When I was planting my garden years ago, my sweet daughter opened up a whole packet of chamomile seeds and scattered them far and wide, while squealing, “Wheeeeeeeeee”.  For those of you that know me, I am a geometric person, who likes things planted in rows, straight rows  I had no idea where the seeds landed and after I got over the initial shock to my organized inner self, I delighted in the fact she was so carefree in her seed distribution.

As a result, this delicate flower from the daisy family is growing in numerous places, year after year.

Traditionally, chamomile has been used for centuries as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, mild astringent and healing medicine. According to U.S. National Library of Medicine, chamomile is one of the most ancient medicinal herbs known to mankind.

It is a member of Asteraceae/Compositae family and represented by two common varieties ~~ German Chamomile (Chamomilla recutita) and Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile).

The dried flowers of chamomile contain many terpenoids and flavonoids contributing to its medicinal properties. Chamomile preparations are commonly used for many human ailments such as hay fever, inflammation, muscle spasms, menstrual disorders, insomnia, ulcers, wounds, gastrointestinal disorders, rheumatic pain, and hemorrhoids. Chamomile is often used to treat mild skin irritations, including sunburn, rashes, sores and even eye inflammations. Who knew? For more information on the benefits and uses of chamomile, click here.

The chamomile garden patch is one of Sox’s (our beagle) favorite spot.  He smells SO good after romping around in the flower bed.

I decided to try making a tea this year using the fresh flowers vs. drying them.  Unlike many other herbs, you want to collect the blossoms only, not the leaves, stems or roots.  The best time to harvest is mid-morning, after the dew has evaporated but before the mid-day sun. Just pinch off the blossoms and shake off any dirt or insects.

As with most herbs, more quantity is needed when using fresh vs. dried.  I used 3-4 tablespoons of flowers.

If you do not have a tea pot with a strainer, you can use cheesecloth to bundle the herbs. You can also just strain the tea from the blossoms after you are finished steeping.

Add hot water and steep for 5 minutes.  Fresh chamomile tea has a clean, fruity, apple undertone which is different from dried chamomile. The Greek derivative of chamomile means “earth apple”. Makes sense.

I did add one mint leaf….which seemed to enhance the chamomile flavor, not overwhelm it.

I rarely add sweetener to my tea, and this one, in my opinion, doesn’t need anything!

After reading about all the benefits of this simple tea, I plan to drink it on a more consistent basis.

Perhaps I will experiment with adding lavender…..and concoct the perfect sleepy time tea!

Chamomile is extremely easy to grow. Roman chamomile is a perennial, growing from the same root year after year. German chamomile is an annual, but don’t expect it to grow in the garden for just one year! It self-sows freely and you can bet if you plant it one time, it will spring up in the garden from then on.

Have a wonderful weekend!

We have an ABUNDANCE of hollyhocks growing in our yard.  This is the closest thing to Jack and the Beanstalk~~as this small seed grows into a plant that is 10-12 feet tall. All the garden books suggest they grow to 8 feet, however, ours are so much taller. I’m 5’4″ and you can see this plant is double my height.

Hollyhocks, Alcea, is a genus of about 60 species of biennials and short-lived perennials.  They grow in moderately fertile, well-drained soil in full sun. It is recommended that you grow as an annual or biennials to limit the spread of hollyhock rust.

They come in a variety of colors.  I believe this chocolate-maroon one with a yellow throat is  called “Nigra”.

We have hollyhocks with single flowers in pink, fuschia, white and a carmine color.

Depending on your growing zone, they can be propagated in the spring or mid-summer.  We seem to have them blooming at all different times of the year in our yard.  They tend to take over an area, especially if they are allowed to self-seed.  You can see their growth in front of the well tower window.

“Chater’s Double” bears double flowers in a range of bright colors and paler shades, including pink, apricot, red, white, lavendar-blue, yellow and purple.  Notice how they look like a cross between a carnation and peony.

When the flower dies, then the seed pod becomes available.

Last year, we collected the seeds in a big plastic bag.  However, we failed to separate them according to color or blossom-type.  This year, I am trying to divide the seeds according to varietal/color.

Since we have an abundance of seeds, I would love to share them with you.  Please check your Plant Zone to see if you can grow hollyhocks.  If so, and if you would like some free seeds, please email me at marycrz@cox.net.  Include your name and mailing address.  Also, please be assured that I will not share any of your personal information.

