Sage

This week I am focusing on Sage.

I will harvest some this week and
 hang dry for winter use.

It is a busy week for me.

I am packing up our August decorations and cleaning the house top to bottom.

It is time for me to get ready for September.

Our Fig Garden is growing nicely.

I am new to growing figs.

I first saw them growing in my area when we went to Powell Gardens a couple of years ago.

They have different varieties growing in their Harvest Garden.

Yesterday while hunting for bugs I stopped and checked on the figs.

I am growing Peter's Honey. I can expect figs next September.

I like to see how others are protecting their vegetables.

Our Brussel Sprouts have done well this year.

We will harvest another full stem this afternoon.

We did protect them from ground hogs and deer.

I have never grown Okra.

It is a very pretty plant.

I have tried to grow chives from seed for the last two years.

I am not sure what I am doing wrong.

I made a note to get a few plants from the nursery next spring.

The mint gardens at Powell were amazing.

I have different types of mints growing in my  flower beds.

I harvest for winter teas but I never seem to dry enough!

This year I will harvest all that will fit on my drying frame.

This variety is new to me.
I will look for it.

The vegetable gardens at Powell are gorgeous.

They have a silo you can climb up in and see the gardens.

I love the quilt block idea.

Inspiring design.

Bananas are not hardy here.

I wonder how they grow them?

Perhaps they dig the trees up in the Autumn and over winter in the green house.

I do not have a green house but I do over winter in my Living room and Dining room.

Every Autumn I create a forest.

It is the Haunted Forest in October
 filled with drying herbs and bittersweet.

It becomes the Magical Forest in December
as the white tulips begin to bloom.

This year I am bringing in herbs
 to overwinter on the windowsills.

Rosemary

My herb for this week is Rosemary.

I have begun the process of getting my plants ready to come in for the winter.

I slowly reduce the amount of light the plants receive by moving them from the sunny deck

to the covered front porch. They will stay on the porch for a month.

I will collect rain water to water with.

I am thinking about repotting the plants too. This week would be the best time to do this.

The Rosemary grows best inside on the window sill in the dining room. Here on the south side of the house the winter sun

streams in nicely. I want the plants to thrive this coming winter. Perhaps some root room would be good.

I moved the plants to the porch and immediately was distracted by butterflies.

Monarch laying eggs is very exciting.

I will see about repoting tomorrow.

Parsley

I am soaking parsley seed overnight

so they are ready to sow tomorrow.

Parsley is my focus herb this week.

We use lots of parsley in our cooking
 and I ran out again this past year.

I need to grow lots more.

I will do up a pot to grow indoors this winter.

I like having fresh herbs in the kitchen all winter long.

I sowed some basil seeds out in the vegetable garden.

We have plenty of time before frost for it to mature.
I will make pesto.

We also planted our vegetable Autumn garden.

Some of my perennial seed I did not get in this spring so I planted as soon as the weather cooled down.

With Mother Nature watering the seed in again today I think we will have a great Autumn garden.

I am reading about growing in the heat and humidity.

Herbs do great!

We had another family of Raccoons on the deck overnight.

My husband relocated two juveniles to the river.

Hopefully Mom will join them soon.

Lemon Balm

I am focusing on Lemon Balm this week.

My friend gave me a pass a long from her garden last year.

It is thriving.

I shall dry some for winter tea.

I am bringing out the garden markers.
I am back working in the gardens.

I am drying the lemon peels from when I made
 lemonade over the weekend.

I will use them this winter too.

The mint I dried was ready for storage.

I had over 8 cups of leaves for my large cannister.

I will dry more mint. I use lots every winter.

I saved a tea container from last winter when I ran out of my mint.

I filled it.

I am doing my moon watch.

Every day I look for the moon rise.

I am writing about my relationship with the moon.

I had thought I would do this for 28 days, New Moon to New Moon,

but I think I will carry on until October 31.

The Sunflowers continue to amaze and delight.

The bees love them.

When I am outside taking photographs
I am filled with the joys of Summertime.

A storm came in over night. We had a lovely cool down and a gentle rain. Later this afternoon the sun came out.

Being outside was pleasant.

The Queen Anne's Lace is setting seed.