A Blooming May, Herbally Speaking!

The Angelica in Bloom!

Dianthus 'Sunburst'

Dianthus 'Sunflor'

'Linear Leaf' Thyme

Comfrey Attracting Bees!

Favorite Ladybug on Joe Pye Weed!

May Means Chives Are Blooming!

And A New Addition to the Garden!

I can't believe May will be over soon!  I have been busy on everything except blogging!  Not sure how to get this blogging motor started!  Maybe I will try once a week?  I think I tried that once before without success!

This has been an outstanding spring here in the 'Burgh!  The Rhododendrons have been spectacular and everything else has as well and as always the weeds are surpassing size and tonnage.  Of course, I was behind last year and it just keeps adding up!  We are moving towards a wild forest like garden in the back.  So the weeds will fit in?

All of the spring herbs are up and turning black from the four-lined plant bug! Ugh!  Our abnormally warm winter hasn't deterred them.  Some of my favorite spring herbs are pictured above.  I also try to use my lovage plant before it flowers in our favorite chicken stew recipe.   I love angelica because it is big and takes up space!  I love dianthus because they are an edible flower and a lot of them smell of cloves.  All of the thymes in flower attract bees.  Comfrey is such a pretty plant in flower.  And of course, chives and the herb omelets begin!  Oh and I almost forgot to share my new favorite foxglove!  Isn't it beautiful?

This Apricot-Pink Digitalis Is My Favorite!

 It is also a good time to get started trimming some herbs to dry them before they flower.  As I was walking around the front garden last week, I noticed that the spearmint is up and looking good.  I will try to get out on Tuesday when it is dry to cut some for drying.

As you can see by the last photo, we have a new addition to the garden, a new arbor for the grapes!  It is long overdue.  It is much shorter than the previous version, but maybe it will be more manageable.  We are also planning to recycle some of the old arbor into features and entrances into the gardens.  So stay tuned!

Tomorrow my herbal companion, Bonnie and I are taking a road trip to Ohio to buy some herbs!  Always an exciting day.  We have a rainy day here at the moment!  I hope you are having a fabulous spring day wherever you may be.  Have finished several cross-stitch projects and that has taken a lot of my time up.  I also have been doing reading about herb garden design and the 2017 Herb of the Year, Cilantro/Coriander.  Hopefully I will get my blogging hat on and will be blogging about those subjects and other topics that have been crying out for attention.  Will talk to you sooner than later!    

All Mixed Up, Herbally Speaking!

The Angelica Is Taking Over!

Not Quite Lemon Verbena! :(

May already here in the 'Burgh!  Just can't seem to find the extra time to blog at the moment.  Everything has just exploded here.  Blooming bushes are REALLY blooming!  Weeds are REALLY big!  And herbs I thought would survive, didn't; and herbs I thought would not live, survived.  The angelica is just big and bigger!  I said to The Herbal Husband at the end of last season that we were losing the angelica!  Not so fast.  It has come back with great gusto, herbally speaking!  It is going to start blooming shortly.

My great experiment with the cover on the lemon verbena outside did not work.  A field mouse or rodent of some kind made a nice little house under the cover and dug up the lemon verbena.  What is coming up in that space is the Greek oregano which is already being attacked by the four lined plant bug.  It has the most damage at the moment.  I have the wild oregano along the driveway and it hasn't been attacked yet.  I give up trying to figure this out!

So I was looking up on the hillside and herbs I thought would come back haven't and I think the chocolate flower that isn't particularly hardy here, did!  Who knew I would be excited about a chocolate flower coming back to life.  We decided not to have much of a vegetable garden and so what is coming up in those beds, wild garlic and onions!  Grass abounds where it shouldn't be.  Deer are making beds (no pun intended) where some of the only perennials are planted!  It figures!  So we have a lot of work to do and if it would stop raining maybe I could get started.