I would love to see your hollyhocks in full bloom so please share any future photos with me! Happy growing!

Hollyhock information source:  The American Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants by Christopher Brickell & H.Marc Cathey

When the children were little, the henhouse was a living school.  Many of life’s lessons were experienced here~~the birth and death of chickens, the pecking order and bullying, healthy vs. sick chickens, the biology of the daily egg laying, hens vs. roosters, reproduction, bug infestation, responsibility and the care and keeping of something other than yourself.

The henhouse aka the poultry palace is located next to the garden.  Any unused greens or vegetables are readily consumed by our chickens. Attached to the back of the hen house is approximately 400 sq. feet of secured, shaded space to free range.

Henhouses need appropriate ventilation due to the ammonia released with chicken poop. We have 3 doors, 4 windows and the eaves have screened circular holes, allowing for plenty of fresh air.

It was important to me for this structure to be attractive.  The decorative chickens on the front door are made from a composite poly-resin stepping stones.  My husband cut the “chicken on a nest” out with a jigsaw and then mounted them on the entry door.

The  rooster decoration above the front door adds a bit of whimsy.

I designed this 6′ x 9′ structure to house both young, mature and ailing chickens.  The mirror layout, both in the henhouse and the outdoor space, allows me to separate the hens if necessary.  There is a pecking order and being hen-pecked is not fun.  Typically the older, bigger chickens will dominate the younger ones.  When we introduce new chickens to the flock, we separate them until they are the same size as the existing chickens.

Upon entering, the center section is allocated for feed, hay, and egg collection. There are 4 drop down panels to gather eggs from 8 collection boxes.

Miscellaneous items are stored in this cute box hanging on the wall.

I add dried herbs to the hay in the laying boxes  This Chicken Confetti is made by one of my favorite bloggers, Lisa from Fresh Eggs Daily.  Not only is it pretty but helps relax the chickens and repels bugs. Another chicken favorite is Grubblies~~think of it as treats for the hens.  This dried black fly larvae provides protein and the chickens LOVE it!

The other side of the nesting boxes (access from the side doors) looks like this.  At night the chickens roost on the bar located below the boxes. The small door near the floor allows the chickens to come in at night and roam freely in the outdoor area during the day.

Even though we live in the 5th largest city in the U.S., our neighborhood has foxes, coyotes, owls and other wildlife.  The small black box attached to the sign below, emits 2 red blinking lights at night.   These solar Nite Guard devices frighten predator animals away.  We have several of these placed around the henhouse.  They seem to work ~~so far, so good.

Having chickens (and one duck) provides us with many blessings.   For me, this is my chicken church.  When I feel stressed or overwhelmed, a trip to the henhouse is a bit of a therapy session.  The hens are always happy to see me.  A handful of Grubblies and I am their best friend.  Opening the door to the nesting box generally provides me a gift of a warm, freshly laid egg.  It is the simpleness of it all.  The smell of hay, the gentle clucking sounds….our henhouse and its residents are a gift that keeps on giving.

If you are considering your own flock, I strongly recommend it.  Small hen houses are readily available and a few chickens can provide your family with food, valuable lessons and a restorative place for you.

My husband and I have been doing the Whole30 eating plan (no sugar, bread, alcohol, dairy, beans, peanuts, soy for 30 days) since the end of February.  We both said, “how hard can it be?” Surprisingly, we have felt great on the Whole30.  For a quick summary of this reset plan, click here.

As we slowly re-introduce food groups back into our routine, this is one of our favorite recipes.

I am a big fan of Monique from Ambitious Kitchen.  This is her recipe and it is gluten free, grain free, paleo, dairy free and it’s not too far off from the principals of the Whole30.  It takes only 15 minutes to prep and 45 minutes to bake and gives the kitchen that great “what-is-in-the-oven” smell.

It is the end of our citrus season so I am using the last of the lemons.  Who doesn’t like the pairing of lemons and blueberries?????

Lately, I am using coconut and almond flour for many of my recipes.  Though these flours don’t allow your baked goods to rise like all-purpose flour, they are still tasty and do the trick. You can order these flours online or many stores have them in stock. For almond flour, click here; and coconut flour here.

