What are your Herb Projects this week?

18 years ago

Haven't done this thread in awhile, so here goes:

!. Mugwort a-plenty. Time to harvest the tops in bloom to dry for wreath making, the leaves for dream pillows, and I think I'll be making a tincture of this one, for women's issues.

2. Cutting back the dry-looking plants, Calendula so they'll start blooming again, feverfew are looking pretty shabby, and I don't need 1000 new Feverfew plants next year.

3. Harvest seed: 1st year to get seed from my Salvia apaina! And the Bloody Dock seeded so well I can grow it in another area. It seems to need more shade and water than it gets in it's present location.

Going out of town Thursday, so I must get to this early in the week...(won tickets to Antiques Roadshow in Los Angeles...)

What are YOUR herbal projects this week? Enjoy! Lynn

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Comments (8)

herbalbetty
18 years ago
I've been drying herbs in the car. It's amazing how quickly they will dry, despite the humidity we have been having this summer. So, stripping mugwort, lion's ear, Siberian motherwort, lemon balm, pennyroyal, lavender, epazote, marjoram, tarragon, etc. has been evening activities. Time to strain the arnica infused oil. Last night I strained and bottled some tinctures: hawthorn, siberian ginseng, fresh skullcap and Lady's mantle and a chamomile glycerite. Today, I will make an echinacea glycerite. This week, harvesting more herbs for drying: tarragon, skullcap, lemon balm, marjoram. More herbs for infusing oil: calendula, plantain, mullein flowers. Making tarragon mustard. Time to strain the basil vinegar. Time to make more "Italian country" vinegar. Yarrow is almost dry. Boneset, Joe Pye and vervain are waiting in the field to be harvested. Yesterday, moved a trellis to the cinnamon yam, as it had outgrown its previous home. Ditto the passion flower. Chives are starting to bloom again. Poppy seeds need to be shaken out if the pods. Time to take a trip up the road and see if the elderberries are ripe! Busy.
CA Kate z9
18 years ago
WOW! Your car must smell great! Good idea.

I'm just pruning back the oreganos... and drying some thyme and sage.
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Heathen1
18 years ago
Being that it has been 104Âº here for the past week.... I just have been watering and praying my cool weather herbs just stay alive! :o)
granite
18 years ago
Pesto, pesto, pesto

Also freezing basil...just washing, spinning it dry in the salad spinner, packing it into ziplock bags and burping out the air.

Dried flower bundles for my family reunion using different combinations of white beauty yarrow, achillea "the pearl" yarrow, coronation gold yarrow, lavender, pineapple mint, longwood thyme, rosemary. I tied each little swag with raffia.

Stripping dried lavender off the stems for sachets. Some of the stems I am saving to make firestarter fragrance bundles. The rest are going out to mulch the walkways in the veggie garden.
akheadbanger
18 years ago
picking and Drying Mint, just mint. whens a good time to pick and use herbs? kinda new to the whole herb thing, Cept for mint.
renarhod
18 years ago
Love this project thread! It's so fun to read what everyone is doing and in detail!

I made lavender wands for the first time. Made the mistake though of picking too much lavender at first and was at it for 5 hours! Only takes about 13 sprigs to make a wand. Now that they are dry, I am looking for ribbon to tie them with. Made so many, I think I'll hang them on the Christmas tree and do an "herb theme" tree.

Finally found the recipe for wet potpourri and made that using fresh lemon verbena, and slightly dried rose petals, lavender flowers, and scented geraniums. Layered those in a jar with sea salt between layers. Supposed to last forever. If it loses its scent, you just add some vodka I guess and voila. I like the idea of something lasting forever.

Pruning back the lavender plants. Attended a lavender class and finally learned how to do that correctly.

Bought the book "the Herbfarm Cookbook" and am ready to try some of the recipes. Made lime basil lemonade.

Bought my first lemon verbena plants this year and am having fun with them. The leaf tastes like minty lemon. smells heavenly. going to take starts this fall and train them into standards.

Mostly trying to keep the baby herb starts watered in their little containers and alive through this heat.

Got a white washed potting bench at a garage sale this weekend for only 20.00 made out of old barn wood and am thrilled. It's rustic and will look adorable with white painted old wooden windows for a backing (which I have and have been waiting for a use for), and will decorate it with an herb theme no doubt.
garliclady
18 years ago
Peeling & slicing garlic for dehydrating (For garlic powder)
Dehydrating chili and paprika peppers for my tex mex
Grinding cilanto(corriander seeds)
Drying basil
Cutting Basil and parsley for market
Cleaning more garlic for market
The garlic lady
teryaki
18 years ago
Compare growth of thorny coriander in full shade and partial shade.

Prune the rosemary to encourage growth now that it's in a 3-gallon plastic pot - its permanent home. I have NO idea how to do this. Tips please!!!!

Figure out what to do with 18 nice full basils... It's the only thing that's grown as it should, and I never cook with it!

Hopefully photograph that female rufous hummingbird I spotted yesterday.

What are your Herb Projects this week?

Comments (8)

herbalbetty

CA Kate z9

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