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!    

A Nice Lunch on a Cold Icy Day in the 'Burgh!

My Favorite Yinzer Tea, Black and Gold!

Roast Cauliflower, Mozzarella and Arugula Sandwich with Spicy Lentil Chili!

A Huge and Delicious Cranberry Scone!

Well, The Herbal Husband and I finally got down to have lunch at Tupelo Honey Teas Cafe in Millvale, PA.  Danielle the owner has been peddling her teas in a loft in an industrial park for several years and late last year opened a cafe in Millvale.  I love Danielle's spirit and passion for teas.  Her shop is cozy, homey and all about tea.  I forgot to take some interior shots, but next time.  Was enjoying the food and that scone!  And sadly we took home two more, lemon poppyseed ones and they were gone with our evening tea!  This wheat free thing isn't going too well.  I must say that the food is vegetarian/vegan and delicious.  The chili was a bit too spicy, but to the rescue was my favorite tea blend which has ginger in it and it calmed my stomach right down.  Next time they have a spicy soup, I will try one of their salads.  I also want to say that her shop is connected literally to the Millvale Community Library.  She and the library have planned lots of fun events on the first Saturday of each month for adults at nominal fees and with treats by Tupelo Honey Teas through May, 2017. 

I am looking forward to January 22nd when Tupelo Honey Teas and British Emporium & Tearoom will host The Art of Afternoon Tea with a traditional afternoon tea of sandwiches, scones and desserts.  They are having two seatings, 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM and if you are in the Pittsburgh area, think about attending. There are openings in the 4:00 PM hour or there were.  It is $27 and you must reserve a seat and pay in advance.  Hopefully the weather will be bright, sunny and snow and ice free!

As you can see by the banner page, as of this morning the snow has melted.  We are going to be in the 50's today and 60 tomorrow!  Oh the bulbs will be confused!  By Friday we will be back in the 30's again.  Off to see Hidden Figures today at the movies and have a Panera lunch!  Hope you are having a great day!  Talk to you later!

This Might Be in the Herbal Mystery Giveaway Box!

Ooh, Looks Like a Bit of Herbal Vinegar for the Winner!

One of the easiest and most festive gifts this time of year or anytime of the year is herbal vinegar.  I used to make a ton of flavors and lots.  Now I only make what I think I can use promptly, herbally speaking.  I'll keep the flavor a secret.  Maybe you have already guessed.  I would use herbal vinegar for, of course, salad dressings, but also they are used in stews and marinades and to deglaze a pan when you are making a sauce.  Here is a link to how easy it is to make herbal vinegar.  Hey I wrote a pretty great post about making herbal vinegar if I do say so myself!  One of my favorite salad dressing books with history on where the dressings came from is by Jim Long.  The Best Dressed Salad is available on his website, Long Creek Herbs.  (This book is just a suggestion.  Not part of the giveaway box.)

One of My Favorite Herbal Authors, Jim Long!

So winter temperatures have hit us and when you aren't used to them, they can bite!  At least there is no snow at the moment.  Hope you are having a great day.  I have a list a mile long to work on.  Soo don't forget if you are a U.S. reader and you are interested in the giveaway, please leave a comment here or on the right side of my homepage.  I will talk to you tomorrow!

Lots Going On, Herbally Speaking and Happy Thanksgiving!

Had a Fun Afternoon Learning About Pittsburgh Area Tea Businesses!

Finished The Gardener by Blackbird Designs for Me!

Took a Tea Blending Class at Rosemary House!

Fresh from the Oven Scones at Sweet Remembrances!

A Beautiful Piece of Embroidery by Bertha Reppert!

Hot Pepper Jelly with Cream Cheese on Whole Wheat with a Parsley Garnish!

Bonnie's Beautiful Table Decoration for the Western PA Unit's Meeting!

One of My Favorites, Alfajores--A Cookie from Peru and Argentina and Other South American Countries!

The time keeps flying by.  So here are some of the highlights since we last spoke.  Our growing season has definitely ended.  We did have a bit of snow on the ground.  Forgot to get a photo!  Bonnie and I have been to the first Pittsburgh Tea Festival.  I think we would say it was a big hit especially discovering all of the tea businesses in the 'Burgh!  I stocked up on a few different chai blends for the winter to come.  Just click on the link above and you will have most if not all of the links for the vendors that were present.  I hopefully will be talking about my favorites as last minute Christmas gifts in the coming days.

