I never knew that mint plants bloom -- but this is the mint on our kitchen windowsill, producing tiny white flowers. We're also growing basil, rosemary, chives and thyme. Dave loves chopping a few pieces off when he needs them for a recipe. But we've found that we use the rosemary and thyme much more than the basil, chives or mint, which may be why the mint has grown big enough to flower. (The chives are flowering too, but not as photogenically.)
Fall is definitely in the air here in London. The temperatures are already cool -- we've just finished the coolest August in years, apparently -- and the horse chestnut trees are already starting to look vaguely yellow-brown. When we were at Stonehenge on Saturday morning, Dave and I were both freezing -- the temperatures out in Salisbury reached a high of 66 degrees that day, whereas London was 73.
It's a quiet Monday around here. I'm just doing housework and reading "Inside of a Dog" by Alexandra Horowitz, a somewhat dry and tedious book about dogs and what they know and experience. By the way, I added a widget to the right side of my blog which I'll update to reflect whatever book I'm reading at the time -- that way those of you who occasionally ask about my reading habits will know what's on my nightstand.
This has been a summer of herb love. It actually began last summer when I was in Italy and our host placed fresh lavender on our dinner table. I became obsessed with the scent. We have basil, thyme and rosemary in the backyard as well as lavender this year. I planted chived but they shriveled up and died fairly quickly. and I transplanted mint from a friend but it also died. It is all wonderful to cook with but nothing beats a small vase full of fresh herbs - my nose has been buried in one often.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad things are cooling down a bit here as well. I am not a big fan of being hot.
I love my deck herb garden. It has saved me many a trip to the store for a sprig of this or that. They do tend to go to seed if not cut regularly.
ReplyDeleteI often wish I could go inside Jake's head and know what he is thinking or feeling. Let me know if the book really makes you some sort of dog-whisperer!
I wish I had an herb box, but the cats would destroy it...Have you ever read New York novelist Pete Hamill?
ReplyDeleteI'm reading Tabloid City at the moment. Enjoy the seasonal change!