In this small study, 22 healthy individuals between the ages of 20 and 50 drank a cup of rosemary tea (a simple brew of 5 grams of dried rosemary in water) every day for 10 days. Before and after the experiment, researchers ran blood tests to measure key markers of participants' stress levels and immune response.
While the immunity markers stayed relatively consistent after the daily tea, researchers did find a significant increase in the concentration of one protein: brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF is an essential molecule for brain health. Essentially, it helps our noggins grow new neurons and synapses while protecting the ones we already have. BDNF seems to help shield our brain's neurons from stress-induced damage, and it's often excreted during bouts of exercise. Normal levels (i.e., not low) of BDNF are considered a biomarker for a healthy mood and mental well-being.
Since BDNF levels increased following the intervention, researchers believe that rosemary might help promote a positive mood and ease everyday stress and anxiousness.* They also found that participants experienced a slight decrease in cortisol levels following their teatime, another signal of a healthy stress response.*
This was only one small trial, and there was no control group (so you can't rule out the placebo effect), but the results track with existing research on rosemary. Previous studies have found that the herb can help promote calm and improve sleep quality in college students and have a mood-boosting effect on mice.* Supplementing with rosemary led to an increase in self-reported focus, enthusiasm, and outlook in another clinical study, and there's also good reason to think the herb can help promote memory and cognitive function.*
In short, consuming rosemary seems to be one (delicious) botanical approach to supporting mood and overall brain health.*
Herbert “Herb” Fogel, 79 of Narragansett and Delray Beach, Florida, passed away on Monday, May 31, 2021, after suffering with Parkinson’s Disease. He was the husband of Judith (Jacobson) Fogel for almost 50 years.
Born in Cranston, Herb was the son of the late Joseph and Lillian (Wine) Fogel.
He grew up in East Greenwich and was a proud graduate of the Class of 1959. He attended Bryant College and served in the Army for 2 years, before joining the family business, Brown Tailors and Cleaners in East Greenwich, where he worked for 34 years, retiring in 2000. It was truly a family business, working side by side with his parents, wife, and children, proudly serving the needs of the town and its many residents.
Herb’s brother, Bruce, instilled in him the love of travel, and Herb, with his wife by his side, told everyone that he visited and toured 6 continents and over 80 countries! Travel, however, took second place to his family who were the love of his life. He was always available to them and continuously bragged about his children and grandchildren. He taught them to have a strong work ethic and a love of life. His mantra was, “It is nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice!”
Herb was a loyal and true friend. He never had a bad word to say about anyone. Friends were like family; you nurtured and cared for them. Among his friends were many he had known since kindergarten. He was in a gourmet dinner group for over 20 years, a theater group for over 25 years, and Florida friends for more than 20 years.
His parents were original members of Temple Sinai in Cranston where he belonged for many years and celebrated life cycle events. Herb was a Boy Scout in Troop 2 East Greenwich, a member of the East Greenwich Jaycees, and a former member of the East Greenwich Chamber of Commerce. For 18 years, Herb and Judy volunteered for the Jewish Family Service of South Palm Beach County, most recently at the Weisman Senior Center in Delray.
Herb was the beloved father of Jenny Miller (Craig Koehler) of Warwick, Jared Fogel (Kelly) of Rehoboth, MA, and Molly Fisher (John) of New York City. He was “Poppy” to Lucy and Lily Miller, Jax and Drew Fogel, and Jack Fisher.
Funeral Information – Services will be held Wednesday at 1:30 at Temple Beth-El, 70 Orchard Ave., Providence.
Shiva will be observed at the home of Herb’s daughter, Jenny Miller at 249 Sleepy Hollow Farm Rd., Warwick on Wednesday 4-8 p.m. and Thursday 2-8 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory can be made to the East Greenwich Free Library, 82 Peirce Street, East Greenwich, RI 02818, or the Charity of your choice.
Don’t play defense. Not on your birthday. Go big, go forth and go eat bacon.
I did, which wasn’t my initial strategy when I walked around the day before and lay in bed the morning of and wondered who could stop this train. Put an end to the relentless piling up of numbers — 50, 55, 60, 65— as if it were a blowout in a football game and the winner knew no shame.
That’s when I decided to flip the paradigm and embrace it. At least publicly. If I could big-boy growing older with a show of bravado, maybe I could convince other people and in turn believe that it was no big deal myself.
“Do I still wish you 'Happy Birthday'?” David asked at the beginning of the bike ride, wondering if certain birthdays were to be celebrated, ignored or called for a period of formal mourning.
I laughed. I think I laughed. If I didn’t laugh then I made an effort not to have a smile look like a grimace.
It’s easy to fall back on the cliches. In this case, it is easier still because the cliches are true or have a grain of truth in them.
"I feel good. I’ve never felt better. I don’t feel any differently than I did yesterday, a year ago or five."
I feel this, believe this and act as if this were true but it’s possible other people see this differently. They may look at me and not see the me that I think me is.
No matter how vigorous your me is, we’re ice cream melting on the sidewalk. We’re melting, even when it’s cool but the goal is to melt slowly, evenly and not leave a big mess on the pavement for someone else to clean up.
People are nice to you on your birthday. Sue snuck a present on the breakfast table. Presents are best as surprises, planted in the cover of darkness.
We’re never too old for presents. Hers were five soft nylon bags in which to keep shirts, socks and pants from falling all over one another in a suitcase. She had some and I have lusted after them. Some of us are looking for answers, others will settle for keeping their suitcase organized.
Our daughter-in-law Lauren sent a text. Daughters-in-law remember birthdays. Especially good ones and this one is.
The kids called. Kids who are not kids. No one really knows what to say but they were game and tried to put a happy face on it.
What’s unsaid is, "Is this going to happen to me?"
