An Herbal Design That Might Stick!

The Spring 2017 Issue of Herb Quarterly Magazine!

Sorry I have been happily stitching away and forgot that I should and could post a couple of items before the end of the first month of the year!  How did that happen?  I got the latest issue of Herb Quarterly magazine the other day and was happy to see a lot of great articles, herbally speaking.

Jekka McVicar when she was here in 2011 called our garden a forest garden.  One of my favorite authors these days comes from our friends to the north, Canada and specifically Calgary.  Sheryl Normandeau  from Flowery Prose has once again written about what The Herbal Husband and I are doing without knowing it.  The article in the Spring 2017 magazine is called The Forest Formula.  Is that the herbal chaos I think it is?  No, the forest has layers and our garden has some of those same layers!  Besides providing food for you and your family, "a forest garden also provides a beneficial habitat and food for wildlife, birds, and the insects you wish to attract as pollinators or as biological pest control."  She gives a list of herbs to use and here are some of those that have worked for us including:  artemisia, bergamot and calendula.  There is a longer list in the article and a complete list of the layers involved.  You can pick up the issue at Barnes & Noble and even some grocery stores carry it in my area.  You can also subscribe to Herb Quarterly if you are so inclined!

A Delightful Representation of The Rosemary House Herb Garden!

I have thoroughly enjoyed my stitching projects so far.  I have been getting a bunch of small patterns done that have been languishing in my stash boxes or ones that I have purchased recently from new to me designers.  One of my favorites is the one above called Mrs. Reppert's Herb Bag.  It is a very charming representation of The Rosemary House herb gardens.  I will just place it in a gold frame and hang it so that I can get inspiration from it every day.  It is from designer, Sharon Verbos.

I also am starting a fairly big project that I am not sure how long it will take.  It has taken me 25 years to get it out of the bottom of my stash box one.  So hopefully it will keep me busy until spring gets here.  It is an old Prairie Schooler pattern called A Prairie Garden.  This is so old that the gals that started Prairie Schooler have retired!  So it is twelve different flowers and the afghan has twelve squares.  Inspired by my finish of The Herbal Husband's citizenship sampler last year, I thought I should pick another long forgotten project to stitch!  This one is for me.

An Afghan to Cross Stitch 25 Years in the Making!

Winter has returned to the herb garden and the forest garden in the front and back.  The birds and other animals are more demanding of water and food.  We have not had too much snow yet and have only had to shovel a handful of times.  We were in the 60's last week.  It has been a crazy year already.  Hope you are having a great day wherever you may be.  I will talk to you again soon.