Like most of us, I've known our bees are in trouble, and that there must be more to their decline than pesticide use. What I didn't know is the bigger picture that's involved in the depletion of our precious, vital bee population. I recently viewed an award-winning documentary film called The Pollinators. Learning the truth about the decline of bees has served as a high-level alert to me, and it should to you, too.

The cinematographer, producer/director of the film, Peter Nelson, describes it as "an important story people don't know they need to know." It's also a story that "matters only if you like to eat."

Why Does Bee Decline Matter?

If we take a moment to think about it, most of us assume our fruit and nut orchards continue to produce each year as a normal seasonal process. It's not so.

Beekeepers constantly truck thousands of hives across the country, supplying bees on a temporary basis to almond orchards in California, apple orchards in Washington and blueberry fields in Maine, just to mention a few. In many instances, if these farmers were to stop "renting" the service of these traveling bees, there would be no crops.

The naturally occurring pollination process for many of the foods we eat daily has become nonexistent since there are no longer enough bees to naturally pollinate the plants' flowers. Semi-trucks criss-crossing the country hauling rentable beehives is now commonplace in our country.

Pollinator Problems in Our Nation

There's a complex problem with our nation's farming methods, not to mention the added carbon footprint involved in trucking the bees.

Much of our vast farmland acreage, the "breadbasket" of our country's Midwest, is cultivated as a "monoculture." What that means is that, primarily, corn and soybeans dominate the farmscape for miles and miles. A few decades ago, it became important to our large scale farmers to simplify their cultivation methods, which involves heavy tilling, synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Weeds, cover crops, and areas of untilled soil inevitably interfere with and add work to farming of neatly kept, row upon row of corn and soybeans. Simplification of large farm operations, both in terms of expense and practicality, has exacted a high price.

Vast expanses of our country's soil have become dead, in a sense. Monoculture farming and over-tilling of the soil has left thousands of acres with insufficient nutrients. Worms, insects and pollinators that once actively thrived in these vast areas are no longer attracted to the nutrient-poor environment. Bees are dying by the thousands due to chemical exposure and opportunistic mites. While simpler for the farmers, these methods have ravaged the formerly rich environment enjoyed by bees.

Fortunately, many farmers are starting to incorporate more sustainable practices, and the changes are beginning to show. But is it enough, and will it be soon enough?

What We Can Do for the Decline of Bees

Bee decline impacts us all. And while Peter Nelson is an astute documentarian, he is also an optimist. As a long-time beekeeper with a keenly heightened insight into the pollination process, he feels the problems are scalable. Peter Nelson is certain that, as individual gardeners and consumers, we can have an enormous effect on encouraging and generating a return of the pollinator population.

Like me, you may be wondering what one individual can do to help bring about change.

As a gardener you can:

• Rotate and vary your garden crops each season. Learn about sustainable gardening.
• Set aside no-till areas in your yard where the soil won't be disturbed. Seeding cover plants like rye or vetch and adding manure and compost will allow these areas to grow, die and regrow, feeding the soil and attracting hungry pollinators.
• Plant lots of blooming shrubs, trees, herbs and flowers in your yards, planters and window boxes.
• Don't make your lawn a monoculture. Allow dandelions, clover and other seeds to grow. Adopt a new respect for a diversified lawn.
• Plant flowers in your yards, window boxes, planters and neighborhood sidewalks.
• If you have the space and means, maintain a beehive.
• Show your children and grandchildren the miracle of growing vegetables from a small seed, and teach them about where their food comes from. Some kids assume food is magically produced at the grocery store, wrapped in plastic.

Peter Nelson comments, "The reality is that most of us are 3-4 generations away from the farm; so many of us have lost the idea of where our food comes from and who grows it.

As a consumer you can:

• Eat seasonally - buy and eat what's naturally available during each season of the year. For example, avoid buying fresh raspberries in the dead of winter if you live in a cold-climate state.
• Buy regionally grown food - shop at farmer's markets and try to eat what's grown within 50 to 100 miles of your home. Talk to your grocers about obtaining locally grown produce.
• Encourage your supermarkets to offer more organically grown food, and pay a few extra cents for it. It's worth it in so many ways.

