make it a soap-on-a-rope.

    I like the idea of wrapping them up and giving them as stocking stuffers or even tying them to the outside of a present. No matter how you decide to give them, this is a fun project to make any time of year.

    rosemary lemon soap barsrosemary lemon soap bars

    If you are looking for more gift ideas, be sure to check out my melt and pour soap book, Good Clean Fun!

    Good Clean Fun is filled with super simple techniques for crafting artisan soaps at home. You’ll learn how to use botanicals, essential oils, and even wild animals to spice up your soap, giving you finished projects that don’t look nearly as easy to make as they are.

    good clean fun book covergood clean fun book cover

    More Easy Soap Recipes

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  • Thanksgiving Mindfulness: Cultivating Gratitude Through Lessons Learned Gardening – Garden Therapy

    Thanksgiving Mindfulness: Cultivating Gratitude Through Lessons Learned Gardening – Garden Therapy

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    Online, Thanksgiving is a big feast surrounded by friends and family decorated with turkeys, fun gourds, and fallen leaves. But there’s a lot of history and pain behind the holiday, and I invite you to rethink how you celebrate, focusing on gratitude and the harvest. Here’s how to practice Thanksgiving mindfulness this season.

    In school, we’re taught that Thanksgiving began centuries ago as a peaceful union between pilgrims and the Indigenous people of North America. For the US, the Pilgrims in Plymouth shared a harvest with the Wampanoag people in 1621. For Canada, Samual De Champlain organized a feast and invited the local Mi’kmaq people in 1606.

    Both are very simplified stories and far from the truth of what Thanksgiving really is and what it represents to many Indigenous people.

    By now, many of us know that Thanksgiving is often linked to the harmful legacy of colonization. I personally don’t celebrate Thanksgiving due to the cultural implications it has for Indigenous Peoples.

    What I do practice is thankfulness for family, friends, and abundance on a regular basis. Instead of celebrating the holiday and its history, we can use this time to be grateful and connect with ourselves and our overall well-being.

    This post will cover Thanksgiving mindfulness and…

    Garden to Table Vancouver Event HarvestGarden to Table Vancouver Event Harvest
    No matter the time of year, we can practice gratitude for our harvest.

    The True History Behind Thanksgiving

    In North America, we have a painful past in the way in which our Indigenous Peoples have been treated. While Thanksgiving celebrates the pilgrims and the Indigenous people co-existing peacefully, the arrival of the pilgrims was the beginning of centuries of colonization and erasure.

    The pilgrims brought disease, which quickly spread throughout many Indigenous tribes, killing a vast population of people. Colonizers displaced the Indigenous Peoples, taking their lands and forcing their European cultural values on the people.

    I recommend you read more about the true history of Thanksgiving here.

    When we celebrate Thanksgiving, it can be a reminder of this history, and it feels like we’re celebrating this history of erasure. The holiday can gloss right over the continued struggles of Indigenous communities, including their land rights and cultural survival. For this reason, I do not celebrate Thanksgiving traditionally.

    The first thing we need to do is acknowledge this history and ensure we’re not complicit in ignoring the past.

    native berries on the North Shorenative berries on the North Shore
    Many of my herbalism teachings come from Indigenous people and their connection to the land and native plants.

    Reconciliation and Education

    What can we do about this? While we can’t change our past, we can work on creating a better, more respectful future.

    It’s important for everyone to educate themselves about the topic. Learn from Indigenous storytellers, journalists, authors, filmmakers, influencers, and people. Hear their experiences and look beyond the textbooks in school.

    Reconciliation is also important. In reconciliation, we work to create a mutually respected relationship between Indigenous and non-indigenous people. This can be done by acknowledging Indigenous rights and titles, examining stereotypes, learning about Indigenous history, supporting their culture and beliefs, and trying to build better relationships going forward.

    Celebrating the Harvest Instead

    For centuries and generations, people from all over the world have celebrated the harvest. Native Americans in the Southeastern US have Green Corn Ceremonies to celebrate the corn ripening and harvest. In Nigeria, the Igbo, Yoruba, and Idoma people celebrate the New Yam Festival as the beginning of the yam harvest season. In China, the Mid-Autumn festival celebrates the moon at its fullest and brightest as gratitude for a good harvest.

    Many gardeners know fall as a time of harvest and abundance. I celebrate this season by hosting feasts with my loved ones and cooking meals from the produce I’ve grown.

    It’s not about one big Thanksgiving meal but a series of gatherings that honour the earth’s bounty.

    Fall garden Harvest of Pumpkins artichoke squash carrotFall garden Harvest of Pumpkins artichoke squash carrot
    Enjoy and share your bounty.

    Choosing Your Family and Connecting

    Holidays that focus on gathering a family together can be difficult for many people who have lost loved ones or have difficult relationships with the idea of family.

    You can redefine family completely. Family can be who you choose, not just those you’re related to. Invite your neighbours, your best friend, your partner’s friends, your children’s friends…anyone who you want to surround yourself with.

    In my life, my gatherings have long been a celebration of my chosen family, those who nourish me as much as I nourish them.

    kid with sunflowerkid with sunflower
    Kiddo will always be a part of my chosen family.

