A February thaw teased the Remodelista editors with visions of spring—and spring cleaning—this week. And why not? With a little sleuthing, the mundane can be elevated to magnificent. See our editors’ favorite design-worthy dish soaps, trash cans, and tips for patching and painting nail holes.
Goodbye, Nail Holes
Above: A tiny patched hole can be covered with paint the same color and finish as the wall. Apply it with an artist’s paintbrush or a cotton swab. Photograph by Matthew Williams for Remodelista, from DIY Paint: Designer Michaela Scherrer Mixes Her Own Shades of White.
Nail holes, begone. How to get back to pristine walls? For advice, Margot turned to Albert Ridge of Ridge Painting in NYC. See more in this week’s Remodeling 101 post.
White Ceiling Socket Lights
Above: A Ceramic Lampholder is €135 at Zangra in Belgium. “Sometimes it’s the simple things that are the hardest to find,” writes Alexa. “Take lighting, for example, where it can be a challenge to find unobtrusive, classic modern ceiling fixtures.” She sourced her 10 favorites, ranging in price from $4.35 to $287.87, in this week’s 10 Easy Pieces post.
Display-Worthy Dish Soap
Above: Fer à Cheval Liquide Vaisselle Savon de Marseille is made without dyes, of Marseille soap; €4.50 at La Trésorerie. Cleaning should be a pleasure, says Julie, who discovered “a new crop of woodsy, herbal, and lavender-scented all-natural dishwashing liquids.” See them all in this week’s Trend Alert post.
Vipp Pedal Bin
Above: The Vipp 2 Gallon Pedal Bin is a classic bathroom waste bin. It’s $289 at Vipp. Alexa sleuths sources from a bath in SoHo, New York—proving that the “bright white Scandi-inspired bath never gets old.” See more clever storage and organizing ideas in this week’s Steal This Look post.
Let There Be Light
Above: A home’s original basement level openings had been removed in a previous renovation. Brooklyn-based architect Elizabeth Roberts restored them so a master bedroom now opens directly onto the backyard. See more in this week’s Architect Visit. Photograph by Dustin Aksland, courtesy of Elizabeth Roberts.
Floor-to-ceiling windows and French doors add a new dimension—and welcome light—to nearly any room. And no matter the size of your windows, they’ll always look lovely if they’re sparkling clean. See The Secret Ingredient to Make Windows Shine Bright Like a Diamond.
Sempervivums, which are a type of succulents, are the topic today as we continue on our mission to keep our succulents alive and happy indoors and out.
The first step to taking good care of a houseplant is to identify it—and in our previous installment of our Succulents Explained series, we vowed to go beyond the vague and mysterious plant tags (“Succulent, Assorted”) that shops stick in plastic nursery pots. We can do better than that.
In Succulents Explained, we started by delving into three subfamilies of the Crassulaceae plant family (Crassulas, Kalanchoes, and Sedums). Today we’re diving even deeper—with a look at succulents that belong to the Sempervivum genus of Crassulas. You may have a few lurking in your houseplant collection without even knowing it. Here’s how to tell.
Photography by Mimi Giboin for Gardenista.
How to Identify a Sempervivum
Above: Telltale signs of a sempervivum: a rosette shape and a tiny offspring (called an offset).
Sempervivums belong to the Crassula genus, a group of succulents which has hundreds of species (including its most famous representative, the jade plant). It’s tricky to identify a Crassula just by looking at it; with so many cultivars, size can range from tiny to tree-like, leaves can be pointed or rounded, and growing habit can range from creeping to branching.
Sempervivums, however, are among the easiest Crassulas to identify because they tend to grow in tight, low clumps and are shaped like rosettes. Read on for more clues.
Is Your Succulent a Sempervivum?
Above: Pointy leaves, tight rosette, sempervivum.
If your succulent is a sempervivum, it has:
Fleshy leaves, which may look either glossy or matte.
A rosette shape.
A tendency to form clumps.
Tiny, independent offsets that can be snipped off and rooted.
The ability to survive frosts.
How to Grow Sempervivums Indoors
Above: Yellowed leaves are no cause for worry if they’re the outermost, oldest leaves on a succulent. But yellow or brown leaves in the center of the plant can signal trouble.
What a sempervivum needs to survive as a houseplant:
Well-drained soil.
Water once a month.
Bright, indirect light.
Cactus mix potting soil.
How to Grow Sempervivums in a Garden
Above: Like most succulents, an indoor sempervivum is best left alone. Too much of anything—water, sunlight, or plant food—will kill it.
What makes your sempervivum happy in the garden:
An annual temperature range that falls within USDA growing zones 3 and 11.
Well-drained soil.
Sun or shade.
Rocky, gravelly, or sandy soil (a sempervivum is a good choice in rock gardens).
Little or no artificial irrigation.
Sempervivum or Echeveria?
Above: An echeveria is happier indoors in cold climates; native to Mexico, it can’t withstand winter temperatures that dip below freezing.
Although echeverias and sempervivums share similar characteristics (including their rosette shapes), there are some key differences.
How to tell if you have a sempervivum or an echeveria:
Echeverias have plumper leaves than sempervivums, so their rosette shape is not as tight.
Echeverias hail from warmer climates and cannot survive cold temperatures outdoors. Sempervivums are native to Europe and can be used as perennial ground covers in temperate climates (USDA growing zones 3 to 11).
Echeverias’ offsets (also known as chicks) grow beneath the leaves of the parent plant, while sempervivums rosettes sprout farther away.
When flowering, echeverias have long, slim stems topped by blooms. With sempervivums, on the other hand, the entire rosette grows upward and produces a cluster of small flowers on top. After flowering, the entire stalk dies.
Above: Sempervivums unite.
Stay tuned…we’ll be covering more types of succulents in our Succulents Explained series. Next month we’ll have a post on Graptosedums.
In the meantime, we’ve got succulents covered. See more tips, tricks, and the occasional love poem devoted to our favorite succulents:
What we’re taking note of this week, from a master class with a gardening rock star to a luxurious plant-fiber scrub towel and more.
Above: Spotted: the window display at Philly shop Rikumo, inspired by Japanese water plants and “Wonders of Water,” the theme of this year’s Philadelphia Flower Show, opening next week.
Alexa’s late-winter obsession is the Binu Binu Korean Scrub Towel made of textured plant fibers. With the sesame scrub soap, it’s the closest thing to a bathhouse experience at home.
Have you been keeping score? We’ve added nearly a dozen new plant guides to our Garden Design 101 library this month, including tips to grow and care for Camellias, Palms, Bromeliads, Prayer Plants, and Calla Lilies.
In the Portland, Oregon area? We like the sound of this workshop at one of our favorite plant shops. Go to create a living centerpiece, stay for the complimentary wine.
With a remodel and a garden design project under way, I’ve been researching how to simplify garden maintenance and cut back on water usage. And I keep hearing more and more about the advantages of decomposed granite. Why? It turns out that in many ways decomposed granite (or DG, as it’s commonly called) is the ideal hardscape material: natural, permeable, aesthetically versatile, and wonderfully inexpensive.
After I started looking into DG, I began to notice it everywhere: The pretty little path through the local recreation field that never gets muddy? Decomposed granite. The soft, natural-looking driveway, where the surface stays put? Also decomposed granite. The mulch at the base of trees that keeps the ground weed-free? DG again.
Is DG the right material to choose for your hardscaping project? Read on:
What is decomposed granite?
Above: A decomposed granite path runs the length of a back garden, and fast-growing fern pines (Podocarpus gracilior) create a privacy screen inside the back fence. Photograph by Mimi Giboin.
Decomposed granite is like gravel, but finer and generally more stable. It’s formed from the natural weathering and erosion of solid granite, a tough, hard, igneous rock. The DG sold as landscaping material is typically composed of fine three-eighths-inch (or smaller) particles; some may be no bigger than a grain of sand. Colors vary, from buff to brown, and include various shades of gray, black, red, and green.
