Plants that Repel Bugs

I ran into a man at the garden center the other day, his cart full of heirloom plants and organic potting soil. It did my heart good, until I saw him pick up a can of Sevin Dust and put it in his cart too. Why bother with heirlooms and organics if you’re just going to throw a pesticide on top of it?

Rather than spray pesticides, maybe try a more natural approach to repelling the bugs that are bugging you or your vegetables. A large number of plants contain fragrances and oils that serve as a deterrent for certain pests (not just bugs).

Perennial Fruits and Vegetables

My goal for the garden is to have it be as productive and maintenance free as possible. One way to do this is to plant as many perennial varieties as I can, so that I’m not having to start a ton of seeds each year.

Permaculture, Companion Planting, & Plant Guilds

Permaculture is basically a self-sufficient ecosystem. In gardening, it means that you’ve created an environment that allows the plants to grow with little intervention needed on your part. Basically, the garden does most of the work of taking care of itself, and you only need to do minimal maintenance.

The Key to Making Creamier Yogurt

I’ve had hit and miss results making my own yogurt. I’m usually very attentive, making sure the milk doesn’t boil or get too cool before adding in my starter. There have been few times, when the stars aligned just so, that I’ve managed to make creamy, silky, buttery yogurt. I could never really figure out what I did, since all of the steps & ingredients were the same. Come to find out, those times when my yogurt turned out heavenly—I’d actually