MINT TO BE FRIENDS...

Susan your mint looks wonderful....I have curly mint that grows along the backside of our house...(will get a picture in the morning)....it has been there for over 20 years....and the last couple years some apple mint is mingled with it...Olde fashion "tea" ( I believe to be what we know as spearmint) grows in the front garden....and yes we have to trim and pull it out all the time. Nothing is sweeter that a summer breeze sending the fragrance of mint thru the kitchen window. I, however, am not fond of mint tea.....don't know why as I LOVE everything else minty !

I love your sweet garden ladye....One day when I was at the Morgantown store I came home and Tony had made this "garden ladye" for me....he went to goodwill and purchased a red dress for her thus dubbing her with the name "Jezebel" !! She has been a bride ( the week before my daughter's wedding)...a now is portrayed as a witch.....(pictures come fall) My "gourd ladyes" mind the store gardens now and the birds have pretty much left them alone....but the door to the outhouse is covered in bird poop....how do they do it sideways????? I washed it off today but I am sure it will be back tomorrow.

I have another garden gal....I would like to introduce you to -"Robin Birdwhistle" ( in honor of Tasha Tudor)....she is making her grand entrance next week....(she needed some tweeking as she is about 9 years olde even though I do put her away for the winter)... This picture is from last year....We have sold many of her friends but have now put the pattern to rest.

PS - forgot to say....your "view" is beautiful when I enlarged the picture of your garden friend. WOW !! WE ARE ALL REALLY "MINT TO BE FRIENDS"......XO, JUDY

APPLE MINT and HORSERADISH

This is a pic of our mint plant. Yes, it started as 1 plant 2 yrs ago and now the patch is about an 8 ft. circle. My husband makes a couple gallons of mint tea every week for the summer and there's still enough to share with the neighbors. The mint gets to be 3-4 ft. tall. I also take bunches into the restarant (where I have been working) to use as plate garnishes. That old stump started life as an apple tree but was "trimmed" because it blocked the view of the pasture and the herd of animals.

Our horseradish plant is in flower now and this poor old gal has been guarding it going on 4 yrs. now. The birds like to perch atop her head and her face is streaked with poop. Poor thing. I made her close to 6 years ago and I must say, she hasn't aged a bit, well, maybe a little. I leave her out year round. Her clothes are getting a bit faded.

ONE IN THE BUSH IS WORTH...

Hey....I come here to see if anyone has posted and there is a new post...yippee...but I didn't scroll down to see who wrote it....(I really did think at first it was Ginny)....then I see a picture of lavender blooming????? Couldn't be Ginny as she is farther north than me....so I continue...Pineapple sage 6 years olde...no way....continuing ....ROSEMARY BUSH ...HECK THAT IS A TREE !!! Now I HAVE to scroll down to see who is writing and it is Lisa's post.....of course Lisa has lavender and an "olde" pineapple sage (still amazing) and rosemary all year round??? She lives in North Carolina....How I would love to have fresh herbs all year long.
I like seeing the gardens as they fill in.....so keep the pics coming.
By the way Lisa...we are not using the comment section on this blog...just make a post of any comment you want to leave as I am the only one that gets the notice that there is a comment and some may get lost....okay dokie....!!!
Okay girls time for some pics of your gardens.... Judy

~*~Herb Garden~*~

Well, Judy had asked me to take pics of my herb garden that is in front of our shop. So, I've been waiting for things to really get "showy". But, I grew impatient today (or maybe it's the new camera I've been playing with?!)! So until things fill in a little more, I took a few close ups of those things thriving right now~

This is one patch of lavender ~ I have another patch in the herb garden beside the house. Both provide me with LOTS of lavender, which I dry & sell in bunches..It's hard to tell how tall they are in this picture ~ they go a bit above the pickets but I cropped the pic to hide my hauling trailer...As you can tell in the pic, there are two varieties here

I hold my breath each year for my sweet pineapple sage. It is an annual, but has amazingly survived for almost 6 years now (once it dies out for the season, I let the leaves pile up around it in the fall & I think that helps to insulate the plant thru the winter).. I just love the smell, I don't use it that much (anybody got any good recipes with it?). It has the prettiest scarlet blooms, which the hummingbirds LOVE!

And the final pic for now is my monster rosemary (which, by the way, has been recently pruned back but still needs more done!). I think this is the happiest rosemary plant I've ever seen. And my customers agree ~ they are always amazed that it's a rosemary bush & that huge! I'll never forget last year when we sold herbs (which we had purchased from a local farmer), every customer who bought a rosemary bush wanted to know if it would grow to be like mine! :smiles:

OUT OF CONTROL...