Although there are at least 30 colors and varying degrees of particle sizes, decomposed granite basically comes in three forms: natural, stabilized, and resin-coated.
Natural DG is used as a mulch material and can be spread around trees and garden beds much like wood mulch. It will continue to weather after it is put in place and provides nutrients to surrounding soil and plants. It lasts longer than most other mulch materials and will not attract pests.
For a path or patio, DG with stabilizers (which serve as a binder) is the best solution. Stabilized DG is often added on top of another gravel material, tamped down, then left with a thin loose layer on top.
DG with resin for driveways has a similar surface to asphalt, but has a more natural look and is permeable.
Above: On Shelter Island, Suzanne Shaker and Pete Dandridge designed a patio with square concrete pavers set in a permeable base of decomposed granite. See more of this garden in our book, Gardenista: The Definitive Guide to Stylish Outdoor Spaces. Photograph by Matthew Williams.
What are the best ways to use decomposed granite?
While DG is most commonly used for paths, driveways, garden trails, and as a xeriscape ground cover, it can also be used to create smooth visual transitions between formal garden and wilderness. One of its advantages is that it breaks down, so any DG that migrates into lawn or planting beds does not cause problems the way gravel does. Lining a path or patio with a black metal strip (which will disappear if buried low enough) will help keep it in place.
One caveat: Make sure not to install the material too close to the entry of a house or building. It does stick to shoes, and will scratch floors. This can be avoided by separating the DG from the home with a few feet of other surface materials, plus a door mat.
Above: A closer look at Susan Shaker and Pete Dandridge’s patio on Shelter Island. Photograph by Matthew Williams.
How much does decomposed granite cost?
The raw material costs $40 to $50 per cubic yard and is available from landscape suppliers (and at stores such as Lowe’s and Home Depot). The cost to have a contractor install a path or patio is approximately $4 to $6 per square foot, depending on conditions and whether stabilizers are added. If you do it yourself, the cost will be about half that amount.
For a resin-coated DG driveway, which has a surface much like asphalt (but is permeable), the cost is higher. A local driveway installer is the best source for cost information.
Above: In a decomposed granite garden, a mix of edibles (in raised beds) and ornamentals including low-water perennials and succulents coexist happily. The impressive Agave parryi succulents flanking the center walkway “started as tiny babies” in the gravel. Photograph by Mimi Giboin.
Has some of the advantages of gravel–the crunchy sound, the softened look, the permeability–without some of the disadvantages: It remains firm underfoot.
As it starts to weather and erode, it’s simple to add more.
Soft, natural appearance.
Can be used to smooth transitions between garden and wilderness.
Provides good drainage.
Excellent mulch material.
Inexpensive.
Sticks to shoes–different surface materials are needed near a house, plus a doormat, to keep material out of house (will scratch floors)
Good solution under large trees where grass won’t grow.
Whoever invented the window box deserves a Nobel Prize, even if it means creating a new awards category. A simple wooden planter mounted on the wall is equally useful to an urban gardener with no other outdoor space and to the owner of a sprawling estate: Who doesn’t like to look through the window to see an entire garden in a single box, peeking over the sill? Here are 10 of our favorite wood window boxes.
Above: Natural Cedar Window Boxes are available in three lengths, from 24 to 48 inches; $35 to $65 at Jamali Garden. (Note: The 24-inch size is currently out of stock.) Above: Perfectly sized for apartment balconies, a Rolling Balcony Box measures a compact 48 by 16 by 18 inches. Made in Los Angeles from FSC-certified US cedar, it is highly termite- and rot-resistant and will last 10 to 15 years untreated; $229 from Mimifarmbox.
The easily assembled box includes nonmarking swivel castors for easy planting and mobility; $219 at the Potted Store. For more, see our previous post: Garden Beds for the Urban Dweller.
Above: A Banded Redwood Windowbox, reinforced with stainless steel bands, is available in five lengths from 24 to 72 inches; $49.97 to $139.97 at Windowbox. Above: A 24-inch-long Natural Cedar Rectangular Deck Planter can be mounted against a wall with metal brackets. Two larger sizes are best suited to sitting on a deck or balcony. The 24-inch planter is $150 at Jamali Garden.
Above: A Robina Wood Balcony Planter is framed with non-alloy steel bands and has two drainage holes; €78 at Manufactum. Above: A 30-inch-long Rectangular Wood Planter box has a removable zinc liner. It is $50 from ModernVase via Etsy. Above: A Teak Window Box, available in three lengths (30 to 48 inches), has drainage holes and sits on cleats; $69.95 to $89.95 at Gardener’s Supply Co. Above: A Cedar Window Box is available in two lengths, 24 and 36 inches; $89.95 and $124.95, respectively, at Farmer D Organics. Above: A Paneled Redwood Window Box is available in three lengths–24, 36, and 48 inches–at prices ranging from $78.97 to $158.97 from Windowbox. Above: A Wood Rectangular Window Box Planter with a zinc liner comes in seven sizes; $12 to $57 via Amazon.
Wondering what to plant in your window box this spring? See our curated guides to Edible Plants 101, including growing guides for herbs such as Parsley, Chives, Sweet Basil, and Thyme. See more inspiration and companion plants for window boxes.
Buttermilk biscuits with chive butter, egg salad with ribbons of tarragon, iced tea with fresh mint. There are many reasons to love fresh herbs. Sadly, as a city dweller living in a Brooklyn apartment without bright sun, I always figured that I wouldn’t be able to grow my own.
Welcome to Throwback Sundays: Readers’ Favorite Posts from the Past.
Turns out, I was just trying to grow the wrong herbs. While it’s true that many—such as lavender, thyme, rosemary, and sage—need a lot of sunshine to thrive, a slew of culinary herbs can thrive in a shadier spot.
Above: Soft, leafy herbs such as chives, parsley, mint, cilantro, tarragon, oregano, and lemon balm can do quite well in slightly shadier spots (though tread lightly with basil and dill, which are soft-leaved, but require full sun).
If you have a tiny window ledge (or a fire escape), consider potting up a few of these herbs to enjoy throughout spring and summer. If you don’t have outdoor space, but you get plenty of sunshine inside, many of these will even do fine in a sunny windowsill or on a bright kitchen countertop.
Above: I stopped in at my local garden shop and chose four different organic herbs to place in my planter: parsley, oregano, chives, and tarragon. Above: I also bought a skinny, three-inch-wide teak planter with good drainage. If you like wooden window boxes, here are a few others to consider: 10 Easy Pieces: Wooden Window Boxes.
Above: You can use small rocks in the bottom of a planter to prevent the soil from compacting and clogging drainage holes.
A lot of the more sun-loving herbs are particularly sensitive to overly damp roots, but if you stick to herbs that don’t require as much sunlight, you won’t have to worry as much about keeping the soil sandy. (If you keep the planter inside, consider investing in a small tray to place beneath it to catch water drainage).
Above: Since I’m fairly certain that I’m going to spend the summer sipping mint juleps, I bought a mint plant, too.
Mint is an herb that really thrives in shadier gardens. In fact, it sometimes thrives too well. I didn’t want my mint to take over my tiny window box, so I picked up a Ben Wolff pot in white and potted it there instead.
When it came to potting the rest of my herbs, I left about two inches between each plant to ensure that they’ll have room to stretch out. Above: My apartment windowsill only gets about three hours of direct sunlight daily, but that’s more than enough to keep these plants happy.
(Full disclosure: I stuck a basil out there a few weeks ago, and to my surprise that’s doing A-OK too. If you can’t get through summer without a daily caprese salad, I say give it a go—just don’t get too sad if it doesn’t survive).
Above: Herbs are meant to be eaten, so harvest often. In case you need a little help with your clipping, here are some beautiful scissors to help with the task.
Hyssop, Hyssopus officinalis: “Ancient Herb, New Friend“
Hyssop is not the most commonly grown herb. Others such as oregano and mint usually win the popularity contests. But that doesn’t have to be. A perennial herb, hyssop has a beautiful dark green color and a compact, bushy habit. With small, pointed leaves and charming flower spikes, the herb is both flavorful and aromatic. Oh, and did I mention well-behaved? What’s not to like?