Got caught up with some of my book reading, Laura Childs tea series and Susan Wittig Albert and the China Bayles novels.  Of course the stitching is progressing.  The coverlet is on course to be done in late June/early July.  We are waiting for a big rainstorm to hit later today.  Still have chances for frost!  So if you are in the Pittsburgh area, watch the forecast before planting some of those tenders outside.  Hope you are having a fabulous day.  I will try to blog a bit more!  Talk to you later.

Holy Chive Blossoms!

Been So Wet Even The Slugs Are Attracted to the Chives!

Went out on Saturday to cut fresh chives for my scrambled eggs!  What did I find?  A big, juicy slug!  We usually have small little things!  These are like the Pacific Northwest!  It was actually wrapped around the chive stem.  Not getting to enjoy my chives, Mr. Slug!  Then I gave it as a gift to the birds!  I thought that was very fitting.   Never knew that slugs would be a problem here in the 'Burgh.  Something else to worry about! 

Finally some cooler weather today!  Going out to the garden and try to get some things done that should have been done early!  Hope you are having a fabulous day wherever you may be!  Your box should be in the mail in the morning, Sharon!  Thanks to everyone who participated and who keep me on this herbal journey.  Glad you want to keep learning about herbs.  I do too!  Talk to you later.

An Inch of Rain and New Additions to the Containers, Herbally Speaking!

We started out this morning with an inch of rain and that is a very good thing.  And as the total in the rain gauge was read, a Japanese beetle had met its fate in the gauge.  Another good thing.  We also got the ickies and stickies back.  Ugh!  So much to do and I am not an early riser!  Oh, the weeds will just get bigger, but maybe easier to pull with the rain.  A silver lining, herbally speaking.

And we gained a couple of more containers.  We are still trying to get a few herbs in the ground and have run out of room!  Out come more containers!  So The Herbal Husband planted the 'Grosso' lavender in one container (I think too small!) and 'Grosso' is not always hardy for me in the herb garden.  Also a ginger scented geranium, which is one of my new favorite plants.  Scented geraniums are perfect plants for containers.  So it was a bit hectic today.  Errands day sometimes is.  Hopefully you have had a great day and you have stayed cool!  More tomorrow.  Will talk to you then.

'Grosso' Lavender and a Ginger Scented Geranium

Cinnamon Basil Jelly and Raspberries!

Almost forgot to post today.  It started with a batch of cinnamon basil jelly this morning.  I picked more raspberries this afternoon, but finally not enough for a batch of jam.  I think we have come to the pause between old cane production and new canes starting to produce.  Will be on the lookout for stink bugs.  They love the raspberry fruit.  The Herbal Husband watered the back gardens including the raspberries.  They need water to produce good quality berries.  Hot and humid tomorrow.  Stay cool wherever you may be!  Hope you had a great day.  I will post a photo for this post tomorrow.  Talk to you then.

Just Enough Cinnamon Basil for a Batch!

Even Lemon Verbena Lady Can!

Can It Be Dried Up Lemon Verbena Leaves and Branches!

Can do what you ask?  Kill part of a lemon verbena plant!  Yes, it is sadly true.  Someone asked for an update of the herb garden.  It isn't pretty.  So here you have some evidence above.

This was the lemon verbena that made it inside through the winter.  It is about half gone and will probably be the one to come back inside.

About Half of the Lemon Verbena Has Died!

Is there a mouse or mole/vole involved?  My herb garden does have a series of tunnels made by chipmunks.  Our feral cat population has taken care of the chipmunks, but others have picked up the slack.  So when you are feeling poorly about your lemon verbena, just remember Lemon Verbena Lady or an accomplice rodent can kill her favorite herb too!

Still trying to blog from my phone and Blogger is not cooperating.  If anyone can shed some light on this problem, I would love to hear.  We have the ickies and stickies.  Got an inch of rain last night and more to come.  Hope you had a great day wherever you may be.

A Tale of Two Herb Gardens!

