Scented Geraniums

I have had a lot of request for information on "scented geraniums" they make for a wide and interesting subject indeed.
In their native habitat of 'The Cape of Good Hope' they are perennial's, but in most parts of the US they are grown as annuals or tender perennials.

The leaf texture of the SG can be smooth, sticky or velvety. The back of the leaf is what releases the scent for which each geranium is named.

They are well suited for growing in container's but do very well in the ground also. They thrive in sunny locations and need evenly moist soil, and they do much better from rooted cuttings than from seed.
It's a good idea to water several hours before you plan to take cuttings.

While there are well over 100 varieties of the SG , for culinary use the rose, lemon and mint are most in demand.

They do attract some pest and careful attention is required if you wish to have healthy and thriving plants. Caterpillar's, aphids, mealybugs, and whiteflies are just a few of the things you may find having lunch.

You can easily control the caterpillars by lifting off and placing some-place else.

I always grow an extra small patch of parsley for them to feed on.....they will turn into beautiful butterflies you know, so please never kill them.

The other pest you can wash away with diluted alc0hol and a Qtip.
A good insecticidal soap will work also.

If you need a good book about these lovely plants:

"Knowing, Growing and Enjoying Scented Geraniums" (by) Jim Becker and Faye
Brawner.

Happy Gardening.....

Bea Kunz

http://www.sagehillfarmsandvintagestore.com

April Do's In the Garden

April is such an awesome month, we are all so anxious to get started in the garden and mother nature is just as anxious to hold us back! I suppose because she knows her work isn't finished to put all things in place for good and abundant growing. It can really be a lesson in patience......

There are many things we can do in April that will help move things along rapidly when we do get the final go-ahead.

We can start pre-paring our soil for planting providing it isn't too wet....never work your soil when it's wet, it isn't a good thing for many reasons. This is a great time to get the weed problem under control if you have them. One good way to avoid that problem is to grow in raised beds. Another benefit is it gives your garden very good drainage.

This is a good time to lay out new locations, build beds, move plants to other locations, and do some snipping and pruning of certain things. Also time to sew seeds in transplant trays for later planting.

Another must have project is to start a compost pile if you don't have one.
It's never too late to do this......it's the best fertilizer you can find anywhere,
and of course if your growing by organic methods, compost is black gold!

I think April is my favorite month in the garden....not because it's the most beautiful time but because the options are so many......just dream it and you can do it !
I would love to hear from you and know what you are planning for your garden this spring.
We have added three new items for certain.....garlic, lavender and blueberrie's.

Sooooo if you are in our part of the country...please feel free to stop by and say hi.....we are most always home!

(Do you Know:) Oregano packs 42 times more antioxidents than an apple.

Eat a well balanced diet and don't get hung up on the paticulars. A variety of produce and whole grains and you'll get a good mix of nutrients.

Have an "Awesome April"......................

Bea Kunz/Sage Hill Farms

http://www.sagehillfarmsandvintagestore.com

March in the Garden.

March is here at last and the gardens all around the country are waking from the long winter rest. In the south this the time we start getting little peeks of green here and there of lovely things to come.

In my gardens I have Rosemarys, Thymes, Oregano, Parsley, Chives and Sage, all just waiting for me to uncover them and give them my approval to welcome spring! But.......March is fickle, just when we think it has settled into nice warm days and all the cold is finally over-wham....a heavy frost. So, patience is a must if you wish to keep Jack Frost from having your beautiful plants for breakfast.

I use March to get aquainted with my gardens and my landscape again.
Walk it, get the feel of all the low and high spots. Maybe decide where you will put that special bed of something new you haven't grown before.

My hubby loves roses, so this year we are doing a rose garden, it will have a two fold purpose....one, because he likes them and enjoys seeing them grow. The other will be a tribute to both our mothers, who also loved them.
A memory garden.......now don't you have something or someone you could do a memory garden for?

Some herbs I will be growing this year that I haven't grown before are, garlic , and lavender. I am very anxious to get started and see how these two new members adapt to my garden.

A little note to remember about growing herbs, they do not require a lot of pampering, in fact, the less you tend them the better they will be.
Just give them good basic soil(compost)a fair amount of water(don't over water) herbs do not require as much water as vegetable plants do.

I'm also excited about my pumpkin patch this year, it will be small, but it's a start.
And the blueberry field, oh....I wish I had a 100 acres to plant !!

But that is for another time and topic.........you can grow a lot in a small space, so if you don't have much space, that doesn't mean you can't have a beautiful garden.....we will talk about that next time.

Happy Spring!

Bea Kunz
http://www.sagehillfarmsandvintagestore.com

Herbs as Medicine

Sage Hill is still under the winter sky, and this time of year a lot of people are sick. The common cold and allergie's just seem to be part of our routine.
My thinking is most of us need to work on our immune system's.
With our food supply being so lacking in good nutritional value, regardless how much we try, most of us do not get the proper balance of what it takes to keep our system operating in a healthy mode.
Stress is such a major factor in everyday life for most, just no way around it.......
and stress is the major culprit among all the threats to our immune system.

