Money CAN grow on trees!! 

Anna apple

As well as on bushes, vines and in pots! While it may not be the kind of money you wish grew on trees, growing your own fruit and vegetables is a way to save money and get a healthier lifestyle going. They not only provide food but they add beauty when they flower! You can incorporate them into your landscape to add texture, variety and drama. Even using fruiting shrubs as a hedge can have a dramatic impact. But be careful! Some fruiting plants may drop their leaves in winter so make sure you aren't using the plant for privacy!

Peach 

Even now, in late winter / early spring, you can plant for the future.  I’m talking fruit trees, fruit bushes and vines. Right now you can plant apple, peach, apricot, plum, citrus and a variety of other fruit trees. The first crop may be a bit less than what you’d like, but you are on the way to not purchasing your favorite fruits again, unless you want it out of season. If you live in an area where you have early frost and snow, you will have to wait to place them in the ground. Check with your local nursery (not a "box" store) and see what is available for planting now. Depending on the area you are in, you can start in late summer, early fall. Much of it depends on what you want to grow and what your frost times are.

Blueberry shrub

There are shrub berries that you can grow, blueberries, raspberry & blackberry (bramble variety), cranberries, currants (black, white & red) and gooseberries. All of these are easy care, but you may need more than one to help feed your family. You might also get some bird netting (or even tulle) to help prevent the birds from harvesting your crop before you do!  While bird netting is good, I feel that they aren’t large enough and the birds get underneath, or the openings are still large enough for some of the smaller birds in the neighborhood. Tulle is the material they use for tutus and bridal veils. It comes in a variety of colors and thicknesses and is fairly inexpensive.

Kiwis on the vine

Some of the vining types of fruit you can grow are grapes, kiwi, melons, some strawberries as well as raspberries, blackberries, Loganberries and passion fruit. These types of fruits will need more area to grow, most will need staking, and the canes on some of these will need to be pruned every year for optimum growth and production. I grow a variety of thornless berry called a Youngberry. It is kind of a cross between boysenberry and a light fruity perfume. It is a good producer and can be made into a sauce for ice cream or incorporated into vinaigrette. I usually just eat if right off the vine!

Orange in a pot

Of course, you know all the veggies & herbs you can grow to supplement or even eliminate the supermarket produce. There are a variety of vegetables that you can plant, especially here in So Cal. We have great growing conditions year round for many seasonal favorites. You can grow indoors as well, just about anywhere. The only caution I have is that it may take a couple of tries before you get the hang of where your plants like it best. Over watering is the major killer of indoor plants (whether herbs, fruiting or decorative) and can cause an irritating cloud of soil gnats that will get into ALL your plants. The best way to avoid that problem is to monitor how much water your plant needs. Indoors plants don’t take up as much water since they usually aren’t fighting the elements as much. You may only need to water every few days or just once a week. This is definitely something that takes practice and a watchful eye! Make sure they aren’t in line with a draft from the a/c or heater, since this can speed up moisture loss and cause leaf burn. Don’t water with water straight out of the tap; it has chlorine which can cause root burn. Instead fill a container, allow the water to sit, uncovered, several hours to allow chemicals to “burn” off

So… still think money doesn’t grow on trees..... bushes or vines?  Our forefathers knew the value of planting a garden, even if it is just a small one. You don’t need a home orchard to enjoy the fruits you love. Check out your local nursery (NOT home improvement or "box" stores) and ask questions. That’s part of their job and if they are like me, their passion. Helping someone find the joy of gardening, whether it is edible or not is as much fun as teaching someone to read. You open a whole new world to them that they can use the rest of their life!

Enjoy and eat well!                              

Mary

&!#@ Basil!        

Ocimum basilicum

Apparently the early Roman & Greek physicians believed to grow a good crop of basil, you had to shout and curse as you sowed the seeds!¹ While I think it might be fun to try out their philosophy, my neighbors might not appreciate it as much! No one wants a ticket for public vulgarity, do they?  The ancient people had a lot of interesting ideas and beliefs about day to day living and growing plants is apparently no exception.

In Italy basil has been and is still considered a sign of love!

 A pot of basil on a young lady’s balcony outside her room is a sign she’s ready to receive her suitor. However nowadays, that is not a sure sign since many people grow basil in pots on balconies and windowsills!  Another practice was for the young man to give a young lady a sprig of basil in the hope that the young lady would return his affection and never leave!  I think now ladies would prefer a man who cooks with basil. A man like that would be quite a catch!

One theory about the origin herb’s name is a derivative from basileus, Greek for king. In India basil is worshipped more highly than kings. It is a sacred herb dedicated to Vishnu & Krishna and laid upon the chest of the dead to protect from evil in the next world and to give them entrance to paradise (Oh! If it were only that easy!)

Basil seeds

As a medicinal, it is used for digestive complaints. Used instead of an after dinner mint as a tea, it helps aid in digestion and expel gas. It can be used for vomiting, cramps and constipation. A teaspoon of dried basil in a cup of boiled water is supposed to be effective. I am not a physician or a naturopath so I am relating only what I have researched. As always, check with your physician or naturopath prior to using any medicinal herb. Using the seeds in a poultice externally has shown antibacterial properties.

basil mint hair oil

It is used in shampoos, hair color and rinses, perfumes and herbal bath preparations. You can even make your own herbal bath perfume by mixing herbs that you like together to make a scent you like and add it to the water. Then climb in, and depending on the mixture, relax or get invigorated!

Basil works well in Italian, African, Mediterranean, Thai, Greek and of course Indian cuisine to name just a few. It has a bit of a peppery taste which intensifies as it cooks. Fresh, it can be added to salads, made into a pesto or tossed into a veggie packet and grilled until the veggies are done (about 20 minutes or so in a foil packet on a grill).  If it is to be frozen it should be made into a paste or stored in oil or vinegar. If you are freezing a pesto sauce, leave out the garlic until you are actually going to cook it as it can turn bitter/rancid tasting after a few months in the freezer. Try drying it to savor it during the winter months when you may not have your plant to pluck from.

Basil flowers (can be pink as well)

Basil can be easy to grow. Good light, a soil that drains well but not fast and has the addition of compost to the mix, whether potted or in ground. By pruning (or pinching off) leaves, your plant should become bushy. It is recommended to cut back the main stem prior to the plant flowering for the first. If you aren’t using it very often, trim it back a bit every 2 weeks or so. This helps keep it from getting too woody and helps maintain a nice bushy shape. Try to harvest before the flowers open, this will give you a better flavor. The unopened flowers can be used as a garnish or addition to a salad as well.

Purple Ruffles basil

There are a variety of types of basil, some with flavors other than straight basil. There is lemon, anise, cinnamon even a camphor flavored basil.  The one called “Holy Basil” is actually more ornamental rather than culinary so I would avoid that one except as a decorative element.  I have heard that the “Purple Ruffles” one is good for flavoring vinegar, but haven’t tried it myself (yet!). If you are adventurous try growing a few and taste testing your own. I can guarantee that even if you don’t like them, they are a beautiful addition to any garden as an ornamental. I love having fragrant plants in my garden, whether they are “useful” or not. I am constantly touching leaves, smelling them and even sometimes tasting them just because I can. And yes, I do know what poison oak and ivy look like so I am safe!

Enjoy your basil be it in a pasta, perfume, tea or hair rinse!!

Happy gardening!

Mary

¹Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs