HMIG, Herbally Speaking!

Just a Little List of Herbs That Died in the Herb Garden!

I have been just lamenting the fact that a bunch of herbs have died in my herb garden this season.  The acronym in the title stands for "Herbs Missing In Garden".

I had two curry plants die, two lavenders, one called 'Mini Blue' and the other one that I should not kill a 'Munstead', my favorite, lemon verbena.  We think it died from too much water and then no water at all.  Finally, there was an yerba buena that I was going to celebrate in talking about the 2015 Herb of the Year, Savory.  Well, a talk for another time!

Didn't have many nasturtiums.  The basils got too much water early on and didn't survive.  Although I have one lemon basil that is making a comeback.  The 'Spicy Globe' basil in one of the combination containers did very well.  The "sweet" basil that I bought last year as a hydroponically grown plant has finally said enough and quit producing.  It said one year is enough!  Don't think you are getting more than that.  If anyone can get more out of a plant of any kind though, it is The Herbal Husband.  I always say to him just compost it and he secretly puts it in a corner and it starts to shoot new leaves!  We will see this time.

The Basil Finally Said Enough!

I will highlight what was great in the herb garden soon.  I would love to blog from something other than my laptop.  Will keep working on that as well.  It is getting warmer after I thought we were headed into fall.  Need to make the tarragon wine jelly and share the recipe with you.  Got sided tracked today with computer issues.  Hope you have had a great day!  Talk to you later.

The End of an Herbal Magazine Era!

Well, I keep outliving magazines.  I guess it's the way it's going to be.  This one has been a particularly special one for me in the last several years.  Linda Ligon founded The Herb Companion in 1988 and in the last years Ogden Publications ran the herbal ship.  I was so fortunate to have my own blog, The Herb Channeler for the last year or so for The Herb Companion.  Thanks to K.C. Compton and Gina DeBacker for allowing me to blog for them.  I really loved the journey.  Now you will find my blogging abilities on Mother Earth Living, a combination of two of Linda Ligon's babies, The Herb Companion and Natural Home.


Hope you will continue to follow my herbal adventures with me.  I will still be blogging about herbs for Mother Earth Living.  Thanks to The Herb Companion magazine for all of the great herbal knowledge.  I know Mother Earth Living will continue the herbal journey.  For those of you who are asking, you will get Mother Earth Living if you either subscribed to The Herb Companion or Natural Home or both.  If you have five issues left on The Herb Companion subscription and 2 left on your Natural Home subscription, you will get 7 issues of Mother Earth Living.

Got to go trim the ivy.  An annual event!  Talk to you later.

Guest Blogging for The Herb Companion Magazine!

Talking about my favorite herb this time for The Herb Companion, lemon verbena.  My post is called The Herbal Harvest:  3 Lemon Verbena Recipes.  If you like it, please click the like symbol at the top of the post.  I hope you enjoy it and I was totally surprised to find that lemon verbena leaves can be frozen.  I had it in the dim recesses of my memory that the leaves didn't freeze well.  That must have been some other herb.  As you will see in the post, they froze just fine.  Long term, unsure, but I will be making a lemon verbena bread throughout the fall and winter and will let you know if they worked.  I just don't like to use dried lemon verbena in a recipe.  It is just not the same.  Well, it is a beautiful day out there and I have a lot of trimming and weeding to do.  Sooo got to go.  Talk to you later.  I'll leave you with a photo of my English muffin spread with the Lemony Strawberry Butter from the post.

Less Mowing! Yippee!

My dream has always been to get rid of the lawn mower someday!  Unfortunately it hasn't happened fast enough.  Although I started at about an hour and a half, almost two hours worth of mowing and I'm at around an hour.  Hoping for near zero in the next few years.  Hope you have had a great day.  Just submitted my next post of Herb Companion on my favorite, lemon verbena.  Some different recipes and one surprise that I didn't expect from a reader who had a question.  Weather is beautiful here in the 'Burgh.  Talk to you later.

