Do you remember the aloe vera plant on the kitchen windowsill at home? This succulent plant is great as an indoor garden plant and is hardy and easy to care for. Aloe is a great first aid remedy for minor cuts and burns, especially in the kitchen when cooking. To treat a burn simply cut a portion of one of the leaves off the plant and squeeze the inner gel onto the injured area. Repeated applications of the aloe vera will help heal and soothe the pain.
In addition to the aloe vera plant, an herb garden just outside the kitchen door is a convenient way to add the freshest flavor naturally many dishes. Add chives mixed in with cream cheese and spread on a bagel for a new twist to a breakfast favorite.
These herbs can also be dried and used for loose leaf teas. These teas provide a warm, relaxing beverage with  medicinal qualities.
Combining teas made from different herbs has a long and successful history in treating physical ailments and in many households the trend continues to this day.
Edible plants that you can grow indoors to aid in digestion are listed below.
* Anise can be used to aid in digestion and ease colic in small children.
*Coriander, is also used in helping aid in digestion, but also used as a tasty addition to salsa.
*Fennel oil can be used for increased milk production in nursing mothers.
There are many more herbs included in this area of medicinal plants. This list is just a brief look at some of their possible uses. Remember to always check with your doctor first before using any of these to make sure they will not negatively interract with any medications you are currently taking.

So, I’m sitting here with a huge stack of gardening catalogues and my mind starts to wander.
My father, who gardened for the majority of his life, was also an architect. Needless to say, his gardening sketches resembled the floor plans a sub-contractor might follow in building a new structure. There was something very comforting about working with Dad on the whole layout. We both knew that if we stuck with the “plan”, that garden would be symmetric, and the flow would be just perfect. My mother, an art teacher and artist, would assist with the “Palette” of colors. She loved yellows and greens and bright purples – all the colors that could be easily found in nature. Her eye for color and his eye for design melded into the most beautiful gardens and I learned much from their guidance.
One of the best kept secrets was that they started small. A few plantings here, some hostas in an especially shaded or partially shaded area there, sparked off by splashes of color to bring out the most beautiful hues at different times of the day. As each spring came, a few more plants were added to these humble beginnings.
My folks also loved to cook, so Dad went to great lengths to design and build an herb garden just off the kitchen deck. That garden was surrounded by stepping stones so that no matter what the weather conditions, he could step back to any area and choose thyme, Italian parsley, basil, mint, rosemary or sweet marjoram to include in the evenings dinner recipes.
As I turn back to my array of catalogues my mission is clear; carry on the traditions that my parents so tenderly nurtured – start small and plan for the future.

