Just thought of sharing with you this clever idea I read from Cyndi’s blog. For Asian cooking aficionados like me, I would probably substitute the herbs with coriander, cilantro, Vietnamese mint, Thai basil, etc.

This makes for a good gift idea! Don’t you think? Or a DIY marvel! Customise the herbs you want in your pot. But if I were you, I would suggest putting name tags. I can easily confuse one herb for the other.
Image credit: www.harryanddavid.com

Oh yes, I’m in a gardening mood! My tomatoes have been planted out today, finally, and I’m planting my eggplants and peppers tomorrow, and hopefully the herbs too if I have enough time. I’m starting out late, but better late than never, right?
My favorite mode of gardening is Wintersowing (FAQs written by Trudi Davidoff, who popularized winter sowing can be found here.) However, last winter was one of our busiest, and I neglected my seed sowing until late February and March. Finally got some seeds started, but then we took a vacation in April and by …read more

Bernardo Dizon, author of Practical Guide to Backyard and Orchard Farming, now has his own website, offering exotic fruit trees for backyard orchardists. There is quite a variety, including chico, a.k.a. sapodilla (Sc. Achras sapota), the famous durian, jackfruit, lanzones (lansium domesticum), lychee, longan, macopa (a personal favorite), mangosteen, and rambutan (okay, so drstel is not a fruit).
Ka Bernie is a multi-awarded agriculturist and has given so much to the farming community — and he still has so much to teach us. Those of you who are in the Philippines and looking to grow some of these fruits …read more

Goji berries, also known as wolfberries
For some reason, these berries are on everyone’s radar these days — raw foodists, celebrities, juice fans, herbalists — even Madonna. Supposedly, these berries are almost magical and have been prescribed for just about any illness there is. Unfortunately, there isn’t much conclusive data to go around — do let me know if I’m wrong on this. Cathy Wong, who is the about.com expert on alternative medicine, has this Q&A on Goji berries.

I bought these pine nuts because Susanna Foo’s recipe was beckoning to me (coming soon), but after making a batch of her “Honeyed” Pine Nuts I still have half the bag leftover — one of the advantages (?) of shopping in bulk. So here I go looking for ways to use this up so they don’t go rancid on me. I suppose I could stick them in the freezer until the mood for honeyed pine nuts hits again, but browsing for other ideas on the ‘net is so much fun. I’ve found two possibilities already!
Two-Minute Calamari from …read more

I recently received this link to an NPR broadcast that talks about the way wasabi triggers receptors that send signals to our brain. The article attempts to explain why people would “want” to experience pain, specifically that which comes from ingesting wasabi. Quite an interesting listen, especially since I’ve never equated eating wasabi with anything but pleasure.
This reminded me that I had planned to get myself some wasabi rhizomes last year. The sudden move precluded that, but now that we’re settled in our new home, I am itching to grow some in the backyard. A search …read more

Park Seed is one of Gardenweb members’ favorite seed sources, and I’ve been a happy customer for the past 2 years as well. They’ve got a nice selection of seeds for veggies and herbs, including Asian varieties like Thai basil (Siam Queen), cilantro, Thai peppers, and Chinese cabbage. Make sure you take a look at their Web Specials!

Evergreen Seeds
Kitazawa Seed company, the oldest seed company in the US specializing in Asian vegetable seeds — the selection is extensive, but they’re on the pricey side as well.
AgroHaitai
New Dimension Seed
Harvest Moon Farms and Seed Company
Seeds of Change, one of my favorite seed sources — can be pricey too, but worth every penny in my opinion. Years ago when there were not a lot of choices for Asian seeds, Seeds of Change came through for me many times. They’re organic too! But so are others on this list.
The Natural Gardening Company
Marshall Grain — free shipping on seeds!
Horizon …read more

Hey, it’s almost spring! Are you thinking like I am about an Asian veggie and herb garden? We just moved to a new home so I’m eager to get started! Today I purchased two seed packets — edamame and red perilla — from Botanical Interests. I love this company because they’ve got really good seeds (high % of germination) and the artwork on the seed packets are unbelievable. They also provide a great deal of information on starting the seeds, growing tips, etc.
My personal seed exchange list can be found here. It …read more