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22 Articles

Wild-Card Plants

I GROW a few wild-card plants each year to add a bit of whimsy to my garden and to satisfy my curiosity. Last year, my wild-card plants were peanuts and luffas (Luffa aegyptiaca). Every time I went out to my garden, one of them was up to something new. The luffas’ tendrils seemed to grow 3 to 4 feet in just a few days, and I was delighted to watch the peanuts bury their long shoots (or “pegs”) underground to form shells. If you garden in the South, then peanuts and luffas may not be that exciting, but, because they prosper with a long growing season, nobody seems to grow them in Kansas (Zone 6a). With their regional novelty came a fan base of friends and family who regularly asked…

Wild-Card Plants

To the Source Good morning! I decided to go to the source with my questions. I’m hoping to find a specific book or resource that would list and describe food plants indigenous to northern Alabama. Also, can you suggest a resource that would help with growing plants indoors? Most books I’ve read give general information, but my microgreens, lettuces, and miniature food plants are not surviving, though I’ve followed instructions for soil, temperature, water, and humidity. I’d greatly appreciate any help you can provide. LARRY AND KANDY MATHIS EDITOR’S RESPONSE: Thanks for writing! There are two books we think might help you: Year-Round Indoor Salad Gardening by Peter Burke and Vegetable Gardening in the Southeast by Ira Wallace. Peter Burke is an experienced gardener who gives step-by-step instructions on how to maximize indoor crop…

IDEAS + PRODUCTS + RESOURCES + MORE JANUARY MAY BE the official start of the year, but spring’s ever-nearing warmth makes the new year feel as though it has truly arrived. From determined sunlight and thunderstorms to green buds carefully blossoming, everything feels more alive. Join nature’s seasonal cycles and get your blood pumping by turning soil, weeding, and readying delicate seedlings for transplant. And as you dig into your dormant garden, let the awakened world inspire new choices and chances for the year ahead.…

Hardworking Outdoor Helpers

Deep-Seat Garden Kneeler | $50 Ease back-aching tasks with this lightweight, padded kneeler, which easily flips into a comfortable bench. www.Gardeners.com Insulating EcoForms Planters | $16 for 7.5-by-6.5-inch pot These sustainable pots made from renewable grain fibers and natural binding agents will help plants thrive. www.EcoForms-Store.com Ambidextrous Garden Shears | $20 Stainless steel blades attach to bamboo handles that comfortably fit any gardener’s hands. www.BarebonesLiving.com Canvas Garden Apron | $18 This durable, adjustable apron comes with six sturdy pockets for supplies, seeds, and other garden treasures. www.Lehmans.com Short-Handled CobraHead Cultivator | $25 This lightweight tool does it all: weed, edge, dig, and furrow — it’s an essential for planting and harvesting. www.MotherEarthLiving.com/Store…

Hardworking Outdoor Helpers

NEW, SUSTAINABLE LEATHER A startup company is exploring an alternative to leather, made not from animal hide, but from the mycelium of reishi mushrooms. After discovering organic ways to change the growth pattern of the fungus, Phil Ross founded MycoWorks (www.MycoWorks.com). He and his team are able to reformat mycelium into sheets much like leather with a process that takes just two weeks, and this natural, versatile material is completely safe against skin. It just needs the right preservation process to last. YOUNG LIVING SMUGGLING SUIT Young Living Essential Oils pleaded guilty to charges concerning the illegal trafficking of rosewood and spikenard oils. Brazilian rosewood is an endangered species protected by the Peruvian government, and several Young Living employees and contractors harvested, distilled, and smuggled 86 tons of the oil…

Beyond the Page

We’re thrilled to unveil Ogden Publications’ new in-house photo studio! Thanks to help from Queren King-Orozco, who is part of our social media strategy team, we can now style and shoot our own high-quality custom photographs. Bursting with props for any need, this tidy little workshop is now the place where Mother Earth Living shoots cover images, recipes, featured products, and seasonal vignettes for our social media pages. We’re excited about this new way to showcase our team members’ talents, and we’ve already put the studio to good use by shooting this issue’s cover! If you’d like to help us choose our next cover image, consider joining our Editorial Advisory Group at www.MotherEarthLiving.com/Newsletter. As a trusted member of this survey group, you can vote on your favorite cover images, provide…

