A Rainy June, Herbally Speaking!

My Purchases from Beech Creek Botanical Garden & Nature Preserve!

Basil in a Container Until the Temperatures Heat Up!

Beneficial Insect Found the Calendula Flower Right Away!

And So Too the Rue Flowers!

The Lemon Balm Scented Geranium is Flowering!

I Know I Have Written About This Rose!  Can't Remember the Name!

The Yarrow is Blooming As Well!

My herbal companion, Bonnie and I had a splendid day at Beech Creek Botanical Garden & Nature Preserve in Alliance, Ohio.  We were pleasantly surprised by the school buses with children learning about nature and gardening.  They don't have nearly the selection of herbs that they did at their previous location, Lily of the Valley Herb Farm.  The quality of their plants is very good.

Well, well, well, June is busting out all over here in the 'Burgh!  We have had so much rain over the past few weeks.  Almost every day The Herbal Husband reports that we have received an inch of rain!  My weeds are letting me know how good it is for them.  I have voluminous amounts of weeds in the bad bag and still it keeps raining.

As you can see from the sampling of herbs and flowers in the photos, the rain has helped in great measure to liven up the landscape.  The mild winter helped as well.  I had verbena bonariensis come back from the plant itself.  I think they generally self sow here.  I have also lost some plants that I thought would come through.  The French tarragon had two very tiny stalks.  They didn't last.  Although my Texas tarragon that was in a container in the basement all winter is flourishing!   I thought a chocolate flower that never is hardy here, was going to make it through.  Sadly it died.  I also wanted to mention that we put the sweet basils I purchased into a container because we have not been consistently in the 80's in the daytime and the 60's at night.  Basils do not enjoy cold soils!  May was a beautiful month for gardens here and June is on pace to be equally as nice.

Hope you are having a great day in your herb garden and you will stop by from time to time to check out what is going on in my herb garden.  I have started the process of cutting my chive blossoms.  Make some chive blossom vinegar if you have some that haven't gone past!  Just go out and enjoy the beauty of your herb garden every chance you get.  You will get pleasure from growing fresh herbs!  Talk to you soon!

Scented Geranium Flowers and Redbud Too!

Mint Scented Geranium in Bloom!

Cercis canadensis, The Eastern Redbud, One of My Favorites!

Gosh, time is flying by and the heat has come again to the 'Burgh!  That means that gardening will begin in earnest soon.  Got out and weeded some and need to dig grass out of places it shouldn't be in!  You know the same old tasks!

The mint scented geranium that lives in a container and in our garage in the winter has started to bloom.  Beautiful pinkish white blooms and then the scent of the mint scented geranium hits you!  Just glorious.  Also if you have a shady garden, this is the one scented geranium that needs shade.  That is why we have it in a container.  Do you have an herb that has been inside that is a favorite?  We have had a bunch of casualties of the herbal variety this winter.

My favorite tree with edible flowers is blooming right now, the Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis).  Thought we might lose the blooms in the last (I hope!) cold spell the other day and they weren't quite open which helped them survive.  The flowers taste like lettuce in a salad.  The blooms are closely held on the branches unlike other blooms of trees.  This tree does come with its issues.  It is really native to limestone outcroppings of the Carolinas.  Soo it is probably at its upper reaches when it resides here.  It gets canker and when it gets below zero a ways (like 22 degrees below zero), it will not survive.  Other than that, it has heart shaped leaves that turn a bright yellow in the fall.  What's not to love?  We have lost several over the years and they keep seeding and coming back which is a good thing!  So do you have a favorite tree that is in bloom at the moment.

Our landscape is coming alive finally.  Only three weeks until May?  Yikes!  Just crazy how the time is flying by.  So I will try to be posting more as we get into the garden and work.  Let me know if you have any questions or concerns, herbally speaking in the new season.  Talk to you soon.

Catching Up on the Inside Garden, Herbally Speaking!

Hot and Sweet Peppers and What Else, Lemon Verbena!

Rosemarys and Texas Tarragon in the House!

Don't Think You Are Parking a Car in Here!

