10,000 Seeds!

   Back a few months ago, Darling Daughter decided that I needed more plants.  Actually, she decided I needed more seeds.  I was elated to receive packet after packet of herb seeds for my birthday.  Herbs are not only for culinary use but I tend to lean more to herbal home remedies than pharmaceuticals.  I do take medicines prescribed by doctors, if need be, but for lesser problems an herb will usually come into play.  Darling Daughter knows I love to experiment with herbs in the kitchen, too, so she supplied me with a bunch of things that I normally do not grow.

  One packet of seeds was labeled "Toothache Plant" and had 10,000 seeds in it.  Wait?  What??  Did I read that correctly?  10,000 seeds?  Yep.  10,000 seeds.  While that is all good, I read it AFTER sprinkling the seeds in the dirt.  10,000 seeds the size of grain of salt went down, down, down into the soil never to be seen again....until two days later, anyway.  Now, 10,000 baby Toothache Plants have sprouted.  I am not sure what I am to do with 10,000 Toothache Plants. (Please, please, don't let this be an omen!)

   I am now trying to figure out what to do with that many plants.  The packet did make a claim that about a fourth of the seeds probably would not germinate but I think they were wrong.  It appears that every last seed was viable.  Yep, 10,000 baby plants that will grow into large plants that will bloom then make many more seeds are staring up at me from the soil.  Oh, my.  Somebody better want some plants!  (The photo shows just a 4 inch segment of the planted space.)

Yellow or White?

  By this time, most folks are familiar with the pungent yellow spice, turmeric.  Not only is it the main spice used in curry, it has been touted as having a great many health benefits. Personally, it has been one of my all time favorites for the past twenty or so years. I have used it to treat everything from colds to venomous spider bites.  It is good stuff.  Folks, if by now, you do not have this in your spice rack, you are behind the times.

  While the yellow type turmeric (photo above) is well known and widely used, its relative, the white turmeric or white haldi is not nearly so popular.  In fact, not many folks have any idea there is such a thing.  There is.  It is good. Perhaps you should try it as well.  White haldi is said to have the aroma sort of like the blend of mango, ginger and turmeric.  It, too, has many beneficial traits.  White haldi can be used exactly as the yellow spice which may lead you to wonder why in the world I am giving all of this information about it.  Well, it is simple.  White haldi is super easy to grow!  The yellow is, too.  

  Darling Daughter has a plethora of the white haldi plants in her yard.  When she and my handsome son-in-law bought their place, the previous owners had a few leafy plants in a garden.  The next spring, dozens of the plants sprouted and flourished.  Ok, so now the garden was full of these fine broad-leafed plants.  Then, they bloomed.  Oh, what gorgeous blooms those were!  That led to her researching the plants and she found that they were white haldi.  The blooms are unmistakable!  Now, several years down the line, they are having to dig out plants each spring as the rhizomes keep multiplying.  So...what do they do?  They bring a bunch here.  I am elated to have yet another fine herb to add to my garden of healing wonders.  

  This afternoon, I made my way to the edge of the greenhouse which is the outer boundaries of my realm these days.  There, the Queen of the Small Gardens found that the white haldi is blooming!  I almost missed these lovely, pinkish blossoms as they were hidden among the broad leaves!  Well, having the white turmeric bloom must mean that the yellow should be doing the same or so I thought.  Nope.  The yellow is growing well but has nary a bud to show yet.  I shall have to keep watch but for now, I shall enjoy the blooms (and the benefits) of the white haldi!  Folks, see if you can find a start of these plants.  Both are gorgeous, have lovely blooms and can be added to the kitchen spice racks!

There Comes A Time

  While I love the wild look about the place, there comes a time when things need a bit of tidying.  Back behind the house where the remnants of the old peach orchard stands, I was a happy camper to find the lyre-leaf sage doing so well.  I thought to myself..."All is good.  The plants cannot take over too much back here and I shall have a ready source of the root if the need arises."  I was wrong.  The entire area is/was a  sea of purple.  The plants truly did take over the orchard.  In just one week's time, I went from a carpet of flat leaves to knee-deep purple blooms!  

