A Season for Herbs- Growing herbs indoors

Is there anything better than fresh herbs?  I feel rather domestic every time I snip off a leaf or two and add it to a simmering pot of something delicious.  The best part about herbs is the fact that they can be as happy indoors during the bleak wintery months as they are during the sultry summer.  Make an indoor herb garden as a perfect gift for a fellow gardener {or cooking enthusiast} or make one for yourself to brighten up your kitchen until the tulips start to bloom and we're back to work outdoors.

Step one for the perfect indoor herb garden is finding the perfect container.  The first qualification for us was the adorableness of the container itself.  We found this rustic Agrarian box at Williams-Sonoma {check it out on our Gifts for the Gardener pinterest board here}.  A container depth of at least 6'' is required for healthy rooting.  We know that the regular watering will break down the wood overtime, but since the box will be inside with relief from all the elements it should last a few years.

Finding potted herbs in the dead of winter can be a challenge.  We've had success at our local high-end garden center as well as the organic grocery store.  We also divided the parsley plant that has been roughing it outside in the garden.  Parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, and oregano made the cut for our container{we're still on the hunt for a decent basil plant, so we left a space in our box}.

We weren't willing to drill holes in our Agrarian box, so we came up with an alternative form of drainage.  By placing medium sized pebbles in the bottom two inches of our container, then covering them with a porous material, we keep the majority of our dirt from sifting to the bottom.  We used no-slip matting {the stuff you put under rugs and what not} for our rock covering.  The small holes will allow the water to drain through while still holding the soil in place. 

Remember that since there are no drainage holes, over-watering will cause water to pool in the bottom of the container, drowning the roots of your herbs and smelling awful   The idea here is to water in smaller increments so that the soil is moist, not wet.

Make sure to use a high quality soil, we love Fertilome's High Performance Blend.  A good soil will help keep your herbs moist, reduce waterings, and allow for healthy root growth.  As you plant your herbs, gently massage the roots of plants that are a little too root bound, like the rosemary pictured below.

How-to: Wooden Fall Pumpkins

We don't claim to be crafty, but as promised here's the tutorial from yesterday's post...

Wooden Fall Pumpkins



When we say we don't "claim to be crafty" we mean that we had to laugh out loud when we made a "materials" list.  The fact that we even own a small pair of pliers actually makes us a bit giddy.  Now, we will confess that we have hopes of being crafty, so why not start with old wood you can find along the roadside? And let's face it, spray painting is a basic human gift right? (duct taping your shoes back together also qualifies as a basic human gift :)
These pumpkins are a super easy way to bring a little fall into your home.  We're using them everywhere.  Bigger sets are great for front porches {paired with hay bales & dried corn stalks}or try smaller sets in your living room. 

Materials (Laughing)

• old wood + smaller branches for the pumpkin stems
• we used log rounds & 2x2's
• sandpaper
• orange spray paint
• needle nose pliers
• florist wire
• wood glue

We decided to make a set of 3 pumpkins with a large, medium & small.  We measured ours so that the smallest was 1/3 the size of the largest and the medium double the size of the smallest.   Of course you can cut these by hand (argh) or you can find a neighbor with a nice big saw and trade cookies for cuts.

After the pieces are cut, sand down all surfaces.  This removes most of the dirt from these old pieces of wood and smooths the surface for painting.  For our square pumpkins, we sanded down all  sharp edges as well as the corners a bit to give the wood a more rustic feel. This step also serves as a bit of an outline for the  pumpkins, giving them dimension.  Using an electric sander speeds things along, but regular sandpaper works just fine too... after all there are only so many plates of cookies to go around.

Spray paint the wood pieces on a sheet of newspaper.  Remember to spray at a steady pace to avoid drips.  The pumpkins might need one or two coats.  Try to avoid a windy day or at least avoid spraying near other things that you do NOT want to be orange.

While the pumpkins are drying, make some curly-q pumpkin vines using  pliers and the florist wire. Twisting the wire around a dowel or pencil makes for nice, tight, circular curls.  Make sure to leave enough wire at the end so that it can be wrapped around the stem securely. (note the black paint on Lacey's thumb?  That is a clue that we tried a little something with black paint and we were craftily unsuccessful)

Using wood glue, attach a small branch to the top of the pumpkin.  Be patient, the glue takes a few hours to dry completely.  (for those of you who are slightly impatient go ahead and warm up the hot glue)  After the stem is glued to the pumpkin and has dried completely, don't be afraid to go over the edges and corners with a sander to expose the wood below.  This will give the pumpkins a more rustic/antiquey feel.  Attach your wire vines and voila--cute fall craft accomplished!

You just can't go wrong with old wood and spray paint.  Didn't they turn out cute!  Your turn.

How-To Floral Rings

I teach high school. Its truly a fantastic set up.  Honestly, with my landscaping degree completed last April I never imagined myself in a classroom ever again.  But while in Spain this summer I saw an opening for floral design and couldn't resist.  So now I'm teaching every other day and free lance designing the rest of the time.  High schoolers can be interesting, there's no denying that. 

