Purposeful Gardening: Herbs

Spoke to Spade & Trowel Garden Club this week about Herb Gardening. An excellent question from the audience:

"If fall is the best time to plant herbs, why aren't they in the garden stores?"

Well, if you are talking herbs used mainly for flowers, they are in the stores...however, the herbs for cooking? SCARCE...I ask that question every year about larkspur, poppies, cornflower,etc...and I see Christmas trees everywhere!








I called Bedford Greenhouses here in Augusta, and they DO have perennial herbs for you...A report from Joanne...


Three different types of parsley - flat leaf Italian, triple curl and Rialto ( a new variety with a really nice flavor). We also have cilantro which does much better in our cooler months than in the summer. Great sages - normal garden sage and also three other varieties that have variegated leaves and pretty colors during the winter. Two types of thyme - lemon and English.
And of course rosemary and chives. We have a little bronze fennel and basil left as well.

Lots of fall/winter veggies too.

So, go shop!
Blessings from the Garden.
ML

Holiday Panic!

Addressing envelopes for custom Wreath orders is always illuminating for me.
The reality of Thanksgiving just days away and Christmas weeks away, puts me in high gear. My cousin, Nancy, is extremely prepared for the upcoming holidays & shared a few ideas to get ready:

Reality check -

Thanksgiving is 39 days away, Christmas 69 days and New Years 76 days!

A few years ago I got caught up in all the fall stuff with two kids in school and working before I realized that it was the week before Christmas and my tree was not up, very few gifts were purchased and looking back our Thanksgiving was pretty bland. I was all over Atlanta buying Christmas presents on Christmas Eve!! I did get the tree up with minimal decorations but was so stressed about the holidays. I LOVE holidays! Never again would I let this happen so I started looking for ideas on how to make special times enjoyable and less stressful.

Prioritize what needs to be done first.

• Any home improvements, repairs to furniture get those done ASAP. If you hire it out they get much busier the closer it gets to Thanksgiving. Going away? Make reservations to board pets or have someone look in on them. (Don't forget vaccinations need to be up to date for pets that are boarded.)

• Special wreaths, flowers or decorations need to be ordered.

• Do you have a nice vacation or family photo that would look great for your Christmas card? If not, fall is a great time for pictures outside. (Next year look for an opportunity to take a special picture during the year.) This is a great start! More later...
  

Thanks Nancy!
Blessings from the Garden.
ML

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Week Wrap

I must be getting older, because this week FLEW by. Here's what happened in my garden world this week:

• Monday- Meeting with the Master's Garden Project committee. This is a project for the Master's Table Soup Kitchen on Fenwick Street. Decided to have a "Daffodil Dig Day", planting 800 daffodils on November 9th with the Mayor present... A good kickoff to the new Kitchen Garden we are designing..

• Tuesday- My garden club met today, and our president was out of town, so I got to be chief! We have several new members that are so pumped about being in our club, it's catching!

• Wednesday- A day to blog, catch up on email. Asked cousin Nancy to put a "guest blog" together for getting us (you and me) organized for the upcoming holidays. That post will be on Sunday.
  

• Thursday- Actually threw out a few seeds in the Home Garden, weeded a bit. Gotta get ready for the Soil Sisters coming next Tuesday...

• Friday- Back down to Master's Garden on Fenwick Street with Charles Phillips(horticulturist) to mark lines for beds and boxes. Raised beds to be delivered tomorrow afternoon- made by Eagle Scout Christian Portinga. Worked in the home garden for a couple of hours, trying to neaten up for the Soil Sisters! Off to Farm Garden, tomorrow is opening day- ugh! So much for sleeping in on Saturday morning with the four "heavy feet" walking around the cabin. Looking forward to the first fire, though. My bet is that will be tonite. So there is the week of gardening. Like you, there was so much more than that-- toting kids, groceries, shopping, LAUNDRY... I'll post Holiday to-do /countdown ideas tomorrow.

Blessings from the Garden.
ML

Porches on Parade

Well, here's one porch entry from Ginger in Columbia County...WOW!

Looks like a Better Homes & Gardens set up, huh?!

Ginger likes growing topiaries near the front door step year round for color. Here she has showcased the colorful mums tucked in with real and faux pumpkins. Her sweet hubby has had to scoop pump remains off the porch too many times, thus the faux pumpkins! Being an artist and a southern girl, Ginger painted her monogram on the creamy faux pump complementing the moss covered "B" on the front door. Fall is Ginger's favorite time of the year, no doubt!

I'll be showcasing more "Porches on Parade" in the next two weeks. Remember, there is a MLCHgarden custom fluffy Christmas Wreath at stake here. Delivered. So get busy, send me a pic. I need some spooky stuff, too!

Blessings from the Garden.
ML