Cold outside but.....

BRRRRR.....

it's warm & toasty inside!

Stop in for scents...

Tastes and holiday cheer!

The Pink Flamingo Sale is on until December 13th!

50-75% off select items thoughout the shop.

Fall Harvest Open House

Our first Open House is all about health and good food.

Come taste some new Healthy Bakes that will sure to

become favorites as well as some of my new teas.

Learn how you can get healthier with Lisa's Fitness Studio

Taste health with Mona Vie Juices

and enjoy the sounds and scents of the Holidays.

Fall Harvest Open House starts Nov 14th and ends on Nov 22nd

I will also show how to infuse teas into a few scone mixes.

We will have a raffle ($5.00 tickets) to win a gift basket

of healthy bakes worth over $50.00.

We will also show you how to build your own gift baskets.

Green Love!

Summer days are few now, but we keep our shop
feeling like summer after we harvest all of our
lime green 'Annabelle' Hydrangeas!
Wreath making wouldn't be the same
if I didn't have these lovely and oh so elegant
globes of green!

Patiently Waiting ......

while my mouth is watering as I ad this post!

This is the first year I have ever grown large type watermelon.

I never thought I could grow them big. I wasn't sure what to

feed them or how often and watering was also the question at hand.

I started these from seed in a large hill approx. 36" wide and 8 inches high.

I used the lasagna gardening technique and layered composted leaves, grass clippings

and compost. I planted the seeds in this mound of gold and watched and watered when dry.

I fertilized with fish emulsion every 14 days and stopped when the melons started forming.

I never once had any bugs or mildew issues and the foliage looks amazing!

The melons are getting larger every day and I am guessing a few weigh approx. 10 lbs right now

and they are still growing! I haven't had organic watermelon since I was a kid.

My kids are hooked after watching this process. They want to grow an entire field!

Maybe we'll just grow 10 plants next year instead of just 5!

New Sign & New Name?

Believe it or not, there really is a sign in this flower bed!

It is so small next to all of the tall Cleome and Blue Salvia that

nearly everyone that has never been to our shop blows right

past our place! How frustrating when you drive to an area

that makes you feel like your out of your element.

I am working on a new sign for my shop but I also

need a new name for it.

I would love it if you could all

help me with any suggestions. It's hard coming up

with just a few words to describe what I do.

If you can somehow get all of the following aspects of

what I do and sum it all up in just a few words.

I want to combine landscape design, herbs & herbal

body products, garden shop, herb seminars, everything

lavender, unique shade plants, organics, organic produce,

garden art, farmers market, fairies, loose teas,

herbal cleaners, fresh cut flowers & custom wreaths,

tye dyes, market bags and garden pillows.

I came up with the name:

The Herb & Fern

Post comments anytime & thanks so much.

Lavender Festival Weekend

Want to make a lavender wreath? Wand?

Lavender Lemonade? Learn all about this wonderful,

world loved herb.

Our 2nd annual lavender

fest is on and we have so much to share!

Come on over and let us share our knowledge,

food, and fun with you and bring your friends.

You have a chance to win a wreath like this!

Need a little more Thyme?

We have lots it and you can come and pick,

to create a herbal wreath or for fresh culinary use

or purchase live plants to grow.

Lemon Thyme, Silver Thyme, Common & French all

here for the harvesting!

We even have cute hand painted herb pots if you
want to grow just one or give as a nice gift.

Lavender is next on the list!

Stay tuned for the lavender festival.

Lavender Fest!

Come learn all about this universally loved plant.

We will be having classes all weekend long

and we will be sharing some of our favorite recipies

using lavender. Stroll our gardens and enjoy food samples

or join a class - you can make a lavender wreath or a lavender wand

or even learn to paint lavender on a terra cotta pot.

We will have lavender plants, soaps, home cleaners, candles,

art and baked goods and so much more!

Don't miss out on the fun, food, drink and the learning experience

of our favorite plant!

Saturday June 27th 12:00am - 4 pm and June 28th 12:00 pm - 4 pm

There is a cost for each class

You can call us for more info.419-332-8504

Fe Fi Fo Fern!

Ferns are indeed my favorite plant!

Every spring I wait for those brown clumps to

burst up those funny little fiddleheads

so that my garden once again has that balance

of height and the color and texture. I am always finding

new places to put this charming and versatile fave.

Containers mixed with hosta and annuals placed in a cool

shady spot. Perfect!

Rosemary's Shadow

I love herbs and Rosemary is my no. 1 favorite!

I like how these pots were just sitting on my side stoop

with the Rosemary greening up and starting to bud.

I was taking pictures of my boys and when I turned around

to go back in the house I noticed the shadow and thought

Shadow Shot Sunday with Hey Harriet. Hope she likes this one!

Check out more great shadows on Hey Harriet.

Handcrafted with Love by Sisters

Gearing up for the farmers markets. Yippie!

My best and dearest friend and I truly are sisiters and we both are

lovers of things homemade. Maybe that's why we delve into

so many things. We want to learn it all, read it all, make it all & sell it all

at farmers markets!

We love our jobs and want to share our wares with those who appreciate it.

Those who do appreciate it know it was truly made with love!

Lau' Naturale soaps are featured in this post as well as

my handmade garden journals, healing comfrey and calendula gardeners

hand salves, and my 'funky', heavy duty farmers market totes.

This great weather and the feeling I have for this year have got me

so excited that I can't wait to get going!

Herbed Butters

Makin, bakin & talkin healthy artisan breads!

I enjoyed sharing my recipies with my girls at the Summer Kitchen!

I promised I would post the recipies and give them one more.

Here they are girls. Enjoy!

Rosemary, Walnuts & Kalamatas

1cup smart balance spread (healthier than butter!)

1 cup kalamata olives

1/2 cup toasted walnuts

1 TBSP fresh Rosemary

2 cloves garlic, chopped

black pepper

All goes into a food processor. Proceed to pulse until

combined. Chill for 1/2 hour until firm. You can freeze

this for up to 6 months.......if it lasts that long!!

Herb Butter

1 cup smart balance (or butter)

1/2 cup parsley

1/4 cup chives

1 small shallot or onion (2 TBSP)

2 cloves garlic chopped

1/2 tsp lemon zest

1/4 tsp pepper

Add in if you like chervil or tarragon

South of the Border Butter

1 cup smart balance (or butter)softened

1 cup cilantro, chopped

2-3 TBSP lime juice

1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and chopped (2 tsp or more if your brave!)

2 tsp chipotle chili powder

1 tsp lime zest

Combine all ingredients, chill 1/2 hour and enjoy!

Herb Primer Seminar

April 25th at 10 am

Our first of the season, this herb seminar is for the beginner & well seasoned gardener!

A hands on approach to learning the basics about herb gardening.

We will have lots of herbs to touch, smell and learn about as well as some herbal teas to try.

Sign up now or get on our list for our next class on May 2nd. This class starts at 10 am and cost is $5.00 per person. Class fills fast so don't delay. We hope you can join us!

Shadow Shot & Score!

My son has got skills! I couldn't resist taking a

picture of him making basket after basket! I didn't realize

I got his shadow in there too! Check out Hey Harriet! for

more fun pictures.

I shot a fairy!

With my camera!!

Check out Hey Harriet! for more great shadow shots!

Waking up!

My garden is starting to look like Spring again!

with Fragrant blue Hyacinths....

Blue Squill.....

Salome' Daffodils ......

and with this golden barberry with its tiny

chartreuce leaves. This plant looks amazing

in the fall if you place it in an area that gets

only 4 hours of sun. It turns apricot with a little red.

Very pretty!

Organic Gardening Seminar

I've been practicing organic gardening most of my life

as my father had taught me everything he knows as well as

my own trial and error, college, and from other well seasoned gardeners.