The design activity we did today was so cute, I just couldnt help sharing.  We made floral rings with button mums.  Since mums are in season now that we're in chilly September, grab a few from your garden and make a ring.  They'll keep for a day or two, especially if you refrigerate them when they arent being worn. 

You'll need:

• 1 foot or so of thick colored bullion wire + 2 feet of a smaller gauge wire for the              decorative base
• jewelry tools (small wire cutters & needle nose pliers) 
• a wooden dowel about the size of your finger
• floral pins
• button mums 
• Oasis floral adhesive

 1) twist the end of the thick bullion wire into a spiral

 2) Wrap the wire around a wooden dowel the size of your finger two or three times depending on your desired thickness.

 3) Bring the wire back up to the top and twist the loose end into a spiral.

4) Take the thinner wire, and wrap it around two fingers so that it makes a loose oval.

 5) Pinch the center of the oval, and wrap the tail of the wire around the center once or twice to secure.  Fan out the loops on either side into a flower shape.

6) Attach the wire flowers to the ring using the tail wrapped around the center, making sure to keep the center as compact as possible. 

 7) Use Oasis Floral Adhesive to attach the button mum to the center of the wire flowers.

Trapping Pesky Fruit Flies

If you are like me, you have several different kinds of ripening fruits on your counter, and if you are like me you have become weary of shoeing those pesky little fruit flies away while you try to peel, pit and can natures bounty!
I have a kitchen helper for you.  This is what it looks like...

1. Take a jar and put a piece of fruit in the bottom.  If it's half mushy and rotten, so much the better!
2. Next, using a plain piece of paper wrap it into a cone shape that reaches to near the bottom of the jar and becomes very narrow. The idea here is that the little dude is going to race down to the bottom and because the accommodations are ripe with possibilities, he will take up lodging and by the time he thinks he wants out he has a tough time finding the way back up and out of the jar.( As we speak I have quite a little collection of fruit flies in my jar on the counter next to my pears, peaches and bananas.)
3.  Trim the cone at the top of the jar and tape it down,  Tape all around the edges so that none of the more adventurous flies can find an easy way out.
4.  If you don't want an ugly jar of flies just sitting on your counter, do I what I did....cut a nice little piece of craft paper (or magazine artwork) and wrap it around the jar and tuck it next to your bowl of fruit.  Leave a small window at the back so that you can see how your trap is working.  :)
5.  After a few days when you have a nice collection of fruit flies--take them outside and let them go or drop a few drops of rubbing alcohol down inside the jar and put them out of their misery.  Then wash the jar and start over.

It's nice to be able to have a bowl of fruit out and not have an eruption of flies flying about every time I reach to peel a peach!  Continued good luck with your canning season, I am enjoying the gathering part of the season.

Making Your Own Topiary

Summer is in the early stages of its farewell.  As gardens are offering their full bounty, pumpkins and gourds fatten on their vines, and summer blooms begin to fade.  This is the time of year, after a summer full of coneflowers, daisies, and zinnias, that I ponder on how to add interest to a landscape that can become barren and stark in winter months.  I drew inspiration from my summer in Europe, and specifically a wonderful day trip to the palace of Versailles, just outside of Paris.      

Evergreens add year round structure to your landscape, and if implemented in a topiary form, will add additional interest. Topiaries can be purchased at any garden center, usually in varying sizes and shapes.  As topiaries are more costly than their un-sculpted counterparts, creating your own can be extremely cost effective as well as fun.  

1.  Choose Your Plant

Its easy to start your topiary with a juvenile shrub.  These are more simple because a smaller shrub can be molded as it grows.  However a topiary can be accomplished with a grown & established plant as well.  

If you have chosen to topiary a new shrub you might want to check out a topiary form.  Wire forms can be purchased in a variety of shapes, everything from swans to giraffes, giving you the option for many unique topiaried forms to add interest in your garden.  Although it might take a season or two for the plant to fill in the form, you will have a guide to fallow when pruning which makes keeping the shape much easier.  

If your plant is established, adding a form might be difficult.  Instead begin by clipping your shrub into a rough outline, then create your own guide out of thick wire.  Topiary spirals, cones, and balls can easily be sculpted this way.

2. Training 

The first thing to remember when it comes to homemade topiaries is that its a process, a slow {but gratifying} process.  

Remember that when working with a growing shrub, no more than one inch should be pruned off in areas that need to be filled in.  This pruning will encourage additional bushy growth.  

For larger, more established shrubs three inches is the limit.  More pruning than this will cause die back, and will ruin the topiary.  By only taking three inches at a time, your sculpture will begin to take shape, and you wont have to worry about any burnt-looking, dry areas.  

3. More Training & Pruning

Topiaries are never "finished".  A growing sculpture needs constant upkeep.  If you have a finished product, or are still working on the training and shaping part, its the same: prune every 3 months. 

