Sweet September...

      Crisp, cool breezes are in the forecast for the day.  This definitely is a sparkling fall day in Ohio.  It lets me know that I had better step up my pace for getting the house and yard ready for winter. 
      Attending the Quailcrest Herb Fair in Wooster, Ohio was absolutely delightful.  The weather shaped up after a nasty early morning storm.  One reason I love going to the Herb Fair is that I know there will be sweet annie for sale.  The fruity, herbie scent of Sweet Annie is a signature fragrance of fall to me.  I'm so glad I'm not allergic to it as are some.   If you harvest it before the buds open you can avoid the pollen , but still enjoy that heady fall aroma.  Spraying dried sweet annie with a fixative from the craft store will allow you to keep wreaths and swags from crumbling apart as they adorn your home.  Even using hair spray will achieve the same purpose. 
       The key word right now is harvest. There is a hint of fall brilliance beginning to color the leaves, but for the most part things are still pretty green so far.   As I stepped into my greatly neglected side garden, I was pleased to see that there was still plenty of mint to harvest for making a wreath.  With this year's drought conditions with accompanying killer heat, I didn't expect my oregano to survive.  But there it was poking its fragrant leaves through the brutal weeds that were trying to choke it out of existence.  There is plenty of golden rod to harvest this year. I may try some of the tea that can be made from it.
        I do love September with its warm days and cool nights.  Soon I will be burning off the piles of dead tree branches that have accumulated.  The bonfires of Loyal Oak will be happening with more frequency as we journey into autumn.  It looks like I'd better stock up on marshmallows and hot chocolate.  And it might just be prudent to have some handy roasting ears of sweet corn and some potatoes for baking on the coals as well.  A dear friend of mine told me about when she was a youngster she would offer the neighborhood kids a cookie to come play in her yard since she wasn't allowed to leave her property. 
      ...Maybe my friends will come to visit the bonfire at Johnson House if I offer them some of my campfire cuisine...