Hip hip hooray.......herbs are on the way

Hi everyone and for those 'doubting Thomas' I told you I would be back. The work has been done by my wonderful hubby and the herbs are lovingly potted, fertilised and on their way to our dinner table soon.....we hope. I cannot tell you how much I have missed these gorgeous beings and let me tell you that since they were potted just days ago, each morning one of the first things I do is to go and say hello to them (well if Prince Charles can chat to his plants, so can all of us and I love it.)

As I have said in an earlier blog, we have had an unnaturally cold winter here in Bris Vegas and, (as I sit here with my second head cold and not breathing terribly well but all will be OK) I am a little 'over' wearing the scarves etc. I was sitting watching my Nigella 7 playing soccer a couple of weekends ago whilst chatting to one of the other mums and this mum was telling me how she is 'over' her winter wardrobe and is looking forward to her summer clothes.....I am hearing you babe! Hence, the pots have had a tough time and so I welcomed my hubby consenting to go off herb buying recently.

Here is the start of what we are all hoping will be a fab summer harvest. We have planted the usual, parsley, mint, basil (oh how I love basil), oregano, thyme and rosemary and am so excited. I really am!

We visited my parents over the weekend and on our arrival my darling mum and dad were out in the sun gardening away. Mum has always been a keen gardener and is where my love for flowers and plants clearly comes from. She also has many pots and amongst them has the most incredible Camellia. Mum informs me it is a Commander variety and was a gift from her darling sister. Each and every time I see it I stand in envy but more so joy, it has so many happy buds adorning it and the blooms are out of this world. The answer to this vision of loveliness mum tells me is..........Epsom salts. Her Kumquat pot also has a gorgeous orange and dark green combination of colour, again, the result of Epsom salts. So, whilst chatting, I mentioned my once blooming but now very sad potted lime tree which is clearly not happy and guess what.....you guessed it......Epsom salts was suggested.

So I have given it a feed of Epsom salts and I await the outcome. I can't wait to see how things go as I have harvested numerous limes from the tree over the last two years from this lovely pot and interestingly enough it was my darling aunt (yes the Camellia gift-giver and very keen gardener too) who, along with her lovely water lillies in her pond and amazing Wisteria climbing the pergola at her front door, has the most fabulous lime tree in a pot on her balcony with a regular and plentiful supply of fruit. Being a keen cook and loving Thai cuisine, I decided to purchase one for our deck though since moving to our new abode, I feel the windy balcony seems to be challenging it. However as my darling teenager would say to me "green thoughts mum......stay positive.......green thoughts" so I am heeding Nigella 7's and mum's words, have my fingers crossed and I await whatever surprise may occur within the next months. Oh and how I am looking forward to the rise in temperature with spring just around the corner.