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Calendula is known for its diverse gardening, culinary and medical benefits. It is primarily known as a healing plant because of it's soothing abilities. It is a plant that can do it all. Its brightly colored flower petals makes them an eye catching addition to everyone's garden. The healing properties they have make them a go to in the first aid cabinet. They are also known as the "Pot Marigold" I am growing the series called Bon Bon Mix. They are cool weather plants. They get about 12 inches tall with a 10 - 12 inch spread. The flower is used as a medicinal plant whose antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties make it a strong ingredient for healing. Calendula flowers can be ground into powder or made into oils, creams, and ointments. It can also be used in cosmetics, soaps, shampoos and body creams, and wound treatment, both internally and topically. The health benefits of Calendula are heals wounds, assists with digestive and immune system, hydrates and nourishes dry skin, slows development of wrinkles, and it reduces scarring. There are many ways to use Calendula. You can get a lot of the health benefits by making it into a tea. You can drink it or gargle with it to cure a sore throat. You can make Calendula oil for the antiseptic and anti-inflammatory compounds in the oil. They are great for wound healing. So come by and see us and get you a couple of these great plants to add to your garden and get creative with all the things that you can do with them. 
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 For most people a bee sting is just a bother not really life threatening but for a honeybee it does mean death. Honeybees are the only type of bee that dies after they sting you. Wasps and other species don't lose their stingers so they may sting you more than once. When a bee stings you, it leaves behind a venomous toxin that can cause pain and other symptoms. Some people are allergic to this toxin. Mild allergic reactions may cause redness and increased swelling at the sting site. Yesterday Mike was walking around at the beehives and he walked into the path of a busy bee and it stung his hand. We had places to go so we just went ahead and left. As we were driving down the road he sees the stinger still in his hand. Not thinking he just reaches down and grabs it. He notices that his hand is swelling pretty badly. He took a Benadryl. a couple hours later his hand is still swelling so we took another Benadryl. and still a couple more hours it is still not going down any so we took another Benadryl. None the less to say he slept real good last night. When he woke up this morning his hand is still really swollen so I started doing research. I found a great article on healthline.com for home remedies for bee stings so this is where I got my information for the blog. Please go check out their website it is very informational. Mike at this point had already told me where he went wrong. The problem was where he just reached down and grabbed the stinger. It released any and all venom that it had in it still. You are supposed to take your fingernail or a credit card of some type and rub it against it to remove the stinger. This will help curb the amount of toxins released into your skin. Then it is best to wash the site with soap and water and apply ice. The ice is the most effective way to reduce venom absorption. It will also help reduce the swelling. In the picture below this is Mike's hand this morning. We just put a circle around the place that the stinger was for our own purpose. It was hard to tell since it was so swollen.  If you are not allergic to bees you can treat most bee stings at home. Most home treatments aren't supported by scientific research but they have been passed down by generations. I was raised on home remedies. 1. Honey - may help with wound healing, pain, and itching. To treat bee stings with honey, apply a small amount to the affected area. Cover with a loose bandage and leave on for up to an hour. 2. Baking soda - A paste made of baking soda and water can help neutralize bee venom to reduce pain, itching, and swelling. Apply a thick layer of baking soda paste to the affected area. Cover the paste with a bandage. Leave on for at least 15 minutes and re-apply as needed. 3. Apple cider vinegar- Vinegar may also help neutralize bee venom. Soak the sting site in a basin of apple cider vinegar for at least 15 minutes. You can also soak a bandage or cloth in the vinegar and then apply it to the sting site. 4. Toothpaste - It’s unclear why toothpaste can help bee stings. Some people claim that alkaline toothpaste neutralizes acidic honeybee venom. If true, however, toothpaste won’t work on alkaline wasp venom. Either way, toothpaste is an inexpensive and easy home remedy to try. Simply dab a bit on the affected area. 5. Meat tenderizer - An enzyme in meat tenderizer called papain is also believed to help break down the protein that causes pain and itching. To treat a bee sting this way, make a solution of one-part meat tenderizer and four-parts water. Apply to the sting site for up to 30 minutes. 6. Wet aspirin tablet - A popular home remedy for reducing the pain and swelling of a bee sting is to apply a wet aspirin or aspirin paste to the sting site. Results of one 2003 studyTrusted Source showed that applying aspirin topically to bee stings or wasp stings actually increased redness and didn’t decrease the duration of swelling or pain compared to using ice alone. 7. Herbs and oils - These herbs have wound-healing properties and may help relieve symptoms of a bee sting:
Just remember to take your fingernail or a card or something and rub over it to pull the stinger out do not reach down and just grab it. If you have any of the following issues after a honeybee sting or any other sting you may be having a severe allergic reaction and you would need to seek emergency help. Some people have life threatening allergic reactions to stings so don't wait to long to seek out assistance.
