Harvesting with style: sure, you could just sow and dig, but why not give your garden patch a little personality too? Three edibles experts' tricks and tools to customize a garden

Emily's eco-minded garden

SEED PICKS "Baker has the craziest varieties of fruits and veggies, in colors and shapes I didn't even know existed. Use whatever you buy that season, since older seeds can spoil." Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, from $1.25; rareseeds.comCOWBOY HAT "More attitude than a floppy sun hat." Cord and Concho Band hat, $50; shadybrady.com"Vegetable gardens don't have to be plain and utilitarian. There are some beautiful edibles. Choose colorful varieties, like red cabbages or purple beans"COCONUT OIL "To keep hands soft, I moisturize with raw coconut oil. It's super-nourishing and has no additives, Like parabens." Adara Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, $30 for 8.4 oz.; b-glowing.comUrbanites should start with herbs in pots, especially since so often store-bought herbs get thrown away. Set up your windowsill herbs with this self-irrigating container. Delta 20 Self Watering Planter, $38; sprouthome.com"For a mod urban touch, I mulch with beach glass or white stones." Cabo Beach Glass, $11 for 2 lbs.; origincrafts.comIf you're hunting for Maria Finn, check the roofs of San Francisco, where she sets up edible gardens for clients. Maria's also a writer (she contributes to Sunset) and recently penned A Little Piece of Earth (Universe Publishing, 2010; $20). The book's simple message: You don't need acres to grow edibles. "In a small space, you're not going to live off your harvest, but you can do things like grow kaffir ['Kieffer'] limes, using the leaves to season homemade curry, or grow ingredients to make cocktails. These ideas make life richer."SEED PICKGARDEN TOTE "It's durable, lightweight, and cute, but not so precious I have to worry about it getting messed up." Green Garden Tote, $33; angelas-garden.comTHE HOME DEPOT POTHeavy Petal blogger Andrea Bellamy, who lives in Vancouver, B.C., decided to plant edibles as an inexpensive alternative to hardscaping. She also wanted the garden to fit her modern style. Her book, Sugar Snaps and Strawberries (Timber Press, 2010; $20), devotes the first chapter to helping you find your personal style."Lettuce, strawberries, fig trees, and citrus trees like kaffir lime are all easy to maintain and do really well in containers"TEAL BEACH GLASSGRAPHIC PILLOW "I'd rather have a better pattern selection [than offered by outdoor fabric] and bring in my pillows every night. I like the bold style of Willa Skye." Maze Greek Key Pillow Cover, $28; etsy.com/shop/willaskyehomeIn Emily's toolboxMASON JAR "I reuse, or buy new jars to take different kinds of organic soil to jobsites." Ball Regular Mouth Quart Jars, $n for 12; freshpreserving.comIn Maria's toolboxKITCHEN SCRAPS COLLECTOR "You can grow so much more per square foot with nutritious soil--and to make soil rich, it's essential to add compost." Ceramic Compost Pail, $32; williams-sonoma.com"This Garden Babies butterhead lettuce always emerges pristine, like some produce manager from Whole Foods misted it in the middle of the night." Renee's Garden seeds, $2.73; renees garden.com"A staple in my kit, it's packed with screwdrivers and a knife, plus it's little, lightweight, and can be clipped to your belt when you're working." Leatherman Juice CS4, $83; leatherman.com for storesSEED PICKSFROM THE EXPERTIn Andrea's toolbox"This is pretty much the one tool I need, which spares me from having to look at a pile of clutter in my backyard It's great for cultivating or turning soil, digging little holes, and weeding." CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator, $25; cobraheadllc.comActress Emily Paul channeled her green thumb when the Los Angeles writers' strike hit, eventually forming Sprout, a landscaping company that plants organic produce in backyards. Emily believes in simple solutions. To grow edibles, she says, you only need seeds, soil, mulch, and compost. In her backyard, she repurposes old umbrella holders for planters and wine crates for storing supplies.STRETCH GLOVESAndrea's modernista yard"When plants have been sitting around for a while in containers, the roots tend to bundle up and tangle. A gardening knife is so helpful for root pruning and weeding."Multipurpose Garden Knife, $25; gardeners.comHERB PLANTERIn addition to heirlooms, Seeds of Change sells new varieties, so you can experiment. Maria's picks: 'Cocozelle' zucchini ($3.79) and cherry tomatoes like 'Peacevine' ($3.29). seedsofchange.comCOIL HOSE "This coil hose is perfect for tight spaces since it tucks away out of sight, and you don't need a big spool or basket to wind it up." Lee Valley 25-in. Deluxe Watering Set, $34; leevalley.comBAUER POTTERY Glazed ceramic pots hold water well (drill a hole in the pot if it lacks one); this is a modern twist on a traditional style. "I go neutral on big stuff like patio furniture and large planters, and add punches of color with smaller containers and pillows." 16-in. Jardiniere, $240; bauerpottery.com"Working in soil tends to dry out my skin. These are made of a stretchy fabric with neoprene over the palm and fingers, so you maintain dexterity." Atlas Nitrile Touch Gloves, $6.95; gardenbasket.comNo reason to spend a fortune on containers. "I buy mine used at the Rose Bowl Flea Market (rgcshows.com), or else at the Home Depot, whose ceramic pots look so much more expensive than they are." Atlantis Planter, $35; home deptot.com