    Setting Your Personal Boundaries

    Celebrating with your chosen family is an important boundary to set, but it’s not the only one. No matter who you celebrate with, remember that you should never need to force yourself into a harmful ritual or toxic family dynamics.

    If you’re anxious at the thought of spending yet another stress-induced holiday with family, ask yourself what it would be like if you didn’t go. Or if you did, how could you make it better?

    Boundaries, especially during these gatherings, are a form of self-care and a reflection of the beauty in cultivating relationships that feel right.

    Stephanie Rose and Lemon BalmStephanie Rose and Lemon Balm
    Setting boundaries is difficult, but putting yourself first offers greater peace in the long run.

    Gratitude from the Garden

    The garden has taught me so much about gratitude. From starting your own seedlings to watching your garden grow into an urban oasis, gardening has taught me the value of patience and nurturing.

    In return, I gain a deeper sense of gratitude when I harvest. Only gardeners know that nothing tastes better than a butternut squash or a tomato you’ve cared for all season.

    When I share the food I’ve grown with loved ones, it allows me to appreciate the journey the food has made from seed to table—and that’s a form of celebration that’s meaningful beyond any traditional holiday.

    Vegetables that have bloomVegetables that have bloom

    More Ways to Spread Gardening Joy

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  • Growing Tulips for a Cutting Garden – Garden Therapy

    Growing Tulips for a Cutting Garden – Garden Therapy

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    With their iconic shape and eye-catching colour varieties, tulips just might be my favourite spring flower—both in the ground and in a vase! It’s no wonder they’re one of the most popular cut flowers, and they’re surprisingly easy to grow. The only catch is that these bulbs should be planted in the fall, so let’s get into my advice for growing cutting tulips.

    What do most people love about the tulips? You plant the bulbs once and forget about it. They return year after year, giving you a much-needed burst of colour after a snowy (or, in my case, grey) winter.

    I hate to burst the tulip bubble, but that’s not always the case. Yes, there is such a thing as perennial vs annual tulips.

    Many people plant tulips with the intention that they’ll come back each year, but this is a misconception, as the majority of tulips we plant are annuals.

    Once they bloom, they generally don’t propagate very well unless you’re a tulip farmer, backyard farmer, or just a really darn good tulip gardener. This takes careful work to get them to grow back. For the majority of us, you won’t have tulips that naturalize very easily.

    So here’s what you can do. Plant whatever tulips you wish, but plant them as cut flowers.

    The price of tulip bulbs is very similar to that of other annuals you might find at the garden centre, yet we’re A-okay with saying goodbye to those plants at the end of the year. Why not our tulip bulbs, too?

    This releases the expectation that they’ll return year after year. You can plant them once, cut them in the spring, and put them in the vase. Next fall, you do it all over again.

    With that said, I thought now would be the perfect time to share some tips for growing tulips for a cutting garden so that you can look forward to some beautiful floral arrangements next year. 

    Sponsored: I’m thrilled that this post has been sponsored by Flowerbulb.eu. They’re an amazing resource for all things bulbs and graciously supported the planting of my bulb lawn last year and the tulip cutting garden this year. Be sure to check them out for more growing information on spring and summer flowering bulbs.

    Unpackage all your tulips first to make planting easier.

    Perennial vs Annual Tulips

    I’ve written quite a bit about both perennial and annual tulips. Perennials will naturalize in your garden and are great for a low-maintenance garden. But they don’t usually have as big of a “wow factor” as annuals.

    Annual tulips are bred specifically for looks. They come in the showiest colours and textures, which means they’re perfect for cutting. You can choose exactly the look you’re going for, and their colours tend to be bolder than their perennial counterparts. 

    If you do decide to go for perennial tulips instead, you may also need to adjust your expectations. While you can certainly cut perennial tulips, just know that they may not return as easily the next year. Make sure to leave the leaves behind so the bulb can recharge and get enough energy to return the following year.

    And hey, you can plant tulips expecting them for one year. Then, who knows, you might get lucky and see them return for the following year. Just try to release the expectation that your tulips will return each year to lessen the disappointment when they don’t return and triple the joy if they do!

    Cutting tulip bulbs and packagesCutting tulip bulbs and packages
    Annual tulips have been bred to be showy, and for long, sturdy cutting stems.

    My Tulip Garden Design

    This fall, I planted my tulip cutting garden in front of my herbs, so it sits between my front containers and dry river, and amongst my wildflower lawn.

    I included tulips in my bulb lawn last year, and I ended up cutting a ton of them to bring indoors. So, I’m excited to set aside a part of my garden specifically for cutting tulips this year.

    To add to my bulb lawn, I planted 250 tulips with my power planter. I wanted to make sure that I’ll have a few different flowers to work with when I eventually harvest my tulips, so I planted a few varieties. I went with ‘Blue Diamond’ double late tulips, as well as assorted double lates, triumph, fringed, and species tulips.

    To add even more variety and colour, I dotted some crocus flowers throughout the lawn in this area. I also pulled out any buttercup weed that was creating patches and made sure to fill in any bare areas with the tulip bulbs. 

    front lawn container and dry riverfront lawn container and dry river
    My front lawn with my containers, dry river, and wildflower lawn where I planted my tulips.

    Planting Cutting Tulips

    I usually get my tulips in the ground by mid-October, so now is the perfect time to start planting. If you can, choose a sunny spot in your garden, although tulips aren’t too picky and can handle some shade as well. 