I hope this blog finds everyone doing great on this Friday. I just wanted to take a minute to share this learning moment to just take a second to think and don't always be in such a hurry. It probably would have saved him a little misery if he would have slowed down a minute to just think. I know from now on we both will realize instantly what needs to be done in case of a honeybee sting. Remember Louderbranch Farms is the flavor you can't forget! Happy Memorial Day Weekend Everyone! Information from: https://www.healthline.com/health/outdoor-health/home-remedies-for-bee-stings#home-remedies If you have a problem with mosquitoes do I have some thing to help you.. The first one is a Lemon Scented Geranium. This gorgeous mosquito fighter plant does great in containers. It is a great addition to your porch, patio, balcony, sitting area or pool side in your yard. Place them where you can brush against them or run your hand over it. The more you touch it the more Lemon Scent you will be able to smell. Perennial: Drought tolerant. Deer resistant. Strong lemon-scented foliage. A well known culinary herb variety that adds a delicate but delicious lemon flavor to any dish. Use fresh flowers as a garnish, or add leaves for a lemony flavor - layer leaves at the bottom of your cake pan, add the batter & allow that rich flavor to bake in! Blooms: spring-summer. Bloom color: pink. Ht: 18-24". Width: 18-24". Exp.: sun. Water: moderately. Protect from severe frost. Plant # 2 is Bee Balm it is also a mosquito repelling plant and is commonly know as wild bergamot. It will attract many pollinators to your garden like bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. It is used in jellies, tea and as a delicious garnish for salads and other dishes. Plant # 3 is Basil. The scent is strong and may also keep away mosquitoes. It brings us great dishes such as spaghetti sauce and is tasty in salads. This plant naturally emits its aroma so you do not have to crush the leaves or brush against it to make it work. Basil is toxic to mosquito larvae. It will deter mosquitoes from laying their eggs anywhere around it. Plant #4 is Catnip. It contains a chemical which is a strong mosquito repellent. Your cats will also love this plant. It is a top choice among the list of plants that repel the pesky mosquitoes that make us itch and scratch all summer. Catnip is easy to care for but can be invasive if planted in a garden bed. Plant #5 is Lemon Balm. It is frequently used to reduce stress and stomach troubles. This plant is also an invasive plant if planted in a garden bed. It is great in soups and other dishes. The lemon scent will deter the dreaded mosquito. Plant # 6 is Citronella Balm. The strong scent of citronella is commonly used in mosquito repellents and candles. It is a low maintenance plant. It is also good to repel flies. Plant # 7 is Lavender. The pleasant smell can calm your mind after a long busy day but it will also drive mosquitoes very far away. It is great in teas and is used in many other things because of it's calming features. We have all of these plants here at Louderbranch Farms greenhouses. Please stop by and see us. We are still open and are practicing social distancing. If you do not feel safe by stopping by you can place your order by email at louderbranchfarms@gmail.com or call us at 864-482-1850 and we will get it ready and bring it to your car when you come to pick up. We are located at 244 Windy Hollow Rd. Walhalla. Our hours of operation are from 9-6 Monday through Saturday and closed on Sundays. Remember Louderbranch Farms is the flavor you can't forget. Container gardening is a great way to grow fresh vegetables especially if you do not have any land to grow them in a garden. If you have a patio, balcony or even a small area or rooftop then container gardening is for you. If you love gardening but hate to weed then container gardening is also for you. If your area is small you can try a raised bed. There are so many reasons that you should give this a try and grow some of your own food. You need to avoid small containers because they can’t store enough water to get through hot days and they get root bound. The bigger your container, the more plants you can grow! Use buckets, baskets, boxes or anything that holds soil. Just be sure that it has drainage holes in the bottom. Plastic pots retain moisture better and won’t dry out as fast. Black pots absorb heat when they are sitting in the sun. Many plants grown in pots must be watered as often as twice a day. To keep plants adequately cool and moist during hot summer days, double-pot: Place a small pot inside a larger one and fill the space between them with sphagnum moss or crumpled newspaper. When watering the plant, also soak the filler between the pots. Hanging baskets make good use of extra space, and herbs, cherry tomatoes, and strawberries grown at eye level can be easily tended and harvested. You can add about 1 inch of coarse gravel in the bottom of containers to improve drainage. Vegetables that can be easily transplanted are best suited for containers. Transplants can be purchased from Louderbranch Farms Greenhouses or started at home. Place containers where they will receive maximum sunlight and good ventilation. Watch for and control