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We’d love to share with you our passion for growing herbs and vegetables and living a healthy lifestyle! Whether you’re looking to start a home garden, or improve your diet and way of living, you’re in the right place!
Here, you’ll find helpful tutorials and recommendations for planting herb and vegetable gardens, so you can get digging and enjoy a new connectedness with nature. Learn how to tend and harvest your very own produce and cook healthy nutritious meals for you and your loved ones. We’ll also show you how to incorporate herbs into your everyday life so your health is a practice and not a problem to be solved.
The Ultimate Guide to Growing Herbs Indoors
Bring the outdoors in by growing herb plants in your home! You’ll have fresh flavour and fragrance at your fingertips, as well as the added beauty of living plant decor! Follow our helpful guide to growing herbs indoors and grow herbs like a pro on your windowsill, kitchen counter and even in your bedroom!
10 Exciting Ways to Use Herbs in Your House
Here’s some ideas you probably haven’t thought of for using herbs around your home! They have amazing healing properties whether used in cooking, body products, cleaners or aromatherapy. Harness their beneficial powers by trying one of these easy projects today!
How to Start an Herb Garden
Herbs can share in any landscaping theme, from the simplest planting at the kitchen doorstep, to elaborate formal designs. Start an herb garden so you can enjoy beautiful fresh herbs in your own yard!
How to Make Herbal Candles
Our naturally scented, non-toxic herbal candles are a great alternative to the chemical-laden candles found in stores these days. Learn how to make these wonderfully scented aromatherapy candles, and use them for home decor, romantic dinners or thoughtful aromatherapy gifts!
How to Make Herbal Bath Salts
Taking a long bath with herbal bath salts can have great health benefits! Whether you’re fighting a cold, sore muscles, inflammation, pain or exhaustion, our collection of bath salts recipes can help you relax and heal! Give yourself the gift of self-care tonight, or make a batch to give away as gifts!
Health Benefits of Herbs
Herbs are becoming more recognized as healthy food ingredients, and many studies show that eating fresh herbs can have amazing health benefits, such as lowered risk of diseases like cancer, diabetes and heart problems. Read how to incorporate fresh herbs into your diet today!
How to Grow and Harvest Basil
Basil is considered the king of herbs, and it is one of the most popular herbs for the home and garden. Learn how to grow basil and harvest it throughout the summer for use in your kitchen!
Sweet Valley by Jolly Farmer
Bringing you the freshest herbs since 1997! For 25 years, Sweet Valley has been known for our extensive assortment of high quality herbs and vegetables.
Rosemary officinalis
Rosemary officinalis is considered a triple threat herb for good reason! It’s ornamental, it’s fragrant, and most importantly, it is delicious! Sweet Valley carries several varieties and we’re here to explain the differences between them.
How to Make Herb Salt
Use your extra herbs to make this delicious herb salt! You can use any combination of herbs to create this seasoning blend, and it will add amazing flavour to your cooking all year round!
Chervil – An Overlooked Herb
Chervil is an overlooked herb, but finding simple ways to add it to your cooking can make all the difference in flavour! Try these easy methods of using chervil and elevate your cuisine today!
How To Dry Your Herbs
Herbs can be harvested and preserved for use throughout the year when fresh herbs are unavailable. We’ll explain how to dry your herbs so you can continue to use them in your cooking even during the winter.
Why is My Fennel Not Producing Bulbs?
If your fennel is not producing bulbs, the most likely reason is that you have the wrong variety. There are two types of fennel: leaf-producing and bulb-producing, and knowing your varieties can save you confusion later on.
Flat-Leaf Parsley and Curly Parsley: What’s The Difference?
Parsley is used by chefs around the world to add flavour and colour to a variety of cuisines and dishes. Learn the difference between flat-leaf parsley and curly parsley and how to best use them to their strengths in the kitchen.
How to Make Herbal Cleaner
Herbs can be used for more than just cooking! Try making this safe, non-toxic herbal cleaner to use around your home. It works great on mold and bacteria and is eco-friendly.
Lemon Verbena – A Happy Sunny Herb
Lemon Verbena is considered the strongest lemon-scented herb and it’s a must have in your culinary herb garden. Its fresh scent is intoxicating and it’s delightful in teas and summer drinks or served with fish and chicken.
Herb Pairings
Matching herbs with food shouldn’t be complicated. Use our simple herb pairings guide to help you match your herbs with your favourite foods, and get back to being creative in the kitchen!
A New Home for Sweet Valley
Anna and Aaron Randall of Sweet Valley Herbs, have agreed to sell their product line and brand to Jolly Farmer in order to satisfy the increasing demand for their product. We look forward to many more successful years with “Sweet Valley by Jolly Farmer”.
