Liberty's, Geffrye Herb Garden and Afternoon Tea at St. Paul's-London, England Trip 2015!

Blue Skies in London-A Blessing!

My New Favorite Store in London!

Just the Look of the Inside Makes Me Smile!

Not a Scone but a Toasted Tea Cake and Earl Grey Tea.  A Mid-Morning Break!

The Plan of the Geffrye Herb Garden

Lots Still in Bloom in the Herb Garden

The Beautiful Water Fountain

The Knot Garden of Santolina

More Santolina at the Geffrye!

Afternoon Tea at St. Paul's

I usually have my whole trip planned out before I go, reservations for tea, gardens to see, train tickets purchased.  I didn't plan on such fabulous weather.  I was hopeful, but in England you always carry your brolly.  I only had one really dreary day when I was in Stratford-Upon-Avon.

First day I decided to go back to the Liberty department store known for its fabrics particularly.  I just love the Tudor feel of the building.  They already had their Christmas shop set up.  It was very festive.  I also carried on the tradition of having a mid-morning break for a tea cake and tea.  Scones are served later in the day!  Always enjoyable.  I knew that the next place I wanted to see again was the herb garden at the Geffrye Museum of the Home.  If you click the first link in the previous sentence, you will read my previous post about my visit in 2014 to this herb garden.  It is one of my new favorites and when I go back to England again, I will definitely be going back for a visit.  I especially love the intimacy of the herb garden as they were in earlier times, a protected garden.  I just sat and enjoyed the space as much as the last time I was there in May, 2014.

The last stop on the first day of my English holiday was St. Paul's to light a candle or two for my friends who are sick and need some blessings and to have one of my favorite things in England or just about anywhere, afternoon tea.  If you are on a budget and you still want a decent afternoon tea, you should try the restaurant at St. Paul's.  It is a very contemporary space in a very old cathedral and it was enough food that I didn't need to eat dinner that evening.  It's off to Bristol in my next England post.

Sort of a dreary rainy warm day in the garden.  Probably our last warm day until next year.  Cut some chives for freezing and lemon balm for drying.  Will try to catch you up on the garden and what has been going on in my next post.  Talk to you later.

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.

It's About Reconnection and New Connections in England!

I have been very fortunate over the last several years to be able to spend a couple of weeks in England specifically London.  Since I have been retired for so long, a beach vacation just doesn't do it for me.  I have always loved England ever since my first trip in 1966.  I was just a child but it obviously made a big impact for me.

All of my English trips aren't about the souvenirs (well, maybe a little), but of the connections and reconnections made during the time there.  I was lucky enough to see the Queen of Herbs, Jekka McVicar at her lovely and wonderful farm and herbetum outside Bristol.  Also I got to spend time with my herbal sister, Debs and her wonderful, patient husband and our driver, Simon.  We also got to spend time with the gardening dynamo, Marion Monihan, who in the smallest of worlds was a student at Pitt in her early days.  A new connection was a brief one but so reminded me of our friends, Jim and Laverne.  I will tell you about the Liverpool couple who I met at the Kensington Roof Garden.

I have missed so much in the herb garden and you have too.  I am going to try and intersperse herb garden posts with English travel ones.  Hope you will come along for the adventures.  A beautiful day in the herb garden and I am inside catching up on laundry!  Talk to you later!

Jekka and Lemon Verbena Lady in the Herbetum!

Debs, Marion, the Gardening Dynamo and Lemon Verbena Lady!

My Herbal Sis, Debs and Our Amazing and Patient Driver, Simon!

The Lovely Liverpool Couple at the Kensington Roof Garden!

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.    

Recipe for Tarragon Wine Jelly!

Love the Color of Herbal Jelly!

With thanks to the Chattahoochee Unit of the Herb Society of America for inspiration and from An Atlanta Herb Sampler, here is my version of tarragon wine jelly.  I tend to make multiple recipes of one kind in one afternoon.

TARRAGON WINE JELLY
(Make four 8 oz. jars)

1 cup fresh tarragon leaves
2 cups of dry white wine (I used Sauvignon Blanc and a 1.5 liter bottle makes 4 recipes.)
2 T. of vinegar (I used tarragon but you could use rice or white wine vinegar.  You could also use lemon juice.)
3-1/2 cups sugar
A 3 oz. pouch of Certo

First before you start wash your jars and lids in soapy water and boil the jars in a large pot for ten minutes.  Place the lids in hot water until ready to pour.  You don't have to boil the lids.

Measure 2 cups of wine in a medium saucepan and add the cup of tarragon.  Bring to a boil, count to ten and remove from heat and cover for 20 minutes.

Open the Certo pouch and stand it in a measuring cup.  In the meantime measure out 3-1/2 cups of sugar and the 2 tablespoons of vinegar in a second saucepan.  Once the 20 minutes are up, measure out 1-1/2 cups of flavored wine, reserving the 1/2 cup for the fourth recipe.  Add the 1-1/2 cups of flavored wine to the sugar and vinegar and bring to a boil that can't be stirred down.  Remove from burner and quickly add the pouch of Certo.

