Saving Seeds

Hi everyone!

We are coming to the end of the farming season now at DTL Herbs Farm. It was an interesting season as well as a learning season for our first year actually having a farm to work with.

Besides planting, harvesting and selling our produce this year, we also made sure to do a lot of seed saving. We are specializing in all heirloom veggies (and hopefully fruit in the coming years) so, we made sure to harvest as many seeds as possible. This helps consistency from year to year.

Our dining room became seed saving central this past season. I think I might actually see our table in the near future! LOL

Did you know that there are Seed Banks all over the world? Some of the world’s largest Seed Vaults are right here in the United States!

The reasons for storing seeds may be varied. In the case of food crops, many useful plants that were developed over centuries are now no longer used for commercial agricultural production and are becoming rare. Storing seeds also guards against catastrophic events like natural disasters, outbreaks of disease, or war. Unlike seed libraries or seed swaps that encourage frequent reuse and sharing of seeds, seed banks are not typically open to the public.

Source: Wikipedia

Of course, this too has taken up the table since Spring! The dehydrator. I don’t think we have had a single day in about 3 months that this thing wasn’t running. Honest! We definitely need to get several more for next year.

We have dried a lot of various veggies this year. But, without a doubt the biggest time has been concentrated at drying our hot peppers. We have grown several of the world’s hottest peppers this season and are developing a new product. Our customers at DTL Herbs have been asking us for some hot and spicy mixes. We listened and dedicated a lot of time this year to grow these peppers in order to fill this need.

Oh, and in case you are wondering what those “sticks” are in the above picture, they are dill stems. Did you know they are filled with flavor as well as the leaves? Yup, I use them to flavor my oils and vinegars for here at home. They don’t look as pretty so, I don’t use them for products. but, for home use, they are just fine.

Do you save your seeds?

Visiting an Apple Orchard

Hello everyone!

This is my favorite time of the year, Autumn! And one of our favorite activities is a visit to an apple orchard. We stopped by Spicer Orchards a couple of weeks ago and had a great time walking around and smelling all the amazing scents!

At this point we could smell the fresh donuts being made. Oh, is there a better smell that fresh fried donuts? I can’t think of one!

Okay, so we made a beeline straight to the donuts! Might as well get that over with.

Having had our immediate donut fix, we could enjoy looking around.

All the gorgeous fresh fruit!

I sneaked into the apple cider making room and took a picture! Shhh!

Even a wonderful little café and wine tasting room!

Loved this sign! LOL

Definitely Fall!

They had a beautiful outdoor sitting area where you could enjoy apple cider and fresh donuts!

One view of the orchards.

The trees were loaded with fresh ripe apples!

Do you like to head out for a day at a local apple orchard? If so, where is your favorite place to go?

10 Thrifty Gardening Tips!

Hi everyone!

We have been gardening on a tight budget for years. Gardening can get expense but, we have learned over these years there are ways to cut costs dramatically.

Here is our Top Ten Thrifty Gardening Tips!

1.) Look for and visit local Plant Swaps

This was one of the first things we did when we decided to install a perennial flower bed. Now our flower bed is so full that we need to thin it out and will take many of the thinned out flowers to our local plant swap to share with others. Garden lovers are very generous people and love to share!

2.) Save your own seeds.

There are some good tutorials out there for saving your own seeds. Check them out and try it out this year. Remember to save your seeds properly so you can use them next season.

3.) Swap Seeds

Once again, gardeners love to share with each other!

4.) Use Newspaper for weed control.

This is not 100% perfect but, it really does help control the weeds. And the newspaper breaks down eventually.

5.) Compost!

Compost all year long for great soil the following season. You don’t have to have a huge compost area. You can do something as small as a large storage container or trash can.

6.) Watch for free gardening materials

This is a picture of a recent haul of free wood. It was listed on Craigslist. We have found a lot of freebies via Craigslist or Freecycle. Check both places daily. Also, check out trash day. yes, do a little curbside free shopping. One year we found a bunch of like new potting containers that someone threw out.

7.) Let friends and family know you want to start gardening

Just put the word out. Tell friends, family, co-workers, church members that you are in need of this or that.

Facebook is a great place to ask friends or family if they have something you may be needing for gardening.

8.) Reduce water usage.

Collect rain water. You can use a trash can or any other large container. Use “gray” water from your home. Example: the water from boiling potatoes or pasta.

9.) Learn how to take cuttings

Once again, gardeners are generous and when asked, love to share cuttings. Ask your neighbors or friends for cuttings. Take cuttings from your own plants and create more of them.

