Jams, Jellies, Preserves and Butters
Fruits (and some vegetables) have a natural substance called pectin. It combines with sugar and heat to thicken the fruit syrup when it’s cooked. Generally, the fruit is cooked with sugar and water, with or without spices or other flavorings added, then ladled or poured into jars while still hot for sterilization purposes. You can find recipes for making jams from all sorts of fruits and vegetables in a good cookbook or online. In general, preserves are made with whole fruit, jams crushed, and jellies are strained of all fruit pulp.

Pickles
Pickles and relishes use salt, vinegar and/or spices to preserve vegetables and fruits in a brine of some sort. We’re most familiar with cucumber pickles, but corn, peppers, melon, onions and many other kinds of fruits or vegetables can be pickled as well!

A more common way of drying fruits and vegetables is with a dehydrator, which can be purchased from a kitchen store. Follow the directions with the dehydrator for best results.

Corn: Cut kernels off cobs and spread flat on cookie sheets. Freeze, then store in zippered plastic bags.
Peas: Shell, spread on cookie sheets in freezer. Store in zipped plastic bags.
Berries: Small berries like blueberries and raspberries can be frozen whole. Strawberries can be frozen whole or sliced. (For a special summer treat – freeze whole berries on cookie sheets, then eat straight from the freezer!)

The Square Foot Garden Theory
The idea behind square foot gardening is to maximize growing space by subdividing a garden plot into one foot squares, and replanting them as soon as you finish harvesting the crop from the last plant. This keeps the soil in use, and by paying attention to which crops you grow in which square, you avoid depleting the soil of important nutrients.

A Square Foot Salad Garden
Start by building a four foot by four foot raised bed for your plants. Place it where it gets southern light so that there’s as much sun as possible throughout the day. If you’re gardening directly on the ground, all you’ll really need is a 4×4 foot wooden frame, though you certainly can get decorative with rock walls and other methods of building raised beds.

Fill with high quality soil mix enriched with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer – or use good organic compost, depending on your own beliefs in gardening. I personally recommend composting as both less expensive and healthier.

If you choose to start your plants from seed directly in the bed, plant immediately after the danger of frost is past. In northern states, this really isn’t as feasible – the growing season will be far too short. Start plants indoors about four to six weeks before the last frost is expected, and transplant outside after the last frost.

Divide the bed into one foot squares – you’ll have sixteen of them. Each square can support one of the following:
1 tomato plant
4 lettuce plants (plant several varieties)
6 onion sets
6 garlic sets
6 chive sets
2 cucumber plants
4 marigold plants
16 carrot plants
4 herb plants
4 nasturtium plants
4 mini cabbages (Cole slaw anyone?)

Plant tomato plants and other taller plants toward the back of the bed, with shorter plants progressively planted toward the front. Keep well-watered throughout germination/growing season.

You can begin harvesting lettuce and greens as soon as they have 8-10 leaves – pick just enough for a salad, making sure to leave at least three leaves on the plant for them to regenerate. By harvesting leaves instead of entire heads, you’ll get to eat the greens far sooner, and prolong their growing season for weeks. Harvest tomatoes and cucumbers as they ripen, being careful not to let them go to seed too early to extend the growing season. Marigolds and nasturtiums are both delicious in salads, but they serve the additional purpose of helping to keep your garden pest free. Harvest the flower heads frequently once they start opening to keep the plants blooming.

As plants go to seed, clean out their square and replant with a different variety to cycle the nutrients in the soil. Dig in compost when you replant, but otherwise, your salad garden should need little care other than regular watering and harvesting.

And do harvest often – the more you harvest, the more they’ll produce. Bon appetit!

Most tea herbs grow quite happily in moderate sun, so choose a spot that gets about 6 hours of full sun a day. If you choose to grow your tea herbs directly in the ground, be aware that many of them will spread voraciously, choking out any other plants nearby. To prevent that, sink bottomless buckets or baskets into the ground and plant the herb plant inside it to help control the roots. Of course, if you choose to garden in containers, that won’t be a problem at all.

Chamomile

Chamomile is a very pretty, lacy annual (though there is one variety that is a perennial) that grows about 2 feet high. It likes partial shade to full sun, and sandy, dry soil. The tea is made from chamomile flowers rather than leaves. Harvest regularly once the plants start to flower. To dry chamomile, cut stems back to new leaf growth and tie in loose bunches. Hang upside down in a dry, dark place till the leaves are crumbly. Or: dry just the flower heads on drying screens in the oven or in the sun.

Catnip

Catnip has been used for medicinal teas for colds and stomach upsets since ancient times. Its most often combined with other herbs – lemon balm and lemon grass are particular favorites. The plant is a perennial that grows readily in dry, sandy conditions, but can be coaxed along in nearly any sort of soil or light conditions. Added bonus: catnip is a natural pest repellent, both in the garden and dried. To take advantage of its pest repellent properties, dry and place in cloth pouches and tuck under baseboards or closets. Tea is made from dry or fresh leaves, combined with chamomile, comfrey or lemon balm.

