Thank you Janet! Verbena sometimes escapes the inventory of the run-of-the-mill nursery in the late spring--I often have to search for it. I'm generally too lazy to grow my herbs from seed, so am so happy when I can find less common herbs like verbena. I love its fragrance in beauty products too--there's a French hand lotion infused with verbena that smells like summer!
Thank you Betty! Lemon balm is another reliable herb that's a card-carrying (and invasive) member of the mint mob. I really love it as part of a tender greens mix for salads, for which lemon verbena isn't as good because its leaves are much coarser. But those coarse leaves are where the more assertive, lemony, essential oils live. I usually corral lemon balm in pots, since I already have out-of-control oregano terrorizing my garden by this point in the growing season. Its only saving grace is that bees love their purple tufts of flowers. But lemon balm will make a beautiful syrup too, with a gentler lemon flavor.
I used to grow lemon balm but had to yank it out because it was so invasive. But it reappears from time to time in my garden and I pull it up to make something with it. Maybe I’ll make some syrup with it like you did with verbena. Lovely post!
Lovely infusions
Redolent imagery. Redolent writing. GREAT piece!!
Thank you, Lisa! Lovely!
Thank you Janet! Verbena sometimes escapes the inventory of the run-of-the-mill nursery in the late spring--I often have to search for it. I'm generally too lazy to grow my herbs from seed, so am so happy when I can find less common herbs like verbena. I love its fragrance in beauty products too--there's a French hand lotion infused with verbena that smells like summer!
Thank you Betty! Lemon balm is another reliable herb that's a card-carrying (and invasive) member of the mint mob. I really love it as part of a tender greens mix for salads, for which lemon verbena isn't as good because its leaves are much coarser. But those coarse leaves are where the more assertive, lemony, essential oils live. I usually corral lemon balm in pots, since I already have out-of-control oregano terrorizing my garden by this point in the growing season. Its only saving grace is that bees love their purple tufts of flowers. But lemon balm will make a beautiful syrup too, with a gentler lemon flavor.
Wow, thanks Deb!
I used to grow lemon balm but had to yank it out because it was so invasive. But it reappears from time to time in my garden and I pull it up to make something with it. Maybe I’ll make some syrup with it like you did with verbena. Lovely post!