10.) Think outside the box

Look for different uses for everyday items. If you want to do some containers for plants, look around your home and see what could work before heading out and buying pots. Also check out Pinterest and other sources online for great thrifty alternatives and ideas.

I hope this helped get you thinking about gardening and how to do it inexpensively.

Do you have any thrifty gardening tips to share?

 

How To Start Prepping Your Gardens

Hi everyone!

Are you ready for Spring? Ready to get out in the Garden? I know we here at DTL Herbs are! Now that the snow is beginning to finally melt I am excited about the new season and getting our herb beds and flower beds around our home ready and prepped.

We are getting ready to embark on an exciting, crazy and busy new level of our business, DTL Herbs. As most of you know, we have a contract at a local well established farm for some land. This also includes having access to existing greenhouses and the opportunity for hoop houses.

We have already planted a couple of thousand herb plants and plan to get more growing. We also are adding many heirloom vegetables and fruits to our planting schedule. Yup, BIG plans for just the two of us!!

Right now with the weather still not warm enough for planting, we are taking advantage of this decent weather to get our own yard prepped for Spring. Fortunately we have mostly perennial herbs and flowers planted here at home. We really have no extra time during the summer to spend energy in our home gardens. Every ounce of energy and time we have goes right into our business.

So, home garden prepping has begun around our little homestead!

I came across this article from The Home Depot (no we have no affiliation with HD). It’s a simple article about “Getting your garden prepped” and thought I would share it.

CLEAN UP

Start your garden prep by cleaning and tidying up your beds. But don’t rush the season. You can do more harm than good if you walk around in your garden while the ground is soggy or icy. Walking around now will compact the soil, making it difficult for plant roots to penetrate, and digging will leave clods of dirt you’ll struggle to break apart.

When the soil is dry enough, pull up any dead annuals or vegetables still standing in the garden. Also prune or cut back perennials and ornamental grasses to encourage vigorous, healthy, new growth.

Toss the debris in your compost pile, unless you see signs of pests or diseases. If you do, trash the plant parts to avoid spreading problems.

Remove any grass, rocks, weeds and twigs from your planting spot. Weeds can re-sprout from chopped-up roots, so be as thorough as you can.

DIG IN

Now you’re ready to dig in. Loosen the soil by digging or tilling 6 to 8 inches deep. Dig or till up to 12 inches deep for root crops like carrots and potatoes, or plan to grow them in hills, which are flat-topped mounds of loose soil. Root crops will also thrive in raised beds filled with lots of good soil and organic matter.

AMEND

If you didn’t test your soil last fall, you can still do so now. Use a home test kit or send a soil sample to your county extension service. Then add any lime, garden sulfur or nutrients the test recommends. A fall application gives amendments more time to meld with your native soil, but they’ll help improve your garden even if you’re adding them now.

Also add lots of good organic matter to your garden bed, such as shredded leaves, compost, and / or dehydrated manure. Organic materials loosen the soil’s structure, improving drainage and allowing roots to penetrate more easily. Turn your amendments and organic matter into the loosened soil, so everything is mixed together.

MULCH

Top off your bed by mulching it with several inches of organic matter.

PREPPING A RAISED BED

If you’ve never gardened in a raised bed, it’s easy to assemble one from a kit. If you’re prepping a raised bed you’ve used before, top it off with more soil, if needed, and mix in any amendments as indicated by a soil test. Finish by mulching the raised bed with a few inches of organic matter.

MAKE A LIST

Before you plant, make a list of plants you want to grow. Be sure to shop early, since many popular varieties sell out fast. Jot down any seed starting supplies you need, too, such as peat pots, trays or seed starting mix. Consider using some grow lights if you’re starting a lot of seeds indoors or if you don’t get enough bright light from your windows. You may also want to invest in a seed propagating heat mat, which supplies gentle heat underneath your pots or trays to help plant roots develop faster.

Check your seed packets when you buy them, and mark the dates to start your seeds on a calendar. You — and your garden beds — will be ready to go when spring arrives.

Source: The Home Depot

Have you started prepping your gardens yet? Have you decided on adding anything new?

Remember, you can purchase our products at our online store: DTL Herbs

 

Indoor Gardening Expo

Hi everyone!

A couple of weeks ago Troy and I along with a couple of friends went to the “Maximum Yield” Indoor Garden Expo. We were invited to attend the Industry day (the first day of the expo for businesses in the field).

