[Sca-cooks]2 - medieval herb garden

[Sue Clemenger]

I'd love to have a medievally-themed/planned garden, but a) I don't have
the space and b) I rent.
However...I am growing herbs (in pots on my porch) that will be used for
a french herbal blend that is 16th c, IIRC.  On the porch I've got sage,
marjoram, oregano, basil (not enough, of course!),thyme & winter savory
for the blend, and also 2 kinds of mint (peppermint and spearmint) and
lemon balm [for tea and sekanjabin], tarragon, and a big pot of lavender
(munstead).  Hanging where the cats can't get it is a huge planter of
catnip.  In four half-barrels lining one side of the walk to my door
I've got lots and lots of calendula seedlings (for the flowers)--some of
which will go into the herb blend, and some of which will be used in a
natural dye project.
The only non-period thing in my pots are the tomatoes that sit in their
"cages" in the center of each of the calendula barrels (a friend's
suggestion, since the plants like each other).  I actually have blossoms
on some of the tomato plants! Woo-hoo!
My favorite time of day has become the early morning (pre-dawn, but
light) when I water everybody (a frequent thing in our dry climate). 
The smell that comes from the herbs is just amazing.
I have enough basil to make some pesto, so that's what I'm going to have
for dinner tomorrow--fresh pasta and pesto.mmmmmm.......and maybe a
salad with some of my herbs....double mmmmmm!
If I ever have an actual yard of my very own, I will be doing raised
beds of veggies, flowers, and herbs, with some sort of paved paths (who
the heck needs a lawn?? <g>).  And maybe a low "hedge" of lavender (box
won't grow in our climate).  I had the great pleasure of stopping in
Shrewsbury last fall to see the "Cadfael garden," and I *want* one! I
took pictures, of course, and got a little pamphlet showing the layout
and the plants and all that....
Now, if I won the lottery, I'd buy a big chunk of property, and do knot
gardens.  And fruit trees. *And* the raised beds.  Maybe one of those
enclosed little pleasure gardens, and plant the ground with corsican
mint, or some sort of camomile....
*sigh*
I think I'll go out and pet the thyme.....
--maire, on a hot summer evening....

> Heleen Greenwald wrote:
> 
> <<food content>>>
> Not to change the subject or anything but, I just cut the most
> beautiful and fragrant dill from my garden and froze most of if for
> chicken soup in the fall. And my Pineapple sage smells heavenly!!
> 
> Also....does anyone on this list have a medieval themed garden or herb
> garden at their home?  I don't as yet, but I am reading a book called
> _The Medieval Garden_ and am in the process of planning one......
> 
> I am so enjoying cutting fresh herbs for cooking.
> 
> Phillipa
> 
>      ----- Original Message -----
>      From: Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius
>      To: Cooks within the SCA
>      Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2003 7:25 PM
>      Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Ahhh...
> 
>      On Thursday, June 26, 2003, at 09:54  AM, sjk3 at cornell.edu
>      wrote:
> 
>      >> Mine arrived yesterday. I'm holding off until I can sit
>      down with
>      >> both of
>      >> them (and the son has the dumbed down American version).
>      >
>      >      I'd be interested to hear the differences between the
>      versions.
>      > Is
>      > the "dumbing-down" just a matter of vocabulary (a pain,
>      and a waste of
>      > the publisher's time as far as I'm concerned, but bearable
>      if your
>      > budget
>      > won't support two editions), or is there more?
> 
>      Just out of curiosity, why would a shift in slang
>      terminology (unless
>      I'm vastly mistaken as to the extent of it) be such a
>      terrible thing? I
>      don't even think the differences are all that great; it's
>      just enough
>      to get American kids, whose school organization is rather
>      different
>      from that of their counterparts in the UK, but who, frankly,
>      supply a
>      goodly chunk of Rowling's bucks, can understand the books a
>      bit better.
>      Is the popular slang terminology of the teenagers of the UK
>      any more
>      sensible, erudite or descriptive than that of the USA? I
>      very much
>      doubt it. And Rowling is by far not the first author to
>      experience this
>      and deal with it.
> 
>      To be honest, I think most of the objections to a
>      "translated" version
>      are the result of snooty exclusivity. I wouldn't think this
>      about
>      Shakespeare, but for this material, I really don't see any
>      harm.
> 
>      Adamantius, who hates the fact that his kid's school has
>      found it
>      necessary to divide the grades into "houses" just in the
>      past couple of
>      years
> 
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> 
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