Madam Green Thumb's Garden Learning

02/16/2026

Kiss The Ground 🫶🙌

😘

02/01/2026

Hey now... Looks like we can all enjoy morning coffee ❣️

Let your plants enjoy it too ☕

Here are a few gentle home remedies I’ve learned for stressed plants. 🙌

These aren’t magic fixes, but they can help support recovery while you wait for new growth. 🤗

As always, go slow and observe your plants!

12/28/2025

Protein First Because Immune Cells Are Built From Protein 🙌

Your immune system is made of cells and these cells are built from protein!

If protein intake is low, our immune response slows down.

That means getting sick more often and taking longer to recover.

This is why protein matters at every meal.

Yes, even breakfast.

Foods that actually help

• Eggs
• Chicken, turkey, lean beef
• Salmon sardines tuna
• Greek yogurt or skyr
• Beans lentils chickpeas

This is not about dieting!

It is about giving your body the building blocks it needs.

Do you have any of these going?

• Moringa tree
Yes, this one is legit. Moringa leaves contain protein, iron, calcium, and antioxidants.
It grows well in hot climates, loves sun, and can be used fresh or dried into powder for smoothies or soups.

• Beans and legumes
Tepary beans are native to the Southwest and thrive in Arizona heat.

Black beans, cowpeas, and lentils also grow well in warm seasons with proper watering.

• Chickpeas
These can be grown in cooler parts of the season and do well in containers or raised beds.

• Pumpkin seeds
Pumpkins grow well here and the seeds are a great source of protein and zinc, both important for immune function.

Garden grown foods may not replace protein entirely, but they absolutely help support immune strength, mineral balance, and overall resilience 🫶

What is your favorite protein?

How do you get it from your garden??

12/08/2025

Common Mallow in Mesa Arizona 🤗

Here is how it actually grows here when you let it do its thing.

Left
Seed pod stage
The plant has already flowered and is now producing those little cheese wheel pods.

Middle
Mid season
Buds forming and getting ready to bloom again.

Right
Full mature bloom
Small pale lilac flowers with faint purple veins.

🙌 Best Uses for Common Mallow

This little volunteer plant gets talked about a lot and honestly it does have some real benefits. 🌱

Soothing skin irritations
The leaves have mucilage which is a natural slippery gel.
It can calm
dry skin
minor rashes
bug bites
heat rash
cracked heels
chapped hands
It soothes but it does not cure infections.

Mild digestive support
As a tea or eaten young it can help with
constipation
heartburn
mild stomach irritation
Think of it like a very gentle version of aloe.

Respiratory soothing tea
A weak tea can help coat the throat
scratchy throat
dry cough
Super mild but comforting.

Edible greens when young
You can eat the small leaves raw or cooked.
Older leaves get tough.
Flavor is mild and slightly slippery.
Not gourmet but edible especially in a pinch.

Soothing foot soak or compress
Softened leaves can help soothe dry or irritated feet
and soften calluses.
Not a cure for athlete’s foot
just soothing.

Soil indicator
It often grows where moisture and nitrogen are decent
so its presence can mean your soil is holding water well.

What it is NOT great for
curing infections
killing fungus
curing athlete’s foot
any serious medical treatment

Most of its benefits fall into the category of
soothing
moisturizing
mildly anti inflammatory ❣️

Two simple recipes if you want to try using it...

🫶 Crispy Mallow Leaf Chips
Similar to kale chips but with young leaves.
Rinse and dry the leaves.
Toss with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of salt.
Bake at 300 degrees until crisp.
Light and crunchy.

🫶 Mallow and Potato Sauté
Use young leaves only.
Sauté one diced potato in olive oil until tender.
Stir in a handful of mallow leaves.
Add garlic, salt, pepper.
Cook until the leaves wilt.
The potato balances the slight slipperiness and makes it surprisingly tasty. 🥔🌿

10/14/2025

Homemade Honey Turmeric Elixir

(Kid-Friendly Natural Cold Remedy)

This soothing mix helps ease coughs, sore throats, and inflammation while giving your immune system a little boost ❣️

Ingredients:
• ½ cup honey
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:
Mix ½ cup honey, 1 teaspoon turmeric, ½ teaspoon ginger, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a small jar until smooth.

Store at room temperature for up to 1 month, or in the fridge for up to 3 months.

How to Use:
• Adults: 1 teaspoon, 2–3 times per day.
• Children (ages 6–10): ½ teaspoon, 2–3 times per day.
• Take it straight from the spoon or stir into warm (not hot) water, tea, or milk.

Tip:
Take a dose at the first sign of a cough, cold, or sore throat.

It’s soothing, sweet, and helps kick those germs before they settle in. 🍯✨

🫶

10/14/2025

Running out of space in the house for plants?!

Does anyone else sneak plants into their refrigerator too? 🤣

Okay maybe not full on houseplants…
but these green onions are living their best life in a jar of water between the chicken bone broth and the Zevia.

If you’ve never tried it, a few grocery-store favorites actually stay fresher or even regrow this way.

Of course green onions are the classic one, but there are others that can surprise you:

Lettuce hearts or romaine stumps – set them in a shallow dish of water and you’ll see new leaves sprout.

Celery bases – they’ll regrow from the bottom in water.

Bok choy – the bottom inch or two can sprout tender new greens.

Chinese or Napa cabbage – the root end will regrow small leaves upward.

Fennel – the base will send up new feathery fronds.

Leeks – just like green onions, they’ll regrow green shoots when rooted in water.

Garlic cloves – if one starts to sprout, pop it in water and harvest the green shoots (garlic chives).

Herbs like cilantro, parsley, basil, and mint – keep them in a jar with a little water and they’ll stay perky or even grow roots.

Carrot tops or sweet potato slips – these will grow greenery for compost or for planting later.

Just change the water every day or two, and keep only the base submerged (not the leaves). You’ll get more life out of your produce and a little burst of green every time you open the fridge 🙌

Mesa fridge gardening at its finest 🌿

There’s something so satisfying about seeing something grow instead of wilt.

🌱🥷

10/14/2025

Elaine Savastano 🫶 put them pine needles to work ❣️

Pine needle tea has been used for centuries by Indigenous peoples and early settlers alike. It’s rich in vitamin C, antioxidants, and a refreshing scent that brings the forest right into your cup.

Eastern White Pine is the best — mild, citrusy, and packed with vitamin C. Red pine, Scots pine, and most Southern pines like loblolly or longleaf are all fine too.

Just be careful not to grab anything that isn’t a true pine. Yews and Norfolk Island pines might look similar, but they’re toxic.

04/09/2025

🫶🏽

04/09/2025

🙌🏽

02/21/2025

Get some ❣️

02/05/2025

Bestie asked me to tend to her garden, asking that I harvest and thin out some of her veggies. 😍 Yum Yassss!!! 🤤

Here, we've got some mustard greens, kale, broccoli leaves and heads ❣️🤗

Inspire me... What would you do with them??