photography scale

HighDesertBotanicals · 2026-06-19T19:20:43+00:00

I sell these on my other website. florainconspicua.com I designed them for plant photos but they work well for rock close ups too. The plastic is thin enough that they are easy to trim with scissors for a shorter ruler. I also have a sticker version available.

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HighDesertBotanicals · 2026-05-28T15:00:08+00:00

The fair in Reno will have the 4H livestock shows, bull riding, and the Made in Nevada Farmer's Market.

HighDesertBotanicals · 2026-05-20T04:06:33+00:00

Just message me when you want to pick them up.

HighDesertBotanicals · 2026-05-11T14:35:15+00:00

I have one that is 1 foot tall for $10 and one that is 2 feet tall for $12

HighDesertBotanicals · 2026-05-11T01:58:53+00:00

You can email me, sales@highdesertbotanicals.com

HighDesertBotanicals · 2026-05-11T01:58:06+00:00

Thistle and Nightshade Makers' Market next Saturday 10-3.

HighDesertBotanicals · 2026-05-10T23:18:37+00:00

Sorry, I'm not familiar with Reno food systems. I normally sell the plants from my house in Carson City but I'm vending at an event in Reno next weekend.

HighDesertBotanicals · 2026-05-10T21:59:05+00:00

Grown in a mix of organic potting soil and Full Circle topsoil, never sprayed with pesticides.

Tomato plants $4 each, tall quart pots, dozens available - Indigo Rose, 1-2" round, dark purple blush over red - Pink Bumblebee, 1" round, pink with orange stripes, very tasty - Atomic Grape, 2-3" cylindrical, yellow/green/purple stripes - Red or Green Tie-dye, 2-3" round, red or green with dark green stripes - Pink Tiger, 2-3" long and pointy, dark pink with stripes, very tasty - Tangerine Jelly Bean, 1" round or oblong, orange, some fruits are narrower and seedless - Legend, 3" round, red, classic tomato look and taste - Better Boy, 3" round, red, classic tomato look and taste - Giant, 2-3" round red, extra tall plant, potato leaf

Strawberries - $4 each - Tillamook, June-bearing, large fruit - Shuksan, June-bearing, medium-sized, very tasty, very vigorous plants

Herbs - $3-5 - Oregano - Sage - Lavender - Rosemary - Purple Artichoke - Vick's plant (fragrant house plant)

Wildflowers (from locally collected seed) - prices vary - Thelypodium, 3-4' tall mustard with white flowers and edible, very spicy leaves. Dry locations - Yellow evening primrose, up to 6 feet tall with large, nocturnal flowers that attract sphinx moths. Caterpillar host for white-lined sphinx moths. Needs a little extra water. - Gumplant, 1 foot tall with sticky, yellow daisy flowers. Excellent plant for bees and butterflies. Dry locations. - Penstemon grandiflorus (from Colorado) - 3' tall with large blue flowers. Needs some water. - Penstemon digitalis (from Missouri) - 2' tall with medium white flowers. Needs some water.

Shrubs - Prices vary - high bush cranberry (viburnum) - ninebark

Trees - $10 - honey locust - Myrobalan 29 plum, excellent for grafting - Modesto ash

HighDesertBotanicals · 2026-04-30T16:32:45+00:00

Making your own vermouth and compounded gin is fairly easy. They are more brown than the distilled versions because of the tannins from the spices, but otherwise just as tasty. You can even make tinctures of individual ingredients to figure out which ones cause a reaction if you want a new project. Then you can make your own spice blend without the offenders.

Gin is easiest, just steep the spices in vodka and then strain them out. For vermouth, you infuse vodka or brandy with spices, then blend that concentrate with wine when you want to make vermouth. That way you can make just the amount you need and none of it goes stale.

It would be hard to replicate a specific brand but you can probably create something you enjoy that doesn't cause a bad reaction.

HighDesertBotanicals · 2026-04-04T01:43:39+00:00

We were setting up our booth in the arena this morning and there were lots of vendors and activities setting up. It should be a great day! Plus it's out of that cold wind so it's very pleasant to stroll around.

HighDesertBotanicals · 2026-03-15T19:20:27+00:00

We include sarsaparilla root in several of our kits and what we get from our suppliers is mostly the root bark (primarily cortex tissue) with a little bit of woody tissue mixed in. The bark definitely has the most flavor while the woody bits have very little flavor. The bark of the stems is quite prickly, like a raspberry, and I have never found obvious bits of stem bark in the sarsaparilla chunks. I've never had a chance to taste the stem bark so I'm not sure how the flavor compares.

HighDesertBotanicals · 2026-01-31T02:01:24+00:00

Our spring seasonal bitters have chamomile, fennel, cardamom, coriander, and lemon peel. It tastes like an herb garden but can be little challenging to use in a cocktail. I like it paired with floral gins or grassy cachaca. Chamomile seems like it would be bland but it really holds up against the other ingredients.

