HerbnArts

     ...It is hard to believe that October is nearly finished.  This year has been a bit of a blur for me.  Moving from my home of 25 years has proven to be much more of an adventure than I could have ever imagined.  The biggest adjustment has been that of not having a garden.  I did manage a few plants in containers, but even that was no real feeling of satisfaction for a deep dirt gardener. That meant that there were no little visitors for me such as Delilah the dragonfly,  Scout the black-capped chickadee, Sooty the black squirrel, Sparky, the chipmunk, Sydney the mole, Fredrick and Gertrude the morning doves, Christopher and Lizzie the cardinals, and Edgar the toad.  The good news is there are no raccoons crawling up the side of the house and tearing off the roofing shingles.  And there were no ugly buzzards stopping by to dine on dead rabbit in the yard.  Gratefully, too, no murder of crows gathered in my current yard.  I do miss the occasional hawk landing on my porch railing and

fossilized stone      ...One of my favorite places to check on when it comes to local herb gardens is the Seiberling Naturealm located on Smith road in Akron.  It always encourages me seeing all the wonderful plants with their labels, letting everyone know what has come back after such a harsh winter. This trip to the herb garden did not disappoint.  The remnants of  last year's bayberries still clung to the bush branches.  It will be fun to see the bushes sprouting new berries as the season progresses.        Elfin thyme was coming back, already spilling over the stone borders of its designated space.  Various areas sported signage that explained the type of garden plants for each area.  Culinary for cooking purposes, arts & crafts plants, and medicinal  were some of the posted spots in the garden.  A small waterfall splashes down into a reflecting pool that is home to water hyacinth, iris, water lilies and lotus.  Though I did not spot them on this visit, I know the pool