Too Much of a Good Thing, I Think!

The Herbal Husband and I discuss (only in the nicest way) about what we are going to do with all of the onions he has let reproduce (only in the nicest way) in the vegetable garden to the distraction of the bed space.  They are the walking or Egyptian onions.  They can be very ornamental but thousands we don't need.  OK, maybe it's hundreds.  The radishes are volunteers.  The Herbal Husband says he cut the tops off 400 extras!  I would say a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the idea.  As my herbal companion, Bonnie, says we can start our own farmer's market.  Too many permits!  I hope you have too much of a good thing as well.  We are a lot cooler than yesterday.  Still working on clearing and planting.  Hopefully I'll show you the results soon.  Don't forget to get in on the Herb Companion magazine giveaway.  I forgot to mention one comment per person, please.  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.

Just Having a Bit of Fun! Forgot to Post!

We have been in the garden nonstop since we last talked and it appears we have some things done and other tasks are just waiting.  We are going to get very hot this weekend and again it's only May!  Plants that bloom later are blooming now!  It's going to be a flower less summer if the weather doesn't start behaving!  We got the 'Coppertina' ninebark planted.  Still have the viburnum to plant.  Hopefully once the weather gets cooler from the 90's to the 80's, we can plant it.

Finally could plant basils and hopefully sometime this week we will get a bed in the back of the garden cleaned out and we can plant the sunflowers seeds.  It has been the 40's at night and neither the basils nor the sunflowers like cold soils.

And this unknown rose is beautiful.  I think I'll call it 'The Herbal Husband'.  We are going to the movies today to see The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.  Really enjoyed the movie.  Great cast.  Wish we had seen a bit of more of India, but it was good.  Hope you are having a great day wherever you may be.  Have a great Memorial Day weekend if you are reading this in the US.  Talk to you later.

Guest Blogging for The Herb Companion Magazine!

We are having just gorgeous weather to go and buy herb plants at herb farms across the country.  I have done two posts with a list of herb farms throughout the U.S.  Not every state unfortunately, but maybe you have a favorite that I missed.  Please let me know.   The photo above is from Stream Cliff Herb Farm in Cominsky, Indiana.  I was lucky enough to visit the year the International Master Gardener Conference was in Cincinnati, OH.  This is the first part called Herb Farms A-Z:  Finding Farms that Sell Herb Plants-Part One.

The second part of the post was published today and funny it is called Herb Farms A-Z:  Finding Farms that Sell Herb Plants-Part Two.  This is one of my favorite places to visit in Chagrin Falls, OH and it's called The Village Herb Shop.  Kathleen Gips, the owner, sells herbs from Mulberry Creek Herb Farm and I forget the other herbs she sells.  Her gardens are tended by her customers in classes throughout the season.  They always look great each year.  Got to run.  We mowed and planted new plants.  It's looking good.  I am an herb plunker and I can't change!  Just wanted to add  to the Pennsylvania list, a local herbalist, Joanie Lapic from Everlasting Gardener that she has herbs for sale as well.  The Everlasting Gardener is located in New Brighton, PA.  So if you are in the Pittsburgh area, check out the Everlasting Gardener.  I think I can feel a PA road trip coming soon!  Hope you have had a great day.  Talk to you later. 

Herbal Designing on the Fly!

Well, we are going to have a string of beautiful days here and we are going to get some if not all of the plants I purchased planted.  So you may not see or hear from me for a tiny bit of time.  I'll try to post updates as we get sections planted.  I may be doing some herbal designing on the fly!  I wanted to make some small vignettes amongst the lavenders that are surviving.  I've got two lemon verbenas to plant that have been inside.  Those two red-veined sorrels that you see in the photo have been moved out.  They were taking up real estate and they needed to go.  The garlic chives were taken out over the past week.  So I have a bit of territory to design.  Not much, but it's something.  Where I usually plant the scented geraniums has been overtaken by lemon balm!  No surprise there.  So we will just work one section at a time.  I'll try to remember to take before and after photos!  I'll also be squishing four-lined plant bugs as we go.  My theory is if we leave some lemon balms at the perimeter of the garden.  They will stay there rather than come in and damage the nicest herb plants!  A little wishful thinking, herbally speaking!  Hope you had a great day.  Going to go make a list and do some combinations of plants and a plan.  Talk to you later.