Well it is that time of year finally.  After our last 70 degree day two weeks ago, we have finally settled into our cold and gray period of weather here in the 'Burgh!  The herbal kids plus hangers on are in the garage, basement and living room.  I say this every year that we have to have less plants inside, but somehow that never works so well.  For example, I asked The Herbal Husband to harvest the Texas tarragon while I was away for my tea/afternoon overnight with Bonnie.  I came home to the whole plant in a container on the stationary tub!  Just wanted the stems!  He does love his plants even when they are in my herb garden!  We have a diverse group from mints to peppers and many tropicals indoors.  Of course the lemon verbena is inside.  The hot peppers are ripening.  A herbal giveaway!  A lot to talk about in December.  Hope you are having a great day.  I will talk to you tomorrow.

Watering Herbs in Summer!

A couple weeks ago my friend on Facebook, Anne asked me if I was watering my herbs in the hot weather.  She has a garden of herbs in containers.  Yes, Anne, we are watering daily and especially our herbs in containers.

Basil, Parsley and mint are generally herbs that can use more water in the summer.  In a container you want to use your finger and get it into the soil down to the second knuckle and work your way around the container and make sure you need to water.  Also if you can give your containers morning sun and some shade in the afternoon it is a good idea.

Different materials of containers heat up differently.  Terracotta is one of the better kinds of containers for herbs that like it dry.  Concrete is another material for herbs that does not get too hot even in direct sunlight.  The only problem with concrete is that it is not easily moved.  Plastic is inexpensive, but it does heat up and if you don't have afternoon shade, you may have to give those plastic containers more water.  You can make any container a vessel for herbs as long as it has holes for drainage, tea tins, oil cans, watering cans, etc.  Metal especially will heat up in direct sunlight.  Grouping your containers so that they shade one another is a good idea.

Herbs like the heat of summer, but if they are newly planted or in a container, you will need to monitor them for water.  We are getting some much needed rain at the moment.  Hope you have a great day.  I will talk to you tomorrow.

Herbal Containers Protected Under An Awning from Too Much Water!

An Inch of Rain and New Additions to the Containers, Herbally Speaking!

We started out this morning with an inch of rain and that is a very good thing.  And as the total in the rain gauge was read, a Japanese beetle had met its fate in the gauge.  Another good thing.  We also got the ickies and stickies back.  Ugh!  So much to do and I am not an early riser!  Oh, the weeds will just get bigger, but maybe easier to pull with the rain.  A silver lining, herbally speaking.

And we gained a couple of more containers.  We are still trying to get a few herbs in the ground and have run out of room!  Out come more containers!  So The Herbal Husband planted the 'Grosso' lavender in one container (I think too small!) and 'Grosso' is not always hardy for me in the herb garden.  Also a ginger scented geranium, which is one of my new favorite plants.  Scented geraniums are perfect plants for containers.  So it was a bit hectic today.  Errands day sometimes is.  Hopefully you have had a great day and you have stayed cool!  More tomorrow.  Will talk to you then.

'Grosso' Lavender and a Ginger Scented Geranium

Another Herbal Moving Day!

Had to Put The Containers In the Garage Temporarily!

It happens every year.  Shouldn't be a surprise at all.  Worked most of yesterday to get the containers moved into the garage, basement or the living room.  I secretly am always happy for this day.  Even though I didn't feel as connected to my herb garden this year, I did have a lot to harvest.  So I guess it was a success because The Herbal Husband was paying attention, herbally speaking!

The basement is getting full between containers and harvested herbs hanging from the rafters.  Lots of lemon verbena, stevia and lemon scented geranium.  Today I cut the first of the pineapple sages.  We will cover the one in my herb garden with Reemay overnight and hopefully it will survive.  I processed the first pineapple sage into six containers of leaves.  They will stay fresh for at least a couple of days until I can make the jelly.  That equals a couple of boxes of jelly!

I was thinking of cutting my tarragon to the ground, but decided to leave some plant standing because it has seemed to have found the right place to grow well.  In the past I have cut it all and it hasn't come back.  You would think I would learn from my mistakes.

So hopefully you are in better control of what's going on in your herb garden.  It is a bright cool day in the 'Burgh and getting colder.  Will definitely have frost tonight.  Indian summer will be coming.  One of my favorite times of the year.  Hope you are having a great day wherever you may be.  Have been struggling with the time change and all of the chore of the herb garden.  Not enough time to blog.  Hopefully with the weather changing, I will remedy that.  Talk to you later.

