Your All Things Plants newsletter for November 28, 2011

• 13 new members.
• 135 new threads.
• 2,458 new posts.
• 1,522 new images to the plant database.
• 115 new comments in the plant database.

Honey as medicine By Margaret Tucker on November 28, 2011 Everyone is familiar with honey's use in easing the effects of a cold. It is added to hot tea or warm water with lemon to help soothe sore throats and calm coughs. It has also been used to treat minor wounds and burns. (10 comments)

All about sweet potatoes By C. Tee Menser on November 25, 2011 Sweet potatoes are nutritional powerhouses, but they enjoy less popularity in America than in most parts of the world. Here, the white spud is king. Apart from the color, the two do bear a strong resemblance, but some differences emerge when you dig a bit deeper. (36 comments)

Letters to the Editor By Sharon Brown on November 24, 2011 A successful site is made by the interest and the strength of its members. From time to time I receive from our members letters that are worthy of sharing. Today's letter is from Brenda Savage and on this Thanksgiving Day I'd like to share it with you. (35 comments)

All about the Eastern Red Cedar By Christine Gaither on November 23, 2011 If I were asked what I love most about this tree, I probably couldn't give just one attribute, but the first thing that comes to mind is how much I enjoy the pleasant fragrance the tree emits, and how its handsome stature makes a perfect Christmas tree. But then maybe it's because it's so benefici... (22 comments)

Daily Gardening Tips from this week:

November 28, 2011: Indoor plants enjoy a shower every once in awhile. Tip and photo by Shelly - (One comment)

November 27, 2011: COFFEE KILLS SLUGS & SNAILS. Make very strong caffeinated coffee, then mix it half and half with water and put into a trigger or compressed-air sprayer. Spray on plants and the ground that snails & slugs travel on. As they move over the treated areas, they take up the caffeine through their pseudopod (foot) and it gives them heart attacks in 72 hours. Cheap coffee works as well as the more expensive sort. I use espresso because it's more finely ground (works better in my machine). I also run the water through the grounds more than once to extract as much as possible. Cheers to the University of Hawaii for discovering an elegant and simple solution to nasty critters. Tip by LabourofLove Photo by gardengus - (31 comments)

November 26, 2011: When gathering seeds in the fall , save some seed heads they make nice dried arrangements. If you need more color consider some spray paint or glitter. Tip and photo by gardengus - (9 comments)

November 25, 2011: Place decorative stones on the top of the soil of potted plants to prevent cats or other animals from digging in them. Tip by threegardeners Photo by gardengus - (2 comments)

November 24, 2011: When collecting seeds and separating them from the chaff, if I'm not sure I have gotten ALL the seeds I toss the chaff in a corner of the yard. If seeds were left and sprout, then I'm a happy camper and have unexpected flowers to cut. Tip and photo by gingin - (3 comments)

November 23, 2011: When using fresh herbs in a recipe that calls for dried, the general rule of thumb is that 1 Tablespoon of fresh herbs equals about 1 tsp. of dried herbs. The herbs lose about 2/3 of their bulk when they are dried. Tip and photo by BookerC1 - (0 comments)

November 22, 2011: The plastic containers that baby wipes come in make a great way to separate & store seed bags/packets for easy finding. Tip and photo by sassafrass - (2 comments)