  Son and I both cranked up the lawnmowers and gave the place a good trimming.  I went to the south side of the house while he cut on the north.  It never occurred to me that he would cut the sage.  He did.  In fact, he cut it all.  Now, the orchard is neat and trim.  It is no longer purple!  This is all good, however, as it takes more than a lawnmower to kill the sage.  It can be trimmed every week and still pop up with blooms.  And...I have to admit, it sure looks nice where he cut.

  Most folks find it strange that I say my medicine cabinet is in the yard but it seems that the wild herbs do a far better job at healing my ailments that most medicines.  While I am thankful for my doctors and their knowledge, for minor illnesses, I prefer to go the herbal route.  There comes the time, however, when I have to part with a few plants.  I guess that time was today.

The "Other" Sage

  A few years back, I was sad to see that my pineapple sage did not make it through the winter.  We had a few hard freezes and lots of rains so I think that is what caused the problems.  The ground stayed soggy and then the cold weather froze everything.  After that incident, I hopefully learned a lesson on growing the plant.  Water the plant often but never let those roots wade around in soggy dirt!  

  This summer, my sweet sister-in-law, Linda, sent me a new "start" of the pineapple sage.  I pondered sticking in the garden but then had flashbacks to the dead plant of winters past.  Nope.  this sage would be in a pot so it can head to the greenhouse when Jack Frost comes to visit.  Old Man Winter cannot have all of my herbs!   Now the sage is growing like a bad weed and has finally decided to bloom.  Normally, pineapple sage blooms in the late fall but I think our winter confuses everything.  Not that I am complaining as it adds some happy color to the drab winter garden.  

  This evening a happy coincident occurred.  While I was studying some herbal remedies, a few notes on pineapple sage came my attention.  It seems that scientists are studying the herb and its ability to help with memory issues and with anxiety.  While I don't tend to be bothered with anxiety, age is creeping up on me and the memory may start dulling.  If this plant can help with that, you can be sure that there will always be one (or many) growing around here.  A good cup of sage tea or a few leaves and blooms in fruit salad may just become regular things around here.   So...it is good for you, tastes and smells delightfully similar to pineapple and can help me think.  Sounds like a good plant to me!  

As Good As Gold

  There is just no pleasing so folks.  A throughout the winter, they whined about the cold, ice and snow.  Now that springtime has come, they are whining about the pollen and their allergies.  Granted. folks have been having a rough time with allergies and the symptoms are no fun whatsoever.  Pop always used to say, "Whining just makes things worse.  Instead of complaining, do something to make things better."  He was a wise man.

  Contrary to what a lot of people think, their allergy flareups are not due to goldenrod.  This is another misconception just like the one about pine pollen.  Goldenrod, like pine, can be used to remedy the sniffles, excess mucus and headache that accompany the allergic reactions.  Before you think that I am off on a tangent here, I have tried goldenrod as a home remedy and it works.  Actually, it worked so well, that since the "trial run", I have had no allergy problems.   That was three years ago.  

  Goldenrod is oft maligned as the culprit by folks with allergy problems.  It is not the goldenrod but rather the ragweed that is doing the dirty business.  Ragweed is one of the plants whose pollen is scattered by the wind and, hence, right in your face!  Goldenrod, on the other hand is pollinated by bees and butterflies so the pollen is not "all up in the air". 

  It would not be a bad idea for folks to give the goldenrod a try but I do recommend consulting a doctor before just grabbing a handful of the beautiful blooms from the roadside.  It is best to be aware of any interactions with other medicines before starting a new regimen.

Gifts From Nature

  Pop always used to tell us that we needed to make sure that we could find sustenance in nature.  To him, it was highly important that his kids could find food in some place other than a grocery store.  "Grow it, catch it or hunt it." was something that I remember him drilling into my head at an early age.  One of my earliest memories was going hunting with him.   Afraid that I might dally along the path, he used to tell me to hang onto his belt loop.  It was a far reach for a toddler to reach waist-high on a man that was well over six feet tall but I knew that I had better do as I was told for fear of being lost in the woods.  He showed me how to spot trails on the ground, markings on and under trees and to listen...always listen.  Then, later, I was allowed to hunt on my own and felt comfortable doing so.  I had learned from the best.  Fishing was much the same.  I was allowed to go to my grandparents' pier before I was even school.  With a canepole and can of worms in hand, I fished for whatever bit.  Once a catfish was hauled onto the pier, it became crab bait.  A piece of string and a fishhead could lure more crabs to bite than any other bait or trap!  Nary a thought was given that I might hurt myself or that an accident could happen.  If I had learned my lessons well, there was no need for fretting.  

  For the past week, I have become more aware than ever before that food is there for the taking.  There is really no reason for hunger if you only use your head.  As I wander about the Bayou and surrounding hillside, it astounds at the bounty given to us.  Just this week alone, the empty crab pots provided meals.  Three mullet, a trout, a croaker, a sheepshead and a shellcracker were all pulled from the empty (non baited) traps.  Had I thrown the fishheads back into those pots, plenty of other fish and crabs would have ventured inside to dine.  Actually, I had no intentions of using the traps to catch fish but the water provided.  Not only did the crab pots provide fish, a baited line and five minutes of time found me catching a nice sized trout!  Many more could have been taken but the one was plenty as a meal.  The point is...fish are there for the taking.

  Besides the fish, food also was obtained from the waning garden.  The last remnants of the summer/fall garden rendered enough vegetables to round out meals. (The winter garden is now in the process of being planted.)  Then, there are the wild plants that can be added to the plate.  With just a proper identification, many of what are never considered are plants that can be eaten.  It is not uncommon for me to gather wild plants to add to our meals. There is really no reason for hunger.  Grow it, catch it or hunt it.  Too many folks have never learned any basics whatsoever. Yep, we are blessed with more than we can imagine if we would only use what is given.  The gifts are there...sometimes we are just too blind to see them.

Spring has Sprung

  Spring has sprung here on the Bayou.  I know this because the little fennel-munchers are out in full force.  I hate to tell them but I like fennel, too, so they need to calm down a bit and let the stuff grow.  While out in the garden today, I noticed that not only is the broccoli being attacked but the fennel has literally been invaded!  I do not mind so much about the broccoli as it is about to be yanked from the ground to make room for the summer squash but, egad!, my fennel?  Is nothing sacred?

  Dozens upon dozens of the black swallowtail caterpillars are munching happily on the feathery fronds of the Florence  Fennel.  While this does not hurt the growth of the large fan-shaped root, the caterpillars will render the leaves into an unsightly mess!  But...that said...I hate to kill them.  It is sort of a conundrum.  Do I wish to have pretty herbs or do I want pretty butterflies?  Answer?  The caterpillars win.  I love to watch the butterflies flitting about in the garden so it is not in my will to kill the critters that are devouring my herbs.  Mother Nature wins again.  So be it.

 

The Queen Likes Pizza?

  Son, like any young man, eats a lot of pizza.  He loves the stuff.  His favorite is just plain old pepperoni pizza while if I had my way, everything would be piled on top!  And, even though I have quart jars of assorted herbs and spices, his favorite is what he calls "Pizza Spice".  The rest of the world evidently uses the wrong name of "Oregano".  Since he likes oregano so much, my stash is always being depleted which is why I took to growing that along side all of the other herbs.  Since oregano is easy to grow and reseeds itself, at least I shan't go broke buying the stuff.  

  While out picking figs this afternoon, I noticed that the oregano is in dire need of clipping.  Tomorrow will find me out with the scissors snipping the stalks for drying.  My harvesting is a bit late, though, as the herb has already started blooming.  While this will not hurt the flavor of the herb other than making it a mite stronger, I am a bit hesitant about going wild with the scissors.  Bees, namely bumblebees, have taken a liking to the blossoms!  Hundreds of the tiny bees were busy harvesting their own part of the oregano!  It seems as if the herb gardens are full of pollinators this year!

  The bumblebees that are busy in the herb garden are not truly out to make honey with the pollen and nectar they gather.  Since their colonies are tiny compared to honeybees and since only the queen bumblebee overwinters, there is no need for a mass amount of honey.  The bumblebees fill tiny "nectar pots" with the stuff they gather.  This is to feed the larvae that hatch in the spring and to feed the queen.  The queen sort of overstuffs herself to prepare for winter and then hibernates.  She awakes in the spring to tend to her new brood but unlike the honeybee queen, she has no worker bees.  She tends to the larvae herself and, once they mature, the cycle starts again.  

  The bumblebees, today, were quite busy on the herbs.  As they gathered food for the nectar pots and for the queen, I could not help but giggle.  I sure hope the queen likes pizza!