Please keep reading to learn about hyssop, your new favorite garden herb.
Native to southern Europe and the Middle East, hyssop has traditionally been used for medicinal purposes. In ancient times, the herb was a treatment for everything from head lice to shortness of breath. Today herbalists recommend hyssop tea to help relieve respiratory infections, the common cold, and sore throats. The herb has astringent properties, as well, and can be applied to bruises, wounds, and cuts.
Above: A packet of Blue Hyssop Officinalis seeds in a brown kraft envelope is $2.65 from Mountain Lily Farm.
A member of the mint family, hyssop has distinctly scented leaves: Some find the smell to be sweet, others say it’s fresh and aromatic with a medicinal, camphor-like odor. A traditional practice in Europe, or so the story goes, was to press hyssop flowers into psalm books, then sniff the pages during services to stay awake in church.
Distinguished also by a profusion of purple, pink, white, or purple-blue flowers that bloom from summer to fall, hyssop also is appreciated by beekeepers (for making aromatic honey). Quietly dependable and easily grown from seed, hyssop will flower the first year. This is one herb you need to make room for in your garden.
Above: Hyssop (left) and other herbs including sage and lavender are available from Geo Growers in Austin, Texas. For more information and prices, see Geo Growers.
Feeling under the weather? Brew up a cup of hyssop tea by pouring eight ounces of boiling water over one tablespoon of dried hyssop flowers (or three tablespoons of fresh hyssop flowers). Steep the flowers in a covered container for 10 minutes. Strain, then add a squeeze of lemon and honey to taste.
Above: Hyssopus offinalis by Sten Porse via Wikimedia.
Cheat Sheet
Hyssop’s colorful flower spikes are extremely attractive to bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies; the herb’s foliage helps repel cabbage moths and flea beetles.
Plant hyssop in a pollinator or herb garden, or as a companion plant in vegetable gardens. It also makes a great border plant when backed by lavender and rosemary.
For aromatic uses, pick the youngest leaves possible and do not wash the leaves after picking (or you will lose the aromatic oils).
Keep It Alive
Hyssop appreciates full sun to part sun (too much shade makes it lanky) and will grow two to three feet high.
Like other Mediterranean herbs, hyssop likes a warm position and well-draining alkaline soil. Before planting, mix in handfuls of organic compost to ensure good drainage.
Few pests or diseases bother hyssop.
After flowering, prune to the first set of hyssop’s leaves to maintain an attractive shape and to promote flowering for next year.
Ready to design and plant a spring herb garden? See more design ideas and growing tips in Hyssop: A Field Guide in our curated Garden Design 101 plant guides. And don’t miss:
Eggs already come in what is surely one of nature’s most inspired versions of packaging. But how to create a container that improves upon the familiar pulp or plastic carton?
Catherine (Caity) Delphia is a Johns Hopkins–trained medical illustrator and graphic designer who also is a passionate chicken farmer. She and her partner, Aaron Dunn, a landscape designer, together own and run The Fancy F, a year-old, 15-acre enterprise in Hillsdale, in New York’s Hudson Valley, where they raise heritage and rare-breed chickens that produce colorful eggs. And to showcase their product, Delphia took it upon herself to create an egg carton that gets noticed.
Above: An Easter-ready sampling from the Fancy F. Delphia and Dunn produce eggs in six shades: olive, blue-green, white, light brown, dark brown, and chocolate.
To learn her sideline, Delphia began by volunteering at a range of farms—CSA vegetable and meat farms, a tree and topiary farm, and the kitchen garden on a private estate. Along the way, she and Dunn fell in love and began raising chickens at their one-acre suburban home in the Berkshires. After a several-year search, they found their current place, a former thoroughbred farm that had been derelict for a decade. The cleanup is still in progress, but they’ve been able to significantly increase production (they raise six varieties of chickens, plus a small herd of Nigerian spotted goats, mini donkeys, and Randall cows) while still holding down their day jobs.
Above: The farm’s green eggs come in two tones: “true olive” and “minty.” They’re bred mostly from Marans and Araucana crossbreeds. Alas, the different colors don’t produce different flavors, but the eggs themselves are pasture-fresh and meant to be eaten—though, Delphia admits, often people find them too pretty to crack. Above:”I wanted to really push the visual presentation of what one dozen eggs could be,” Delphia says.
Taking inspiration from the paper cartons in use from the early 1900s through the 1950s, she contacted an old-school box manufacturer in Ware, Massachusetts, and “brought back a piece of history—with some modifications and a modern print.”
Above: Delphia designed her cartons to have “a wonderful reveal.” Her chevron pattern is an abstracted version of the subtle lacing known as birchen that some birds have on their necks.
These chocolate speckled eggs are from Marans chickens.
Above: Shades of palest green and blue from a variety of chickens: Araucana (the breed made famous by Martha Stewart and her paint colors), Crested Cream Legbar, and Sapphire (“ours are F2s, which makes them extra special”).
Fancy F eggs are available at the Copake General Store in Copake, New York, and in NYC at Foragers, which has locations in Chelsea and Dumbo. You can also get them direct from the farm: 87 Underhill Rd.; Hillsdale, New York.
The Chickens
Above: A silkie hatchling: Delphia and Dunn keep two 30-egg incubators in their basement. “Every once in a while, you catch one that is just about to break out of its shell. It never gets old.”
A bantam breed (half the size of regular chickens), silkies, Delphia says, “make the ideal pet chickens: soft and fuzzy with unique plumage, they’re docile and broody, meaning they like to sit on eggs—they’ll even sit on eggs that aren’t theirs.”
Above: The Fancy F’s white-egg layers are three spotted varieties, from left: a Silver-Spangled Hamburg, Exchequer Leghorn, and Appenzeller Spitzhauben (“which have fantastic mohawks”).
The couple get their chickens from a range of sources: hatcheries, chicken shows (“the Poultry Congress every January in Springfield, Massachusetts, is very fun”), Rare Breed Auctions (“like an eBay for chickens but pricey”), and chicken swaps (“enthusiasts organize these: You meet in a parking lot and buy and exchange chickens”). She recommends Backyard Chickens as a great general online resource.
Above: Louis, a Lemon Cuckoo Standard Cochin rooster, was “the most wonderful rooster of all time—and the only one of his breed in the US.” Delphia reports he died last month, “but we have his son here and are hoping we can keep the population going.”
At the Fancy F, there are 10 to 12 roosters at all times. Delphia says that they—and their neighbors—don’t mind the crowing, but warns: “Every rooster has a different crow: They range from beautifully melodic to awful, high-pitched cackling.”
Above: Delphia’s portrait of their Frizzled Paint Standard Cochin: “I thought she looked like a peony, so I put her next to a bunch for comparison.”
Cochins are one of the Fancy F’s specialties: “They’re super poofy and comedic—they have a really nice presence,” Delphia says. “Their eggs sadly, aren’t all that exciting: They’re small and light brown.”
The Coop
Above: Dunn designed and built the farm’s mobile coop on site and scaled it to fit on a found wheel base from an old hay wagon. It’s approximately eight feet wide and 16 feet long (200 square feet inside). Here, the frame has just been completed. Above: Dunn finished the coop with local hemlock and white cedar shingles (“we used underlayment shingles, which are cheaper than red cedar”).
The couple report that their chickens tend to live three to five years. Along the way, however, there are a lot of casualties, mainly due to hawks. Once, while they were tending their chickens before dawn, a fox swooped in. Now they wait until daybreak to do their rounds.
Above: The interior has enough space for around 100 birds (“it’s recommended that chickens have at least two square feet of ground room each,” says Delphia). Opposite the nesting boxes are three-tier roosting poles, and high-ranking hens perch on the ceiling rafters.
The feed they use—a mix of cracked seeds, corns, oats, soy, oyster shells, and minerals from a local granary—affects the yolk color but not the shell.
