The Plantago (virginica L.) growing throughout our low-lying field has always been a great food source for our chickens and tortoise. Aside from being edible, the leaves can be smashed up and used to help heal cuts, bug bites and stings and seems like it has also been used for every other ailment too, read here. Plantago, just like most lettuce and herbs, becomes bitter once they bolt (put up that stem). So, if you are to…

Ready to grow your own food? I got a few tricks for you. First let the garden do all the work. Plant flowers. one: improve the soil The most important thing you can do is care for and increase the number of microbes in the soil. Understand that soil is alive with trillions of tiny, living organisms that break down organic matter into nutrient-rich plant food. Healthy soil leads to healthy plants that are less prone to…

Mexican petunia (Ruellia simplex) is listed as a category 1 invasive species in Florida. If this plant is not currently in your yard, there are better plant options to choose from and it is best not to buy it. white Mexican petunia substitute plants for mexican petunia Check out some of these more beneficial native species that you could plant instead of Mexican petunia. wild petunia (Ruellia caroliniensis)blue curls (Trichostema dichotomum)butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)swamp milkweed (Asclepias perennis).…

We grow lots of plants on our 2.6-acre property in zone 9b Florida, and each variety has been chosen for a specific reason. Some plants are grown for the food they provide, others are grown to support local wildlife and the rest are grown for their special abilities to improve the soil. The Food Forest As much as I love them, all plants are not created equal. Like most people, I loved buying clearance racks at plant…