Gardening Archives

Gardening Herbs Monarda

Choosing the best types of bee balm for your herb garden

Agatha NoveilleMay 25, 2023May 25, 2023

Bee balm is one of my favorite plants. In addition to providing nectar for bees and butterflies, these showy native plants have herbal uses, too! There are several types of...

Elecampane Gardening Harvesting

Harvesting elecampane for high-quality roots

Agatha NoveilleJanuary 19, 2023December 27, 2022

Every herb has a different timeline for harvest, and harvesting elecampane (Inula helenium) is no different. Here's what I've learned about timing for roots that are the best quality. I...

Butterfly Weed Gardening Herbs

How to plant milkweed seeds

Agatha NoveilleJanuary 12, 2023December 27, 2022

In today's article, let's talk about how to plant milkweed seeds. There are a few species of milkweed that are often grown in home gardens, but these directions especially apply...

calendula Gardening

How to grow calendula at home

Agatha NoveilleSeptember 6, 2022September 5, 2022

If you've ever wondered how to grow calendula, you'll be happy to know that it's easy. Some herb seeds are picky about their growing conditions. Calendula, on the other hand,...

Gardening Propagation Valerian

How to grow a valerian plant in your garden

Agatha NoveilleNovember 18, 2021November 17, 2021

Valerian is a useful herb with beautiful flowers. I love having it in my garden for its beauty and versatility, and because pollinators love the fragrant flowers. In this article,...

Gardening Herbal DIY Mullein

When to harvest mullein flowers, leaves, and roots

Agatha NoveilleJune 24, 2021June 25, 2021

Mullein leaves, flowers, and roots are used in traditional Western herbalism. We will talk about how mullein is used in another article, but this one explains the basics for harvesting....

Gardening Vlogs

Garden vlog: hand weeding the skullcap patch

Agatha NoveilleApril 9, 2021

Enjoy a few moments chilling out next to the skullcap patch with me! There's a new garden vlog on the YouTube channel and I share some tips for hand weeding...

Gardening Motherwort

How to grow motherwort in an herb garden

Agatha NoveilleOctober 1, 2020January 4, 2022

Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) is a favorite herb in my garden. It comes back year after year and has many different uses. Learning how to grow motherwort in your own garden...

Emergency Preparedness Gardening

A Guide to Growing Vegetables for New Gardeners

Agatha NoveilleJune 25, 2020August 4, 2020

The coronavirus pandemic has me even more on edge about food security than usual, and I know I'm not the only one. I've always been inclined to stock my pantry...

Gardening Herbs Spilanthes

The best time to harvest Spilanthes

Agatha NoveilleOctober 15, 2019August 10, 2022

This year, I grew Spilanthes acmella (aka Acmella oleoracea) for the first time. That was the easy part. The tricky part was figuring out the best time to harvest Spilanthes!...