Time to plant seeds!

What should we plant in February and March?

Day 1, parsley and thyme

Day 22, parsley and thyme

Hello everyone! Although it may not be spring officially yet, the outside tells us different! Nature is slowly waking up, so this is the best time to plant seeds. They say "What you plant you harvest" so make sure you make it right. 

What herbs should I plant? 

Let's see. The most common herbs people use in kitchen are parsley, basil, thyme, oregano and dill. Guess what! You can plant them now. All of them are heat loving so make some space at home and by the time it's warm enough outside, you can have little plants ready for your outside garden. You can plant them indoors as well, just like me and other people who don't have garden. 

How to plant seeds: 

You need: seeds, light, water, proper soil (I buy special soil mix for herbs) and some plastic containers or flowerpots (one for each kind of seeds)

1) fill the containers with soil, let 3 cm space on top

2) sprinkle the soil with water and according to instructions on the each packet plant the seeds (especially mind the depth and distance between them)
3) put 1-2 cm of soil (the bigger plant is going to grow, the more soil you put) on top and slightly sprinkle with water again.
4) let it grow on a sunny place and every 2 days sprinkle with water. Remember, seeds take some time to grow :)

Tip: Have you heard about Community gardens?

A community garden is a single piece of land gardened collectively by a group of people. They could be small areas where people grow small plots of vegetables, to large "greening" projects to preserve natural areas, to tiny street beautification planters on urban street corners. Some grow only flowers, others are nurtured communally and their bounty shared. It can be a great way to meet new people and make some friends with mutual hobby. It could be a solution for those who don´t have a garden of their own (most likely people in big cities).

In most cases, gardeners are expected to pay annual dues to help with garden upkeep, and the organization must manage these fees. The tasks in a community garden are many, including upkeep, mulching paths, recruiting members, and fund raising. There could be a lot of fun, too. Community meetings, support, and romantic bonfires where you can "hear the veggies grow" in the night.  

Under the dog weather calls for Rosehip!

"Under-the-dog weather" calls for Rosehip!

Rosehip or as well Dog rose, in latin Rosa canina, is a variable climbing wild rose species, native to Europe. It is 1-5m tall and has small, sharp, hooked prickles, which aid it in climbing. It has pinnate leaves with 5-7 leaflets and pale rose flowers. However, the most important are the fruits called rose hips. They are red-to-orange and ready to harvest in late summer through autumn.

Rose hips are high in antioxidants and are one of the richest plant sources of vitamin C. Rose hips are used for herbal teas, jam, jelly, beverages, syrup and they can as well be eaten raw.

Rose hips are used for treatment of viinfections and disorders of the kidneys and urinary tract. 

Tip: Rose hip tea
Handful of rosehips 
350 ml water 

Crush or slice the hips in a half, put them in a pot and pour cold water on it. Bring it to boil slowly and then boil around 10 minutes. Turn off the cooker and leave it for about another 10 minutes to leach. Wheeze and drink! You can as well put a tsp of honey to your cup, because of the tea sourness. Enjoy and be healthy!

Mint Syrup

Our mum grows mint in her garden and this weekend she was wondering what to do with it all. "Let's make a syrup!" I said.

The syrup is good for digestion, the common cold and improving the functioning of your immune system.