Hello Herb Lovers,

If you think your herb gardening days slow down now that winter has set in you might be surprised to hear that the cold season is a busy one indeed.

No matter what area and what climate, now is the perfect time to update your garden with new herbs. Try these herbs for your area.

Cold Climate & Southern Tableland Areas (e.g. Melbourne)

Chives, curry, dill, mint, parsley, sage and thyme

Temperate Areas (e.g. Sydney)

Chamomile, comfrey, coriander, dill, feverfew, garlic, lavender, lemon balm, marjoram, mint, parsley, oregano, sage and thyme. Remember to protect your coriander from frost.

Subtropical & Coastal (e.g. Northern NSW, S.E. Queensland )

Chamomile, comfrey, dill, garlic, lavender, lemon balm, marjoram, mint, parsley, oregano, sage and thyme.

Tropical (e.g. North Queensland)

Dill, garlic, marjoram, mint, parsley, oregano, sage and thyme.

Outback (e.g. Inland and desert)

Basil, chives, coriander, dill, mint, oregano, parsley, sage and thyme.

Go out there, stick your hands in the dirt and enjoy the cooler weather. Come spring you will be glad you did.

Stay Herbal!

Hello Herb Lovers,

I have a great bunch of Lemon Balm (aka, balsam, melissa) that can be picked now.

While looking for inspirational recipes I came across this Lemon Balm Vinegar recipe on The Herb Gardener blog.

This sounds like a recipe that would really work for my taste buds, not to forget the medicinal benefits of lemon balm either.

For those who don’t know, lemon balm (Melissa Officinalis) is a great relaxant, helps digestion and eases tension headaches. Traditionally used as a mild anti depressant it has recently been shown to also have antiviral properties which may make it an effective tool in the treatment of cold sores. It has a lovely lemony flavour can be added to salads - go great with fish - the tea is pleasant and makes for a nicer headache relief than paracetamol. Herb infused vinegars are an age old way of extracting the health benefits from herbs, so this recipe might work on culinary as well as medicinal levels.

My Garden has been doing really well. On the left is the picture of how the garden looked in early March. The right picture was taken this morning. Coming together nicely

Oh and I mustn’t forget to point out the glorious bench on the right which the Light of My Life built just for moi, to make my herb garden extra special. All together now :”Awwwwwww”

Well I am off to infuse vinegar….

Stay Herbal!

Markets & Herb Awareness Weekend

For everyone who wants to know more about growing and using herbs - this is the weekend for you!
- Discover a large variety of unusual and water wise herbs and plants for sale.
- Enjoy free demonstrations and talks.
- Browse a wide variety of stalls with herb related goods, products and food.
- Relax and revive at Cafe Sage for delicious,
herb inspired food and beverages.
- Come along for a chance to meet our patron and renowned garden adviser, Colin Campbell.

Please note: No EFTPOS or Credit Card facilities available.

When: 3 - 4 May 2008 calendar of dates
9am to 4pm

Where: Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens
Mt Coot-tha Road Toowong

How Much: $4.00 Adults $3.00 Concession
Contact: Debbie, Queensland Herb Society
email: qldherbsociety@ourbrisbane.com
phone: 07 5426 8299

I was going to launch the very first Herbology stall at this herbal event but as it turns out a very dear friend has chosen that weekend to be married.  Guess there is always next year

There is no point in giving you QLD Herb Society’s URL as the website has been promising to come soon for at least the past 18 months where I have been eagerly waiting for it to appear. *grumble grumble* I really must go to one of their meetings and ask them what the deal is. How hard is it to have a very basic information site? They dont need to change content often just have something there to make people welcome for goodness sake. Ok Ok, I know…ranting and raving again……

Stay Herbal!

Gardening Australia is coming to Brisbane.

I have had a look at the exhibitors and there are several herb related businesses, societies and lots of clever organic products that I am going to have a look at.

Yes, herb lovers, yours truly will venture out and have a look see. If I dont see you there, check back here for a summary of my visit.

Update: Unfortunately I was unable to go <insert mini tantrum here> - If any readers went, tell me all about it

Gardening Australia Expo

Date: Friday-Sunday, April 18-20, 2008
Event Time: Open daily 9.30-4.30pm
Location: Brisbane Exhibition Centre, South Bank

Cost: Adults: $15 Pensioner/Seniors Card holders: $13
Family (2A+2C): $34 Children 5-16yrs: $6 Children under 5: FREE
Children must be accompanied by an adult. All prices include GST.

Tickets available for cash at the door or online at http://www.abcgardeningexpo.com.au

Groups: Pre-sold tickets are available for groups of 10+ people @ $12 each. Call: 02 9452 7575
Information: Visit http://www.abcgardeningexpo.com.au or call 02 9452 7575.

The weather has been perfect for planting. With all those lovely showers the water restrictions were no bother at all

After all that time preparing the soil, then waiting for my “Gardening with the Goddess” book and then extended herb buying trips it was finally time to put my little darlings in the ground.