 

Garden Talk

  With everything from raccoons to birds attacking the gardens with a vengeance, I am beginning to think that I planted just for the critters. Once the critters polished off the peaches and plums, they raided the tomato patch.  Why in the world they are eating green tomatoes is beyond my comprehension.  I want my green tomatoes.  Actually, I want them as ripe tomatoes!  It is not that I mind letting one or two hungry animals have a nibble, I just do not really want to share with every critter in the county!  It seems as if the hillside is inundated with hungry animals.

  While out and about today, I did make one fine discovery.  Obviously, critters do not season their meals.  The herb garden is going unmolested.  I picked a basketful of fennel tops and the mint desperately needs harvesting. The basil and chives are taking over the place and the oregano...the oregano is unbelievably thick!  All will be clipped, washed and dried for this winter.  

  Oregano is an herb that should be stocked in every kitchen whether you like pizza or not. (It seems that most folks associate the flavor with pizza over any other dish!)  Not only is it an ideal herb for seasoning any tomato based dish, it is quite handy as a medicinal herb as well.  I have found on many occasions that a blend of oregano and turmeric added to a salt soak can help cleanse and heal many wounds.  Call me clumsy if you please but I find myself constantly in need of doctoring some sort of cut, puncture or abrasion.  If the wound is not so severe that I need a (real) doctor's care, the oregano/turmeric soak usually helps.  Since it has antifungal and antimicrobial properties, oregano helps to kill bad bacteria and fungal infections!  It is good stuff!

  Besides all of the goodness packed inside this little plant, it also helps out in the garden.  When planted next to things like tomatoes, the herb does its part in keeping things bug-free.  Oregano can actually repel bugs! .......Now if I can only find something that will repel raccoons and birds!

Pretty Little Yellow Flowers!

  I think that I have mentioned it before but during this season of colds and sore throats, anything that may bring a bit of relief bears repeating.  I was out in the yard for a few minutes between rainstorms and noticed that the Oxalis are blooming.  Just recently, I was elated to find the purple ones in full bloom but now the yellows have joined in on the wintertime fun.  This is good timing, I say, as the Oxalis or Wood Sorrel have a slight medicinal property that helps to soothe sore throats.  Picking a handful of the leaves and steeping them for a few minutes makes a fine tisane.  Simply pour boiling water over the leaves and let sit for a bit.  Strain and add a bit of honey!  Now you can either sip this like a tea or gargle with it.  While this is not a lasting treatment, it does soothe the soreness for a while and with the honey is very healing.  So, those tiny plants that are the bane of folks who love an all grass lawn, should be welcome in our yards.  I know they are in mine!  One word of caution to those folks who might suffer from gout, kidney disease or arthritis, you might want to steer clear from eating any Oxalis.  It is said to cause problems with these maladies.  This is due to the oxalic acid and oxalates contained in all parts of the plant.  To be honest, even though I have a slight bit of arthritis in my hands, I have never had a problem with the plant other than it being a bit sour and, by the way, all parts of this plant are edible!  Fun stuff!

  Another cool fact about the Wood Sorrel, all parts can be used to make a yellow dye!  Even the green stems and leaves when boiled will turn the water yellow.  What fun!  My oldest son and I played with natural dyes some twenty years ago.  We gathered all sorts of plants and dyed some snippets of unbleached, natural cotton fabric.  While the dyes did not have the brilliance of the artificial colorings of today, it did give us the idea of what our grandparents and great-grandparents might have done so many years ago.  It was a fantastic learning experience!

  So, with all the fun things associated with the Wood Sorrel, you may now understand why I never intentionally remove the plants.  I let them grow where they may and just enjoy them!

Overgrown!

I had the bright idea of planting herbs and flowers in my vegetable garden.  "It will be pretty!"  "It will be convenient!" "It cannot possibly create a problem!"  All of these were convincing arguments for doing such.  Michael warned me against this folly but I refused to listen.  Now..I am paying the price.  All might have gone swimmingly had I thought this thing through before just plopping seeds in the ground. It all started with the fact that my garden space has been cut tremendously.  Our new shed sits where the large garden spot was supposed to be this year and we all know that sheds definitely take precedence over veggies!  Actually, we were in dire need of a shed so I cannot complain too much about this.  Still, this left me with a tiny garden. Plus, this tiny garden sits under my clothesline.  I should definitely seen the difficulty in this situation!  Try hanging clothes on the line all the while dodging squash and petunia plants!  I do.  It is not fun.

