HerbnArts

      A bright red light was shining onto my face waking me up much earlier than I had wanted.  What was that red light and how did it get there?  Fumbling for my glasses, I squinted out of my window and through my neighborhood trees at the bright light.  It was definitely red.  As the fog in my brain slowly lifted, I realized that the bright light was actually the morning sun.  I can't remember ever seeing the sun appearing red like a traffic signal.  For many years I was an early morning riser, but not so much in my retirement years.  My memories of early morning sun were that of a dark orange orb that grew more golden in hue as the minutes passed.  This was a different morning sun than my recollections could handle.  In the Twilight Zone of my early morning mind I was questioning whether or not I had simply been transported to another planet.  After glancing at the morning sun again and finding that it was now a light g...

       ... Howling winds, torrential rain, rolling thunder and lightning furiously slammed through the Magic City.  But finally it was cooler.  My morning began with inspecting my yard to see if I had "lost" anything to the wild winds of the storm. Fortunately everything was where I had left it the day before. Though it was a bit breezy, the day was deliciously cool and partially sunny.  Perfect gardener's weather... Immediately I wrestled out my packet of mammoth sunflower seeds and poked five seeds into the moist soil.  My next fun task was that of harvesting the new crop of lavender stems I had been carefully watching.  Le Petit Jardin was already yielding its green stems.  The fragrance of freshly cut lavender put me in my happy place once again, reminding me that it isn't about the size of the garden.  It is all about the amount of joy one derives from the sensory experience of nurturing plants, harvesting the bounty, and enjoy...

      ....Memories flooded my mind as I sipped some lemongrass green tea. Quietly I was transported to a time and place from over twenty years ago in my herbal experiences.  An herb farm that is no longer in business was once a favorite happy place for me.  Homemade salves and teas were created at that green sanctuary.  Herbal oils, tinctures, and herbal toilet waters were part of the offerings.  There was always a class or two happening that shared herbal crafting moments of joy.  Discovering trinkets, pottery specialties was part of the fun at that herb farm.  Not only did they sell precious herb plants, but bulk dried herbs were for sale also.  Woody garden aromas permeated the atmosphere of the herb shop and farm greenhouse.  Light buzzing of bees indicated the business of pollinators steadily at work.  Butterflies flitted throughout the gardens.  Everywhere birds could be heard chirping their cheerful conversatio...

       ....As the rollercoaster ride of temperatures here in Ohio continues, today we have cool and wet conditions.  At least it isn't snow.  We did end out April with some snow, but we seem to be passed that.  All the wetness is causing all the grass to grow as if it was on steroids.  My yard is sporting dandelions that should be Japanese horror film stars.  But for herb people that's a good thing, right?  All kinds of teas, salads, infusions and salves are just begging to be concocted.  The blooming lilacs were inviting me to make infused honey.  I diligently cut as many blossoms as I could manage as I knew it would snow overnight.  And of course I was nearly out of honey, so that meant I would need to add honey to my grocery list.  The snows came and went.  Surviving a covering of snow, the lilac bush seemed none the worse for the white covering.  But the blossoms had very little noticeable fragrance....

   ... Everywhere I looked it was green.  The trees were in full leaf, the lawns were green and growing much too fast.  Many of the spring flowers were giving way to early summer blooms and there was an ease all around signaling that summer gardening is finally here. Everyone was eager just to get out of the house and do something, even if that something was annoying mowing. For months people were cleaning house to the point of obsession, and now they could turn their attention to the  outdoors. Dreaded yard work was not so bad after all.  At least it got one out of the house.  Coping with lockdown and the re-opening protocols made life quite different.  I have always understood about having to re-invent one's self every few years, and now the world was beginning to understand the concept. Just the other day a neighbor asked me if I planned on having my little garden again this year.  I assured him that it was about to happen.  Here in O...

Black Raspberries    ...Snow blew across the landscape as the groundhog's revenge zapped us, again.  That predicted early spring had better happen soon.  However, an all-white terrain beats the dreary gray blah of January we experienced here in the Magic City.  Today I spent my day looking through my herb books under the pretense of straightening up my bookshelves.  Actually, I have realized that I am yearning fpots of little green herbs growing in pots in Le Petit Jardin.  I even dug out some seed packets with the dream of sunflowers while devising how I would keep them safe from the neighborhood groundhog as they grew big enough to fend for themselves.                                                    As I perused my photo files, the sparkling image of raspberries jumped out at me.  The Herb of the Year is ...

HerbnArts: In Search of Christmas Joy... : Thunderbird     ...Vibrant blue skies filled with fluffy clouds, orange golden sunlight pouring through naked trees, these were the cond...