Growing Bee Balm From Seed and MILKWEED!

Check out the latest from Mary's Heirloom Seeds!

Mary's Heirloom Seeds What's NEW? Don't Miss Out! Did you know we've added several NEW pages both at Mary's Heirloom Seeds and our blog Back to the Basics? It's true! In case you're just tuning in, we've been steadily adding to our 2014 Planting Guide. For your viewing pleasure we've made a special page with all of the growing info in one easy place. Check out Mary's 2014 Planting Guide Helpful Links BEANS and CORN Heirloom Fruits Heirloom GREENS Heirloom PEPPERS Heirloom SEEDS Heirloom TOMATOES HERB Seeds Wildflower Seeds Specialty Heirlooms Seed Pack Combos SUPPLIES PLANT NUTRIENTS Mary's Tincture Shop Mary's Herbal Organix Join Our Mailing List Mary's Heirloom Seeds 2104 Tyler Street Hollywood, FL 33020 (954) 654-3501 Find us at the Yellow Green Farmer's Market Booth #281 Saturday & Sunday 8am-4pm A few of our favorites Purple Top Turnips Chinese 5-Color Pepper Italian Dandelion Helpful Links: Growing from Seed Grow Your Own "Medicine" After sending out the NEW Seeds Announcement we had to make a correction.  We have increased the quantity of Lemon Bee Balm to 50 seeds per pack!!! We have also added Tropical MILKWEED and English Lavender organic seeds. Growing Bee Balm from Seed from Back to the Basics Why Grow Bee Balm #1 for the BEES! Bee balm attracts pollinating insects such as bees, and predatory insects such as beetles, centipedes, spiders, bees, and butterflies, which "will eat the herbivorous insects and parasites that eat your plants." #2 to repel Mosquitoes!  Bee balm's scent is an effective mosquito repellent, but generally works best when its leaves are crushed to release the fragrant oils #3 beneficial for Tomatoes!  Bee balm, planted in proximity to your tomato plants, will improve "both the growth and the flavor of tomatoes." Lemon Bee Balm   Growing Bee Balm from Seed Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart in rich, well-drained soil.  Although it will tolerate drought, bee balm will do much better if it gets adequate moisture. Sow seeds at the surface and push gently into soil, needs light to germinate, with no more than 1/8" deep in seed starting formula. Keep evenly moist to dry- not soaked. Seedlings emerge in 14-25 days. Bi-annual plant that blooms in the second year, with the first year devoted to root growth. Bee Balm seed does not require any cold treatment, but germination will improve with several weeks of cold stratification. Germinates in two to three weeks at a rate of 60 to 70 percent. TRANSPLANT seedlings after all danger of frost has passed, then plant out in light soil 10" apart. Caring for Bee Balm Every 3 or 4 years, dig up and divide the plants. Discard the old center section and replant the outer roots and shoots. Bee balm can get powdery mildew. To avoid mildew, plant where there is good air circulation and avoid overhead watering. Also cut back plants in the fall, remove old stems, and clean up old mulch. Companion Plants of Bea Balm Bee Balm is a companion to flowering veggies that depend on bees and other pollinators.  Plant Bee Balm in the center of the garden and surround with veggies such as Tomatoes, Peppers, Eggplants and Squash. You may also enjoy  5 Reasons to Plant Wildflowers  NEW Varieties for your Garden! *added today* Tropical MILKWEED Butterflies love this plant, and it provides a great food source for them! Commonly called Mexican Butterfly Weed, Blood Flower or Tropical Milkweed, these showy plants have blooms in the colors or red, orange and yellow. English Lavender Sweetly fragrant blooms and evergreen blue-green foliage! The richest in essential oils, this is one of the most aromatic Lavender plants of them all. Reaching 24 to 36 inches high, it boasts 2 1/2 inch, linear, downy leaves on strong stems.

All of the seeds listed are open-pollinated, non-gmo and non-hybrid,

non-patented,  untreated, heirloom garden seeds.
Mary has signed the Safe Seed pledge.  

Meatless on Monday from the Farmer's Market

We are BACK to Meatless on Monday and I am THRILLED!  Last week 100% of the meal I am sharing came from my garden or from my local farmer's market.  This week is almost 100% from the garden and farmer's market.

From my very first Meatless Monday post a year ago
According to meatlessmonday.com
"Going meatless once a week may reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. It can also help reduce your carbon footprint and save precious resources like fresh water and fossil fuel.
Read about these benefits below. But keep in mind that just going meatless is not enough. That’s why we give you the information you need to add healthy, environmentally friendly meat-free alternatives to your diet each week. Further, if you do eat meat on other days, we strongly recommend grass-fed, hormone-free, locally-raised options whenever possible."

