On the Market.

Keep those chamomile blooms from your herb garden! Not only do they make a relaxing tea - my favorite blend is 50% dried chamomile blossoms and 50% dried lemongrass steeped for five minutes - but they’re great for cooking too! Here’s a little recipe compliments of Blossom Farm for Chamomile Tea Cookies.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup dried chamomile flowers
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups flour

Instructions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Chop the chamomile blossoms and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar, then beat in the eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour and chamomile flowers. Drop by small teaspoonfuls on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Back 9-10 minutes.

A great place to purchase organically grown, dried herbs in bulk is Mountain Rose Herbs.

By Scottie Johnson

If you are a serious gardener, you spend lots of time outdoors. And, for sure, you would rather be tending your plants than swatting mosquitoes.

While there are many things you can do to keep mosquitoes away, there are some plants that will beautify your yard and help repel mosquitoes.

As one more way to keep mosquitoes away from you and your yard, try planting these attractive plants.

HORSEMINT

Horsemint has a scent similar to citronella. Horsemint grows wild in most of the Eastern United States, from Mexico, Texas up to Minnesota to Vermont. It is partial to sandy soils and will grow in USDA Zones 5-10. Native Americans used it as a treatment for colds and flu. It has natural fungicidal and bacterial retardant properties because it’s essential oils are high in thymol.

ROSEMARY

This wonderful herb we use for seasoning is also a great, natural mosquito repellent. It has been used for centuries to keep pesky mosquitoes away. Rosemary is a native of the Mediterranean, so it likes hot, dry weather and well-drained soil. It is hardy in USDA zones 8-10, and must be grown as a pot plant in colder climates. If you happen to live in a part of the country where rosemary does not grow, you can get a good quality rosemary essential oil; mix 4 drops with ¼ cup olive oil. Store in a cool, dry place. When it comes to fresh plant oils as natural mosquito repellants, there is every reason to have the plant in your yard, if they will grow in your area. It is an inexpensive and attractive way to boost
the appearance of the landscape and have natural mosquito repellants on hand as well.

MARIGOLDS

Organic gardeners have used marigolds as companion plants to keep aphids away. Mosquitoes don’t like its scent any better (and some humans feel the same way). Marigolds are sun-loving annuals that come in a variety of shapes and sizes for almost any landscape. They are quite easy to grow from seed.

AGERATUM

This charming little bedding plant contains coumarin, and mosquitoes detest the smell. It is used in the perfume industry and is even in some commercial mosquito repellents. Don’t rub ageratum on your skin, though. It has some other less desirable elements that you don’t want to keep on your skin in quantity. Ageratums are annuals, and the come in a muted blue and white that compliments most other plantings.

MOSQUITO PLANTS

There are two types of plants that are called mosquito plants. One is a member of the geranium family that was genetically engineered to incorporate the properties of citronella. Citronella only grows in tropical places, but it is a well known repellent for mosquitoes. This plant was created to bring the repellent properties of citronella into a hardier plant. It will grow where any geranium will thrive. Many have questioned its usefulness as a mosquito repellent, but it is attractive enough to warrant planting for it’s ornamental value.

The other kind of mosquito plant is agastache cana. Its common names include Texas hummingbird mint, bubblegum mint, giant hyssop, or giant hummingbird mint. As you might guess, hummingbirds are quite attracted to it. It is a New Mexico native, also found in parts of Texas. It is, in fact, a member of the mint family and its leaves do have a pungent aroma when crushed. In its native habitat, it is perennial, and is usually hardy in USDA Zones 5a-9a. It blooms late summer to early fall, so it catches hummingbirds on their annual migration. The long, medium pink flowers reel in butterflies as well.

CATNIP

One of the most powerful mosquito repellent plants is ordinary catnip. Recent studies have shown that it is ten times more effective than DEET at repelling mosquitoes. It is a short lived perennial throughout most of the United States. It is easy to grow from seed, and quickly reseeds. Aside from its intoxicating effects on cats, the leaves make a very soothing tea.

With all of these plants, the leaves must be crushed to release the aroma. Otherwise mosquitoes can’t smell them. And, with rosemary and catnip, you can simply crush a few leaves and rub on your skin and clothing to enhance the effect.

So, next time you are revising your plantings, consider using some of these attractive plants to do more than just enhance the landscape. You can have pretty ornamentals that also drive mosquitoes away.

About the author: Scottie Johnson is a life long mosquito warrior and freelance writer dedicated to eliminating mosquitoes from your life. She is also an organic gardener.

