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celebrate dad for fathers day with his favorite past-time, gardening

How to Celebrate Father’s Day with SummerWind

Father’s Day is right around the corner; have you thought about what you plan to get him this year? It can be difficult to get your dad something he doesn’t already have that he also wants. You may want to consider gifting him something for and from the garden! SummerWinds Nursery offers many wonderful options that are perfect for indoor and outdoor use. So what should you pick up? Keep reading to find out.

An Indoor Garden For Father’s Day

Did you know indoor plants offer a number of wonderful health benefits? They include improved:

1. Breathing
2. Quality of Air
3. Overall Health
4. Focus

While you already know indoor plants are a great addition to the home, you may not have thought about adding them to a man cave! What kind of plants should you get dad? Check out this list of species to consider.

1. ZZ Plant: This indoor plant adds great texture with its thick straight stems and dark green leaves. This plant needs very little water, just a few times over the year.
2. Peace Lilies: This houseplant thrives in low light (perfect for a dimly lit man cave) and will bloom white cupped flowers.
3. Jade or Golden Pothos: This produces large lovely green and variegated leaves.
4. Aglaonema: These plants grow in a nice full shape and have large glossy oval-shaped leaves and small flowers, which colors change from white to greenish white or even red.

5. Cast Iron: Not unlike your skillet, this species can survive in the most extreme conditions under which other plants would shrivel and die. It’s perfect for those who don't have a lot of time for plant care but want the air purification benefits they provide.
6. Parlor Palm: This is a very popular houseplant with rich green, slightly arched and slender leaves; it’s great for small spaces like offices.
7. Rubber Plant: A bold evergreen that gets its name from the sticky sap that dries into a low-quality rubber, the rubber plant has leaves that can grow to 8" or more. While it’s easy to grow and maintain, it doesn't like to be moved around and prefers the stability a home office or den can provide.
8. Ficus Lyrata: Do you have a bare corner in your room of choice? Then this is the plant for you. It has very large, heavily veined and violin-shaped leaves that grow upright on a tall plant.
9. Sansevieria (Snake Plant or Mother-In-Law's Tongue): This plant offers a more refined look. The leaves are stiff, thick and spear-like with a glossy texture, often mottled with white, clustered flowers on slender stalks.

Father’s Day Herb Garden

There’s something so special about tasting fresh herbs and spices in your meal. In fact, many BBQ dishes ask for just that. If you want to help dad grow his own ingredients, these are the herbs he needs: (please note that not all varieties may be available at all times)

Basil Varieties (Ocimum basilicum):

African Blue Basil (Ocimum kilimandscharicum × basilicum 'Dark Opal')
Amethyst (Ocimum basilicum)
Cinnamon Basil (Ocimum basilicum 'Cinnamon')
Genovese Basil (Ocimum basilicum 'Genovese')
Greek Columnar Basil (Ocimum basilicum 'Greek Columnar')
Salad Leaf (Ocimum basilicum 'Salad Leaf')
Holy/Sacred Basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum)
Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
Italian Large Leaf (Ocimum basilicum)
Thai Basil (Queenette / Siam Queen / Anise Varieties)
Red Ruffles Basil (Ocimum Red Ruffles)
Variegated Basil (Ocimum x citriodorum 'Pesto Perpetuo')

Mint Varieties (Mentha species):

Apple/Woolly Mint (Mentha suaveolens)
Chocolate Mint (Mentha x piperita ‘Chocolate’)
Cordifolia Mint (Sida cordifolia)
Curly Mint (Mentha spicta crispa)
English Mint (Mentha spicata)
Mojito Mint (Mentha villosa)
Orange Mint (Mentha x piperita citrata)
Spearmint (Mentha spicata)
Peppermint (Mentha piperita)
The Best Mint (Mentha spicata spp.)
Pineapple Mint (Mentha suaveolens ‘Variegata’)

SummerWinds Tip: Mints can be invasive. We recommend you grow them in containers and avoid combining mint varieties so the flavors stay true.