How to Grow Cilantro
Cilantro is a relatively easy herb to grow, but many gardeners find that it bolts and goes to seed quite quickly. Here are a couple of tips on how to grow cilantro so it lasts longer.
Growing Lavender in Containers
Lavender is a flowering plant that’s easily identified by its sweet floral scent. It’s often used in cosmetics, candles, as a stress reliever and even in cooking. Here’s what you need to know if you’re planning on growing lavender in containers.
How to Make Herbal Soap
Try this fun and easy DIY project and make some wonderfully scented herbal soap bars to use in your home or give away as gifts! It’s a great way to use up extra herbs from your garden.
Tips for Repotting Herbs
Whether in small containers from the garden centre or larger pots around the home, herbs will eventually need to be transplanted to allow them more space to grow. Here are some tips for repotting herbs around your home.
What is the Difference Between Genovese Basil and Nufar Basil?
Basil is a must have for the culinary herb garden. If you’re trying to tell the difference between Genovese Basil and Nufar Basil, here are some ways you can tell them apart and decide which variety is right for you.
Our Best Lavender Varieties
If you have never grown lavender, it is rather easy. Choose from one of our best lavender varieties and ensure it has well-drained soil and full sun. Then sit back and reap the rewards of this amazingly fragrant and beautiful herb!
How to Overwinter Rosemary
Rosemary is a perennial in many regions, but in the Maritimes, freezing winter temperatures will kill your plants. If you expected your rosemary to come back in the spring, but were disappointed, here’s some tips for how to overwinter rosemary.
Overwintering Herbs
When overwintering herbs, it’s important to leave enough growth to sustain your perennial herbs through the cold winter months. For tender herbs, consider bringing them inside to enjoy in cooking all year.
The Purpose Driven Gardener
Gardening with a purpose is starting to take root! That’s right, it’s not just about pretty flowers anymore. The purpose driven gardener strives to bring back a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle for future generations!
How to Dry Your Lavender
Learn how to dry your lavender to preserve its beauty and essence long after the growing season is over. This relaxing herb can be added to many body products, candles and potpourris for a calming scent throughout your home.
How to Harvest Herbs
Grow a home herb garden and harvest herbs all season long. Our simple guide to cutting herbs will help you enjoy their freshness and aroma in your cooking and DIY projects.
Tips for Container Gardening
Container gardening has gained popularity in recent years and is a great way to grow your own fresh herbs and vegetables, even in locations where you don’t have a lot of growing space! Our guide to patio gardening will get you on your way to enjoying fresh produce from your own deck, patio or porch!
How to Freeze Herbs
The freshness and flavour of herbs can be preserved by freezing them. Here’s how to freeze herbs whole or chopped, so you have them on hand for cooking when fresh herbs are not available. The flavours of herbs can also be captured in herbal butters or vinegars.
Stevia, Sweeter than Sugar
Use Stevia as a healthy alternative to sugar! It’s known as the herb that is sweeter than sugar, and while it can be challenging to learn to cook with it, the health benefits of learning to do so are well worth the extra effort! Here’s a few tips on how to grow your own Stevia.
What is Vietnamese Coriander?
Vietnamese Coriander is one of those herbs that gives Vietnamese cuisine its unique flavour. It has a clear lemon taste with a hint of pepper. And contrary to its name, this herb never goes to seed – it just produces leaves that are excellent in salads, meat and soups.
Herbal Gift Guide
The pleasant aromas and practical uses of herbs can help you make the perfect healthy gift. Whether it’s for a loved one or friend, a gourmet cook or a busy mom, there’s an idea for everyone in our herbal gift guide!
Companion Planting Guide
Many gardeners find that with companion planting, they can discourage harmful pests without losing the beneficial allies. There are many varieties of herbs, flowers and vegetables that can be used for companion plants. Add beauty and purpose to your garden with our companion planting guide.
Mint – Controlling an Invasive Specie
Every year we hear complaints about how mint is an invasive specie. But it’s too special an herb to write off completely! Here’s some ways you can manage the spread of this plant so you can get back to enjoying fresh mint in your cooking, desserts and drinks!
Buy Local in the 100 Mile Challenge!
Challenge yourself to buy local and only eat foods grown, produced and sold within 100 miles of your home! Locally grown produce is much richer in beneficial nutrients, and supporting local farmers and producers is extremely beneficial to our health and the environment.
Companion Plants for Tomatoes!
Companion planting is a great way to improve the growth and flavour of your vegetables. Try these companion plants for tomatoes in your garden to help control harmful pests and promote more growth! Many of these combinations are also great on your dinner plate!
How to Store Fresh Herbs
Do you find that your fresh herbs from the grocery store are often less than fresh? They are usually days old by the time they are transported and stocked in the store, and have lost nutrients and flavour. Here’s some ways you can still store fresh herbs year round.