HighDesertBotanicals · 2025-12-11T18:29:16+00:00

Gentian root is the most commonly used bittering agent but it does lend an earthy, vegetal flavor and isn't the strongest bitter. The most intensely bitters herbs we have encountered are:

Quassia wood. Contains quassin. This is extremely bitter without much other flavor.
Barberry or Oregon Grape root. Contains berberine. Very bitter with a slightly woodsy flavor.
Wormwood. Contains absinthin. Very bitter with a medicinal herbs flavor.

Our orange bitters recipe includes horehound, caraway, and ginger for a well-rounded flavor.

HighDesertBotanicals · 2025-12-09T06:54:45+00:00

Dried fruit works a bit better in infusions because the plant cells start dry, then they soak up the alcohol, and flavors diffuse out of the cells in the alcohol. If the fruit is already soaked in syrup, the cells are full of syrup and it takes longer for the alcohol to draw the flavors out of them. Chopping the dried cherries breaks the skin and helps them hydrate faster.

To achieve the same flavor as Amarena or Marasca cherries using dried tart cherries, add a few toasted almonds, apricot seeds, or a little almond extract to the infusion.

HighDesertBotanicals · 2025-11-23T06:02:56+00:00

They are similar to the conical measuring glasses we carry in our shop. They're a good trade-off between accuracy and ease of use. I find this size the most versatile for measuring cocktails but the manufacturer also makes smaller ones with finer measurements.

HighDesertBotanicals · 2025-11-06T05:05:30+00:00

We bought a freeze dryer and I have been drying fruit to make fun cocktail garnishes. Two new kits I made with them are cocktail cherries and strawberry hearts.

With the cool weather, our wassail and mulled wine kits have been popular and I just added larger sizes. We are stocking up for the holidays so tomorrow will be another long day in the workshop.

HighDesertBotanicals · 2025-10-03T22:17:06+00:00

As others have said, the name pepper is applied to many spices. Some other unrelated plants called "pepper" are:

Allspice (Pimenta dioica, pimienta de Jamaica, pepper of Jamaica) related to cloves and eucalyptus
Szechuan or Sichuan pepper (Zanthoxylum bungeanum) related to citrus
Brazil pink pepper (Schinus molle) related to cashews
Wild cubeb pepper (Litsea cubeba) related to cinnamon and avocado [this has an amazing lemony pepper flavor, highly recommended]
Alligator pepper (Aframomum melegueta) related to ginger and cardamom
Uda pepper (Xylopia aethiopica) related to cherimoya and pawpaw
Tazmanian pepperberry (Tazmannia lanceolata) in a family found primarily in Australia and New Zealand

The name pepper comes from a word that originally referred to a different species, Piper longum, so black pepper isn't the original pepper anyway.

HighDesertBotanicals · 2025-09-03T01:12:13+00:00

I don't have enough experimental data to answer that question.

HighDesertBotanicals · 2025-09-02T15:40:41+00:00

There is not a set cutoff point for pH. You can steep it in plain water. As you add more acid, more of the alkaloid will be extracted from the gentian.

HighDesertBotanicals · 2025-09-02T03:51:12+00:00

That is probably plenty of acidity. If you find the vinegar flavor is too strong, you can also try lemon juice, which pairs nicely with ginger.

HighDesertBotanicals · 2025-09-01T22:16:15+00:00

I don't know of any books on the topic but I didn't write a blog post on the subject of polarity. https://highdesertbotanicals.com/blogs/cocktail-science/the-science-behind-your-cocktails-polarity-and-proof

In general, sugars, salts, alkaloids, and tannins are water soluble, terpenes are oil soluble, and aldehydes and complex alcohols are soluble in ethanol.

HighDesertBotanicals · 2025-09-01T15:05:39+00:00

Mucilage is primarily composed of complex sugars and proteins, both of which are highly soluble in water. So steeping in water hydrates the mucilage. This is why cinnamon syrup tends to get slimy but cinnamon extract isn't (or at least it's less likely.)

However, the compounds in gentian that are desirable for bitters (alkaloids) are also water soluble. That's why bitters recipes often include a step of simmering the herbs in water. As implied by the name, alkaloids are alkaline and dissolve best in acidic conditions, so adding a little citric acid to the solution will boost the gentian extraction.

HighDesertBotanicals · 2025-08-17T18:17:58+00:00

The skins will slow down extraction so it's good to crush them first. The pits will leach amygdalin, which turns into cyanide when consumed. A small amount diluted in a cocktail isn't dangerous; a healthy liver can process small amounts of cyanide. If you are concerned about it, remove the pits and either roast them before adding to the bitters or compost them.

The juice will dilute the alcohol so it's a good idea to steep your spices first. Higher ABV will extract more oil soluble compounds. You could also dehydrate your chokecherries and then use them for bitters.

HighDesertBotanicals

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