Happy Summer!

Its officially Summer.  Watching the weather maps everywhere,  it looks as though Spring went by in a wink as Summer arrived with the grace of Kramer!  90 degrees and muggy.  Well, spices love that weather.  If you haven't done it yet,  its time to get planting the herbs.  Find an attractive pot that also enjoys the sun and  get cooking.  Mine were a casualty of the outdoor painting project.  When they were cleaning my neighbor's roof some of the clorox solution  made a beeline for the spice bike,  so I had to throw them away until the Fall.  Summer is not the best time to be growing herbs here anyway.  Its really way too hot.  This was my best year growing herbs.  I finally realized that our full sun, even in winter is way too much for them.  I gave them morning sun only and they looked great all winter. 

Due to our heat, we cannot grow French Tarragon here, which I love.  We get something called Mexican Tarragon which is similar but different.  Its like comparing the up north grass which is so soft, to the Florida grass which is..so, not soft.  I am going to try to plant it anyway in the ground here as I did the rosemary.  I will learn to like it, exactly like I did dark chocolate.  Which I now love!  Our landscaper was surprised to know the rosemary has lasted 4 years in the ground and it needs to be cut back regularly.  I suppose the lesson here is if something flourishes,  its happy,  so we should try to embrace it.

Someone just gave me a cutting from a lemon grass plant.  I have been letting it establish itself in the ground.  I haven't used any yet, but I am told its wonderful in soups.  Do any of you use it?

 

Since the subject is herbs, I have to share with you a great friend's gift for me this year.  Herb shears. When you cut, its as though you are using 5 pairs of scissors at once They chiffonade basil beautifully.  That is the only herb I have now, basil.  It cannot be summer with out basil!

Recently, I have been a shut-in.  Just me and the computer working on the final details of the new Botanistix website.  I hope to be live next week so I can go back to doing what I love, not just writing about it.  I will let you know soon.