Speaking of herbs...

We love to garden, well, at least for the first half of summer (until it gets too hot/buggy/weedy). Every year since we moved into our house, we've added on to our garden. We've grown (with wildly varying success) tomatoes, onions, peppers, watermelon, cantaloupe, squash, okra, blueberries, broccoli, lettuce and carrots (and my little key lime plant). We are undecided on our garden plantings this year due to the drought & water restrictions. Last year we constructed a great watering system (misters & drip), but at this point they are only allowed to be used once a week.

Some of last year's garden bounty

Watermelon


Cantaloupe


Yummy little 'maters


Banana peppers


Potted tomato plants & basil

However, I have to grow my herbs! They are just too easy to grow instead of shelling out big bucks at the store to buy them. Our perennial herbs are rosemary, thyme, chives and our biannual Italian flat leaf parsley. I've already started growing some seedlings of basil (2 kinds), cilantro and more Italian flat leaf parsley (can never have too much!) inside.

I started growing them just about a month ago with the little peat pots and mini-greenhouse -


I do not have an updated picture of my cute seedlings, but I will soon! They are growing like weeds (well, they kinda are weeds... but very tasty ones!).

We had a nice time checking out Wake Forest's HerbFest. We went early on Saturday morning and were rewarded with a vast selection of plants. I practiced self restraint and only bought 1 basil (Greek), 1 mint (Spearmint - perfect for mojitos), 1 sweet bay, and 3 Ms. Huff lantana. I am terribly tempted to go back for more and I can because the festival continues on through this weekend! Here are 2 pictures from HerbFest last Saturday morning - I think they can consider it a smashing success once again: