Herbs...

The last parsley of the year.  And one more pumpkin!

Sadly, this is the last herb I will be picking, this year.  I've been harvesting and drying herbs all summer - and now it's over...?  I've enjoyed picking and hanging bunches of parsley, basil, sage, chives, mint and oregano all over the place.  When it's dry, I pulse it gently in a grinder and package it to use through the winter.  Truly, there is nothing better than fresh herbs.  The ones from the store don't even compare!  Winter is close at hand.

Now, time to plant the garlic...

Lavender Garden!

Our Lavender Garden is blooming again!  These amazing plants attract hummingbirds, butterflies, & bees.  What a fabulous smell to be surrounded by in the summer.

Lavender Sweeties!

Well, my new passion is our lavender garden. Oh, the scent of these flower buds is simply amazing. Seems as though everything around here is becoming 'lavender' related...from baking to crafts to sewing projects...yikes! I've been baking butter lavender cookies with white chocolate icing; sewing lavender & peppermint sachets to keep at the computer, in the car, in my purse & for gifts; crocheting lavender colored face scrubbies; sewing lavender cotton fabric wrap around skirts; who knows what else I will find to do with this inspiration....! I love using the things that grow around us, don't you? What are you passionate about??

♥ Garden Herbs

Fresh Oregano & Lavender

Dried Crushed Oregano & Thyme

We started growing fresh herbs in the garden & flower beds last year. Now that the plants have matured, we are beginning to dry them. What an amazing change for our spice cabinet! The flavors & smells are so much fresher & the taste is wholesome. You can imagine how many years a dried spice can sit in the store before you purchase it - Why not grow your own...? This is a great way to teach the kids about gardening & how to grow & nurture perennial plants. And, you'll be stocking up on your own home grown spices & spending precious time together!

We are growing Thyme, Oregano, Basil, Parsley, Mint, Cilantro, Lavender & Hot Peppers for this purpose. Every couple of days, we snip off a small bunch of stems, tie them together with twine & hang in the kitchen. (They shouldn't be placed where the sun will hit directly.) In a couple of weeks, the leaves dry & we strip them from the stem. We use our old coffee mill to grind the spice just until it breaks the leaves a little bit (not crushed beyond recognition!). The kids have designed labels for the glass spice bottles. Now, we will have to wait until the Hot Peppers are ready in the garden to begin harvesting them and then drying their seeds...will write more on ‘crushed pepper’ when we get there. Until then...!