Guest Blogging for The Herb Companion Magazine and An Herbal Timeout!!

My Variegated Herbal Corner of My Garden!

Sometimes you get to the end of summer and you can't think about your design for the next season.  My latest guest blog for The Herb Companion magazine will hopefully give you inspiration for next year.  It's called Designing Your Garden with Herb Vignettes.

An Herbal Timeout!

I know some of you have just started to follow my blog and others have been reading me for a while now, but I need a little break!  I have been blogging almost every day for quite a while.  Loved every minute of it, but just need an herbal timeout!  I'm leaving The Herbal Husband behind to take care of the garden.  He is my herbal rock.  Trust me I'm a spoiled herbalist!  We don't usually take a break this time of year.  Too much goes on!  I'm off to England for ten days and I promise to have lots of brilliant adventures to share with you when I return.  I don't multitask too well like others we know, Taylor's Outback blogging from laundry rooms in Alaska!  So talk amongst yourselves and I will be back before you know it!  Talk to you soon!  Cheers!

A Shy Monarch and Another Butterfly Hanging Around!

The Herbal Husband has left a lot of stray butterfly bushes around my herb garden!  The butterflies are enjoying the extra nectar!  I don't think this one in the bottom photo is a monarch.  Will have to get my butterfly book and check!  It is very hot here for the end of August.  Although I remember going back to school in the heat when I was young!  Hope you had a great day wherever you may be!  Talk to you later.

Celebrating with Cinnamon Basil Jelly and Dinner!

Well, today's the big day!  Yes, 50 plus years ago I was born!  Made 12 jars of cinnamon basil jelly and The Herbal Husband is taking me out to dinner to the Cross Keys Inn.  Will have photos for you later.  My best friend and her daughter, Miss C are coming over with a gift.  So I got to run.  It has been a beautiful day here.  Hope it's nice wherever you may be.  Talk to you later!

Here are some photos from dinner!

Spinach Salad with Warm Chevre Cheese, Golden Beets and a Sherry Basil Vinaigrette!

Pittsburgh Wedge, Iceberg Lettuce Served with Bacon, Blue Cheese and Egg with Ranch Dressing!

Seared Day Boat Sea Scallops with Sweet Crab, Corn & Potato Chowder Sauce!

Roasted Amish Chicken Breast with Herbs & Garlic Stock Reduction with Mashed Potatoes!

Didn't get a very good picture of dessert, but it was very good.  My creme brulee had a candle in it and The Herbal Husband had tiramisu.  The Herbal Husband left part of it.  He was stuffed!  I actually ate the rest of his dessert.  Only on my birthday!  Can't do that again until next year at least!  If you are in the Pittsburgh area, give the Cross Keys Inn a try.  The atmosphere is very relaxing, the service efficient and the food was delicious!  Miss C is coming back tomorrow to dig potatoes with The Herbal Husband.  I have more jelly to make!  Yikes!  Will it ever end?  Yes, I'll either run out of jars or Certo!  Stay tuned!

A Beautiful Morning in the Garden!

Volunteer Sunflower Blooming Wildly!

I'm not in the garden as often as I would like this time of year.  The harvesting of berries, herbs and veggies has begun.  I just finished a batch of raspberry jam.  The second harvest has begun, but we aren't getting enough rain.  Unless The Herbal Husband waters, I may not be making too much more raspberry jam.  Here is a volunteer sunflower hiding the bird feeder in the shape of a sunflower!  I know confusing!

Four O'Clocks That Can't Tell Time!

The four o'clocks that don't know what time it is!  It was about 10:00 AM.  We have all yellows this year.  And more sunflowers.  I think The Herbal Husband planted these along our back fence.  Hope you are having a great day.  The celebrating continues with a movie, Get Low with Robert Duvall and Bill Murray among others.  I think a quirky little movie and my free burger at Red Robin.  Talk to you later!

One of My Favorite Sunflowers!

Sunflower Peeking Out From Morning Glories!

Tooting My Own Herbal Horn!

The Herbal Husband Celebrating My Award!

Had a great surprise in my Hotmail inbox last evening, an herb blog award!  Online Schools.org sponsors this award and they give out a lot of them in different categories!  I should also thank you the readers because I was nominated by some of you!  So thank you for reading my blog!  You can click on my award over to the right and check out the other herb blogs who won!  Can't be any more of a Diva than I already am!  Oh, maybe I can be an Herbal Diva!  Oh, I already am that!  I just looked at the badge I picked with that big TOP on it!  I'm pretty low on the list.  Maybe it's in alphabetical order!  Stop whining you made the list!  Well, my day has been great.  Hope yours is as well.  Going to take Jim and LaVerne on the Turnpike over to Hoss's for our birthday dinners!  Remember he is 94 and I'm 29!  Ha, I'm sticking to that story!  Going to be a little chilly tonight, but right back up in the 80's over the weekend.  Talk to you later!

