Pallet Gardening: For those living in apartments or small spaces

Pallet Gardening

Just because you might be living in an apartment doesn't mean you still can't grown a decent "Small Space Garden". If fact quite the opposite in my opinion.

Sure viable planting space may be a challenge, but it's not reason why you or anyone else for that matter can't have some type of garden even on your balcony if you have one.  Using pallets is so convenient and affordable.

Most pallets will fit perfectly on most people's balconies.  They don't require much space and you can grow many types of herbs and even add flowers to brighten up your living space.  

For this project, you’ll need the pallet you found, 2 large bags of potting soil, tube of plastic, and two six packs per opening on the top of the completed pallet garden), a small roll of landscape fabric, a staple gun, staples, and sand paper.

Staple down the landscape fabric your staple gun.  You only need to staple the back and both sides leaving the front opened.

This part can become a little messy.  However, open up your potting soil and fill the pallet with it.  Leave a little space so you can add your plants.  You'll do this with the pallet laying down.  Here you can add any type of plants or even flowers.  When you’re done planting, you should have plants that are completely covering every opening (i.e. there shouldn’t be any place for soil to fall out). There should also be soil firmly pushed into every part of the pallet where there aren’t plants.

Pallet gardening is an excellent way to grow herbs as well. 

Caring For your Pallet

Now, I’m going to tell you what you should do as well.  Leave the pallet flat on the ground for a couple of weeks (watering when needed) this will allow the roots of your plants to start to grow in and hold all the plants in place.

After a couple of weeks the roots will allow the soil to stick in place somewhat.  When watering in this process, tilt the pallet a little and water away. 

Use your imagination and let us know how yours pallet garden project turns out.  We would love to post your pictures.

Happy gardening!

Celery Vinegar Recipe: 7 Powerful Benefits of Celery

Here is a very simple, yet powerful recipe for Celery Vinegar:

Combine 1/4 lb. Celery seed or 1 qt fresh celery chopped fine.  1 qt. vinegar. 1 T. Salt, and 1 T sugar. Put celery in jar; heat the vinegar, sugar, an salt an pour in boiling hot over celery.  Cool, cover tightly, and set away. After 2 weeks, strain and bottle.

Celery is often referred to as the  "negative calorie food" but it certainly isn't lacking in nutrition. 

Whether you're garden as a hobby or you're a survivalist/prepper you want to have this heirloom vegetable in your garden.  Here are several reasons why:


Immune System
The high amounts of vitamin C in celery promote a healthy immune system.

Blood Pressure
Celery contains pthalides, which have been shown to lower blood pressure by relaxing the muscles around the arteries and allowing vessels to dilate. The calcium, magnesium, and potassium in celery also helps regulate blood pressure.  Yes, Calcium helps to regulate blood pressure.

Inflammation
Celery is believed to have anti-inflammatory properties, which may help with ailments attributed to inflammation such as arthritis.
 

Cholesterol
The pthalides in celery may also lower cholesterol by increasing bile acid secretion.


Diuretic Celery has been used as a diuretic for centuries. Its diuretic effect comes from its balance of potassium and sodium which helps to flush out excess fluid from the body.

Cancer
Celery contains coumarins which have been shown to be effective in the prevention of cancer.


 

Green Onion: How to save it & grow it in a cup

Green Onions

Cut off what you need for your recipe, dinner, etc then toss the bulbs into a glass with a bit of water. They’ll begin to grow and give you new green onions to use.
If you like this idea, you’ll want to get this book.

Dill Vinegar: For Digestive Problems

How to make Dill Vinegar:

Dill Vinegar.  Crush 1/2t. dill seeds, then soak in 1 pt. cider vinegar for 2-3 weeks. Strain and it's done.  Excellent for digestive problems.  Take 1t before or after each meal.

How to save Heirloom Seeds (Dill)

How to save Heirloom Dill Seeds:

To harvest dill seeds, You'll need to cut the plants BEFORE the seed heads turns dark brown, because after that the Heirloom Dill seeds will begin to fall to the ground.

