If you have an herb garden you know what a great pleasure it is to have access to your own home-grown herbs - ones that are exactly to your taste, rather than a generic supermarket blend. Drying or freezing some of your herbs can give you that pleasure year-round. Along with the taste advantage - your own herbs are much, much cheaper.

The method of preparing herbs for storage that gives you the best flavor and fragrance is air-drying. But if you don't have a warm, dry area that is suitable, or you have herbs that aren't suited for air-drying, don't despair! There are other methods that work almost as well.

Natural Air-drying:

Method one is good for large batches of herbs.

• Cut large stems/branches from mature plants. Shake them to get rid of any any insects, then take off any damaged leaves.
• Rinse them with cool water and gently pat them dry with towels or paper towels. Turn the branches upside down and take off some of the leaves along the lower stem (the top, after you've turned them upside down). Gather five or six branches together in a bunch.
• Get a large paper bag and make several holes in it for ventilation. Put the bunch upside down inside the bag, gather the opening around the leafless stem ends, and tie securely.The bag will protect the bunch from dust and other pollutants. (You can skip the bag if drying for sachets - but keep them away from direct sunlight; that will tend to reduce the fragrance.)
• Hang the bag in a warm airy place and leave it alone for several weeks.
• When the leaves are dry, check for any signs of mold growth - if you find mold, discard the whole bunch! If the bunch is clean, strip the leaves off of the stems and toss the stems. Store the whole leaves in small airtight containers (plastic 'zip' bags are great). Label them and store them in a cool, dry, dark place.

Method two - for faster drying, strip the leaves first, and put them in a single layer on a screen (again, you need a warm, dry area with good circulation). This takes up more space but works very well. Try cheesecloth stretched over a frame or a clean window screen.

Drying in a Dehydrator or Oven:

These work well for herbs that tend to mold if not dried quickly - but can also be used if you don't have a warm, dry, well-ventilated (and convenient) place to hang herbs.

If you have a dehydrator - follow the directions in your book.

For oven-drying, heat the oven to a low heat (150-200F), place the herbs on a baking sheet in the oven, keep the oven door open and bake the herbs until they are dry. This will take several hours - maybe longer if you are drying high-moisture herbs. Keep an eye on them - you want them dried, not burned!

Some people dry herbs in the microwave - we don't advise that, as it takes out a lot of the flavor and fragrance. If you must dry this way, put about 4 branches in the oven between paper towels. Heat for a minute or two on high. If the herbs are not brittle and dry when removed from the oven, repeat for 30 seconds more each time until dry.

Freezing Herbs:

Note: Don't freeze herbs to use as garnish - they become limp and unsightly.

If they are to be used in soups or stews, you can do a quick and handy freeze in an ice cube tray. Chop up the leaves and put a teaspoon (or a half teaspoon for smaller trays) of the herb in each section. Fill with water and put the tray in the freezer. To use, simply remove the pre-measured herb in the ice cube, and drop as many as you need in your soup or stew.

You can also simply put a few bunches in a freezer bag or other container and put them in the freezer.

Some herbs that freeze well are: basil, borage, chives, dill, lemongrass, mint, oregano, sage, savory, sorrel, tarragon, and thyme.

The Japanese Maple is a striking tree in almost any landscape. However, the summer winds can scorch the leaves and make your plant look less than spectacular.

The good news is that you can make it fresh and green again. Simply use a gloved hand to gently strip off those scorched and tired leaves.

Pull loosely along the branch away from the trunk. You will find most of the leaves are easily and quickly removed. Be careful not to break the delicate branches. In 3 to 4 weeks, a new set of leaves will grow, with all of the glory of the first spring growth.

You will find this new leaf set is more sun tolerant and will give a great display until the glorious fall color arrives in later in the season.

This is the time of year when our lawns are really showing the stress from summer heat.

Organic Advantage® Lawn Food 18-0-0

What's the Advantage?
The organic base in the Organic Advantage® line is derived from purified humus concentrates, called humic acids. These nontoxic humic acids are the secret of a fertile soil! They break down soil salts, improve nutrient availability, and create a more healthy soil. These liquefied humic compounds improve soil structure, for better oxygen and moisture retention. They increase flowering and fruit set. Using our new Iso-Molecular Technology, we blend additional plant nutrients into these humic acids, creating a superior organic complex. Your garden will be at at its peak, with healthier sweeter tasting produce, and your trees, shrubs, and flowers will be more beautiful than ever before!

Using new Iso-Molecular technology, we blend nitrogen-rich nutrients with humic acids to create a superior liquid organic-based concentrate. The result: a lawn in peak condition, with rich, carpet-like grass.

Available in 2.5 gallon, 1 gallon and 32oz. sizes.

* Apply with a hose-end sprayer, backpack or hand-held sprayer, or through sprinkler systems with HumaTech's hands-free TurboFeeder™. One gallon covers minimum 5,000 sq. ft.

Have you ever purchased a soil product and not fully understood what you were buying? A visit to the garden center can be very confusing, trying to determine just what is in all of those bags and exactly how those products should be used.

Potting Soils or Planting Mixes:
For use in pots, window boxes and containers. The technical definition of a potting soil is a complete soil replacement. That means that it should be complete and ready to use, so that you don't have to add anything to it. The best potting soils contain peat moss, such as the Sunshine® line of products created with quality Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss.

Soils and mixes should have pumice, perlite or cinder to provide drainage, and a quality potting soil should have an even texture and no fresh wood chips, shavings or sawdust. As the wood products break down, they tend to collapse. This explains why that pot you planted last year was filled to the top when you planted it, but now it is only 2/3 or 1/2 full. That soil didn't wash away or walk away; it actually decomposed in the pot!

Composted wood products don't break down as much, since they have already been composted, and provide an excellent source of nutrients and additional soil structure when combined with peat moss.