Almost Missed This Blooming!

'Lord Baltimore' hibiscus

And you're saying to yourself, she must be preoccupied with other garden matters to have almost missed this!  It's something like that!  This is a hardy hibiscus named 'Lord Baltimore'.  He is much less boisterous than in the past.  He is the last one to wake up in the spring and you may think you have lost it.  It gets hibiscus sawfly worms and I have fun smashing them!  I'm glad to see the Lord blooming.  Hope you have had a great day.  Talk to you later.  Check out the updated shots of the blooming rosemary in my Sunday, August 22nd post!

Echoing FlowerLady's Words!

Just read FlowerLady's latest post and you should read the article that she has posted!  It's an eye opener.  I'm on the other side of the state and it may end my blogging if it gets across the state to Pittsburgh!  Here is a link to the article.  It's ironic that Philadelphia where our forefathers signed the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution is trying to silence the bloggers with a privilege license!  I'm irate too, FlowerLady!  Please if you are at all bothered by this, post it on your blog!  Most of us do this because we enjoy it not to make money!

The Celebration Continues!

Fig, Feta Cheese and Arugula Salad

The Herbal Husband fixed one of my favorite dinners last night.  He made a new salad because of the abundance of figs this year.  It was a fig cut in quarters, feta cheese, arugula and balsamic vinegar and olive oil and a nasturtium flower.  Then we had tuna cakes, potatoes and wax beans from our garden!  Nothing quite like growing and eating your own food!  It was delicious!  Had the last of the apple pie warmed up!  The Herbal Husband is already asking for another pie! 

One of my favorite birthday dinners

 The Herbal Husband cut one of the last 'Brother Cadfael' roses for my birthday and said, "Now you can make your own bouquet!"  So I did!

A Birthday Bouquet!

Besides the 'Brother Cadfael' rose, there is lemon balm, calendula, sunflower, sage, bee balm, oregano, a fennel flower, peppermint, artemesia and, of course, lemon verbena!  A different view from every side!
My birthday is still several days away.  Made dinner reservations at an old restaurant with new owners for Saturday, the Cross Keys Inn.  Have a coupon for my free burger at Red Robin and you get a free sundae as well!  It's a great deal.  We are taking our friends, Jim and Laverne out on Thursday!  Three things Jim loves Laverne, his wife,  the Pennsylvania Turnpike and Hoss's restaurant.  So we will pick them up, get on the Turnpike and go to Hoss's.  Jim was 94 in early August and I'm going to be 29 again!   More exercise to come after all this eating!  Hope you had a great day wherever you may be!  Talk to you later!

Herbs of the Zodiac-Virgo!

Bertha Reppert's Herbs of the Zodiac

Today is the beginning of the Virgo birthdays.  I just happen to be a Virgo.  Happy Birthday to my friend, Paula!  Today is her birthday!  The above photo is a great little booklet from Rosemary House and Bertha Reppert called Bertha Reppert's Herbs of the Zodiac.
 
Bertha writes "Born between August 23 and September 22, Virgoans are orderly, methodical and rarely impulsive.  Patience and perseverance make them accomplish a great deal especially in the fields of literature, drama or music.  Pisces is the ideal partner of Virgo.  (The Herbal Husband is a Pisces.)  They are conservative about food, food preparation and food service, enjoying simplicity and neatness."  (I would rewrite that sentence to say Virgos like to eat, don't like to cook and serve and would rather have someone else cook for them!  The Herbal Husband fits that to a tee!)  My comments are in parentheses.

An Earth sign, ruled by the planet Mercury, Virgo symbolizes the realization of hopes.  You should avoid doubting your capabilities and antagonizing others.  (Ooops!  I think I have done both of those items to avoid!)

Twelve Herbs for Virgoans are wild carrot, bay leaves (a favorite of mine), ferns, sweet marjoram (a favorite of mine), celery, meadowsweet, sorrel, almond (a favorite of mine, Bertha says to eat six every day), lady's mantle (a favorite of mine), hops, rue, and gardenia (a favorite of mine).  Had one birthday dinner last night at T.G.I. Friday's.  Free dessert and I got to eat most of it!  Vanilla Bean Cheesecake!  Very excellent!  Plan on celebrating more!  So happy birthday to all you Virgos out in the world!  Talk to you later.