    Soil for tulipsSoil for tulips
    After pulling some weeds, I had the perfect loose soil ready for planting tulips.

    Once you’ve chosen a spot, you can start placing your bulbs in loose soil with the roots down and the pointy end facing up. A power planter will come in handy here, as tulips need to be planted fairly deep if you want their stems to be strong. Two to three times the height of the bulb is a general rule of thumb.

    Power planter digging into ground for cutting tulipsPower planter digging into ground for cutting tulips
    If you’re planting many bulbs but spaced out, a power planter will really help speed things up.

    The nice thing about growing tulips for cutting purposes is that they can be placed quite close together. 

    Once you have the bulbs deep in the ground (two to three times the height of the bulb), you can spread a layer of mulch over them and give them a good watering. After this, they won’t need any more water or fertilizer until they sprout in the spring (unless you have a prolonged period of drought.

    Here are some of the tulips I planted last year.

    Continental tulipContinental tulip
    Continental (Dark Burgundy)
    Sunny Prince tulipSunny Prince tulip
    Sunny Prince
    Purple Prince tulipPurple Prince tulip
    Purple Prince
    Couleur Cardinal tulipCouleur Cardinal tulip
    Couleur Cardinal

    Harvesting Your Tulips

    Once your tulips have opened slightly and some colour is showing on the outside, it’s time for the exciting part—cutting your beautiful tulips so you can bring them inside!

    To get the longest vase life possible, you want to make sure you’re cutting them at the right time. Don’t cut them when they’re still tight and green. You want half of their colour to show.

    When the time comes for harvesting, I recommend doing so in the morning when it’s not too hot out and the tulips are the most hydrated. 

    Like I mentioned, I recommend treating all tulips as annuals if you’re growing them for cutting. This means you can pull the entire plant out of the ground, including the bulb. The nice thing about this method is that it gives you a longer stem. 

    If you’re not planning on putting them in a vase immediately, you can also store them dry in a cooler for up to two weeks. Otherwise, just cut off the bulb and place it in water. I can usually enjoy a vase of tulips for about a week and a half.

    If you’ve ever had tulips, you’ll know that the stems have a habit of curving, which causes the flowers to look droopy. One trick I’ve learned is to wrap the stems in paper and leave them in a vase the night before you arrange them. When you remove the paper, they’ll stand straighter. 

    When you’re arranging your tulips, also keep in mind that they do continue to grow in the vase.  

    The Best Tulips for Cut Flowers

    • Triumph tulips are the largest group of tulips, which means they come in a wide variety of colours and shapes. Their tall, sturdy stems make them a great choice for cutting.
    • Rembrandt tulips are known for their distinct striped markings. I like that they add a beautiful pop of uniqueness to any arrangement. 
    • Fringed tulips are recognizable by their serrated petals, which give them a fluffy look. They’re excellent for adding a contrasting texture to a classic tulip bouquet. 
    • Double late tulips are often mistaken for peonies as they have lush, rounded petals. With a variety of single and bi-colour options, these look beautiful in vases and gardens alike. 
    cutting tulips packagecutting tulips package
    I like getting an assorted pack just so I have the colour variety, like these double late tulips.

    FAQs About Cutting Tulips

    How long do fresh cut tulips last?

    When you harvest tulips fresh from your garden, they can last up to two weeks in a vase! If you’ve ever had store-bought tulips, you’ll know this is quite the improvement from the typical four to five days. 

    Do you trim tulips for a vase?

    I always recommend giving your tulips a good trim before placing them in your vase to avoid putting the leaves in water. This helps the tulips last longer and makes them easier to arrange.

    When do I harvest tulips for cut flowers?

    Harvesting your flowers at the right time really is key to using tulips as cut flowers. Wait until your tulips have opened slightly, but make sure to cut them before they’re in full bloom. You’ll know it’s the right time when about half their colour is visible. 

    Plant your tulips with the pointy side facing up.

    More Helpful Tips for Growing Tulips

    Flowerbulbs logoFlowerbulbs logo

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  • Echinacea Root and Flower Tincture for Cold and Flu Season – Garden Therapy

    Echinacea Root and Flower Tincture for Cold and Flu Season – Garden Therapy

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    Ugh, it’s cold and flu season again. Which means I’m busy making all sorts of herbal home remedies to keep me and my family as healthy as possible. Whether you are already sick or are simply trying to keep your immunity strong, this Echinacea tincture is your best friend right now.

    Whether you have been growing Echinacea in your garden or have seen that unmistakable purple coneflower on the bottle of every cold and flu remedy on the shelf, you may have been wondering how exactly to take Echinacea as an herb. I know I wondered that myself.

    I have been to multiple herbal medicine talks that have Echinacea at the top of the list for helping folks cope with cold and flu season, whether it is to help with the symptoms when you are sick or to keep viruses from setting up camp in your body in the first place. Echinacea is said to be a powerful immune-system herb without known side effects and is considered safe for children. No wonder it’s so darn popular!

