Christmas Herbs

It’s been so warm here in Salem that we have lots of fresh herbs for Christmas this year.

I consider them to be my own personal Christmas gift~IMG_7737There’s little bits of dill popping up out front… not quite enough to cook with but there may be just enough for a bowl of carrots in a day or two.
IMG_7735 I brushed my hand over lemon balm and was transported right back to July….

…in my mind, but it was very pleasant.IMG_7733a few more days like this and we could have blooming lavender again.IMG_7732 There’s fresh growth on the sage…IMG_7729 …along with the oregano.IMG_7727My rosemary plant that never quite made it inside this fall is full of beautiful fragrant foliage..IMG_7722…same with the thyme.
IMG_7719And I’m putting fresh parsley in everything..potatoes, chicken soup, you name it!

Merry Christmas to me!

Love, love, love,

Michele

Federal Street Doorways

Salem is one of those places where you can take a walk down most any street and find interesting views…

Check out these doorways on Federal Street.

Some are decked for the holidays and some are very simple…

their all welcoming and beautiful in their own way.

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IMG_7658This guy at the end of my walk really made my day. 🙂

Happy Friday!

Michele

 

 

 

 

Let Us Give Thanks

Let Us Give Thanks

By Max Coots

Let us give thanks for a bounty of people:
For children who are our second planting, and, though they grow like weeds and the wind too soon blows them away, may they forgive us our cultivation and fondly remember where their roots are.
Let us give thanks:
For generous friends…with hearts as big as hubbards and smiles as bright as their blossoms;
For feisty friends as tart as apples;
For continuous friends, who, like scallions and cucumbers, keep reminding us we had them;
For crotchety friends, as sour as rhubarb and as indestructible;
For handsome friends, who are as gorgeous as eggplants and as elegant as a row of corn — and the others — as plain as potatoes, and so good for you.
For funny friends, who are as silly as brussels sprouts and as amusing as Jerusalem artichokes, and serious friends as complex as cauliflowers and as intricate as onions;
For friends as unpretentious as cabbages, as subtle as summer squash, as persistent as parsley, as delightful as dill, as endless as zucchini, and who — like parsnips — can be counted on to see you through the long winter;
For old friends, nodding like sunflowers in the evening-time, and young friends coming on as fast as radishes;
For loving friends, who wind around us like tendrils, and hold us despite our blights, wilts, and witherings;
And finally, for those friends now gone, like gardens past, that have been harvested — but who fed us in their times that we might have life thereafter;
For all these we give thanks.

Source: the late Rev. Max Coots, who was Minister Emeritus of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Canton, New York. His passion for gardening yielded this beloved and much used meditation.

A facebook friend of mine shared this poem and I thought it was kind of perfect for today.

Happy Thanksgiving my friends!

Love, Michele

Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day- November 2014

Happy Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day!

Sometimes I have things blooming into the fall and sometimes I don’t. This has been a pretty forgiving fall with the exception of some snow storms that lasted for a few hours so we still have some color in the garden here in Salem, Massachusetts.

IMG_7596As I posted last month our lavender is still with us.IMG_7594 The stevia flowers are sweet, both in appearance and taste.

Actually the flowers aren’t sweet but the leaves sure are!IMG_7592 The snapdragons are always pretty hardy and this year is no exception.IMG_7590 This is the last little bit of a new ivory echinacea  that I just planted. I’m pretty excited about this addition. I think it’s going to mirror the traditional purple echinacea just across from it nicely.IMG_7588 We still have rose buds but I’m worried about this one. Are those little thorns evidence of rose rosetta disease? What do you think? IMG_7587 I have lots of grasses scattered around and I love the transformation that they make at this time of the year when they “bloom.”IMG_7576And of course, I have a red chrysanthemum on the front porch. This one is still beautiful!

How’s your garden growing?  Be sure to check out the other GBBD posts on May Dreams Gardens right here!

Three posts in four days for The Salem Garden… hmmm…soccer and hockey seasons must be over!  😉

Enjoy everything!

Michele

It’s Not Too Late to Plant a Few Bulbs….

Maybe your feeling kind of done or like  you’ve missed the window to get those bulbs in the ground….

…but guess what? You haven’t!

As long as the ground isn’t frozen you can still plant bulbs.

And in a few short months when spring springs you’ll be glad you did!

IMG_7542I decided to put some daffodils and dutch iris along this little walkway in my herb garden.

IMG_7543I used simple bags of bulbs from a big box store. You can be fancy and order them, or buy organic or whatever you like… or, you can just go buy some up the street like I did.IMG_7560Here’s the key.. Read the label and plant as directed. Be sure to take note of the planting depth and light requirements.

Considering the light requirement is so important, just like it is when you plant everything else!

The correct light, soil type and water, that’s what does it!IMG_7551I like to loosen up the soil well then place my bulbs a few inches apart.  IMG_7555Next I dig holes to the depth indicated on the package and gently place the bulb in, pointed side up. In this case the daffodils are planted six inches deep and the iris 2-4 inches. I’ve also seen gardeners layer them with the deeper bulbs sitting under a layer of soil with another layer on top. I was working in and around the herbs so I planted them randomly but if your grouping them together to fill in an open space they’ll look great if you use the layering method.

Does that make sense? I hope so…

You can add a handful of bonemeal as you plant if you have some. I didn’t have any on hand but it helps!IMG_7556Fill back in with soil, and their all set!
IMG_7557I chose to scatter bulbs along the sides of this pathway, in between and around the herbs. Most of the herbs are perennials so they should be part of the arrangement when spring comes.
IMG_7547And now we just wait!

One last quick tip… don’t add manure of any kind to a bed where your planning to plant bulbs in the near future. Some lighter compost will be fine, but manure will burn your bulbs and you’ll never see them again.

Let’s just say that I learned this lesson the hard way 😉

Hope your inspired to grab a bag of bulbs off of the sale rack and spend a few minutes brightening up a corner. Look for a spot near a doorway where you’ll enjoy them often!

Hurry, before the polar vortex sinks down and gets us all!

Enjoy everything!

Michele

ps/ Since I wrote this post this week the weather systems have ramped up and the snow is coming, so I’m clicking publish and telling you to hurry! You can do this!