I have been already doing my counted cross stitch that I love so much and I have finished The Gardener by Blackbird Designs for me.  I started The Fairy Garden by the same designer, Blackbird Designs.  They also do quilting and rug hooking patterns!  Next Bonnie and I took a short road trip down to The Rosemary House and Sweet Remembrances in Mechanicsburg.  We took a tea blending class with Susanna on Tuesday night and then had our second afternoon tea of the year with Nancy at Sweet Remembrances Tea Room and I made it a surprise birthday party for Bonnie.  She was definitely surprised!  Please if you are in the Mechanicsburg, PA area, remember to check out the wonderful herbal items that Susanna and The Rosemary House have to offer and have afternoon tea with Nancy every Wednesday and the first Saturday of the month!  Now that she is decorated for Christmas, you must go and have tea if you can and then you can check out Rosemary House right next door!

My final activity of the month was attending the local Western PA unit of the Herb Society of America's monthly meeting about South American cooking with an emphasis on Argentina.  Of course, they talked briefly about my favorite, lemon verbena.  Hope to get to discuss the Genus Aloysia in the coming months.  Larger than I thought!  Bonnie was in charge of food and boy, these ladies and gentlemen enjoy good food!  So hope November has been good for you getting plants situated in their new homes for the winter if you live in the northern half of the U.S. and drying others to use for potpourris and teas.

Can't believe tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the United States!  A time to be with family and friends!  The Herbal Husband and I met on Thanksgiving 33 years ago!  Seems like yesterday!  We enjoy having our feet up between basting the turkey and watching football.  We are spending the day on our own which is how we like it these days.  Going to have rain for turkey day.  Hope you stay safe and reach your travel destination if family is far away.  Hoping to do 31 days of blogging in December!  Going to be doing a surprise herbal giveaway in the early part of December so you will have it for the holidays!  Will talk to you sooner than later.  Happy Thanksgiving from The Herbal Husband and I!

Pennsylvania Herbal Road Trip Came to An End with More Herbs and A Sweet Remembrances Afternoon Tea!

So as I talked about the first day, we did start day three of our herbal adventure at the Herbal Springs Farmstead at Ephrata.  We were both lamenting the fact that there were more herbs to purchase there that were calling our names!  So we stopped by and met Rhoda's son, Dave because Rhoda was helping her daughter who was moving paint the new place!  We will see you again Rhoda!

Then we thought about going to the Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum to see their gardens and our friend, Shelley, after we came back said that is one place we need to go to next time!  So one of the stops on the Rosemary House bus trip was to Cloverleaf Herb Farm in Mt. Joy.  Kathy and John Musser (newly retired to the business) own and operate Cloverleaf in their backyard.  I was impressed with the neat and orderly appearance of every bed.  She has a lovely gift shop and even though it was later in the season, she still had interesting varieties of herbs and old-fashioned flowers.  One of the big events they attend every year in early May is the Herb & Garden Faire at Landis Valley Museum in Lancaster, PA.  Bonnie, we may have to do this next year.  I remember going to one early on and thought it was great.  They have approximately 80 vendors now and I bet it is not to be missed!

Entrance to the Gift Shop and Herbs and Flowers Under the Pergola!

Lots of Herbal Goodies in the Gift Shop!

A Lovely Knot Garden

The Thyme Bed Was Fabulous!

Kathy and John Musser Enjoying Their Lives!

Then one of the main reasons to go to central Pennsylvania was so we could stop and see the Reppert sisters at Rosemary House and have afternoon tea with Nancy at Sweet Remembrances.  Bonnie and I enjoy going to both places have been there many times and always enjoy our visits.

Lovely Herbs and Flowers to Walk Through and Stop to Enjoy!

A Whimsical Arbor of Broken Teapots!

A Remembrance Plaque for The Repperts!

Bonnie and I Getting Ready for Our Tea!

Old Country Roses Pattern

My First Pot from the Bottomless Tea Collection Was Assam!

A Summer Berry Salad Dressed with a Raspberry Vinaigrette!

The Sandwiches Were Egg Salad, Chicken Salad, Olive and Cream Cheese and A Zucchini Muffin with Relish!

Cream Scones Warm Out of the Oven (Oh, Boy!) and a Selection of Fruit!

Dessert Was Raspberry Cheesecake, Coconut Cake with Lemon Curd and Mexican Wedding Cakes!

I always enjoy taking a stroll through Rosemary House's herb and flower garden.  So full of life and charm.  Miss the birdhouse wall on the garage in the back of the property.  They had to replace the siding with vinyl and David said no more nails!  I love that they remember their parents with a plaque and I always stop to say a little prayer for both of them.  I was lucky to meet Bertha and Byron and have learned so much from Bertha and I am still learning.  Byron was a favorite on the bus trips because he always had such corny wonderful jokes and was a diehard Penn State fan.  I got a big bag of my favorite chai, Rosemary's chai and another favorite, Roastmary!  So glad that Susanna and David are carrying on with Rosemary House and Nancy has Sweet Remembrances.

