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...!!!!