We had a homemade Mexican dinner and a chocolate raspberry cake with Katie, Hunter and their kids, Andrew and Lillian, in La Jolla. There is hardly anything better than having small children sitting on your lap and helping you blow out the candles.
Melting, maybe, older certainly but grateful nonetheless. We take our stand in the sand against the tide. If you can, don’t play defense but keep playing as if your life depended on it.
The report on Herb Seeds Market added by Affluence provides a complete briefing on strategic recommendations, trends, segmentation, use case analysis, competitive intelligence, global and regional forecast to 2026. The objective of this research is to provide a 360 holistic view of the Herb Seeds market and bringing insights that can help stakeholders identify the opportunities as well as challenges. The report provides the market size in terms of value and volume of the Global Herb Seeds Market.
The analyst studied various companies like Baker Creek Heirloom Seed, Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Burpee Seeds, Thompson & Morgan, Suttons, Mountain Rose Herbs, etc. to understand the products and/services relevant to the Herb Seeds market. The report includes information such as gross revenue, production and consumption, average product price, and market shares of key players. Other factors such as competitive analysis and trends, mergers & acquisitions, and expansion strategies have been included in the report. This will enable the existing competitors and new entrants to understand the competitive scenario to plan future strategies.
The Herb Seeds Market Report Covers Major Market Players as Follows:
Baker Creek Heirloom Seed
Johnny’s Selected Seeds
Burpee Seeds
Thompson & Morgan
Suttons
West Coast Seeds
Mountain Rose Herbs
Seed Parade
Urban Farmer
Territorial Seed
Seeds of Change
Herb Seeds Market Segmentation:
Detailed segmentation of the Herb Seeds market, based on type and application, and a descriptive structure of trends of the segments and sub-segments are elaborated in the report. It also provides the market size and estimates a forecast from the year 2021 to 2026 with respect to five major regions, like North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), the Middle East and Africa (MEA), and South & Central America.
Herb Seeds Market landscape and the market scenario include:
Current market size estimate
Revenues by players
Market size by product categories
Market size by regions/country
The Herb Seeds industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed. Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions offered.
Chapters Covered in Herb Seeds Market Report Are as Follow:
Introduction
Research Methodology
Executive Summary
Market Forces
Herb Seeds Market Outlook by Connectivity Type (Current size & future market estimates): GMOs, Non-GMOs
Herb Seeds Market Outlook by Application (Current size & future market estimates): Commercial, Household, Others
Herb Seeds Market Outlook by Regions (Current size & future market estimates)
Competitive Landscape
Company Profiles Includes Company Overview, Product & Services Offerings, Financials (only for listed companies), New Developments and Innovation)
Companies considered for the analysis: Baker Creek Heirloom Seed, Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Burpee Seeds, Thompson & Morgan, Suttons, West Coast Seeds, Mountain Rose Herbs, Seed Parade, Urban Farmer, Territorial Seed, Seeds of Change
The Herb Seeds Market Report Addresses the Following Queries:
What is the estimated size of the market by 2026?
Which segment accounted or a large share of the market in the past?
Which segment is expected to account the largest market share by 2026?
Which governing bodies have approved the use of Herb Seeds?
Which region accounts for a dominant share of the market?
Which region is anticipated to create lucrative opportunities in the market?
About Affluence:
Affluence Market Reports is the next generation of all your research needs with a strong grapple on the worldwide market for industries, organizations, and governments. Our aim is to deliver exemplary reports that meet the definite needs of clients, which offers an adequate business technique, planning, and competitive landscape for new and existing industries that will develop your business needs.
We provide a premium in-depth statistical approach, a 360-degree market view that includes detailed segmentation, key trends, strategic recommendations, growth figures, Cost Analysis, new progress, evolving technologies, and forecasts by authentic agencies.
Current Trends in Herb Seeds Industry: Market Estimation 2021-2026 and Company Profiles: Baker Creek Heirloom Seed, Johnny's Selected Seeds, Burpee Seeds, Thompson & Morgan, Suttons, Mountain Rose Herbs, and more | Affluence – Out Fr - Out Front Colorado
This unusual pesto can be enjoyed in so many ways: whisk some together with a little oil to make a salad dressing or spread it on toasted sourdough bread. Easy and quick, it’s also deliciously healthy.
Chestnut & Herb Pesto Makes 375g
Ingredients
100g vacuum-packed chestnuts
1 small garlic clove, crushed
12 large sage leaves
25g flatleaf parsley
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Method
1 Whiz all the ingredients in a food processor, or purée with a hand-held blender, until the mixture is coarsely chopped.
2 This pesto will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or it can be spooned into ice-cube trays and frozen.
Extracted from Fertile: Nourish and Balance Your Body Ready for Baby Making by Emma Cannon (Vermilion, approx €23).
Herbs have been used in medicine for many years, and their powers are only becoming more recognised in the Western world. From infusions to decoctions and tinctures, there are many ways to introduce herbs into our daily lives.
Plants and mushrooms have been used traditionally in many cultures for their healing qualities. Herbalists have been learning about their unique qualities for millennia, using the slow art of herbal lore, involving thorough observation of plants and people, to form a robust knowledge of herbs. Today, scientific research, scrutiny, and clinical trials have uncovered increasing evidence to verify this ancient knowledge.
How do herbs work?
Plants contain various chemicals, or compounds, with a range of medicinal properties. These can be similar across different plants but tend to be in a certain composition within a species. For example, many aromatic plants, such as lemon balm, have the component geraniol, giving them a sweet, citrus smell and calming properties. However, in each plant, geraniol is part of a unique blend of components, like a single note in a perfume, giving it an individual character in that species.
This is why herbalists work with the whole plant rather than singling out an ingredient, harnessing the naturally occurring synergy of components, then carefully blending plants into more complex remedies.