Even with the clothesline in the middle of the garden, I should have been able to make it work.  But..silly me..I planted herbs and flowers in between the veggies.  Not too brilliant!  Now the garden looks a lot like a rain forest!  It has become impenetrable!  I feel like I need a huge machete just to pick squash!  Of course, our warm and humid weather could be to blame (surely not my planting).  The squash are thigh high, the watermelons have climbed to great heights, the sunflowers are towering and somewhere under all of this are the bell peppers.  Those had small peppers on them when I last saw them!  I am quite sure that by now they are the size of a football!  Since I fear for my life among the mint and basil, I send Michael in to do the picking!  After all, sons are brave!  Somehow, he manages to find the delicate, baby yellow squash and the tender five-inch-long cucumbers between the mass of foliage.  Occasionally, I will hear him remark calmly..."You are not a cucumber." and I know that he has come across some critter lurking under the cantaloupe vines or among the thick, aromatic sage plants.  Several Southern Black Racers call the garden home as do a few Box Turtles and I am more than certain a number of voles or mice.  Ms. Put, the cat, even steers clear of the entanglement of plants!  She must fear of becoming forever lost among the chamomile or zinnias!

At least there is one nice thing about this lush garden!  Very few weeds have dared to sprout!  I believe that they are literally drowned out before they can reach sunlight!  Or perhaps weeds do not like chives and crowder peas!  But I do!  And my thick mess of a garden does look attractive even if it is impervious!

Flying Windows!

Yesterday's storm had me in a tizzy!  The high winds that knocked Mama Dove for a loop and blew her babies to the ground, also did a tad bit of damage to the gardens.  I was extremely proud that so many of the herb seeds that I had planted in the new coldframe were sprouting.  In the past, I have had difficulty getting some of the purchased seeds to ever sprout.  The seeds would just sit there and rot without ever even trying to turn into that nice plant that was on the seed packet front!  Lazy seeds are not for me!  I want flourishing plants to grow from those tiny dots!  This year, with an exception of the Anise Seeds, the herbs were doing well.  Their hotbed seemed to be agreeing with them and they were all growing well.  Then came "THE" storm!  That nasty bunch of winds, torrential rains and then dropping temperatures was just not conducive to a plant growth spurt!

One of the coldframe windows smashed by the high winds.

Actually, as I stood peering out that window watching the treetops bend, I had the unsettling experience of seeing my coldframe being ripped apart by the wind.  All five windows became airborne at the same time!  They twisted and turned in the wind and then crash-landed on top of the squash and radish plants!  Miraculously, only one large pane of glass shattered and then only because of the metal frame of another window came down corner first on it.  But that was enough!  I just knew that my tiny herb plants were goners!  Still, I had no time to even survey the damage as I was in the rescue business!  Those baby birds were of high importance and the garden would just have to wait.

Seeing how the window tossed by the winds gouged out the ground, I am glad I was  safe inside!

This morning, I picked up the pieces of broken glass and gathered together the other four windows.  They seemed intact so I would reuse them.  The hotbed seemed to be in pretty good shape even without its glass top.  The tiny herbs held their own and did not give up the ghost!  They were not washed down into the Bayou!  This morning, the windows were all replaced and a new one added.  Large boards were placed on top of the glass in hopes that the storm predicted for later tonight will not do more damage.

The tiny herb plants are all snug in their revamped coldframe!

All in all, the damage was not as bad as I had first thought.  It seems that plants are pretty resilient.  They can take a pretty rough beating and still survive.  I suppose this just proves that idiom of "What does not kill you will only stand to make you stronger!"  After the storm yesterday...I fully expect to have plants with superhero powers!

No Spring Chicken..

I have finally come to terms with this aging process thing. I have had the realization that I cannot do what I am used to doing.  In the past, if something needed tending, I did it..no questions asked.  Now, the joints creak, the muscles ache and I move a bit slower at times. I am no spring chicken! This said, I am far from giving up what I like to do!  I am still bound and determined to garden even if it means moaning and groaning the day after spading up the ground.  It is nice that I have Michael here to do most of the heavier work like hauling the sacks of fertilizer from the driveway around to the back of the house where the garden is situated.  He hoists those sacks like nobody's business!   This makes life easier for me!