Above is a picture of the blossoms from one of my sage plants that really went wild.....out of control.....!!! This morning (in the rain) I figured I had better snip some of the blossoms. Don't they make a great "Herbal Bouquet" !!! Sage has such a "pungent" scent but I really do like it. I am forgetting if the flowers last long on not....will find out soon enough. Our weather has not been very nice the last couple days and the herb garden at the store really needs a "trimming"...it is suppose to thunderstorm again tomorrow....?????? I thought it was April showers bring May flowers....someone is confused and I think it is Mother Nature (oops now I've gone and done it - bad mouthed Mother Nature) YIKES !!!

A YEAR ROUND DISPLAY ...

I don't have alot of wall space in my kitchen but one small wall is just for my herbs.....I redo the dried herbs (and cobwebs) every summer with fresh herbs.....it always smells so good before they dry. I purchased the ~~ herbs~~ sign a few years ago at a really cool country store...they have closed their doors much to my dismay! On one end is an redware oval that says "herbs"and there is a redware beeskep on the other side....both gifts from friends! Do you hang dried herbs in your homes????....I also have an herb drying rack that Tony made from the cover of the October 1983 Country Living magazine - I wanted it so badly and bugged and bugged and bugged till he made it for me - Our store was in our home at the time and he made some for me to sell too. Last year I got the "notion" to bug him some more....and I am happy to say we have some in the store now for sale...

CUBAN OREGANO...

Does anyone grow this??? What a great herb it is - a very strong oregano and thyme flavor. The leaves are "water-filled".....and one little leaf goes a long way ! Pretty too isn't it !!! This plant can be brought indoors in the winter and one year we just let it go and it covered a whole windowsill just like a philodendron house plant. Here is one gardeners description -

Happily, there is one plant in my garden that is as lovely as it is useful: Cuban oregano. Round and compact with thick, dewy leaves, this tropical beauty reminds me of a ball of crushed green velvet.

A good description....they say it is used in alot of Cuban, Indian and Mexican food....I just chop it up in a salad. It is beautiful in a pot or in the garden!

Can't wait to see Ginny's pics of her raised beds.....gardening is lots of hard work...you really have to LOVE it...which I don't...I just love to pick the bounty!!!! LOL!!

A friend brought me this "herbal and weed" (don't you love it) bouquet today....the lilacs are so fragrant you can smell them as soon as you walk in the door...!! Thanks Evie !!

Raised Beds

Good Morning, Still only one raised bed. We had lots of rain yesterday and last night. A question was raised yesterday, Where is Hellertown? Hellertown is in Northampton County, we are closed to New Jersey then Lancaster. We are very near Historic Bethlehem. I'm planning on getting out of work early today. So, if the weather clears up, I expect to be making another raised bed and going to the store for the fillings. Now, that I have mastered (ha ha) blogs, my next project will be to master the camera and learn how to upload the pictures. Have a good day.

Herbal Lovin'

Judy, I am loving this blog..Thanks so much for starting it. I wasn't sure how to comment and I like your idea to JUST post instead of leaving comments.

Now here I thought I came up with the idea for the enamel pot on post!! You have been doing it for years! I really wanted a more prim looking birdbath for my herb garden and I was thinking of using the old enamel pots but there are rust spots...Tim and I were concerned about using a rusty pan for water for the birds...so I had him make me one for the mint. Here is a picture of the birdbath I DID have in the herb garden..we have moved it to a different location..OK..LOOK CLOSE....yep that is Mr Squirrel taking a drink..sorry about the bad picture but I took the picture through our screen door.

Judy, your herbs are looking great! Your chives look great! I need to read more on Lady's Mantle helping with Woman Woes...I have lots of WOES!!! I have plenty of Lady's Mantle and when I come to visit, I will bring a cutting or two for you.
I would love to visit...one of these days!

As for the Sweet Annie..I don't have it in my herb garden..It is coming up in my border gardens...Which I don't mind except that there are so many coming up. My gardens are not formal..I like a more cottage (messy, very informal) flower gardens. As a matter of fact, I planted some tomato plants in amongst some of my flowers..I know I am strange....You know the poem:

WHEN I AM AN OLD WOMAN I SHALL WEAR PURPLE With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me. And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter. I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells And run my stick along the public railings And make up for the sobriety of my youth. I shall go out in my slippers in the rain And pick the flowers in other people's gardens And learn to spit.........AND I WILL PLANT TOMATOES WITH MY FLOWERS!!! THAT'S ME!!!!!