I Was Going to Talk About This Herb, Yerba Buena in the savory family!

Not a Good Year for Basil in the Herb Garden, My African Blue Basil Bit the Dust!

This Was One of My Favorites, Curry Plant!

A Square and A Round Patch of Thyme!

My 'Mabel Grey' Made a Baby!

'Empress of India' Nasturtium is Blooming!

I Never Have Luck with Agastaches and This One is Blooming!

A Sunflower Volunteer!

A Swallowtail on the Butterfly Bush!

Not Surprisingly the Lemon Verbenas Are Doing Great with All of the Rain!

I don't know why I'm surprised by all of the plants that have rotted in the herb garden.  We have had a lot of rain concentrated in the last six weeks.  I think we had about four days in those six weeks that were dry.  It has been tough.  I have a particular spot in the herb garden that retains water and I will have to amend the soil in that location to help alleviate the problem.

Along with the plants photographed above, I have lost several lavenders and a hyssop.   I have also made the decision not to plant basils in the ground.  I'm strictly going to plant them in containers.  I didn't plant many basils this year and what I did plant in the ground has rotted or is doing poorly.

On the bright side, the pink flowered thyme has migrated onto the patio of the herb garden and has made for a random pattern of square versus curved.  Everything that has been planted in a container is doing well thanks to the loving care of The Herbal Husband.  Have I mentioned he does a great job? 

So excited my 'Mabel Grey' scented geranium has made a baby.  She (I feel as though I should call it a she!) has been very happy in our  living room window for the winter and she came out just recently for the five days of sun and no rain that we are currently experiencing!

I bought an 'Empress of India' nasturtium from DeBaggio's in early May and that is the only one that is blooming at the moment.  An enthusiastic parsley has covered some of the seeds we planted in their usual spot and I'm hoping that once I cut down the lemon basil that is doing poorly, the nasturtiums will do better.

Continuing with exciting herbal news the orange agastache I bought is blooming.  I can kill these very easily.  So it is exciting when it stays alive!  Most of our sunflowers are volunteers this year and the goldfinches are already eating the seeds.  Also discovered this swallowtail butterfly on what else but a butterfly bush.

Last but certainly not least the lemon verbenas are loving the rain.  They were attacked for the first time by the four lined plant bug, but they have rebounded and it looks like I will be making some jelly and drying the rest of tea blends.

Well, as you can see there is a lot going on and I need to write a bit more often.  Next time we will talk about the herbal containers from my class in May.  I have kept some of them intact and they look beautiful.  Also I need to keep talking about the Herb of the Year, Savory.  Hope you have had a great day in your herb garden.  Talk to you later.

Four-Lined Plant Bug Damage Already and An Herbal Retail Experience!

Not An Herb But Four Lined Plant Bug Love Certain Perennials Too!

We have been slowly weeding and getting beds ready to plant seeds.  Yesterday, we came across the damage of the four-lined plant bug.  I associate the emergence of these pests with the blooming and leafing out of forsythia.  It is one of their favorites and it is blooming and leafing out all around us!  I did a post about them for Mother Earth Living called Herbal Pests:  The Four-Lined Plant Bug.  They really only do cosmetic damage and the plant starts to grow new leaves even before the bugs are gone, but it can be six weeks of herbal pain until they are gone.

Also got out and had an herbal retail experience at the local Garden Symposium co-sponsored by the Penn State Master Gardeners of Allegheny County, the Penn State Center Pittsburgh and Shady Side Academy.  Got several wonderful scented geraniums, a couple of lavenders and a clematis that is more like ground cover than a climbing vine.  Oh and a couple of agastaches.   

Herbal Retail Delights!

Latest Book from My Favorite Horticulture Teacher, Jessica Walliser!

My final purchase was the latest book from my favorite horticulture teacher, Jessica Walliser.  I have already read a bit and I loved your confessions, Jessica!  Will look forward to reading the rest and making a review in the coming days!

