Giving Thanks and Being Grateful

I've taken a short break from writing, just to cleanse and rest my brain.  It's getting to that time of year when I like to stay home, decorate, clean, nest, cook and bake.  Mike and I both love to have the house fill with scents of anything homey and warm.  We love our tart burners, essential oil infusers, candles, incense, and simmering spices.  The pot on the wood stove always has something brewing in it.

I've also been giving some thought to the things I'm thankful for.  I think it's important to be thankful all year to keep everything in check.  It simply makes me happier to be always thinking about the things that I'm grateful for.

My followers and readers of this silly little blog are such a source of joy for me.  Most of you share my interests in the things I feel compelled to write about, and I always look forward to hearing from people.  So, I am doing a little seed giveaway.

I have an abundance of certain seeds that are very important to me and I have enough to share.  All of these seeds are from plants that have thrived on this property at least three years.  That means that no seed company has been involved to corrupt these seeds, no chemicals have been used, and nature has been in complete control of the reproduction.

Amaranth in full bloom

The first seed I have to give away is amaranth.  I have written a lot about amaranth as a dried flower, a vegetable and a really unique ornamental garden plant. The young leaves and seeds are edible.  They grow about 5 to 6 feet tall and couldn't be easier to grow.  I don't know why they aren't more popular in landscapes.  But they will be now!

Amaranth seedlings about a foot tall.

All I did to establish my amaranth patch is to leave it in the garden and let it reseed itself.  I have had the same plants 7 or 8 years.  Each plant will make thousands of seeds, which you can collect and share, eat, or leave them to reseed in the garden for next year.  I have had them growing in pots also, but they do not get as tall.


Another plant I talk a lot about is Calendula.  Calendula is one of the happiest flowers I know of and once established in your garden, will flourish and be super abundant for whatever you want to use it for.  Like amaranth, it has many uses.  I dry the flowers for a medicinal tea.  It's used in face creams and other cosmetics.  It's also a beautiful landscape annual.  It flowers early and keeps flowering all summer and into the winter.  It will tolerate light frosts.

Calendula in the garden early in the spring

So, as for the giveaway.  Here is what we will do.  I will mail a bunch of both of these seeds to the first 3 people to send me their mailing address and name.  You can send it to my email address: theblueladyofthelake@gmail.com.  Each additional name and address I receive with then be put in a hat and I will pick 3 more people to receive seeds.

The deadline will be Tuesday, September 4th, 2018 and I will pick the names that day and mail them.

Thank you all for supporting me and my ramblings.  Have a wonderful happy, healthy day.

Calendula, lemon balm and comfrey in my bath water

Calendula Seeds

Making calendula infused oil