Above: The coop sits in a pasture. Every week it gets shifted around the property, which enables the chickens to supplement their diet with grass and insects and also helps preserve and fertilize the land.
Stay tuned: Delphia and Dunn are planning to open a vegetable, perennial, and tree nursery this spring. Follow their doings on Instagram at @thefancyf.
In 2014 when Chris Adjani and Aria Alpert Adjani stumbled upon a forgotten and unloved former vineyard on Dry Creek Road in Healdsburg, California, the couple knew they’d found the perfect place to create a new kind of membership-based modern farm.
The idea behind Noci Sonoma was simple: to celebrate the land by planting gardens and a wildflower meadow, and to build an outdoor dining pavilion, natural swimming pool, and clubhouse to attract a like-minded community of members willing to pay $500 a month to have the run of the facilities.
Fast-forward nearly four years: With construction under way and a sprawling edible garden and open-air outdoor kitchen in place, the Adjanis and their two young sons harvest their own food, cook dinner outdoors, and roam the nearby woods and creek. Members are met at the entrance and handed a basket to fill with up to 100 pounds a month of fresh-picked vegetables, berries, and herbs. The Adjanis call it “the ultimate edible garden experience.”
Photography by Mimi Giboin.
Above: Blueberry bushes, planted after the couple cleared the 24 acres of debris (including rusted cars), already bear fruit—and in a few years will form a natural hedge at the edge of the edible gardens. Above: From artichokes and asparagus to strawberries and tomatoes, the gardens produce seasonal food for members to harvest themselves. Above: The Adjanis designed the farmstead to be inclusive—accessible and alluring to members (and their children) of every age. Last year the farm’s 150 members ranged in age from their twenties to their eighties.
Above: “This is a real place. A real farm. We are working it,” the Adjanis say. “This is not a Four Seasons, and you shouldn’t expect it to be. It is and will be very stylish and designed, but we are not a resort.” Above: Neighbors in the Dry Creek Valley include more than 60 wineries and 150 grape growers. Above: The open-air pavilion, complete with a working kitchen and fire pit, is a slatted wood structure that owes its stylish black exterior to a coating of pine tar and linseed oil, a water-repellant treatment widely used in Sweden to avoid the need to use pressure-treated wood. Above: The Adjanis are working with architect Whitney Sanders of LA-based Sanders Architects to construct a farmstead complex with root cellars, an office, a clubhouse for members, a wood shop, and a large kitchen to cook food harvested from the gardens. Above: Blueberry bushes flower in preparation for setting fruit.
Above: In the open-air pavilion a kitchen has a prep station where Aria prepares asparagus for grilling. Above: Call it the modern root cellar, with jars of pickled vegetables on display. Above: A wood-burning fire pit can be covered with a grill for cooking. Above: Dinner under way. Above: Another black-slatted structure is the farm’s entryway, framing the view of a bucolic landscape.
For more information about memberships, see Noci Sonoma.
See more tips and design ideas, along with inspiration from some of the most beautiful edible gardens we know:
Chamomile is truly a plant with a purpose. Dating to ancient times, its usefulness as a medicinal herb is well documented. And while most people immediately associate chamomile with the calming tea made from the herb, the plant’s cheery, daisy flowers make it a rewarding ornamental plant in a garden bed or wildflower meadow.
Please keep reading to learn more about this useful flowering herb.
Chamomile is the common name for several plants in the Asteraceae family. Derived from the Greek word that means “‘earth apple,” chamomile’s aroma is reminiscent of apples.
Chamomile has been used medicinally for thousands of years, dating to the ancient Greeks, Egyptians, and Romans. Back then, and now, chamomile is traditionally used for ailments and conditions like inflammation, insomnia, stomach discomfort, wounds and much more. Note: Camomile is a relative of ragweed so those with a ragweed allergy should avoid using any preparation of the herb.
Two well-known chamomile species exist: German and Roman. German (Matricaria recutita) is an annual fplant most often used for medicinal purposes because the oils are more potent. This species also has a recognizable aster flower with a yellow center surrounded by evenly spaced white florets, and is more of an upright annual growing to a height of about two feet before reseeding.
Above: Roman chamomile. Photograph by Melanie Shaw via Flickr.
Roman (Chamaemelum nobile) is a low perennial, more of a creeping ground cover with small, daisy-like flowers decorated with yellow centers and a white petal skirt and denser feathery green foliage. It unfortunately doesn’t bloom as much or as often as the German variety. One noted type is C. nobile ‘Treneague’. This creates a super dense mat with gray-green foliage. It is non-flowering but has highly aromatic foliage. This dwarf chamomile carpets the edges of paths and beds of perennials, and also makes a superb lawn substitute.
To thrive, a chamomile lawn needs sun, well-draining soil, more moisture than taller types of chamomile, and light foot traffic. This creates a super dense mat with gray-green foliage.
Like most herbs, chamomile does not want to be fussed over, which is a good thing: avoid killing your camomile with kindness.
Cheat Sheet
Chamomile looks charming in a cottage style garden planted among hydrangeas, geraniums, and roses, and also in herb gardens.
A great companion plant in vegetable gardens, chamomile’s strong scent often deters unwanted bugs that pray on your kale and squash. Tip: Water chamomile infrequently to ensure a stronger smelling/more repellent plant.
The flowers are the part of the plant that possess beneficial essential oils; move your plant to a sunnier location if flowering fades. Beneficial bugs and pollinators are also attracted to the flowers.
Keep It Alive
Grow chamomile in full to part sun; if conditions are too shady, it won’t bloom.
It is easier to establish this herb by planting starts from containers than from directly seeding, although if this plant self sows in loose soil it can be very prolific. Plant seedlings in the spring.
Both the Roman and German types require the same care: limited fertilizer (too much makes for weakly flavored leaves and reduced flowering). Both are drought tolerant (but need a drink in prolonged drought and like sandy, well-draining soil.
Ready to design and plant a spring herb garden? See more design ideas and growing tips in Hyssop: A Field Guide in our curated Garden Design 101 plant guides. And don’t miss:
Winter doesn’t have to mean turning from your fresh herb garden to the dried herb section at the market. Be your own Spice Islands. Preserve your own herbs with one of the oldest methods around: drying. Here’s a roundup of our favorite herb drying racks.
Above: A three-level Herb & Chilli Dryer has a rubber wood frame and washable, unbleached cotton drying sheets; £29.50 from Greenhouse Sensation.
Above: Handmade in Austria, the Spruce Wood Herb Dryer Rack is €125 at Manufactum. Above: A black powder-coated multiuse Herb Dryer Rack also suitable for hanging kitchen utensils is £9.99 from Clas Ohlson. Above: From Esschert, a circular metal Herb Drying Rack is $19.95 from Williams Sonoma. Above: A Dry-It Rack Herb Drying Rack made by Hydroponics Organic collapses for easy storage; $29.97 from Home Depot. Above: Made in Italy by Eppicotispai, a Stackable Pasta Drying Rack is also suitable for drying herbs. It is $26 from Breadtopia. Above: An Herb Drying Rack can be mounted to metal surfaces with its two magnetic wooden cubes; it is $38.28 from Less and More via Etsy. Above: A Drynet Herb Drying Rack is $32.99 at Viagrow. Above: Burgon & Ball’s Herb Drying Rack is made of hand-forged steel and powder-coated in matte black; £14.99 at Burgon & Ball in the UK. Above: Herb Drying Stackable Racks are sold individually; they fit together to create multiple shelves; made of plastic, each rack is $9.46 from Home Depot. N.B.: Ready to design and plant a spring herb garden? See:
A plant-based diet is good for anybody. And who better than chefs to know the ins and outs of incorporating edibles into any garden design? From the idyllic eight-acre gardens at the restored Cape Dutch farm and hotel Babylonstoren (as shown above) to a newly planted courtyard garden in Berlin (below), we’re gleaning tips and tricks from chefs’ own gardens.
From what to plant to how to harvest, here are 11 ideas to steal.