A Visit to Beech Creek Botanical Garden & Nature Preserve, Alliance Ohio

Visitor's Center at Beech Creek

A Nice Patio for a Picnic

Scented Geraniums in Containers

A Sweet Bay

The Plants for Sale

A Miniature Garden for Live Turtles!

My herbal companion, Bonnie and I made our annual trip to Ohio for plant shopping.  We used to go to Lily of the Valley Herb Farm.  Sadly it was sold this year, but the good news is they are selling plants at Beech Creek Botanical Garden & Nature Preserve.  They don't have all of the plants that they used to have, but we still managed to fill the new car with delightful smells for the trip home.  They are currently raising funds to complete a master plan.  They need members and volunteers to help Beech Creek succeed.  So if you are in the Alliance, Ohio area and would like to help, click on the link above to get details.  Hopefully, you have had a good day.  The weather has been changeable and we are still getting rain!  Hopefully, we will get some dry days so I can get the new kids planted.  Talk to you later.

Lemon Verbena Lady's Book Review For Timber Press--The Lavender Lover's Handbook by Sarah Berringer Bader

Lovely Front Cover of The Lavender Lover's Handbook

I got an e-mail from Timber Press recently asking if I would like to review books for them.  Heck yes!  I have purchased many books published by Timber Press over the years.  So it was a no-brainer.  Just so you know, I am not being compensated (Well, maybe a free book!) and just giving an honest review of the book.

My first review is The Lavender Lover's Handbook by Sarah Berringer Bader.  I wasn't familiar with the author so I went to the back of the book and read her biography.  Ms. Bader is the owner of Lavender at Stonegate in Oregon and has planted at least 5,000 (Bet it's more now!) lavender plants.  I didn't need to know more.  I think she is a bit obsessed and in my opinion, that's great.  From the cover (Who doesn't love an adirondack chair in a field of blooming lavender?  Maybe a swarm of bees!)  There are smaller photos at the bottom to tease what's inside.

So I'm just going to take you through the book and highlight my notes.  From the preface where Ms. Bader had her a-ha moment with lavender.  It actually happened for me with lemon verbena on a hot summer day.  I should have taken an herbal liking to an herb that had more than just one cultivar!  I guess it's not too late!

The next chapter summed up Ms. Bader's love of lavender called Lavender Obsession:  An Introduction.  I really liked her charts with bloom colors, favorite lavenders, best lavenders for humid summers, best cold weather lavenders and lavenders with the strongest scent.  She explains types of lavender and explains common names that are different throughout the world.  I'm always preaching about learning botanical names and this is one of the reasons because as long as you know the botanical name, it will be the same throughout the world!   I'm sure now that Ms. Bader is obsessed and it's a very good thing!

In Lavender in the Garden:  Landscapes, Containers and Herb Gardens this chapter gives you lists of drought tolerant plants to plant with lavender, a list of early bloomers, all season lavenders, hedges of lavender and lavenders for containers.  This chapter also gives you ideas with photos of lavenders in landscapes with perennials for inspiration.

While this book is labelled a beginner's guide, as a gardener who has killed her fair share of lavenders, I loved the next chapter called The Lavender Palette:  100 Varieties to Try.  Being an herb plant collector as well, 100 varieties of lavender give you something to find in your travels.  There is a flower color and foliage color guide.  It is really helpful to see the cultivars chosen in bloom.  Ms. Bader also highlights her top ten favorites.

Under the Care and Cultivation:  From Planting to Pruning, Harvesting and Drying chapter, the author's explanations of soil preparation, pH levels and fertilizers for lavender growing are very easy to understand.  She talks about the difference of growing lavenders from seed and cuttings with her own tested method for rooting lavender cuttings.  Ms. Bader goes into irrigation issues, insect, wildlife and disease problems.  Then she gives you a year by year (for the first three years) pruning schedule. Boy, do I need that!