The first two hours were seminars and presentations from various professionals in the gardening world. They offered coffee and refreshments and there was a lot of Q & A. They talked about how to build your business and the pitfalls to avoid.

The place was cram packed full of garden related vendors. All the latest and greatest products were being represented.

For a small business like ours (and our friends) this is a huge event for us. All the different vendors offer all kinds of free items to try.

Troy and I had commitments later in the day so, we were only there for about 3 hours while the vendors booths were open. We probably only got to about 1/3 of the vendors before we had to leave.

The above picture is all the products we were given. Rough estimate, there is about $1,000 – 1,500 worth of gardening products. Like I said, we didn’t even get to half of the vendors. Our friends, well let’s just say they have at least triple what you see above!

This gives us the opportunity to try different products that normally we wouldn’t or couldn’t (due to cost). Since we grow completely naturally, we had to go through all of our loot and carefully pull out any products that weren’t 100% natural. Those will get donated or shared with friends/family.

We get asked a lot about what we use on our herbs and how we grow them. This gives us a chance to try some of the products without committing to a company. If we like them, we will recommend them.

We met some wonderful company representatives at the expo. A lot of them were impressed and happy to see how we are growing our herbs (being Urban Farmers) and the fact that we do a lot of community service. We have already had several companies send us boxes of products for free to help us out in our community projects.

Since the herbs that we grow at home are strictly for our testing and experiments, we have already begun to test out some of these products. I am excited to see the different results.

The second day of the expo was open to the public. Our friends went back that day (with other friends) and the vendors were still handing out lots of free gardening goodies. So, check out your local Expo centers and think about attending some of the shows that interest you!

Also being posted at The Thrifty Groove

Plant Tags ~ A Recycle

Hi everyone!

Want a quick and cheap inexpensive way to make tags for your plants?

Don’t throw away your old mini blinds. They make the perfect plant marker!

Cut them to the desired length.

Cut a little pointed end to go into the ground easier.

For ours Troy designed sticky labels to put on each tag. That way our customers know the facts about the plants.

You can use a marker and just write on each tag. Very simple, easy and you can get as many tags as you need from something that was going to be thrown away.

 

Salad Burnet? Oh Deer!

 

When we do classes and presentations people often ask how to keep deer out of their herb gardens.

It usually isn’t much of a challenge.  Most of the herbs that we enjoy have a very strong smell and deer generally don’t like herbs that have a strong smell.

An exception to that general rule, that we have known about for some time, is Basil.  Deer actually like Basil.

Also, we discovered in our tests garden in northern Michigan last year, the deer cropped the Anise Hyssop off right at the ground, and completely ignored the other herbs in the garden. So there was another exception.

Today we learned about another one.

We live across the street from the International Wildlife Refuge, so it isn’t unusual for us to see deer out the front door, and every once in a while they come over to our side of the street, but when I went outside today, the deer tracks were 8 feet from our front door.

It was clear that the deer had come right up to the herb bed, and found the Salad Burnet buried under the snow.

It made a nice dinner I’m sure.

Salad Burnet (Sanguisorba minor) is hardy herbaceous perennial native to Europe Asia and Africa.  Unlike many herbaceous perennials in this area, it grows year round and is often alive under the snow long after the other herbs have expended themselves for the year.

The young tender leaves are often used in salads, and have a flavor that resembles cucumbers.

It can be used in a tea to treat diarrhea, and was a favorite herb of Thomas Jefferson and Sir Francis Bacon. Thomas Jefferson grew is specifically because it grew so quickly and could be used to control erosion.

The species Latin name, sanguisorba, translates as "blood-drink," referring to a medieval traditional use of salad burnet to stop internal bleeding and hemorrhages. Soldiers of  that period would drink tea made from the herb before going into battle, as well, because they believed it would make any wounds they received less severe and they would be less likely to bleed to death.

Salad burnet was also thought to be a cure for the bubonic plague and was one of 21 herbs combined and dissolved in wine to make an anti-plague tonic.

The leaves blend well with rosemary and tarragon for chicken or fish and  can also be used in any casserole dish, dip or soup that calls for dill, oregano or basil. They should be used fresh or frozen, but don’t have much flavor when dried.

A mature plant resembles a fern and can grow up to 20 inches high and 20 inches across.

 

And as we learned today, deer like it too!

Wonder how it would taste on venison?

 

Herbs for Hangovers

We really want  to focus on the internet, social media, and electronic communications this year as a way to share hints tips and ideas about herbs, how to grow them and how to use them.