5 types of herbs for mental wellness
Herbalists take a holistic approach to remedies. Herbal blends are chosen that have been found to work on systems in synergy, using a range of actions to finely balance body, mind, emotions, and spirit. Each herb also has more than one action, making it useful for a range of conditions.
Adaptogenic herbs
Adaptogenic herbs, such as Siberian and Korean ginseng, ashwagandha, Rhodiola, Reishi, Schisandra, and holy basil help the body adapt to external or internal stressors. They restore vitality by working on the physiological processes of energy production and cell regeneration in the body.
Adaptogenic herbs are held sacred in Ayurvedic tradition, where they are considered “Rasayana”, or rejuvenating. In Chinese traditions, they are thought of as energy tonics, helping the flow of chi - or energy - through the body. Adaptogens should be used sparingly for a short period of time to support a person at times of transition, such as during major life events or convalescence, or during a period of excessive stress.
Antioxidants improve cellular metabolism by reducing oxidative damage to cells so they work more efficiently, experience less wear and tear, and maintain vitality. Antioxidants play an important role in repairing damage from chronic inflammation. The effects of stress and systemic inflammation are very visible in the circulatory system, causing symptoms such as high blood pressure. Inflammation in the brain is harder to detect because there are no pain receptors to warn us, but signs such as “brain fog” and forgetfulness indicate chronic low-grade inflammation.
Medicinal antioxidant plants include cocoa, rosemary, ginkgo, hawthorn, hibiscus, saffron, and turmeric.
Antispasmodic
Antispasmodic qualities in herbs such as California poppy, chamomile, lime flower, lemon balm and mint, relax muscles and relieve tension. A state of tension, or unease, can be a hallmark of generalised anxiety disorder. These herbs help relax body and mind, ease headaches and stomach pain, and support a healthy gut-brain axis.
Anxiolytic
An anxiolytic, or anti-anxiety, action is present in many relaxing herbs, stemming primarily from their capability to reduce our “fight-or-flight” response and either increase the quantity or prolong the action of certain calming neurotransmitters. Key anxiolytic herbs are chamomile, lime flower, lemon balm, mint, motherwort, passionflower, and valerian.
Aphrodisiacal herbs
Aphrodisiacal herbs, such as ashwagandha, cocoa, damiana, Korean ginseng, and Shatavari, help to promote libido, which plays a key role in relationships and sexual wellbeing, essential aspects of life.
A healthy libido reflects a well-functioning hormonal system as our reproductive hormones are directly linked with stress hormones via feedback mechanisms. When someone is under stress, the body reduces reproductive impulses, in turn creating tension and anxiety, which affect libido. Conversely, endorphins that are released during pleasurable moments have a positive effect on wellbeing.
This is an extract from Neal’s Yard Remedies Mental Wellness. Neal’s Yard Remedies Mental Wellness (published by DK, £18.99) is an expertly curated collection of the natural and therapeutic resources that are proven to be effective for mental wellness.
The Neal's Yard Remedies collection, including Mental Wellness, Complete Wellness and Complete Massage is available now online and in bookstores.
While eating healthy and moving your body certainly can’t solve every health woe, it’s a powerful duo when it comes to heart health. Cardiologists regularly preach that heart disease—the number one killer in the U.S.—is largely preventable.
3 herbs for heart health, according to a certified nutritionist
1. Garlic
Garlic isn’t just full of flavor; Dr. Gittleman says it’s packed with heart-healthy benefits, too. “Garlic contains a wide range of trace minerals, including copper, iron, zinc, magnesium, germanium, and especially selenium,” Dr. Gittleman says. “In addition, it contains sulfur compounds, vitamins A and C, fiber, and various amino acids. In all, garlic provides more than 100 biologically useful chemicals.” Yep, all that in a spice you already have in your pantry.
“My favorite way to cook with garlic is to use granulated garlic. I use it in almost everything I cook,” Dr. Gittleman says. She uses garlic in homemade salad dressings, sauces, and marinades, to season chicken, red meat, and tofu, and to sprinkle on her veggies. “With fresh garlic, the finer the chop, the stronger the taste,” she says. “To lightly ‘perfume’ your food with a mild garlic flavor, use whole, unbroken garlic cloves. Thin slices will provide more than a hint of garlic.” Want your garlic to be even stronger? Dr. Gittleman says to mince it or crush the cloves to a pulp.
Watch the video below to learn more about the health benefits of garlic:
2. Cayenne pepper
Another herb Dr. Gittleman cooks with regularly for both flavor and heart-healthy benefits is cayenne pepper, which she says is high in antioxidants. “Cayenne pepper is loaded with vitamins C, B, A, and E and contains calcium, phosphorus, and iron,” she says. “One of the richest sources of vitamin E, cayenne helps keep the heart healthy and strong.” Vitamin E is directly linked to lowering the risk of heart disease and since cayenne pepper is high in the nutrient, it’s one major reason why it’s so good for your heart.
Cayenne pepper is one of the more fiery-tasting pantry herbs and Dr. Gittleman says this, too, makes it a great herb for heart health. “As most of us can attest, cayenne is a diaphoretic, aka a sweat-inducing spice. Its hotness comes from a high concentration of capsicum, a substance that has been firing up circulation for centuries,” she says. “It is capsicum that gives cayenne the power to get the blood pumping efficiently, stimulate the body’s metabolic rate, and help clean fat out of the arteries. And used as a topical, capsicum stops pain in its tracks.”
While cayenne pepper tastes great with veggies, one of Dr. Gittleman’s favorite ways to use it is to actually put it in her coffee. Talk about a morning kick!
3. Hawthorn
Hawthorn is less well-known than garlic and cayenne pepper, but it’s an herb Dr. Gittleman highly recommends adding to your heart-healthy list. In fact, she says it’s the number-one herb for heart health there is. “It contains powerful antioxidants in both its flowers and leaves, and it supports your heart in many different ways, primarily by reducing inflammation,” she says.