How NOT to Prune Lavender!

Ms. Bader also talks about harvesting and drying lavender for the best results.  She goes into the best lavenders for culinary use and gives some good culinary recipes from herb blends like Herbes de Provence and main dishes such as Mediterranean Chicken to desserts like lavender and lemon verbena ice cream.  Think there is an additional reason for enjoying dessert!

The final chapter called Scented Creations:  Wands, Wreaths, Swags, Sachets and Beyond.  gives you a list of the best lavenders for crafts with the best color and staying power.  I especially liked the lavender wreaths, herb box, herb swag, all-purpose cleaner, lavender spray and lavender dryer sachet recipes.

There is a nice Resources section with lavender associations and festivals and mail order plant companies.  The Further Reading page had a nice list of supplemental reading including my favorite herb magazine, The Herb Companion.  Even the back cover is a wonderful field of blooming lavender.

The Lavender Continues to Bloom on the Back Cover!

While this is a very good beginner's book for lavender growing, I think it is just as good for an advanced gardener.  That 100 varieties chapter of lavender would encourage me to purchase it.  I also have really FINALLY learned how to prune my lavenders the proper way!  REALLY, I have!  Yes, Jekka in England, I have found out the correct way to prune lavender.  I think over all Ms. Bader takes into consideration different factors that go into growing lavender in the different regions of the U.S.  The only negatives that are keeping it from being a national book for me, would be the four-lined plant bug that attacks members of the mint family including lavender in sections of the mid-atlantic states and maybe the northeast and additional mail order nurseries that sell lavender in the eastern part of the country, like Well-Sweep Herb Farm in New Jersey, Companion Plants in Ohio and Sandy Mush Herb Nursery in North Carolina.  Maybe in the next edition!

I also found an online excerpt from the book at The Herb Companion website.  Overall, I highly recommend The Lavender Lover's Handbook by Sarah Berringer Bader to you.  Hope you enjoy reading it and using the lavender wisdom from Ms. Bader.  I have a vegetable book to review next time.

Finally, going to get outside.  The garden is growing like a weed and not an herb!  Hope you are having a great day.  Talk to you later.

A Pretty Weed! Erigeron Annuus! Thanks FlowerLady!

OK, I always seem to have a weed/flower that never makes it into the weed book.  The closest plant I can find is the white heath aster.  It doesn't bloom until late summer!  Oops!  I guess it's just early like everything else!  Well, I just want to get it pulled before it spreads thousands of seeds everywhere.  You'll cover for me in case you know who wants to know where it went!  Well, thanks to my FlowerLady in Florida came up with the ID for me Erigeron annuus or Eastern Daisy Fleabane. Very soggy and humid in the 'Burgh!  Got my walk in and that's all that matters.  Hope you are having a great day.  Got to go read.  I'll explain tomorrow.  Talk to you later.

Some 'Wine and Roses' for Mom's Day!

Weigela 'Wine and Roses'

Peony 'Tom Eckhardt'

and maybe a peony too!  This weigela is called 'Wine and Roses' so I thought it was appropriate for all of you moms out there celebrating today.  You had better be off your feet and one of your beloved family is taking care of you all day!  You all deserve it!

The peony was a freebie at a conference I attended a few years back.  Freebies are always a good thing.  Its name is 'Tom Eckhardt'.  One of the Klehm family was speaking at the conference.  You can find lovely peonies at Klehm's Song Sparrow Perennial Farm just not this one.   You can't visit Klehm's so I won't mention where they are located!  It is mail order only!  As you can see they have fabulous plants and from what I remember they have a wonderful catalog.

It is trying very hard to rain on Mom's Day.  I got my walk in without too many raindrops.  So hope you are having a great day wherever you may be.  Take time to pamper yourself even if it isn't Mom's Day where you may be.  Talk to you later.