As a citizen you can:

• Talk to your local garden clubs, community centers bio-parks and municipal organizations about booking The Pollinators for a public screening at local theaters, universities, libraries and other public venues. Use the film as an organizing element for events like tastings and panel discussions.
• Encourage your city and county planners to plant for pollinators in public parks, median strips and municipal properties.
• Work toward a no-spray policy on public grounds, with local government agencies and highway departments. Counties can and do place bans on chemical spraying.
• Maybe you live in a state that already has or plans to pass legislation for pollinator protection. Encourage your state and county representatives to become educated about the issues.
• If your local schools are lucky enough to have a school gardening program, be sure your teachers are aware of sustainable methods, and that our children are learning how to treat the earth with respect.
• Knowledge and good habits all start when we're young. If your local schools don't have gardening programs, look into assisting them with grants and volunteer labor.

These practices can have a positive impact, not only for bees and honeybees, but for the many thousands of pollinator species. Let's hope we have enough time and enough passion to turn things around for our priceless pollinator populations. Their importance to life on our planet is immeasurable. We each need to do what we can individually, if only simply to educate our friends and families about the issues, and we need to make it happen soon.

If you're still looking for that one centerpiece for your garden, balcony, or even a sunny living room, stop right here. Agave victoriae-reginae, better known as the Queen Victoria agave, is probably one of the most spectacular types of succulents out there. Tough and easy to grow, it makes the perfect addition to any spot that still lacks an eyecatcher plant!

Keep reading for everything you need to know about growing the Queen Victoria agave.

Agave Victoriae-Reginae: Natural Habitat

This hardy agave species is naturally found in North Eastern Mexico, where it inhabits (semi-)desert conditions. This is not a very hospitable habitat: the plant is known to grow on very steep cliffs, holding onto poor soil. As a result, it has evolved to be very hardy and withstand almost anything nature can throw at it.

Queen Victoria Agave Care

If you've managed to obtain a Queen Victoria agave to grow in your own garden or home, you'll find that adhering to general succulent or agave care guidelines works just fine for this species. It's not demanding and will forgive the occasional beginner mistake.

This slow-growing agave will thrive in well-draining, airy soil that contains a significant amount of grit. When grown outdoors, it should be protected from the blasting afternoon sun to prevent burning. Indoors, where the light is weaker, place the plant in the sunniest spot you can provide.

Like most succulents, the Queen Victoria agave appreciates plenty of water during the summer growing season. Provide water as soon as the soil goes dry, which can be multiple times a week in very dry climates. During wintertime this species goes dormant, which means waterings should be reduced drastically to prevent rot. Once or month (or even less when temperatures drop low) should work best.

Provide your Queen Victoria agave with the care it needs and you'll slowly see it flourish into the typical geometric growth pattern that has made it so popular. With a maximum size of around 20 inches (50 cm), this is not the largest agave out there, but its spectacular leaves more than make up for that.

Temperature

The Queen Victoria agave is a great choice for those who would like to grow succulents outdoors for most or even all of the year. Although the species prefers temperatures above freezing, year-round, it can deal with light frost as long as its soil is kept dry.

In climates that get a lot of rain and/or frost during wintertime, you might want to move your Queen Victoria agave indoors during the harshest months.

Propagating Queen Victoria agave

If you're looking to multiply your Queen Victoria agave, the easiest way to do so is to look for the offsets this plant naturally produces. Simply separate one of these pups from the main plant using a sharp knife, leave it to dry for a few days and then plant it in well-draining soil.

Like other agaves, the Queen Victoria agave will bloom once, usually after 10 to 15 years. This bloom signals the end of the plant's life, as it's monocarpic, but don't despair. Agave blooms are a wonderful sight to see and you can harvest the seed pods to start the cycle all over again.

It's time to borrow a little cleverness from our cats – or more accurately, from their owners. We're not talking about their uncanny ability to land on their feet or their supposed nine lives. We're talking about something far more mundane, something they probably don't think is clever at all: the litter box.

That's right. It turns out cat owners are sitting on one of the best materials for drying and preserving flowers... kitty litter.

Hold on. Kitty litter? Seriously? You want us to preserve our beautiful blooms in... used kitty litter?

Gotcha. No. Absolutely not. Let's be clear: preserved flowers don't need the kind of "fertilizer" that living flowers do. Used litter is... well, let's just throw it in the trash and try not to think about it anymore.

The clean kitty litter, however – the good stuff, the unopened bag in the closet – is a handy-dandy gold mine. The whole idea behind preserving flowers is to get the moisture out, and that moisture has to go somewhere. While traditional pressing uses paper and cardboard to flatten and soak up water in a weighted press, this technique is a whole different ballgame.

