Good Gardening

This page will offer any current trends in gardening either here at Lakeside or around the globe!

April and May are behind us, but check out Plants that Can Take the Heat Almost all are available here and many have the added bonus of being attractive to butterflies!

Are you a visual learner? Try this list of videos on a host of gardening topics.

Here is a slide show on spring container gardens from Better Homes and gardens

Here is a wonderful link to an Epicurious article with a section on growing herbs, and using them in creative recipes!

From Better Homes and Gardens comes a link to their Plant Gallery a searchable database with conditions and care for many plants grown here at Lakeside

A whole set of articles on Roses:

• Rose Care Tips
• About Feeding Roses
• Pruning Roses in Mild Climates
• Propagating Roses

This is a nice link from Better Homes and Gardens on creating simple, pretty Flower Arrangements

The second of their articles is 25 No Cost or Low Cost Garden Tools! Amazing what you can do with recycled materials.

If you did not get one of his business cards, here is the contact info for Arturo Gonzalez the gentleman from Jocotopec who sells such good dirt. You can buy it by the bag or the truckload and he delivers to your home. Phone 01-387-763-1389

Yale and Phil Weatherby are garden club members and avid growers. Yale had some very lovely garden ironwork made for both pots and in the ground. He sent me pictures and the contact info for this very reasonable iron worker.

Here are two links regarding poisons and our pets. The first deals only with plants. The second is much more extensive. Cornell Poisonous Plants   POISONED!

One of the latest faves among gardeners here is the use of Neem Oil to discourage insects. It doesn't actually kill them it drives them away! It is used by many of the orchid people and is very safe around your grand kids and your pets. The only problem is it is hard to find. You want a pint bottle that is at least a 70% solution of Neem. Sometimes they have it at Home Depot. Also it has a shelf life, so don't mix up a HUGE container of the spray. It should be stored in the refrigerator and you should use what you mix within eight hours. Neem Oil and Its Uses

Here in Ajijic, many of us grow fresh herbs. Here are some hints on cutting and using them. Snip herbs just before adding them to a recipe to get their maximum flavor.

• Caring for Fresh Herbs From BHG New Cook Book 12th Edition - Ringbound Fresh snipped herbs add flavor that can't be matched by dried herbs. Here's how to make the flavor last.
• You can keep herbs fresh for up to one week by cutting 1/2 inch from the stems and storing them, stems submerged, in a jar of water in your refrigerator. Cover tops with a loose-fitting plastic bag. Pinch off wilting, dried out, or brown leaves as they appear. The exception is fresh basil, which may blacken in the refrigerator; instead, store it in the same way, but do not refrigerate.
• If a recipe calls for snipped fresh herbs, start with clean, dry herbs (wet ones may clump together -- either blot them dry with a paper towel, or for large amounts use a salad spinner to spin off excess water). With kitchen shears or scissors, simply cut the herbs into small, uniform pieces using short, quick strokes. If the stalks are tough -- as is the case with rosemary -- don't use the stalks.
• If a recipe calls for dried herbs and you wish to substitute fresh, the general rule is to triple the amount of the dried herb specified. (For example, if a recipe calls for 1 teaspoon dried basil, use 1 tablespoon fresh). Generally, add fresh herbs at the end of cooking time because they lose flavor and color as they simmer. Exceptions include fresh rosemary and winter savory, which can withstand a long cooking time.