First we have Sunflower Sprout Salad

I used fresh, locally made Mozzarrella with homegrown Tomatoes straight from the garden.  This I garnished with Sunflower Sprouts from the farmer's market.  I  have garlic infused olive oil (1-week old) and then drizzled over my creation.  YUM!

Homegrown Tomatoes and tiny peppers

fresh Garlic and Olive Oil

Next we have grilled eggplant (from the garden) and red pepper!  I also added a few pieces of garlic from my infused oil.  YUM!  I added these delicious grilled veggies to a piece of flatbread.

For my husband who needs more protein after a good workout, I added 2 poached eggs (not pictured).

If you're looking for a simple dressing that is both healthy and delicious

Check out these recipes:

Apple Cider Viniagrette

Creamy Chipotle Dressing

Pesto Viniagrette

REAL Food Friday (with Features) is LIVE!

Hello and Welcome to REAL Food Friday!
I'd like to thank all of the conscious bloggers who followed the guidelines and 
shared REAL FOOD recipes and organic gardening and posts. Thank you for sharing!

We have been crazy busy and I LOVE it!!!

Today I shared Benefits of Infused Water AND Infused Water Recipes

  

On the the PARTY!  We're your hosts
Lydia @ Lydia's Flexitarian Kitchen 
Janine @ My Lamp is Full  
Marla @ Organic4 Greenlivings 
me...Mary @ Back to the Basics and Mary's Kitchen 
Please give a warm welcome to Heather @ Cook It Up Paleo 

<a href="http://maryshealthymeals.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a627/greenmary_smith/REALFood1_zpsb7242283.jpg"/></a>  
If you're interested in co-hosting let us know! 

You can email Mary at mari_backtonature@yahoo.com

In case you missed "What is Real Food" here's a recap...

I know "Real" food may not seem like as much fun as the sugary, chemically, DIY recipes out there on the internet.  This is why REAL Food Friday is so unique.  This is the place to share your unprocessed, gmo-free, locally grown and/or fair trade posts.

We are trying to make a difference 1 recipe at a time!

Features:

Almond Joy Quinoa Flakes from Strength and Sunshine 

 Check out this recipe!!!  Not actually made from almond joy

Cooking and Freezing Dry Beans from Six Figures Under

Raspberry Green Tea Coconut Smoothie from Urban Naturale

Last week I had to delete a few linked posts...

If your post includes items like *margarine, *granulated sugar, *food dye, packaged baking mixed with ingredients that you cannot pronounce (betty crocker, duncan hines, pillsbury) then it WILL be deleted.  These are garbage ingredients.  Sorry...Not real food.


Here's a great reference from Food Myths:

Link up your Real Food posts!  Processed and "junk food" posts will be deleted.
The party runs from Thursday at 7pm EST through Monday at Noon.

Please follow your hosts and consider adding the Real Food Friday button.

Infused Water Recipes

Today at Back to the Basics I shared the Benefits of Infused Water.  Making your own is cheaper and healthier than store-bought junk.  Seriously!  Check out my post for details.

How do you make infused water?  That's simple!

You'll need
large glass container(s)
fruits or herbs
filtered water

For large batches I use a large glass pitcher.  For small batches I use glass Ball quart jars or recycled jars.  To make infused water, simply add ingredients to your jar, fill jar with water and refrigerate.  I usually refrigerate 6 hours or more.  It's that easy!

Basil and Lemon water
1 lemon and approx 1/2 cup loose Basil leaves per quart

Pineapple...YUM!
1/2 cup fresh pineapple slices per quart jar

Lemon Water
**I make 2 quart jars with 1 lemon sometimes**
Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into 1 jar then chop the rind and add to the second jar.  Fill both jars with water and refrigerate.  This gives me 1 jar with the juice to drink right away and the second for later.

Sometimes I like to get a little crazy...

Ginger Basil "tea"
1/4 inch of chopped ginger, 1/4 cup of basil, 1 tablespoon raw (local) honey and warm water.
Add contents to a 1 quart jar and refrigerate for 6 hours or more.

Other great infused water variations are Grapefruit, Lime, Mint, Strawberry, Watermelon and Cucumber
Mix it up a bit!  Here are a few great combinations
Orange, Lemon, Lime, Grapefruit and Mint
Watermelon and Mint
Strawberry and Mint
Raspberry, Lime and Mint
Purple Opal Basil, Ginger and Lemon
Pineapple and Strawberry
Strawberry and Kiwi

Are you ready to Infuse?

Why Water? and Tips to Stay Hydrated

Another newsletter from my favorite Chiropractor..