Dr. Gittleman says hawthorn was first used in the first century for treating cardiac diseases and for strengthening the heart muscle. “Due to its antioxidant profile, hawthorn helps to decrease cholesterol, and it inhibits plaque buildup, lowers blood pressure, and dilates coronary vessels, which improves blood flow and increases blood supply to the heart,” she says.
A good way to consume hawthorn, according to Dr. Gittleman, is having it as a tea. If you can’t find hawthorn tea at a store near you, you can buy it online from brands including MagJo Naturals ($10), Traditional Medicinals ($29 for a pack of six), and Alvita ($9).
Of course, these herbs for heart health are just one part of the equation; it’s still important to eat nutrient-rich foods and work movement regularly into your days. But when all these pieces come together, protecting your heart becomes a lot less, er, puzzling. And besides, they’ll add more flavor to your life, too—it’s a win-win!
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According to Robinett, certain herbs can have a powerful effect on sleep and dreams. "The typical blends for lucid dreaming and dream recall, or vivid dreaming, are generally nootropics and hypnotics or sedatives," she explains to mbg.
Nootropics are drugs or supplements believed to improve cognitive function, including memory. And hypnotics or sedatives, which Robinett notes are pretty interchangeable, allow you to be relaxed and somewhat sedated.
"Nootropics are stimulating cognitively but not caffeinated," she adds, "and hypnotics or sedatives create this tension where you're partly awake and you're kind of sedated, so you're able to be in that lucid state for longer or be more aware of your time in that space."
And this isn't a 21st-century discovery by any means: Cultures around the world have been incorporating herbs into their dreaming regimens for generations. From Mexico to China to India and even ancient Aztec civilizations, our ancestors have long believed in the power of herbs for dreams.
I had no idea a block of ice could last three days sitting in a luke-cool fridge. Maybe, that's an idea. Rather than buy a new fridge for $1,400, how about a $2.50 block of ice at Smart & Final?
Aren't fridges supposed to last more than seven years or is seven years the new 20 for fridges, like 60 is the new 40 for people?
"Oh yeah, you're done," said a friend, when I told her our fridge was in slow-quit mode. "You might as well forget about calling a repair person and go ahead buy a new one."
Thanks for the support. Thanks for the understanding. Thanks for the advice.
She has a point. Find an appliance repair person these days. You'll have better luck uncovering an intact whale skeleton on Sharktooth Hill.
Appliances have our number anyway. When we'd bought the fridge, I'd opted for the extended warranty and paid on it for years until I was overcome with extended warranty fatigue.
When you stop paying, it is as if you are sending the fridge a subliminal message: "I quit. You're on your own."
The fridge receives the message, which it divines as a lack of confidence vote, and says in turn: "If this is what you think, I quit too."
It's a Whirlpool standoff and no one is budging an inch.
Maybe I can fix it myself. That's a plan. Not a good plan, not a plan that has ever worked before but a plan nonetheless.
Google "fridge not cooling." Google advised cleaning the condenser coils because they "cool and condense the refrigerant. When the coils are clogged with dirt and dust, they can't efficiently release heat."
"Cleaning" required a long brushlike tool, sort of a pipe cleaner with bristles, which we did not own yet but would soon after ordering it on Amazon.
Reviews on the Vanitek 26-inch long flexible dryer vent cleaner and refrigerator condenser coil brush auger lint remover were mixed as they often are in this bittersweet consumer world in which we live:
"Not worth the money (not even $6?). Fell apart in two uses."
"This saved our fridge and our marriage."
Two days later, the potential fridge and marriage saver arrived. After horsing the fridge from its narrow and intractable space using muscles I did not have nor ever would, I lay on the floor in order to access the coils located underneath the fridge, splayed my legs for stability and moved back and forth using my jaw, forehead and left arm to propel myself as if I were doing a horizontal line dance.
Victory. The brush retrieved clumps of dust. I would have liked to have gotten my hands on the idiot who hadn't cleaned this thing in years.
After de-clumping both the front and the back of the fridge, I plugged it in and voila, the compressor motor kicked on, the fridge began to cool and we seemingly had dodged a bullet.
However, we hadn't so much dodged the bullet as had the bullet whiz by us and then reverse course and come back twice as fast. Cold became cool that became room temperature that became "at least it's not hot." That's when I bought the block of ice to let the compressor know that it wasn't on an island but that we had called the cooling calvary.
The ice melted, although it took three days. That's when we threw in the towel and drove to Urner's for the Memorial Day sale. That's the way it is and the way it should be.
Regina Carter, GRAMMY nominated violinist and recipient of the MacArthur “genius” and Doris Duke Artist Awards, will deliver the keynote address at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music 2021 commencement celebration on Friday, June 11 at 4 p.m. PDT.
The prolific musician has been widely recognized for her musical style, which spans multiple genres including jazz, R&B, Latin, classical, blues and others. Acclaimed for her mastery of her instrument, Carter has expanded artistic possibilities through her work while opening doors for female jazz musicians. In 2018, she was named artistic director of the New Jersey Performing Arts All-Female Jazz Residency, a unique summer immersion program designed for aspiring female jazz professionals. Later that year she received a GRAMMY nomination for Best Improvised Solo for “Some of That Sunshine,” the title track on vocalist Karin Allyson’s album.
“It’s an honor to recognize the class of 2021,” Carter said. “Our talented young musicians and scholars are more important than ever as we navigate this unique time in our history. Their creativity and resilience have the power to unify us and facilitate much needed healing.”