My Fourth Blogging Anniversary!

I can hardly believe that it has been four years today that I started my blogging journey.  Here is my very first post.  Not much to look at!  I have been very blessed to "meet" such wonderful people during this blogging experience.  I hope that you have learned a bit about herbs and I hope in the coming year you'll learn a bit more.  This photo represents a more wacky looking herb garden this year.  I'm a bit of a control freak and letting the mullein and volunteer sunflower grow are both not me.  Then there is this 'African Blue' basil in the left front corner that really should be in a container, but isn't!  OK, OK!  I'm just taking a deep breath and letting it go!  But basically I have loved guest blogging for Herb Companion.  You can take an herbal vacation without leaving your house with this latest post called Herbal Travels:  Visiting Gardens During My Herbal Vacation and hope to continue blogging for them for many years to come.  I also promised a giveaway and once I get that organized, I'll post the prizes and there will be some for the US readers and some for the World readers.  Postal rates are just skyrocketing, but I want to include something for everyone!

So I'll leave you with a look at the back garden.  We are slightly preoccupied with the Olympics at the moment.  All those covered bikinis on the "beach" at the Horse Guards Parade!  We got mulch and peat moss for the reclaimed garden in the back.  Maybe photos later in the week.  Hopefully, you are having a great day!  Talk to you later.

Guest Blogging for The Herb Companion Magazine!

I get caught up by what is going on in the garden this time.  Duh!  Summer!  So my guest blog for The Herb Companion is all about taking a vacation in your bathrobe or pjs, really.  It is called Herbal Travels: Visiting Gardens During My Herbal Vacation.  I would ask a favor of you if you read it and like it, would you please click the Like button at the top of the article.  Thanks a bunch.  I have also put together a page of extra links for your viewing pleasure from the trips.  I will be adding to those in the coming days.  We are back to the Pacific Northwest temperature wise.  It is rainy, humid and cool!  Not complaining!  Hope you are having a great day.  May I just express disbelief and sorrow over the loss of life in Colorado!  I'm saying prayers for the victims and their families.  Talk to you later.

Guest Blogging for The Herb Companion Magazine!

This is a 'Brother Cadfael' rose.  It didn't make my top five favorites, but it is definitely in the top ten!  Here is a link for my guest post for The Herb Companion magazine called Celebrating the 2012 Herb of the Year:  5 Favorite Roses.  Have been picking raspberries all afternoon and I need to pick more tomorrow!  I see raspberry jam in my future!  The berries have been magnificent!  It was a beautiful day here in the 'Burgh!  Hope you had a great one as well.  Talk to you later.

My Favorite Herb Magazine and A Giveaway for You!

Here is the latest issue of The Herb Companion magazine.  I'm in it!  They reblogged a couple of posts I did and called it 4 Reasons to Love Lemon Verbena.   This issue has a very nice article about the lavender book I just reviewed for Timber Press and other interesting recipes and articles.  Sooo here is your chance to win a copy.  I have six (not five or ten) extra issues.  Even if you are some place other than the US, you can win!  So leave me a comment here or on Facebook.  The only exception is if you already subscribe to The Herb Companion.  I would like to give the issues to nonsubscribers, please.  This contest is going to be quick.  It will end on Friday, June 1st at 10:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time.  Good Luck!   It has been hotter than Hades here.  We just had a big thunderstorm although it didn't cool it off much.  Hope you have had a great day.  Talk to you later.

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Part 3

This herb seed catalog from The Thyme Garden is mentioned in my latest Herb Companion blog post called Herb Seed Catalogs Mark the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.  This is a $2 catalog, but it is a wonderful catalog just full of wonderful herb seeds and interesting information.  They started out as a restaurant and then bought a farm to carry on their herb seed and plant business.  They do have herbal lunches during the summer months plus they host weddings.  What a beautiful place to have a wedding. It is definitely on my herbal list of places to visit on the west coast.  I will be honest though.  I have never ordered anything until this year!  So here are my selections.