Berlin: Eat among the edibles.
Above: Five raised garden beds made from domestic oak planks are planted with kohlrabi, kale, cabbage, chard, and fennel at Laden Cafe in Berlin. Photograph by Dirk Lange.
Above: Photograph by Emily Hall, courtesy of Greyfield Inn.
On a remote barrier island off the coast of the state of Georgia with poor, sandy soil and heat-baked summers, the Greyfield Inn’s kitchen gardens produce a glorious harvest of vegetables, berries, and herbs year-round for chef Whitney Otawka’s daily menus. One secret: “The biggest challenge is the soil because it’s so sandy,” says gardener Maya Velasco. “Potassium and other nutrients drain really quickly so we have to find specific amendments for those that will break down at the right rate.”
Test your soil—and enrich it with nutrients as necessary. Add a two-inch layer of compost in the winter and the worms will work it into the soil for you.
Above: At Ham Yard Hotel in London, “there are 80,000 resident bees who make good use of the wildflower meadow strip at the back of the garden,” writes our contributor Clare Coulson.
Honey, an ingredient used in cocktails for the hotel, was first produced here in 2015. Beehives and gardens make good companions. The garden at Ham Yard Hotel is packed with bee magnets such as oxeye daisies and teasels and the pretty herb garden—a long bed with marjoram, salvia, sage, dill, mint, and miniature topiarized bay,” writes Clare.
Above: Chives and other herbs grow in raised beds made of poured concrete at Kurtwood Farms on Vashon Island, where restaurant owner Kurt Timmermeister collects and reuses rainwater that drains from downspouts into a galvanized trough. Photograph courtesy of Kurtwood Farms.
Executive chef Matt Lambert grows herbs and garnishes in raised beds in a small courtyard garden behind his Manhattan restaurant, the Musket Room. Lambert, a New Zealand native, garnishes his rustic fare with homegrown greens from the rear garden.
Above: At Babylonstoren in South Africa, artichokes are allowed to flower. Photograph by Marie Viljoen.
“While vegetables are here to be eaten, their ornamental appeal is not lost,” our contributor Marie Viljoen observes, during a visit to Babylonstoren farm and hotel about 45 minutes from Cape Town. See more in Garden Visit: Behind the Scenes at Babylonstoren.
The Cotswolds, England: Grow vertically.
Above: At the Pig at Combe, a boutique hotel in the south of England, espaliered fruit trees grow against a brick wall. Photograph by Will Venning.
Napa Valley, California: Protect tender seedlings.
Above: A hoop house protects tender seedlings from wind and birds in chef Thomas Keller’s gardens at the French Laundry in Yountville, California. Photograph by MB Maher courtesy of A Growing Obsession.
Depending on the size of your garden, use a hoop house, a wind-protection polytunnel, or a cold frame to give seedlings and microgreens a head start in the spring when temperatures dip low at night.
At Olmsted in Brooklyn, the restaurant’s chef Greg Baxtrom (formerly at Per Se and Blue Hill at Stone Barns) and farmer Ian Rothman (the former horticulturist at New York’s Atera restaurant) built a self-sustaining micro-farm centered on a horseshoe-shaped pine planter surrounded by a perimeter of narrow beds. The design makes it easy to reach in to harvest more than 80 varieties of herbs, vegetables, and other plants for dishes and cocktails on the menu.
Above: Artichoke ‘Gros Vert de Laon’ flourishes in the garden at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons. Photograph by Kendra Wilson.
At Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons near Oxford in England, 70 different vegetables are grown in the organic gardens, “with 300 different varieties,” observes our UK contributor, Kendra Wilson. “However, flavor drives the choice of variety grown. Heritage varieties often have the advantage of greater flavor despite a smaller yield.”
Above: “Walking into Rosemary’s restaurant in Greenwich Village, you would never guess there’s an edible garden overhead,” writes our contributor Ella Quittner. Photograph courtesy of Rosemary’s.
Owner Carlos Suarez and architecture firm ABA Studio created a secret garden on the rooftop at Rosemary’s in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. The lesson? If you’re searching for a spot to grow edibles in full sun, look up on the roof.
Our favorite outdoor kitchen design of all time? We devoted a chapter in our Gardenista book to Netherlands-based WWOO Kitchens (now available in the US) and here’s why:
Dutch designer Piet-Jan van den Kommer and his business partner, Martijn Vree, have created a thriving enterprise around a streamlined design for a plein air kitchen made of concrete that can withstand the elements in striking modern style.
Photography by Matthew Williams for Gardenista.
Above: Above: Although it looks custom when assembled, a WWOO outdoor kitchen is actually multiple anthracite or light gray concrete units, each 1.5 meters wide, customized with an array of add-ons. Prices range from $1,464 (for a single unit) to $9,375 for multiple units. See setups and prices at WWOO USA.
A communal dining table (shown above in kiln-dried oak) and chairs are also manufactured by WWOO, as is the sailcloth canopy with beechwood supports. “You can get as much or as little as you want,” says Vree.
Above: No gas grill necessary. WWOO’s concrete shelving is designed with the Big Green Egg in mind because the company’s founders consider the updated Japanese kamado grill the “best outdoor cooker available.”
WWOO’s concrete segments are available in standard heights of 4 feet, 3 inches; 5 feet, 4 inches, and 6 feet, 6 inches.
Above: If you’re not a fan of the Egg, an outdoor tabletop grill will fit into the setup; the modular units provide plenty of storage space for charcoal and hardwood.
Above: The most practical kind of plumbing: The stainless-steel WWOO sink, whose faucet recalls our favorite Chicago Faucets rigid gooseneck spout, is designed to connect to a garden hose.
WWOO’s stainless steel sink and stainless steel tap with a Gardena hose connection is $755.
Above: A WWOO Cutting Board is $115. Above: In the Netherlands, Piet-Jan van den Kommer (L) and partner Martijn Vree constructed models to show the range of WWOO outdoor kitchens. Above: A detail of the sailcloth canopy with beech framing. Above: WWOO outdoor kitchen units also are available in a dark anthracite finish.
Are you planning an outdoor kitchen project? Get started with our Hardscape 101 guides, including Outdoor Kitchens 101. For more tips and inspiration, see:
I can’t count how many times I have stood over a green, ferny plant and asked, “Is this dill or fennel?” The solution is to pinch off a leaf and smell it—a telltale giveaway. Dill’s feathery leaves resemble fennel but —thank goodness—its flavor is very distinct. Dill, to me, has a much more subtle and warm taste, and always makes me think of pickles.
Like chamomile, mint, and rosemary, dill has been an important aromatic herbs since ancient times. Please keep reading to learn how to grow your own dill:
Above: Photograph by Michelle Slatalla.
Centuries ago, ancient Greeks and Romans used dill medicinally, as a topical treatment for burns and wounds. Dill also played a role as an early wellness aid: placed over one’s eyes at bedtime, the herb was thought to promote restful sleep. Used ceremoniously, dill decorated crowns worn by returning heroes at celebrations. And as a culinary herb, dill was a popular flavor to add to wine.
In medieval times, dill was commonly used as a pickling spice but was also recommended that every household grew dill for its ability to ward off witches and counteract their spells, and therefore a small bag of dill seeds was carried over the heart to repel the “evil eye.”
Today we grow dill not to repel witches, but to keep bad insects away. It turns out, for instance, that destructive tomato horn worms are attracted to dill so if you plant the herb a few feet from tomatoes, it can help lure these insects away from your vulnerable crop. Dill also repels spider mites and aphids, making the herb a go-to for natural pest control and great as a companion plant in the vegetable garden.
Dill, of course, is tasty in dishes as well. Try sprinkling dill in green salads with cucumbers, on fish, in spinach pie, and yes, for pickling.
Above: Dill grown at Petersham Nurseries near London. For more, see Required Reading: Kitchen Memories by Lucy Boyd. Photograph by Keiko Oikawa.
Cheat Sheet
A standout companion plant, dill is a good herb for a vegetable garden, pollinator garden, or wildflower garden.
