We're Down to Crunch Time, Lemon Verbena Crunch Time!

You Really Don't Grow Lemon Verbena for Its Blooms, But Isn't It Beautiful?

I just got three recipes of rose geranium jelly made.  Now it's on to the lemon verbena plants.  As you may recall, I have three in the herb garden.  One that has done well on its own coming back from the ground.  It's this one that is blooming and being attacked by the brown marmorated stink bug.  Grrr!  The good news is about the slits that the stink bug makes that it has forced more leaves to be produced.  Leave it to do more and it would kill the plant.  Can't have that, can we?

The big question is which plants will be used for what task.  The one that is blooming is just about as tall as I am, 5' 6"!  From the smaller plants that have a lot of leaves on each, I think I will do jelly and freeze some for lemon verbena bread since I discovered they can be frozen.  I have four packages of Certo left!  I thought I bought enough!  It's been a busy year jelly wise!  Well, it's a small issue in a world that is different each day.  Also we'll pick which lemon verbena will be coming in this winter.  I think I can count on one hand the number of times I have had a lemon verbena come back from winter in the 'Burgh.  If you live in the northeast, don't hesitate to dig up your lemon verbena and bring it in.  They will drop their leaves and play dormant until about February.  So don't forget to water them and keep them in the basement or in a room with a southern or western exposure.  They will start to leaf out sometime in February.

The leaf blowers have started outside.  We generally rake what leaves come from the neighbor's trees.  It is cool and crisp.  A typical Autumnal day in the 'Burgh!  Hope you are having a great day wherever in the world you may be.  Talk to you later.