Harvesting The Herb Garden~

I've had emails this week with question about how to harvest the different herbs.

As with most things there isn't a one size fits all method...except, for the herbs that produce flowers for use, such as Lavender-always harvest just before the buds start to look dry. This will allow the plant to fully open as many flower heads as possible and you will not lose any of the aroma or oils.

For herbs such as basil, parsley, dill, and chives-cut as the season progresses.
The more you cut the more they grow. You can at this point in time. mid to late July, cut back at least two thirds of the plant. Most will give you a bountiful second crop.

Dill should be heavy with seed heads by now....cut the stems back to almost ground level if you are saving the seed. You can pull the entire plant from the ground or leave and hope for another new crop. Dill is iffy that way and doesn't perform well in the late summer heat. Save your dill heads in a large paper bag, hang in a cool room and allow the seeds to drop from the stalk. Remove and put into dark glass jars for storage.

Oregano will always give you another crop, it's a hardy year-round herb and loves to grow.

Depending on where you are, Rosemary should be harvested from the sides of the plant and kept in a bushy form. Don't harvest to close to the first frost date, tender shoots will suffer and may be the death of your plant.
Rosemary is happiest on the south side of the building and with some form of secure backdrop. It likes a prop.

Mints are another prolific grower, cut back to ground level now and you will have another crop by fall cutting time.

I never do any major cutting after the end of October in most cases.
Small cuttings for the kitchen is fine.

Enjoy your harvest and let me know how your garden grows.

EatWell-BeWell~

Bea Kunz

The Many Faces Of Happiness~

Smiling when no one is watching.
Tears when the world is watching.

Speaking out when others are silent.
Keeping quiet when too many are talking.

Wearing red when black would more accepted.
Wearing purple and red together.

Gardening in the rain.
Swimming in December.

Having a loving spouse.
Being a loving spouse.

Having a best friend.
Being a best friend.

Knowing that you are living your dream and being able to share it with others.

Happy thoughts bring happy actions.

Bea Kunz

~Let Freedom Ring~

~Declaration of Independence


Thomas Jefferson is considered the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, although the finished document went through a process of revision by Jefferson's fellow committee members.

(Signing)

Contrary to popular belief, the Declaration of Independence was not signed on July 4th. On that day, the Declaration of Independence was officially adopted by the Continental Congress. On July 19th, the Continental Congress voted to have it engrossed and signed. The document was ready for delegates' signatures by August 2nd, and that is the earliest date at which Jefferson and the other delegates present in Philadelphia could have signed it.

(The Dunlap Broadside)

On the evening of July 4, 1776 a manuscript copy of the Declaration of Independence was taken to Philadelphia printer, John Dunlap. By the next morning finished copies had been pulled and delivered to Congress for distribution. The number printed is not known, though it must have been substantial; the broadsides were distributed by members of Congress throughout the Colonies. Post riders were sent out with copies of the Declaration, and General Washington, then in New York, had several brigades of the army drawn up at 6 p.m. on July 9 to hear it read. The Declaration was read from the balcony of the State House in Boston on July 18 but did not reach Georgia until mid August. Twenty-four original copies of what is referred to as the “Dunlap broadside" are still in existence.

(The Engrossed Declaration)

By July 9 all thirteen colonies had signified their approval, and so on July 19 Congress was able to order that the Declaration be “fairly engrossed on parchment. . .and that the same, when engrossed, be signed by every member of Congress.” Timothy Matlack is believed to be the engrosser of the Declaration. On August 2nd the document was ready, and the journal of the Continental Congress records that “The declaration of independence being engrossed and compared at the table was signed.” Following the signing, it is believed the document accompanied the Continental Congress during the Revolution and remained with government records following the war. During the War of 1812 it was kept at a private residence in Leesburg, Virginia and during World War II it was housed at Fort Knox. Today, the original document is kept in the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

Footnotes
↑ This article is based on G. Wilson, Monticello Research Report, May 2000.

If you are not familiar with most precious piece of history now is the time to change that.

Happy and safe July Fourth from the Sage Hill Farms Family~

Bea Kunz

The Responsibility of Living Organic~

Those of us who have learned to think and act "organic" now has the responsibility of making sure our knowledge is used to impact others who are still searching for the understanding.

We must display our actions in all phases of our life to effect the production of goods, food, and power. This obviously has to be more than digging compost into our gardens. Our actions must start in our own gardens, but it can't stop there if we are going to make real change a success.

There are three ways to impact the cause.

One-is Personal. Return all we can to the soil instead of the landfill.
Grow some of our own food, and grow it without chemicals.
Take action to know and preserve our own health.
Our health care system is shakey at best. We must begin to take charge and be the keeper of our own well being.

Two-is Community Action. Whatever our knowledge is, we must share it with those around us. Be a teacher, a promoter, a leader. There are many things that can be accomplished by a group that one person can't do.
A community project for recycling, edible gardens at schools, senior centers, and homeless shelters are great places to start.