Top row from left to right:  Quillquina (Porophyllum ruderale) is a cilantro like plant from Bolivia, Shunginku (Chrysanthemum coronarium) an edible chrysanthemum, Black hollyhock (Alcea rosea nigra) one of The Herbal Husband's favorities and also an edible flower, a complimentary packet of Bachelor Buttons (Centaurea cyanus), unclear whether this is an edible flower or not.  Some say yes and others say no.  It is not poisonous so you can decide.  Maybe using petals as a garnish to start as they do at The Thyme Garden.  On the bottom row from left to right:  Lemon Savory (Satureja biflora), an unusual savory native to South Africa.  It is an annual for us, but if you put it in a container.  It self-sows into that container and you can keep it going inside during the winter.  I found the plant at Mulberry Creek Herb Farm in Ohio, but lately they have not carried it, Black Lovage (Smyrnium olusatrum), the description says it is a native of the Mediterranean area and W. Europe.  It looks like a huge parsley plant.  All parts of the plant are used in cooking and have a mild celery flavor, Lime Basil (Ocimum americanum) is a different flavor to make jelly and I had a bumper crop of lemon basil jelly last year.  Let's try lime this year and finally, White Borage (Borago officinalis cv) because it reminds me of Sissinghurst Castle and their white garden.

I love the Thyme Garden's small seed packets, but I love what's on the back on the package the most.  I think it sums it up beautifully!

Welcome to Our Herb Family!  Raise 'Em Right!  Can't wait to get started.  We are still having unseasonably warm weather.  Hope you are having a great day wherever you might be.  Need to go make lunch.  Talk to you later.

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Part 2

Can't complain about the mail when they are bringing such great packets!  Today's mail brought my seed order from Renee's Garden Seeds and one that I talk about in my latest post for The Herb Companion called Herb Seed Catalogs Mark the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.  I have ordering from Renee Shepherd for many years when she had a catalog called Shepherd's Garden Seeds and now she is online and through select retailers around the country.  I do not buy a lot of herb plants in seeds.  I do not have the space to grow many plants nor the time to tend them indoors.  So we have begun sticking to annual flowers that can be direct sown in the garden.

This packet included from left to right (top row):  'Whirlybird Mix' nasturtiums (no spur on the back of the flower), 'Alaska Mix' nasturtiums (variegated leaves), 'Buttercream' nasturtium (mounding variety), 'Vanilla Berry' nasturtium (mounding variety) and 'Cup of Sun' nasturtium (mounding variety), 'Chocolate Cherry' sunflower (ornamental) and 'Sunzilla' sunflowers (giant).  I'm hoping to use the 'Sunzilla' as a border in the back of my garden.  I did that several years ago and it looked so cool.  Haven't been able to duplicate it since!  Ugh!  Then Renee's Garden has joined the Hunt for Bees and gave us a packet of 'Lemon Queen' sunflowers.  I have had something like these in past gardens.  So if it will bring the bees, I'm in!

As you can see by the banner photo, the snow has retreated and we were in the 50's today!  Not complaining but the bulbs may start to grow.  I'm trying not to pay attention!  If I ignore them, they will just stay underground!  Hope you have had a great day.  Talk to you later.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Always enjoy the holidays and not why you may expect!  It's the time for all of the wonderful seed catalogs to come through our mailbox.  Something different than junk for a change.  My latest post for The Herb Companion catalogs (get it!) my list of favorite and new favorite catalogs for purchasing herb seeds called Herb Seed Catalogs Mark the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.  Guess what?  I already got my first order in the mail today from the above catalog, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.  You can read about it at The Herb Companion, but here are the seeds I ordered:

From left to right on the top row are:  Janet Scott (very profuse blooming) pink sweet pea, Beaujolais (a rich, burgundy wine color) sweet pea and Blue Reflections (a mix of blue and white) sweet peas and a FREE tomato called Riesentraube.  On the bottom row from left to right is Elephant dill (late-flowering) that is productive, Sweet four o'clocks (delightful exotic fragrance), Jewel Peach Melba nasturtium (dwarf plants) and Dwarf Cherry Rose nasturtium (I have a theme going on with the nasturtiums!)  Have ordered more seeds.  So will share those with you as they come in.  Isn't it great?  Now I have to check out the seeds in our seed stash.  Mostly veggies.  I know you have one too!  So the snow will go bye bye for a while since our temperatures are going into the 40's.  Hope you are having a great day wherever you may be.  Talk to you later.

Spice Wreaths for the Holidays!

Well, here is my current post for The Herb Companion magazine about these cute little spice wreaths from Marge Clark's book Christmas Thyme at Oak Hill Farm.  My post is called My Favorite Christmas Thyme Book and Spice Wreaths, Part 2.  Hope you enjoy it!  The weather is cold but no snow on the ground.  Talk to you later.

The Herb Channeler for The Herb Companion

The latest post for The Herb Channeler is up on The Herb Companion website and it is called My Favorite Christmas Thyme Book and Dried Herb Wreaths, Part 1.  So there will be a Part 2 shortly!  You can check out how they turned out.   I do like the ones I made with the Jello molds a little better and I liked my herbie buddy in Maine who suggests using a canning lid and just make a hole big enough for a candle.  Then you can just take the lid out from the ring when it is dried!  Very clever, Joanne.  Thanks for the idea.  Getting packages ready to send.  Don't forget to enter the giveaway!  It will be gone in an instant!  Cold but sunny here.  Not typical 'Burgh weather.  My buddy, Miss C is in her annual Christmas band concert this evening.  Should be loud and festive!  Talk to you later.

I Finally Get Facebook, Herbally Speaking and Herb Channeler, Part Seven!

I had a light bulb moment yesterday while visiting my wall on Facebook!  One of my favorite bloggers who has been a faithful follower of my blog from the early days, Leslie from Comfrey Cottages gave me that moment.  Her latest post is about making soap and I saw it both here on my blog and on Facebook.  On Facebook, she had a comment from EMELIE TOLLEY, one of my favorite herbal authors and one that if you need a last minute holiday gift, her books are great.  This is just a sampling of the books she has written along with Chris Mead and she is still writing because she has a blog.  Both her website and her blog are on the right-hand of this blog!  I heard her speak in Ohio 16 years ago and got an illegal photo of her on stage!  I promise Emelie I will not post it here or anywhere else!

Only by blogging and on Facebook can you get comment from your favorite authors, herbal or otherwise.  They are great tools!  Thanks Comfrey Cottages!  Still cold here!  A broken record!  Hope you are staying warm wherever you may be!  Talk to you later!

Herb Channeler, Part Six!

It's just gotten silly how far behind I am.  So I promised Carolee of Carolee's Herb Farm a few weeks ago that I would blog about her website.  Haven't been to her farm yet, but some day we will meet, Carolee!  Several weeks ago, I was searching on Google for herbal sweatshirts and found Carolee's website.  Since I love herb books, I decided to treat myself and buy her autobiographical/fictional tales of her life and starting her herb farm.  They are chock (my new favorite word) of herbal information and recipes.  She has been growing herbs for a long time, but got her herb farm started in 1992.  It is somewhere between Indianapolis and Fort Wayne near Hartford City, Indiana.  So you should go visit next year when the herb farm opens April 1.  If you are looking for a last minute herbal holiday gift though, check out all her books and products she sells at the link above.  I have also added her website as a link in my favorites list on the right hand side of this blog.  I'll just keep putting up posts until I get caught up!  Ha!  As you know, I get interrupted by The Herbal Husband's movie cravings and other nonsense!  It is ridiculously cold here already!  Hope you are having a great day wherever you may be!  Talk to you sooner than you may think!

Herb Channeler, Part Five and Cheep Rooms on Thursdays!

