In a frenzy of gardening! Well, a lot of it is weeding. Give these plants a little rain and they all go crazy! One of the joys of spring is the roses...here's my Sally Holmes on the side of the house. Couldn't be more beautiful.
A bonus is my neighbor on this side says she looks forward to Sally Holmes every spring too - she sees it from her kitchen window, which is only a few feet away and a bit uphill. Sweet.
In an effort to get more done while at the same time feeling less overwhelmed (quite an order), I've been making "to do" lists the past few days, just like I used to do when I was working full time. The first day I had seven items on the list, most of them big, and that didn't happen. I finished four. So I moved the three undone "to dos" to the next day, added a couple small ones, and now I think I have a formula. On today's list was "weed the herb garden", which I just finished. We're so lucky in this climate to be able to grow herbs outside that come up year after year. Some of them flourish all year long. My herb garden is right outside the stairs that lead from the kitchen, so it's real handy. Here's what I grow and use in my garden:
- Sage (used for sage butter and with marinated chicken breasts. Also stuffing.)
- Oregano (for pizza, pasta, chicken, anything)
- Thyme (beans, stews, soups, fish, artichokes, everything)
- Parsley (everything)
- Rosemary (in bread, beans, with lamb, potatoes, chicken)
- Lemon verbena (tea)
- Epazote (used in beans to prevent gas - Mexican miracle herb)
I also grow basil, but that's either in the front of the house where the sun is strongest, or in the kitchen window. That basil needs lots of hot sun! And I have a big concrete planter of the most delicious peppermint in the lower level of the back yard. I use that for drinks, like
mojitos. And for wonderful
meatballs. Love my herbs.
