How to Dry Your Own Herbs

If you have grown your own herbs you might be wondering what to do with them now? Well that’s why you’re here! Drying herbs can save you money, and also ensure you get the best quality. Also if you don’t use all your plants fresh, then it can eliminate waste. Here are some simple steps to dry your own herbs right at home!

Harvest

The best time of day to pick your herbs is in the morning before the sun is too hot on the plant. You also want to make sure to pick them before they flower.

How to Dry Your Own Herbs
Image from HGTV

Air Dry

(this method works best for dryer herbs such as rosemary, oregano, thyme, dill, sage, etc.)

First rinse all the excess dirt off your plant, and pat them dry with a paper towel. Then separate them into small bunches and secure them at the end. Hang them upside down in a warm, dry location and leave them there for around a week.

How to Dry Your Own Herbs
Image from Remedies for Me

Dehydrator or Oven Dry

(these methods work best for less dry herbs such as mint, basil, etc.)

With the dehydrator simply follow the instructions on your dehydrator, and leave it for 12-20 hours! For the oven drying method simply place the herb on a  single layer on a baking sheet. Put the oven on the very lowest setting and leave them for 2-3 hours. You will know that they are done when you can easily crumble the plant in your fingers.

How to Dry Your Own Herbs
Image from Home in the Fingerlakes

Most Fragrant Plants for Your Yard and Garden

Who doesn’t want their nose filled with wonderful fragrances when you walk around your yard? Here are some of the most fragrant plants that you can put in your yard!

Jasmine

Image from Garden Lovers Club

Garden Phlox

Most Frangrant Plants for Your Yard and Garden
Image from DeGroot Inc.

Plumeria

Most Fragrant Plants for Your Yard and Garden
Image from Pixabay

Scented Geranium

Most Fragrant Plants for Your Yard and Garden
Image from Taylor Greenhouses

Sweet Pea

Most Fragrant Plants for Your Yard and Garden
Image from Gardening Know How

English Rose

Most Fragrant Plants for Your Yard and Garden
Image from David Austin Roses

Sweet Bay

Most Fragrant Plants for Your Yard and Garden
Image from Plainfield Trees

Lavender

Most Fragrant Plants for Your Yard and Garden
Image from Coriennte Latina

Sweet Autumn Clematis

Most Fragrant Plants for Your Yard and Garden
Image from Kudzu Files

Peony

Most Fragrant Plants for Your Yard and Garden
Image from Sunset

Lilac

Most Fragrant Plants for Your Yard and Garden
Image from Semisuede

Daphne

Most Frangrant Plants for Your Yard and Garden
Image from Gardening Know How

Rosemary

Most Fragrant Plants for Your Yard and Garden
Image from Our Herb Garden

12 DIY Raised Garden Beds

Raised garden beds are the perfect solution for kids, dogs, or just to add some diversity to your yard! They also allow you to choose your soil, prevent pests, and control weeds better. I have collected all of my favorite DIY raised garden bed ideas…I hope there is one that can inspire you!

10 Organic Ways to Rid Your Garden of Slugs

The first thing you can do is switch your watering schedule. Slugs go out at night, and they work best in damp conditions. So if you’re watering in the evening, then you’re creating a perfect environment for slugs. Water in the morning so there’s time for things to dry up.

You could try introducing slug predators to your yard or garden if you really want to deal with the slug problem. Frogs are usually the predator of choice. Of course, you’ll need to provide an environment for the frog to survive, and it also means you’ll have frogs in your yard, so be aware of that trade off.

Slugs like some plants more than others. What you can do is plant a distracter plant so that the slugs stay away from your fruits and veggies and other prized plants. Chamomile is a great example. Plant it near your other plants, and the slugs will eat this instead of the others.

You could also use plants that deter slugs instead of distracting them. For example, fennel and rosemary are highly disliked by slugs. Plant them in your garden, and that should help get rid of the little pests.

Diatomaceous earth is one of the best solutions for lots of insect problems in the garden. The product shreds up the slugs’ underbellies, dehydrating and killing them. Sprinkle this around the edges of the garden and near the bases of the plants.

Lava rocks are another product for your garden that are a natural way to kill slugs. Their rough and scratchy surface also rips up the slugs. It will kill them and also, once they learn, they’ll avoid your garden. Just make sure there aren’t any leaves or dirt on the rocks that will cover the surface.

Break up some egg shells and sprinkle them around your soil. Like the previous ideas, this creates a rough surface that cuts up the slugs’ bellies. However, it also helps add nutrients to the soil as the shells break down, so it’s a win-win.

I bet you didn’t know that seaweed is a great natural slug repellent! Mulch the seaweed around your garden, making sure it doesn’t touch the base of the plants. The seaweed is salty, which slugs hate, and when it dries, it becomes rough and scratchy.

A copper wire can work well to deter slugs. Wrap it around the base of your garden, making sure it’s fully exposed. You can also use a copper mesh to protect your plants. The slugs will avoid crossing over it because they don’t like the copper.

A really drastic solution for getting rid of slugs is the old salt technique. Go out to your garden at night and pour some salt on any slugs you may see. The salt kills them pretty quickly. Just don’t go overboard because you don’t want a bunch of extra salt in your soil.

How to Make Your Foundation Look Like Part of Your Yard

My go to when it comes to covering up your foundation is a solid veneer. It may be a bit more expensive than the other options, but it looks great. You can’t beat the look of a classy and cozy home.

15 Things that will Make Your Backyard More Welcoming

Pathways, without a doubt, improve any backyard. You can make any size, style, or color you want. Make sure to choose materials that look good and match your home and yard, though.

9 Incredible Vertical Garden Ideas for Small Spaces

Turn those old shoes into a vertical garden for your small backyard. This is more for flowers (not necessarily fruits and veggies), and it adds lots of color and fun to the yard. If you can, match the color of the flowers to their shoe container.

13 Different Ways to Make a Rock Pathway

A pallet pathway is a simple and easy solution. Surround the pieces with rocks, and you have a cute rock pathway. I prefer lighter colors, but this also looks good with dark rocks and wood.