I'm certainly not a doctor(nor do I wish to be one)and I'm in no way advising anyone to stop medical treatment of any kind.........but, it's way past time for us to take more responsibility for our own health. I do believe we are faced with the fact that medical doctor's and pills, etc, isn't working for the majority.

We have to work on the cause, practice better maintance. Be aware, take control, fight back !

If your interested in a really good book on this subject; "Herbs for Health and Healing".......by "Kathi Keville" is one of the best I have read.
Published by "Rodale Press, Inc."

I'll repeat myself here at the risk of your rath....maintance is the key.
Discover herbs and the role they can play in your every day diet.
Used in a systematic way on a regular basis, it is the single most important thing you can do for your body, your mind , and your general well being.

Want to know more? Visit my web-site and sign up for "Sage Hill Farms" free
newsletter. http://www.sagehillfarmsandvintagestore.com

Have questions? Feel free to email me from my web-site, I will return your mail.

Thanks for reading,
Bea Kunz/Sage Hill Farms

Dining, Food and Entertaining with Style

Bea Kunz is owner of "Sage Hill Farms" an organic herb farm located in Fayetteville,Tennessee. To learn more about Bea and her love for growing, using and teaching about herbs just follow this link.

http://www.sagehillfarmsandvintagestore.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~HerbCompatability~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a brief summary of herbs that pair well with certain foods. This is by no means a hard and fast rule...I'll be the first to try new blendings of taste that may seem a little out of the norm. Some work out and some don't. But do be bold, work out your likes and dislikes,it's all about your personal taste.

(Fruits)

Lavender, Most of the Mint family, Sweet Violet, and Thyme. Thyme can be used in almost every dish you can imagin.(with it's delicate clove-like flavor.

(Meats and Fish)

Basils, Rosemary, Thyme, Marjoram, Coriander(Cilantro)
Dill, Fennel, Garlic, Sage, and Tarragon.

(Sauces, Soups, and Stews)

Basils, Oreganos, Thymes, Horseradish, Hyssop, Lovage, Sweet Marjoram, Flat Leaf Parsley,Tarragon, and Burnet.

(Vegetables)Both cooked and Raw.

Thyme, Tarragon, Rosemary, Flat Leaf(Italian)Parsley, Garlic, Dill, Chives, Chervil, Borage, and Basils.

Most any of the herbs above you can work into breads and breakfast dishes that include eggs. Dill, Chives and Basils are super stired into egg dishes.

Fennel adds an awesome taste to Apple pie!

And of course good healthy teas can be brewed from most any herb.
Some of my favorites are:

Sage and Apple Mint Tea.
Chamomile Tea
Rose Scented Geranium Tea
Lavender and Lemon Balm Tea
Peppermint and Thyme Tea.

And the list could go on and on....
Herbs are the most versatile ingredient you can add to your kitchen. It's just a matter of taste.

So jump in, give it a try, I promise you'll have great fun and your tummy and your taste buds will love you forever!


4 old-timer herbs that aren't as well know as most culinary herbs today.

(Lovage, Chervil, Burnet, and Borage)

(Borage)- Goes back to ancient Celtic times. Soldiers drank it in wine before battle to give them courage.
It has a cucumber like flavor, the leaves and flowers can be tossed into salads and vegetables. The stems can be eaten raw like celery. It's best used fresh, does not hold up well to drying.

(Burnet)-Was popular in Elizabethan England. Used in salads and vegetables. Sprigs can also be popped into white wine spritzers.

(Chervil)-Is of course one of the "fines herbs" very much used in French cooking. Has an anise flavor, can be used in place of parsley. Great on vegetables. When adding to a cooked dish, never cook it more than 10 min, it will turn bitter if cooked too long.

(Lovage)- Was used by Psychic's in the Middle Ages.
Has a celery flavor but holds up better in cooking than celery. It's wonderful in potato salad and on poultry.

BeaKunz/Sage Hill Farms

Eat Well, Be Well.

February-the Month for Love.

February puts us one month closer to spring, that's something to love!
February is the month of love...we perk up at the thought of that beautiful box of our favorite sweet treat or our most desired goodie, be it jewels, furs, cars, a trip maybe?

Well, you are going to laugh when I tell you what I would like from my sweetie.
Books....some new and updated books on herbs and organic foods. Not that I don't have books already, a few dozen, maybe more...but I want new ones, that's not asking too much, is it? And of course anything else he opts to add to my request is just ok with me.

We worked outside in the "bog" today...lovely day in Tennessee, sun was shining, I actually had to remove my jacket after about an hour.

In the "bog" (a low section of the farm with a very large natural rock formation.)
I'm planning to put swamp ferns and honeysuckle along with some other wild plants so graciously given to me by my friend Annie, from Georgia.

The "bog" is a haven for frogs and turtles and Mr. Tigger(above) (resident mouser)he keeps all the field mice away. Thank you Mr.Tigger!

Until next time, be well and stay safe.

Bea Kunz
http://www.sagehillfarmsandvintagestore.com

Bea's Beatitudes/All About Herbs.

Bea's Beatitudes/All About Herbs.

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