HerbnArts

    Dried leaves made a rustling sound as the light breeze swirled them across the black-topped parking lot.  That was a week ago when I noticed that the leaves were beginning to fall from the trees at my workplace.  That was August.  Now it's officially September.  Where did the summer go?  My gardening efforts were minimal due to the torrential rains in the spring, then the horrific heat and humidity that followed once the rains stopped during all of July.  By August I had to start over again with my herbs.  Now, not only are my replacement basils growing like crazy, but the spindly ones that survived the rains are coming back as well!  Go figure!  Now my gardening efforts are mainly that of getting the beds ready for this winter and prepping them next year.  It has been like fall here in Ohio with warm sunny days and chilly nights.  Everyone seems to perk up now that the blistering heat and humidity have settled down.  There have even been a few nights that I was able to snuggle

HerbnArts: Green Corn Moon With a Side of Pesto... : Okay, so how's your August shaping up for you? Here in Ohio we can already feel a hint of fall on its way. This is harvest time in the...

    Okay, so how's your August shaping up for you?  Here in Ohio we can already feel a hint of fall on its way.  This is harvest time in the Great Lakes region.  The corn managed to survive all the rains in the spring and early summer , and now it is sweet corn season.  Seems as though you can't drive more than 50 feet before you see another outdoor booth selling sweet corn.  Is it any wonder that the Native Americans named the August full moon the green corn moon?  So far we have enough corn for food uses, but I grow more and more nervous as I see signs posted on fields stating that this crop of corn will be used for the bio-fuel ethol.  Not good.  I was horrified to find out that it takes 1000 gallons of water to produce 1 gallon of ethol.  What's wrong with this picture?  Everywhere an ethol production plant is built the water rights of the area are bought up by that company.  What happens when there is a drought?  Farmers are being forced to sell their water rights or f

     Oh, it's good to see that the weather is shaping up here in Ohio!  Today we are having the kind of wonderful summer day that we should have had all summer.  The humidity is low and it is in the 80's.  Lots of sunshine and blue skies!  Makes a gardener want to go out and dig in the dirt!  Recently I inherited some plants from a friend who couldn't manage to get them planted.  I was with her when she purchased them.  The plants were gorgeous and lush.  At the time, I hoped she would manage to get them planted, but somehow I knew those plants were destined to show up in my garden.  The plants are looking pretty sad at this point, but once they get established in my gardens they should shape up.  As I have said before, I am a late gardener.  My garden areas always look their best in the fall.  This year will be no exception.  But I have a lot to do before the winter snows hit us this year.  Somehow I just feel that is going to happen earlier this year.  If I read my spider

HerbnArts: Dancing with the Butterfly... : " ...Even with all the heat and humidity, the tansy is blooming! You can tell it is the end of the summer. That wonderful herbie green..."

     ...Even with all the heat and humidity, the tansy is blooming!  You can tell it is the end of the summer.  That wonderful herbie green fragrance of harvested tansy fills my doorway.  I'm about to create some wreaths with my bumper crop of tansy this year.  That fragrance always makes me think of the festivals in late summer and early fall.  Suddenly my herbie heart leaps for joy as I can finally harvest some of the herbs from my gardens.  If you've been following the blog, then you know what a sad season it has been for my garden this year.  Too much rain, too, much heat.  But I have always tried to make the most of my plant survivors no matter the weather conditions.  Last year was such a good growing year for the garden.  How I miss all the wonderful things that I was able to harvest from it.  But this year I am redesigning much of the garden.  There is always next year, and now is the time to set the beds up for next year's delights.  I've been cleaning up my s