If you can harvest our Heirloom Dill Seeds on a dry summer day.  Tie in bunches an hang in a airy but shay place.  Have something underneath the Dill Seeds to catch the seeds that drop or just lay them on a clean paper.  when the heads are dry, shell off the seeds and store in a covered glass jar or fold up stalks and all in your paper (they'll keep fine).  One school of thought says the Dill seeds are better dried off the head; I can't tell the difference.  You can also freeze dill or grow it in a kitchen pot through the winter.

Natural Flu Remedy Protocol

Flu Protocol

At the first sign of a flu (sneezing, elevated temperature, muscle and joint aches, coughing, etc.) this is what I do.

I spray my nose with colloidal silver (10ppm.) I do this often and continue until I am well. I also take colloidal silver internally. I find sipping as much as I can at the beginning often stops the process. I cannot, by law, prescribe amounts, but you can do a little research and decide on what level is good for you. I use 10ppm.

How does the silver work? Scientists tell us, after close observation of live blood, that the silver particles are attracted to ALL single celled organisms. They go right for the nucleus and attach themselves. About thirty seconds later the organism dies. It is important to note that we have good bacteria in our mouths, gut, etc. so taking colloidal everyday, all the time is probably not a good idea.

This next remedy might not sound very high tech or exciting, but, believe me, it is powerful.

I make a broth and freeze it. You will not feel like gathering the ingredients and cooking the broth when you are sick.

In a gallon of distilled water:  (use organic vegetables if possible)

    1.8-10-cloves of garlic, chopped

    2. 2-3 yellow onions, chopped

    3. 5-7 carrots, chopped

    4. 5-7 stalks of celery

    5. a handful of parsley  

    6. 2-3 inches of ginger root, chopped

    7. cayenne pepper to toleration

    8. sea salt or “real” salt

    9. about a teaspoon of curry, more if you want it

I bring this broth to a boil, then simmer for about forty-five minutes. I keep some of the broth with the solids and some I strain.

When you are really feeling poorly, the strained broth will be the best. It will hydrate you and deliver essential medicines to your body. There are many healing components in this mix, too many to list. Garlic, alone, would take up a page.  

As you begin to feel better and gain an appetite, the broth with the solids will continue the healing work.

I also take extra vitamin C, and Echinacea extract.

Often the respiratory system is deeply compromised. For the nose, I spray the colloidal silver. Sometimes I irrigate with a mild sea salt dilution (Neti pot, or small blue bulb.) If my throat is raw, I gargle deeply with a one-to one mixture of hydrogen peroxide and warm water. Never gargle with straight peroxide as it may burn your tissue.

If the lungs are congested, tea tree oils inhales are very helpful. I put two-three drops in a mug, pour rapidly boiling water to the top, cup my hands around, sniff, then deeply inhale until all of the steam is gone. Pour the mixture down the drain…NEVER ingest tea tree oil.

If your fever is too high, a warm wash cloth placed along the spine can bring it down. However, virus can be killed by heat. It is the body’s natural response to any viral invasion, so a fever can actually assist the healing process if it isn’t too high for too long.

White Willow Bark is aspirin in its original, natural form. It doesn’t produce the contraindications of the pharmaceutical copy. I take it for any aches and pains that accompany the “flu.”

Remember the old advice about drinking a lot of liquids…still holds true. I use the broth as much as I can.
 
If what we are told is true, that this “flu” will be back in the fall, then now is the time to organize your remedies.

Please note, there are other natural remedies out there that people use and swear by. By all means, do what works for you. This protocol is what I find works best for me and I hope it has given you some direction.

Good Health to all. 

How to Save Heirloom Celery Seeds

Learn how to save Heirloom Celery Seeds:

Celery is self-fertile, inspect-pollinated biennial.  It will cross with celeria or other celeries.  In cold zones, choose your plants in the fall.  Dig them out being careful not to harm the roots.  Replant them in dirt in something you can keep in a root cellar, the above-ground part mulched with straw.

Replant in spring after last frost; trim rotted prats.  In warm zones, plant for seed in July and transplant in January.  Set out 2 feet apart because second-year growth get high an wide.  Later come tiny white blooms; still later, brown seeds. 

To avoid loss on the ground, shake the top heads (which mature seed first) into a bag once in a while.  Cut and dry on cloth or paper.