Spring has arrived, March 20th, according to the calendar.
Yet, the grey overcast skies don't look like spring.
In pouring rain, I went to a small local garden center
searching for small starter herb plants for my kitchen sunspace,
searching for a little Spring.
A few favorite herbs are just the thing
to bring in a little Spring and
to plant in the Purple Heritage Ball Jars that
I won from Mary @ Home is Where the Boat Is.
Once the weather warms and the danger of frost is past,
I will plant the herbs in pots on the deck.
Herbs soothe.
Are there any other plants with so many benefits?
Is there any better sight than green on a cold day?
Feel the feathery leaves as they release their scents.
Smell the aroma of mint that awakens your entire being.
Taste the vivid flavor that any herb adds to a recipe.
Even with overcast skies, the herbs will get lots of light
sitting on the top shelf of the little bookcase used as a potting shelf.
And the herbs are close enough to be enjoyed.
Gardening tools are close by on the second shelf.
The kitchen breakfast/sunspace is close to the cooking area
which makes it easy to snip a few herb leaves.
Oh, so français to cook with fresh herbs.
One of the Ball jars keeps scissors, snippers, and clippers handy.
The herb labels are also in this jar.
Birds and bees fly on the apron kept close by
for both cooking and puttering with plants.
The small locally-owned nursery has quality plants and carries varieties
not usually found at the large national hardware garden centers.
Shopping there is always an adventure because I never know
what new plant or variety I will find.
This Spring's herb garden includes my favorite herbs,
but some of the herbs with * are new varieties to me.
Blue Label Herbs is the wholesale nursery for all of these.
Blue Label Herbs... named perfectly, bleu, for herbs I would love.
- Lavender - Fernleaf*, annual, best used as a stovetop potpourri
- Thyme - Variegated Lemon, annual, use for cooking, fragrant ground cover, in sachets
- Mint - Lime*, perennial, use to flavor iced tea and fruit compotes/salads
- Sage - Purple, perennial, use fresh or dried to flavor stuffing (or dressing as we call stuffing in the South), salads, soups
- Rosemary - Trailing*, annual, use fresh or dried in a variety of dishes
These herbs came in 4" pots, not in small starter peat pods
so often found at large hardware stores.
The roots have plenty of room to grow and to become established.
A handful of pea gravel in the bottom of each
of the Ball jars insures good drainage.
See the lovely shades of purple in the sage, mint, and lavender that go with the
Purple Heritage Ball Jars?
The lavender blossoms are delicate violet-bleu atop feathery fern leaves.
When the herbs are transplanted to pots on the deck, these
weathered verdigris stakes will identify them.
What herbs are your favorites?
Which herbs will you plant this Spring?
Are you trying any new varieties?
Any tips for growing or using herbs?
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The breakfast sunspace is my favorite place in my house.
See how I love and enjoy this space.
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Please join me at these inspiring sites...
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
It's official. I am going out TODAY to get myself an herb plant to put on my kitchen shelf that faces south. DONE.
ReplyDeleteHappy Sunday, Judith! Anita
I love cooking with fresh herbs, but have not been successful in growing there here ~ the bunnies munch them up!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your little garden. I'm sure it all smells wonderful!
Hugs,
Lin
Oh Judith,
ReplyDeleteI love that first photo...it looks like a cover of a rustic garden herb book hint, hint :)
I always grow herbs, and they do well here on our desert, but being so late to get them started I will have to go and buy some herb plants to transplant them into my containers. You have inspired me to get going here.
You my dear could do your own book... home and garden :)
Xoxo
Beautiful Sunday to you.
Dore
Judith, we have a small herb garden right outside our front door. It's a sunny space with gravel bed beneath our birdbath. At the moment, lavender, mint, thyme, and rosemary are growing. I need to add a few more this spring. Love your shelf of herbs in the purple Ball jars. I have a set of those jars that I fill with fresh flowers. Like your idea of using them for starters inside.
ReplyDeleteHappy Spring!
What a great idea. I always loved having an herb garden but can't have one here. I should just plant some in individual jars like this! But I hate to be the one to tell you this.....you have some kind of big black ant or insect ready to invade your plants! I see him on your shelves! heeheehee! Happy Spring, Diane
ReplyDeleteI absolutely ADORE your purple ball jars!!! I planted a few of my favorite herbs by seed (rosemary, thyme, dill, parsley, and basil), a few weeks ago-and they are coming along nicely! Now I need to find some of those jars!!!
ReplyDeleteI love your herb garden and these jars & signs are awesome!
ReplyDeleteI hope you will share your post with our Link Up - Idea box:
http://milaslittlethings.com/2015/03/idea-box-thursday-link-party-3.html
xx
Mila
milaslittlethings.com
I grow a lot of herbs, but unfortunately they don't have pretty purple homes :^)
ReplyDeleteHubby found me a really cool tall wagon in a garage sale, so after tomorrow, it will be filled with herbs and maybe an extra flower or three! I'm hoping that I can grow a lavender plant or two as well.
Thank you for a lovely post!
Blessings,
J
I have never thought about planting herbs in a jar, but they look so pretty. Here in AZ, we don't really have to start herbs inside, they can go directly in the ground. My favorite is Rosemary.....I just love the smell. Funny thing is, Rosemary is a street shrub here and they grow crazy big. It's the same variety that you use in cooking, but I prefer the one in my backyard pot that hasn't been exposed to car exhaust or pet stuff!
ReplyDeleteJudith, I love your purple jars for growing herbs! Your bookcase makes the perfect potting shelf and I have apron envy! :)
ReplyDeleteThat looks great Judith! I love growing herbs! Thanks for joining HSH!
ReplyDeleteSherry