august weekend ramble

We've been keeping our noses to the grindstone lately around The Essential Herbal, so this weekend it was time to get away and have a little fun.
Original plans for Saturday fell through, so we found ourselves preparing to head out to the Bead Fest in Valley Forge. Before we left, I checked Facebook and saw that there was an herb and rare plant sale on Route 23, posted by Sugarbush Nursery of Mohnton, PA. We decided we could swing by there on the way home.
Bead Fest was interesting - although there are only so many tables full of beads I can stand to look at before starting to get terminally bored. Finally we veered to the back of the building and found one of the glass companies that my sister was looking for - something about "double helix glass". Can't wait to see what she comes up with using them. Hopefully we'll be seeing it soon over at TorchSong Studio! The guys at the booth were pretty much fun to kid around with, and I wound up with several Elvis stickers (some art glass promotion) that I promised to plaster inside donut shops. The conference center was filling up, we had pretty much what we came for, so we were out of there inside an hour.
A quick few miles down the road, and we found the plant sale. Interestingly, both of our cameras cut out during the plant sale. Neither of us were able to take any pictures. There were some really nice plants there! Lots of woodland natives, shrubs, hostas, unusual evergreens, and then we got to Sugarbush. She had some gorgeous stuff, and I immediately scooped up some bottle gentian, and a pleurisy root/butterfly weed. As I was preparing to pay, I saw a pot holding just a small mat of green with a tag that said "bluets, Houstonia" and grabbed it! Spending a spring in VA one year, I awoke one morning to find that the entire yard had been transformed into a carpet of tiny blue stars - it was bluets. Later, Betsy May (a friend, and one of our writers) and I spent some time searching for these. I sent her the information immediately upon returning home!
Back on the road, we drove on past Susan Hess' Farm at Coventry - but the driveway was filled with cars, so we knew she was having a class and drove on.
Right up the road a few miles we saw a sign for St. Peter's Village to the right. It was well past lunch time, so we decided to see if we could grab a bite there. We had a really nice time sitting on the patio of The Inn at St Peter's, looking down over the granite boulders with a spring running through them. So well fed were we that we stopped in the village bakery and managed to leave without making a purchase. Looking back, it's hard to believe we could resist those magnificent confections!
Later at home, I cleaned a big basket full of elderberries to dry and gathered lots of lime basil.
Just hanging out for the evening with the guinea fowl....Molly went off to work at the Renaissance Faire this morning, but returned home at noon because of the weather and lack of a crowd. I told her to jump in the shower, and she could go along to The Gem Miner's Jubilee in Lebanon.
I enjoy this show more than a typical bead show because they have lots of nice specimens of rocks. Big geodes, unusual crystal formations, rare minerals, fossils, and some pretty cool stuff. I almost always find something that makes me feel like I discovered treasure. Today that treasure was strands of myrrh beads from Sumatra. They are beautiful, handstrung, smoothed by hand, and very fragrant. I bought all the dealer had - and it wasn't very much! They will be going on the website tomorrow. Molly got a nice green amber ring, Maryanne found a stone she's been looking for, and I also picked up some nice leopard jasper and a couple of tiny carved figurines that will go into a special little bag.
Tomorrow we'll get back to work on By the Hearth. Just one or two more articles to type in, and then it's going to get put into chapters, we'll insert pictures - and do a good bit of editing. Late September release date is breathing down our necks!