Beyond the Page

Embroidered Lavender Flowers

Supplies Needed ✶ Lavender flower pattern ✶ Tracing paper ✶ Transfer paper ✶ Cellophane ✶ One 12-by-15-inch piece linen fabric ✶ Craft stylus ✶ One 12-by-15-inch piece single-sided, medium-weight fusible interfacing ✶ DMC embroidery floss No. 25 (368, 320, 210, 553, 3746, 3045, 646) ✶ DMC embroidery floss No. 5 (368) ✶ French embroidery needle No. 3 or 4 ✶ French embroidery needle No. 7 ✶ Thin sewing needle ✶ Embroidery frame (optional) Let’s Begin 1. To transfer the lavender pattern onto linen, first copy the pattern on tracing paper. Next, layer your transfer paper, the tracing paper with the pattern, and then your cellophane onto the side of the linen on which you’ll be sewing. Use a craft stylus to trace and transfer the pattern onto the fabric. Apply…

Embroidered Lavender Flowers

Gardener’s Go-To Remedies

WELLNESS + REMEDIES + BEAUTY HAULING COMPOST, digging beds, and working in the heat of the sun are just a few of the garden tasks that can be hard on your body. Even the healthiest gardeners are susceptible to bee stings and sunburns. Fortunately, your home might already be stocked with simple cures for minor woes. The following remedies, adapted from 500 Time-Tested Home Remedies and the Science Behind Them, will soothe just about everything. Poisonous Plants: Ivy, Oak, and Sumac PREVENTION. The best way to protect yourself from this itchy, blister-causing trio is to wear protective clothing, including pants, long sleeves, and gloves, whenever you work in areas where these plants may grow. Anytime you think your skin or clothing may have made contact with their leaves, immediately remove…

Gardener’s Go-To Remedies

Comparing Topical Body Care Oils

TO MANY, the dizzying array of body care oils neatly arranged on store shelves make it impossible to find the right one for your skin type. “Why would I choose one over the other?” you might ask yourself. Well, that’s why I’m here. As a licensed herbalist, holistic aesthetician, and author of 12 books on the topics of natural skin and body care, I know a thing or two about using oils topically. First, a little education: “Vegetable oil” is a generic term often used to distinguish between an oil that derives from a plant and one that derives from petrochemicals (such as mineral oil), fish (such as cod-liver oil), or animal fats (such as lanolin or lard). Sourced from plants, the oils used for body care are commonly referred…

Comparing Topical Body Care Oils

Healing with Gotu Kola

GOTU KOLA (Centella asiatica) has been legendary in India and China for more than 2,000 years, where it’s considered one of the best herbs for promoting clarity, focus, and a peaceful, calm nature. This low-growing member of the carrot family is also known as “brahmi” or “Mandukaparni,” and is a tonic remedy for memory loss, stress, worry, and foggy thinking. In Ayurvedic medicine, gotu kola is used to increase memory, concentration, and comprehension. In the Himalayas, yogis use gotu kola as a meditation aid. Contemporary herbalists also use gotu kola as a wound healer, diuretic, antioxidant, nerve tonic, and antibacterial. Folklore tells us that daily ingestion of gotu kola keeps the mind fresh and promotes longevity and vitality. In Southeast Asia, gotu kola has long been credited as the source…

Healing with Gotu Kola

Herbal Tonics from Spring Plants

NUTRITION + RECIPES + TECHNIQUES SPRING CLEANING is a well-known task for the home, but seasonal cleansing can also be applied to our bodies. While winter provides wonderful opportunities for deep nourishment and rest, spring produces seasonal plants to help revitalize us. Traditionally, people have gathered these first green plants to reintroduce a wealth of vitamins and minerals to their diets, and to enlist the plants’ support for gentle detoxification and the overall strengthening of their bodies. 1 BURDOCK ROOT (Arctium lappa): Typically harvested in the autumn of its first year or the spring of its second, herbalists use this mildly bitter root as an alterative to support eliminatory organs in clearing wastes from blood, and as a diuretic to help flush excess water from the body. Peel, chop, and…