Why Use Cat Litter?

The art of preserving flowers has been around for centuries, from Ancient Egyptians using dried botanicals in perfumes to Victorians pressing flowers as keepsakes to hold happy memories. Today, this craft is getting a 21st-century update by exploring new techniques and modern materials.

Using cat litter, for example, allows you to dry flowers in their perfect 3D form – a complete snapshot of what the flower looked like in its prime. These preserved blooms are perfect for all sorts of crafts, like wreaths, resin art, or handmade cards. It’s an easy, cheap, and surprisingly fast method, often taking less than a week to fully dry a flower.

But… why kitty litter?

It’s simple: cat litter is designed to clump and suck moisture out of its environment. This is exactly what you want for drying flowers, as it pulls the water out quickly before the bloom can rot. It’s also incredibly accessible. Even if you don’t own a cat, litter is a cheap and readily available material. You don't need the fancy, expensive stuff; a five-pound bag of plain ol' regular litter often costs just a few dollars. It's the perfect absorbent material for the job.

How to Dry Flowers with Cat Litter​ – Step by Step

1. Pick out what flower you want to press. Cut this flower so it has ¼ inch of the stem leftover.
2. Get an airtight container. It can either be plastic or glass, just make sure it has a lid.
3. Spread ¼ inch of cat litter for your base litter. You want to make a "tomb" for your flower to dry in.
4. Place your flower in the cat litter and then cover it until you can no longer see the flower.

6. Cover the container and let the cat litter sit for 3-5 days. After this period, your flower should be dry and papery. It really depends on your flowers' moisture for how long you leave them in the kitty litter. Begonias can take the full 5 days, while Bells of Ireland will take 3 days. If you take your flower out of the kitty litter and it is not fully dry, do not worry! Just stick the flower back in and let it be for a few more days. You did not ruin it.

Speeding up the Process

If you can't wait 3-5 days for your flower to dry, you have the option of microwaving your flower in the cat litter. After you cover the flower with the cat litter (step 4), stick the container in the microwave on high for three minutes. Make sure all of your windows are open because you could not imagine the smell of cooked cat litter. After 3 minutes, your flower should be dry and ready to use.

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), a member of the daisy family, is perfect for growing in containers. Whist best-known as an ornamental, it's also completely edible, acts as a great pest deterrent, and even has a variety of medicinal properties. Yet the list doesn't stop there! Considering the fact that yarrow is both a perennial and extremely hardy, it's amazing that this herb isn't more popular. So what's the best way to grow yarrow in containers? Let's have a look at a few different methods.

Growing Yarrow in Containers

There are two ways to start growing yarrow. The first is to buy an established plant, which can be done online. It will usually be delivered in a small container for potting on. The second way is to start from seed. Yarrow grows quickly, so seed is usually the better (and cheaper) option.

The seeds need light to germinate, so keep them in a warm, bright spot. Germinating seeds can take up to three weeks.

Yarrow is very unfussy and grows in a range of different conditions in the wild. It doesn't have any specific soil requirements, so any standard potting mix will do. If you want to blend your own mix, simply combine compost, coir, and perlite. Forking some slow-release fertilizer into the surface of the potting soil at the beginning of spring will lead to vigorous growth through summer.

Yarrow prefers a sunny spot, but if you're short on space, it will manage quite happily in dappled shade. West and east-facing locations are perfect. It's also a good companion plant, repelling pests while attracting predatory insects like wasps and ladybirds, so put your pot in among other edibles (or ornamentals) if possible.

Remember that yarrow is herbaceous, meaning that the foliage above the soil line will die back over winter. Through the growing season, it will reach a maximum height of between 20 to 40 inches (.5 to 1 m). As with most edible container plants, use the biggest pot you can manage. Any container that's 4 litres and above will be OK.

Harvesting Yarrow

All parts of the yarrow plant are edible and it's best to harvest just after flowering. The way you harvest will vary depending on whether you are planning on growing from seed every year or want to keep it as a perennial. In either case, snip off all of the flowerheads, which make a yummy tea, when they appear. Some people will just harvest the flowers, leaving the stems and leaves intact. It's possible to have multiple harvests in one season this way because the plant will keep producing blooms until it enters dormancy over winter.

