The Smell is Intoxicating/The Herbal Jungle!

Today was move day for the herbs that have been hanging out in the garage. So now its an herbal jungle in our basement! The herbal husband kept saying, "The smell is intoxicating!" In this tiny space are four scented geraniums, two lavenders, an allspice tree, a bay rum tree and a bay laurel and a kafir lime and the night-blooming jasmine! The herbal husband was a planner in his former life. We had a really good growing season this year so plants are larger coming into the house. We had one casualty already. The grey fringed lavender that was brought inside has not made it. It happens! Our other inside lavenders are doing just fine. We were also cleaning up the tomato patch outside and found these radishes. The one on the left doesn't look so good, but it probably tastes fine. Will be working on herbal gifts starting tomorrow.

Green Pepper Basil Update!

Today we cut off the flowerheads of this green pepper basil so the plant will continue to thrive. The flower heads smell just like a green pepper. It is so interesting! I have made some herbal vinegar with the green pepper basil and will be making salad dressing with it later this winter. I just love the unusual herbs!

Angels from Nature

This is from my herbal archive. Several years ago, I went on a wonderful bus trip with the Repperts from The Rosemary House to a wonderful herb farm called Buffalo Springs Herb Farm in Virginia. Sadly, the Virginia farm is closed. This is the result of the craft project that we did there. The instructions call it Angels from Nature and Garden as featured on Home and Garden TV's Willard Scott's Almanac and the Angel Tree at the Governor's Mansion, Richmond, VA 1996. I tried to Google both HGTV's website and the Governor's Mansion in Richmond, but came up empty. I think that Don Hayne, one of the talented owners, decorated the Governor's tree either in 1995 or 1996 with the angels. This one that I made has lasted 12 years and has been protected in a paper bag all of those years.

Here is the outline of steps:


Step 1 - Head & Body Stem: Choose one of the following: medium size poppy pod with a 4" stem or acorn or hickory nut drilled and wood twig inserted. (I used a poppy pod.)


Step 2 - Arms: Choose approximately a 3" twig, cinnamon stick or reed stem and bind onto main body stem near the head using 22 gauge wire or strong thread. Or glue on oblong shaped pods. Make a loop of wire at back to use as a hanger, if desired. (I used a cinnamon stick.)


Step 3 - Body: Gather a small bunch of dried materials together to form a body. Fan out material and bind bundle, with 22 gauge wire at top and then attached to main stem at neck area. Suggested plant materials: silver king artemisia, plume celosia, dried plumes of decorative grasses, wheat, oats, rosemary, sage or blue salvia. (I have used a combination of blue salvia and silver king artemisia.)


Step 4 - Upper Body: Using a glue gun or fast drying glue, fill in area from waist up to head. Small bits of dried flowers and leaves work well for this to form a collar and shoulders. Use tweezers if desired. (I used celosia and statice.)


Step 5 - Wings: Using two matching dried leaves, glue wings on to back of neck or shoulder, either flat on each side or at an angle. Secure with glue. Suggested plant material: dried bay leaves, dried salah leaves or pressed galax leaves. (I used four bay leaves.)

Step 6 - Personality: Glue small pieces of dried flowers, acorn tops or Spanish moss to top of head. Paint a face if desired, using acrylic paints and add small bits of interesting plant material wherever necessary to give your angel personality. (I used more statice at the top of the poppy pod and didn't paint a face.)

This is nice as a tree ornament, wreath ornament or atop packages instead of a traditional bow. This is the only one I ever made. It takes a lot of material to make several. I did make wreathes and bouquets for a time. I don't any longer. I thought though if you have dried material that you don't know what to do with it, this may be a solution for you. Hopefully these pictures will give you assistance.

St. Nicholas and Secret Santa at the MG Holiday Gala!

St. Nicholas was a rich and famous Bishop in the early days of the Christian church and became one of the most beloved saints ever. He is the patron saint of children, especially school boys, of poor maidens, of sailors, of travelers and merchants, as a protector against thieves and robbers, his name was constantly used in prayers of Christian people. Nicholas was born in Asia Minor. He was dedicated at an early age to the church. After his ordination as a priest, his parents died of the plague leaving him with a vast fortune which he used for charitable works. He was remembered as a giver of gifts at Christmas time.