Three Lavenders Contained!

Green Fringed French Lavender

'Goodwin Creek' Lavender

Spanish Lavender

Since my lavenders in the ground didn't do well, I resorted to putting them in containers.  These three did just fine and in fact for the most part flourished!  As you may be able to see, the green fringed French lavender (Lavendula dentata) is in my favorite container of lavender for devotion.  That container sadly got a big crack when it fell because The Herbal Husband used it (without my permission) to plant a tomato plant that was way too big.  He has since mended it and all has been forgiven.  Happy to have my container back with the herb it is meant to have in it!

The middle lavender 'Goodwin Creek' (Lavandula x ginginsii) was purchased in the spring at Trader Joe's and it has had an up and down year.  I think just recently The Herbal Husband has been giving it too much water and it started to die back in the center.  He cut the dead bits out and it is coming back from the bottom.  It is a little too big for a windowsill so we will have to come up with an alternative solution in the coming days!  At least have it positioned near the western windowsill.

The third lavender is a Spanish or maybe a French one or maybe even an Italian one (Lavendula stoechas) but no cultivar name that I bought at Lavender Fields Herb Farm in Virginia.  They just put up their schedule for the fall season.  Getting back to the name, in the United States we called it Spanish, in the UK they call it French and in Australia they call it Italian lavender.  Whatever you call it, it is a very cute grayish green bush.  It hasn't flowered yet and I hope it will make it on a windowsill through the winter.

So it has stopped raining heavily.  Our figs have started to ripen finally.  We got the first of the green figs a couple of days ago.  We are going to have to start moving plants inside sooner than later.  Need to start digging plants up and placing them in containers.  I got a question about lemon verbena from a reader about what happens when it comes inside after doing so well outside.  You are doing everything right Penny!  So refer to the Lemon Verbena Fact Sheet on my home page.  Feels like I have neglected my herb garden this season.  Hopefully, I can get some enjoyment with the cooler temperatures coming.  Hope you are having a great day wherever you maybe!  Talk to you later.    

Herbal Containers With Rain and Heat!

Some Years Our Patio Is Just As Interesting As the Garden!

The Container with Rosemary, Sage and Thyme is Wonderful!

The Pot of Herbs de Provence is Growing Wildly!

The Silver Herbs in the Gray Container is Doing Well!

So Exciting!  A Swallowtail Caterpillar Eating the Dill in the Container!

The Salads and Sauces Container Needs a Harvest!

A Nice Little Herb Garden!

I just can't seem to blog these days.  I think I am struggling taking and uploading photos from my phone and then getting the time to post something.  It rained so much that I lost herbs in the ground and now it is so hot that I have lost more herbs in the ground.  I'm at a loss for words.  So we have turned to the herbal containers that I made in May for the class with the Long Vue Acres Garden Club.  Ladies and gentlemen, the containers are looking pretty good.

Sage, Rosemary & Thyme Container

Salvia officinalis 'Tricolor'--Tricolor Sage (Used it fresh or dry it for herb blends, teas or potpourris.)
Rosmarinus officinalis 'Barbeque'--Upright Rosemary (Use it fresh or dried in herb blends, teas or potpourris.)
Thymus x citriodorus--Lemon Scented Thyme (Use it fresh or dried in herb blends, teas or potpourris.)

Hopefully I can bring this container inside and it will survive in a south facing window for the winter.

Herbs de Provence Container

Thymus vulgaris 'Narrow-Leaf French'--Narrow-Leaf French Thyme
Ociumum basilicum 'Spicy Globe'--Spicy Globe Basil
Satureja hortensis--Summer Savory
Rosmarinus officinalis 'Prostratus'--Prostrate Rosemary
Lavandula angustifolia 'Thumbelina Leigh'--English Lavender

I think I will make a little blend of Herbs de Provence to give as gifts.

A Pot of Silver Herbs Container

Helichrysum italicum--Dwarf Curry Plant
Salvia officinalis 'Berggarten'--Berggarten Sage
Thymus vulgaris 'Hi Ho Silver'--Silver Thyme
Thymus pseudolanuginosus--Wooly Thyme

I think the only thing I would say about this container is that the wooly thyme was overtaken by the Berggarten sage.  So it was not as good as I thought it would be.  Otherwise the other herbs were outstanding.

Salads and Sauces Container

Allium schoenoprasum--Chives
Anethum graveolens 'Fernleaf'--Dwarf dill
Poterium saguisorba--Salad Burnet
Artemisia dracunculus var. sativa--French Tarragon

There was also a choice between Anthriscus cerefolium chervil or Coriandrum sativum cilantro and neither of those survived for too long in the container.  They are both short lived even in a container.  You can dry everything remaining in this container for winter use with the exception of the French tarragon that I would preserve in vinegar and then you can use the tarragon in the vinegar like you would use fresh.

So as you can plainly see, my herbs in containers were a success.  BTW, they do get morning sun and afternoon shade most days.  Most of my mints did very well too.  That is the only place for mint is in a container!

As August (Wow!) approaches, you should have been harvesting in your herb garden and your herbal containers throughout the season.  If you are just starting now as it looks like I am, never fear just take it container by container and look for recipes on this blog or another favorite herb site.  Here is a post I did in August last year with a lot of links you can use called Herbal Harvesting and Preserving Again!

Around the middle of August you should start thinking about herbs you would like to bring inside (lemon verbena, rosemarys or scented geraniums) in containers that will not survive winter.  It is tough to dig them out when they are going so well, but you should at least have a game plan.

So that's your pep talk, herbally speaking!  That was what I needed!  Hope you are having a great day wherever you may be!  We are still hot here, but it is finally summer!  Tomatoes are finally ripening and the 'Fish' pepper that we are growing for the Herb Society of America and the 2016 Herb of the Year finally has multiple peppers on it finally.  I will talk about that next time or maybe the 2015 Herb of the Year, Savory.  Talk to you later! 


 

A Tale of Two Herb Gardens!

I Was Going to Talk About This Herb, Yerba Buena in the savory family!

Not a Good Year for Basil in the Herb Garden, My African Blue Basil Bit the Dust!

This Was One of My Favorites, Curry Plant!

A Square and A Round Patch of Thyme!

My 'Mabel Grey' Made a Baby!

'Empress of India' Nasturtium is Blooming!

I Never Have Luck with Agastaches and This One is Blooming!

A Sunflower Volunteer!

A Swallowtail on the Butterfly Bush!

Not Surprisingly the Lemon Verbenas Are Doing Great with All of the Rain!

I don't know why I'm surprised by all of the plants that have rotted in the herb garden.  We have had a lot of rain concentrated in the last six weeks.  I think we had about four days in those six weeks that were dry.  It has been tough.  I have a particular spot in the herb garden that retains water and I will have to amend the soil in that location to help alleviate the problem.

Along with the plants photographed above, I have lost several lavenders and a hyssop.   I have also made the decision not to plant basils in the ground.  I'm strictly going to plant them in containers.  I didn't plant many basils this year and what I did plant in the ground has rotted or is doing poorly.

On the bright side, the pink flowered thyme has migrated onto the patio of the herb garden and has made for a random pattern of square versus curved.  Everything that has been planted in a container is doing well thanks to the loving care of The Herbal Husband.  Have I mentioned he does a great job? 

So excited my 'Mabel Grey' scented geranium has made a baby.  She (I feel as though I should call it a she!) has been very happy in our  living room window for the winter and she came out just recently for the five days of sun and no rain that we are currently experiencing!

I bought an 'Empress of India' nasturtium from DeBaggio's in early May and that is the only one that is blooming at the moment.  An enthusiastic parsley has covered some of the seeds we planted in their usual spot and I'm hoping that once I cut down the lemon basil that is doing poorly, the nasturtiums will do better.

Continuing with exciting herbal news the orange agastache I bought is blooming.  I can kill these very easily.  So it is exciting when it stays alive!  Most of our sunflowers are volunteers this year and the goldfinches are already eating the seeds.  Also discovered this swallowtail butterfly on what else but a butterfly bush.

Last but certainly not least the lemon verbenas are loving the rain.  They were attacked for the first time by the four lined plant bug, but they have rebounded and it looks like I will be making some jelly and drying the rest of tea blends.

