Drying Herbs

On the far left, notice how a charming toddler has had a grand time helping Mommy by sorting herbs under the dining room table. Sweet girl!

This is just fine with me - one of my hopes for our children is that they will be at home with plants and gardening. I've been gardening since I could walk - and I remember how proud I was at age 5, watering my very own plot of flowers next to my playhouse.

All summer I've been tending basil, parsely, thyme and rosemary, clipping sprigs and stringing them up to dry. The picture below shows our basement stairwell, which I've made into a drying emporium!

Our gardening is all in containers this year, as we are in an apartment. We got the idea to use horse troughs for our gardening containers, and my husband installed the self-irrigating water system which was explained in a Mary Jane's Farm magazine from fall 2009. It is working extremely well and we're glad we've done it.

I don't have a ton of experience with drying herbs - last year I dried thyme and oregano, but not with great results. How do I know when the herb is completely dry and really safe to store? Does anyone have advice on this? Part of the problem I ran into with the oregano was mold growing in the leaves after I had (unbeknownst to myself at the time) stored it prematurely. I thought it was dry, but I was wrong.

Practice makes better, so I'm giving it another go this harvest season. Happy gardening!

Anne and Diana Topsy Turvy Doll

Topsy-turvy dolls are simply delightful; I've been working on this one for a while now and have just finished it this week.

Here is a fanciful version of Anne dressed as the Lady of Chalotte! This style is reminiscent of neither the 1880s or the Lady of Chalotte's time - it is simply a dressy and imaginative Playing Dress Up sort of outfit that a dramatic girl might dream up.

And, of course, on the right hand side is Diana. The bodice of this high-waisted gown is cream colored lace and doesn't show up very well in the photo.

I've made this doll as a Christmas gift for my daughter, and also to earn my expert level (!) Safe Toys badge in the Mary Jane's Farm Farmgirl Sisterhood merit badge program.

To learn more about Anne of Green Gables Fashion Week, visit Ashley at Bramblewood Fashion.

To learn more about Mary Jane's Farm, visit MaryJane's Farm.