Carter, who began studying the violin at the age of 4, trained at the New England Conservatory of Music and at Oakland University in Michigan for jazz. After teaching violin for the Detroit public school system and on a U.S. military base in Germany, she began receiving recognition for her work with Straight Ahead, an all-female jazz quintet.
Since the launch of her self-titled debut album in 1995, Carter has released eight studio albums showcasing her talent and versatility as a musician. She has performed at numerous jazz festivals and made guest appearances on albums including “Fandango at the Wall: A Soundtrack for the United States, Mexico and Beyond,” with Global Jazz Studies Professor, Arturo O’Farrill.
“As the quintessential musician of the future, Regina defines herself not by genres but by the continuum of all that connects music,” said O’Farrill, who also serves as Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the School of Music. “She will inspire students who are looking for role models that speak to the issues facing music making today including diversifying the pool so that all are invited to the table regardless of race, gender, preference, ethnicity or aesthetic.”
A winner of multiple readers’ and critics’ poll awards by leading industry publications such as DownBeat and JazzTimes, Carter tours with her own group and has performed as a guest soloist with Mary J. Blige, Joe Jackson, Billy Joel, Dolly Parton and many others.
“We are honored that Regina Carter will be participating in The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music’s 2021 commencement celebration,” said Eileen Strempel, the school’s inaugural dean. “Regina’s unique sound transcends genres and cultures and her uplifting words will empower and inspire our students as they continue their studies and embark upon their careers.”
The virtual commencement celebration will also feature performances by students, as well as student remarks. The class of 2021 comprises of 130 graduates from the departments of ethnomusicology, global jazz studies, music, music industry and musicology.
This story is part of a package about growing food in containers. Here’s all you need to know, plus learn how to successfully grow vegetables and fruits in a contained space.
When it comes to container farming, herbs feel like the easiest and most practical edible plants to grow, especially when you consider how much it costs to buy a tiny packet of fresh herbs at the grocery store (that seem to go bad almost immediately in the fridge).
So why do people so often bemoan their bad luck growing the herb plants that looked so lush when they bought them at their local market?
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Lots of reasons, says Nicole Calhoun, owner of Artemisia Nursery in El Sereno.
The herbs you find in big-box stores and markets are often grown in controlled conditions with lots of fertilizer and little natural sun, Calhoun said, so they need to be “hardened off” before they go outside and face the elements. That means gradually introducing them to sunshine and/or cooler evening temperatures, and protecting them from harsh sun or chilly nights until they toughen up.
A safer choice is buying your herbs at nurseries, where they have been sitting outside for a while and are tough enough to face the elements.
Still, one of the biggest problems is that these herbs often come in small pots and never get transplanted.
“They need more room for the roots to grow healthy and strong,” Calhoun said. “Ideally they should be transplanted into 12-inch pots, but even an 8-inch or 10-inch container is better than those itty-bitty 4-inch pots.”
Another big problem: People don’t know the difference between perennial herbs, like thyme, marjoram, rosemary and sage, and annuals like basil and parsley.
The perennials can last for years, Calhoun said, but annuals usually die after they bloom. You can prolong your basil’s life by regularly pinching back flowers as they form, she said, “but you’re just delaying the inevitable.”
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One option is to stagger your basil purchases, buying pots at different times to keep your harvest going as long as possible, but remember that basil loves heat as much as it loves water, so don’t be surprised when it starts looking sickly in late fall or winter, when daytime temperatures regularly dip below 70.
African blue basil, a fragrant bee magnet, is a perennial that attracts pollinators to your garden with its bountiful blooms, so don’t keep its flowers trimmed. The more flowers the better here. The bees will find flowering herbs like African blue basil, even in an apartment balcony, Calhoun said, which is important if you want help pollinating your other veggies and fruits.
Here are five tips for growing herbs in containers:
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1. Water, water, water
Container herbs need frequent watering, especially in the summer, because plants in pots dry out more quickly than in the ground. During really hot periods you may have to water your herbs once or twice a day, Calhoun said.
However, some woody perennial herbs are more drought tolerant once they’re established, and can actually die with too much water, said garden consultant and urban farmer Ken Sparks, aka Farmer Ken Official on Instagram. “After they’re established, in about one or two months, herbs like rosemary, lavender, garden sage, marjoram, oregano ,thyme and mint can actually go for a week or so between waterings, unless it’s really hot,” he said. “They’re just more forgiving if we forget.”
2. Compact works
Most herbs have relatively shallow roots, so you can put them in smaller containers, Calhoun said, as long as they have good drainage. This is why herbs are perfect for small-space gardening. Most herbs, including basil, thyme, parsley, chives, cilantro, marjoram and oregano will do well in 10-inch-deep pots, she said, as will shallow-rooted greens like arugula and spinach, French breakfast radishes and scallions.
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The one big exception? Mint. Mint has shallow roots but tends to take over wherever it’s planted, so keep it in a separate container.
3. Shop ‘sturdy’
When shopping for herbs, buy sturdy, dense plants at a local nursery, where they have already been outside for a while. Stay away from tall, lanky plants or herbs with yellowing leaves at the bottom. “Yellowing leaves are a sign they’ve been in their pots too long,” Calhoun said. “They’re running out of nutrients and starting to lose vigor. It’s best to look for smaller, denser plants rather than big plants that have overgrown their pots.”
4. Harvest ‘top down’
This will help your herbs stay healthy and full. “It’s the funniest thing to see people harvest the bottom leaves from herbs, because they end up with spindly, Dr. Seuss-type plants,” Calhoun said. “If you pinch off the growing tips from the top of the plant, or use scissors to take off the outermost part of the plant, it encourages dense, bushy growth, so you’ll have a nice, full plant. Most herbs are like hydras; if you cut off one head, two more will grow.”
