Calendula (more commonly known as marigold) is a great flower to have around if you experience regular problems with your skin. Its petals secrete a soothing oil that helps to heal anything from acne to eczema, and can even help to smooth over blemishes over time when used regularly. The petals can be soaked in olive oil for a couple of weeks, then removed for an easy-to-use salve for problem skin, and can also be used as a hot oil treatment for hair. Dried petals work best for making calendula oil.

Chamomile is becoming more readily available at nurseries both in seed and plant form for you to add to your summer herb garden. The dainty little flowers make a cute addition to any indoor herb box, and make a relaxing evening tea. Soaking petals in a carrier oil will provide a safe remedy for babies that are teething.

Growing a garden at home becomes even more pleasurable when you can enjoy flowers for healing purposes in addition to their visual benefits. For those lacking a green thumb, these flowers are also readily available in their dried form in many health food stores or online.

Many vegetable plants that are planted in spring can be planted again towards end of season. Again it is important to know what date you can expect first frost.

By understanding times and length of frost free weather in your area you can have a better chance for success in your vegetable garden.

The National Climatic Data Center has a data sheet online that can be downloaded as a pdf file or viewed online. The data sheet contains frost/freeze information for over 3000 U.S. locations. The information is presented as a table, listed in alphabetical order by state and then selected towns within each state.

Be aware that this information is based on 29 years of data gathering from 1951 to 1980, and that they are statistical in nature and cannot unequivocally predict exact dates for any given locality in any given year.

Biodynamics and Phenology use astrological and natural occurrences to discern clues about best time to plant and harvest vegetables. Native Americans and other earlier civilizations used similar techniques.

Most areas consist of microclimates that vary by elevation, exposure and proximity to large bodies of water. The Freeze/Frost Tables are a good reference point, but it makes sense to keep track of temperature and other factors in your particular vegetable garden location if you want to truly understand when it is actually best time to plant vegetables.

To View or download The Frost Freeze tables; click on link below. http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/documentlibrary/freezefrost/freezefrost.pdf

Chip Phelan, a contributing editor for Organic Gardening Review, is an organic gardener living in Rhode Island. Organic Gardening Review is a resource center for organic gardening enthusiast. Find us on the web: www.organic-gardening-review.com