    It can be hard to know exactly how to prepare and take Echinacea for health, but this Echinacea Root and Flower Tincture is simple to prepare and use.

    echinacea blooming in the gardenechinacea blooming in the garden

    Healing Herbal Infusions

    I grow a ton of Echinacea varieties in my garden as it is one of my absolute favourite garden perennials. I recently wrote an All About Echinacea growing and care guide and showed off a ton of coneflower eye candy. This year I harvested and dried a bunch of flowers to stock up for the coming winter and get ready to learn some more on how to use it.

    Then I got an advance copy of Healing Herbal Infusions: Simple and Effective Remedies for Colds, Muscle Pain, Upset Stomach, Stress, Skin Issues, and More from Colleen Codekas, and I was thrilled to see two recipes that make Echinacea super simple to prepare and take.

    Healing Herbal Infusions is full of easy-to-follow instructions and beautiful photography for natural plant-based remedies. Making infusions can feel a bit daunting when you are first beginning, but this book shows you how easy it is to do at home. The recipes have a wide variety of techniques and herbal ingredients, so after you have tried them you will be off and running with your own creations in no time. Colleen has joined us today to share her Echinacea Root and Flower Tincture recipe!

    Healing Herbal Infusions book by Colleen CodekasHealing Herbal Infusions book by Colleen Codekas

    Echinacea Root and Flower Tincture

    by Colleen Codekas

    Almost everyone these days has heard of Echinacea, as it has become a rather popular herbal remedy. Echinacea is excellent for boosting the immune system, and it has been proven to shorten the duration of colds and flus.

    It’s also a gorgeous flower to grow in your garden that serves double duty: beauty in your yard and wellness in your home. This tincture is simple to make, and it uses both the root and the flower, making it even more beneficial!

    Ingredients

    Yield: about 1½ cups (360 ml)

    • ½ cup (40 g) dried Echinacea root
    • ½ cup (20 g) dried whole Echinacea flowers and/or leaves
    • 1½ cups (360 ml) neutral spirits, such as vodka

    Make It!

    Combine the Echinacea root, flowers, and spirits in a pint-size (473 ml) jar. Cover the jar with a lid and shake to mix well. Put the jar in a cool and dark place to infuse for 4 to 6 weeks. When ready to use, strain out the herbs using a fine-mesh sieve. Store the tincture in small bottles with droppers for easy use.

    fresh echinacea flowers and dried echinacea petalsfresh echinacea flowers and dried echinacea petals

    Take 1 teaspoon (5 ml) 2 to 3 times per day at the first sign of a cold or flu for the most benefit. It can be taken straight or mixed into water or tea if you prefer.

    For children and those wishing to avoid alcohol, use Elderberry & Echinacea Glycerite for Colds & Flus (find this on page 186 of Healing Herbal Infusions), or you can make this same tincture with vegetable glycerine instead of the neutral spirits.

    Tip: it’s okay if you don’t have the Echinacea flowers or leaves to add to this recipe. The root is very medicinal on its own and is easy to locate in most places that carry dried herbs.

    echinacea root tincture with coneflowers from the gardenechinacea root tincture with coneflowers from the garden

    FAQ About Echinacea Tinctures

    Would you use the whole flower or just the petals?

    You can use all parts of the echinacea plant, including the flower heads, petals, leaves, and roots. In fact, the root is very medicinal on its own.

    How should I store the tincture?

    Keep them in a sealed bottle and in a cool, dark place out of direct sunlight. They should last for several years.

    Can I use fresh or dried herbs to make a tincture?

    You can use either for a tincture, as the alcohol will pull out the active ingredients in the plant and help preserve them.

    Reprinted with permission from Healing Herbal Infusions: Simple and Effective Remedies for Colds, Muscle Pain, Upset Stomach, Stress, Skin Issues, and More by Colleen Codekas, Page Street Publishing Co. 2018.

    Healing Herbal Infusions contains 74 more homemade treatments, so this is just the beginning. It will be my go-to resource to support my entire family’s wellness the all-natural way.

    About the Author

    Colleen Codekas, author of Healing Herbal Infusions, holding a bunch of fresh flowers from her gardenColleen Codekas, author of Healing Herbal Infusions, holding a bunch of fresh flowers from her garden

    Colleen Codekas lives with her husband, Joel, and their son, Sawyer, in the beautiful Rogue Valley of Southern Oregon, where they have created a mini permaculture paradise. Due to her desire to live in the most natural way possible, she began studying herbs and herbal medicine nearly 20 years ago. Living and working in Yosemite National Park for 10 years, many of those spent in the high-elevation paradise of Tuolumne Meadows, solidified a yearning to be surrounded by nature on a daily basis. Learning to correctly identify wild plants, particularly those that were edible and medicinal, became a new hobby while living in the wilderness and has carried over into her more “traditional” life now.  In recent years, Colleen has completed several herbalism courses through the Herbal Academy and continues to teach people what she knows through her blog Grow Forage Cook Ferment. When she isn’t busy writing for her blog or making things for her Etsy shop, Coco’s Herbals, she likes to go foraging for wild edible and medicinal plants and mushrooms. She also enjoys hiking, cooking delicious food, drinking wine, making mead, growing a ridiculous amount of herbs and flowers, and making all kinds of herbal goodness in jars.

     More Posts You Might Like

    Echinacea Root and Flower Tincture

    This echinacea tincture is perfect for cold and flu season, helping to boost your immunity.

