It's almost February - where has the long dark winter gone?

I know that the northern readers are wanting to come down here and give me a talking to about my thinking that winter is almost over. My tongue is planted firmly in my cheek, because I know the worst is yet to come. I like to think about spring though. It makes winter more bearable.

To be honest, I'm not much of a seed starter. Lancaster County is awash with greenhouses, herb farms, and the month of May (and parts of April and June) is crammed with herb festivals and herb farm open houses. It is a gardener's dream, and when I read of the people in other parts of the country who have nothing much except a hardware store or big-box store selection, I appreciate it even more.

So mostly, that is how my garden comes to life. Mostly I transplant what others have started and nurtured to a point that it might actually survive me.
What manages to survive my forgetfulness usually falls victim to the roving gangs of bunnies or the insatiably gnawing hunger of the unstoppable groundhog. Then there are the giant deer hoof prints I find in the garden, and the birds that sit waiting for the berries to ripen. But never mind that. If I think about that too much I might give up - and gardeners NEVER give up. So where was I?Oh. Right. We were talking about seed starting. There are parts of the country (and thriftier people than I) where seeds are the way to begin the garden. Many people wouldn't think of purchasing adolescent plants, and if they are vigilant, seeds will pay them back many times over.

We were talking on the Yahoo Group for The Essential Herbal Magazine, and some of the favorite seed sources can be found below:

Fedco Seeds

Horizon Herbs

ArborDay.Org

The Rosemary House

Botanical Interests

Heirloom Seeds

Rare Seeds at Baker Creek

Seed Savers

Landis Valley Museum Heirloom Seed Project

Abundant Life Seeds

They all have lots of great information, and I could spend several days just visiting seed websites. I DO grow most of my vegetables from seed. Things like eggplant, where I only need one or two plants, and melon, which takes forever to grow, I will buy the plants. Everything else in the veggie garden is from seed. Come to think of it, this should be a post about PLANTS! Maybe later.

While you're thinking about gardening, consider our book, The Essential Herbal ~ Under the Sun. There are several articles on different types of gardens, how to create good soil, how to care for seedlings, and get rid of pests.
We also have the CobraHead tool available on our website. This is one tool you don't want to be without when you are out there doing battle with the dandelion, the sour dock, and the bladderwort. This baby is ergonomically designed to help you get more bang for your buck. Less wasted energy, more effect. And it is one of the few tools that can take me through season after season without rusting, bending, or breaking.

And before the season gets started and you need something for those tired muscles, head over and get your supply of Gardener's Soap, Arnica Rub and Gardener's Tub Tea from our sister site: The Sibling Group!

Credit for the pansy picture goes to Deborah Stiffler. Deborah, of Scent-sational submitted this photo for the cover of the May/June '07 issue of The Essential Herbal.

Operation World Smudge

Yesterday I received an invitation to join Operation World Smudge. Anyone can participate. Maybe you'll want to, too! Here's the info:

Smudge where you are! Participate from home!

Smudging is a Native American tradition that involves the burning of herbs such as: sage, sweet-grass, tobacco and cedar for the purpose of purification. Join in the WORLD SMUDGE event and smudge your home, office or land on Inauguration Day. Help clear out the old administration and prepare a clear space for change.

Creative Work Spaces

Okay the holidays are over, winter has decided to visit North Georgia, so there is not a lot to do outside. This years Burpee Catalog came in the mail yesterday, and I have plans with a hot cup of coffee and a recliner later this evening pouring over the tomatoe section. I will report on all the great new vegetables and flowers tomorrow on my gardenchick blog www.gardenchick.com/garden-blog

HOWEVER, today was the day to start crossing off the to-do-list, which is part of my 2009 goals. Today, clean and organize my office. I plan on making this years garden, and my Gardenchick business my priorities this year. I don't know about ya'll, but I can't think in clutter. I also have to have inspiration around me. Since I collect junk, what a great place to put it all together in my office downstairs. My son has almost finished painting (who would have known that the earlier green on the walls would have needed THREE coats of light yellow to cover it up.).

The computer hutch is filled with my gnomes, the 1950's pixies I just love, and old concrete dwarf I paid a whole dollar for at a flea market. On the top shelf you will see a picture of my mother and her sister in a cornfield (1930's). The red cabinet holds some 1950-1960 paint by number pictures, an old rose care kit, and other odds and ends.

But just in case you thought I had conquered the clutter I included a "left to do picture".

Karen

http://www.gardenchick.com/

It's all a blur....