insect pests and water and fertilize when needed. Along with plants for container gardening LBF has a big bag of dirt, fertilize and also some containers for sale. Come by and see us and get your Container Gardening Growing. Remember that Louderbranch Farms is the flavor you can't forget. This information came from the Farmers Almanac website. I am in the process of planning a pollinator’s garden. I want it to be a palace for all of the pollinators. I think it will be a nice addition to the farm. As I am researching flowers to plant Echinacea seems to be one of the favorites. It just so happens a vast variety of the plants that we grow in the greenhouses is great for pollinator gardens. We have a new type of Echinacea that we are growing this year. It is the Green Twister. It is irresistible to butterflies, long-blooming, ultra-colorful, and carefree. The petals are held nearly straight out from the bloom, instead of bent back like many other Coneflowers, giving Green Twister more color on every giant bloom. And there are simply so many blooms. They begin in midsummer and continue into fall! Carefree in any sunny spot, these drought-tolerant plants reach 3½ feet tall, tolerating light shade though best in the blazing heat. Bearing literally hundreds of blooms over its many months of color, Green Twister is a garden workhorse, yet looks so effortless and lush in the sunny bed or border! Echinacea blooms the first year and for many years thereafter, lasting through the worst heat and dry weather summer has to offer. The flowers are also superb in the vase that is if you can tear them away from the butterflies! A natural treasure, I got the information for Green Twister from the Park Seed Website. It is one of the many vendors we purchase seeds from. They are located in SC.  We have many types of plants that can be used for a pollinators garden once I started researching it. Here are just a few - Echinacea, Mountain Mint, Nasturtiums, Lavender, Verbena, Zinnias, Bee Balm, Squash Plants, Oregano, Sage and Cilantro. Some of these plants are just as useful for you as they are for the bees so why would you not plant them. I want to add a few of these nice bee houses to the palace. They are Nature's Way Better Gardens Bee House and you can find them at Lowes. They come in teal and lavender I believe. They naturally help improve the health of the plants in your yard. Hollow Bamboo tubes and pre-drilled wood blocks have differing diameter openings, allowing this house to be used by a wider variety of solitary pollinators. Check them out on Lowes.com.  I am just in the process of starting to plan so I will let you know how it comes together. Just some thoughts for your own garden. Happy Friday to everyone and Happy Gardening!
We have started a newsletter for the farm. We sent one out in January. We try to keep it short and sweet but send you enough information so you know what's going on around the farm. We are very excited about the newsletter it is informative, We give items away. Last month it was a t-shirt. We will also have coupons for you to use here at the farm. You will know about processing dates for our meat before others. The only way to get these specialties are to sign up for our newsletter. If you have already signed up for our newsletter we really appreciate you. If you would like to sign up just send us a message with your email address. If you signed up and didn't get our January newsletter please let me know so I can check your email address and make sure we got it correct. There are a lot of great things that are starting to take place here at the farm so sign up today so you will stay in the know. Thanks and Happy Saturday!   Hot & Spicy Oregano is a great plant for a garden or a container. It is a perennial. It does good in Zones 5 to 9. The plant will thrive in any soil if you keep it well drained. It doesn't like to stay real wet. It will die if you keep the plant to wet. If you plant the plant in the ground it will die to the ground in the winter. Then in the spring it will re-sprout.
The leaves have a traditional oregano flavor but with a little edge. The hotness is really a mild hot. The more frequently you harvest the leaves the better your plant will grow. It is very easy to snip the branches and throw in a dehydrator to dry for later use. I keep the hot and spicy oregano on hand at all times. It just adds such flavor instead of plan old boring Oregano. If you are looking for a nice container plant with greenery you have found it. It is also an attractant for bees and butterflies. It has tiny pink blooms in late summer. It is also a great companion plant to plant along with broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber and peppers because the leaves are aromatic and they repel pests. So come see us this spring and spice up your life with some Hot & Spicy Oregano!  Happy Sunday morning to you! I just thought I would take a minute before I had to go home and get ready for church to talk to you about our new website. It is louderbranchfarms.com. We are very excited about the new website. It is very informational about us and what we do. If you go to our site and do not see a red tractor on the homepage it is still pulling the old website so try typing it in your address bar.