Dr. Robert Hart, Chiropractic Physician June 4, 2014 We hope you enjoyed our  "Spring Cleaning" series last month.   Summer is right around the corner so now more than ever, hydration is key.  Why is hydration important?  Find out...    WHY WATER? from Mayo Clinic Health benefits of water Water is your body's principal chemical component and makes up about 60 percent of your body weight. Every system in your body depends on water. For example, water flushes toxins out of vital organs, carries nutrients to your cells and provides a moist environment for ear, nose and throat tissues. Lack of water can lead to dehydration, a condition that occurs when you don't have enough water in your body to carry out normal functions. Even mild dehydration can drain your energy and make you tired. Tips to Stay Hydrated from Slender Kitchen Drink 2 cups (16 oz) of water before every meal: Science has proven that drinking 2 cups of water before every meal helps you to eat less during meal time and lose weight. If you do this three times daily - at breakfast, lunch, and dinner - you have already consumed 48 ounces of water. Morning and Night: Get into the habit of drinking one glass (16 oz) of water when you wake up and another 8 oz glass before you go to sleep every night. This will add another 24 ounces of water to your daily intake. The easiest way to do this is to keep a glass or container of water at your bedside, that way as soon as you wake up and start your day, you can begin drinking water. Keep Track By Your Container: One thing that has proven to help people consumer enough water daily is to buy a special container for their water, like this one or this one, and set a goal of how many times they will fill an finish the container. For example, if you buy a 16 oz container and need to drink 80 ounces of water a day, your goal would be to drink 5 of those daily. Need to drink more water? Try a larger container. Infuse Your Water With Flavor: Water doesn't have to be boring and infusing your water with fruit, herbs, and other flavors can make it much easier to reach your daily goal. Try adding cucumber, strawberries,lemons, limes, and fresh herbs to create flavorful water. This fruit infusion water pitcher is a great way to always have great tasting water on hand. About Us We are committed to providing family chiropractic care of the highest quality. We honor the innate healing capabilities of every patient regardless of their condition or symptoms they present with.   Our intent is to change the perception of chiropractic as a pain relief/crisis care treatment to the reality of it being a science, philosophy and art by which interference to our true genetic health potential is removed. Our goal is to educate the community at large and serve as a beacon of health-oriented knowledge. Our mission is based on an understanding that health is more than the absence of disease and the human body is more than just the sum of its parts. Quick Links "Spring Cleaning" Series Foods that Cleanse the Liver Foods that Support Kidney Function Food Prices on the Rise Health Benefits of ACV Healthy Recipes: Basil Lemonade How to Cook Spaghetti Squash Chickpea Salad 3-Ways How to Make Polenta dochartchiro.com Dr. Robert Hart 2104 Tyler Street Hollywood, FL 33020 (954) 364-8841 Office Hours Monday -Saturday by Appointment

Meatless Monday from the Garden

We are BACK to Meatless on Monday and I am THRILLED!  This week 100% of the meal I am sharing came from my garden or from my local farmer's market.  

From my very first Meatless Monday post a year ago
According to meatlessmonday.com
"Going meatless once a week may reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. It can also help reduce your carbon footprint and save precious resources like fresh water and fossil fuel.
Read about these benefits below. But keep in mind that just going meatless is not enough. That’s why we give you the information you need to add healthy, environmentally friendly meat-free alternatives to your diet each week. Further, if you do eat meat on other days, we strongly recommend grass-fed, hormone-free, locally-raised options whenever possible."

First we have Caprese Salad

I used fresh, locally made Mozzarrella with homegrown Basil and homegrown Tomatoes straight from the garden.  I soaked garlic in olive oil overnight and then drizzled over my creation.  YUM!

Homegrown Tomatoes and tiny peppers

fresh Garlic and Olive Oil

Next we have a baby Kale salad!

Next time I'll be adding legumes and SPROUTS in my salad.  I just started another batch of organic Mung Beans!

If you're looking for a simple dressing that is both healthy and delicious

Check out these recipes:

Apple Cider Viniagrette

Creamy Chipotle Dressing

Pesto Viniagrette

Grow Your Own SPROUTS! SALE Ends 6/10/14

Check out our most recent e-newsletter!  Happy Sprouting!

