StoneGable: Herbs

Showing posts with label Herbs. Show all posts

SUMMER POTTING BENCH AND KITCHEN GARDEN

Wednesday, June 18, 2014 Labels: Garden, Herbs, Summer

One of the best things about summers at StoneGable are the outdoor spaces! We love to spend summer evening in the garden and back porch and patio.

Now I have a new favorite place to spend long summer evenings!

Bobby and I have been very busy lately rearranging the landscaping to make room for my potting bench and a quaint kitchen herb garden.

And I'm thrilled that I have a space to putter and plant and clip herbs and listen to the birds... right off my back porch! This is a part of StoneGable I have never shown before.

Here is the potting bench's new home...

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HERB BOUQUET

Friday, June 14, 2013 Labels: Foodie Friday, Herbs

One of my favorite things about summer is HERBS!

They are culinary super stars and so easy to grow!

I don't leave them in the garden until I am ready to cook with them... I bring them in and make a kitchen herb bouquet...

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HERBAL INFUSED WATERS

Thursday, April 19, 2012 Labels: Herbs, Water

Elegant and refreshing... there is nothing boring about herbal infused waters.

These satisfying, easy to make waters are and light and oh, so interesting...

Herbal Waters have a hint of flavor that lingers as you drink it down. Dazzling!

A welcomed alternative to regular water and much more economical than those expensive flavored water. Perfect for hydrating with style during the upcoming warm months or after exercising!

Make a statement by filling pretty bottles with your favorite Herbal Infused Waters... so chic!

STONEGABLE APPLEMINT HERBAL WATER

good fresh water

fresh applemint, rinsed

Fill a pretty bottle with good quality water and add sprigs of applemint. Depending on how intense you want the flavor, slightly bruise some of the leaves, releasing the applemint oils into the water. Refrigerate for a couple of hours. Serve with plenty of ice and a nice sprig of mint.

Show restraint... herbal waters should be very lightly flavored, so you only need a small amount of herbs. They should gently infuse the water.

Some recipes call for steeping herbs in boiling water. This can changes the flavor of the herbs, loosing their just picked, fresh taste. I would not recommend this for herbal waters.

Be creative with herbs and tasty add-ins!

Here are some other delicious combinations for HERBAL INFUSED WATER...

~thinly sliced unpeeled cucumbers, thinly sliced lemons, spearmint and rosemary

~ lemongrass and lavender

~lemon verbena, lemon peel and thyme

~ citrus peel and and pineapple mint

~ lemongrass and mint

~ strawberries and basil

~ parsley... that's all

~ cucumber and basil

~thinly sliced oranges and sage

Beautiful and good for you too!

I am participating in:
FOODIE FRIDAY at Rattlebridge Farm

POTS d'herbes TABLEAU

Wednesday, April 18, 2012 Labels: Herbs, Spring Tablescape, Tablescape

One of the very first plants to go into my garden each year are my herbs! There is something so therapeutic about going into the garden and snipping a big handful of herbs for a bouquet or a meal.

Today's table brings the herbs inside and they become the inspiration for this tablescape.

Sweet pots d'herbes spread their green happiness all over this table!

An intimate group of friends had lunch here at StoneGable. We have been friends for over 20 years. Our children went to Nursery school together!

No fancy dining room table, we sat at my round kitchen table catching up on each other's lives and enjoying a hearty meal!

A very organic feeling cotton tablecloth with a small stylized floral print is the background for this tablescape.

It's pretty border drapes over the edges of the table.

SG TIP: Finding a round tablecloth is not always easy. I use my square and rectangle tablecloths on my round table anyway! It makes the table look even more interesting!

Pretty scalloped rattan placemats work well with the tablecloth. Their soft brown hue adds a layer of organic warmth to the table.

A stack of interesting green and white plates rest on each placemat.

A napkin that matches the tablecloth is folded to show off it's detailed border and tucked between the dishes.

Pot d'herbes grace the top each dish stack.

Small teracotta pots were painted white and waxes with clear and dark waxes.

They were planted with applemint...

sage...

rosemary and thyme...

Twiggy curly willow were anchored in the soil around each plant, gathered up and tied together making an interesting topiary, of sorts.

Garden twine makes a bow!

I love to mix flatware! Green flatware and a white fork in the same easy breezy style adds whimsy to the table.

Green leaf dishes sit above the forks. They were filled with olive oil for dipping crusty bread!

A rough planter box made from old wood works as a centerpiece.

During the summer it sits on my potting bench filled with flowers, but for today it holds pretty greens!

Look for a tutorial later this spring for making this rustic flower box!

Creeping Jenny's bright trailing vines look so pretty in almost any pot or planter. I love how it spills over the edge of box. Thyme and applemint fill out the box planter.