A Beautiful Day in the Garden and More Harvesting Tips, including Fennel Seeds and Parsley!

A Big Blue Sky and a Warm Pleasant Day!

The Containers Got a Sunbath!

Happy in the Sunshine!

Mints, Scented Geranium and Figs (Brown Fig Count 108!)

Planted Garlic!

Time to Harvest Parsley!

A Few Rose Geranium Leaves to Dry!

Bronze Fennel Seeds!

German Chamomile Still Blooming!  Not For Long!

Lemon Eucalyptus Leaves to Dry!

Well, the last nice day to work in the garden was today.  Tomorrow the cold air is coming our way.  Not supposed to be as intense as our neighbors to the north have gotten already.  But it will be a wake up call after the beautiful day we had today.  I got out into the garden and clipped any last leaves of herbs that needed to be harvested.

Fennel seeds should be harvested when they are green not brown.  I just clip the seed heads and throw them in a paper bag until dried.

Green Not Brown for Fennel Seeds

As far as parsley goes, I always have at least three parsley plants each year.  They are a true biennial and produce leaves in their first year and go to seed in the second year.  Not completely a bad thing because swallowtail caterpillars love parsley in its second year.  Back to the story, I somehow got three second year parsley plants to start this year.  They went to seed and disappeared!  Only got one parsley to replace them.  So I pretty much do the same technique that I use for chives.  I do a parsley dill soup in the winter that uses a cup of parsley leaves in the recipe.  I just use a small Chinese takeout container and place a cup of leaves in each container.  I always try to mark what it is (in case I lose my herbal mind) and the date.  Then just place them in the freezer.  I always try to use my freezer harvest up before the end of winter.

A Cup of Parsley to Go Into the Freezer!

I also cut to dry rose scented pelargonium leaves, lemon eucalyptus, coconut scented pelargonium leaves (not sure that they will dry well).  Just wanted to mention that the vinegars I made two weeks ago are ready to decant.  Have to find some small bottles and it may be one more addition to my Christmas basket/box this year!  Stay tuned.

Hope you had a great day outside if you were in the eastern half of the U.S.  I really enjoyed it.  Here is a last look at the pineapple sage.  The bees were still trying to get nectar from it this afternoon.

Bee Enjoying the Blossoms of the Pineapple Sage!

A Beautiful End to a Day in the Herb Garden!

Talk to you later.