Dont forget the mulch! In this pic I had just started to mulch (top of photo).

It still looks a bit barren but now I can get into the fun stuff of decorating the space to resemble the sacred space I wish it to become. Light of my Life is working hard at refurbishing a garden bench with heavy cast iron ends we managed to find on ebay. It’ll take awhile, but somewhere down the track I’ll post pictures of the finished product.

That’s it folks…..I’m tired

Stay Herbal!

The parcel arrived and on my birthday I took Little Trouble and the Light of my Life herb shopping.

Last year I went to the Herb Awareness Weekend hosted by the Qld Herb Society (I wont post a link because I have been waiting for their website to do something for the past year or so and it still says “coming soon”, so there really is no point promoting it here *grumble*) where I saw a local herb nursery display its wares. So that’s the one I chose. Best Little Herb House is located in Gumdale, which is on the eastern side of Brisbane. It’s open Friday and Saturdays.

My birthday was the Friday, the book said that planting time would be best in the second quarter of the moon which started that day as well…everything was very fortuitous.

I loved this nursery. It is run by a very knowledgeable man who took all the time in the world to answer my questions and select the most appropriate plants for my needs. The place is gorgeous…..here…have a look……

 

 Best Little Herb House: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Best Little Herb House: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

And of course I could not have done without the help of Little Trouble. His carrying and counting skills came in very handy indeed.

At the end of my 2 hour visit we drove home with a lovely selection of herbs. All up we got, a bay tree, lemon thyme,another thyme I cant remember the name of, pizza oregano, lemon grass, comfrey, gloss leaf angelica, rose scented geranium, citronella scented geranium, this really cool BLACK chilli, lemon balm, rosemary and sheep’s sorrel.

(yesterday at the local nursery I also picked up a meyer lemon, black passionfruit, pyrethrum, common thyme and Little Trouble got himself some nasturtiums to plant)

Almost planting time…..

Hello Herb Lovers,

As I have mentioned in the past - I am now officially a gardener. Recall Herb Gardening - Not Holidaying where I attacked an overgrown garden bed as a start to my new gardening venture.

This is what it looked like BEFORE…..

As you can see there was dire need to do something to rescue this space. The weeds are gone, the junk is gone and the Yucca’s have a new home in a different part of the garden (transplant worked a treat).

I had a very pleasant surprise while digging around in the dirt. Earthworms! Lots of them too. The soil that I suspected to be devoid of nutrients must be good soil afterall….yay.

So I added some more organic garden soil to build it up a bit.

And then I waited……

What was I waiting for? That darn parcel from Amazon that I told you guys about. There was a book in there I wanted before I started to plant anything.

Stay tuned……

Hello herb lovers,

Every now and then I read a post by another blogger I feel compelled to comment on, especially if it means that Herbology can come to the aid of someone who is in need of herbal assistance. The recipient of today’s herbal emergency is Lee from Urban Cultivation.

When I read that Lee is about to have a a healthy crop of lemon grass that he does not know what to do with I ran to my herbal library to gather as much information as I could find (in 7 minutes).

Well Lee, fret no more, help is at hand……even for a herbivore like yourself

First, medicinally lemon grass has been used as a mild antibiotic for flu, fevers and pain, colic, gas and stomach problems. It relaxes the gut, is a mild antidepressant and helps lift your spirits when your mood is sour. The essential oil is an antifungal and antibacterial agent which can be used locally on ringworm.

You can crush the leaves and stalks to release the citronella - rub onto your skin to repel mozzies and other flying bugs. lemon grass tea is great for the complexion (listen up teenagers!!) The tea makes a great iced tea in summer too.

Culinary uses are many, but since Lee specified non meat versions, I will concentrate on those for now.

Coconut and Lemon Grass Ice Cream courtesy of The Kitchen & Garden Book of Herbs by J. Houdret and J. Farrow

Serves 5-6

Ingredients

4 lemon grass stalks (10cm pieces from the bottom)

400ml coconut milk

3 egg yolks

90g caster sugar

2tsp cornflour

150ml whipping cream

rind of 1 lime finely grated

lime slices to decorate

For the lime syrup:

75g caster sugar

75ml water

1 lime thinly sliced, plus 30ml lime juice

1) Cut lemon grass stalks in half length ways, bruise with rolling pin (or something else that’s heavy)

Put them in a heavy pan, add coconut milk and bring to just below boiling point (dont walk away, it happens quickly). Remove from heat and leave to infuse for 30mins - then remove lemon grass.

2) Whisk egg yolks in a bowl with sugar and cornflour until smooth.

3) Gradually pour the coconut and lemon grass milk over the mixture and whisk well.

4) Return the mixture to the pan andheat gently, stirring until the custard starts to thicken. Do not let boil!

5) Remove the custard from heat and strain into a clean bowl. Cover with a circle of dampened greaseproof paper to prevent skin forming. Leave to cool.