5. Check in daily
If you make a habit of going out every morning to greet your herbs, you can spot problems before they get serious, like a basil that’s about to bolt (start flowering) or saucers full of water (a good way to drown your plants). Stick your index finger in the soil as far as possible, and if it comes out clean, that’s a sign the soil is dry and needs some water. Or use a moisture monitor (such as this one on Amazon) to indicate whether water is needed. Regular check-ins are one of the best ways to keep your plants healthy, Calhoun said: “And because herbs smell so great, you can start your day with a little aromatherapy.”
Indiana Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard discusses the future of coach Nate Bjorkgren. Indianapolis Star
Kevin Pritchard is staying put as president of the Indiana Pacers after meetings with owner Herb Simon this week, a league source familiar with the situation tells IndyStar.
That clears the way for the next decision on tap: Nate Bjorkgren.
Though the Pacers are coming off a 34-38 season and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2015 under the first-time head coach, Pritchard wasn’t ever in jeopardy.
In addressing where the Pacers stood with bringing back Bjorkgren for another season, however, Pritchard turned the focus to himself on a Zoom call with media Monday to raise questions about his status.
“We don’t make decisions in a vacuum. We take our time,” he said. “To be honest with you, I’m being evaluated. I’m being evaluated every day. I take that responsibility very seriously. Herb has to decide whether I’m fit for this job and if I am what are the things I need to improve every year.”
Pritchard isn’t on any hot seat, either. Bjorkgren only has one guaranteed year left on his deal so the Pacers aren’t tied to him for a longer term.
Pritchard traded for Domantas Sabonis, T.J. Warren, Malcolm Brogdon and Caris LeVert — four starters.
The Pacers gave up Paul George, who forced his way out, for two All-Stars in Sabonis and Victor Oladipo, and Pritchard flipped the latter into LeVert. Oladipo’s is out injured again with another right knee surgery.
Then Pritchard amassed second-round draft picks by using cap space to execute his later moves:
>> At the 2019 trade deadline, Houston needed to shed salary to get out of the luxury tax. Pritchard acquired a 2021 second-round pick, taking on three players. Two of them he immediately waived (Nik Stauskas, Wade Baldwin).
>> Before free agency of the same year, Warren was acquired from Phoenix for cash in a three-team deal that included Miami. The Pacers also hauled in second-round picks from the Heat for 2022, 2025 and 2026.
>> When free agency opened the same year, Brogdon was acquired from Milwaukee in a sign-and-trade using a protected 2020 first-round pick, which became R.J. Hampton, and 2021 and 2025 second-round picks.
What’s more satisfying than growing a gorgeous, lush garden in your backyard? Growing one that you can eat from, too. Now, throw in an element of design and upcycling, and you’ve got yourself a pallet herb garden. We teamed up with Ford to show you how to create one yourself utilizing the features from the 2021 Ford F-150.
For starters, the available Tailgate and Interior Work Surfaces bring your office and work space together as one. It’s also available with Pro Power Onboard, meaning you can charge up all your tools using the mobile generator. Ready to get started? See the full instructions below.
Step 1: Gather Your Materials
Pallet of your choosing. Try to find one that’s weathered naturally from sitting outside. Also check that it’s in good condition and free of dangerous nails poking out. Many retail stores, especially hardware stores, often have extra pallets laying around and are willing to give them away if you ask.
(150) 2” wood screws
(2) 2” x 4” x 8’ pine studs for reinforcement
(1) 40” x 48” x 1/8” plywood for backing
(4) 50 quart bags of potting soil
Plants of your choosing
Weed cloth
Hammer
Nail puller
Circular saw
Reciprocating saw
Power drill
Steel brush
Small bucket
Soap
Borax (optional)
Step 2: Prepare the Pallet
Remove the bottom side. Pry out any protruding nails. Reinforce joints of the pallet with screws.
Step 3 (optional): Make Sure It’s Clean
Remove splinters by scraping with a steel brush and applying a water-and-borax mixture (pallet may change color slightly). Allow to dry outside in sunlight.
Step 4: Lay Garden Fabric Before Securing Back
Staple garden fabric to back of pallet. Cut a piece of ½-inch plywood the same size as the bottom of the pallet. Cover the fabric cloth with plywood to provide backing and structure.
Step 5: Add Soil and Herbs
Pro tip: The secret to a wall-mounted herb garden is to plant horizontally. Lay the pallet flat when creating it and give the herbs some time to grow correctly before mounting it on the wall. Plan to keep the pallet flat for about two weeks to allow for suitable root placement. Once it’s ready to mount, position pallet in location according to the herb’s care instructions (i.e. direct sunlight, indirect sunlight, etc).
Southwest Airlines will mark the 50th anniversary of its first flight in June, transforming from a scrappy intrastate airline into the largest domestic carrier in the country.
CEO Gary Kelly, who has been CEO since 2004, talked with The Dallas Morning News about how the COVID-19 pandemic was the greatest challenge in the company’s history, the future of aviation and what makes Southwest’s reputation so strong when other airlines are constantly ridiculed.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
As Southwest approaches 50 years since its first flight in 1971, what are your first memories of the airline?
I grew up as a lifelong Texan. My first flight in my life was on Southwest in the fall of 1972. I flew as a college recruit from San Antonio to Houston. I had never flown on a plane before. So my first trip was about a year after Southwest started. There was me and two other kids going to Rice (University in Houston) for a college visit.
I remember there were two flight attendants in hot pants, and back then we all probably thought it was a lot of fun and had a lot of personality, but honestly, I didn’t know if this airline would survive.
A Southwest Airlines flight attendant models the iconic hot pants uniform that the crews used to wear.(Southwest Airlines)
You mentioned that quirky attitude and Southwest, despite being the largest domestic airline, still has that underdog mentality. How has that been maintained?