Oregano Varieties (Origanum vulgare):

Greek Oregano (Origanum vulgare ssp hirtum)
Hot & Spicy Oregano (Origanum vulgare)
Italian Oregano (Origanum x majoricum)

Thyme Varieties (Thymus vulgaris):

Coconut Thyme (Thymus sp.)
Creeping Red Thyme (Thymus praecox 'Coccineus')
Lemon Thyme (Thymus x citriodorus)
Lemon Variegated Thyme (Thymus 'Lemon Variegated')
Mother Thyme (Thymus serpyllum)
Orange Thyme (Thymus 'Fragrantissimus')
Pink Chintz (Thymus serpyllum 'Pink Chintz')
Wooly Thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus)
Silver Thyme (Thymus vulgaris ‘Argenteus’)

Rosemary Varieties (Rosemarinus):

Arp rosemary
Barbecue rosemary
Beneden Blue rosemary
Groizia rosemary
Golden variegated rosemary
Majorca Pink rosemary
Roman Beauty rosemary
Trailing rosemary
Tuscan Blue rosemary

How to Grow Herbs Indoors

The key to a successful indoor herb garden is finding the right spot in your home. Herbs do require a lot of natural sunlight, at least 4 hours a day. A south facing window is best, however, east or west facing windows work as well.

Water your herb garden when the soil on the surface is dry. You’ll also want to be sure you select a container with drainage holes and soil that allows water and moisture to pass through. Do not let your plants sit in water as this will cause the roots to rot. These plants prefer temperatures around 65° to 70° F and do better with some moisture in the air. If you are in a dry climate, rinse or spray the leaves once a week.

We recommend fertlizing your herbs with Ozmocote Flower & Vegetable according to directions.

Father’s Day Herb Garden Types

Besides growing herbs for meals, there are a couple other reasons to start an herb garden. What are they?

Wildlife: If you appreciate the beauty of nature and want to encourage wildlife in your yard, planting herbs such as yarrow, desert-willow or bee-balm will attract butterflies, bees and hummingbirds.
Tea: You can also grow your own herbs for tea. Some of the more flavorful herb choices are lemon balm, lemon verbena, mint and chamomile.

Father’s Day Recipes with Herbs

Now that Dad knows which herbs to grow, it’s time to get cooking! Here are some delicious dishes the entire family can enjoy.

Grilled Steaks with Rosemary-Garlic Butter from Weber

Ingredients:

4 New York strip steaks, 1"-1½" thick, about 10 to 12 ounces each
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary

Instructions:

1. Remove steaks from the refrigerator 15-20 minutes before grilling and allow them to come to room temperature.
2. Place butter, garlic and rosemary in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until the butter is melted, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and set aside until it’s ready to use.
3. Prepare the grill for direct high heat (450-500F) and allow it to preheat for 10-15 minutes before brushing the cooking grates clean.
4. Place the steaks on the grill over direct heat and close the lid.
5. Grill for 3-4 minutes before opening the lid and flipping the steak. Brush the top of the steak (the cooked part) generously with the garlic butter.
6. Close the lid and let the steak cook another 3-4 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches your desired temperature.
7. Remove the steaks from the grill, brush both sides with more butter, and tent loosely with foil. Top with a sprig of fresh rosemary. Let the steaks rest 5-10 minutes before serving.

Basil Grilled Chicken from The Food Network

Ingredients

3/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
4 skinned chicken breast halves
1/4 cup freshly chopped basil leaves, plus 2 Tablespoons freshly minced basil leaves
1/3 cup (5 Tablespoons) butter, melted, plus 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1 Tablespoon grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Fresh basil springs, optional

Instructions

1. Prepare charcoal grill.
2. Press the coarsely ground pepper into the meaty side of the chicken breast halves. Stir the chopped basil into the melted butter. Brush the chicken lightly with this mixture.
3. In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, minced basil, Parmesan, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Beat at low speed with an electric mixer until smoothly blended. Transfer to a small serving bowl; set aside.
4. Grill the chicken over medium coals for 8 to 10 minutes on each side, basting frequently with the remaining melted butter mixture.
5. Serve the grilled chicken with the basil-butter mixture. Garnish with fresh basil springs, if desired.

Mint Julep from

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