handmade // preserving your garden

yesterday i had a bit of down time to hang some holiday wreathes and red velvety bows on our big ol' colonial.  i had been meaning to for some time now, but more important things kept getting the better of my attention and so outdoor holiday decor was on the back burner.  after slipping on my clogs i made my way outside and stood on a wobbly chair for far too long.  i hummed away, the brisk air biting my fingers, and hung things that made our home look like one big christmassy present.  as i made my way to the back yard i casually passed our old, abandoned garden on the way to the compost pile.  and to my surprise, parsley and lavender and thyme were growing out of the dark, hard dirt!  and not just growing, but they were rather abundant!  it's the weekend before christmas and some of these plants were looking healthier than they had been in months.  leave it to the fickle midwest to keep us on our toes, right?  maybe it will snow in, oh i don't know, may of this new year?  

after hanging the last of our bows i headed indoors to get my herb drying supplies.  i use my trustee pair of sharp garden shears and simple white bakers twine purchased at the dollar store.  i went back out and snipped all the healthy greens from the bed at their base and brought them inside and cleaned them up.  i tied the twine around the end of the stems, making a tight knot.  i then made a little loop for which to tie, and fastened them on my peg rail to dry.  i hung them in a row and stood back, happy with my seeing bits of spring and summer preserved within the walls of our home. 

the hallway off the kitchen smells really yummy and now i'll have home-grown herbs for a variety of things such as soups, stocks, and stews.  i plan on tucking that dried lavender into small canvas bags for our draws to keep them smelling good.  a pretty clever idea for andrew's smelly sock drawer i think!  so if you have some herbs growing outside or maybe some tucked in your crisper in the fridge and don't think you'll be getting to them before they turn, go ahead and try this method on for size.  and merry christmas to you!