So let's talk about Nancy's fabulous teas.  She does a SereniTea every Wednesday and the first Saturday of the month for any number of people by reservation between 11AM and 2 PM.  She also does fabulous themed teas to coincide with the Rosemary House schedule of events.   I call Nancy, "She who plays with her food"!  She does it so well.  She always starts with a lovely salad of seasonal fruit and greens with a delicious dressing.  Then comes the first of many pots of tea if you like.  I had three different flavors!  Then comes the tea tray and Nancy comes to go over the selections she has made for the day.  BTW, she always asks about food preferences when you make your reservation so you are sure to have just the food you can eat.  Bonnie's and my favorite part is that the scones come out of the oven warm and are so flaky and light!  I caught Bonnie picking up the flakes of the scones with her fingers so she wouldn't miss anything!  We never go away hungry from Sweet Remembrances.  In fact this time we both took dessert home.  The Herbal Husband enjoyed mine immensely!  I don't think Bonnie shared!  We are already trying to find a way to get back for another tea and maybe a class at Rosemary House in the fall.

We are really icky and sticky here in the 'Burgh!  The temperature is in the high 80's but feels like 90's!  So I hope you have enjoyed this latest PA/NJ herbal road trip.  Will get back to some herb garden news or maybe a post about my latest English trip.  Stay tuned.  Hope you had a great day!  Talk to you tomorrow!  

Off to the Jersey Shore! Oh Wait! No! It Was Off to the Jersey Herb Farm, An English Tearoom and Willowwood!!

So day two of the Pennsylvania road trip was actually extending the road trip into New Jersey!  One of my favorite and one of the best herb farms in the east is Well Sweep Herb Farm.  The Hyde family are collectors of plants specifically herbs.  It is like a wonderful place for the herb gardeners/collectors like Bonnie and I.  I am always at Well Sweep for their Christmas shop in November.  So Louise Hyde, grand dame of Well Sweep was surprised to see me in June!  I like to keep her guessing.  If you are looking for unusual herbs, Well Sweep is the place for you.  They have both a print and digital catalog and they do do mail order.  I have mail ordered in the last several years and it is like a wonderful Christmas surprise in May.  Very enjoyable, herbally speaking.

Look How Happy I am to be at Well Sweep!

They Have Beautiful Display Gardens with Everything Identified!

So Many Herb Varieties, So Little Time!

A Really Lovely Knot Garden!

Still Early in the Garden Season, But Already Looking Good!

We just had the best time going from bed to bed seeing all of the varieties of herbs that they offered!  It was a fabulous visit and of course, we came away with lots of plants!  Then it was off to one of my favorite tearooms in Chester, New Jersey called Sally Lunn's Tearoom & Restaurant.  I love their afternoon tea any time of day.  Sandwiches of egg, cucumber and cream cheese and salmon, fruit and a big oversized scone with clotted cream and jam.  Bonnie had one of the many specials of the day, lobster sliders and salad.  Everything was fresh made and delicious!  To top it off big glasses of iced tea because it was too hot for hot tea!  Always enjoy my visit to Sally Lunn's!

On Perry Street in Chester is My Favorite, Sally Lunn's!

My Afternoon Tea!

Bonnie's Lobster Sliders and Salad!

So I really don't have time usually to explore the Chester, NJ area because I have to rush back to pick up The Herbal Husband after his top show.  So I Googled before Bonnie and I started this adventure for gardens in the area and found the Willowwood Arboretum just 9 miles away from the tearoom.  Started in 1908 by two brothers, Harry and Robert Tubbs and Harry's adopted son, Dr. Benjamin Blackburn developed the land into Willowwood which has become New Jersey's most comprehensive and continuously operating arboretum.  A little Chanticleer like but different with a lot of land to explore.  Glad we got to see a small portion of this beautiful arboretum.  For dinner we went to Texas Roadhouse where I had the salmon.  It was delish!  

Has a Very Country Feel!

Lovely Cottage Garden!

A Beautiful House!

More Garden Space!

The Roserie!

My Salmon Dinner at the Texas Roadhouse!

 So ended the second day of our herbal road trip and I would say it was a very fun and herbally expansive day!  We have the ickies and stickies and now thunderstorms.  I am picking raspberries like crazy and making jam!  It is a very productive year already!  Hope you had a great day!  Talk to you tomorrow.