Home Again

Several folks have asked where I am and why there are no posts. I am (choose a word): overwhelmed; behind; deluged; inundated; submerged; swamped; overrun. The trip to LaPorte, IN, as well as Otis, IN and Michigan City area was great. The nice folks of the LaPorte Master Gardeners were wonderful hosts. Adi & Bert Veendendaal were so kind to open their home to me. Where else but there, could I have experienced a pizza topped with sauerkraut, Canadian bacon and pineapple (you can laugh, but it was very very good!)

Nora Akins who made all the argangements for getting me there was a sweetheart and a pleasure to meet. A long time fan of my Down to Earth columns, Marcy Dailey, wrote a poem for the introduction she gave before my Bentwood Trellis demonstration that is without a doubt, the best introduction I have ever been given. It was humbling and exciting, too, knowing Marcy knew the stories in my Herb Companion columns better than even I did.

Highlights of the trip included a trip to the International Friendship Gardens, a visit to Fernwood Gardens, dinner out with Mr. & Mrs. Russ Klosinski, the Veendendalls, Marcy and Nora at a Lebanese restaurant. And a very kind visit to Mike and Marcy's own gardens where an amazing amount of perennials, shrubs and wildflowers grow and where Marcy hosts crafts festivals 3 times a year.

As I traveled northward (a journey listed on Mapquest as 11 hours and 56 minutes and which I turned into 16 hours plus and 1,500 miles of driving...there were yard sales along the way and woods to walk in and wild plants to photograph) it was fun to see spring just beginning. The morel season was just starting in northern Indiana; a roadside stand was offering them for sale and someone surmised that because the price had been $30 a pound last year it was likely closer to $50 per pound this year. Redbuds were just opening, dogwoods were barely visible, and I got to experience spring all over again.

Photos will follow, and stories about the gardens I visited. I'm still processing the photos I took. Currently in our garden, we have rain. The maple tree outside my upstairs window has 4 inch leaves on it and they were only little green nubbins last week. Our new WWOOFer, Paul Battle arrived this past Tuesday from North Carolina to see what he can learn from me about medicinal herbs and we're glad to have his help in the garden. When the rains stop, he and I will make some progress in the garden. The big Baker Creek Spring Festival is coming up this weekend at the new Bakertown near Mansfield. With people coming from many states, we're all hoping the rains let up. If you're withing driving distance of Bakertown, and like gardening, you should check out the Festival.

And for all you who have been asking: the six (or 3) plants you can't live without on your dessert island survey will be posted soon, I promise. Yes, I still have Bhut jalokia pepper seeds for sale, no I don't have any papalo seed available. When you post a comment, if you will include your email address, I will reply directly to your questions. But the way the comments are posted, I never have a "reply-to" address unless you type one in. Oh, there was a comment about my having listed 24 books that I've written somewhere and 26 elsewhere and the comment was, "just which is it?" Two books have gone out of print, thus the lower number. And one last question regarding locating curry tree: the email address for the source for curry tree is posted on my webpage: just go to http://www.Longcreekherbs.com and click on the button, "Looking for Plants?" and you'll see the sources I list for plants and seed.

More to come, happy gardening and if you need rain, we could share some with you.