"Lettuce, strawberries, fig trees, and citrus trees like kaffir lime are all easy to maintain and do really well in containers"

Author: Emily Hsieh

Candle Supplies

What would Christmas be without snowballs? So, what better scented gift to give, then primitive snowballs that will last all year

Tips for PackagingYou can cut pieces of brown twine, sting the twine the icicles and snowflakes for cool Vintage Old Time Christmas Ornaments. Hang the ornaments on your old fashion Christmas tree.Put a hook in the snowballs before you roll them in the glitter, grungy mixture. The hook will dry solid in the snowballs. I like making my own hooks from old rusty pieces of wire purchased from craft stores.A pack of any size styrofoam balls found at any craft store or craft section. The same recipe is used in making the icicles too, but instead of styrofoam balls use the cheap plastic icicles. When making snowflakes, dab the compound on with a sponge brush. Snowflakes can be purchased at most any store. The cheap plastic kind.They are fast, fun, and best of all, easy. Get ready to have a great afternoon with the kids in the kitchen.Make old fashion Vintage looking Winter icicles, snowballs, and snowflakes for Christmas or Winter Weddings. A bowl of festive snowballs or icicles make a wonderful center piece for festive occasions. Surround yours with candle light.Colonization After Emancipation is based in part on newly- uncovered documents that authors Phillip Magness and Sebastian Page found at the British National Archives outside London and in the US National Archives.Grunging suppliesThe authors cite jarring remarks made by Lincoln in 1862 to a White House audience of free blacks, urging them to leave the US and settle in Central America. "For the sake of your race, you should sacrifice something of your present comfort for the purpose of being as grand in that respect as the white people," Lincoln said.Have a bowl of glitter ready on the side.I have no idea when my mother first discovered the recipe for making primitive snowballs, but I assure you she was not the creator.White joint compound, found at any hardware store. (my mother used drywall mix, but times have changed and I don't think we need to add difficult mixing of drywall compound to the recipe)Make your snowballs in all sizes. You can use the Winter Traditional White coloring or make the Down and Dirty Grungy Snowballs. You can have them scented or unscented, the choice is yours. I love to add Prim glitter to mine. Gives them more of a holiday feel and frankly, looks the big brown bowl on the white table cloth, filled with snowballs, doesn't hurt the look.Add nutmeg or cinnamon to your mixture if you want little flecks of dirt added to your snowballs.Roll the styrofoam balls generously in the joint compound mixture.Congradulations! See, it wasn't as hard as you thought it was going to be. Anyone can make a snowball! Have fun and until next time - craft on, from the candle making supplies team at www.wicks-wax-scents.comWorkshop in San Francisco holds Pie-in-a-Jar classes. Next class Apr 27; $36; workshopsf.orgA few drops of the colored stain or acrylic paint -the color choice is yours, winter blue, snowy white, creamy, or old fashion winter white.Mr Magness and Mr Page's book offers evidence that Lincoln continued to support colonisation, engaging in secret diplomacy with Britain to establish a colony in British Honduras, now Belize.Lines form early at Whiffies food cart in Portland for the vegan chocolate coconut and barbecue brisket pies. whiffies.com One-man operation The Piecycle pedals pies around Seattle's University District. twitter.com/thepiecycleThis is an breezy, simple craft to do and you will receive hours of enjoyment in making snowballs. I warn you this can be addictive.These are very inexpensive to make and so easy, even your children need very little supervision. Now if you are a perfectionist, making these to sell at a craft show, you may want to leave the children to their own side of the table.Lincoln's views about colonisation are well known among historians and he even referred to colonisation in the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, his September 1862 warning to the South that he would free all slaves in Southern territory, if the rebellion continued.Seattle's new Pie does killer breakfast versions like huevos rancheros and ham 'n' cheese in flaky, palm-size crusts. sweetandsavorypie.comAmong the records found at the British archives is an 1863 order from Lincoln granting a British agent permission to recruit volunteers for a Belize colony. "He didn't let colonisation die off. He became very active in promoting it in the private sphere, through diplomatic channels," Mr Magness said. He surmises that Lincoln grew weary of the controversy that surrounded colonisation efforts, which were criticised by many abolitionists.All Jarred Up in L.A. mails ready-to-bake pies in mason jars all over the country. Tip: We doubled the oven time to 30 minutes. alljarredup.comUnlike some others, Lincoln always promoted voluntary colonisation but historians differ on whether he moved away from colonisation after he issued the official Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, or continued to support it.Candle scent, if you want your snowballs scented, the strength is your choice, but a little goes a long way.Acrylic craft paint or water based stain, brown is the preferred color, but don't be afraid to experiment.Real NutmegThen drop in the bowl of glitter glass (my personal favorite) Make sure you coat the snowball evenly all around.Pick it up, gently, and shake off the excess glitter. Place the snowball on a pizza pan that is lined with old fashion wax paper.As the nation celebrated the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's first inauguration on Friday, the book by a researcher at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, said Lincoln was more committed to colonising blacks than previously known.

Congradulations! See, it wasn't as hard as you thought it was going to be. Anyone can make a snowball! Have fun and until next time - craft on, from the candle making supplies team at www.wicks-wax-scents.com

Author: Starlina Stimmer

New book casts doubt on Lincoln's race legacy

Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address has inspired Americans for generations, but a new book claims to show startling racial contradictions on the part of the president, including covert colonisation talks with Britain.

These creative primitive grungy crafts look great as decorations in your country decor. Try placing them in baskets, old primitive boxes, old pans, wooden dough bowls. Add a sprig or two of Christmas green, pinecones, a few red berries dried, or use your imagination and see what you can come up with.German Glass Glitter, Mica Glitter, or Diamond Dust found at any craft shop or on line.Mix the following together:Bag up 6 to 12 of the various sized snowballs in a cello bag with a festive bow and the grungy primitive tag. Add a sprig of green and a bow of twine and rag strips. You can get those bags from the grocery store that are paper with the see through plastic window in the front. Those make a great for display at you craft show and are prefect for gift giving. Mix them with the waxed dipped rag balls, fill a big old blue mason ball jars. Add a vintage postcard strung on a ribbon. You can have a truly primitive grungy Christmas gift that anyone would love. You could even make a lamp with the old blue mason jar.They have to dry for 2 or 3 days at the least. Make sure you turn the balls over once or twice a day.Joint compoundIt is just like being a kid all over again, when you create one of these delightfully cool snowballs or icicles.You will need the following.

Among the records found at the British archives is an 1863 order from Lincoln granting a British agent permission to recruit volunteers for a Belize colony. "He didn't let colonisation die off. He became very active in promoting it in the private sphere, through diplomatic channels," Mr Magness said. He surmises that Lincoln grew weary of the controversy that surrounded colonisation efforts, which were criticised by many abolitionists.