Three-Political Action. It's a fact that environmental problems have largely been created by misguided use of technology. Solutions will have to be for the most part political as well.
We must get very aquainted with our politicians, locally and nationwide.
Ask hard questions and don't settle for brush-off answers.

A good question to ask is: What are you doing to make our planet a more organic place? Be bold about what we are doing and what we need to help our cause.

Organic has made great strides in the last few years, but we have only scratched the surface to what has to be done.

Please join me in doing something that will make a real difference in the bigger picture.

Bea Kunz

The Edible Landscape~

Do you know there was once kitchen gardens and livestock on the White House grounds.
Granted it was another era, it was the norm, it was a good thing. Do you know there is a petition to encourage going back to the kitchen garden at the White House?

Roger Doiron, founder of the "Kitchen Gardens International," of which I am an active and happy member, recently had a great article in the New York Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/17/garden/17garden.html?8br

If you are intrigued, read it and follow some of the links. Read some more, and hopefully this will inspire you too...to plant an edible landscape.

An edible garden is a fun, wise, and beautiful thing to do for yourself and the planet we must all share.

Happy Gardening~

Bea Kunz

Your Garden as Your Pharmacy

Do you long to be free of aches and pains, the sniffles, allergies, and a host of other ailments that keep you less than a 100%.

You garden may well hold the key that unlocks the knowledge you need to make changes that will bring much welcomed relief.

A good maintenance plan is worth a million trips to the doctor's office.

*( please note, I'm not attempting to offer medical advice in any manner. If you have major health issues, I would suggest getting medical attention from your prefered source before adopting a self made plan.)

That being clear we can go forward.

These are a few plants/herbs that have long been used and trusted for medicinal uses.

Bee Pollen
Belladonna
Chamomile
Calendula
Cider Vinegar
Eucalyptus
Echinacea
Garlic
Grapefruit Seed Extract
Ginseng
Horseradish
Honeysuckle
Lavender
Lemon
Olive
Pineapple
Potato
Rose
Sage
St. John's Wort
Swedish Bitters
Tarragon

This a very short list and there are as many different methods of use.

Therapeutic Tea, Aromatherapy, Soaks, Supplements, Massage, and Culinary.
These are the methods we can use daily and make our own decisions and conclusions.

For a more official regiment of use-Homeopathy, Hair Analysis, Autohemotherapy,to name a few.

Each little natural thing we do for our body will reward us with a better immune system. This is the key to fighting off major illness if it should visit you.

An herbal soak, a cup of hot herbal tea, a good book and who needs more.
(Well, let's not forget the computer.)

To good health at a price we can afford.

Bea Kunz
Sage Hill Farms

Summer Solstice

~

Speaking of change and how we evolve....

Depending on where you live, the Summer Solstice occurs this year —
in the Northern Hemisphere on: June 20, 2008 at 7PM EDT; and in the UK on June 21, 2008 at the stroke of midnight GMT.

in the Southern Hemisphere on: December 21, 2008 at 10:04pm AEST.


Sol + stice derives from a combination of Latin words meaning "sun" + "to stand still." As the days lengthen, the sun rises higher and higher until it seems to stand still in the sky.

As a major celestial event, the Summer Solstice results in the longest day and the shortest night of the year. The Northern Hemisphere celebrates in June, but the people on the Southern half of the earth have their longest summer day in December.



Early Celebrations

Awed by the great power of the sun, civilizations in the northern areas have for centuries celebrated the Summer Solstice, otherwise known as Midsummer.

The Celts & Slavs celebrated with dancing & bonfires to help increase the sun's energy.

Perhaps the most enduring modern ties with Summer Solstice were the Druids' celebration of the day as the "wedding of Heaven and Earth", resulting in the present day belief of a "lucky" wedding in June.


Today, the day is still celebrated around the world - most notably in England at Stonehenge and Avebury, where thousands still gather to welcome the sunrise on the Summer Solstice.

Pagan spirit gatherings or festivals are also common in June, when groups gather to light a sacred fire, and stay up all night to welcome the dawn.

Pagans called the Midsummer moon the "Honey Moon" for the mead made from fermented honey that was part of wedding ceremonies performed at the Summer Solstice.


Ancient Pagans celebrated Midsummer with bonfires, when couples would leap through the flames, believing their crops would grow as high as the couples were able to jump.


Midsummer was thought to be a time of magic, when evil spirits were said to appear. To thwart them, Pagans often wore protective garlands of herbs and flowers. One of the most powerful of them was a plant called 'chase-devil', which is known today as St. John's Wort and still used by modern herbalists as a mood stabilizer.

Will you be celebrating Summer Solstice?

Do share....

Wishing you all a most eventful summer...full of blooms~

Bea Kunz