back to the elderberry patch

Last year at this time, I put together a post with a lot of recipes using elderberries, and just to save anyone looking a little time (including me...) am reposting the link here: http://theessentialherbal.blogspot.com/2009/09/el-der-berry.html
Later on last fall, I started making candy with elderberries and some other herbs, and put the recipes and instructions together in an article for the Jul/Aug issue of The Essential Herbal. Since it is time to get busy on some of these, and they are so much fun to make, I'm going to post that here, too.
A Spoonful of Sugar - Making Herbal Candy
A couple of years ago, Marty Webster wrote about making horehound lozenges, and the instructions were very inspirational for me. Before I knew it, all kinds of ideas were running through my head!
Oh, it started simply enough.... what about elderberry? Maybe something relaxing? Oh! And Holy Basil "on the go"!
All you need is a candy thermometer, a large, heavy pan, and an afternoon. A helper for cutting in the end helps too.
When I was a kid, one of my best friends was from a large farming family, and they had an interesting side business. They made hard candies in about 15 flavors. On candy making nights, I would often stay overnight and help, because many hands were needed. In their basement, they had a stove, and would set 4 kettles filled with sugar, water, and Karo syrup to boil. There was a ping-pong table (probably reinforced) that took up most of the room, and we were stationed all around the table with heavy shears. The table was dusted with confectioners sugar. The father would heave a marble slab up onto the head of the table. As the first kettle reached the right temperature, he'd pour the molten mixture onto the slab, and work it with paint scrapers. Then he'd add the color and flavor and continue to fold the sweet, thickening mixture together. Finally, he'd start to cut it into fat 1/2" wide strips, and toss them out to us to cut into bite-sized pieces. It had to be cut quickly before hardening, but those first few strips were soft and very warm. We would always sample a piece or two. Quality testing at its finest. By the end of the night, there would be bins full of candy, and a bunch of kids high on sugar.
These memories also inspired me. I'm sure that that production set-up would not satisfy today's regulations, but it sure was fun.
The recipe I use is:
3/4 to 1 cup of strongly infused herbal "tea"
2 1/2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
I have not had a chance to experiment with honey, and I believe that one could use all sugar, but this recipe worked well for me. You may want to try a few variations if the corn syrup is objectionable.
To make the tea, I put the herbs, berries, etc., in a pint jar and covered with boiling water, allowing it to steep for several hours. Then I strained it and squeezed the dickens out of the pulp to get all the good stuff. If there is less than a cup of liquid, that's fine.
Put the liquid into a large (at least 2 quart) pan. It bubbles up a lot during cooking, so you need a lot of space.
Add the corn syrup and stir to blend. Add the sugar and turn on medium high heat. Stir only until the sugar is dissolved. Set the thermometer on the side of the pan, with the tip in the liquid, but not touching the bottom of the pan.
Let 'er rip!
While it cooks, grease a 10 x 13 glass cooking dish and put down plastic wrap on a surface where you'll be doing the cutting - probably 2' x 3' is sufficient. Sift confectioners sugar or cornstarch over the plastic wrap.
When the temperature of the candy reaches 300 degrees, turn off the heat and stir briefly.
Pour it into the baking dish. Have something under the dish to protect the counter from heat.
Wait a minute or two, and lift the edge of the candy to see if it can be lifted to cut. When this is possible, use scissors to cut a strip, and toss it out to a waiting helper who will cut it into pieces. This really is difficult to do alone, but it's possible. Keep cutting the strips until it is finished.
If the candy in the baking dish hardens before you've finished, you can place it into the oven and heat it, but it will probably stick to the dish. I've taken out the whole piece that is leftover, melted it in another pan, and repoured it into the original baking dish. Clean-up is easy, hot water dissolves the candy.

Here are the infusions I started with:

Elderberry Bits
1 cup fresh elderberries
2 slices ginger
zest from one lemon

Lemon Balm Bombe
3/4 cup freshly picked lemon balm
1/4 cup freshly picked passionflower leaves, flower, tendrils
1/4 cup blueberries
zest from one lemon
20 drops of lemon eo just before pouring into baking dish
Tulsi Twist
3/4 cup freshly picked holy basil
1/4 cup dried goji berries
1/4 cup freshly picked chocolate mint

Herbalicious Medley
juice and zest from one orange and one lemon
1/4 cup holy basil
1/4 cup elderberry
2 slices ginger
3 rose geranium leaves
sprig of lemon thyme
sprig of rosemary
sprig of lemon verbena
1/4 cup mint
2 pods cardamom

I hope you give herbal candy making a try, and if you do, let me know what you made!

The Essential Herbal -Sept/Oct 2010

There are times when I am amazed that The Essential Herbal magazine gets finished on time and into the mail stream on schedule. All sorts of things conspire to divert my attention - the garden, the great response to the new book on balms & salves, a whole lot of soapmaking, and even that sometimes crazy thing we just call life. This issue was definitely one of those issues that we couldn't believe we finished on time, there was so much going on. Now our friend Marcy from backyardpatch.com will be one of the first to get that, as her name was spelled five or six different ways (you'll see...).
So far, we've yet to put out an issue that is without a flaw somewhere. If that day ever comes, we won't know how to act.
So here's what's inside this issue. Tons of great stuff to get your harvest mojo rising!

Table of Contents

Field Notes from the Editor

Why do we garden?

Ditch Watching, Jackie Johnson

Wildcrafting from the passenger side of the car lets you know what to look for when you get into the woods.

Preserving Herbs, Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh

Vinegars, Relishes, Chutney, and Preserves

Herbs & Celiac Disease, liz Johnson

As this disease and gluten intolerance in general become more prevalent, liz looks at herbal means of relief.