If you want to eat the stems and leaves too then there are a few routes you can take. If you're growing from seed every year, it's best to harvest in one go after the appearance of flowers, cutting the main stems near the ground. Alternatively, if you want good growth next year, only snip off stems, leaving the rest until they die back in autumn (flowers can all be harvested when they appear). By cutting off only a third, you'll allow the plant to replenish its roots with nutrients that will be used for next year's growth. Leaves and stems are best used in salads and also make wonderful additions to soups. Flowers can be dried and used in tea.

More Uses for Yarrow

It is thought that yarrow may be used to help with hay fever, the common cold and stomach upsets. When it's dried, it also gives off a wonderful aroma. Try hanging a stem or cluster of flowers upside down in a room.

Growing Banana Trees

The popularity of banana plants is growing, even in regions where they don't naturally grow.

Beautiful banana trees often come to mind when one is dreaming of the tropics. However, did you know that they are not really fruit trees? They are actually the world's largest herbs. Due to their size and appearance they have become commonly known and thought of as banana "trees."

The banana is in the same order of plants as the Strelitzia, Ravenala and Canna genera. The scientific name for the banana genus is Musa. This article provides an overview of the basics of caring for banana plants. Of course, the care required for different species may vary slightly.

Anatomy

First let us get familiar with the morphology of this plant. Banana plants have a pseudostem, and new leaves are pushed up from the middle of this. These new leaves are rolled up, and they will unroll when the whole leaf has emerged.

Most of the older leaves on a banana plant are torn because the leaves are very thin, and even the wind can blow holes in them.

Banana plants have rhizomes, and from these many new shoots appear. You can cut these off the "mother plant" and pot them.

A frequently asked question is "Will there be real bananas on this tree?" After three or four years a banana tree will flower and produce bananas that you can eat The biggest challenge with this plant when not growing it in the tropics, is how to protect it in winter.

Maintenance

Heat

Warmth is necessary for optimal growth. There are also banana plants available that will grow in the cold, but below five degrees they will stop growing. Below minus two degrees the leaves will die but the roots will still be alive.

Popular species for cold climates:

Musa basjoo: can survive until -20 C

Musa sikkimensis: can survive until -15 C

Musella lasiocarpa: can survive until -5 C

Light

A warm environment is not all that is required. Banana plants also need a lot of light. If you have a banana indoors you need to make sure that it is near the window, but avoid direct sunlight because this will burn the leaves.

Water

Of course after heat and light you need to consider water - banana plants need lots of water. On hot summer days they can require up to 10 liters of water. But be careful that the roots aren't sitting in water, because these plants are infamous for developing root rot. During the colder season, less water is necessary.

Fertilizer

Banana plants can grow very fast, especially if you fertilize them correctly. It's almost impossible to give too much fertilizer to a banana, but of course in the cold months the fertilizer must be minimized to discourage growth.

Pruning

You don't need to prune bananas but for aesthetic reasons you can remove the old leaves. You can also remove the plantlet If your banana has frost damage, you can cut off the damaged part of the trunk and most of the time it will grow again. When you cut away the damage you must remove a large part of the trunk to encourage regrowth.

Diseases

Basically, banana plants are not very susceptible to pests or diseases. Most problems will arise in the winter time.

The most common issues are spider mites, aphids or root rot from soil that is too wet. For the first two issues you should use the most appropriate treatment as soon as possible.

Rotting can only be prevented by ensuring a dry root ball. It is best to cut away any rotten parts before allowing the root ball to dry out.

Interesting Facts

• Bananas can be found in colors other than yellow, including red.
• Most species of banana plant originated in Southeast Asia.
• A row of bananas is sometimes called a 'hand', while a single banana is called a 'finger'.
• Banana fruit consists of around 75% water.
• The Gros Michel banana was a popular variety before crops were destroyed by Panama disease in the 1950's. Panama disease attacks the roots of banana plants.
• The most popular type of banana sold in stores these days is the Cavendish banana. It is resistant to the strain of Panama disease that effectively wiped out the Gros Michel banana but there are concerns that it too may eventually suffer a similar fate.
• Lady Finger bananas are small, sweet and have relatively thin skins.
• Wild bananas grow large, hard seeds.
• India is the leading producer of bananas.

This article was written Stephanie Donaldson, blogger at The Enduring Gardener, contributing gardens editor of Country Living magazine and author of many gardening books.