Herbal Tonics from Spring Plants

Breezy Breakfasts for Busy Mornings

WITH A LITTLE ADVANCED PLANNING, healthy morning meals can easily become part of your weekly routine. Too much planning can be prohibitive, however. I find it overwhelming to shop for a full week’s worth of recipes (breakfast or otherwise) in one fell swoop. So I’ll generally choose two or three recipes to tackle on any given week and then stock up on breakfast basics — plain yogurt, eggs, good bread for toast, and fruit for parfaits or smoothies — to fill in the gaps. On-the-Go Saviors SIMPLE SPINACH AND FETA EGG CUPS: Whisk six eggs with ⅓ cup milk, a handful of crumbled feta, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, cook 4 cups of chopped spinach in a little olive oil…

Breezy Breakfasts for Busy Mornings

Reishi: An Ancient Medicinal Mushroom

MY BOOTS press into an emerald moss carpet as I scan an old-growth log for shiny, red, fan-shaped shelf mushrooms — the reishi. Medicinal reishis grow all over the world: from Europe to Asia, from South America to this quiet Pacific Northwest conifer grove. Anyone on a hike in late summer has likely seen them without realizing that these are the mushrooms believed by ancient Chinese emperors to grant immortality. I wish that, like the emperors, I could summon a court sorcerer to help me find them. In 219 B.C., Emperor Qin Shihuangdi sent his sorcerer, Xu Fu, east from Xi’an on a quest for the “mushroom of immortality.” It was never found, and some said it was a sign that the emperor had lost the mandate of heaven. In…

Reishi: An Ancient Medicinal Mushroom

Homemade SPICE BLENDS

If there’s one thing we know about food, it’s that homegrown, homemade dishes are healthier than storebought varieties — and the satisfaction behind their creation makes them taste better, too. Why not extend that healthfulness as far as you can? Though buying spice blends for your kitchen might appear to be the simplest option, creating homemade mixes of dried herbs and spices is easier than it seems. Most of the ingredients in the following blends can be grown in a backyard garden, and dehydrating simple spices can be a breeze. This do-it-yourself approach reduces unhealthy preservatives in kitchen creations, too! Try out the following ideas to preserve your harvest and experience delicious flavors year-round. Herbes de Provence On the southeast tip of France is an herbal heaven. There, in Provence, an…

Homemade SPICE BLENDS

Grow Superberries IN YOUR BACKYARD

A short time ago, a European couple visited my small suburban nursery in search of some berry plants for their newly acquired home. As we spoke, the husband, an architect, puzzled over the American habit of planting large lawns dotted with only a few decorative trees. We continued our philosophical musings for a while, and then they packed up their plants and headed home. Not everyone yearns to transform their yard into a cornucopia of edible delights. However, even if you’re a fan of lush, perfectly manicured lawns, you can still add a few multiuse plants that will both look nice and provide nutritious edibles for you and your family. Berry plants are particularly useful for this purpose because many of them are attractive perennial shrubs with fruits that are…

Grow Superberries IN YOUR BACKYARD

ALL ABOUT Adaptogens

We live in a culture that demands constant achievement, productivity, and success, which means work — and then more work — on top of the financial and personal demands of daily living. In fact, the United States is the only advanced economy in the world that doesn’t guarantee paid vacation time! No wonder specialty coffees that promise to make us “bulletproof” are all the rage. I think it’s safe to say that we’re in the middle of a human energy crisis, with most of us swimming as hard as we can just to stay afloat. And it’s really taking a toll on our health. The problem is that even glorious, organic, energy-boosting coffees, bars, and supplements don’t actually get to the root of the problem: that we’re burning up our…

ALL ABOUT Adaptogens

CULTIVATING CONFIDENCE ON THE FARM

IN 2010, when John Gordon Jr. launched BoysGrow, a Kansas City-based nonprofit that teaches urban youth about farming and entrepreneurship, he might have had an inkling about the possibilities that his fledgling program might offer. But he surely never could have imagined that just a few years later, BoysGrow would own a permanent 10-acre farm on the outskirts of the city, or that its retail culinary products would be featured in a dozen of Kansas City’s most noteworthy restaurants, markets, and grocery stores. More importantly, how could he have imagined that his program participants — boys ages 14 to 16 — would cite lessons they had learned related to self-confidence, responsibility, teamwork, dedication, discipline, health, and pride, just to name a few. Planting the Seed John got the first spark…