Historic Herbal, Troches, Kathleen Setzer

Using powdered herbs in lozenges for slow release.

Herbs of the Zodiac: Libra, Susanna Reppert-Brill and Bertha Reppert

Herbs that correspond with the dates and qualities of Librans.

Pass the Pessaries! Karen Mallinger

Only Karen can add humor to the subject of pessaries while explaining the how and why of making and using them.

Measuring in Parts, Tina Sams

Recipes measured in parts are confusing to some, so we clear that up.

Oven Tomato Sauce, Maryanne Schwartz

A recipe shared by Maggie at Prairieland Herbs, with Maryanne's spin.

Cranberry Thyme, Rita Richards

Delightful cranberry/herb combinations for vinegar, beverages, and more.

Pumpkin Cheesecake, Marci Tsohonis

Marci shares a decadent Autumn family recipe.

SouthRidge Treasures – Jam Making Time, Mary Ellen Wilcox

Mary Ellen is jamming, with berries, peaches, grapes, and herbs!

Reduce Stress to Reduce Illness, Cindy Jones

Herbs and simple activities to keep stress levels low for a better immune system.

The Global Herbal – The Mediterranean Region, Marita Orr

A discussion of the growing conditions and soil composition in the region.

Holy Basil The Incomparable One, Tina Sams

An herb to always have handy, holy basil is indispensable.

Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse the Herbie Way, Molly Sams

Tongue-in-cheek thoughts on herbs during a zombie attack.

Pumpkin Pie Soap, Marci Tsohonis

Taking Autumn into the shower with you...

Pumpkin Bread and Sweet Baked Acorn Squash, Staff

A couple personal favorites from TEH.

Make Your Own Whipped Body Butter, Maryanne Schwartz

Instructions for a skin-loving whipped butter confection to stave off winter dryness.

Tea Time, Jackie Johnson

Making up your own herb teas (including 19 recipes) and how to brew and enjoy them.

Tales from the Tetons – Smoothies, Kristena Haslam Roder

Make your own fruit smoothies with ideas from Kristena.

Louisiana Lagniappe – Blanche Long's Peach Shortcake, Sarah Liberta

A visit with the governor's wife during her childhood has stayed with Sarah, and she shares the recipe of the treat she was served.

A List of Fall Chores, Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh

Not sure what all needs to be done in the garden? Marcy lists all the most important chores, including planning for next spring!

Early August Ramble

We finally got some cooler weather (high 80's) over the weekend, so despite having the next issue of The Essential Herbal magazine sitting here needing labels for Tuesday's mailing and a couple of large wholesale soap orders pulled and waiting to be wrapped, we took to the woods.I walked down to grab Maryanne. We actually had a goal. We need to gather jewelweed and plantain before the jewelweed blossoms, and it is getting close. Armed with baskets and camera, off we went.
The woods are hugely overgrown, but the path is clear. We were able to do all the gathering without leaving the trail too much. Some of the hardy hibiscus that was crowding my front door is now happily casting gaily colored reflections over the pond.I was a little disappointed to find that some of the flowering weeds in the woods were gone. The yarrow and wild bee balm are finished for the year. But there is so much going on out there! Mostly closer to the house, but it was so good to wander around.
This gnome home has become obvious, as the clematis that usually covers the door has died back for the year.The four o'clocks are knocking themselves out -even though it was still morning (???).There is a second bloom of wisteria.These little dayflowers were called "snake flowers" when I was a kid. Not sure if it is because of their appearance or because so often snakes lurked beneath the foliage.Our bayberries did a great job of growing this year, and will be part of the bayberry soap this year. Maryanne wrote more on bayberry harvesting here. We still need to take a day-trip towards the bay and gather more, though.Jimson weed has taken over a section of the bank that held wildflowers last year.If you've been reading about how much more potent poison ivy and oak are becoming, I can certainly attest to that. I weeded it intentionally in the first week of July, and immediately washed thoroughly. Worst rash ever! Even using our jewelweed, sage, and plantain vinegar blend, it took a week to dry up and there are still discolored splotches on my arm a month later. Learn what it looks like and avoid it. This is the one thing I have no qualms about hitting with chemicals. In this picture, some wild grape is trailing off to the right, and there is a little Virginia creeper in the center beside the railing, but the rest is poison ivy. Ugh.
Wild cherries are very common here, and the birds love them.A patch of different sunflowers grow all around the little chicken house. There's something about sunflowers that always makes me smile.So now we'll get back to work. There is a mile-long list of things to do, and the kids are getting ready to head back to college.
Busy beats the alternative, but I sort of wish we were heading to the bay today :-).