So the other night it was my turn to make dinner as it was Adam’s turn to take Cody to soccer practice. It was also the end of the pay period which meant the pantry was down to zero. The only thing left was spaghetti and Adam generally is not fond of the stuff. He tolerates it only because me and the boy like it. So, I decided to do something a little different from the norm and make baked spaghetti. Truth be told I’m not the best of cooks. I’d also never made baked spaghetti before because I always hated it as a kid. But I gave it go anyway working with what I had and creating my own recipe off a basic one I found on the internet. And, better yet, it includes products from the Roanoke City Market!

Here’s what I used:

12 oz. Heartland Naturals Spaghetti

1 lb. Sandy River Pork Hot Sausage (Grab some on the Roanoke City Market on Saturdays.)

24 oz. Jar Bertolli Five Cheese Spaghetti Sauce with Asiago and Fontina Cheeses (For a “wetter” spaghetti use an extra half to full jar of sauce.)

Dash of Red Pepper Flakes

Dash of Fresh Oregano and Basil (Purchase an herb pot from Rolling Meadows Farms for fresh herbs all year.)

Dash of Garlic Powder

3 scallions, chopped

Parmesan cheese

Sargento Swiss Cheese Slices

Here’s how I made it:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the sausage in a pan adding scallions about halfway through. In the meantime, bring water to a bowl and cook spaghetti 11 minutes. Drain both spaghetti and sausage.

Add spices to taste to sausage and mix well. Then combine spaghetti, sausage, and sauce in bowl and mix well. Pour into a 9×13 baking dish and spread evenly. Cover the spaghetti with parmesan cheese, then go back and cover the dish with a package of swiss cheese slices.

Bake 30 - 35 minutes or until heated through.

The result?

My husband liked it, Cody liked it, and I actually liked it! It was a little spicy which made it extra tasty and was great leftover the next day!

New items on the Roanoke City Market. Swing by to get them while they last.

Lovely goddess planters from Cheryl Dolby. Each planter comes with a different herb cradled within.

Glass lampwork bead earrings from Dana James. Dana has been adding sterling silver swirls to her new earrings.

New stoneware bowls from Sherry Tuccairone. Sherry has been working on applying surface decoration to her pottery.

Dragon shaped hooks from Little Creek Forge.

Fresh herbs, like this sage, from Rolling Meadows Farms.

Tim, of Rolling Meadows Farms, has been downtown on the Roanoke Market the past two weekends. Most recently it was so he could take a rest from all the work there is to do in the greenhouses. He’s been bringing herbs, trees, and flowers. Following are a few photos of his “work” I photographed.

The last photo of the orchid is my favorite. I have prints available for sale in my online shop if you’re interested.

Now that summer is almost upon us, it’s a good time to start thinking about deterring those nasty biting insects. And what better way to do that than naturally! You can easily create your own insect repellent by adding essential oils to an unscented lotion or carrier oil. Essential oils such as lemongrass, lavender, tea tree, peppermint, cedar, geranium, penny royal, eucalyptus, rosemary, and citronella deter most biting insects. Use these essential oils in combination with one another or individually for a scent that suits you. My brother, when he used to camp often, would always take a bar of my Lemongrass Soap with him. He said it really helped to keep him from being bitten by mosquitoes while enjoying the great outdoors. A great place for purchasing essential and carrier oils is Mountain Rose Herbs. Mountain Rose Herbs is the leading Organic Supplier in not only the finest organic botanical products, but the freshest as well. They carry bulk organic herbs and spices, to essential oils and herbal teas. Keep in mind that some essential oils, like peppermint, should not be used by pregnant women. And tea tree oil, while not harmful to dogs, is toxic to cats. (Check out a few insect repellent recipes here.)

If you don’t have time to make your own natural products, then you can purchase
Burt’s Bees Herbal Insect Repellent. Its active ingredients are lemongrass, citronella and rosemary essential oils. Or try Swy Flotter, Natural Tick & Insect Repellent from Kiss My Face which comes in an easy to use spray bottle. One of my favorite repellents, Swy Flotter is a pleasing blend of Citronella, Bay, Cedarwood, Vetiver, Patchouli, Juniper, Tea Tree, Lemon Peel, Tansy, and Goldenseal that I’ve found quite effective.

For more ideas on living “green” and other natural products that assist parents in raising their children through the use of natural and organic alternatives, check out Kiwi Magazine.

Digg It.