Return to the heat and bring back to the boil and boil exactly one minute.  Take it off the burner.  Let it sit while you take out the jars and lids.  There will not be foam to skim but there will be a skin to remove.  Pour the jelly and remove any bubbles in each jar with a teaspoon and put on the lids and rings.

Place in a pot of water with the water covering the jars by an inch and boil for 5 minutes.  When removed from the water, the lids should make that popping sound that says they are sealed.  If they don't seal, put them in the refrigerator and use promptly.

Now for the fourth recipe.  You have 1-1/2 cups of flavored wine from the first three recipes and a tiny bit of wine in the bottle.  I was slightly short so I added a couple of tablespoons extra of tarragon vinegar to get to the 1-1/2 cups.  There is your liquid for the fourth recipe.

Just remember once they have cooled to label what it is because making as many different recipes as I do, they begin to look alike!  It is very hot and humid for September in the 'Burgh!  I have been picking raspberries and making jam almost every day for a while.  The Herbal Husband is watering at the moment because we have had no rain for quite a while.  We only had 5 days with rain last month and we are looking dry for the foreseeable future!  Hope you are having a great day wherever you may be.  Talk to you later.

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.

Trialing The 'Fish' Pepper Plant for The Herb Society of America!

Still trying to figure out how to blog using my phone with Blogger.  Still not successful. 

Here is a current photo of the 'Fish' pepper that we are trialing for the Herb Society of America for next year's herb of the year as of August 26th.  It is a beautiful variegated tree or bush.  About two feet tall and so it is ideal for a container.  I would give you one caution not to give it too much water as you know who sometimes does.  It starts to drop its leaves.

A Beautiful Tree or Bush!

Up Until early August, We Had Just One Pepper!  Now Look!

I Think The Herbal Husband Will Be Making Hot Sauce!

Early on we did not have pepper weather.  For the longest time, we just had one pepper.  Since early August we finally have many peppers growing.  I think that The Herbal Husband will be making at the very least salsa for his beans and rice or maybe some hot sauce.  I will share recipes when that happens.

So it is a beautiful day here.  Actually worked in the herb garden getting out the weeds and the herbs that died including the lemon verbena.  I will report on those tragedies in a future post.  Hope you are having a great day.  It is my birthday and The Herbal Husband just prepared my favorite, causa for my lunch.  Makes me lunch and then cleans up too!  I'm a very blessed woman!  Going to see Man from U.N.C.L.E. and out to The Herbal Husband's choice for my birthday dinner, Olive Garden.  When I get the chance I'll download the photos from last night's dinner (my choice) at The Grand Concourse!  I was a V.I.P.!  Hope you are having a great day.  Talk to you later.

Herbal Harvest Time!

Busy out in the herb garden working to harvest herbs.  Summer is fleeting and we are already looking like fall around here.  So the lemon verbenas got their trim and the stevia did as well.  What marjoram grew has been trimmed and placed between two paper towels and then the paper towels smell like the herb once the herb is dried.  I cut the tarragon back the other day and will make tarragon wine jelly with it.  Recipe to follow.

Lemon Verbena Drying for Tea!

Would Like to Have the Herbal Husband Using Stevia!

The weather is very dry but the second crop of raspberries has started already.  Made another batch of jam on Monday.  No grape jelly this year.  Most of the grapes have been eaten by the birds or rotted.  Hope you have started harvesting in your herb gardens in earnest if you are in the northern half of the U.S.  I hear the water flowing.  The Herbal Husband is watering.  Been trying the blog on my phone because my photos are on that device and Blogger is not cooperating!  Will keep trying and will keep harvesting!  Still need to talk about savory!  Hope you are having a great day!  Talk to you later. 

Even Lemon Verbena Lady Can!

Can It Be Dried Up Lemon Verbena Leaves and Branches!

Can do what you ask?  Kill part of a lemon verbena plant!  Yes, it is sadly true.  Someone asked for an update of the herb garden.  It isn't pretty.  So here you have some evidence above.

This was the lemon verbena that made it inside through the winter.  It is about half gone and will probably be the one to come back inside.

About Half of the Lemon Verbena Has Died!

Is there a mouse or mole/vole involved?  My herb garden does have a series of tunnels made by chipmunks.  Our feral cat population has taken care of the chipmunks, but others have picked up the slack.  So when you are feeling poorly about your lemon verbena, just remember Lemon Verbena Lady or an accomplice rodent can kill her favorite herb too!

Still trying to blog from my phone and Blogger is not cooperating.  If anyone can shed some light on this problem, I would love to hear.  We have the ickies and stickies.  Got an inch of rain last night and more to come.  Hope you had a great day wherever you may be.