For many gardeners, a visit to London's legendary Chelsea Flower Show is on their horticultural bucket list. It is one of the world's best gardening festivals, and definitely in a league of its own - but to get the most out of it, it is useful to have some inside knowledge. Over the years I've attended at least 25 Chelsea Flower Shows, some more than once, so I have a pretty good idea of how to get the maximum enjoyment and inspiration from a visit and I'm happy to share this with you.

Book Early: Chelsea tickets go on sale months before the event, initially to members who have exclusive access to the show on the Tuesday and Wednesday, and then to the public who can attend from Thursday through to Saturday. Members tickets are released in November and public tickets in December. Tickets are only available from www.rhs.org.uk and www.theticketfactory.com and you should avoid tickets offered elsewhere.

All Day or Part Day? The Show is open from 8am-8pm Tuesday to Friday and 8am-5.30pm on Saturday. Gardeners are generally good at getting up early so it can be incredibly crowded first thing (and for much of the day) which means that getting a look at the main show gardens is a real test of stamina and determination - for each of the gardens. If you do go for the whole day, avoid these gardens until later and visit the Artisan Gardens (small, charming and rustic and tucked away down a wooded path), the Fresh Gardens (small, contemporary and urban), or the Grand Pavilion where nurseries display an extraordinary array of plants in a state of glorious perfection. I generally recommend that a first time visitor book a ticket for 3.30pm or even 5.30pm. By this time all the early risers have worn themselves out and are heading off, so there is a much better chance of seeing things without being reduced to a human pinball! It is a much more enjoyable experience and you will actually get more out of your visit. Even better, book late tickets for 2 days - it will cost pretty much the same as a full day ticket.

The Weather! The reason that we can grow so many lovely plants is we have a climate of infinite variety - just because a day starts bright and sunny doesn't mean that it will stay that way. Equally, the saying 'Rain before seven, fine by eleven' is generally pretty accurate. In my experience Chelsea can be unseasonably hot, unseasonably cold, unremittingly wet and all points in between. You will be very lucky indeed to experience wall-to- wall sunshine.

What to Wear? Ignore the photos of women dressed to the nines and teetering on stiletto heels - they are either television presenters, photographic models appearing on one of the gardens, or someone up from the country who thinks everyone still dresses as the Queen does when she visits the show on the Monday.

Man or woman, wear your most comfortable - and preferably waterproof - shoes, no matter how tatty they are, layer your clothing and top with a jacket that is windproof and rainproof and has a hood. Umbrellas are a no-no - they are a bore to carry, difficult to put up in a crowd and will block other visitors view. Probably best to have a sunhat and some sunscreen in your jacket pocket too because some entirely different weather may blow through in the next hour! Oh, and don't forget some gloves if the weather is anything but balmy. Add a small backpack to pack most of it into when the sun comes out and you will be well-equipped for the British climate. As far as we are concerned there is no such thing as bad weather - just the wrong clothes.

What to See: The Main Show Gardens are the highlight of the show, with sponsors spending hundreds of thousands of pounds to create exquisite gardens overflowing with their chosen palette of plants set in landscapes that tell a story. Make sure your phone or camera is fully charged so that you can capture the design details or plant combinations that you might want to recreate at home. The smaller Artisan and Fresh gardens are equally rich in detail and inspiration. In the Grand Pavilion you can talk to the nursery owners and get expert advice about their chosen plants.

What to Buy: Get yourself a show programme if you haven't pre-bought one. It will help you navigate your way round and act as a useful reminder when you are back home. There are many stands selling horticultural sundries, tools, machinery, sculptures and furniture, some of which are small enough to take away with you. What you can't buy are plants - although plants can be ordered at Chelsea, none are for sale until 4pm on the Saturday when the stands are dismantled and the plants from many of the gardens are sold off. It's quite a sight to see an ambulatory herbaceous border leaving the showground and thinning out as happy buyers attempt to squeeze their purchases onto buses, or disappear into the Underground with their prize specimens - some of which may even reach home undamaged.

What to Eat & Drink: There are numerous food stalls and restaurants offering everything from quick snacks to champagne and smoked salmon, but personally I prefer to pick up something to bring in to the show, rather than hunting around for something I fancy and then spending time queuing for food. Amazingly, amongst all the hurly burly there are quiet corners to sit down and eat your lunch - my favorite is a wooded area that houses the Artisan Retreats and picnic area. Take Time to watch the BBC show coverage on television before your visit - it starts on the Sunday and will set you up wonderfully with lots of interviews with the designers and knowledgeable discussion about the gardens and what to look for during your visit.