6) BY HAND: Whip cream until it has thickened but still falls from the whisk. Stir into custard with the lime rind. Transfer mixture to a freezer proof container and freeze for 2 hours. Remove from freezer and scrape with a fork to breaqk all the ice crystals that have formed. (Whisk or use a food processor to make it smooth). Freeze for another 2hours then whip it all up again.

USING ICE CREAM MAKER: Stir cream & lime rind, into the cooled custard - churn.

7) Spoon the mixture into 5 or 6 dariole moulds and freeze for at least 3 hours.

LIME SYRUP:Heat water and sugar in pan until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and let boil for 5 minutes without stirring. Reduce heat- add thinly sliced lime, and lime juice - simmer gently for another 5 minutes. Leave to cool.

9) Un-mould ice cream, spoon over lime syrup and decorate with lime slices.

Thai Vegetable and Coriander Curry with Lemon Grass Jasmine Rice courtesy of The Kitchen & Garden Book of Herbs by J. Houdret and J. Farrow

hmm…….this is a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge recipe. Lee, darling, if you want it, give me a shout, but for now I’ll just give you the Lemon Grass Rice part, ok?

For the rice:

225g jasmine rice, rinsed

1 lemon grass stalk, outer leaves removed cut into 3 pieces. (it will probably be the usual 10 cm piece from the bottom)

6 cardamom pods,, bruised

1) Tip the rinsed rice into a large pan, and add the pieces of lemon grass and cardamom pods. Pour over 475ml water, bring to the boil. Reduce heat, cover and allow to cook for 10-15 minutes or until water is absorbed and rice is tender and slightly sticky. Season with salt, cover and leave to stand for 10 minutes.

2) Remove the spices and serve with curry. Sprinkle with coriander leaves.

There you go Lee (and everyone else), a multitude of applications. So many possibilities to put your crop to use. Definitely give the lemon grass tea a go, it’s a very delicate and pleasing taste

Stay tuned for details of my visit to a local herb nursery and an update on my gardening adventure.

Stay Herbal!

Herbal holiday part 2:

From Frankfurt we flew to the UK. We stayed in a gorgeous little Dorset village called Mudeford. Temperatures were 10 - 20 degrees warmer than Germany which made outings a little easier.

Unfortunately we didnt get to do too many outings since this part of our journey was dedicated to family (and Christmas and New Year’s celebrations).

But on one occasion we drove to Corfe to visit the 1000year old castle there. I was totally in my element since I love all that olde worlde stuff, and Corfe village is to die for. Of course I would hate to be there in summer when it would be overun with tourists. As it was the middle of winter, the pubs were still very busy at lunch time but it was pleasantly quiet in the streets and in the castle grounds.

Young Harry under the sign to Old Harry. I still have no idea who or what Old Harry is, but there you go, it makes a good photo opportunity.

You can see the Castle ruin in the background but if you cast your eyes down towards my feet - lovely arent they? - you’ll see that I am standing on the edge of a herb garden. The usual suspects of rosemary, thyme, sage, marjoram, lavender, bay and probably more I couldnt see from where I was standing. Lovely old plants that were well tended, it was lovely to see so much green in an English winter. Unfortunately there was no signage that I could see to give me a clue as to why this garden was there. It was next to the Information Centre for the castle and the darkish blob just above the bay laurel was a recreation of a peasant’s hut that was being built with time true materials and methods, so maybe it belonged to that.

This sign was attached to one of the castle buildings. As usual I focused on the herbal side of things and was impressed with the trouble they go to to preserve the plants that are already there (see close up).

That was about the extent of herbal holiday gossip from the UK. Stay tuned for part 3 - Herbal Holiday - Hong Kong.

Stay Herbal!

Happy Valentine’s Day herb lovers,

I realised today that I STILL havent written about our holiday. This post is no different it’s also not about the holiday

This is about the new herbal project. A herb garden!

Yes, yes, I know…..an endeavour that is fated to end in misery, given my history with growing anything.

But I have this dream you see. I would very much like an olde worlde garden, a physic garden of medieval times. The one that is my latest obsession will not be like that at all, but it will be start of my “I too can grow stuff” journey.

So I have joined the light of my life in the outdoors - in the daylight even!! He is building a new shed to make way for his sandpit project and I so far have denuded my patch of weeds and two large yucca trees (are they trees?). I have several blisters to prove that my toiling was of a serious nature. While busy with said toiling, it occurred to me that this is the first time that the two of us have worked together in the garden since Easter 2001. It also occurred to me that this might be the reason for the abysmal state of our garden.

As part of the project I am taking photos so I can do a before, during and after thing. Not sure if I’ll put it up here or on Herbology. Depends on how big this all gets.

Since it is Valentine’s Day I thought I would give a plug for the Herbology Thymes Love Herbs for Love edition. Valentine’s ideas for everyone - herbal gift ideas, recipes for a romantic 3 course dinner and much more Yes I know it’s a tad late to only start stuff now but you may not see your love till the weekend, so some of you will have time up your sleeve yet Plus the flowers are back to normal by then, pricewise that is.

Stay Herbal!