A lot of them!  This is a dual post.  One of my favorite herb shops in Pennsylvania is The Rosemary House!  This is a building covered with birdhouses in the back of their herb garden.  I know you have heard of The Rosemary House because I'm always talking about one of my favorite herbal authors and founder of The Rosemary House, Bertha Reppert.  Now it is owned and operated by Susanna Reppert-Brill and her husband, David.  They have a lot of holiday events coming along with Nancy Reppert's, Sweet Remembrances Tearoom.  So check out their events schedules.  They have lots of fun events during the holidays for the whole family!  The Herbal Husband and I are going to be stopping by in the next couple weeks.  Can't wait!  Only getting colder here and very windy.  Just out walking and was almost blown over a couple of times!  Hope you are having a great day wherever you may be!  Talk to you later!

Herb Channeler, Part Four!

Continuing toward an herbal Christmas, we are headed to the west coast and an herb farm called Edgehill Herb Farm owned and operated by Karen England.  These two cook booklets are chock full of good ideas and recipes.  She also writes a blog called Karen England's www.edgehillherbfarm.com blog that has a lot of good herbal information as well.  So hopefully if you are out on the west coast, you can stop by or order products from Karen and Edgehill Herb Farm.  I'll have my very favorite choices next time!  So please stay tuned!

Made two batches of hot pepper jelly today.  In the herbal jelly home stretch, only two kinds to go!  Hopefully I will get it done this week!  Hope you had a great day wherever you may be!  Talk to you later.

Herb Channeler, Part Three!

This next possible herbal Christmas gift is from the southern part of the country.  It comes from Ann McCormick from Texas.  She does it all in the herb world.  She has a twice monthly newsletter, a column for The Herb Quarterly magazine (She took over Jim Long's column.), an article for a local nursery, among other ventures.  The book on the left is the perfect gift for a beginner herb gardener, including some recipes for each of the ten herbs.  The book on the right is The Herb 'n Cowgirl Bakes.  I'm looking forward to using this book this winter.  Love to smell herbal baked goods in the oven!  So check out the link above.  It may be just what you need to do your Christmas shopping this season.  Off to make lemon verbena jelly.  Hope you have a great day wherever you may be.  Talk to you later.

Herb Channeler, Part Two!

This next herbal Xmas possibility is from Donna Frawley, owner of Frawley's Fine Herbary in Midland, Michigan.  Donna has a home economics degree and has been in the herb business for more than 27 years.  She sells booklets like The Herbal Breads Cookbook and Edible Flowers and has a DVD on Cooking with Herbs.  She also sells herbal products, dried herbs, herb blends, herb mixes,  herb teas and herb vinegars.  So if you looking for herbal stocking stuffers or Christmas gifts, maybe Frawley's Fine Herbary will be your answer.

Yikes, I just read One Perfect Bite in My Favorites List and Mary is on her way to India, Nepal and Tibet and left 30 posts to automatically post each day that she is gone!  Maybe some day I will understand computing at that level!  Anyway hope you have a great day wherever you may be.  Talk to you later!

Just Call Me Your Herb Channeler!

As Halloween is almost here, I thought I would start giving you ideas for your herbal Christmas shopping.  I have a large herb book collection.  I am hoping to have read everything at least once before I go to the big herb garden in the sky!  This first choice is from Tina Sams across the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from us.  If you are looking for stocking stuffers or an herbal magazine subscription, consider The Essential Herbal magazine.  You get six jammed packed herbal issues for only $24.00 a year.

The three booklets on top of the magazine are three little gems.  From left to right, they are Blending Herbal Teas, Perfect Potpourris and Scented Crafts and Making and Using Herb Vinegars, compilations of readers and friends of the magazine.  Reasonably priced and again jammed with good herbal information.  She has more great products and books as well.  Check it out!  Look for more of my herbal picks for Christmas in the coming days!  Hope you had a great day wherever you may be.  Talk to you later.