I know, I know.....the yellow leaves of the last post have long dropped off and blown away and we are nearly dipping our frosty toes into December days. The last few weeks have been simply a blur of big activity around here. I have no other excuse other than to admit that my creative focus has been bound in production to fill holiday demand and scheduling out classes for all of 2009. I am thankful that I have big orders to fill and that demand for classes has grown. Oh so thankful.The sense of urgency that comes naturally with the changing seasons from fall to hunkered-down winter is layered with holiday cooking, days "off" in the middle of the week, unexpected visits and a break with the normal rhythm of my days. Wrapping up another year of classes collides with a jump in the truck and a weekend of driving to bring the wayward Iceman from the North for a quick week at home. All the while, mulling over important travel details with darling daughter as she prepares to maneuver through three airports to arrive on a sunny summer Australian beach a few days before Christmas. The blurry image above is my first published attempt with my new camera after attending the class to understand it's workings. I was practicing my action panning shot without a flash...a challenge even to those with more experience than I. Anyway, it does artfully depict the crazy scene around here, so I chose to post it. Fast, blurry and challenging !! Over the years, I have learned to adapt to the balance that is required with operating a home-centered business. It takes alot of juggling, compromise and multitasking skills. But sometimes it's just worth getting up in the dark hours before the rest of the world, to get things done, think uninterrupted thoughts and feel that tiny creative spark that comes with quiet rewarding work. It makes it that much easier to share an hour cuddled up with a kid who has a story to tell, a neighbor who needs a helping hand or to follow a cooking muse in the middle of the day. The days can be mighty long but the benefits and rewards are so worthwhile. It's the best of all worlds and I can never say I've led a boring, unfulfilled life.

Fall fun

I know a number of people on the Merry Blogsters live in the Northern States, and I don't MEAN to rub it in but......it has been beautiful weather here in North Georgia (temperature high 50's, lower 60's). It was perfect weather to go out with my granddaughters and enjoy this fall weather. We have a beautiful maple tree that has just turned a golden yellow, and "blessed" us with a yard full of leaves. The girls and I went out to play in the leaves, and another one of their favorite things to do in the garden, "hunt for worms". If it makes everyone shivering from the cold feel any better, the forcast is for temperatures overnight in the low 30's with a possibility of snow flurries in the morning. Hope you enjoy our pictures!

Karen, Mackenzie, and Kendall

www.gardenchick.com

www.gardenchick.com/garden-blog

Tea Swap

Its getting cold here and they call for snow. I am getting that tickly feeling in the back of my throat that warns of a cold coming on so I thought I'd have a cup of tea. We sometimes do swaps here at Essential Herbal and recently did a tea swap so I looked through the teas I had for an appropriate one. Oh, so many good ones to choose from. I settled on Debra's because I knew the echinacea, astragalus, rosehips as well as the other ingredients would do me well on a day like this. So I brewed my tea and settled in at my computer for more work. However, now, hours later, I can't feel that tickle in my throat any more.

Cindy Jones

http://www.sagescript.com/

Do You Recycle?

Part of being green and sustainable is recycling and reusing. This is being made easier with a variety of websites dedicated to the cause. At Earth 911 you can look up information for your city on what can be recycled or disposed of and where. In fact, you can put in a specific item you need to get rid of such as used motor oil or electronics and then be directed to a location near you. It also carries news articles related to recycling. http://earth911.com.

We are probably all aware of thrift stores such as Salvation Army, ARC, and Goodwill as places to find a variety of used household items and clothing. Thrift stores have been around for along time and have provided me with many needed items at a discount price. These organizations are also been a valuable resource when cleaning out my closets and drawers and hopefully my children’s used clothing have benefitted others. I have been on several phone lists for thrift stores that call me about every 6 weeks to see if I have anything to pick up. Its convenient for me and provides an incentive to clean.

Restore is a store run by Habitat for Humanity and sells (as well as accepts) various household and building items for resell. I have bought many items there for the yard and office including fence posts, office chairs and room dividers. They usually have shelves and shelves of nails and screws as well as paint. Go here to see if there is one in your town: http://www.habitat.org/env/restores.aspx

The Freecycle Network was established to keep things out of the landfill and is an example of one person’s trash can be another person’s treasure. They have more than 4,000 local groups that are run as Yahoo Groups. If one person has something they no longer want and are willing to give it for free to someone else who needs it they can post it on their local Freecycle group for someone else to take. Go here to find a local group: http://www.freecycle.org/.

Craigs list is a site where anyone can post free classified ads. There are sites for over 500 cities. Many things on Craig’s list are free or at least inexpensive. I have used Craig’s list to find inexpensive yard tools and free firewood. www.craigslist.org.

