Herbs

Have you been pruning your herbs this summer?
I have and I am delighted with the results. I have been able to use the "cuttings" for various things. I have added the peppermint cuttings to oil and have allowed this mixture to infuse for the past month in my closet. I have also added oregano to olive oil as well as to vinegar and have allowed this to ferment as well for a month. I have also dried some oregano in my stove for a few days. I have crumbled the results into a jar that I will use with cooking.   
   And the plants that I have pruned are growing strong. Where I have cut two or three new branches have appeared. It is neat to see. At first I just pruned the tip. But now I prune near the bottom of the plants. Even better results.
   Jesus also spoke of pruning in John 15:1-8. Now it makes sense. He just wants us to be real. The cutting may hurt but the results of a more beautiful plant, more fruit is so worth it.  I think many of us have been pruned these past 4 years. It has not been easy saying good-bye to the credit cards, the big house, the selfish lifestyle. But the results of prudence are  pleasant people to be around. Perhaps a more grateful nation. It is no longer about me and my family it is more about us and our community, our world,  I think. 

  I am not sure if you are regular drinkers of peppermint tea. I have not been. But talk about pruning and purging and cleansing. Peppermint tea before bed might be the ticket!! I tried that last night instead of the green tea. Wow. I wonder if anyone has patented mint  tea for weight loss?  I am now becoming a mint tea drinker. I am glad this plant is so easy to grow!!!
God's blessings come in so many different ways.

The original room deodorozer and gardens

The original room deodorizer was herbal tea. It still is. My husband has the winter "cold". We read that mint oil  and moist air are good things we have to help with the congestion. But we do not have mint oil. We do have mint tea. So I have made a few pots of mint tea. 

Now to find patchouli  tea. I love the smell of patchouli. We have it is an incense to cover the smells found in the bathroom. But the smell of lemon tea will be a good substitute.

The garden is starting to occupy my thoughts as well.

I have been watching this television show called Hairy Bikers. It is interesting as the hosts are two bikers and they find new things to cook up and eat in their different locations each week. They have made sausages with "river rats", stews with road kill and other such.  They found this lady in the middle of the city who was growing these wonderful pepper plants in her back yard in pots! She was growing various plants of varying degrees of heat.

 

I was impressed. She could move the pots around. Add the soil as needed. She had over 100 plant pots. And a reputation.

  

Now it is my turn. I have a few pots but not as productive as hers. I have a small garden that is under planted and perhaps under valued.  At the moment all I see is weeds.  It is time to find the seeds,  start to grow them and, remove the weeds. Lettuce and radishes like this cool weather.