Got Cucumbers?

We do! My contribution is Cucumber Lime Salsa.
Check at the bottom of this post for other recipes. We're putting together a blog party to help with the glut :-). Check back after 8/11/10 for more links.On to the salsa. I attended a party several years back and a variation of this recipe was served. I fell in love with the refreshing, light blend right away, and it is one of our favorite summer dishes. Sometimes we'll have it along with tomato salsa, guacamole, and some hummus and tortilla chips - and that's dinner.

Ingredients:
1 or 2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion (I like spring onions, but Vidalia are great too)
1 lime - zest and juice
2 medium cucumbers
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (a smaller amount of flat parsley would probably work if you don't like cilantro)
a couple shakes of tabasco (optional)
crushed garlic (optional)

Add the chopped onion and cilantro to the oil. If using tabasco and/or garlic, mix that in too. Zest lime into the mix. I then cut the lime in half, and pierce each section with a knife to get out lots of juice. Add juice to oil blend.
Peel and core the cucumbers. Chop as finely as possible. I've tried a food processor, but that mushes it up too much for my taste. If you do that, drain it for a 10 -15 minutes.

Mix it all together well.I would say, "chill to blend flavors" and serve with chips, but it doesn't always make it into the fridge around here. We all love it, and it disappears quickly!We are considering dehydrating some cukes to try in dips, facial blends, and even soap later in the year. I'll let you know how that goes.

Becky already has some great cucumber coolers on her blog at
http://birdworms.com/2010/07/24/cucumber-cocktails/
Maryanne has Creamy Cucumber salad on hers:
http://torchsongstudio.blogspot.com/2010/08/cucumber-blog-party.html
From Cindy Jones:
http://sagescript.blogspot.com/2008/09/cucumber-spread-tzatziki.html
Janiece manages to do away with cucumbers AND tomatoes here:
http://swisherhill.wordpress.com/2010/08/08/tomato-cucumber-salad-for-a-lazy-day
Chilled cucumber soup from The Rosemary House:
http://therosemaryhouse.blogspot.com/2010/08/cucumbers-culinary-blogging-party.html
Karen's cucumber dill sauce:
http://www.gardenchick.com/garden-blog/2010/08/cucumber-blog-party.html
Beth's cucumber and watermelon salad:
http://soapandgarden.blogspot.com/2010/08/cucumbers-cucumbers.html

one cook, one garden

Remember Spring?
That was when we looked at that vast expanse of freshly turned earth and at our teensy, tiny little vegetable plants, and thought to ourselves, "these babies will have lots of room to grow."
Oh - and there would be so much time to use the veggies to create sauces and canned goods for later in the year. I can actually envision what I was thinking then. In fact, in that vision, the kitchen is well organized and the counters are clear. There were no dirty dishes, no baskets full of drying herbs, I was wearing something chic, great haircut, thinner - and definitely NOT sweating.
Reality is somewhat different.We won't even get into the haircut.
One counter holds a perpetual supply of peaches from the stand down the road. At this time of year, dinner is usually a couple of peaches cut up and eaten, just so.
The other long counter holds an assortment of vegetables that A) I brought in from the garden, B) came home from market or a farm stand, or C) my sister cagily left there on her way to the living room.The kitchen table is half shipping department and half herb drying/processing station with some beans drying for next year's garden. Half of the room is currently taken up with cartons of magazines waiting to be readied for mailing.
Today I'll make and freeze some roasted tomato sauce.
The other night the peaches were getting boring (hard to believe, isn't it?), and it was too hot to really cook. Sometimes you just need something more.
The following was delicious:
I threw a small handful of angel hair pasta into a pan of boiling water and went out to gather some basil, which was chopped into very thin strips.
Poured about a tablespoon of olive oil into a bowl.
Diced up a tomato and added to the oil and basil, muddling it up a little bit, and then added a clove of crushed garlic.
When the pasta was done, I added a handful of grated mozzarella and a little Parmesan cheese and stirred it to melt it together. Topped with the tomato/basil/garlic oil.
Judging by the glut of cucumbers, tonight will probably be some cucumber lime salsa with chips. And some peaches.