Lemon Balm

A hardy, drought-resistant perennial, lemon balm grows so readily that it is actually considered a pest plant in some parts of the United States. The plant looks a lot like mint – to which it’s related – and has a hint of minty flavor to it. Like most other tea herbs, it can be used either dried or fresh, though the dried leaves have a more intense flavor. The plant grows about 24 inches tall, and must be pinched back and pruned often to keep it under control.

Mint

Ah, mint! There are so many varieties of mint that you could easily plant a mint garden with no other plants at all. At last count, there were an estimated 6,000 varieties – and growing, since the plant cross-pollinates so easily. It’s also the most pernicious spreader of all the herbs. One plant will take over an entire garden within two seasons if it’s not contained. Mint likes rich soil and light shade, but will grow in almost any conditions. It also makes a great, easy to maintain house plant.

Some favorite mint varieties for tea are:
Peppermint – of course! Peppermint is the most popular of all the mints, with its sharp, spicy, cooling tastes.
Spearmint – the mint of mint juleps. Spearmint grows readily in any climate.
Apple mint – a hint of fruity flavor underlying the cool, fresh taste of mint
Chocolate mint – yes, chocolate! This one is far better with dessert than as a tea. Crush the leaves and whirl in a blender with vanilla ice cream for an incredible treat.

Bay Laurel

Bay leaves add a piquant hint of spice to stews, soups and especially spaghetti sauce. The bay laurel is a small tree that grows slowly – about a foot per year – making it eminently suitable for growing in a container. Unless you live in a mild climate zone (where the temperatures don’t drop below 25 degrees in the winter), you’ll do best to keep the tree in a pot and bring it indoors during the winter.

Basil

Basil is an annual, but it seeds itself so easily that I’ve never had to buy another after planting my first year. There are many varieties of basil, but all grow fast and require frequent pinching back to keep them from growing leggy and tall. To harvest: when the plants have reached about 6-8 inches tall, you can begin harvesting. Simply use your thumb and forefinger to pinch off the top 1/3 of the plant, just above a leaf intersection. Be sure to pinch off any flower buds before they go to seed. Six to eight plants will provide enough basil to make pesto for the entire neighborhood.

Garlic

Garlic is possibly the easiest plant in the world to grow. Simply break apart a clove of garlic (yes, right from the grocery store!), and plant the cloves about 4 inches apart, 2-4 inches deep in light soil. Water lightly, and watch them grow. Harvest when tips of leaves turn brown – do NOT let them flower. To harvest: dig up the bulbs, and use them. In the interests of keeping a fresh supply going, plant one or two cloves from each bulb!

Parsley

Parsley is easily the most used herb in the world. It comes in both flat (Italian) and curly varieties, and complements the flavor of everything from delicate sauces to hearty stews. It’s often used as a garnish on plates, or chopped and added to soups, dressings and salads. It adds vitamins and color, and subtly brings out the flavor of other ingredients in the meal. The parsley plant is a biennial, flowering in its second season. It prefers a little shade on a hot sunny day, and should be kept well watered to avoid wilting and drying. To harvest: pinch back woody older stems all the way to the base, allowing new leaves and branches to grow.

Oregano

A perennial ground cover plant, oregano is a prolific grower that can send out shoots that grow up to six feet in a single season. If encouraged with pruning and bunching, oregano can grow into a small border plant. It prefers light, thin soil and lots of sun, so keep it on the south side of your garden. Harvesting can start when the plants reach 4-5 inches. Simply pinch back as you would basil. The young leaves are the most flavorful part of the plant, and are actually considerably stronger dried than fresh. To dry, lay the harvested leaves out on newspaper or drying screens in the sun until the leaves crumble easily. Dried oregano will retain its flavor for months.

Borage – Like the leaves, borage flowers are delicious in salads and cold soups. They have a cool, cucumber like taste that translates well from flower garden to kitchen table.

Carnations – The flavor is as spicy as the scent. Carefully separate the petals from the bitter white of the flower’s base and sprinkle in salads for a surprising touch of color and spice.

Daylilies – Like squash blossoms, day lilies have a mildly sweet, nutty flavor that many people think varies by color. Dredged in flour and dipped in egg, fried daylilies are a succulent vegetable.

Mix powdered egg white according to package directions (equivalent of one egg white).
Spread a cup of superfine sugar in a flat bottomed pan. Carefully dip each flower into the egg white, then press into the sugar. Use a fork to gently turn the flower so that all surfaces of the petals are covered. Lift out of sugar and lay on a screen or drying rack till completely dry. Apple and cherry blossoms can also be candied the same way.

Violets – of course! Purple, blue or white, violets are among the first flowers to bloom in the spring. They spread easily, and grow readily when transplanted into a garden bed – and you do want to confine them to a bed unless you love the look of a full carpet of blooms spreading across your lawn.

