Garden Day

 It can be difficult to be present in the summertime, thinking about all that needs to be foraged and harvested for the year to come. Today, I worked on gathering culinary herbs and some medicinals to dry for this year's use. Among them are some new herbs I have yet to use, catnip and mugwort.
Some things to think about when drying herbs:

• Bundle in small amounts so that air can filter through the stems and leaves for more efficient drying 
• Hang them to dry in a place with plenty of ventilation and that remains relatively dry. We used to hang our garlic to dry underneath a covered gazebo but although the daytime is dry and breezy, the early morning brings a lot of dew and dampness which caused our stock to become prematurely moldy. This will depend on what region and microclimate you live in.
• Don't leave herbs too long in a place that has lots of sun exposure. Check them often and once they're dry get them stored in jars. Nutrient loss may occur as a result of too much sun. 

Lars and I tidied up the greenhouse after hanging the herbs (which will inevitably be dirt-clodden by next week), but there's something about sweeping away dirt that is so satisfying.

Project for tomorrow: Harvest Queen Ann's Lace (aka wild carrot) for flower pressing to use in future art projects!