Shakin' off the blahs

Well the wallows are over. The Essential Herbal and her editor/publisher are back on terra firma.
I didn't go willingly at first, being quite firmly entrenched.
Things were starting to pile up, and that's never a good thing. Lately anything more than 8 hours of down-time is way too much.
Maryanne, my friend Roe and I joked around about making tin-foil hats to ward off the obvious effects of the recent solar activity. It was the idea of wearing them in public that hit my funny-bone. If they didn't keep the death-rays away, at least we would have been left to go about our business(es) in relative peace, since almost nobody will attempt to talk to a middle-aged woman wearing a tin-foil hat.
On then, to an evening of soapmaking. Down at the soap shed, Maryanne's been busy with lots of wholesale orders. This is usually a so-so time of the year, so we've had to kick it in to high gear to keep even the slower sellers in stock. Our preferred number of batches per session is 6, but 8 has been more normal lately.
We always laugh and kid around while we cover the counter space with molds filled with luscious, fragrant soap.
When I got home, I tackled the pile of orders from the previous 24 hours and got them packaged up and ready to go. As I worked, the realization that the new book is a BIG hit finally registered. It ain't the NYT best seller list, but it is great for a self-published book. Stacking the filled envelopes was a pretty pleasant activity.
This morning the computer gave me the evil eye. That tells me that it is time for a vacation soon. Usually I look forward to signing on, so when it doesn't feel friendly I know it is me - not the computer (or the people on the other side).
Fortunately, the soaps made last night now needed to be cut and stacked on their racks. Looking at the almost well-stocked shelves was a good feeling.
Then it was out to the garden! The air hadn't gotten too thick with the coming heat and humidity, so it was pleasant picking St Johns wort blossoms and picking the budding tips from the holy basil. Bunnies and birds watched while I found myself humming as I worked, brushing the leaves with my hand to release the fragrances.
By the time I got home from the post office this afternoon, it was clear that the dark cloud had finally passed.
Who knows what really did the trick? Was it picking up the phone to commiserate with a friend? Creating with my sister? Singing to my plants? Or even the herbs that usually smooth the rough edges? Maybe it was starting a journal to tell my sick loved one the things I can't say to him right now.
Maybe it was all of those things, but next time I won't wait so long to do any of them.

Bungling in the jungle

It has been a real struggle to blog for the past couple of weeks.
Beside putting out the newest book, the deadline was tailgating us for the next issue of The Essential Herbal magazine - which is safe and sound at the printer now. That might be enough to explain it, but those things are just part of the blockage.One of the people dearest to me is in the middle of a health crisis, and it leaves me feeling helpless and unable to form sentences at times, while there is a constant chatter in my head.
Then there is the wide network of on-line social/business media that I've created to support the business and stay in touch with all the friends and herbies I've come to know over the years. As much as I enjoy that, there are some times when it can become challenging.
If I had my druthers, I'd plant my tush under a big tree and have a good cry for a few days.
Unfortunately, that just doesn't cut it for the small business owner. You trudge on, hoping that your reactions and conversations are reasonable and don't come off too snappish. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Hopefully you've done a good enough job in the past however many years that people will overlook a few moments of ugh.
I'm certainly not alone in this situation. Right off the top of my head, I can think of three friends who are slogging through their own personal bogs of emotional turmoil. It's kind of interesting to stand at a distance and try to figure out all of the ways the internet has changed the way we deal with things.
For the first time, my go-to remedy for this kind of thing (holy basil and mimosa blend) isn't helping enough. Today I added some nettles (because I'm having a little fight or flight issue) and some goldenrod to give me some backbone.
Tomorrow, I will come up with a great blog post. I just know it :-). Maybe just saying it "out-loud" shift the load.