    Cook Time30 minutes

    Infusing time28 days

    Total Time28 days 30 minutes

    Keyword: echinacea tincture

    Author: Colleen Codekas

    • ½ cup dried echinacea root
    • ½ cup dried whole echinacea flowers and/or leaves
    • 1 ½ cups neutral spirits, such as vodka

    • Combine your echinacea root, flowers, and leaves with the spirits in a pint-sized jar. Seal the jar and shake it to mix.

    • Place the jar in a cool, dark place and let it infuse for 4-6 weeks.

    • Once ready, strain the herbs out using a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth.

    • Store tincture in a small bottle with a dropper for easy use. Take 1 tsp 2-3 times a day at the first sign of cold or flu.

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  • A Fabulous Fall Bleached Pinecone Wreath – Garden Therapy

    A Fabulous Fall Bleached Pinecone Wreath – Garden Therapy

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    This gorgeous bleached pinecone wreath has rustic charm with a contemporary twist. There is nothing like natural decor to bring the beauty of the outdoors in, but it can be hard to come up with creative ways to display the same natural elements year after year. That’s why I love the look of bleached pinecones, which are simultaneously classic and modern. With just a few easy steps, you can create your own bleached pinecone wreath to enjoy throughout the colder seasons.

    Bleached pinecones are all the rage! While pinecones have always been a staple of autumn and winter décor,  bleaching them gives them a softer, brighter, more contemporary look than untreated pinecones. The light colour also creates a contrast and makes the interesting shapes of the cones really stand out.

    bleached vs. untreated pineconebleached vs. untreated pinecone
    The difference in colour between a regular and bleached pinecone.

    We have seen single bleached pinecones displayed in glass terrariums, groups of them piled into decorative baskets, bleached pinecone garlands, bleached pinecone ornaments with ribbon hangers, and this gorgeous bleached pinecone door swag. But this bleached pinecone wreath project really captured my heart here at Garden Therapy (you know how much I love wreaths).

    This wreath is the perfect way to adorn your entrance this fall and winter. It has a rustic farmhouse look, but the surprising white colour of the pinecones gives it a modern, minimalist feel. And the best part? It is super easy to make!

    Here’s how to make one for yourself…

    Bleached Pine Cone WreathBleached Pine Cone Wreath
    The finished wreath will also store well for years to come.

    How to Make a Bleached Pinecone Wreath

    Begin by walking through a park, wood, or tree-lined street and picking up a bunch of pinecones. Follow the instructions for bleaching the pinecones here, and then you are ready to begin your wreath.

    Materials

    bleached pinecone wreathbleached pinecone wreath
    This project will require a significant amount of hot glue, so make sure you have plenty of sticks on hand.

    Make It!

    Divide the pinecones into different-sized groupings so that you can choose between medium and small ones for each layer.

    bleached pinecone wreathbleached pinecone wreath
    I have a green foam ring, but a white one is fine, too. The entire thing will get covered.

    Lay out medium pinecones around the wreath form, with the base touching the wreath. Use professional-strength glue to attach the first pinecone to the base. Add glue to the base of the second pinecone and knit the second one into the first one as you attach the base to the wreath form.

    bleached pinecone wreathbleached pinecone wreath
    A little bit of space between each is fine, but ideally you want them as close together as possible.

    Continue to glue the base of the pinecones onto the outer ring of the wreath form while knitting them tightly together to fill up the spaces.

    making a bleached pinecone wreathmaking a bleached pinecone wreath
    You may have to try a couple to find the perfect last fit.

    Lay out the inside ring of smallest pinecones. Attach those to the inner ring as you did to the outer ring.

    A bleached pinecone wreath for fallA bleached pinecone wreath for fall
    Arrange the inner layer, then glue it the same way you did the outer layer.

    Add a third layer of medium sized pinecones alternating between the first ring. Nestle these in as close to the other pinecones as you can, while gluing the base to the wreath form.

    Add fourth and fifth rings to fill in the gaps between the layers and fill in all the spaces.

    I thought this wreath looked pretty great on the white door!

    bleached pinecone wreath rustic ribbonbleached pinecone wreath rustic ribbon

    But it’s also at home in the garden. Which do you like better?

    Bleached Pinecone Wreath on Garden FenceBleached Pinecone Wreath on Garden Fence

    FAQ About Bleached Pinecones

    Do you bake pinecones before bleaching?

    Baking pinecones is a great way to help get rid of pests and mildew on pinecones. It will also dry them out, forcing them to open up.

    However, you don’t need to do that for bleached pinecones. The bleach sterilizes and rehydrates the pinecones, which must be left to dry again once they’ve been bleached.

    What happens when you soak pinecones in vinegar?

    Vinegar is one way to disinfect the pinecones and help clean any dirt. However, it won’t give you the bleached effect.

    What kind of pinecones should I use to bleach them?

    You can try this out on any kind of pinecones. Try a few different kinds until you find some that you love. I find that bleaching works best on older, dry pinecones as opposed to fresh and still tight ones.

    Other Seasonal Wreaths to Make

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  • Natural Branch Coasters: How to Cut, Sand, and Seal Wood Slices

    Natural Branch Coasters: How to Cut, Sand, and Seal Wood Slices

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    Have a tree limb that needs removing? Don’t just toss that wood away! Instead, use wood slices to create a set of beautiful, one-of-a-kind DIY coasters! These wooden coasters will quickly become a conversation piece at any gathering…while also protecting your furniture from water rings and spills. Here’s how to make a set of your own.