I want to teach the class to beginners who have always wanted to have a garden

but never had the time. With times being tough we need to find the time to grow our own.

Some don't have the know-how to get started. We are here for you!

March 29th at 10:00 am (weather permitting)

Hands on showing how we do it here. Hope you can come!

Wear your sh*!# kickers it gets muddy around here!

Young Man helping out

This is our adopted cat 'Young Man' he was an all indoors cat where he lived before but the outdoors have been calling him here on our farm. He is loving this spring weather and decided to help do some leaf clean up with me. He got a little high on catnip earlier so I couldn't get a good shot of him! What a good boy!

Lets get growing!

I am a bit late starting my seeds as I am every year!

This year I planned on doing some container lettuces just so I

could get some of my own good eats for organic salads.

I will also do some spinach, oakleaf and of course reds for color!

Our shop carries Livingston Seeds.

I have a nice selection of herbs, sunflowers & veggies.

I try to carry the weird stuff that nobody but me wants to try!

Foodies & Chefs like to prepare odd ball veg. it's unique!

Looking through those seed catalogs always inspires me

to try something new.

Wreaths Galore!

Wreaths of all colors and sizes and talk about texture!

The use of herbs is the key to my wreath making!

I love the way they make a room smell and they

soften any space they adorn.

Our annual wreath sale is on until March 21st.

With all the herbs grown organically and right here on our

5 acre farm, we can let these beauties go for next to nothing!

Shadow Shot Sunday

After 2 inches of rain fell we saw all of the trees times two!

Check out more shadow shots at Hey Harriet!

Herb Seminar at the Summer Kitchen

I love teaching classes for my two favorite girlsI thought I would help them out by posting some info about our Rosemary Topiary Class:

#1. Choose a rosemary plant that has a strong, single leader.You may want to repot it in a classic terra-cotta pot. Push a thin 24 inch piece of bamboo or other which marks the final height of the plant, into the pot and carefully tie loosely with twist ties or jute.

#2. Cut off all the side shoots using small hand shears or scissors to directthe plants energy up the main stem. Leave enough shoots at the topof the stem in order to sustain the plant and to encourage more growth in the top.

#3. In the second year, when the stem of your rosemary has reached the required height of about 16 inches, cut out the top of the lead shoot. This cut marks the approximate base of the final crown.

#4. Allow several top shoots to develop. Once they have reached a length of 3-4 inches,cut out the end of each top shoot. Make sure you keep the main stem clear of any side shoots that may start to grow.

#5. During spring and summer, when you plant flushes out new growth, continue to pinch out the ends of the top shoots once they have grown by 3-4 inches. Your topiary will become more dense this way.

#6. Don't throw away your clippings! Make some wonderful herbed butter or bread with it!

Very Early Spring Open House!

Come in and browse and have a cup of Herbal Tea!

We are so excited to be open another year and we can

hardly wait to show off our new arrivals. We 'll keep posting

so that those who cannot physically stop here can see it here

on our blog.

Shadow Shot Sunday

Garden Chairs at Noon!

Check out Hey Harriet! for more great shadow shots!

Fairy Land is Growing

Dead felled trees look alive with this bright green

touchable moss. We harvest loads of it to add to

our Fairy Gardens and we even add it to the bases of potted

herbs. It really gives a rosemary topiary a nice finished

look if you don't want to see the soil in the pot. It also

helps the plant retain moisture. I highly recommend using it

for part shade to full shade stone pathways and even in

rock gardens. I think this awesome free from nature plant

is the reason why I love the color green!

Follow the Fairy Sign

We are anticipating spring and all its beauty, mystery and warmer days.

I thought I would share a few pictures of what I look so forward to in the summer.
Flowers, Ferns and Fae. If you can get out of your adult mind and into your child mind
you will be able to see them! If you cannot see them in these photos then follow on.