~~Patti~~

ALRIGHT....now that's what I was talking about....

Getting everyone to post and upload pics.....HOWEVER...if you leave a comment it just comes to me....so I am assuming when we have a question to ask - to whoever - we just make a post of it unless you email that person directly....
GINNY....click on the comment of your last post.....Patti left a question there for you...!!!

PATTI.....Your herb garden is really filling up...BUT you have Sweet Annie in there???? Doesn't it get huge???? I also love Lady's Mantle and my plant did not come back last year and I forgot to get new this year.....I LOVE LOVE LOVE the flowers in bouquets...when I visit my Herb Lady for herbs for the Fairy Gardens so I will be sure to pick up some Lady's Mantle....you know it is suppose to help with "women's woes".....I don't have them anymore !! LOL!!! Thanks for the reminder.

Tony made me agate pots on olde banister spindles for the store - but we made birdbaths out of them....he would drill the top and screw it to the post and use a washer and silicone to seal it.....Here is a picture of one that Tony made years ago for our garden...it is on an olde piece of driftwood we brought back from vacation one time.

and a picture of a pie plate bird feeder that we still sell.....

and check out my sage...it is ready to bloom.....(These pics are from home and not the store...!!)

Herbal Bouquets with mint...sage....lemon balm and oregano.....coming soon.....woohoo!!!

Rainy day in Millersburg

My Herb garden this morning..it is starting to fill in. I still need to get more herbs planted..if it ever stops raining!Yep, raining here, too...Good day to be in my craft room painting birdhouses and signs. I thought I would share some pictures of my herb garden....the herbs (and the weeds!) are growing.

Our rain barrel...I mean wheelbarrel this morning after the rain.

I bought a mint plant, Peppermint (Mentha x piperta) I wanted a special container to plant it in...so Tim made this for me. It is made with an old enamelware pot and a porch post. I cannot wait for it to fill in and over the sides.

Here is one of my favorite plants, Lady's Mantle...I love how the leaves look with the drops of rain on them

Sweet Annie ANYONE? I have lots! I planted a few plants last summer and now look what I have. I need to thin them out and hopefully transplant some to other areas in the garden.

Thanks for taking a stroll through my garden. Hang in there everyone...THE SUN WILL COME OUT TOMORROW!

~~Patti~~

Raining in Hellertown

Its raining in ginnysyard as well. Les got one box made yesterday for our raised beds, but I don't think any will happen today. We need to get over to Home Depot, or some place like that for dirt, peat, etc. I'm anxious to plany my herbs from The Cinnamon Stick. Keep us posted about a class on Lavender Wands, I would love to know how to do that, and one of my plants that I purchased is Lavender. Have a good day everyone.

RAINING THIS MORNING...

I was hoping to get out in the gardens this morning but guess that is NOT going to happen. We don't ever plant anything until after the 20th of May....I am anxious to get some "color" around the store as everything that is "up" is green. I lost two lavender plants....and have two that are beautiful...??? That made me a bit sad as I was hoping to have a class on making "Lavender Wands" this summer. Now what??? I need to find a "good" spot for my nasturiums....I love the pretty flowers and leaves on a salad plate. Hey...maybe the bathtub will be a good place this year....seems that they always get "choked" out by the other herbs....AND never never never plant Vinca in your garden....we didn't....we did however in the bathtub one time and it just spread out and over and just took over the whole flower bed. Even goes under the stone wall and comes out in the front garden....honest !! It is pretty....but takes over and now it is squeezing out the little sprouts of "dill" that are coming up......I might have to declare WAR as dill is a favorite...!!!!

No Frost

No frost in ginnysyard either, but its always better to be safe then sorry. Les (hubby) hopes to get the raised beds made, so we can plant the herbs and veggies. Raised beds work very well in our yard, we have way too many rocks and with the beds, very little digging is needed and that makes a very happy Les and Ginny. Working all day leaves me very little time during the week to work outside, but I do manage an hour or so, depending on what I make for dinner. Have a good day, get out and enjoy the sun.

FROST ???

We didn't get any frost here but it was only 42 degrees when I looked this morning...quite cool but the sun is shining brightly...yippee!! The herbs at the store are all on the back porch where they are out of the weather and wind....the BASILS are inside the store - learned that lesson many, many years ago !!! It is that time of the year when everything is growing fast and needs to be "tamed" a bit....I see my dill is sprouting. Dill is a favorite of mine and I usually get at least TWO crops from it every season...as I let some go to seed....(Tony is never happy about that - oh well we can't keep them happy ALL the time now can we!!) The dill comes up everywhere and I let customers go pick it. Tony would have a "manicured" garden.....me ....I like it WILD and surprises everywhere. We still didn't get all the gardens cleaned of leaves and debris....might try to work on that a bit today (cause that is where the dill is!!)
Hey girls - what is going on in your neck of the gardens....???

