I started an herb garden this year. I love cooking with fresh herbs. Pasta dishes, vegetable dishes, meat and cheese dishes, sun tea...really anything benefits from adding fresh herbs.
I have planted rosemary, mint, cilantro, basil, thyme, tarragon, Italian parsley, regular parsley, and a couple of other miscellaneous herbs.
The children have taken on the task of keeping the herbs watered. Joshua and Grace are always snipping or tearing off a leaf of an herb here or there, trying to understand the levels of flavor. They both enjoy experimenting with the herbs when they cook in the kitchen.
There is something therapeutic about growing your own food. There is nothing as stress-relieving as running your hands through the soft, sun-warmed earth and planting a tiny seedling or group of seeds, standing back, and watching the Lord make the plant grow.
This year, besides the abundance of herbs, we currently have Charlie's blueberries coming in. Soon, Grace's sunflowers will open and we may be able to steal a few seeds before the birds pick them apart. John is working on a 300 pound pumpkin; no kidding. I'll post a picture if that really works out! We have enjoyed fresh lettuce, sugar snap peas, and onions from the garden. We hope to soon enjoy tomatoes and some zucchini.
The weather has been perfect for our inattention to the gardening duties. I feel blessed that we are able to reap so much from such little effort this year. What a blessing!