CULTIVATING CONFIDENCE ON THE FARM

SPEAK FOR YOURSELF

MEL: WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT THE BOYSGROW PROGRAM? TIMOTHY: The brotherhood. I’ve met a lot of people and I’ve learned a lot. It feels like a second family to me. We have so much fun together. JOHN: [Addressing the boys] I’m always impressed by how cool you guys are with each other. I’m not sure if a lot of people are like that at your age. ... It seems like you guys honestly support each other. XAVIER: It’s like a family here. We call it a “farm-ily.” Everyone is welcome here. Nobody sits there being grouchy. Everyone is open, kind, and if you’re offtask they’ll help you think straight. WHAT HAS BOYSGROW TAUGHT YOU ABOUT FOOD? ANTHONY: I didn’t know where a lot of foods came from, and…

SPEAK FOR YOURSELF

Most Nutritious Crop Varieties

GROWING + HARVESTING + TIPS I’VE SPENT THE PAST 10 YEARS scouring scientific articles for information on the most nutritious fruit and vegetable varieties in our modern world. So far, I’ve pinpointed hundreds of stellar choices. The health benefits of eating these specific varieties range from lower risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer — the top two causes of death in the United States — to boosted energy and a more radiant complexion. You might even live longer. Studies suggest that eating the most nutritious varieties of fruits and vegetables may have a bigger impact on our health than how many fruits and vegetables we consume. For example, in a study published in the Journal of Nutrition in 2013, participants 65 years of age and older who consumed highly nutritious…

Most Nutritious Crop Varieties

44 Super-Nutritious Varieties for Your Garden

1. ALLIUMS ✶ ‘Spanish Roja’ garlic, like all garlic varieties, is a source of allicin, which can reduce the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease. This hardneck garlic is intense and spicy. ✶ ‘Southport Red Globe’ onion is an heirloom and excellent keeper that provides anthocyanins and quercetin. ✶ ‘Bonilla’ shallot provides, as all shallots do, more antioxidants than onions. Grow from seed and harvest the same year. 2. APPLES ✶ ‘Akane’ is rich in phytonutrients. This Japanese variety is disease-resistant and a satisfying blend of sweet and tart. ✶ ‘Bramley’s Seedling’ contains 3 to 4 times more antioxidants than common varieties and is resistant to scab and mildew. This large, late-season apple deserves to be grown more widely. ✶ ‘Liberty’ has 2 to 3 times as many phytonutrients as…

44 Super-Nutritious Varieties for Your Garden

Growing Your Focus

INCREASINGLY, AMERICANS both young and old are struggling to focus on the important things around them and remember what matters. According to recent findings, diagnoses of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children are on the rise. Most disturbingly, the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) findings report that in three years’ time, ADHD diagnoses for children ages 2 to 5 increased by more than 50 percent. On the other end of the age spectrum, older adults are experiencing a rise in Alzheimer’s disease and dementia diagnoses. Looking at the symptoms of ADHD, most of us can think of at least one middle-aged adult who fits this criteria as well. Inattention as well as hyperactivity and impulsivity are the main categories examined in the diagnosis and include those…

Growing Your Focus

Luffa: Grow Your Own Supply of Sponges

YOU MAY RECOGNIZE luffa sponges (Luffa aegyptiaca, synonym L. cylindrica) from health-food stores where they’re sold as exfoliators and displayed next to soaps, shampoos, and other bathing supplies. It’s easy to assume that a luffa is a sea sponge; however, it’s actually a gourd that you can grow in your backyard and process at home. An annual, subtropical vine in the Cucurbitaceae family, luffa is a lush plant with large leaves, buttery yellow flowers, and fruit that looks like giant, 2-foot-long cucumbers. The young, edible fruits — which taste like a cross between a cucumber and a zucchini — can be harvested when only a few inches long for stir-fries, chutneys, and soups. When left to mature and dry on the vine, the fruit becomes quite large and the edible…

Luffa: Grow Your Own Supply of Sponges

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