The many health benefits of ginger

I'm sure you've head of the old 'drink ginger ale for an upset stomach' home remedy, right? Many people think that it work because of the carbonation which makes you burp, releasing pressure. They're right...sort of. 

cup of tea with the words: health properties in ginger tea

What actually works is the ginger in the ginger ale. Of course most commercially available sodas don't contain much (if any) actual ginger anymore so the relief you feel probably is from a combination of burping and adding liquid to your stomach which basically 'waters down' the acids that are bothering you. 

Thankfully, soda companies are noticing the demand for real ginger and are reverting back to their old recipes which are pretty effective for an upset stomach....you do have to check the label to be sure though.

Real ginger however, will do the trick much more efficiently and do so much more! Ginger is amazing for reducing irritation of your stomach, helping with bile production, and relieving nausea. 

It is often given to people with digestive issues, women with morning sickness, and even cancer patients dealing with nausea. If you have digestive issues, you can definitely benefit from using ginger on a regular basis.

Health benefits of ginger


Ginger (
Zingiber officinale) is a great food to add to your natural healthcare regimen for more then just stomach upsets. It can also help with inflammation, arthritis, pain, circulation and so much more. Gingerols are the active compounds in ginger that are responsible for its anti inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Mother Earth News Fair in Pennsylvania

Yesterday I spent the day at the Mother Earth News Fair in Seven Springs, Pennsylvania. It was a pretty nice day but there was a little rain here and there (which seems like fair tradition by now!) There were a lot of vendors and many speakers across several stages covering everything from off grid living and tiny homes, to livestock care and organic gardening. 

The fair spanned the entire back lot of the Seven Springs resort, plus the side lot and several areas indoors. As always, it was quite busy and we had a wonderful time.

Mother Earth News Fair, Seven Springs Pa

Mother Earth News Fair, Seven Springs

I have been going for several years but after missing last year, I noticed several changes to the fair. First, many of the big brands that were mainly information booths were not there. Meyer Hatchery, Brinsea, Purina, Manna Pro and many more used to attend the fair and get big booths where they would hand out free samples or coupons and information all weekend long. These weren't sale booths, they were just to introduce attendees to their product. I didn't see any of these companies there and only a few of this type of booth there. I also didn't see any of the magazine or website booths as I had in recent years. 

Next, there were a ton of 'vendor' type booths. People were selling darn near everything and there were a lot of them! There were a few demonstrations but mostly there was row upon row of herbal concoctions, soaps, creams, foods, seeds, natural products and tools. The maple cotton candy people were back, and it was just as yummy as last time. Oh...and there were mashed potato martinis! I kid you not!

How to succession plant a flower bed

I grow lilies. Lots of them! I have 8 different places where I have lilies planted. 3 of the flower beds are exclusive, meaning no other plant grows there perennially. Two of my lily beds have other perennials in them and one has spaces for annuals. Some of the lilies I grow are quite beautiful but unfortunately when they die off for the year I'm left with scraggly empty looking beds. 

Same thing happens with the tulips.

succession planting flowers


Unfortunately this happens with lots of flowers, especially those grown from bulbs. Once they're done flowering they die off leaving the flower bed looking rather sad. It can definitely be replanted, but unlike annuals that you can just rip out the whole thing, till and start again...you need to be careful not to damage the bulbs.

A few years back I came up with a plan to re-purpose those flower beds and have done it successfully for several years. By succession planting the flower beds I can guarantee flowers for the whole growing season. It looks pretty and it's good for the soil to have different plants growing in it annually.

This year I started with the lilies by the driveway. I chose marigolds for the bees and I started them from seed, which is pretty easy. Had I used nursery starts I could have picked them up a few weeks ago. 

Many times I can find some great clearance buys this time of year and re-pot them to give them room to grow while I wait for the lilies to finish.  

I also had some Celosia that was growing in my carrots and I didn't plant them, so they needed moved. I'm guessing it was some sort of seed company accident. Either way, I let them grow out knowing I'd be moving them when the time came.