When planning for a Summer garden, decide how much you’d like to spend BEFORE you actually start your project. By ignoring this step, you risk spending far more than you will actually need. If you plan with a budget in mind, and purchase only those items specifically needed for your plans and needs, you are much more likely to find that your summer garden is more budget friendly than the vast majority of other summer gardens you may see in your neighborhood. Hopefully the advice in the next few paragraphs will help you find the tricks to cutting the expense of a summer garden.
It will help you find budget friendly ways to build the summer garden of your dreams, without breaking the bank in the process. Whatever you do, do NOT buy what you do not need. It doesn’t matter how good it may appear to be – if you do not need the product, don’t buy it. Seeds, tools, and various other items look great in the catalogs you receive in January and February. However, beware of elevated costs – where shipping is involved. Try using the money you might have spent on these items on something that could pay off in the long term; i.e. a composter or a tiller that can be used year after year.
If your list of garden materials costs more when, all is said and done, by shopping online compared to purchases of the same items purchased locally you really hanven’t saved anything at all. Look into the prospect of supporting small, local businesses wherever possible. You may find they are more likely to bargain, barter, and even throw in freebies when they know there’s a good chance you’ll return to buy more – or better yet, bring some of your gardening friends with you on your next visit.
Check your local government offices for composting sites where you can dump or pick up free composting materials. Many communities offer these services free to residents and may even have pickup dates for larger items such as felled trees or other waste collected after a storm. Compare the expense of purchasing these materials commercially. You may find that the savings can be significant over the course of a summer.
Find out if there is an exchange group among gardeners in your area. You may find that there are gardeners wishing to exchange plants with you. This is a great way to acquire new plants and increase the color and texture interest in your summer garden. Along with the trade in plantings, you can pick up extra suggestions on where these plants did well in their previous “home” from the actual person that grew them. This is a great way to make new gardening friends and perhaps new neighbors who have moved in over the long winter months. You can share a passion, be physically active, socialize and save moeny. It truly is a win-win situation for most gardeners.
Selecting plants that are native toyour area for your summer garden will make the job much easier. They have already aclimated to the heat, humidity, winds and other factors of the region. This is a huge part of gardening that is often overlooked. There is always the risk that non-native plants may not survive due to excessive temperature, pest and moisture variables. Even in the best of circumstances there are added costs incurred when pesticides and additional soil amendments are needed. Keep costs down by selecting plants that do well in your climate zone and those that are locally grown. This isn’t to say that you can’t have an exotic plant or bush here and there. If you absolutely can’t do without that ONE non-native plant, then go ahead and plan them into your garden. However, when planning a garden from scratch, make the majority of your plantings native to the area.
The local classified ads and free-recycle programs are a good place to find used garden tools that are still in good condition. There are many reasons why people will sell or give away their garden tools and you may be surprised to find quite a bargain on these. You don’t need “designer” tools to play in the dirt. As you get farther along in your planning and planting, you may find that you will need a specific tool, but mostly shovels, rakes and a hoe will do perfectly fine. When properly taken care of, these tools can last quite a long time and knowing that you got them for nothing makes it all that much sweeter. You also might find a few free plants available through these sales too.
Remember that mulching saves time and money. The mulch saves money by holding the moisture in. This lowers the time and cost involved in weekly watering and eliminates many of the weeds that crop up – which cuts down on your weeding time. For most of us weeding is not the #1 favorite garden activity.
By using all the suggestions mentioned above you should be able to save a good deal of money in the planning and maintaining of your summer garden. Remember to take advantage of the gardeners in your area. Some of them have been doing this for a long time and can offer a treasure chest of suggestions and ideas to help make your garden a truly satisfying experience.

If you love the look of plants indoors but don`t have the time or knowledge to take care of them, there is a solution. The answer is a terrarium. This is a self-contained plant that, when you have closed the lide, establishes its own habitat. Using a jar, fish tank or other container you the plants inside create their own eco-system – all you do is enjoy it.

The choices for terrarium containers are truly endless. Many people choose to use a smaller aquarium with a lid but any glass jar or other container will also work nicely too. When choosing plastic make sure that it is clear or you won`t be able to see the plants inside. When starting out with your container be sure to check for leaks before adding anything. In order for the terrarium to thrive you need the water and moisture to remain inside. Keeping a good moisture level is crucial to this mini ecosystem. You also won’t want the dirt to filter through your container and onto the floor.

Make sure that all the plants you choose all thrive in similar conditions and like this humid environment. Some more popular plants to put into a terrarium are carnivorous in nature, like the Venus Fly Trap, sundew, or pitch plant. Or you might want to try rain forest plants like chamaedorea palms, small ferns or fittonia.

Terrariums are typically low-maintenance, indoor gardens that need indirect sunlight and remarkably, no water is needed after the first watering . Using the heat from inside the terrarium causes the water to evaporate and condense on the lid falling back down to re-water the
plants. This process works continuously to keep your plants alive. If you find there is too much water present, you’ll need to vent the terrarium. Just open the top of the lid a small amount to allow moisture to escape. It is wise to keep an eye on the soil`s moisture level – make sure it is not too wet or dry.