Dill is a choice food source for caterpillars and butterflies; plant some to draw butterflies into your garden.
Dill is easily grown from seed. Tip: Because of its taproot system, avoid transplanting dill after it is sown. Also because dill reseeds easily, leave some dill plants in place in the fall because they will drop seeds and germinate in the spring.
Dill is a warm-season biennial herb and highly sensitive to freezes and frost. It succeeds in a warm and sunny location in moist, well-draining soil. Because of its delicate nature and susceptibility to wind and temperature, dill needs a sheltered spot in the garden.
Dill leaves can be cut at any time and used fresh, or can be dried to use later. Tip: Avoid trimming off more than half of the leaves at once as this stunts growth.
Deadheading the flowers may slow the plant’s inevitable death.
“Vegetable-based pasta” is technically a misnomer. The word “pasta” has etymologic roots in a 19th-century Italian description of wheat paste, after all. But that hasn’t stopped hordes of plant-based alt-noodle brands from cropping up, their boxes adorned with lofty promises like “twice the protein” and “half the carbs” and “you’ll kick this rigatoni addiction yet, Ella!”
Banza, a market-leading producer of chickpea noodles—or as it says on the box, “pasta that loves you back!”—is so ubiquitous that you can buy it at 8,000 stores (including Whole Foods) in the United States. You even can order it from the menu at Oregon-based restaurant Chickpea.
While it may be the biggest household name, Banza is hardly the only option. Alternatives made from all sorts of vegetables and legumes line the shelves of health-food stores. Even longtime pasta honcho Barilla is getting into the game part-time, sneaking a full serving of vegetables into its classic recipe for its three “Veggie” offerings.
True “pasta” or not, we wanted to see what the fuss is about. Is plant-based pasta healthier? Is it just another wellness trend, hollow as al dente Bucatini? Most important, how does it taste? We tried Banza, as well as four popular competitors (made from black beans, edamame, red lentils, beets, chickpeas, and corn-quinoa). Read on for our take on how they stack up, and for whether there’s a place in the kitchen for these garden-grown alternatives.
Photography by Aya Brackett for Gardenista, except where noted.
Above: From left, four plant-based pasta substitutes: Explore Cuisine Black Bean Spaghetti, Explore Cuisine Edamame Spaghetti, Banza Chickpea Elbows, and Ancient Harvest Garden Pagoda (Corn, Quinoa, Spinach, Beet, Red Bell Pepper).
Banza’s noodles get the highest deceit rating, especially when boiled several minutes less than the box suggests. Flavor-wise, the elbows are fairly anonymous and don’t offer much solo—“a bit cardboard-y” said one taste tester—but when sauced, provide a respectable base.
Above: For a quick and delicious lunch, toss veggie pasta with fresh greens—we added a couple of handfuls of baby spinach and some micro greens—a sprinkling of toasted nuts, and a simple dressing of olive oil and lemon.
Nutritionally, of the five noodles we tried they come in around the middle of the pack. A two-ounce serving contains 32 grams of carbohydrates (including 8 grams of fiber and 5 grams of sugar) and 15 grams of protein. Compared with a box of Barilla spaghetti, that’s about two times as much protein, a little more than half the net carbohydrates, and a similar calorie count.
Edamame Spaghetti
Above: A package of six boxes of Explore Cuisine Edamame Spaghetti is $25 at Amazon. In addition to the line of bean pastas, Explore Cuisine also produces chickpea and lentil versions.
Explore Cuisine’s Edamame Spaghetti was the most divisive of the alt-noodles we tested, causing one participant to toss up his hands in frustration and mutter to another, “If you’re not getting the sweet notes here, I just can’t help you.”
While the noodles’ deception factor is relatively low, texturally they hold up on their own (they taste more like a riff on fresh pasta than boxed). Whether you’re “getting the sweet notes” or not, you’ll find that they’d be good with anything from a heavy meat sauce to a more simple pairing of high-quality olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper—not exactly like pasta, but solid in their own way.
For a two-ounce serving (which provided a much heftier portion than the Banza—roughly twice as much in volume), the noodles have 20 grams of carbohydrates (13 grams of fiber and 3 grams of sugar) and 24 grams of protein—placing them materially higher than the Banza.
Black Bean Spaghetti
Above: An eight-ounce pouch of Explore Asia Organic Black Bean Spaghetti is $7.79 at Amazon. In addition to the line of bean pastas, Explore Cuisine also produces chickpea and lentil versions.
This Black Bean Spaghetti—the brother box to Explore’s Edamame Spaghetti—is texturally similar to its green-tinged sibling, but with a drier mouth-feel. As a result, it didn’t absorb pesto particularly well, and would do better coated with a very wet sauce (or even served in a soup), where there’d be more moisture to go around. The Black Bean Spaghetti’s independent flavor is much less pronounced than that of the Edamame Spaghetti, causing no impassioned outbursts from taste-testers. Its coloring makes it an attractive option, visually resembling squid ink linguine.
This was the clear winner nutritionally, with the most protein (25 grams) and fewest carbohydrates (19 grams, including 11 grams of fiber and 3 grams of sugar) for two ounces. Like the Edamame Spaghetti, the Black Bean Spaghetti produced a large volume of cooked noodles per serving size.
I adore lentils and was most looking forward to testing Ancient Harvest’s Red Lentil Rotini ($3.79 per box). Unfortunately, the noodles taste more like what I imagine to be the flavor of raw, ground lentils than the cooked version, lending the rotini a papery-paste essence. The overarching verdict was, as one tester noted, “The sauce is the star.”
Shape-wise, they were the favorite of the bunch—rotinis’ ridges are an excellent canvas for a thick, cheesy sauce. The texture is similar to that of the Banza, if you’re careful not to overcook—we drained ours after four and a half minutes.
A two-ounce serving yields a similar volume as the Banza, with slightly worse stats: 35 grams of carbohydrates (including 7 grams of fiber and 1 gram of sugar), and 14 grams of protein.
Ancient Harvest also makes green lentil, black bean, and super-grain noodles.
Garden Pagodas (Corn, Quinoa, Spinach, Beet, Red Bell Pepper)
Perhaps the most innocuous of the group, Ancient Harvest’s Garden Pagoda noodles’ most prominent feature is the color. They are moderately deceptive when dressed and have a sort of dusky, vegetal taste that isn’t unpleasant.
Nutritionally, they don’t rank much higher than run-of-the-mill Barilla spaghetti, with a two-ounce serving containing 46 grams of carbohydrates (4 grams of fiber and less than 1 gram of sugar) and 4 grams of protein.
Have you been following our Plant-Based Diet stories this week? See:
Terroir-blazing forager and botanical alchemist Pascal Baudar has written a thirst-quenching new book. The subtitle of The Wildcrafting Brewer sums it up: Creating Unique Drinks and Boozy Concoctions from Nature’s Ingredients. The pages are dedicated to feral, inspired libations and are alive with the spirit of his first book, The New Wildcrafted Cuisine, which introduced readers to the intense pleasures of crafting regional food and drink, by understanding the flavors of local flora.
While “unique” has become a word to throw about casually, Baudar is one of the rare people who fulfills its promise. Drawing on age-old and ethnic traditions, he produces for readers refreshing acts of brewing magic to fill their glasses and equip them with tools to master techniques that will give lifelong pleasure. His gift is to translate his own intense curiosity about botanical flavor (and where to find it) into easily understood methods. Once his brewing bug has bitten you, you will appreciate your local environment in an entirely different way.
Read on for step-by-step instructions for making pine cone soda.
Photography by Pascal Baudar.
Above: The Wildcrafting Brewer: Creating Unique Drinks and Boozy Concoctions from Nature’s Ingredients is $22.80 at Amazon. The motivating force behind The Wildcrafting Brewer is the ancient practice of wildcrafting. This love affair with edible or medicinal wild plants is experiencing renewal in a century where we appreciate our natural environment in a way that is more informed than ever before, even as our natural resources diminish or come under increasing threat.
