Raised Bed and Garden Pictures

I took a few pictures in the garden today to share here and also wanted to tell you about the project I just finished; making some raised beds. For the raised beds I bought some lumber at the Restore which is a store run by Habitat for Humanity. They sell alot of used items donated by contractors including wood. These boards I got are 8" by 2" and very heavy sturdy lumber. I made the boxes 8 feet long by 3 1/2 feet wide using 4X4 posts for corners. I made two of these boxes and put them in front of my workshop building in an area that is weedy and gravely. They will do alot to improve the aethetics of the area! The next part of the plan is to build a patio of sorts with pavers - but that will have to wait. I filled the first box with a combination of horse manure, goat manure, chicken manure, straw and dirt; all from the property (its not just cheap, its sustainable!). I'll probably be able to get a few perennials in their this fall yet. The second box however will have to wait as I will fill it gradually over the winter.


Clover didn't grow where I planted it near the fruit trees, but it did come up volunteering in my bed; which is ok by me. I find it attractive as well as useful.

Here are pictures of my pumpkin, zucchini, larkspur and holy basil.

Wedding Herbs

My younger brother finally tied the knot so to speak and got married. For his wedding I put together an assortment of herbs as an 'Herbal Blessing'. Sometimes these herb mixes can be used instead of rice to toss at the couple with wishes of good luck. They don't have the problems that rice has with expanding in a bird's stomach and they don't have the problems of causing weeds like seeds do. They can also be placed in a bowl for guests to scoop out some to put into small organza bags. However, the place where my brother's wedding was did not allow anything loose like this so they put the herbs in organza bags before the wedding and set them in the reception area for guests to take.

Each herb has a specific meaning. Although flowers and herbs have probably always had meanings, they were popularized during Victorian times when polite people would never openly talk about their feelings but would rather send their messages (especially those that dealt with love) in the form of flowers. Even though we tend to speak quite freely now, using herbs to send a message adds a nice touch.


Here are the herbs and their meanings that I included in this combination:
Rose for Love
Lavender for Devotion
Rosemary for Remembrance
Larkspur for Joy
Sage for Virtue
Chamomile for Patience
Thyme for Strength