In those days, the experience just felt so different from other airlines. In the late ’70s, I traveled a lot in my job and traveled on other airlines besides Southwest. With the open seating and a very informal ticketing process, the employees just had personality; they were very friendly. They seemed very happy and loved to hear jokes. You could tell they were investing effort to make the flying experience a pleasant one.
And Southwest had a very unique route system. I thought of it as an intra-Texas airline in the late ‘70s, which of course it was at that point. And so I think it’s that maverick spirit and the personality and the desire to make a human connection with, with each other as employees and with customers. It’s very much in part of the DNA and the soul of the company.
And the fact that we still fly one aircraft type. It was just kind of an underdog mentality in those days, and I think that that serves as well even in contemporary times. Even though we’ve become the largest airline in the country. There’s brutal competition and I think our people understand it. There’s always somebody trying to knock us off. So resilience meeting challenges definitely run through the DNA of the company.
From left: In 2008, Southwest Airlines' Gary Kelly posed in the lobby of the company's headquarters in Dallas with then-president Colleen Barrett and chairman Herb Kelleher. Kelleher died in 2019.(DAVID WOO)
How much of that DNA comes from the leaders like Herb Kelleher and Colleen Barrett, who led the company for so long?
They deserve the lion’s share of the credit for that. When you ask about reflecting on the 50th, you think about our ancestors and the people who started the airline, the original employees and what they had to do. There’s a real appreciation for the history of the company and the people who built it.
Herb wasn’t the first CEO and Colleen wasn’t an employee until the late ’70s. So they weren’t here, in that sense, in the very beginning, but they were very involved from the very beginning. Herb was a co-founder, he was the general counsel and he was in legal battles to get the airline launched back in 1971. But he was CEO for 20 years and then chairman for 30 years. Even after he retired in 2008, he continued to be a very significant and visible presence around Southwest. Lamar Muse (Southwest’s first president) deserves a lot of credit for getting the airline started, but I think Herb and Colleen very much deserved credit for establishing the culture in the way that we know it today, continuing to build on what was started in 1971.
We’re very indebted to both of them.
You came in the mid-’80s. What were your first memories of Herb?
I started in ’86 and the company was 15 years old. Southwest was a client of mine with the firm that I worked at, Arthur, Young & Co. And so I knew from my friends within Arthur Young what a great company Southwest was. I was hired as comptroller in 1986. I was young and it was an officer position for a Fortune 500 company and I was just delighted at the opportunity.
He (Kelleher) was larger than life, even then. He was already very well established and Southwest was a raging success in the 1980s. The opportunity to work for somebody really so talented, like Herb, and very different from normal business executives, was just a real thrill. He kept us laughing. And he had a huge passion for Southwest Airlines and a very deep understanding of the business.
The early days for me it was just like drinking out of a firehose because I was brand-new to the airline industry and brand-new to his and Colleen’s leadership style. I just tried to soak it up like a sponge. I was a convert early on.
Colleen Barrett, president emeritus, and Herb Kelleher, founder and chairman emeritus, are shown at a news conference at Dallas Love Field on Feb. 3, 2014, when Southwest Airlines announced plans to add more nonstop flights after Wright Amendment restrictions were lifted.(David Woo / Staff Photographer)
What was that leadership style like? You came from an accounting firm, which was probably very orthodox.
They call it work for a reason. I think we all expect that people will work hard, but you can enjoy yourself. You can still have a sense of humor. Every company says these things, but Southwest was a company that truly treated people with dignity and respect.
And there was an informality to it that wasn’t just focused on titles.
Anybody in the company was welcome to share their opinion and views and suggestions. The involvement of front-line employees was key.
Some companies can have a seriousness about them, a stuffiness, a formality. It just didn’t feel that way at all at Southwest. There were a lot of opportunities to grow, and all of that made the environment really, really exciting as well. And then you couple that with the fact that we were good at what we were doing. We made money. We didn’t have a layoff. We had great customer service. The airline operations was superb.
There was just a belief in what we do. And that was very captivating then, and it still is today.
Other airlines have had a lot of time to copy and figure out what Southwest does. What do you think still sets Southwest apart?
People like to simplify perhaps a bit too much and they’ll seize on one thing. “Oh, well. The special thing about Southwest is one airplane type or the special thing about Southwest is open seating” or whatever it might be.
And it’s real. The power is in the sum of all of those attributes. Over the years, the wisdom has been what string do you pull so that the whole doesn’t unravel. No one is like Southwest. We love to say we’re in a category of one, and that’s really true.
Again, this goes back to Herb and Colleen with putting people first, putting our employees first and taking care of them first. If you do all of those things, you empower your people to identify the right problems and solve them in the right way.
And those things can be challenged from time to time, like it’s like open seating versus assigned seating. We’re probably the only large airline left in the world that doesn’t assign seats. Maybe someday we will, but it certainly won’t be while I’m CEO.
But there’s more to Southwest than open seating, and I think a lot of people miss that. And the fact that over 50 years we’ve never had a furlough, we’ve never had a layoff, we’ve never had a pay cut in an industry that is notorious for failure, I think says it all.
It’s pretty remarkable that we’ve made it 50 years. I don’t know that there’s a 50-year-old company, other than Southwest, that can make that claim.
Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly met with employees at Nashville International Airport in July 2020.(Stephen M. Keller)
How do employees manage to stay positive?
They are resilient. People that work in the airlines are pretty special because there are a lot of challenges. There are a lot of risks to manage.
And every flight is not perfectly on time. Some flights get canceled. I do think a lot of our employees are energized by the opportunity to help customers solve their problems. Rather than considering that to be a burden, they really look at it as an opportunity or a privilege to take care of people. And they just go the extra mile.
During the early months of the pandemic, what was going through your mind in terms of what might have to happen for Southwest to survive?