Pansies – A relative of violets, pansies are just as delicately flavored and can be used in most recipes that call for violets. They make beautiful border flowers, with their bright painted faces.

Angelica – These delicate, lacy white flowers can be sprinkled in salads – but the stems and shoots make a delicious traditional candy that tastes a bit like minty licorice.

Roses – yes, roses! Candied rose petals and rose syrup were mainstays in Victorian cooking. Sweet delicately flavored rose syrup gives baklava its characteristic flavor, and is a perfect foil for cardamom in Indian recipes.

How To To candy flowers from your garden

Yohimbe is a tree that grows throughout the African nations of Cameroon, Gabon and Zaire. (A similar plant in South America is called Quebracho). For centuries, natives from these areas have ingested both the crude bark and purified compound as a tonic to enhance sexual prowess and as an aphrodisiac. The bark has been smoked as a hallucinogen and has been used in traditional medicine to treat angina and hypertension. The herb is a sensual stimulant for healthy men and women. Today, doctors prescribe an extract from the tree to treat organic impotence.

Yohimbe’s energizing effects stem from it’s ability to increase blood flow to the genitals, both male and female. It is thought to stimulate the pelvic nerve ganglia and thus is helpful for men with erection problems. In fact a prescription drug, yohimbine hydrochloride, is the only FDA approved drug for impotence. Effects can include increased libido, increased sensation and increased stamina. Women have also reported similar effects and general pleasant sensations.

Yohimbe bark contains about 6% yohimbine. This constituent is an indole alkaloid that is classified as an alpha-2-adrenergic blocking agent. The herb has a general nervous system stimulatory effect and can cause changes in blood pressure by dilating blood vessels. It can increase the heart rate, raise body temperature and increase blood pressure. At higher dosages, it has a mild psychotropic effect.

Yohimbe bark stimulates chemical reactions in the body that may aid in psychogenic cases of impotence, due to fatigue, tension and stress. Clinical studies have shown the herb to be effective in restoring potency in diabetic and heart patients who suffer from impotency. As an alpha-adrenoreceptor blocker, yohimbe reduces the effect of hormones that cause constriction of blood vessels, which typically increases as we age. It increases the body’s production of norepinephrine which is essential in the formation of erections. Yohimbe may also boost the adrenaline supply to nerve endings, which can quicken male sensual stimulation. It has been used in combination with ginseng and saw palmetto as a remedy for men with low sex drive.

Yohimbe is also a short term MAO (monoamine oxidase) inhibitor and should be used with caution, especially if you have high blood pressure. Being an MAO inhibitor, yohimbe should not be taken with any food or drink containing tyramines (cheese, chocolate, beer, aged meats, nuts, etc.) and particularly not with the amino acids tyrosine or phenylalanine. A rise in blood pressure can result from the body not being able to remove the tyramines from these foods. It may be dangerous if used with anti-depressants, sedatives, antihistamines, caffeine, or amphetamines. Yohimbe may have other side effects such as racing heart rate, irritability, headache, nausea, sweating, dizziness and frequent urination. Anyone with a heart condition, kidney disease, glaucoma or history of gastric or duodenal ulcers should avoid this herb.

Part Used: The inner bark. Used in tablet, liquid extract, and powder forms.

Common Use: The herb has been used for centuries as an aphrodisiac for men, and has similar effects with women. Recent studies suggest the drug may be effective in the treatment of male impotence especially that associated with diabetes.

James F. Balch, M.D.: A hormone stimulant. Increases libido and blood flow to erectile tissue. May increase testosterone levels. Dr. Balch adds: Caution: May induce panic attacks and hallucinations in

some individuals. May also cause elevated blood pressure and heart rate, headache, dizziness, and skin flushing. Should not be used by women or by persons with kidney disease or psychological disorders.

Editor: While Dr. Balch’s cautions doubtless have some validity, yet my investigations led me to believe that such reactions were extremely rare. The claim that it should not be used by women is also

believed to be unjustified, though this herb is more commonly used by men. Again: do your own homework, and make up your own mind.

James Green, Herbalist: Yohimbe has a strong aphrodisiac effect, believed to be due to stimulation of the lower centeres in the spinal cord. Some researchers feel this is due rather to the hyperermia (blood

engorement, in this case in the pelvic area) produced. Thought to be of no value when impotence stems from organic nerve trouble, and it is said by some to be harmful when it is used for impotence that is

caused by chronic infamatory disease of the sexual organs or of the prostate (U. S. Dispensatory, 24th ed.). “Its actions apppear to go directly to the sexual centers of the spinal cord increasing tonicity.

Impotence of a functional origin (neurasthenic impotence) appears to be directly affected by its use. It is useful where there is diminished excitability of the sexual centeres. In cases where there is a sudden

failure of power, producing despondency, foreboding and general mental depression, in young mairried men, it is satisfactory.” (Mr. Green’s source: Ellingwood)

Mr. Green cautions that more needs to be learned about his plant, and to abstain from its use with pharmaceuticals and alcohol.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.