oh, the things you'll see

A few years ago my daughter and I were going somewhere in the car when I gasped and pulled over to stop and look at some cloud formations over the sunset. We sat and watched for a few moments.
As we drove off, Molly thanked me for being the kind of mom who saw those things and made her aware of them. Her friends enjoy it now when she is the one showing them the natural world. It really never crossed my mind that other people forget to look, but since then I've watched and noticed that she was probably right. Of course, I should mention that there are lots of things that other people think that I miss. Fashion, for instance, is beyond me.
The other day we were at a local restored homestead that gets a decent amount of tourist traffic. While everyone took the tour, my sister and I spent our time wandering by ourselves, looking at the authentic plantings on the grounds and talking about why people needed them 200 years ago.
This year, trees have really been catching my attention. In the spring it was Linden, in the mid-summer it was mimosa and cherry, and now the nut trees are calling to me.
So as we walked past the fruit orchard, we started noticing the different nut trees lining the lane leading to the farm. The chestnut trees can not be the original American Chestnuts; 99.9% of those were killed by disease in the early to mid 1900's. It's a little unusual to see lots of English Walnut trees around here, but there they were. In fact most of the trees have probably been planted during the last 50 or 100 years, but it made me think about how valuable those trees would have been to homesteaders all those years ago. The food, the wood for building and burning, and also the fact that plantings would have been planned to bring in different wildlife for the supper table.
Mints grew along the side of the one barn, and hops grew up a rustic lattice on the side of the herb garden. The herb garden itself was surrounded by a 5 foot rough hewn stockade fence. I didn't see vegetable gardens, but they would have been large and orderly on a PA German homestead.
We'll probably tour the buildings sometime in the near future, but the grounds were fascinating and thought-provoking. It's easy to forget that most living took place outside not so very long ago.
Not too many years ago, I was at a gas station and looked up to see a bald-eagle perched on an electrical tower, looking down at us. For at least 10 minutes I stood transfixed, watching this magnificent, rare (in this area) bird. It was a busy place, and I am pretty sure that nobody else ever looked up. Be sure to look up every now and then.

Late July in Lancaster County

We are continuing with the early season here. Lots of surprises and oddities. Yesterday there was an immense storm that I watched from the basement, leaning on the banister - which I could feel moving because of the high winds.The Munstead lavender is already having a vigorous second bloom, something we don't see typically for another few weeks. There is a lot more than usual too.
Fuller's teasel is everywhere, and I'm starting to see more of the white blooms which used to only be in neighboring counties.
The hibiscus is full of pollen for the bees...
And the butterflies have FINALLY made it to my house!
The deliciously fragrant moonflowers are very early this year, and have climbed halfway up one of the living room windows, scenting the room in the darkness.

The main vegetable garden is holding its own against the weeds, but in fairness, this is a few days old and has quite a few more weeds. Tonight I will work on them.
Elderberries are already ripening.
The holy basil is on a mission to bloom. I am on a daily mission to keep it from doing so.

The book should be here within an hour or so, and we'll be just about ready to swap the books for the magazine file - so that will be ready in another week or so and another spectacular issue will go into the mail for Sept/Oct.
This is the first really moderate day we've had in weeks, with temps in the 80's and low humidity. What am I doing inside?

garden fence

I live in the middle of a field. Until this house was built 10 years ago, the land was part of the tree farm that surrounds it on 3 sides. The lawn has been seeded with grass, but in all honesty it is simply a uniformly trimmed selection of field weeds, which is fine with me!
Gardening in the middle of a tree field is a challenge. It is a wonderland for deer, rabbits, groundhogs, possums, skunks, and even foxes (and apparently now coyotes). From my hilltop deck, I can watch literal herds of rabbits running together through the rows of trees, and goofy groundhogs carelessly scooting along from weed to weed.
After years of frustration and disappointment, we put a fence up last year. What a difference it made!Instead of finding my heirloom beans nibbled down to pathetic nubs, they grow up the sides of the fence. The cucumbers are producing madly, also climbing the fence. Tomatoes use the fence for support, and most importantly, the holy basil is safe and sound.
I think we got it at Lowe's, and it was something like $150 with some stakes left over (15' x 40'). The corner stakes are metal and need to be driven in with a sledge-hammer. The side stakes are plastic, and have sharp spikes on the bottom that you just heel in. On the inside of the stakes, they have tabs that hold the grid of the fence snugly. Three of us got it up in a couple of hours.
I thought we'd have to take it down to roto-till this spring, but it wasn't necessary. Since there are some perennials planted along the sides, I just marked them carefully before setting my nephew loose with the machine.
This fall, I'll probably look for something similar but taller - like 6' - to go around the blueberry and currant patch. Then we could just drap it with bird netting.
Baby bunnies probably wouldn't have had much trouble getting in, but if they did they didn't cause much trouble.This has been a great solution to our garden nuisance problem. Although some of these animals can climb, I think the fencing doesn't feel sturdy enough to them.
Now, if I could just find a better solution for whatever makes the groundhogs want to build condos under my front porch steps, everything would be great.