We had one of the more beautiful days today, sunny and warm.  Getting beds weeded and ready to plant seeds.  Although we are going to get strong storms tomorrow night into Monday.  So I told The Herbal Husband that we would work on clearing a second bed tomorrow and then postpone seeding until the storms pass on Tuesday or Wednesday.  At least we separated the seeds to be planted from the ones to plant later.  Never a dull moment.  Hope you are getting your gardens ready to go.  Maybe another savory post next time!  Talk to you later. 

A Year in Review 2014, Herbally Speaking!

January 2014!  What a Winter!

Got a Lot of Tea Blends Made!

Sweet Basil Doing Well on a Cold Windowsill

Chives Popping Up Late February!

My Favorite, Lemon Verbena Needs a Trim-Late March!

Found My Theme for 2014-Lemon and Some Lime!

Mature Lavenders Didn't Fare So Well!

Scented Geranium and Lemon Verbenas Are Doing Well!

Always Excited Buying Herbs for the Garden!

Got Some Interesting Lemon Herbs from Well-Sweep and Carolee

The Herb Garden in Late May

The Only Low Was Downy Mildew on the Sweet Basil!

Healthy Seedlings One Minute And

Diseased and Dying the Next!

A Bright Spot Despite the Stink Bugs Was the Raspberry Crop!  A Record!

Still Picking Raspberries-November 4

Lots of Beneficials Including Some Preying Mantids-July

Preying Mantis in October

My Favorite Edible Rose-Rosa Rugosa 'Alba'

'Brother Cadfael' Rose

Swallowtail Tail Butterfly on Sunflower

Finches on Sunflower

Not Much Lavender in Bloom This Year!

One of My Favorites in July-Bee Balm

Borage for the Bees

Calendula--An Herbal Workhorse in the Herb Garden

Pineapple Sage in Full Bloom in November!

Always Have to Have Nasturtiums-a Peruvian Connection!

First of Two Hundred Plus Figs in Two Containers!

My Favorite Attracting Beneficials

Here Are Cocoons of Parasitic Wasps on Lemon Verbena!

Sweet Annie Wreath Celebrating the Herb of the Year 2014-Artemisia!

Making Cinnamon Basil Jelly

Tomato Sauce Ready to be Canned!

Indoor Herbs Getting a Sunbathe Before Going Inside for Winter!

Already Thinking About Next Year's Garden!

Except for the Cold Temperature, It Doesn't Seem Like Winter!

Decided to do one more post before the year comes to an end.  For the most part 2014 was a great year.  The winter was very cold and snowy, but herbs survived that I never thought would and others that had made it for years, were gone.  

Figs and raspberries were the champions this year.  We had over 200 figs in two container plants and I made 144 jars of raspberry jam.  Both records.  You can see my favorite herbal flowers in bloom.  

The one tragedy is that the sweet basil in the garden got downy mildew.  As you can see inside, sweet basil survives and does well.  Soo we may have to grow sweet basil indoors until they can find a true sweet basil that is resistant to downy mildew outside in the garden.

Beneficial insects continue to be a joy.  Now if we can breed enough preying mantids to control the stink bug population, we will have succeeded.  Stink bugs were significantly worse on the fruit then herbs.  I continue to have four-lined plant bug issues.  I will talk about the lemon and lime themed herb garden in 2015.  I think it was a success.  We have several of the plants indoors.  I will try to talk about each of them in depth in the coming weeks.

As you can see in the last photo, we are snowless.  I think less than .2 of an inch of snow for the month.  Very unusual!  It has been cold off and on, but we are very cold today.  Hope you are enjoying new year's celebrations wherever you may be.  I'm blessed to still be blogging and writing for you my readers!  The happiest and healthiest of New Year's 2015 to you all.  I will continue to be here whenever you have an herbal issue.  The joy and magic of herbs will continue to fuel me for my lifetime and I hope to be sharing my joy with you!  Talk to you next year!