Today was one of those rainy summer days when lighting is diminished and one derives a sense of well being from hearing the rolling boom of the far away thunder as rain raps heavily on the roof.
I had picked herbs before the rain started, large bunches of herbs, opal basil and bee balm and parsley and flowering mint, and hung them to dry in the kitchen. The whole house was filled with a spicy aroma dominated by notes of basil and accented with mint.
Rain kept falling on the overheated herbs, a welcome relief after the sharp sun rays of the morning. There was quiet in the kitchen enveloped by the fresh herb aromas, a peaceful moment out of time.
I read about what to do with basil, I read old recipes for potpourri mix and dream pillows, and fragrant sachets for closets and drawers, and spice jars filled to the brim with spicy fragrance. The book had the most beautiful pictures of old apothecary shops, with wooden tables and decorative copper pots polished to a shine, glass containers with glass lids and baskets full of herbs, all kinds of herbs, lavender, thyme, chamomile, basil, marjoram, dry or fresh, arranged on the table in a seemingly random fashion, with such a skillfully composed randomness meant to charm the soul.
I read about what to do with basil this rainy summer afternoon, in the diminished light, as thunder boomed from a distance and raindrops fell heavily on the roof, and it was one of those moments that life offers unexpectedly to keep and cherish in one's memories.
Main Areas: Garden Writing; Sustainable Gardening; Homegrown Harvest
Published Books: “Terra Two”; “Generations”
Career Focus: Author; Consummate Gardener;
Affiliation: All Year Garden; The Weekly Gardener; Francis Rosenfeld's Blog
I started learning about gardening from my grandfather, at the age of four. Despite his forty years' experience as a natural sciences teacher, it wasn't structured instruction, I just followed him around, constantly asking questions, and he built up on the concepts with each answer.
I started blogging in 2010, to share the joy of growing all things green and the beauty of the garden through the seasons. Two garden blogs were born: allyeargarden.com and theweeklygardener.com, a periodical that followed it one year later. I wanted to assemble an informal compendium of the things I learned from my grandfather, wonderful books, educational websites, and my own experience, in the hope that other people might use it in their own gardening practice.