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Welcome fellow herb
lovers to the year 2008! May you have a rich and rewarding herbal year
ahead of you!
Any resolutions for the New Year with regards to you herbs? If you do
have, let us know and I'll post some of the common thoughts in the
February newsletter. As for myself, I have a couple:
1. Go more green and organic
2. Use more herbs
3. Finish my large walk-through garden
4. Get newsletters out more regularly
We've had some really strange weather this last while - it was
even really cold for a few days here in Gauteng mid-December. Now,
however there seems to be little reprieve from the sweltering heat.
This and the fact that many people have been away for the Festive
Season (and even if you stayed at home) means that there is surely a
herb garden or two that can do with a bit of a pick-me-up...
Remember to water either early in the morning or late evening so that
not too much water is lost through evaporation. You can even give a bit
of extra water during the really hot days of summer -
even those herbs that generally prefer little water will be
grateful just for the cool-down. Remember however that all
herb plants need to have adequate drainage so they don't sit with their
feet in the water for too long. You can also apply a feed to put back
some nutrients into the soil. Clip away at herbs that have gone a bit
wild and catch the seeds of those that have already gone to seed for
the season.
Enjoy the summer sun in your herb garden this January!
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I know I've been holding back on the newsletters for a while and I
really am sorry that the last quarter of 2007 was newsletterless. I
really will try my best to have an edition each and every month for all
you herb-addicts so that I can share some more of the wonders of these
fabulous plants!
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- News
- Herb of the Year 2008
- Gardening: Organic Gardening
- Specials
- Footnotes
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| AYUVERDA IMPACT STUDIED |
LiveMint.com says "Several leading immunologists and geneticists of the country have been
working with Ayurveda experts in a first of its kind project to
scientifically try and explain the physiological reactions and
processes that take place within the body during Ayurvedic treatments"
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| SUPER SALADS |
According
to SCOOP "A new study from Australia’s Southern Cross
University (SCU) has reported that salad dressings made with
herbs and spices can more than double the antioxidant
content of your regular salad and boost your daily
nutritional intake in the process."
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| SUTHERLANDIA STUDIED |
"Researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia are preparing to
study a popular herbal remedy used in South Africa for ailments like
depression and cancer" - Publicbroadcaster
HAZARDOUS TO PETS
IOL says " The pet food scare earlier this year had
owners scrambling to make home-cooked meals for their dogs and cats -
but vets have warned that, instead of saving their animals, they could
in fact be killing them."
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Designated annualy by the International Herb Association, this year sees Calendula (Calendula officinalis) as the Herb of the Year for 2008.
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This beautiful annual is best known
for its healing properties, specifically for skin problems and can
often be found as an oil, in salves, gels, lotions or soaps. It is very
gentle on the skin and often used in baby products or for those with
very sensitive skins.
Although it is the Herb of the Year, we
won't delve too much into the plant profile of Calendula this month as
it is not really the ideal growing season for it - be on the lookout
though as we'll probably have an extended newsletter on Calendula later
this year. |
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What is Organic Gardening?
"Organic"
has become a buzzword in todays society and natural and organic
products line the shelves of many of our major retailers. Yet many
people, even those that buy organic produce on a regular basis, are
often not sure of what it means exactly.
Different labelling
systems and grades of organic and natural classifications have made the
public quite confused as to what is organic, what is natural, what is
not and what the difference is.
Simply stated organic
gardening or farming means that you are caring for your garden, farm
produce, livestock and environment without adding any synthetic
fertilisers or pesticides, growth hormones or other forms of
non-natural manipulations.
Organic gardening does not however
mean that you sow your seeds and stand back - organic management of
your garden is as much work, if not even more so than conventional ways
of gardening. You do the same things as other gardeners, you just do
them with a bit of a twist.
It is also important to note that
even some natural products are not suitable for use in an organic
garden because they are considered toxic, e.g. Tobacco Dust. So not all
things natural are always good for inclusion in the organic garden.
Organic
gardening has become an art and a science to the farming industry and a
Big Business, but it is a practice that is still very much in the hands
of the common man - everyone can garden on organic principles. As a
matter of fact, organic gardening - working with your garden's
ecosystem - is the oldest method of gardening and probably many of us
do
it without even knowing!
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According to Wikipedia,
Organic gardening is:
"the
science and art of growing plants (fruits, vegetables, herbs and
ornamentals) relying on ecosystem management through soil building and
conservation, pest management and species preservation."
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