We are having a few end of the month visitors to our test gardens and set about cleaning them up about 2 weeks ago.  Cleaning out debris, cutting back all of our herb plants, and actually taking in a good harvest.  We have pesto to get us through the winter, and a lot of dried herbs to make sure that our stews and savories are outstanding.  We even renovated our smoke house and we are doing a lot of drying flowering herbs.  Hot work in the middle of a muggy summer but oh, my, it was worth it.

Just strolling through this weekend and was delighted by the amount of blooms that we have – another chance before fall and winter settle in.  So, if you are a Zone 7 or above, don’t forget that you might have a chance.  This test bed is astounding and reminds us all that herbs in a landscape are invaluable.  What started as an after thought has really taken on a life of its own.  We keep adding to the beds and right now, they are a butterfly and bee magnet.

Bottom line:  the garden is never finished so neither is the gardener.  Use a good pair of clippers and make a plan ahead of time, or you will end up tossing some very valuable harvest.  For whatever reason (think if I back up 9 months to New Year’s Eve if have it figured out) a lot of my friends and family have September birthdays and I have been making a lot of herb bouquets.  Ball jars make very lovely and inexpensive vases.

Pictured below, left to right:  Joe Pye Weed, Datura, Evening Fragrance, Feverfew, Dill, Costmary.

 

Feverfew Herb Plant