Carolee's Herb Farm

Carolee's Herb Farm

NOTE: To use the advanced features of this site you need javascript turned on.

Home News Newsletters July E-Newsletter
July E-Newsletter Print E-mail

 

Carolee’s July E-Newsletter

Can you believe it is July?  It felt like June was barely two weeks long and suddenly there were fireworks!   A new month brings dozens of tasks that are time-sensitive, like collecting seeds, dead-heading, and harvesting flowers for drying.  I’ve also begun harvesting herbs for winter cooking and teas.  We have nearly all the up-potting finished for now, and are working on clearing out the greenhouse, now that the cold frame is empty.  So, we’ll continue to have “free plants” on the cart until we close on July 10th.
     July is a time of abundance, and I give thanks as I spend hours picking black raspberries, gooseberries, strawberries and blueberries.  We’re harvesting the first cucumbers, peppers, peas, summer squash and tomatoes and making as much pesto as we want from fast-growing basils.
    July heat brings the annual flowers into their glory, with cosmos, cleome, zinnias and gomphrena adding their brilliant colors to the ever-changing palette of perennials in the gardens.  It’s exciting to see new daylilies bloom for the first time, or to compare a new variety of lavender to our favorites. 
     July will also have some exciting happenings this year.  We’ll be traveling to the International Herb Conference this month, and our family from Germany is coming home for a visit so it will be a jam-packed time playing with the grandkids and cooking special treats.  My lemon tree is cooperating and we should have lemons for making lemonade while they are here!

 

LAVENDER DAZE-July 9th & 10th
     Don’t forget to make plans to attend our lavender festival this week!  Stroll through our purple heaven and enjoy the wonderful color and fragrance.
     I’ll be giving “Cooking with Lavender” demos at 11 and 1; “Growing Lavender Successfully” talks at 12 and 2.   We’ll also be serving complimentary Lavender Tea (from Harrod’s in England) or Lavender Punch and Lavender goodies, our gift to those of you who love lavender as much as we do.  And, you can make a pretty woven lavender heart in the Make It/Take It area.
     At 11 and 1, for a $5.00 fee you can learn to make a traditional lavender wand to hang in your closet or to give as a gift.  I like to use them to decorate a package or hang on a door knob.
     Be sure to visit the Herbal Country Cottage and the Big Barn Gift Shop.  We have lots of lavender items, including lavender T-shirts, lavender mugs, linens, dishes, and our beautiful lavender wreaths.  The charming little lavender heart wreath shown in the photo above was a project I created for a group that wanted to do a lavender craft.  It was so much fun to make that I've made several more!  In the plant sales areas, all annuals will be 50% off and lavender plants are 10% off while they last.
     Experience the aromatherapy of picking your own bundle of lavender from our fragrant field.  It’s purple heaven!  U-Pick is only $5.  There’s so many ways to use a bunch of lavender, and we’ll be happy to give you lots of ideas!
     Hours are 10-4 each day.  Admission and Parking are free.  Come spend the day, bring a picnic and a friend or two! 

WE Need Bags!
     Our supply of “recycled” grocery and shopping bags has slowly diminished to nearly zero.  We’d appreciate contributions of used, clean plastic bags.  Otherwise, we must purchase them (at $60 a box!) and pass on the cost to you.  So, next time you visit the farm, toss those bags into the trunk for us!

U-Pick Lavender
With all the sunshine, the lavenders came into bloom early, and we have a fine crop.  You can see the bunches hanging in the fragrant barn.  Now, the lavandins are blooming, so there will be U-pick lavender available until we close on July 10th.  Right now we are picking Grosso and Hidcote Giant.  If you want to pick, come soon.  We have garden clubs that pick and dry lavender for their plant sales, brides that pick for wedding decorations and groups that pick to take small bouquets into nursing homes.  Some ladies pick bunches to make into lavender wands for Christmas gifts, wedding favors, or gifts for secret pals. 

After July 10th…….
The farm will be closed for general business hours beginning July 11th .    All farm visitations will be by appointment only for group garden tours and/or special group events.  Dates are limited due to extensive travel & commitments away from the farm. However, if you’d like to schedule an appointment for a visit, leave a message on the farm answering machine (765-348-3162), or e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and I will get back with you to arrange a date and time.  A credit card number will be required for a deposit to set an appointment. 

 

Herb Society of America Conference
     I spent an entertaining and informative time at the HSA conference in Pittsburgh the end of June.  One of the highlights was meeting and visiting with English herbalist Jekka McVikker, who had me rocking with stories of her famous gnome, her friend Ringo Starr, the Queen and other VIP’s.  Jekka’s herbal display gardens have won the gold medal at the Chelsea Flower Show over a dozen times, and she is the author of two impressive books.  And speaking of impressive, when Prince Charles asked her for 4,000 thyme plants for a fragrant walkway at his garden, Highgrove, she didn’t even blink but only asked, “And when would you like them installed?”  This photo includes friend and fellow herbal author, Jim Long.
     Another treat was the fabulous fireworks display at Three Rivers Stadium, especially impressive when viewed from our room on the 20th floor.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more beautiful, expansive show.  Not only were fireworks shot from the stadium, but also from boats in the river, all coordinated to make a fantastic display.

    

  We visited the extensive indoor gardens at Phipps Conservatory, where the diversity of plant material and displays was amazing.  Of course there are the obligatory desert areas, tropical rain forest plants, and butterfly house, but there is also room after room of more common plant material used in uncommon ways and combinations.  I’ve decided it is my favorite U.S. conservatory, and that’s saying a lot when Longwood and San Francisco are its competition. 
    

