The garden is fairly groaning under the weight of herbs just now. Actually many folks would say my garden ought to groan when it sees itself so overgrown and weedy. But no, I like it that way.
I love the rugged naturalness (is that even a word) of the garden when the herbs are all bountious and over-grown. It makes me think back to those illustrations in old children’s books of secret long forgotten English country gardens, heady with the scents of flowers and herbs and full of the sound of bees and birds. I tend to let these imaginings overrule any thoughts of getting down to the weeding….
I’ve been harvesting herbs again this weekend. Hanging them to dry in HQ and enjoying their colours and scents before they dry out.
Lemon Balm has been one of my long term favourites in the garden. It is so easy to grow, looks wonderful in its varigated yellow and green colouring, and the smell, well it is just amazing.
I use it for salads, drinks, cooking, bathing and even to polish the kitchen table.
Yes here is a seriously simple use for lemon balm. It makes a great natural wood polish. The natural essential oils in the plant feed the wood and the scent of lemon keeps flies away too.
The kitchen smells great, the wood shines and the flies stay off the table. What more could you want from a natural wood polish, far better than anything you can get in a can.
Karon x
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