snapshot in time

Every so often, if I step back and look at life from a distance, the big picture can be a huge surprise. We all go along doing what we do, rarely noticing the ebb and flow that makes up our days, weeks, months, years...My own life is so entwined with my business that it is impossible to see edges and borders. That's ok, I think most people who are self-employed doing something they really love would agree that there are very few divisions. Considering that The Essential Herbal is a magazine that focuses on seasons, it keeps me grounded (if slightly ahead of the current season).
If I look at this month the way I look at a snapshot, it would have to go into the category of "humorous candid shot".
First, with 15 days until the next magazine deadline, it looked like a good window to finally finish the Balms and Salves book. It needed some photography, editing, and of course, Maryanne's immeasurable lay-out skills.
In the meantime, my sister and nephew were after me to watch the first 3 seasons of Mad Men, so that when the series starts up again towards the end of the month I'd be up to speed. 39 hour long shows cut down to about 45 minutes each because the commercials were cut. If you ever want to get a clearer view of the time leading up to the women's movement, the civil rights marches, and how very far back in the closet gay people lived in the 60's, this is great social commentary! Really well done. I had forgotten how it was then.
The soap shelves of Maryanne's wholesale soap biz were well stocked, and most of the regular customers had ordered towards the end of June, so we were feeling well prepared.
So here is the past week: The book is beautiful and exactly what I'd imagined, at the printer and will be delivered Monday. The option for pre-ordering has gotten a fabulous response, and stacks of envelopes are addressed and waiting to be stuffed and shipped. I'm eagerly awaiting the next season of Mad Men. The file holding articles for the Sept/Oct issue of the magazine is full and ready for us to start. And then.... all hell broke loose on the soap front! Over the course of 2 days, orders - BIG orders - started flying in, and now we have 17 batches planned by Monday, just to restock the forlorn shelves.
Then we can put the magazine together - in plenty of time. Somewhere in there I'll write the article I've been planning, the field notes, and put together a crossword puzzle. I usually wait to see if there is space.
In between, we've been trying recipes to use the cucumber glut, gathered herbs for drying, cared for the house and gardens, and done all the things that life requires - oh, and there's that sleep thing.
I want to save this particular "snapshot" for those days when I feel like I'm just not doing anything with my life.

A New Book from The Essential Herbal!

It's been in the works for a l-o-o-o-n-g time. I can't even remember when we really started putting it together, but probably at least 2 years ago. Recipes and ideas were tucked away, waiting until life cleared the decks for us to get back to this.So I'm very excited to be getting ready to release this new book.
Balms & Salves - How to and Recipes is available for pre-order on or before July 18 at a discount. After that, it will go to the regular price, and also be available wholesale.
Over the last 20 or so years, we've created, concocted, or picked up recipes, played with them, changed them, and perfected them to our own liking. We standardized all the measurements so that they would be easy for everyone to make in small quantities - and they're easy enough to double (or more) if it turns out you love them.
Rosanne Tartaro contributed information on essential oils and base oils. Maryanne Schwartz wrote about butters. There is a section on infusing, and another on the herbs that are used in the recipes. We also have a section where our friends sent their instructions and recipes for their favorite concoctions.
Be sure to check it out. It's a great little book!

getting there

This morning when I checked out what my friends have been up to on Facebook, and the first post was from Gail Faith Edwards. She talked about the solar eclipse that although not visible in our part of the world, is happening today. The suggestion was to write down our intentions for ourselves and our families.That struck me very deeply, and made me think about the paths we all follow, and whether or not we plan them or just let the wind blow us along. With a kid in college, this is a big topic in our house, but it usually focuses on those who are just beginning the journey. Sometimes we forget that no matter where we are in our travels, we still need to be headed in some direction.
Just last night I was wondering about this in a vague way. It was one of those moments when I was feeling unsettled and bored (it could have had a lot to do with the long, gray day), considering whether I was still moving along, or had just settled into a rut.
That may seem silly to someone on the outside looking in. The most recent book went to the printer last week and will go on sale tomorrow. We began work on the Sept/Oct issue of The Essential Herbal yesterday. The fall/winter compilation of the first 5 years (By the Hearth) is in the works for a September release, and all of the necessary parental paperwork for the next year of college is properly filed. But those things are all external.
So Gail gave me a shove to really think about the next bend in the road, and what I'd like to see when I get around it. Everything requires some planning and thought. Before we move a muscle we first think of it, even if we don't notice it anymore. Certainly we can allow the wind to take us where it will, but is that where we want to go?
I know some things that are on that path, now I just have to give them some thought and breathe them into life.
Thanks, Gail!

