Episode #503- Herbs in Bloom

Episode #503 - Herbs in Bloom

Today’s Life In Bloom takes us on a savory swing through the herb garden. We’ll make a bouquet of herbs, create a tower garden of herbs, visit with flower and herb farmers, and mix up and herbal cocktail. “Fresh herbs really belong anywhere you put them.” – Alex GuarnaschelliThere’s a great companion to flowers and it’s growing in many gardens right next to the blooms - or should be, at least. I’m talking about Herbs. The large variety of these often fragrant plants prove to be great options for greenery accents in bouquets and arrangements - with the added benefit of fragrance. Mint is a lovely scent in any bouquet. I also grow an abundance of Basil in my gardens and reap the rewards not only for arranging but also to make pesto - to enjoy now and through the winter with frozen portions always at the ready. The perks of blending herbs with flowers are many as we’ll show you in this episode.Herb TowerHere’s an imaginative way to create a planted container garden - I call it the Herb Tower - here’s how to make it…”The Herbs were using today are from my flower friend Craig- he grew them for me on his flower farm- Z Farms! This concept takes three containers of varying sizes- and then clay pots that can be inverted and placed inside. Then the plants are planted around the perimeter of the container- and then you stack them... it's simple yet very impressive and provides a wonderful towering herb garden that can be harvested from all year!A Visit to Golden Hour FarmGolden Hour Farm is a family flower and herb farm located at 6460 Hartel Road, Potterville MI 48876 - Here's their phone number 616-826-7219You can learn more about Golden Hour Farm- their Hours- and the products they produce on their website- www.goldenhourherbs.com Scott Townley and Christian Gibson are the couple that manage, tend and operate this lovely farm- and it's worth the drive- to see this wonderful flower and herb farm in person... plus you may get the opportunity to meet Maggie- the farm dog- and smell the amazing flowers and herbs they grow!Golden Hour Farm where husband-wife collaborative, Scott and Christian, grow herbal medicinals, producing custom fresh and dried herbs and tea blends. They also grow flowers for Community Supported Agriculture, u-pick, and custom arrangements… I'll show you what’s growing and we can  learn more about Golden Hour Flowers and Herbs and their family!The Golden Hour Farm website states that you value creativity + beauty along with honesty + kindness (as well as Tea). These values closely echo what we try to encourage with "Life in Bloom" I'm so thankful and grateful that Scott and Christian allowed us to visit and  share the story of Golden Hour farm.Bloom 365 Tip of the Week- Drying and Storing Herbs- from Scott TownleyScott offered up a wonderful tip from Golden Hour Farm for drying herbs and storing them. Be sure to watch this show- to get Scott's favorite tips and tricks that you can use with your own personal herb harvest!Featured Flower: BasilFacts/Triviahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basil- Basil is a culinary herb of the Mint family- Basil is native to tropical regions from central Africa to Southeast Asia.- It is a tender plant, and is used in cuisines worldwide.- Depending on the species and cultivar, the leaves may taste somewhat like anise, with a strong, pungent, often sweet smell.- The type used commonly as a flavor is typically called sweet basil. Other common varieties include Thai basil, lemon basil, African blue basil and holy basil- Basil is most commonly used fresh in recipes. In general, it is added at the last moment, as cooking quickly destroys the flavor.- Fresh Basil can be kept for a short time in plastic bags in the refrigerator, or for a longer period in the freezer, after being blanched quickly in boiling water.- Basil is one of the main ingredients in pesto—a green Italian oil-and-herb sauce. It's also an essential ingredient in the popular Italian tomato sauce marinara.- Basil is not only a popular folk remedy for ailments like nausea and bug bites, but also widely utilized in traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine, and other holistic medicine systemEasy Pesto for Pizza on Grill #RecipeInBloomI am very fortunate that Basil grows readily in my garden - and my personal reward is that I have plenty of Basil to make Pesto. Let me show you how easy it is to make… Ingredients:Basil                Roasted Pine Nuts      Garlic Cloves        Olive Oil          ParmesanPrepare Basil leaves removing from the stem- I also cut the leaf away from the leaf stem - so that my mixture is very smooth. You need enough leaves to fill your food processor- the leaves will blend into a mixture that fills about an 1/4 of the food processor when blendedStep 1- Blend the Garlic, then add whole Basil leaves, then add roasted pine nuts, ( I show you in today's episode how to roast the pine nuts... it's gives them a dreamy taste) then add parmesan. Blend in Olive oil last to desired consistency.I love using Pesto for grilled pizza - it’s a great alternative to tomato sauce… (I show you the wonderful results of the Pizza in this show as well!)Herb BouquetJ Creates a small bouquet of herb bundles on location at Golden Hour Farm (herbs exclusively - even though the calendula is blooming). Watch the video to learn my technique for bundling- that allows for easy assembly!Flower Cocktail Hour Recipe: Flowers Grave Cocktail- Learn more about this cocktail here!Today I have a very herbal tasting cocktail that a bartender in Cleveland once served that I LOVED and he was kind enough to share the recipe with me…Flowers Grave1 oz. Buffalo Trace Bourbon3/4 oz. Chartreuse3/4 oz. Dry Vermouth3/4 oz. Fresh Lime JuiceShake, strain into a rocks glassFlower Arrangement with Fragrant Herbs at Golden Hour FarmHere’s a more elaborate arrangement that includes several herbs along with beautiful flowers - all grown here at Golden Hour Farm … I love arranging flowers on location- and it's especially rewarding when the flowers are as beautiful and exciting as these grown right here in Michigan at Golden Hour Farm by Christian and Scott!Viewer Feedback featuring flowers, foliage and arrangements from Virginia Kirwan!I have three arrangements to share with you from viewer Virginia Kirwan…Virginia- sent me pictures of her Fishnet Stockings Coleus in the garden- and this bouquet in a bubble bowl…that includes her coleus- and some dynamic PINK Fuji Mums… here’s another with a BIG Bright Sunflower as the focal emphasis… and finally a White Pitcher bouquet - overflowing with Sun Flowers, Black Eyed Susans, Butterfly Bush- and More Coleus… These are wonderful Virginia!I LOVE to see what you create with flowers inspired by Life in Bloom - we call your arrangements “Schwankes” after a viewer’s nickname. Send them to j@ubloom.com - the letter j at theletter u- bloom.com and watch for more Schwankes on upcoming showsHerbs add flavor and aroma to life however you add them, whether it’s in a recipe or as a bouquet - alone or with flowers. Try it out - I think you’ll enjoy the results. For Life In Bloom, I’m J Schwanke.