    Sometimes the most beautiful DIYs are the simplest ones. Case in point? Making a set of branch coasters from a fallen tree will allow the beauty of that wood to live on and tell the story in its rings.

    When you are out pruning and cutting back the garden, take a look at what you are about to throw in the wood chipper or firewood pile. Wood slices can be turned into many things, but my all-time favourite is these branch coasters that I made a few years back.

    I’ve had my cedar coasters now for almost 4 years and have had plenty of questions on the practicality of them. I’ve updated this original article, with some FAQs at the end of the DIY instructions. In short? I still love and use them daily!

    This post will cover…

    Enamel dig for victory mug and natural branch coasters made from wooden slicesEnamel dig for victory mug and natural branch coasters made from wooden slices
    You want slices that are about 1/2″ thick.

    How to Make DIY Branch Coasters

    It was a sad day when the largest, oldest tree on my street was hacked down and unceremoniously chucked into construction waste bins. The 50’ Western Red Cedar still had a lot of good years left but got in the way of developers’ dollar signs, and no amount of reasoning could sway them.

    Neighbours came to say goodbye, walking through the wreckage and collecting a memento or two; tears were shed. It’s amazing the impact a tree can have and the immensity of the sense of loss for one treated with so little respect.

    I collected a few thick branches to turn into sets of coasters that I also passed on to neighbours who remember their kids climbing those same limbs many, many years ago.

    Even if you don’t have as personal of a tree story, you can still make these wood-slice coasters. Next time you see a tree trimming crew at work, ask the home’s owner if you can have a branch for a project—chances are, they will have no problem gifting you with a branch or two.

    The project is simple but it will take some time to cut and sand each piece. The more time you spend getting them right, the nicer the final product will be.

    stack of wood slice coastersstack of wood slice coasters
    The size of the branch will determine how big your coasters are.

    Materials

    Make it

    1. Using the saw, cut sections of branches that are ½” thick.

    2. Sand each section with heavy grit sandpaper, and then use a finer grit to smooth out the surface. Do not sand the bark on the edges.

    3. Coat the front, back, and sides with clear varnish and let dry. Untreated wood can also look beautiful as it absorbs the drips and condensation from the glasses that sit on it.

    4. They’re as simple as that on the surface, but I’ve gotten many questions about how to make these. I’ve answered many of them in the FAQ section below.

    Optional: Add Designs With Wood Burning

    While the wood grain is beautiful on its own, you may feel like adding an extra special touch. An inexpensive wood burner, a bit of time, and creativity are all you need to create designs such as these.

    See how to make wood-burned coasters in this post.

    wood burned coasterswood burned coasters
    Make your designs before sealing your wood with varnish.

    Another great option is to turn them into Christmas tree ornaments. I made these ones and hung them up both inside and outside.

    wood slice ornamentwood slice ornament
    I used my same wood burning pen to make these designs on the ornaments.

    FAQ About These DIY Coasters

    As I mentioned above, I’ve gotten a lot of questions about these wooden coasters since creating this project years ago. I did my best to answer the most frequently asked ones here, but if you have one that’s not addressed, please leave it in the comments below!

    Turning tree branches into coasters DIY project via Garden Therapy #coasters #recycleTurning tree branches into coasters DIY project via Garden Therapy #coasters #recycle
    My coasters have held up for over four years!
    How do you dry the wood? How do you keep them from cracking?

    I dried the wood slowly in a cool, dry room before cutting the coasters. Drying in a room that has limited moisture and heat allows the wood to dry slowly and helps to prevent cracking. It took many months as I put them in the basement in the fall and pulled them out the following year.  I tested to see if the wood was dry but cutting an end section. Even with this process, a few cracked. I discarded those as I had plenty more to work with.

    I can’t give an exact number of months to dry the wood for because it could take you more or less time depending on how wet the wood is, how fresh it is, and the area that you dry it in. The best method is to dry it until it is dry when you cut into it. Test and if it needs more time, then leave it for longer.

    What varnish/stain did you use?

    I used Varathane clear satin varnish. The varnish was labeled as clear, but it does have a honey color in the can. It made the final coasters look a little darker than the dry wood (like wet wood), which I expected and like.

    Don’t they leak sap?

    No. Perhaps a different kind of wood could leak sap. But I dried the wood thoroughly and have never seen one drop of sap in 4 years of using them.

    How did you keep the bark on the outer edges?

    The bark stayed on due to the type of wood, Western Red Cedar. I was careful to not pull it off but it is pretty sturdy. I did varnish the sides around the bark as well.

    Did you glue felt or anything to keep the coaster from marking the furniture?

    When sanded, they are smooth, so they won’t scratch anything, and they are varnished and dry, so they don’t stain. You certainly could put felt or little feet on them if you choose, though.

    What can I do with these wooden coasters?

    Of course, you can keep and enjoy them for years at home, as I have. However, if you have extras, these make a lovely gift! Consider gifting a set of these coasters along with a mug and a set of tea or artisan coffee.

    There are plenty more ideas and tips in the comments section. Have a read over it and please chime in if you have any advice to share!

