:: marjoram

Marjoram bundles...they smell amazing, 

and by snipping off a few ends I'm hoping for fuller growth.

I'm so happy to have something growing again.

YAY SPRING!

{peace, love & hugs}

Carrie

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:: tiered lettuce & herb garden

I'm happy to finally be able to share this project with you, it's been on my list since last year when I created my :: back door herb garden . I am a girl of symmetry, so I knew then that I wanted to create another garden for the opposite side of my back door. So, this spring/summer was the time to get to it, having a graduation party gave me just the push I needed to finish this project up last week.

I purchased my galvanized tubs again from Amazon, the sizes are :: 16.75 gallon tub {bottom}, 4.25 gallon {middle}, and a 10 quart bucket for the top. I knew that I wanted to create a salad garden this time so a few weeks ago I purchased my lettuces at my local farmer's market, they are romaine & curly leaf lettuce. I planned to fill the whole garden with different lettuces, but my basil from last year wasn't doing so great so I decided to add some to this new garden....you can never have too much basil...yes. I also added a few other herbs for color & variety. In the top bucket I have a beautiful healthy lavender plant, it's going to be so pretty when it blooms, and in between the basils I added this lovely wispy silver Artemesia "Satiny" Wormwood I love the look of this herb.

 { Romaine lettuce, Sweet basil, Artemesia "Satiny" wormwood}

 {Sweet basil, Artemesia "Satiny" wormwood, Lavender}

I love how beautiful my lettuces look, it's going to be so hard the cut them for eating.

Below is my tiered herb garden from last season, in this one I have Lemon Balm, Sweet Basil, Cilantro,  Golden Thyme, Parsley, & Oregano. My basil that I overwintered are very slow growing this season, and want to go right into flowering so I'm constantly pinching them back. Hopefully as the season goes on they will perk up. My cilantro also wants to shoot right up to flower & I just purchased them this season so I'm going to have to do some research on how to best grow it. My lemon balm however is very vigorous & I've trimmed it back several times always bringing it in for use in flower arrangements, it smells so lovely. My Thyme & Oregano are doing well also.

{Cilantro, Lemon Balm}

{ Oregano, Cilantro, Parsley, Thyme}

I'm finding that I'm not minding too much that my Cilantro is going straight to flower since it is so lovely with it's delicate little white flowers...so pretty.

Here's how the two gardens look at my back door right outside of my kitchen. I love them, they bring so much life to this area of deck {which coincidentally needs some re-staining soon}

I also thought I would share with you my go to book on herbs, I'm constantly using this reference to learn more about what I'm planting & how to use it.

{found here}

Hope you have a wonderful weekend.

p l a n t    s o m e t h i n g

{peace, love & hugs}

Carrie

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:: indoor garden revisited

Just thought I'd share a picture of my little window garden as it looks today. It's come a long way since I first posted about it. All of my little herb cuttings have taken off and grown into full fledged herb plants. My oregano has done especially well. My basil is doing so so, but for some reason it wants to go straight into flowering. I have to keep pinching off the flowers to encourage more leaf growth...it's getting there though. I'm so excited that come spring I'll be able to take these plants and put them in my tiered herb container....no having to go out and buy all new plants. I'll then begin the process all over again with cuttings and keep these same plants going for as long as possible.

I very much enjoy gardening and this little kitchen window garden has been just the thing to get me through these long winter months. I adore having this little island of green in my kitchen....it makes me sooooo happy.

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend : )

{peace, love & hugs}

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:: back door herb garden

Hi, I want to share my back door herb garden with you before the season ends.  I meant to share when I made it and all the plants were cute & small...but time & the plants have gotten away from me so better late than never.

I had an idea to use different sized galvanized containers to create a tiered herb garden. I have the perfect corner for it right at the backdoor leading to the deck from the kitchen. All I had to do was go to my local Tractor supply to pick up a few extra buckets, I already had the largest tub that held my Christmas tree this past Christmas.  I'll have to get a new one since I punched holes in this one for drainage. You can't see the middle bucket in the picture above, but I promise it is there, as well as the small pail on top.

Here it is a little earlier in the season...