Baudar is a mindful gatherer and uses mostly exotic or invasive plants (90 percent by his own estimate). He writes in the introduction that through foraging “you help your native environment by removing non-native plants…and harvesting sustainably or growing the plants you need.” And by planting a brewer’s garden, he explains, you also are doing your local pollinators and birds a favor.
Huzzah! I must cheer. Native edible plants for gardens: this is the beautiful cross pollination of foraging and growing. Good for biodiversity, good for our palates, and good for native plants that might be vulnerable.
Above: The methods covered in the book include many whose premise might be familiar to experienced brewers and fermenters, but whose possibilities in the book take on a wild and fresh vitality. They are also invitingly accessible to inexperienced alchemists.
Above: Hot and cold brewing are explained, brewing with and without yeast starters (there is a master recipe and suggestions for wild starters made with elderflowers, elderberries, pinyon pine cones, and cactus pears), beers, and flower and fruit wines.
There are syrups—berry, herb, fig leaf and green pine cone—and you can learn to make your own molasses.
Above: One of Pascal’s’s signature concepts is the drinkable hike. You collect bits and pieces from your hike and remember it in a beautifully fizzy drink.
Exciting stuff, especially when you realize that you can apply the techniques to your garden, too. Drink your garden, season by season.
Above: In a chapter dedicated to ethnic drinks and medicinal brews, you will find the author’s recipe for northeastern kvass. Inspired by a hike in the woods of Vermont, its ingredients include turkey tail mushrooms, invasive dandelions and indigenous sassafras. Above: One of the best ways to begin brewing (I think) is by dipping your toes in the bubbling waters of homemade soda. Mountain raspberry and blueberry soda is a recipe easily adapted to different regions of the country, featuring your local pine, fir, or spruce needles along with farmers’ market fruit.
Above: The unique soda is ready to drink in from three to four days. Above: Twig Soda. Yes, even aromatic sticks make good drinking. And fermentation creates bubbles that turn any effervescent drink into a celebration.
Because he lives and forages in southern California, subject to drought and wildfires, Baudar has learned to embrace parts of plants that many of us overlook, or have forgotten about. Some of the best flavors live in bark, and seeds.
Above: Pine needle soda relies for its intense flavor on any kind of pine needle. Baudar has used piñon, ponderosa, and white pine, as well as fir and spruce. All you need is a jar, needles, sugar, and water. Above: In a riff on the pine theme, unripe pinecone soda opens up a new world of possibilities. Because baby pine cones belong to spring, and spring is coming sooner than we believe, here is the recipe, excerpted and reprinted with permission from the publisher, Chelsea Green Publishing.
Pine Cone Soda
1. Place 3/4 cup (150 grams) sugar in a 1/2-gallon (1.89 liter) jar, fill it with spring water, and drop in a couple of unripe pine cones.
2. Screw on the lid, but not too tightly; you want fermentation gases to escape. Three times a day shake the jar for 10 seconds or so. I usually get a fermentation going in from two to three days.
3. Leave the cones inside the jar and continue the ritual of shaking three times a day. When the fermentation is going well, start tasting. Work with it as you go, adding sugar if you want more alcohol. Stop when you like what you have, then strain and pour the liquid into recycled plastic soda bottles or swing-top glass bottles. Check the pressure after a day or so.
When you are satisfied with the level of carbonation, place your brew in the refrigerator and enjoy it the next day. I like to drink it within a week.
The beauty of steeping tea in a glass pot is manifold: You’ll always know how strong your tea is, you can see how much you have left, and—as illustrated in today’s story on Tisanes—you’ll get get to watch as mint, orange peel, lavender, or pansies transform plain water into a colorful, delicate brew. Here are ten modern, design-forward glass teapots.
Above: A 27-ounce Glass Teapot with Iron Filter is made in Germany of heat-resistant glass by 30-year-old French company Palais des Thés. It’s $65 at Food52. Above: For today’s story on Easy Teas You Can Grow, Michelle used the Betty Glass Teapotfrom CB2. It’s handmade in China of thin, borosilicate glass and has a removable glass infuser and lid; $19.95. Above: This Transparent Teapot is made in Germany and holds a generous 60 fluid ounces. It’s also dishwasher- and microwave-safe; €69 from Merci in Paris. (It’s available in the US at MoMA Design Store for $50). Above: Designed by Italian Marco Sironi for German company Ichendorf, the Piuma Small Teapot is made in China of borosilicate glass. Says the retailer, “Many people associate this material with Pyrex, but in the hands of Ichendorf master glaziers, it’s transformed into very thin, lightweight pieces that are also supremely strong and resistant to temperature changes.” It’s a steal (for Design Within Reach) at $35. Above: Only available in Europe, the Heatproof Glass Tea Pot from Muji has a removable tea strainer and holds 1 liter of water; £19.95. Above: This 60-ounce Glass Teapot & Kettle is safe for heating on either a gas or induction stovetop, so doubles as both a water kettle and teapot. It has a bamboo lid and a stainless steel coil filter at the spout; $26.50 from Tealyra. Above: A Contemporary Glass Teapot is made from 20 percent recycled glass that’s guaranteed lead free. It has a removable glass strainer and holds 17 fluid ounces; $19.25 at Mountain Rose Herbs. Above: Designed by Danish Norm Architects for Menu, a Glass Kettle Teapot has a stainless steel “tea egg” that holds steeping tea leaves in the center of the pot, removable by raising its silicone handle. Available in two sizes, starting at $59.95 for a 25-ounce teapot. Above: The Emma Teapot by Italian designer Corrado Dotti for Ichendorf is double-walled, with a rectangular tea vessel inside a shell of rounded glass. When filled, “liquid appears to float in the air.” It’s $46 from Wallpaper Store. Above: The Unitea One Touch Teapot from Japanese company Kinto has a metal strainer with a silicone seal built into the lid. It’s dishwasher-safe and holds 16 fluid ounces; $28 from Need Supply Co. Browse more things tea-related in:
The world’s first cup of tea was a fluke. Emperor Shen Nung sat beneath a Camellia sinensis shrub on a windy day in 2737 B.C., and when he looked down into his boiling water after a particularly hearty gust, he noticed that several leaves had blown in, creating a home-grown infusion—or so the story goes.
“It’s a bit of folklore,” says Emily Erb, co-founder of Leaves and Flowers, a California-based company that produces small batch teas. “There are a lot of myths about where tea originated.”
Tisanes—a catch-all term for tea-like brews from sources other than Camellia sinensis (including herbs and edible flowers)—have an equally murky origin story. Multiple languages offer possible etymological provenance: It’s said by some that the term comes from the French words for “tea” (“ti”) and “without” (“sans”); others believe it stems from the Greek word “ptisanē” (a steeped beverage from crushed pearl barley).
“For botanical infusions, I think the start was really for medicinal purposes—there are so many antioxidants,” says Erb. “When you travel around overseas, a lot of people will mention that they grew up drinking herbs—if they were sick, their grandma would throw all these herbs into a pot. Every country has their own signature blend if you’re not feeling well.”
Read on for Erb’s advice for how home gardeners can turn botanicals into delicious and soothing tisanes.
Photography by Aya Brackett for Gardenista.
Mint for Beginners
Above: In their pre-tisane incarnations, mint, chamomile, and pansies mingle in the garden.
Erb suggests using an easy-to-cultivate herb, such as mint, as a jumping off point.
“Mint is a great herb to start with for a home gardener because it grows really easily,” says Erb. “There are so many times of mint, and you can get lots of variations. Chocolate mint is wonderful for tea, it has a natural sweetness. Bergamot mint is brighter, and has an almost spacey quality to it.”
See our guide to 9 Favorite Mints for a primer on the different types you can grow easily in a home garden.
Above: We brewed a pot of mint tisane using one large handful of rinsed leaves and stems.