What could be more appropriate for the first tip of the year, on New Years Day, than some ideas on how we can use herbs to combat hangovers.

Now, for those of you who like myself, aren’t drinkers, it is important to note that we aren’t really treating a hangover per se, but the symptoms, so these same remedies can be used to treat any hangover type symptoms.

** Disclaimer.  I am not a doctor.  I have no medical training.  Please do not rely on Tips, Hints, or Ideas you find on this blog as a replacement for medical care.  If you are pregnant, nursing, or have serious health issues, you should consult a doctor before using any herbs medicinally.  All medical treatment should occur under the guidance and direction of a medical professional.

OK, now that we have that out of the way, for those of you who were making merry last night, and are feeling a bit out of sorts today, lets explore some possible options that may help you feel better.

Peppermint
Peppermint is a natural stomach soother,  taken as a tea it can calm nerves and improve digestion.   Tea drinkers can add a teaspoon of dried peppermint or a Tablespoon of fresh peppermint leaves to their regular  cup of tea. 

Non tea drinkers can make an herbal tisane  by adding a cup of boiling water to 2 teaspoons of dried peppermint, allowing it to stand for about five minutes and sweetening to taste.  When I do this I like to add a tablespoon of lemon Juice and 2 Teaspoons of Honey.

As an added benefit, inhaling the steam produced while brewing peppermint tea can help to relieve headaches

** Note, do not attempt to treat a hangover with Peppermint Schnapps.

Fennel
1/2 teaspoons of  fennel seeds in a hot cup of tea can help improve liver function. Fennel is a restorative herb, and can help bring your liver back into working order.

Ginger
Ginger is a stomach soother; Ginger snaps, gingerbread cookies, can often provide partial relief for minor stomach upset.  Candied or pickled Ginger root may be as effective, provided the sugar or vinegar are not overpowering. 

** Note, Vernor’s Ginger Ale is actually made with real ginger and can be used to settle an upset stomach.  Other brands may not be as effective.

Thyme
Thyme leaves  brewed into a tisane  with a spoonful  of honey can help soothe tense and tired muscles, and can help with any stomach troubles too.

Lemon Verbena
A tisane made from adding 2 t dried Lemon Verbena leaves to a cup of boiling water can help to calm the nervous system and relax jittery nerves as well as help relieve anxiety. Lemon Verbena Tisane is so effective that people are actually cautioned not to drive or operate machinery after drinking this as it may affect alertness. 

Wintergreen/Teaberry
Also known as 'nature's aspirin,' Teaberry leaves were brewed into a tisane by the Native Americans to treat headaches.   If you can’t find the leaves, wintergreen oil, and gum or candy made with natural wintergreen oil and not artificial flavoring can also be effective.

** Important Note**Teaberry actually contains salicylic acid which is the active ingredient synthesized to produce aspirin.  because of this, teaberry or Wintergreen oil should not be used by anyone with an allergy to aspirin, as the same reaction may result.

Hopefully in just a few hours you will be feeling as good as new and ready to help us enjoy the fact that a new year has dawned. 2012 is no more.  Lets have a fun 2013.

 

Watch this space for regular Herb Hints, Tips, and Ideas.

 

Note, this post was written by Troy, but I used Diann’s computer so it says it was written by her.  Any errors in it are my fault, not hers.

We Support…

Hi everyone!

It has been crazy busy around here the past week. October marks Breast Cancer Awareness month. This is a cause that touches us. We lost an Aunt to breast cancer not too long ago. And we have a sister in law who is a 5 year survivor.

We decided that we want our business DTL Herbs LTD to take an active part in this cause. We know we are just a tiny business but, we thought that there must be something we could do.

Click the above banner to find out more about this program!

After some research we discovered that a local hospital along with some local sponsors have set up a program for uninsured woman to get a free mammogram. After speaking with the people in charge of the program, we found out how much the cost of one mammogram is. And that is our goal amount to raise. We want to cover the cost of at least one woman to have a mammogram.

So, this week we are rolling out a couple of new products. Although we are completely 100% natural with our herb products, I made a small exception and added some pink food coloring to our new Peppermint Sugar. This product was exclusively made for Breast Cancer Awareness month. A large portion of the profits will be donated.

I have been working on creating an herbed cornbread line of products. So, to launch this new line I am going to bake up some cornbread and have them available. There will be no price on them. It will be all donation and every penny will go to the mammogram.

We will be at the Wyandotte Market today. I hope you stop by!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where We Will Be this Weekend!