Thank you

Thank you Judy for the invite to post. I have not had a chance to plant my herbs that I purchased on Saturday, but I wanted to give everyone a heads up that I brought my plants in for the night. There is a frost advisory north of us, but the local news said cover up or bring in. Spearmint, Lemon Balm, Tansy and Southernwood are all growing and will soon need to be trimmed back. All of them are planted on the South side of our house and grow too well sometimes! Have a good evening.

HI GINNY AND WELCOME...

Ginny...it was really great to meet you today and your hubby...what a good guy!! Anyway....I want to send you an invite to join the group but I need your email address as I can't pull your profile up...just email me at -
cinnamonstick@comcast.net and I will send your invite to you....Can't wait for you to post...believe me ....I am a beginner and hope to learn some good stuff from all of us sharing.... and a new herb garden is going to be so much fun....especially at your new olde house !!Fondly, Judy

NEVER TRUST THE WEATHERMAN....

What a great week this turned out to be...after Wednesday the weather here has been really good.....really really good. We sold lots of herb plants - I think more than normal for the first week of planting season. AND Susan....the culinary lavender is a bit hit.....the Lavender Egg Salad is so delish and we sold quite a bit of the lavender because they wanted to make it !! We serve something to eat and drink everyday....not like the Herb Faire treats...but a lemonade or iced tea and dip/pretzels.....however I think I am going to keep making lavender goodies and to introduce the new customers to grow lavender or buy it already packaged - woohoo....maybe we can get something good going on here! I have a recipe for a Lavender Punch....hmmmm...just might have to try it next week ! Can you believe my herb garden went from this.....

to this in less than a week !!!!

Now it needs to be thinned out and some new herbs planted....maybe tomorrow if the weather stays nice. I did cut the "catmint" today as I sold a vintage ticking sack that had "catmint" embroidered on it...so I cut the catmint for the customer to hang and dry to add to her sack...(it was a really cool sack...might have to make another one...) I want to plant some Lady's Mantle as the flowers are so very pretty and delicate but I forgot to pick some up when I got the herbs....oh shucks....I just might have to go back to those greenhouses.....what a shame....!!!

I am anxious to see pictures of your gardens girls....and pray tell what are you up to....???

I TALKED THE TALK...

...now I have to WALK THE WALK !! LOL!! We made the decision to set the herbs up on the porches as it seems like it is going to rain off and on all week and into the weekend. So since I told you how good I was displaying....LOL!! I will have my hands full displaying "creatively" on the porches....Pictures will tell how how well I do.....LOL!!
Hey....where is everyone??? POST girls...let me know what you are doing....are your gardens growing?? Post pictures....please share.....XO, Judy

SET UP DAY...

Three more days and it will be our Herb Faire... the rain is not helping but I think I have everything under control as far as the setting up goes. We sell the herbs from our side yard and of course I like to use unique items to display them on. I no longer have one of the large tables I use to use as it is now in the attic classroom....so improvising is the name of the game. I love to make displays... you can give me a bunch of mish mosh things and somehow when I am finished it looks somewhat good. AS LONG AS THERE IS LOTS OF CHOCOLATE AROUND !!!
I have fun doing the outside...I never know what I will have to work with as the inventory changes all the time....and then of course the weather plays a big part....one day at a time seems to be the motto lately....we are expected to get two more days of rain but Wed. is suppose to be nice....we shall see !! I will be "quacking" before this week is over I am sure.
Tomorrow I will set up the inside of the store for the herbal goodies we will be serving....Tuesday morn we pick up our herbs - and set up the outside....and then I have all the goodies to make...that is really a fun part - again I get to play "wannabee tea room owner"....The gardens are growing nicely....my chives at home are perfect for the Radish and Chive Spread I will make - and my olde rosemary plant is ready for a trimming to make the Rosemary Tea Cooler. I will make Lavender Beeskep Cupcakes with my sugared Johnnies as decoration. ( I use olde aluminum jello molds for the cupcakes and they look just like little beeskeps!) I will most certainly post pictures. Lavender Egg Salad tea sandwiches will be a first this year....gosh I hope they are good.
Does anyone have a good herbal recipe they want to share with me??