To brew a tisane from fresh mint, snip a few stalks from the garden, give them a thorough rinse to get rid of residual soil or bugs, and steep the leaves and stems in a pot of hot water for from two to five minutes, depending on your desired strength. Erb recommends steeping right when the water boils, at around 212 degrees Fahrenheit or 100 degrees Celsius.
Fresh Herbs for Potency
Above: Generally, brewing a tisane with fresh herbs and flowers will result in a more intense flavor than using dried counterparts.
“We really recommend using fresh herbs if you can—they’re more potent, and they’re vibrant because they’re alive,” says Erb. “Dry some to tide you over until the next growing season.”
The flavor of botanical ingredients will change as they dry out, so be sure to taste the dried blend as you’re creating an infusion. “If you make up a blend that’s fresh and try to replicate it with the dried components, it will have a different taste,” says Erb. “The differene I really notice between fresh and dried mint is that the flavor can mellow out and have more roundness when it’s dried. Chamomile can be used either fresh or dried, and it’s lovely both ways.”
Rose and chrysanthemum can be brewed fresh or dried as well. One flower Erb suggests using only for a fresh tisane is jasmine, which loses its flavor when dried.
Stems and Leaves?
Above: Using both stems and leaves of herbs such as chamomile or mint will intensify the flavor of a tisane.
Erb encourages home gardeners to use all parts of herbs in an infusion.
“With most fresh herbs, you can use both the stems and the leaves,” says Erb. “Lemon verbena is an exception, where if your plant is more mature, it can get pretty woody.” If that’s the case, she says, skip the stems.
After an herb starts to flower at the end of its growth cycle, she says, it can affect the flavor a bit, but generally it’s a very subtle change. “If you’re wanting to dry your herbs because you can’t use them all fresh, that would be a good time to pick them.”
Drying 101
Above: Erb recommends drying your botanical ingredients in little bunches to create “single serving” tisane batches. “Don’t make the bundles too big!” she warns. “If you do, the pieces in the middle are not going to dry out, and they can start to mold.”
Take your bunches, and hang or place them somewhere dry with airflow, indirect sunlight, and limited humidity. In the Leaves and Flowers space, Erb and her partner Anna Morton lay out their fresh ingredients on perforated sheets to dry.
“We recommend avoiding direct sunlight—it can kind of zap the herbs. You don’t want them to bake, because you can lose some flavor if they get overheated.”
To check if your bunches are fully dry, test the stems, which tend to take longer than the leaves to fully dry out: if the stems snap easily, you’re ready to go. Herbs like mint will take about a week to dry, whereas naturally drier plants like lemon verbena might take four or five days.
A Better Way to Blend
Above: For a delicately flavored citrus tisane, we dried slices of oranges in a dehydrator and then poured boiling water and allowed them to steep. See more tips in The Inside Story on Dried Fruit.
When it comes to creating blends, Erb suggests keeping it simple and seeking out complementary flavors, such as mint and lemon verbena. Add in accouterments such as citrus peel, ginger, turmeric root, spices, and toasted grains to round out your blends.
“The way we think about a new blend is to start with one focal ingredient,” she says. “If you’re using peppermint and want that to be the predominant flavor, add in other ingredients in lesser quantity that the peppermint. Taste as you go.”
Erb encourages home gardeners to experiment with pairings. “If you have access to herbs and flowers that you grow, play around with different combinations and see what you like. You can be really surprised,” she says. “Sometimes we try a crazy blend like chamomile and cinnamon and we think it’s going to be really weird, and we try it and it’s amazing!”
Shop Your Full Garden
Above: Rinse fresh flowers and herbs and allow them to dry before brewing tisanes.
A broad swath of botanicals found in home gardens can be used for tisanes. In addition to the classics—mint, chamomile, lemon verbena, lavender, and rose—many other common garden inhabitants make for a good brew. Leaves and Flowers uses ingredients like lemongrass, hibiscus flower, catnip, skullcap, and passionflower to make tisanes.
“I love culinary herbs in tea,” says Erb. “Thyme is really beautiful, and rosemary can be lovely. Start off growing a bit of each and playing with different ones.” The Flower Sun Blend from Leaves and Flowers features sage, tarragon, and thyme ($17.50 for a one-ounce package).
Erb also suggests anise hyssop, which can be steeped with its purple flowers. Leaves and Flowers’ Ajna Blend pairs anise hyssop with tulsi and lavender ($17 for a package that brews from 20 to 22 cups).
The Power of Plants
Above: Our pansy tisane had an earthy, rustic flavor.
Tap into the roots of tisanes and seek out different herbal blends for their restorative powers.
Calendula, or pot marigold, is a flower that Erb touts for its an anti-inflammatory properties. “Blend it with other herbs to balance out its tannic qualities—and don’t steep it for too long, it can be quite bitter,” she says. Turmeric is also a great herb to relieve inflammation, she says. Leaves and Flowers’ Turmeric Wellness tisane mixes the root with rosemary, citrus peel, ginger, and black pepper ($17 for a three-ounce package).
Erb recommends catnip and skullcap for their relaxing properties. When brewing skullcap at home, Erb suggests pairing it with spearmint or peppermint rather than drinking it on its own.
Seeds can aid with digestion, she says. “Our Digestive Seed Tea was developed based on Ayurvedic tradition. It’s really good with or after a meal.” The tisane comprises fennel, anise, cardamom, cumin, and ginger.
For more expert advice on tea, see our guide to Matcha 101. And if you’re choosing flowers and herbs to grow for tisanes, see our growing guides for Pansies, Mint, Chamomile, and Lemon Verbena.
If you want to get technical, the reason a classic picnic table looks the way it does—with splayed legs and cross braces— is because the original was designed to support the weight of attached benches.
We like the splayed look but prefer to have the freedom to pull up benches or chairs as needed. (In the case of a true picnic, we will be sitting on the grass anyway.)
Here are 10 of our favorite picnic style tables:
Above: A Blok Outdoor Dining Table is from $1,495 to $2,395 depending on size from Teak Warehouse. Above: From Skagarek, a teak Ballare Dining Table comes with two extension leaves and can expand from 77 inches to 117 inches; $3,699 from Curran. Above: Available in two sizes, a Colonial Dining Table by Sika Design is from $1,995 to $2,233 depending on size from Danish Design Store. Above: OK, we’ll bow to tradition. A Cedar Picnic Table with built-in bench-style seating is $201.28 via Amazon. Above: A Jardine Dining Table made of FSC-certified hardwood is $1,199 at West Elm. Above: A George Outdoor Table made of recycled teak is 16,995 SEK from Artilleriet. Above: A 74-inch-long Benchwright Extending Dining Table is made of solid acacia wood and has adjustable levelers to keep it steady on uneven ground; on sale for $1,499 from Pottery Barn. Above: With a tabletop made of recycled plastic and an aluminum frame, a charcoal colored Noosa Dining Table is $699.30 AU from the Furniture Shack. Above: Made of reclaimed teak, an Alfresco X-Leg Table is 79 inches long and is $1,795 from Teak Warehouse. Above: Made of eucalyptus from Vietnam, a Croft Collection Islay 6-Seater Dining Table is £519 from John Lewis.
Are you designing an outdoor dining or cooking area? For tips and inspiration, see our curated guides to Decks & Patios 101 and Outdoor Kitchens 101. For more of our furnishings, see:
Above: “Kochwagen” translates to “cook wagon,” and the company by the same name manufactures mobile cooking trolleys available in a range of sizes and colors. See Alexa’s favorites in Colorful Cooktops to Go, German Edition.
Hardwood floor owner, take note: For a “European-style” finish, apply a light coat of oil or an oil-wax product. (The formula is based on natural oil—such as tung oil—plus additives that can include wax. See more in this week’s Remodeling 101 post on popular wood floor finishes.
Precision Flatware
Above: In addition to the Thomas Feichtner-designed Fina flatware, we’ve rounded up more favorites designed in Germany in this week’s 10 Easy Pieces post.
Half-Glass Walls
Above: Germany-based interior architects Studio Oink designed a partial glass wall, an architectural detail borrowed from turn-of-century Parisian buildings.