New life of pie: for years, pie has played plain Jane to cupcake's Cinderella story. Now, it's shaking off its sleepy image with crazy flavors and innovations. Here's where it's happening

San Francisco's Chile Pies & Ice Cream gussies up classic flavors: Try the apple with green chiles and a cheddar crust. greenchilekitchen.com

A Christmas Tradition with a Vintage TwistOk, here we goMy mother loved to find new crafts for us to do every year at Christmas and this was my favorite. I loved those times with my family, the 1950's and 60's. Moms were mom and dads were dads. I hope you will find this recipe will bring hours or joy with your family, as it did with mine.At Seattle's High 5 Pie, expect daring flavors baked into pie pops (yes, pie lollipops), and folded into jars and mini turnovers. high5pie.com

Lines form early at Whiffies food cart in Portland for the vegan chocolate coconut and barbecue brisket pies. whiffies.com One-man operation The Piecycle pedals pies around Seattle's University District. twitter.com/thepiecycle

Simple Seed Saving

Seed saving can be a rewarding and cost saving activity particularly if plants are selected for their good seed saving characteristics. This article will offer the beginning seed saver helpful advice on which plants to start with and how best to harvest, prepare and save the seeds. Bean/pea, lettuce, pepper, and tomato offer the beginning seed saver the best chance for successful seed saving. They produce seed the same season as planted and are mostly self-pollinating, minimizing the need to be mindful of preventing cross-pollination.

There are several things you need to keep in mind:� What kind of tables is being used (round or long and how large)?Slice open the tomato, squeeze out the pulp and seeds into a glass jar, add water up to about � of the jar, and set aside for a few days. A residue will collect on the top of the water as well as some of the seeds (these are dead seeds). The water will clear and the viable seeds will sink to the bottom of the jar. After five days carefully scoop out the residue from the top and throw it away, pour off the water and then pour out the seeds from the bottom of the jar onto white paper towel for drying.A great idea for place cards is to print the names out on your computer, using a heavier stock paper, Cut them out and simply weave them into the tines of the dinner fork at each place setting!http://www.seedsave.org/issi/issi_904.html1) Baskets: They come in all sizes and shapes and can make even simple gifts look attractive. Packing your gifts in baskets doubles the pleasure as most will reuse as holders for bread, towels or fruit, or simply as an accessory. Wrap your goody-filled basket in cellophane and tie with a ribbon.To your beautiful wedding!2) Tins: Antique and reproduction tins make useful and decorative additions to any kitchen. They are ideal for packing such food gifts as gourmet coffees and teas, spices, candy, cookies and cakes, and they will most likely continue to be used.Being creative and using items around the house can save you time and money. Have fun with these great ideas � the recipient of the gift will enjoy your creative thoughtfulness.4) Cloth bags: You can make these by sewing two colourful pieces of cloth together and inserting a drawstring, or you can purchase bags at a store or online. Small bags can be reused to hold jewellery, while larger bags are great for laundry.Some care must be taken to separate different varieties by at least 50 feet help ensure purity. Most peppers turn red when fully mature and this is the time to harvest seeds for saving. If frost threatens before peppers mature, pull the entire plant and hang in cool, dry location until peppers mature. Cut open mature peppers and scoop out the seeds. Follow with a gentle washing in a mild 10% bleach solution, and lay the seeds out in a single layer on white paper towels until the seeds have thoroughly dried.8) Envelopes: For gift cards or gifts of money, place in a card and envelope. Write a letter on the outside of the envelope, roll up and place in a bottle to create a �message in a bottle� effect � or punch a hole through the corner of the envelope and tie a colourful ribbon through it to hang it on a tree.� For Valentine�s Day, or anytime during February, you can take a large brandy snifter or fish bowl and fill it with little net bags of heart-shaped candies. Tie each bag with ribbons in your wedding colors. Place it on a charger or some colored tissue and sprinkle candy hearts and chocolate kisses around them. The little bags will then become the favors for your guests, so you�ve killed two birds with one stone.� How many people will be there?

http://www.seedsave.org/issi/issi_904.html

Author: Dr. Christopher Kline

Alternative Gift Wrapping Ideas

Sometimes wrapping gifts can be equally as stressful as buying � and sometimes equally as expensive. Here are some quick and cost-effective ways to nix the wrapping this year.