Drying Mints

My kitchen is filled with mimosa blossoms and St. Johnswort, and the mints were all threatening to bolt. I decided to try something new, and it worked out beautifully.
The second floor here is hot, so the guest bedrooms there serve as storage. I spread a sheet over the rug, and spread baskets full of mints in rows.
In a few days, they were perfectly dried.
Here you can see the stems half stripped into mason jars. After getting one side done, I moved to the other side and started from there. It was really nice because all the mess stays on the sheet, so all I need to do is take it outside and shake it before starting over.After all the leaves are taken off the stems, I put them in the food processor for a quick whirl. Normally I leave the leaves whole, but these are being dried specifically for a tea blend that I'm running very low on.It is really amazing how little finished herb there was, considering that each of these mints started out as fresh, overflowing, large gathering baskets.A long time ago when we were operating 2 shops, we decided to attempt to harvest and process our own catnip. It seemed silly to buy something that grew everywhere, and we were selling nearly a pound a week. The labor was intensive, the space it took up was insane, and we never tried that again. But now it is something I truly enjoy. The room smells heavenly.

Wow - I just noticed this is my 601st post. Sort of makes you wonder if I'll ever run out of things to say, doesn't it?

Poppy

Summer holidays remind me of Poppy. I can still see him out in the yard on a chaise lounge, with a radio on either side, listening to baseball games and dozing. My grandfather, Fred Mast, died 40 years ago. Yesterday my sister and I were talking about how much Poppy would have loved the farm here, and how much he would have enjoyed our kids. He and my brother in law Bob would have a menagerie, and the plantings those two would create together would be breath-taking (if somewhat unorthodox). It made me realize that even though he's been gone for so long, he is still very much in my heart.
The conversation started as a discussion of the weather, and Maryanne asked if I remembered how Poppy went to the farm auction one year and brought back a huge box of tomato plants which he then watered one-by-one with a coffee can. All summer long.
As children, Mom moved her brood of 5 into our grandparents' house for 7 or 8 years until she built her business enough to move us to a run-down farm 1/2 mile down the road. Poppy was a farm boy, and before we knew it, there were chickens, goats, and ponies in the barn and yard. He planted a quarter acre garden next to the old apple orchard, and attempted to get us to weed it. Every day, he'd come down and care for the animals and tend the garden. He loved it. It was only recently that it dawned on me that it also gave him a chance to get out of the house where he could chew tobacco with abandon. Our grandmother Mimi didn't approve, so they had an arrangement where they both pretended he didn't chew.
He was really just a big kid trying to fit into the adult world. Times were so different then. Yesterday I found myself watching "Andy of Mayberry". Looking at Aunt Bea, with her old lady hairdo and old lady clothes, I realized that she was probably only in her mid-50's. Back then, we all had very specific slots to fit into. If I look at my mother's high school yearbook, all the graduates look so... adult. The kids in mine look like kids. In my daughter's yearbook, the graduates all had very individualistic portraits taken. No more cookie-cutter people, and what a relief that is!
There are so many funny memories I have of Poppy. He used to sing little songs to us, or dance little jigs to crack us up. He hated to see us sad or crying, and would say, "oh now don't let those steers (tears) get out of the corral". He was shy and humble, so that as we grew into young teens in the turbulent 60's he didn't know what to say to us anymore, but he was there to help us or support our dreams. There was nothing he wouldn't do for us, but woe be unto the child or adult who had a mean word to say about his wife or family. He loved his family fiercely with no expectations. He was a good man all the way through. Not to say that he never did anything wrong, but he quietly lived his life in service to his loved ones, getting enormous satisfaction from that. My mom told me one day that she'd met someone Poppy worked with, and the man told her how proud he was of her, and it made her cry because he was not a talker. I found one of his old carpentry ledgers, and there was a whole page where he'd practiced writing my sister's name. His 8th grade education made it difficult to be married to my college educated grandmother, I'm sure. We took him for granted, and when he died suddenly, we were all completely devastated.
Whenever I imagine an afterlife, it is Poppy who is there, waiting to show me the ropes. Our dog Baby is playing at his feet. I see him in each of my siblings and even in our children who never had the chance to meet him.
He inspired each of us in different ways. For me, it was about plants and nature in general. He had an amazing relationship with the natural world, knowing all the plants and animals, what the clouds meant, rocks, how to build things, and how to survive and take care of people. He took us fishing (and had to remove more than one hook from a little hand), to the beach, to the mountains, and through meadows and streams. He was a tough act to follow for my brothers, and even tougher for the future men in my sister's and my lives, although I think we both found him in them eventually.
Looking back, we never gave him credit for how smart he was because if anyone noticed, his comment would be "gosh-a-monkeys", which basically means "don't be silly".
There's not really a point to this post. He's been on my mind, and I'm not sure I ever told him that I loved him.