Well, as you can see there is a lot going on and I need to write a bit more often.  Next time we will talk about the herbal containers from my class in May.  I have kept some of them intact and they look beautiful.  Also I need to keep talking about the Herb of the Year, Savory.  Hope you have had a great day in your herb garden.  Talk to you later.

Blogging with Photos from Smartphone!

A Very Soggy Herb Garden!

Prolific Chamomile!

First of the Daylilies Blooming!

This is One of the Containers from the Class I Did in May!

Well, this will be a lot of trial and mostly error!  I got a smartphone last week and have been practicing to take photos.  I just downloaded them now and I got error messages.  So you are seeing some but not some of my better photos!  Ugh!  OK, this is an update.  I think I figured out how to get all of the photos downloaded.  So I will be sharing more in the coming days.  And the rain just continues downward.  We have been getting an inch a day some days.  Yesterday was our first sunny dry day in weeks and we are just going to be rainy and cool for at least two weeks more!

I have been literally running out between rain showers and cutting what I can and drying what I can before it turns moldy.  I decided on jelly flavors today and cut my first round of summer savory to make jelly.  I have two choices and maybe I will make some with one flavor and make more later with another flavor if it keeps growing and does not rot!  Savory not a good herb of the year when it is so wet.  I have an abundance of tarragon.  So I will make tarragon jelly this year as well.  The herbs in containers are doing very well.  BTW, we got a new awning and if I can download a photo of it, I'll share it with my next post.

I have just try to keep ahead of the weeds and harvesting when necessary.  Hope you aren't too wet.  Talk to you later.

Just a Glorious Day, Herbally Speaking!

Starting the Process Over Again, Trimming Back the Oregano From Last Year!

A Perennial Problem With Grass Invading the Thyme!

Very Excited!  The Tarragon is Back!

This 'Hidcote' Looked Dead, But There Are Signs of Life!

The Violets Are Starting to Bloom!

Some of the Kids Were Out for Some Fresh Air!

The Clematis We Thought Was Dead Has Even Come Back!  It's A Miracle!

It Was An Outstanding Day in the 'Burgh!

Just One Bit of Color from the Primula in the Herb Garden!

Honestly my whole energy level has been lifted by our weather.  We are having a string of beautiful days and even cloudy and warm makes me happy!  Today was such a day.  The sun did break through the clouds late in the day so the temperature gave the plants in the gardens another boost of energy!

As you may be able to see we are trimming plants back and in the process seeing life in some that we didn't think would come back.  A little 'Hidcote' lavender is finally showing signs of life.  It was nice to peel back the leaves and see that my tarragon is coming back.  Just a little progress is making me very happy!

We have the usual problems with grass invading the beds and in particular one that has some of my thyme plants.  I think I will just have to dig it up and start over again.  A chance for a new herbal retail experience!  Always a good thing!  Even some of the herbs in containers (better clarify the kids comment) got a breath of fresh air today. 

Spring has really taken hold here and it doesn't look like we are going to just jump into summer like some years.  I think we are just going to have a very lovely spring.  What's coming back in your herb garden?  Hope you are having a great day wherever you may be.  Will talk to you later.

A Bit of Green and Gold All Around!

Before the Rains Came Yesterday!

The Lady's Mantle Coming to Life!

Coltsfoot Starting to Bloom!

The Lavender Has Dried Out and Going to Bloom!

'Tete A Tete' Daffodils Finally Blooming in a Sea of Green!

Had a busy day in the garden yesterday.  About four hours of work and my sore tired body told me last night as I crawled into bed!  I was happy though.  When The Herbal Husband and I can work together, miracles happen!  It does take working together these days because we are both getting older and tasks take a bit longer to accomplish.

Slowly seeing the herb garden come to life.  Always nice to see plants surviving the cold weather and those that surprise.  We cut back the roses outside and we lost a lot on some of them.  May just have to buy some new ones!  Always good to have gardening retail adventures in the spring.  My herbal companion, Bonnie and I are going to the Garden Marketplace during the annual spring symposium.  Should find some very interesting plants there.  The lavender that was over watered is loaded with blooms.  We are going to transplant it into a larger container because it is extremely root bound. 

April showers bring May flowers and we will be dodging raindrops all week long.  Hope you are having a great day wherever you may be and seeing and enjoying spring or fall weather.  Talk to you later.