The first thing is, I just have to admit is that they were very dark days. And I distinctly remember when the traffic started plunging, there was a despair and it was disbelief. How can this be happening? Certainly no fault of ours, no fault of any company in the United States for that matter, around the world. But it happened. So you quickly come to grips with the fact that we’ve got stuff to do. And you make your to-do list and you believe that we’re going to get through this.
We had so much momentum coming into 2020 that there was just very strong and widely held belief that our world will defeat this pandemic and ‘this too shall pass.’
It’s just not going to be instant gratification, and I think that was the main thing that I had to come to grips with and I had to convince the rest of the company was that we are in uncharted waters, we’re going to take one step at a time and we’re going to do everything we can to preserve people’s jobs.
And you fast forward now 14 months later and we accomplished that. Not one job was lost. It was messy. It’ll be messy coming out of this pandemic as well.
How would you compare how tough this recession or this downturn was financially for the company to other downturns?
There was nothing like it. We haven’t lost money since that first year that I flew on Southwest, 1972.
And we had a profit string beginning in 1973 that went all the way through 2019 and then 2020 was a whopper.
We lost $3.5 billion last year if you exclude the government support that we got. And I should add quickly that we would be in a very different place, as a country and certainly as an industry, if it were not for the federal government stepping in with the CARES Act and the successive stimulus bill. It’s akin to fighting World War II and you just have to pull out all the stops to win the war and that’s what our country had to do with this pandemic.
Some days you had literally empty airplanes flying around in April of 2020 because the demand is so weak. We’d lost 98% of our business and we weren’t close to cutting 98% of our costs. So the losses were staggering and unsustainable. It’s by far the biggest challenge the company’s ever faced.
What are the biggest challenges that Southwest and the airline industry will face over the next 50 years?
The big challenge is to address climate, and our industry has a goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, which is very ambitious, but it is an achievable goal.
It’s going to have to be a partnership between the airline industry, the aerospace industry and governments around the world. We’ll need technological breakthroughs.
I think it’s achievable. It will be just like putting a man on the moon 52 years ago — it will require government investment and focus. And I think the world is up to the task here.
As you’ve faced this crisis over the last year and a half, have you had much time to think about your role as a steward over this brand and what you’ve been able to accomplish?
I’m proud to be a part of Southwest Airlines. The older I get, the more I appreciate that. Next year it’ll be 36 years for me and half of my life at Southwest as of next year will be as CEO, which is kind of hard to believe. I’m glad that I was here to work shoulder to shoulder with our employees to fight our way through with them. We did it. We were prepared for this. It was unexpected, but we were prepared for it. We figured out what we needed to do to fight our way through it. And we feel like we’re on the other side of this.
I think the thing I’m most proud of is that when Herb retired, we made this promise to him that we were going to take care of Southwest Airlines, and I feel like our people did that.
Millions of Americans are ready to cast away the precautions of a year spent avoiding airplanes and destinations and Airlines and travel analysts are anticipating a surge in demand that could make airports look like they did before the COVID-19 pandemic sucked the momentum out of the red hot travel industry. American Airlines said it will fly about 90% as many domestic seats this summer out of DFW as it did in 2019, a record year for airlines. They will also fly about 80% as many international seats as they did in 2019, buoyed by trips to Mexico and the Caribbean since most of Europe and Asia remains tough to access for American tourists.
Each year, I plant a container herb garden on my deck for convenient access to fresh herbs such as basil, oregano, parsley, cilantro and rosemary.
Nothing says summer like homegrown basil and it is heavenly in caprese salad, which consists of alternating layers of vine-ripened tomatoes, basil leaves and fresh mozzarella. This quintessential Italian salad then is topped with a drizzle of good-quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Cooks also commonly plant basil to make fresh pesto. However, consider growing other herbs to process. My favorite alternative pesto is made from lemon thyme. When you bruise the lemon thyme leaves, they give off a wonderful lemony aroma.
An herb garden is more than just a kitchen convenience. It is a ready-made sensory garden for children.
When my daughter was a preschooler, the two of us planted an herb garden for her to safely explore the world of plants. She would smell the delicate fragrance of the lavender plant and feel the texture of the sage leaves.
For fun, I planted different mints such as spearmint, pineapple mint and even mint that tasted like chocolate. Every day after preschool, she would hop out of the car and taste test the mints.
For visual appeal, I planted pansies and nasturtiums to provide color. All the plants in this garden were edible and safe for a curious child.
Plant an herb garden to help the environment. Many herbs will bolt or flower in response to longer day lengths in summer. While the taste qualities of herbs will decline after they flower, this is not the time to discard the plants. Pollinators including bees and painted lady butterflies are nourished by the flowers.
Walking in the herb garden and seeing a cloud of painted lady butterflies take flight is fun. A short list of pollinator-approved flowering herbs includes chives, mint, basil, lavender, lemon balm and thyme.
Herbs should be grown in full sun (at least six hours of light daily) and in well-drained soils. Fertilize sparingly to avoid diluting the oils that give herbs their flavor.
Container plants may need to be watered more frequently during the heat of summer. Harvest sprigs in the morning when the plant is fully hydrated. The herbs are at their most flavorful just before the plants flower.
If growing mint, planting in a container is better than growing it in the garden. Mint is a perennial in our climate and can spread very vigorously by rhizomes in the garden.
Everyone wants to know if lavender is hardy enough to overwinter in the northern Great Plains. "Munstead" and "Hidcote" are two of the hardier cultivars. However, neither one will survive winter reliably in the north country.
Both cultivars are listed as hardy to U.S. Department of Agriculture Zone 5 (think Chicago). Plants may be able to survive a winter or two if grown in a protected microclimate with sandy soils and plenty of snow cover.
Finally, think of your herb garden as a source to spice up your drinks. Lemon balm leaves are refreshing in ice tea after a long day of gardening.
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