Did you know that dill was used by Hippocrates as an application on burns suffered by soldiers in ancient Rome? Dill is not just used for pickling or as an added herb to certain dishes, but has medicinal qualities as well.

The green dill leaves have a sweet aroma and taste. When dried, the dill seeds are similar in taste to caraway seeds, and have a sweet and citric type flavor but slightly buttery as well. Derived from the Norse word dilla; it means to lull. Thus, this herb is used to induce sleep and is a great insomnia reliever.

The components in dill oil act as protective neutralizers in carcinogens such as: cigarettes smoke, charcoal grill smoke, and trash incinerator smoke. This oil also prevents bacteria growth, much in the same way as garlic. In addition to its aforementioned properties, dill is a very good source of calcium which is important for reducing the bone loss that occurs after menopause and in some conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Crushed dill seeds, when diluted with water, can be used as a nail-strengthening bath. When chewed, dill seeds can be highly effective in curing bad breath. It can also be used to relieve stomach symptoms. Simply chop a little dill and mix it with plain low fat yogurt. Did you also know that one tablespoonful of dill seed contains as much calcium as one-third cup of milk? Also, dill tea is used as a stomach soother, to overcome insomnia, and even to cure hiccups. In its diluted form, it may be used as a remedy for gas in infants.

Dill has been used for both its culinary and medicinal properties for thousands of years. Furthermore, dill is widely used in Scandinavian cuisine due to its light and delicate flavor. It compliments fish dishes; goes well with smoked salmon, cheese, egg dishes, sour cream and yogurt. Dill seeds have a much stronger flavor and in combination with vinegar and spices make a great pickling agent. They are partnered with cucumbers to make dill pickles. Dill seed is a very good source of calcium, dietary fiber, as well as the minerals manganese, iron, and magnesium.

Dill can be planted as seeds in your garden; and you they don’t require much care, which is perfect if you are not considered a gardener. If you prefer to purchase it, you can be sure most supermarkets carry fresh dill. In fact, if you have ever tuned into the food network, you will know what to do when you take it home. Run it under water, clean, wrap in paper towels; put into a zip lock bag and you’re set to use it at any time. Yummo!

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Would you just love to grow vegetables, but you don’t have the space? While a big sprawling garden may be the ideal, quality vegetables can be grown even in the absence of a yard. Many people who live in apartments in crowded cities still manage to grow great veggies to enjoy.

When you don’t have a yard to plant in, you can turn to container gardening to grow your fresh fruit and vegetables. It’s easy to find pots and other containers, both large and small that work great for apartment gardens. Plastic gardening containers can be purchased fairly cheaply and work well in most cases. If you’re looking for something more stylish, you can buy or make wooden containers. These keep the soil temperature from fluctuating as much, but require more watering because they’re very porous. If container gardening seems just a little too boring for you, there are plenty of products on the market to make gardens more catchy and cool. One example is the garden sock. This looks like a giant hosiery sock that your can use to plants various vegetables or flowers.

If you’re totally lacking a yard or balcony, you can use more decorative pots or containers. If you place your vegetables correctly in your apartment, they can act as decorative pieces as well as great food. The key for decorating with vegetables is to get creative. Wrapping a vine from a vegetable plant around a post or railing can make a nice accent. Just be sure indoor plants are getting plenty of direct sunlight.

You’re probably still thinking “what kind of vegetables could I possibly grow in such a small space?” While there are certain fruits and veggies that grow in small spaces, like strawberries, the real key is picking the right variety of vegetables to grow. Many vegetables have smaller versions that don’t need as much space as their full size counterparts. When picking plants to grow, look at how much room they need to have and how far apart they need to be.

Hopefully one or more of these tips has gotten your imagination growing. Just remember, instead of concentrating on how your small space limits you, think of the fun and creative things you can do with vegetables in the area you do have.

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Why should you start a vegetable garden?  While growing your own vegetables may seem like a lot of work, there’s nothing like biting into a nice ripe tomato and thinking “I grew this myself”. Gardening provides a great workout with proven stress relief, along with beautiful and tasty vegetables.  So the real question is “why haven’t you started your vegetable garden already?”

The first thing you need to do when starting a vegetable garden is to find a spot and prepare it.  Most veggies need lots of sun to grow; so pick a spot that gets sun most of the day.  You should then tear up the soil to make it loose.  This way you will be able to plant your vegetables and their roots will be able to grow.  It’s almost impossible for little plants to break through compact soil.  You can then put organic material in your soil by adding compost or manure.  If you don’t have this on hand, you can go pick something up at your local gardening store.

The next thing you need to do is to pick out what plants you want to grow.  Of course pick your family’s favorite vegetables first; you don’t want a bunch of food sitting around that no one wants.  Just make sure that the vegetables you want will grow properly where you live.  You also want to pick varieties you have the time and space to take care of.  It’s no fun to do all that work and come out with half-rate vegetables.

Once you have your garden prepared and you know what you want to grow, plan the actual layout of your garden.  The best way to do this is to get out a sheet of paper and draw your garden.  Some plants can grow pretty close together, while others need to be spread out so they won’t have competition.  Draw where you want to put each crop so you know you have enough room for everything.

Now that you have your spot picked out and you know exactly what to get, it’s time to go to the store and buy your plants or seeds.  Just remember if you’re buying seeds that some will not germinate so you’ll want to buy extra.  Good luck and happy planting!

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