Speaking of making life easier, he did just such thing recently.  Last year, he built me a coldframe or hotbed.  I was happy!  This year, I am happier!  The coldframe has been elevated to a decent height so I do not have to be on my hands and knees to work in it.  Michael lifted the entire thing up off the ground, put a bottom in it and stuck it on posts.  Now it is at just above table-height and is much easier to reach.  This was actually done because ants and mice found the coldframe to be a nice place to spend the winter when it was flat on the ground.  Most of my seeds and tiny seedlings were eaten by the critters far before they were large enough to plant in the garden rows.  The coldframe will serve as a long planter after the seedlings have been transplanted.  Herbs should grow well in the eight inch deep soil that the coldframe holds.  He lined the bottom with a garden liner so with reasonable watering, the plants should not dry out quickly.

With the weather warming, I probably did not need to plant the seeds in the coldframe at all. Still it was nice not having to crouch down to sow the minuscule herb seeds.  With the high winds of the past few weeks, those seeds would have most likely wound up in the Bayou!  The herb seeds themselves were a gift from my daughter and son-in-law.  Elizabeth and Robbie sent the packets of seeds for my recent birthday.  Most were in the familiar little packets of about a hundred seeds but one was umm...quite large!  I had mentioned that I was going to plant catnip if I could find seeds.  She beat me to it and sent some!  The pack contained five thousand seeds!  What am I going to do with five thousand catnip plants?  Hopefully, some of my neighbors will want a few plants..or a bunch of plants!  Otherwise, Ms. Put, the Bayou Cat sure better like catnip!

Medicine Plant!

Years and years ago, I had an Aloe Vera plant. It grew well and I used the juice of the leaves to treat almost every ailment that beleaguered my kids when they were small. From sunburns to dandruff, this stuff was my one "go to" cure! If one was bitten by and insect..off came a leaf. If one received a scratch from the rose bush..off came a leaf. If one was burned by a spark from the fireplace..off came a leaf. It was a wonder that poor plant grew at all!

Then came Hurricane Katrina. My poor Aloe Vera met its demise. I am quite sure that my plant was washed from the yard to parts unknown. Perhaps it survived the brutality of the waves and made it to some safe bit of land. There it might have taken root and be still growing. In the wild, perhaps my Aloe Vera is thriving and is a huge plant. I have no idea but more than likely, it was just ripped up and tossed aside to die a slow death in the mountains of debris. I have missed my Aloe Vera plant. Many times I have needed a leaf to treat some wound but nary a one was to be found.

About three days ago, I gave my brother a small grapefruit tree. He wanted to have one for his yard and I had an extra one growing in a pot. When Son delivered the small tree to him, he received a gift in return. I am now the proud owner of a new Aloe Vera plant! A medicine cabinet in the plant form! This plant will most likely be used far more than any other in the yard! The goo inside the leaf is perfect for so many skin woes! I am told that the plant can get quite large and will bloom if allowed to grow to its full potential. This means, I am sure, that I should not be pulling off a leaf every time I have some minor nick or scrape. I was pondering the notion of separating the plant and keeping one close to the kitchen and maybe planting some in the herb garden. There, perhaps, it will have room to grow and maybe I will actually have the opportunity to view some of the purportedly yellow blooms! Aloe Vera...Medicine Plant!

"Oh, my goodness! I didn't think it would be that much!"

I have always said that Hubby likes to shop. It is just one of those things that makes him happy and one of those things that makes me happy as I hate to shop! He will go to the store..any store and search for bargains..it is that elusive sale that keeps him intrigued. The thrill of the hunt, I suppose. Me, on the other hand...I would much rather make the list and let him scavenge the aisles, peruse the labels and make the decisions of what brand and how much to buy. I go for months without entering a store..he on the other hand could shop every day. Lately though, he has discovered shopping on the computer. (Not that he has stopped going to the stores, this online shopping has just been added to his search for the "Bargain of the Day"!) Online shopping seems as though it would be much easier to me so I can fully appreciate his willingness to do this. But...he shops in bulk.