He is especially revered in Holland. On December 5th, St. Nicholas Eve or December 6th, St. Nicholas Day, children placed wooden shoes on the doorsteps in the hope that the good Bishop would reward them with the traditional gifts of chocolate, other sweets or even a gold piece. Even though we have turned this dignified Bishop into a fat and jolly good Saint Nick, his memory is still preserved. The giving of gifts and the love of children are the importance of the season. This information is from Christmas at Caprilands: Legends and Recipes by Adelma Simmons.

My Secret Santa at the Master Gardener Holiday Gala did a really good job. He or She knew that I like tea/cocoa pots and mugs and hot chocolate on a cold winter's day. When I showed the herbal husband last night, he looked at the Candy Cane Cocoa container and said "It's like Rubik's Cube!" My eyes glazed over! Why does everything have to be about math? That's is one of the key reasons why I married him though! When I learned he taught Statistics in college that closed the deal! See all three parts spin to create new Santas! It is very clever. I'll let you know how the cocoa is later! Stay warm! P.S. The hot chocolate is yummy!

The Best Combination-Herbs and Counted Cross-Stitch!

A little diversion from the Christmas posts. I do love to do counted cross-stitch and herbs and counted cross-stitch are the best. My neighbor and herbal travel companion when the herbal husband wants to stay home gave this to me. There is one at her house for me to teach her how to cross-stitch. Hopefully some day soon that will happen. Time just seems to fly by these days! I'm off to the Master Gardener Holiday Gala this evening! Stay warm!

'Tis the Herbal Season

This is one of my favorite herbal books for Christmas. Adelma Grenier Simmons was the owner of Caprilands Institute in Connecticut, a Mecca for herb lovers for many years. Check out the Facebook page because her third husband, Edward Cook is working on restoring Caprilands gardens to its former glory. She died on December 3, 1997 at the age of 93. She wrote 35 books and many pamphlets on the subject so near and dear to her, herbs. Her book, Herb Gardening in Five Seasons, talks about Christmas as the fifth season.

Today is Saint Barbara's Day and was the first festival celebrated at Caprilands during the Christmas season. Back to Saint Barbara better known in the Near East and Asia Minor. She is the patron saint of Ferrara and Mantua in Italy. Barbara supposedly lived in the third century. She was kept in a tower by her father. For refusing to practice pagan rites, she was tortured and put to death by her father who was destroyed by lightning. Saint Barbara is a protector against lightning, fire, storm and sudden death. Her customary emblem is a tower. Saint Barbara was also associated with the harvest and wheat is often her symbol.

Little Herbal Classics!

These have become my favorite herb magazines. Yes, I have all of The Herb Companions and The Herb Quarterlys and they are treasured also. The Herb Grower magazine was started by Phil and Gertrude (Bunny) Foster as The American Herb Grower, but I think even before that they were called The Herb Journals. Then in August-September, 1948, it was called The Herb Grower. Writers such as Rosetta Clarkson and Helen Noyes Webster wrote in the early issues. I have some magazines from each of the four decades it was written. I will spend the winter with a cup of tea and these treasures. Hopefully, I will continue to find more in the coming months. Looking forward to the herbal education.

Still Harvesting Figs!

Unlike the figs at Rosemary House, ours are in pots and have come in for the season, but we are still harvesting brown figs. The herbal husband nipped a cutting from Dumbarton Oaks in Georgetown many years ago! My face is red right now! The fig we have in the ground has never given fruit because we do not bury it as you have to do in this part of the country. We tried to cover it and bury it with leaves, etc. It did not work. If you have never had a fresh fig, you haven't lived. I really didn't think I liked them, but the herbal husband has a hard time getting them for himself! Don't think of Fig Newtons. Fresh figs are 1000 times better!

A Happy Indoor Lavender!

Just wanted to show one of several lavender that came in for the winter. This is 'Goodwin Creek' lavender or Lavandula x ginginsii. It has a beautiful gray color and it does very well in this west facing window. It is even blooming at the moment. All the snow that was outside that day is gone, but there is more on the horizon. So I'm going to enjoy the herbs growing indoors.