One day while my sister was visiting she helped me with this little afternoon project.  Using a large nail & hammer we simply punched six drain holes in a row about 2" up from the bottom of each of the containers, {working from the inside out works best & doesn't dent the buckets}.  We filled each bucket with potting soil, and simply stacked them on top of the lower buckets soil as we went. The holes allow the water to trickle down from each of the buckets into the one below.  We then set out my herbs to decide where we wanted things to be according to their size, and as you can see they've all grown quite large....some more so than others. I've even had to do a little plant rearrangement along the way.  I have had an abundance of fresh herbs right outside my door all season long. It's been so nice having it right outside the kitchen door, I just pop out and snip.  Together with my tomatoes we have had lots of lovely fresh pasta dishes.

Next year I may lay out my plants a little differently, I would love to add it to a stand or add one more tier for a little more height in this corner.  I have loved this project, and it's so nice to see the pop of green outside my door when I drink my morning coffee.

So what do you think?

Would you give this project a try?

Do you already have a backdoor herb garden? 

I would love to see your herb gardens so leave me a link and I'll take a peek.

Since fall is surely on it's way, I'll soon be saying goodbye to this little garden...

I can't wait to start again next year.

Did you know that you can start some herbs inside by simply placing a cutting in a container of water...it takes a few weeks & you'll see it's roots.  I've started rosemary, oregano, marjoram, basil & mint too, i've created several new plants this way.  I've been taking cuttings and rooting them for replanting inside, I'll start them in pots soon.  Remember all of my little cuttings on my windowsill, I love the look...they all graduated to plantings, and I have several more going now.  Give it a try if you haven't already....it's super easy, and hopefully you have a sunny spot for keeping them indoors this winter.

I'll have to let you know if mine make it indoors.

Hope you are having a great week, can't believe it's almost over....but Yay anyway.

:: peace, love & hugs ::

Carrie

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:: I'm Done

I've got nothin' people, I think all this southern heat has fried my brain.

I'm finding myself dreaming of crisp cool fall days here lately.

When it's too hot to enjoy time on the patio....I'm done.

How about you? Is it sweltering where you are too?

Oh.....speaking of Fall, 

Are you going to the Country Living Fair?

My sister and I just booked our rooms for the October show.

I'm so excited, this will be my first time going to the show & Stone Mountain Ga.

Have you been?  I would love to hear about the best places to stop, shop & eat.

If you are going maybe we could plan to meet up

I would love a chance to meet some of my bloggy friends.

Hope you all are having a wonderful Monday....

Stay Cool : )

*peace, love & hugs*

Carrie

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:: windowsill

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:: jardinage d'herbe

:: herb gardening ::

Herbs have quickly gone to the top of the list of my favorite things to plant. They are wonderful for so many reasons. Obviously they are amazing to taste, but they are also so beautiful to look at. They have some of the most beautiful foliage shapes and designs, some flower, but I prefer just to look at their beautiful structures. Herbs are especially easy to grow, and are very quick as well, in one season you can have a voraciously growing plant.

Just last night I took a few clippings from my new basil plant only a month or so old, it had only a few leaves when I purchased it. Currently I am experimenting with how and where I plant my herbs, some I have in the pots above on my upper deck outside of the kitchen and others I have in my perennial flower beds. The herbs planted in the beds have completely taken off since planted last season. Below is my oregano planted just last season, I can't believe how quickly it's growing.

My lovely basil plant, I love it's waxy look and perfectly shaped leaves. This herb is becoming one of my favorites...I just cooked an amazing meal with it last night.... and Papa loved it. It was so fun to be able to run out and snip it and bring it in for cooking.

Spearmint...my son had to have this herb is was his choice when we went to the farmer's market. Now it will be up to me to figure out how to cook with it, though I just enjoy looking at it for now. I guess it will be good for making mojito's, since my friends love them.

So, if you haven't planted herbs before....now's the time....it is so fun and rewarding to plant and use these wonderful plants. The best thing of all is that many are perennials, and you can grow them in containers inside or out for use in your kitchen throughout the year.

Herbs.... love em'

:: peace & love ::

Carrie

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