 

A trip to Pittsburgh would not be complete without one of the monster sandwiches that Primanti Bros. has made famous and I must confess that these cholesterol-laden gems are worth the trip.  Each sandwich is made between thick slabs of bread and includes generous amounts of meat, cheese, a huge handful of cole slaw and another huge handful of French fries!  Only by smashing it as much as possible can it fit in a human mouth.  Eat one half, take a walk around the interesting European-style plaza and then eat the other half, if you can!
    
And another one bites the dust!
     On the way home from Pittsburgh, we took a tiny detour to visit one of my very favorite herb gardens near Dayton, OH.  Many years ago, I discovered the Cox Arboretum and its beautifully maintained herb garden.  Although it was “young” then the herb garden was distinctive for the fabulous wattle fence that surrounded it and the costumed medieval lady who was ready with herbal advice for visitors.  In later years the wattle fence deteriorated and was removed to allow for an expansion of the herb garden, much to my delight.  I nearly always found an unusual plant there, and often purchased treasures for my own gardens.
     So, imagine my surprise when I picked up the new brochure at the visitors’ station to find no listing on the map of an herb garden!  I scoured the map over and over, and quickly headed out to the site.  Sadly, there is no longer an herb garden.  There are herbs sprinkled here and there in the “Edible Plants” area and a few others in some of the perennial displays, but the herb garden as an entity is gone.
     Like many other special places, the arboretum’s budget has been cut and large areas that were once planted are returning to grass or peppered with weeds.  So, once again, I plead…. “If there is a place you cherish, be it a business like ours, a state park, historical site, family farm stand, charity, or museum you must support it with your purchases, visits, letters to budget committees, word of mouth publicity, or anything else you can do, or it may just disappear!”

 

Working Dog!
     One of the surprises at Cox Arboretum was the border collie that was lounging in the shade near the ponds that are part of the gardens.  Along the path were signs that explained that the dog was on “Geese Patrol.”  The collie is trained to harass, but not injure the destructive Canada Geese that not only eat and damage plants, but coat the sidewalks and lawns with unpleasant droppings.  The collie is much cheaper than the man-hours required to clean up their mess.  What a great idea!

  

Inniswood & Gahanna
     Happily, the beautiful herb garden at Inniswood Metro Park is not only still in existence, but better than ever.  If you’ve never visited this extensive garden in Columbus, OH, put it on your list.  There are various themed areas and a charming little building filled with herbal ideas and projects.  The knot garden (photo at the top of this newsletter) is especially well done and there are many other gardens to enjoy in addition to the herb garden.  Young children will especially love the Three Sisters garden with its interactive stations, secret garden, maze, story circle, grandma’s house, Bessie’s barn, and much more.
    

 

 I’d never visited the herb garden in Gahanna, OH before but I certainly will again.  While not a large garden, it is beautifully maintained and has a vibrant character that draws one through the winding paths and under shady trellises. 

In the garden:
     It’s time to cut off the stalks of Lambs Ears & lemon balm, unless you want them to self-seed all over the garden and paths. 
     Cut off daylily seed pods as they form.  Making seeds drains lots of energy that the plant could use to make more flowers or stronger root systems.  Most of the daylilies are hybrids, so the seed won’t come true to type anyway.
     Be sure to feed hanging baskets, containers and window boxes.  The 3-month time release fertilizer may be “used up” and regular fertilizers will have been “washed out”, so they are hungry.
      Basil & parsley will appreciate a light side dressing of compost or fertilizer now.
      Remember the caterpillars you see on parsley, dill, and fennel will become butterflies so don’t disturb, squash, or spray them!
     Keep Japanese beetle bags emptied! 
     Harvest garlic scapes so the plant will use its energy to make larger bulbs to harvest next month.  Simply place your hand about halfway up the stem from the bottom.  Gently move your hand up, bending the stem until it becomes tender enough to snap the scape off.  Snip them into salads, make vinegar, stir-fry, sauté them in a bit of oil as a side dish, or try this recipe:

 

Italian Pasta with Garlic Scapes
Cook ½ lb. angel hair pasta just until al dente. Drain and keep warm.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, brown 4 whole Italian sausages in 1/3 c. olive oil.  When brown, add 1 c. garlic scapes snipped into ½” pieces.  Cover and cook 12-15 min., stirring and turning sausages as needed.  Add ½ tsp. red chili pepper flakes, 1 ½ c. (or 1 can) diced tomatoes, 3 bay leaves, 1 can Cannelini beans and ¼ c. chopped parsley.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 min.  Remove bay leaves.  Pour sauce over pasta, sprinkle with additional chopped parsley and serve immediately.  4 servings.
(Note:  if you do not have garlic scapes, you can use 2 cloves garlic, chopped)

That’s it for July.   I always feel so blessed this month, with the 4th of July reminding us how lucky we are to live where we do, watching the golden wheat fields being harvested, the corn skyrocketing to the sky, the blinking lights of fireflies, and the garden filling our table with goodness.  Hope you are filling your summer with happy memories, and that you’re taking time to really enjoy the flowers and herbs in your garden!  Watch for the August newsletter early next month.  Until then...Herbal blessings, Carolee


***********************Big Barn Shop E-coupon************************
20% off any red, white or blue item in the Barn Gift Shop!
  Cannot be combined with other discounts.  Valid until July 10th, 2011

***********************Summer Reading Special!************************
Buy 1 hardback copy each “Herbal Beginnings” and “Herbal Choices” for $50, a savings of $7.90!  Start your collection now…. “Herbal Passions” is underway and should be available next spring!

***********************Plant E-coupon********************************
20% off culinary herb planters/containers.  Choose from many sizes, shapes and combinations.  Cannot be combined with other discounts.   (Does not include the artificial potted herbs in Barn Shop or dried arrangements)  Valid until July 10th, 2011

************************Cottage E-Coupon*****************************
20% off any item in the Country Cottage.  Cannot be combined with other discounts.