Le Petit Jardin des Herbes...

    ...I went to my happy place this morning. Le Petit Jardin des Herbes, my little herb garden.  The sunflowers were basking in the morning sunlight as the bees danced over the flower heads to seize the day's nectar.  September in all its glory with low humidity and mild temperatures!  It has been a tortuous summer that made it seem like forever until we in Ohio saw some relief from the horrific heat and humidity.  But thankfully September brought hat delicious relief and some much needed rain.  Lawns are looking green for the first time in months.  Grass no longer crunches under foot as one walks across the yard.  Crickets are chirping and gentle breezes stir the trees, shaking the maple seed twirlies to the ground reminding us that it isn't summer anymore.  This is the time of year that I especially spend as much time as I can outdoors.  If the Farmers Almanac is right, and they usually are, we will see plenty of snow and cold temperatures this winter.  I hated being trapped indoors to escape the brutal heat this summer.  I feel as though I was robbed of all the fun stuff I like to do during the gardening season.  It was all I could do to manage to keep my pots of little green herbs sufficiently watered.  But now I am enjoying the harvest from those precious plants.  For having only one, I have yielded several handfuls of perfumed stems.  Maybe the Mad Whacker actually did me a favor with his harsh pruning of my only lavender plant with his weed whacker last spring.  Now it is time to take the lavender out of the pot and plant it into the ground to give it time to get established before the winter freezes hit.  Lavender survives nicely in pots, bit I just don't have anywhere to put it in my apartment over the winter.  A shame, it would have been nice to stroke it during the winter months for a pleasant relief from the cold and dreariness of the snowy landscape.

Rose scented geranium leaves, garden sage, and anise hyssop

     This morning's harvest yielded sweet basil, holy basil, and opal basil.  I can't wait to make herb vinegar with this bunch of basils.  My sage plant has been generous to me as well.  A giant bunch of anise hyssop was ready for me to harvest as it sparkled on the morning sunshine.  The fragrant rose-scented geranium leaves made a wonderful addition to the basket arrangement I created to decorate my hallway.  Herbal greens and purples became the color theme of the day.  Though I had already harvested most of my Sweet Annie, there was still enough left on the stalk to harvest a small bouquet for crafting.  I hung the swag along with an art ornament in my hallway.  Today was the day I did my best to bring my Petit Jardin des Herbes inside.  After the heavy rains from a few days ago, my marjoram was practically jumping out of their pots.  That harvest was my reward for watering them all summer, a bumper crop from the boost the rain water gave them.  Even my pot of  chocolate mint perked up enough to give me a modest handful of harvest. Okay, my minty friend, I won't get rid of  you after all for under-performing all summer.  I feel as though I fell into that category this summer, too.
     Sometimes less is more.  My tiny garden sported only two mammoth sunflowers, but I had a smaller variety that gave me plenty of flower heads to harvest.  They had thrived in my minecule space I call my garden.  Not only will I yield material for future potpourri, but I have photographed them every way I could think of.  Their gift to me was two fold with their fragrance and visual delights.  To photograph it is to preserve it forever. 
    And so, I think I will treat myself to a pot of Holy basil tea with a touch of lemon balm.  Seems the perfect way to celebrate the day of harvest by sipping herbal tea at Cafe des Herbes...
    

Anise hyssop

Sunflower potpourri

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