Outside the Showground: The Chelsea Fringe holds numerous horticulturally themed events around London from the 21st May to the 12th June, and is well worth checking out for an alternative view of what is happening in the world of gardening. And for some flower-bedecked window shopping you will find that many of the shops in Kings Road and Sloane Street have smothered their shop fronts and windows with some amazing floral creations. Even the entrance to Sloane Square underground station is decorated for the occasion. It is all very jolly and definitely worth experiencing at least once in your life.

Diana Maranhao has been a professional in the landscape/horticulture industry for over 35 years as a horticulture program manager, educator, copy editor, horticulture editor, garden writer and author. She is an active member of the Desert Green Foundation/Las Vegas. Diana and her husband, Steve, live and garden in southern Utah. You can connect with Diana via her blog Diana's Garden. Diana's latest release is "Water-Smart Gardening: Save Water, Save Money, and Grow the Garden You Want". Read on for more information about this book and find out how to win one of two copies, courtesy of Quarto Publishing Group!

UPDATE 5/26/2016: Congratulations to Laura Sproull & Vicki Freeman!

Jessi Bloom is a best selling author, award-winning ecological landscape designer, professional horticulturalist, and certified arborist. She owns N.W. Bloom--EcoLogical Landscapes, known for innovation in sustainable landscape design, construction, and maintenance. Jessi is committed to educating others and now spends much of her time teaching, consulting, and speaking nationwide in addition to designing landscapes. Her work has appeared in Fine Gardening, Better Homes and Gardens, Sunset, NY Times, Disney, PBS's Growing a Greener World TV, Martha Stewart Living, Mother Earth News and many other large media outlets. Recognition for her work includes awards from multiple State agencies as well as industry organizations. She lives north of Seattle with her two sons on her permaculture homestead. Jessi's latest release is "Practical Permaculture for Home Landscapes, Your Community, and the Whole Earth", which she co-authored with Dave Boehnlein. Read on for more information about this book and find out how to win a copy, courtesy of The Timber Press!

UPDATE 3/24/2016: Congratulations to John Polley, the winner of the book "Practical Permaculture"!

An Herb of Many Names Papalo (Porophyllum ruderale) is new to my culinary herb containers. You may know this herb by another name: papaloquelite, poreleaf, quilquina, or Bolivian coriander. I initially discovered it as part of a Meso-American herb garden display. Then stumbled upon it again at my favorite organic herb farm. This ethnic herb is growing in popularity so I decided to give it a try.

Distinctive in Appearance Papalo originates from South and Central America. It belongs to the Asteraceae (aster) family. However, its flowers are not its distinguishing feature. The sturdy stalks are covered with egg-shaped leaves that wave beautifully about in the air. This fluttery characteristic could be why its name is derived from the original Nahuatl word for butterfly. As the season progresses, growers may notice small pinholes in these unique leaves. The pinholes aren't from pests, they are the translucent glands that contain the plants volatile oils. I loved the look and purposely placed the plant so the sun often shown through those unique little holes. In its native condition, papalo can grow up to 6 feet and take on a weedy appearance. This could be why some herb growers are reluctant to embrace it. Like cilantro, papalo also has a distinctive cucumber-like fragrance which appeals to some and repels others. I found this free-form plant to be a delight. I planted it in a container with lemon verbena and found it to be a conversation starter all season.

Give It A Try If you're not familiar yet with papalo, here are 5 great reasons to give it a try:

1. Easy to grow both garden beds and containers - Papalo can be grown from seeds or transplants. I grew mine from a transplant with no difficulties. It prefers full sun to partial shade, and grows best in moist, well-draining soil.
2. Loves the heat --Herbs like cilantro are often sensitive to heat and bolt right when I need them most. But papalo enjoys the heat and is ready to use when my other salsa-seasoning herbs are past their prime.
3. Fresh is best -- Papalo is eaten fresh from the plant. This is one herb that needs no simmering. Simply wash, tear the leaves and add fresh right from the table.
4. Provides anti-bacterial properties - Papalo, along with herbs such oregano, basil, and epazote, has been found to possess anti-bacterial properties making it a healthy seasoning choice.
5. Repels insects naturally- Papalo is also thought to be a natural insect repellant. Grow it along with your basil in a container close to your patio table to increase your chances of an undisturbed outdoor meal!

You'll never know until you try! Enjoy!