   

Bruschetta Bouquet

The summer harvest has begun and with it comes a a time of sharing.   So gather up those extra tomatoes, a few sprigs of basil and bundle up a Bruschetta Bouquet for a good friend.  Fill a jar with tomatoes, put a few basil stems in a florist's water vial and wrap it up with a ribbon and a tag sporting a recipe for your favorite variation of bruschetta. For my bouquets I used a couple of Wek jars that I found at Williams-Sonoma.  I think they are adorable and versatile and will make  great gifts.

If you're interested in whipping up a batch from one of my favorite recipes, give this a go:

 This recipe is what makes the gift of a Bruschetta Bouquet one of the most delicious gifts of summer.  It beats the heck out of a zucchini!
 Variations:
Sometimes I smear the pre-toasted bread with a bit of cream cheese or a small chunk of fresh mozzarella, toast it and top it with your tomato mixture.

Outdoors In

I'm a firm believer in cutting gardens. Bringing my garden into my home gives me as much pleasure as does extending my living spaces outdoors. However, I didn't cut these flowers. I do not have a garden here in Spain {other than the bougainvillea of course} nor is it the season for mums. My husband surprised me with these a few days ago, a purchase made at one of the many cut flower stalls in the plaza. I must say that I admired his color choice. The simple beauty of the white-on-white, coupled with contrast of the exposed brick walls, feels fresh and clean. Since mums are a wonderful, long-lasting cut flower, they're sure to keep the living room serenely beautiful until we fly home next week.

Grab a pair of clippers, pick out the perfect vase, and bring some of your outdoors in.

Check back tomorrow for our Plant of the Week!

A Few Of My Favorites for Cutting

Anenome

Aster

Bee Balm

Blanketflower

Coral Bells

Coneflower

Coreopsis

Lily

Liatris

Peony

Phlox {upright}

Yarrow 

 

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A Bouquet of Herbs

                                                    Talk about aromatherapy!

Today was the day to trim back a few of the herbs in my garden. The oregano and chives are going to seed so they add an extra burst of color in my counter-top bouquet. For this cutting  I gathered oregano, lavender, peppermint, chives and fever-few. A light brush of the leaves as I pass them in the kitchen sends a burst of aroma that livens the kitchen. When I start looking for a vase to put flowers in (or in this case, herbs) ,  I like to find a unique container. Over the years my family has become connoisseurs of different types of root beer. We have collected several different bottles from many different places. I decided to bring one to the kitchen to hold my lovely bouquet of herbs. The clear winner for this project was the Sioux City Sarsaparilla.(who knew there was an "r" in Sarsaparilla? ) Our favorite root beer store is the Old Town Rootbeer Company in Temecula California, an enchanting find of my oldest son while he lived in California.

To make my new vase a little more unique I took the bottle cap and flattened it with a rubber mallet.

I punched a small hold in the top with a small nail, and then threaded in on an old wire.  Using a small pair of pliers I created a "curl" by twisting the wire around the pliers and then anchored in the bottle of flowers. 

Oregano, peppermint and chives provide the greenery for this bouquet while the perky "daisy-like" flowers of the fever-few adds the focal point.  Wrapped up together they brighten any kitchen and bring a spicy fragrance to delight the senses. 

P.S. I tossed in a bit of cilantro from the store just for good measure. That's not cheating is it?

Double the Delphiniums

Gorgeous spires of blossoms in pinks, purples, blues, and whites emerge in early summer bringing butterflies and hummingbirds with them. To encourage a repeat performance it's essential to remove spent blossoms. Here's how to to bring back your blossoms.

Remember to wear gloves when handling delphiniums since they contain alkaloids that can cause skin irritation. We absolutely love Atlas nitrile gloves. They are super slim, and perfect for light pruning. Plus they come in a bunch of fun colors!

Once blooms have faded, grab you Felco pruners and trim stalks about 3" from the ground. Remove any damaged or yellowing leaves as well. To kick start a second round of color, apply a water soluble fertilizer weekly. Enjoy double the delphiniums!

Garden needs Weedin'...

Today is the day I have marked to get the vegetable garden ready for planting.  There are a few things I want to get in the ground right away and a few things that I have missed because I wasn't quite ready.
For instance, I wasn't quite on the ball enough to get peas in the ground this year.  I believe that was the week of mid-terms... so that one slipped by. Actually it had more to do with the fact that the dog chewed up the irrigation system than anything.  Now that my husband has tended to that little blessing it's time to get started.
 So today, rain or shine,(and there has been plenty of rain) it's time to do a little prep work.  I am going to start by running out to the nursery to get a load of soil from a local nursery.  They won't tell me all the secret ingredients but I can smell the chicken manure in it and that has to be good right?  We will work that new mix in with the old and get all the weeds that somehow miraculously grew over winter. How do they do that?
Today we will put in onions, lettuce and swiss chard.  I don't even know what to do with swiss chard but it seemed like a friendly plant, so I picked one up at the garden center and took it home.  It will take awhile for it to grow so I have a little time to figure out what to do with it when it matures.  What will you do in your garden prep today?