Today, he was a bit antsy as he waited for the delivery person to stop in with his order. He was excited as he had found a new place to order spices and herbs for my many culinary and medicinal concoctions. This place sold things in bulk and the more you bought..the cheaper the cost. He was ecstatic to say the least. Keep in mind that while he was ordering, I was across the room and not watching what he was doing! Occasionally, he would ask if I liked..say lavender or mint. I would always respond with the use of each item and say "Yes, that is a good one." or "I like that one." I suppose that I should be more careful in what I say and keep in mind that Hubby really likes to shop! As I said, the cost was proportionate to the quantity ordered. The shipment arrived late this evening..need I say more?????

Boxes..huge boxes were toted into the house! Uh-oh..maybe I should have watched what he was ordering! I was nervous. I glanced at him and he was beaming with the broadest grin that I have ever seen. I cut the tape on the first box..and lifted out bottle after bottle of spice. Ok..this is not so bad! Although some might think a quart jar of Turmeric is a tad much, I thought it was great..I use a lot of Turmeric! Quarts of Cloves, Anise, Allspice...good, good, good! Quarts of Fennel Seed, Fenugreek, Peppermint..good, good, good. This box held so many wonderful herbs and spices! I was tickled! THEN..we opened the other box! Oh, my! One pound of Hibiscus Flowers! Ok..I can use those in my teas. Vanilla Beans..another goody! Then I pulled out a one pound bag of Lavender Flowers..this was a huge bag! Lavender Flowers when dried weigh about..well..nothing! So one pound is about two gallons of flowers...that is a lot of Lavender. But that is ok..I will find a use for it all. Pumpkins Seeds..ummm..five pounds. Ok..they are heavy and since you roast and eat them like nuts..no problem. Then came the three pounds of cinnamon sticks..and three pounds of Spearmint flakes. THREE POUNDS OF SPEARMINT FLAKES??? What am I supposed to do with that? That amounts to approximately three gallons of flakes! That is the most mint flakes that I have ever seen in one kitchen! Then the last item in the box...are you ready for this.....five...yes, FIVE...five pounds of Chamomile Flowers. Do you have any idea how big of a bag contains FIVE POUNDS OF CHAMOMILE FLOWERS????? I promise..I could almost fill a bushel with the flowers! I admit that I like Chamomile Tea but that is a lot of tea! Considering that it takes a grand total of about one teaspoon of flowers to make a cup of tea, I could probably make about a billion cups of tea with this! I could have a tea party for the entire community and still have leftover Chamomile Flowers! I looked at Hubby.. ummm.."Are you planning on drinking tea with me? I hope...." All I got from him was a "Oh, my goodness..I didn't think it would be that much!" Uh-huh...yep..Hubby likes to shop.

On the wish list!

Puttering around in the garden today, I noticed that the chives were in bloom. I have both the purple-flowering and the white-flowering types..the purple being the more common chive. To me this one has the "oniony" chive taste where as the white one is Garlic Chive and hence, has a "garlicky" flavor which is much stronger taste. I know that you can dry or freeze chives for later use, but I have never had the need for this since I try to overwinter a pot of them in the house. Most of my herbs do well in the sunny windows of my entryway. There are windows on three sides of this small room with a long shelf that is perfect for flower pots. This year I plan on adding a grow light to help the herbs flourish. Having fresh herbs in midwinter just makes everything taste better. This also provides for better home remedies since fresh herbs are "full strength". On the wish-list for this year..a greenhouse/herb house! I would love to have a full size greenhouse to grow a full herb garden during the winter. I am thinking that should be a project ...soon! I have accumulated a variety of old windows that would be suitable for this, now the problem is talking my husband and son into building it! Maybe the promise of homemade soups and breads made with the herbs will convince them!

Today, too, I had a visitor in the garden. A small raccoon wandered in as I was watering the Butternut squash plants. It seemed quite oblivious to my being there and meandered down the pathway to the compost pile. I had just put out a watermelon rind and I suppose it could smell supper. By the looks of its muddy legs it tried to find shellfish on the marsh banks before ambling my way. This could possibly be one of the three small raccoons that the dog "treed" on the pier post earlier this summer. Those should be about this size by now. Perhaps that is why this little rascal was not afraid of me, but I know as cute as it is, I know eventually I will have trouble with this one foraging in my garden patch. Ezzy the mutt might have to stand guard a tad more vigilantly that she has been..she seems to be getting lazy lately..maybe the "dog days of summer"?