In the Garden

The sage in the herb box went crazy with the blooming this spring ~ long spires of purpley-red blossoms sprouted almost overnight, bringing the bees. Bazillions of bees! This morning something had to be done -- the flowers were dead-headed (not all, just most) so the leaf growth would continue (so I can harvest and dry and use in food). I left a few so the bees would continue to visit while the other flower bearing plants get ready to bloom. The mint along the wall is going like mad, as well as the chamomile. It's nice to sit in the house as a breeze starts in the back and blows through, bringing all the scents of the garden inside. Right now my hands are reeking of sage blossoms, kind of lemony and sweet and "sagey". The wheat grass I planted earlier this spring is already gone golden on me, the wheat heads nearly ready to harvest. There are just enough wheat heads that I might get a bun out of it, or a tortilla ~ ha!

The purple carrots have finally sprouted. I worried about them. They were taking so long to pop up I wondered that they would do it at all. But they have and I'm excited for them to grow big so I can roast them with yellow beets and artichokes sprinkled with olive oil and oregano. Oh! And the golden potatoes have come up too! I had some blue or purple or whatever color they are but the dog found them and ate them post-planting. So no blues this year. Perhaps next year when dog learns her place on the food chain here.

Nearly ready to plant the rest of the tomatoes I have popping up. They're in the germinator along with some green beans that are just about ready to go into the ground, their protective chicken wire covering in place giving them something to cling to as they grow. I'm going to have at least 20-30 tomato plants going, all different varieties. Plus mum has hers going out at the farm and they're already twice as big as mine. We'll be flush in tomatoes this year. I can hardly wait. This is one of the best things about living in the valley, despite the heat, or because of it, things grow like mad and our season is very long allowing rotation of crops in a single growing period.

The jasmine has stopped blooming for now and the honeysuckle has taken over, though I'm in no hurry to tincture them. This year I think I'll just enjoy their sweet honey scent wafting into the house. Besides, I'm tired. I want to enjoy the bounty instead of always trying to figure out ways to capture it forever.

I'm gathering the goods for the Perfume Exhibition -- the al embic, the antique bottles full of different tinctures, vintage raw perfume materials, my perfumes, literature, chairs, table cloths, cups, plates, spoons, display trays . . . oh, and so much more.

Comments

Popular Posts