Mary's Heirloom Seeds Got Sprouts? Don't Miss Out! Did you know we've added several NEW pages both at Mary's Heirloom Seeds and our blog Back to the Basics? It's true! In case you're just tuning in, we've been steadily adding to our 2014 Planting Guide. For your viewing pleasure we've made a special page with all of the growing info in one easy place. Check out Mary's 2014 Planting Guide Helpful Links BEANS and CORN Heirloom Fruits Heirloom GREENS Heirloom PEPPERS Heirloom SEEDS Heirloom TOMATOES HERB Seeds Wildflower Seeds Specialty Heirlooms Seed Pack Combos SUPPLIES Mary's Tincture Shop Mary's Herbal Organix Join Our Mailing List Mary's Heirloom Seeds 2104 Tyler Street Hollywood, FL 33020 (954) 654-3501 Find us at the Yellow Green Farmer's Market Booth #281 Saturday & Sunday 8am-4pm A few of our favorites Sprouted Wheat Wheat Grass Kits Do you eat Sprouts?  Do you grow your own sprouts? I have been growing/eating sprouts for a while.  I sprout "cat grass" which is actually wheat grass, for our 2 cats and they LOVE it.  I sprout Mung Beans  and Alfalfa for sandwiches and salads. Save Money and Sprout Your Own! Sprouts are nutrient dense and take up almost no space.  If you want fresh veggies without having to grow a garden, sprouts are the way to go.   Do you know that a small bag of Mung Beans sprouts at my local grocery store costs about $8? That's ridiculous!  Mung Beans For $6.50 you can get 8 ounces of Mung Beans (seeds), which will make LOTS sprouts.  When I sprout 1/3 cup of Mung Beans I usually get about 3 cups of sprouts after 5-6 days!!! Most important, by growing your own you are in control of your food.  You can decide when to grow, how much to grow and grow them organically.  MUNG BEAN SPROUTS Each cup, or 104 g serving, of sprouted raw mung beans provides approx 155 mg potassium. Mung Bean Sprouts Each 1-cup serving of raw mung bean sprouts provides 14 mg vitamin C, or nearly one quarter of the daily value for vitamin C. Vitamin C is an antioxidant vitamin that is essential for proper immune function and wound healing. Another benefit of mung bean sprouts is their 60 mcg folic acid, or 15 percent of the daily value for this B vitamin, which is an especially important nutrient for women who may become pregnant, because it reduces the risk for neural tube birth defects.  Continue Reading SPROUT Your Own for even Less!!! We are pleased to announce a 72 hour SALE on Mary's Sprouting Kit with SEEDS! Choose from 2 or 8 ounces of Organic Seeds! This one quart sprouting jar is everything you  need to learn the basic aspects of sprouting.   A perfect way to get started. Grow your own sprouts for a delicious and nutritious meal or snack for just pennies!!! Expires Tuesday, June 10th @ 10pm EST! Each Kit Includes:   wide-mouth glass sprouting jar (quart size),  lid with screen, SEEDS and detailed sprouting instructions. *Limit 1 Sprouting Kit per order*  No limit on orders!

Sign up for our E-Newsletter

HTML Form Generator

REAL Food friday and a GIVEAWAY!

Hello and Welcome to REAL Food Friday!
I'd like to thank all of the conscious bloggers who followed the guidelines and 
shared REAL FOOD recipes and organic gardening and posts. Thank you for sharing!

That's right...BEE-FRIENDLY Organic Seeds GIVEAWAY!

I've been a BUSY girl over at Back to the Basics! We are GROWING!
The latest are Plant Nutrients-Getting Started and 
Which Plants are Heavy Feeders? 

 

On the the PARTY!  We're your hosts
Lydia @ Lydia's Flexitarian Kitchen 
Janine @ My Lamp is Full  
Marla @ Organic4 Greenlivings 
me...Mary @ Back to the Basics and Mary's Kitchen 
Please give a warm welcome to Heather @ Cook It Up Paleo 

<a href="http://maryshealthymeals.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a627/greenmary_smith/REALFood1_zpsb7242283.jpg"/></a>  
If you're interested in co-hosting let us know! 

You can email Mary at mari_backtonature@yahoo.com

In case you missed "What is Real Food" here's a recap...

I know "Real" food may not seem like as much fun as the sugary, chemically, DIY recipes out there on the internet.  This is why REAL Food Friday is so unique.  This is the place to share your unprocessed, gmo-free, locally grown and/or fair trade posts.

We are trying to make a difference 1 recipe at a time!
If your post includes items like *margarine, *granulated sugar, *food dye, packaged baking mixed with ingredients that you cannot pronounce (betty crocker, duncan hines, pillsbury) then it WILL be deleted.  These are garbage ingredients.  Sorry...Not real food.


Here's a great reference from Food Myths:

Link up your Real Food posts!  Processed and "junk food" posts will be deleted.
The party runs from Thursday at 7pm EST through Monday at Noon.

Please follow your hosts and consider adding the Real Food Friday button.