I am posting these links and more when I find them on the right border of my website to make it easier to find them. Let me know if you know of any other useful ones.
Cindy
Sagescript

Pictures from the fair - Sonny and Andrea are engaged!

Today we were summoned to the renaissance faire. It was a simply gorgeous day.

The immense straw man greeted us as we entered, in stark contrast to the queen growing by the side of the mansion. Heh heh... I have gardening gloves just like the queen's!
Our kids work there, and one of their best friends, Sonny, met his sweetheart there last year. Today he proposed to her on stage during the Queen's Court intro to the day. We were happy to go witness it. He did a fine job of it, too. Sonny approached the stage filled with confidence. We were all so happy when these two finally decided to stop the wild flirtation and finally date. They make a very sweet couple. They changed quickly and surely from 2 single people into a couple who are very much ready to make a life together.Andrea came forth, and Sonny gave her several dozen roses before dropping to one knee. He'd written what he wanted to say to her. I think the queen may have been in suspense, but how could any woman turn that down? Look at him! The ring was his grandmother's.And of course, she said yes. To my stunned surprise, I looked beside me to see my sister and daughter both in tears. I must be getting salty in my dodderage.

For the past 10+ years since we sold our shop at the faire, visits have been a quick walk around the grounds and out. It hasn't been fun for my sister and me. Today was different. There were some beautiful things to see, some old friends to visit - although it was crowded so there wasn't much time to visit. Below you'll see some of the things that caught my eye.
A Harvest Moon Table A Most Fine and Bountious Harvest Table
Our friend Fenris the potter is an artist in so many different mediums. These altars are his work and they are truly divine.
A corner, almost out of sight held this vision.
One of the celtic bands that took the stage today. These drummers were absolutely incredible and drove the crowd wild. The bag-piper held his own quite well too!
The kids - Rob, Sonny, and Molly. Now for some reason THIS picture might make me tear up. They are all grown now. Seeing them in our old stomping grounds, forging (heh heh - little pun, sorry) their own way is odd. They relate in completely different ways to the things that we used to tell them about. It's just ...odd.
The fountain in front of The Globe, dressed for Autumn.
Another, more primal, straw man.
Maryanne (normal) and the kids (who've been too long at the faire).
The grounds of the shire were decorated to welcome the harvest more beautifully than they ever even came close to during our days there. We were very saddened to see that the giant ginkgo tree at the top of the hill was gone. On days like this, we'd look up and see the brilliant blue autumn sky (forever named "Emil blue" for Don Juan's shirt our first year there, which matched the sky, and Don Juan was portrayed by a gorgeous young man named Emil). The clear, pure yellow of the ginkgo leaves would contrast so strikingly with the sky that it would take our breath away.
Still, it was just beautiful, clear, cool, and crisp as any Autumn day could be. Fare Thee Well...

Early Morning Aromas

This morning I woke to an odd smell. At first it smelled like burning plastic so I hurriedly threw on my robe and went to check the stove and breaker panel. Sometimes Gab will get up at night and cook something and it was possible she left a burner on. And Zack will even forget he was getting ready to cook something and leave the stove on. No fire alarms were going off, but I couldn't sleep without making sure anyway. Went downstairs, nothing. Checked every outlet and every plugged in electronic device and nothing was hot. So I went back to bed for a few more hours until the alarm would go off and wake me at 5:30. As I got back under the covers, it occurred to me that I had eaten a pasta dish heavy with garlic right before going to bed, so maybe it was just me smelling like that...but I sure hoped not.

The alarm went off and the smell was still there and I still had not placed what it could be. Got dressed, started my coffee, and opened the door to tell the dogs hello - whoa! There was the source of the smell! Badger had gotten skunked and as the odor wafted up to my bedroom it smelled less and less like skunk and more and more like burnt rubber. I remembered now that I've smelled that before, haha.

Pictures Around the Garden

This is my favorite time of year; things are growing and the eating is good. The work load has slowed down some and there is more rain so it is not so hard to keep things alive. It gave me enough time to work on building a raised bed I will use next summer for herbs. I went through the garden to take some pictures to share.

Comfrey that has already been cut back once for distilling.
Elderberries that are almost ready to harvest for syrup and for tincture.
Larkspur, most of which has gone to seed and safely saved for planting elsewhere next year.
Holy Basil which is growing quite slowly.
My new raised bed which is one out of three that will go in this same area. Next year it will be overflowing with herbs.
Cindy

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