Beans/PeasA few weeks before planting time perform a test germination of saved seeds by placing the seeds on three layers of moist white paper towels, roll the towels loosely and place them in a plastic bag. Keep the bag in a warm place until germination occurs. Depending on the type of seeds germination may take anywhere from 2-14 days.� How big is your budget?� For spring or fall you can make your centerpieces from that season�s fruit, adding in a few flowers in the spring, or pine cones for fall. Cut some greenery from your bushes in the yard to place around the bowls.You can also borrow mason jars, fill them halfway with sand and poke dried flowers into them to create wedding centerpieces. The jars can be spray painted, tissue wrapped, etc. If you prefer fresh flowers, half-fill with water, add rocks and a few flowers. You can also gather leaves, branches, pine cones, small rocks, and spray paint them silver. Arrange in the center of the table. A tall thick candle can be centered in the grouping�again not too close to the sprayed items.Seed Storage� What time of year is the wedding?7) Ribbons and Bows: If something is large enough � or too awkward to wrap � avoid the wrapping process all together and stick some curly ribbons or a pretty bow on it. Scraps of coloured yarn can work for those who are trying to be extra thrifty.

Being creative and using items around the house can save you time and money. Have fun with these great ideas � the recipient of the gift will enjoy your creative thoughtfulness.

Author: Colette Robicheau

Do It Yourself Wedding Centerpieces

Do it yourself wedding centerpieces are inexpensive to make. They can be somewhat labor intensive however. Still, they can be made in one fun evening with the help of a bunch of friends, a bottle of wine and some snacks! It is a good idea to make a sample and see how you like it before making all the others. If you are using fresh flowers, you need to know how long it takes for them to start drooping. Do they have to be put together at the last minute, or can they be done a day or two in advance?

Paper envelopes work well for storing each seed variety. Before storing test to make sure the seeds are dry enough by attempting to bend them. If the seeds snap instead of bending they are sufficiently dehydrated for storing. Large mason jars work well for storing your seed envelopes. Prepare a jar for seed storing by placing a small, cloth bag filled with dry, powdered milk in the bottom of the jar. This will help to absorb any moisture from the storage container. Place the seed envelopes in the jar, on top of the bag and tightly seal the jar. Next place the jar in the freezer for two days. This helps to kill any diseases that may be infecting the seeds. Find a place for long term storage that is a cool, dry, and dark where the temperatures remains fairly stable. A garage, storeroom, pantry, closet or even a drawer will work well.TomatoesLettuce5) Photo boxes: This saves a lot of time. Simply place a gift in the photo box and add a tag and a bow. Photo boxes come in an array of colours, patterns and sizes and you can find them for almost any occasion, giving the gift the feeling of being wrapped.Always harvest seeds from the best plants available. Choose healthy disease-free plants with desirable qualities. Look for the most flavorful vegetables or beautiful flowers. Because seed set reduces the vigor of the plant and discourages further fruit production, wait until near the end of the season to save fruit for seed. Seeds are mature when flowers are faded and dry or have puffy tops.Candles make lovely wedding centerpieces and can be done way in advance. Votive candles floating in a small glass bowl of potpourri or fresh flower petals. Take a cake plate and arrange candles of different heights around it, using your colors. Tuck a few fresh flowers around the spaces on the plate just before the reception. Don�t use dried or silk flowers for this purpose as they burn too easily. Pick up some tiny potted flowers, wrap the pots in tissue and ribbon, and arrange in the center of the table�using them later as favors, of course.With lettuce you will need to take care to separate varieties flowering at the same time by at least 20 feet to avoid cross pollination. Some outside leaves can still be harvested for eating without harming seed production. Once half the flowers have gone to seed, cut off the entire top of the plant and allow it to dry upside down in an open paper bag for 2-3 weeks.Peppers6) Recyclables: You can use movie posters, newspapers, pieces of fabric, comics, maps or whatever else you have lying around the house! Depending on the occasion or the recipient, you can be as basic or as creative as you like.� For Christmastime, decorate tiny little trees, sprayed white with little balls in your wedding colors. Or Fill a little wicker sleigh with tiny faux presents and decorative balls�or Christmas candies wrapped and then used as your favors.Toward the end of the season and while healthy pods are still being formed allow the pods on some plants to dry brown before harvesting. This is about six weeks after eating stage for beans and four for peas. If frost threatens, pull the entire plant, and hang in cool, dry location until pods are brown.If possible, allow tomatoes to completely ripen before harvesting for seed production.

To your beautiful wedding!

Author: Bobbie Hamilton