    More Garden Crafts to Try

    DIY Coasters from Wood Slices

    Learn how to make your own stunning DIY coasters from wood slices. If you have a fallen tree, this is the best way to preserve and enjoy the grain for years to come!

    • branches should be straight and at least 3.5″ in diameter
    • sandpaper heavy grit + fine grit
    • clear varnish optional, but recommended

    • Slice branches into 1/2″ thick pieces with the handsaw. Try to keep the slices as even and straight as possible.

    • Sand each wood slice down using the heavy grit paper first, then the fine grit to smooth it out. Don’t sand the bark.

    • Wipe clean, then coat the front, back, and sides with a clear varnish. This is optional, but can prolong the life of the wooden coaster.

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  • Do I Really Need to Wash That? When, Why, and How to Wash Fruit and Vegetables – Garden Therapy

    Do I Really Need to Wash That? When, Why, and How to Wash Fruit and Vegetables – Garden Therapy

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    Oftentimes when I’m out in the garden, I’ll pop a cherry tomato or blueberry straight from the bush and into my mouth. I’m not worried about washing it, but that’s because I’m an organic gardener! There are many different scenarios when it comes to washing fruit and vegetables, and I’m here to offer to guidance.

    It’s funny how perspectives of cleanliness can change based on relationships. As an organic gardener, I see the fruit, vegetables, and herbs that come out of my garden as the cleanest and healthiest food that has ever been. It’s similar to how I feel as a mother. I just don’t get grossed out by snot and slobber from my own kid, as I can imagine other people would.

    When I look at my relationship with the garden, I think about how much care and effort I put into the soil, into every seed that is grown, and into the water and fertilizers that feed it.

    I know that each piece of produce has been nurtured in the most healthy way possible because I’m the one who nurtured it. With this knowledge, when I’m out in the garden, and a sun-warmed tomato is just begging to be picked and eaten, I pop it into my mouth without a second thought.

    That doesn’t mean you want to skip washing the fruit and vegetables you plan to consume.

    Whether your fruits and vegetables are picked from your garden, arrive in a CSA box, or were chosen from a market, it’s good practice to give your fruits and vegetables a wash before you eat them. I took some time to look more critically at how and why to wash fruit and vegetables to provide you with some answers to your burning questions.

    This post will cover…

    Washing leafy greens in the kitchen sinkWashing leafy greens in the kitchen sink

    Washing Fruit and Vegetables From the Store

    More and more experts are now advising that the produce also be washed with warm, soapy water before putting it away. This is the process I use.

    1. Wash hands for 20 seconds with warm water and soap.
    2. Unpackage and wash skin-on produce (like apples, avocados, beets, etc) for 20 seconds with warm, soapy water. For lettuce and cabbage, remove the outer leaves and compost. Wash the rest with water and spin in a salad spinner. For berries, remove from the packaging and rinse. Dry and store as usual. Not all produce is the same, just use common sense.
    3. Any produce that I feel needs some extra cleaning, I use my homemade fruit and vegetable wash. I spray it on 2-3 times and let it sit for a couple of minutes before rinsing off with water.
    4. Wash hands for 20 seconds with warm water and soap.
    5. Apply hand lotion so your skin doesn’t break down (and feel like snakeskin!).
    washing apples in the sinkwashing apples in the sink
    Always wash produce before storage, with the exception of some fruits and veggies that are best washed right before consuming.

    How to Wash Vegetables and Fruit from the Garden

    Unless your garden is in a public space or in proximity to exposure, garden fruit and veg don’t need the full soap and water procedure.

    If you’re doing a big harvest out of the garden, then it’s worth setting up some washing buckets outside before you bring your produce indoors. Set up three buckets and fill them full of drinking water.

    Take your freshly harvested vegetables and dunk them in the first bucket, swish them around, then pull them out, give them a shake, and pop them in the second bucket. If your vegetables aren’t very muddy or soiled, then you can remove them from the second bucket, put them in a salad spinner, and spin out the water.

    If they were quite muddy in the first bucket, then move them over to the third bucket for the final rinse before putting them in a salad spinner.

    This is really great for salad greens and root vegetables as they should be washed immediately when harvested and then they can be stored clean and ready to eat. There are some freshly harvested fruit like blueberries, grapes, tomatoes, apples, and some vegetables like kale that I don’t like to wash before bringing them inside because I want to keep the protective bloom on their skin as long as possible.

    Vegetables that have bloomVegetables that have bloom
    These are all vegetables and fruits I don’t wash until I’m ready to eat them.

    You can see bloom on the outside of blueberries as a grayish coating that comes off when you touch the blueberries with your fingers or when you wash them. You might also notice it on some of the other vegetables in your garden. The purpose of it is to help protect the fruit from insects and bacteria, so when I bring in produce that has bloom, I don’t wash it until right before I’m about to eat it, allowing the produce to protect itself as long as possible and stay fresh for longer.

    Apples and nasturtiums on the side of a kitchen sink, ready for washingApples and nasturtiums on the side of a kitchen sink, ready for washing
    Apples should be washed just before being eaten.

    Why Wash Fruit and Vegetables from the Garden?

    I feel pretty good about the soil and the water that I use in my garden. I use a drinking-water-safe hose for watering the vegetable beds, and I don’t use synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides.