Hi everyone!

Wow, we are having way too much fun with all the local festivals!

Last weekend we were at the Redford I Art fair and had a GREAT time!

Starting today, we will be at the Southgate Heritage Days!

The festival starts tonight at 5:30. Here is a sampling of what will be going on today and tomorrow!

HERITAGE DAYS WEEKEND

JULY 27^TH & 28^TH, 2012

Annual Heritage Days Parade featuring an exciting line up

Arts and Crafts Fair

Live musical entertainment –

Friday Night from 7:00pm – 11:00pm - Fifty Amp Fuse

Saturday afternoon from 12:30 pm to 3:30pm – Little Davey & the Diplomats

Saturday from 6:00pm to 9:00pm – Boogie Dynomite

I just might have to go and Shake My Groove Thing! LOL

Saturday Night from 9pm to Midnight –The Mega 80’s

"KID-O-LYMPICS” group games with Olympic style medal presentations

Inflatable Playscapes

"Taste of the Town” - delectable delights of local restaurants and caterers – immediately following parade

Saturday night FIREWORKS

Car Show – immediately following parade

Poker Tent

This special outdoor event to be held on the grounds of the Southgate Municipal Complex –14400 Dix-Toledo Road.

Look for us and stop and say Hi!

Where We Will Be this Weekend!

Hi everyone!

We are looking forward to this weekend because we will be part of the I Art Festival in Redford, MI! It is going to be a beautiful day and the event looks like it is going to be so much fun!

Besides selling our regular awesome DTL products, we will have more Lemon Verbena Infused Iced Tea and Fudgy Peppermint Brownies. And for the first time, we are also going to be offering a second Infused Iced Tea….Spearmint!

This is the first time for Spearmint Infused Fresh Brewed Iced Tea.

I hope all you locals will stop by and visit us!

We will be there Saturday 11-??

Sunday 10-5

Everyone have a great weekend!

Herbed Oil

Hi everyone!

One of the products we created and sell through our company, DTL Herbs LTD is an Herbed Dipping Oil Blend.

The above picture is from a presentation we did last week about how to use and cook with herbs. What’s the point of going without getting to try yummy treats right?

This product took us awhile to get just right because Troy and I LOVE herbed dipping oil whenever we went to restaurants that served it. We kept the flavors we liked and added the ones we thought would be tasty in it that they didn’t have in theirs.

When we presented this product to our customers last year, it quickly became one of our best sellers! It is always reassuring that our customers like the same things we do! LOL

Besides using it as a dipping oil with yummy chewy bread, we use this product here at home all the time for various things. When I make up the oil, I actually buy a medium bottle of extra virgin olive oil and use a couple of packets of the herbed dipping oil. This bottle stays near the stove all the time.

Instead of using plain olive oil whenever we cook, we use the herbed infused oil instead. It gives eggs, potatoes, pasta and whatever else that extra little herb flavor. Delish!

So, our Herbed Dipping Oil is not just for dipping bread into. Use it in all your cooking that needs some oil. It is also great brushed over homemade bread or rolls! I love to use it when I open a refrigerated package of biscuits or croissants, just brush the oil over before baking.

For those of you that don’t have access to our products (which we are still working on changing that and opening an online store as soon as we can!) you can certainly create your own Herbed Dipping Oil. Just play around and add the savory dried herbs that you like. It’s a trial and error type of thing until you get it the way you want. Believe me, WE know! LOL

You can create a Herbed Dipping Oil with fresh herbs if you like. However, you need to know that if you use fresh herbs you can only keep it for a couple of days in the fridge.

A fresh herb oil blend should be made only when you plan to use it all immediately!

Why you ask?

Fresh herbs contain trace amounts of water or moisture. The oil won’t support bacterial growth but, even the smallest trace of water will.  Botulism bacteria flourishes in this environment. Even in a sealed bottle. And please remember garlic is an herb and is one of the most moisture filled of the herbs.

Now I know what you are thinking, “Um, Diann? I see garlic in olive oil all the time at the store.” Yup, you do. However, commercial garlic (and or herb) oil products have been preserved prior to immersing onto the oil.

The way it is done commercially is to first preserve the water-containing garlic, herb, etc. with a strong brine or vinegar solution, then put it in the oil. The vinegar solutions used commercially are up to 4 times stronger than the vinegars you find in the supermarket.

So, have fun and play with herbed oils. They add great flavor to so many dishes!

 

 

Whole Food Wednesday