It has a greenhouse section and it lists all of the plants that we carry with a description and picture of the plant. It will vary to some degree but that is what we carry most of the time. We may end up with additional plants that are not on the list. My favorite new section is the online store. We are only doing pick ups here at the farm on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-8 pm. Come March 28th we will be open 6 days a week from 9 am - 6 pm. This will include the greenhouses and a small store here on the farm. The store will be carrying our products so it will be seasonal. We hope to process our first round of chickens by the end of March. If you are a member of our newsletter you will find out processing dates first hand. So if you are not a member and you are interested please email us your information and we will get you on the mailing list. The blog is a new feature for us. If there is something particular that you would like us to talk on please send us your ideas. We would love to hear from you. Happy Sunday and many Blessings!  My husband loves a white chicken. He has always had a few white leghorns.I have never been real crazy about the looks of a white leghorn. I like big healthy chickens. We were looking for a new chicken last year that would help with our egg production. Of course Mike was suggesting White Leghorns. I didn't want that breed so I started researching chickens. We have had many breeds of chickens during our 31 years together. As a matter of fact there is probably not to many that we haven't tried.
I started by going to all of the hatcheries that I use online and seeing what they had. I was not satisfied with anything that I was seeing but then I found them. My next new type of chicken that I would absolutely fall in love with. The chicken is a cross between the Black Australorp rooster and a White Leghorn hen. Little did I know that this cross had been around since the early 1900's. They are a white chicken with random black feathers.They are excellent layers throughout the year. Their eggs are a large off white/cream colored. They are considered a heavy breed. Their disposition is calmer than the Leghorns. They are supposed to have good reflexes for predator avoidance but they are white and can be easily seen. We put our chickens up at night just for their own safety. We do let them free range during the day. My chickens have just started laying and I must say that I am covered in eggs. It is true that they are a great egg layer. They have a good feed to egg ratio. If you love to sit around and just watch your chickens scratch around the yard you will not be disappointed. I love my white Austra's..  Hey there!
We would like to take a minute to Thank You for stopping by. On our first blog we would just like to take the opportunity to tell you about ourselves. Here at Louderbranch Farms we are always busy doing something! Louderbranch Farms is a family owned and operated business located at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Walhalla, SC.. Mike, Rhonda, Derrick and Audrey came up with the plan to make this a family business. We are a very diversified operation . We grow and raise both annual and some perennial herb, flower and vegetable plants. We started with one greenhouse and it has quickly grown into 3 greenhouses that are 100 ft long and the 4th is being built for this upcoming 2020 season. We do retail and wholesale of our plants. Our greenhouse season runs from April 1 through June 1 for summer and then we also have a fall season for flowers and vegetable plants. I wish that was what the season entailed for us but we are actually seeding the little plants already. We start in October planning the next season. Unless you have a green house business you may think that is not hard work but the planning phase is much worse than the growing season. We get everything planned out and the seed orders in. Then by January we go to work planting little seeds so you will have a great selection of plants to choose from when you come by to visit us at the greenhouses. There is not a lot of time that we are not actually doing something inside of those houses. We are in the process of giving the greenhouses a new look. What used to be the back of the greenhouses is now the front. This will give us more available parking. We are also giving it a Garden Center vibe. We are very excited to see what you all think about it. We also raise pastured beef, chicken, duck, pork and turkey. We do allow our poultry to free range during the day but they are put up at night to protect them from the coyotes, foxes and hawks that love to hang around the farm. For more about our animals check out our page on the website concerning them. We do have the meat for sale on our website when it is available. We have honey bees here on the farm. So we do have honey for sale on occasions. We have to be very careful with what we do here on the farm because the bees will take it back to their hives with them. We do not want that. We do make some hand made products such as Rhonda Lynne's "Ole Fashion Lard Soap". We make the lard ourselves right here on the farm. If you are ever curious on how to make lard we have a Youtube video on it so go and check it out. I have another soap idea in the works. We also make other bath products that we will have for sale. The goal of LBF is to provide a good clean quality product that is grown, raised or made by us for ourselves and the surrounding community. We believe that it is very important to know your farmer and to know your food but it is equally important for us as farmers to know our customers. We hope you enjoyed learning a little about us. Stop back by and visit our blog again. I hope your day is blessed! |
AuthorThe voice behind the blog will be Mike & Rhonda Loudermilk. Life at Louderbranch Farms is very far from simple. It is very complicated at times. We would love to live a slower paced life but that is just not possible for what we are trying to accomplish. We both work full time jobs for others plus have our own business. We spend most of our time working. That is what we do! We love gardening, caring for our animals and making handmade bath products such as Rhonda Lynne's Ole Fashioned Soap. ArchivesCategories |
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