    That being said, you never know what might be lurking in the soil or water. While I feel confident that popping some fresh berries into my mouth while gardening is not going to be the end of me, I still practice washing larger harvests.

    The other reason for washing fruit and vegetables you harvest from the garden is to remove any little bits of soil, debris, and insects that might be hiding. You know the old saying that the only thing worse than finding a worm in your apple is finding half a worm? Well, the only thing worse than finding a caterpillar in your salad is finding half a caterpillar.

    I’m not that squeamish about bugs, and I know I’ve probably eaten my fair share. And, frankly, more people eat bugs than don’t. But I still give my kale and lettuce a good wash and send the aphids down the drain.

    Fall garden Harvest of Pumpkins artichoke squash carrotFall garden Harvest of Pumpkins artichoke squash carrot
    Wash vegetables to get dirt, debris, and insects off your produce.

    Washing Organic Fruits and Vegetables from a CSA or Market

    While you know what goes into the fruits and vegetables that you’re growing in your garden, it’s unclear exactly what is going into plants that come from other sources.

    Even when something is marked “organic” it doesn’t necessarily mean that the soil, water, and land where it grew will meet your expectations. Plus, after the plants are harvested, then they can be touched by many hands and be exposed to many different environments, none of which you get to be privy to.

    I would say that it’s just as important, if not more so, to wash purchased produce, especially considering the fact that nearly half of all foodborn illnesses come from produce. I use my homemade fruit and vegetable wash with vinegar and citric acid for anything that doesn’t come from my garden.

    washing fruit and vegetables in the sink with tap waterwashing fruit and vegetables in the sink with tap water
    A salad spinner is very helpful for cleaning all kinds of greens and herbs.

    What About Boxed or Bagged Salad Mixes and Pre-Cut Vegetables?

    In some cases, you may purchase boxed or bagged salad mixes or pre-cut vegetables that are labelled “pre-washed.” I’m more skeptical of the cleanliness of these prepared products than I am of the whole, unpackaged vegetables.

    In many cases, once you cut up a vegetable it begins to decompose more rapidly than if it was left whole. And yet the shelf life of these prepared foods seems to be much longer than fresh ones I can keep in my fridge, which makes me suspicious.

    I always wash pre-cut salad mixes, and I’m shocked that when I wash them in the salad spinner, the water often turns green or cloudy. When I wash freshly harvested greens from my garden, there may be a few aphids floating in there, maybe even a spider, but the water is clear

    I suspect that there’s some sort of fumeric acid or anti-fungal treatment added to extend shelf life and that’s not something that I want to consume. After all that pre-washing and adding chemicals, studies show that the pre-washed salads still probably need to be washed anyway, so I just skip them and go for a whole head of lettuce from the market instead.

    freshly washed vegetable greens in a salad spinnerfreshly washed vegetable greens in a salad spinner
    You should still wash any produce that’s labelled as “pre-washed.”

    Should I Use Plain Water or Produce Wash?

    Research says that using plain tap water to wash fruit and vegetables is effective at removing the majority of the contaminants that could be on them.

    When I wash sprouts I usually add a few drops of food-grade hydrogen peroxide into the water just to be extra careful.

    As I mentioned above, I typically only use water to clean the produce that comes from my garden. But anything that I buy from the store, I like to use my homemade fruit and vegetable wash. This extra layer of cleanliness helps to remove the more difficult stuff, such as apple wax and surface-level pesticides.

    washing apples with tap waterwashing apples with tap water
    Soaking vegetables and fruits in an acidic solution helps to remove bacteria and any surface-level pesticides.

    Can I Eat Bruised, Past-its-Prime Produce?

    I don’t believe that things from the garden have to be perfect, but it’s also important to use your common sense and not eat things that are spoiled.

    It may be tempting to salvage a crop if you’ve grown gorgeous produce and all of a sudden, just before harvest, it got munched by a critter or attacked by a fungus.

    Use your judgement to see if cutting off the affected portion leaves you with something that is still edible, but remember that even if it’s edible that doesn’t necessarily mean you should eat it.

    If you cut off the undesirable section and what you have left is a piece of nice, tasty produce, go ahead and eat it, but keep in mind that often when a fruit or vegetable has succumbed to damage or disease, its flavour has also been affected (see more on that here).

    There’s an Ayurvedic principle that states you should not eat anything unless it’s delicious. I try to live by this. If the food is no longer fresh and delicious, then it probably isn’t going to serve me to eat it. It will, however, make excellent compost.

    bruised applebruised apple
    Slight bruising is quite okay to ingest.

    Can I Wash Off Bugs and Still Eat My Vegetables?

    What about bugs? Wormy apples, aphiddy kale, and leaf-mined lettuce sure aren’t pretty, but they are also aren’t the end of your harvest. Insects on garden-grown vegetables are a certainty, but eating them is not so black and white. It depends more on how much you can stomach.

    In most cases, the insects won’t hurt you to eat them, despite the fact that they might be somewhat unappetizing.

    Probably the worst thing they’re going to do is suck all the delicious flavour out of your food, leaving it less tasty than it would have been had it not been shared with some six-legged friends.

    In most cases, I’ll just wash off any bug damage and remove any discolouration or unappetizing-looking parts. The insects should come right off when washing fruit and vegetables, and the rest is just fine to eat.

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