First step is to mix together all the dry ingredients.  In a separate large bowl,  you mix the wet ingredients, enjoying the fresh scents of lemon zest and juice. For the best zester ever, click here.

The only sweet ingredient in this recipe is maple syrup.  The first time I made this, I used a combination of maple syrup and raw coconut nectar and it worked equally as well.

Whisk the ingredients together.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients.  The consistency thickens quickly in reaction to the baking soda.

Fold in the fresh blueberries and put the batter into a parchment paper lined loaf pan.  I coated the parchment paper with an extra virgin olive oil non-stick cooking spray.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes (however, I have a convection oven and mine was done at 35-36 minutes).

There is a glaze you can add.  On this loaf, I completely forgot and just served the bread as is.  The glaze is made with a berry jam (I used sour cherry jam), which adds a bit of pink.

The children love this loaf and have no idea it is a healthier version. For me, this bread provides just the right nibble with a cup of coffee or tea.  It also satisfies my need to bake occasionally!

Lemon Blueberry Bread from Ambitious Kitchen

When my eldest daughter went off to college, it was a good opportunity to update her room with a more sophisticated look.  It was painted a pretty green and had all the makings of a young teenage girl’s room.

Here are a few Before pictures:

In addition to green, her favorite color is black.  Painting her room black was a bold move.  But we have light floors (Canadian beechwood) and lots of white trim (baseboards, windows, doors, crown molding)…..to help break up any large expanse of black.

When you first walk in, there are two arched windows overlooking the front yard.

These windows face east and get the beautiful morning light.

I still wanted to keep her green desk chair and furniture but finding fabric that combined THIS green, black and white was a bit of a challenge.

We’ve never had curtains on these windows. I couldn’t figure out how to add curtains without covering up their architectural beauty.

After much pondering, I finally decided to do one big panel. The large drapery pulls across both windows and tucks to one side when not in use. It has a black-out liner so my daughter is finally able to sleep in a dark room.

This panel was made by Smith & Noble, using their designer fabric line, Madcap Cottage.  The fabric sample they sent matched the green and black perfectly~~the pattern was a bit of unconventional and playful. Plus their turnaround time was less than 2 weeks.

Her bed is tucked into an alcove that has a port hole window.  The headboard and wall lamp are from Joss & Main; the duvet cover from West Elm.  I made the bed skirt with leftover Waverly fabric I found in the basement. The matching decorative pillow was also made by Smith and Noble.

Her bathroom needed a facelift too.  We replaced the tile countertop with Carrera marble and repainted the base cabinet semi-gloss black.  The walls went from green to white.

Now when my daughter comes home from college, she has an updated room to use.  Though it was a big leap of faith to paint this room black, I am very happy with the crisp results.

Desk and chair: Ikea

Door, window, trim color:  Van de Cane DEW354 (a Dunn-Edwards paint but created by Sherwin-Williams)

Wall Color:  Sherwin-Williams Caviar 6990

Drapery Rod and C-hooks: Smith & Noble

Fabric: Hello Hidcote/Nightfall (17910) by Madcap Cottage

Artwork: Original drawings by my daughter

A few weeks ago, we hosted a charitable tea with New York Times Bestselling author, Rhys Bowen.  The monies raised from that afternoon go the Family to Family Foundation. This foundation provides scholarships to students in rural El Salvador who, due to lack of funds, would otherwise be unable to receive an education.

When my son was in high school, he was selected to go on a Family to Family trip out of the country and we were very impressed with the good work this organization does.

My friend, Susan Charlton and I created the centerpieces out of old books, fresh flowers, potted plants, and antique linens.

Some of the tables had small paintings that were available to purchase.  Note the fun stand my husband made from an old silver-plated fork. Paintings done by Susan Charlton and moi!

Rhys provided books for all the guests as a thank you for attending.

The food, tea and service was spectacular.  Julie Greder once again provided beautifully displayed tea sandwiches and scones with Devonshire cream.

And GORGEOUS desserts.

While the tea was flowing, we were entertained by Rhys and her delightful stories of England and how she develops the characters in her book.

What is an afternoon tea without a great hat? With a wide variety of fascinators to wide brim……

Even a vintage 1920s dress, hat and shoes!

And the winner of our hat contest is……

The weather was perfect and the cause was worthy.  Such a civilized way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

Many thanks to Ashley Rekittke from Ashley Rose Media for graciously photographing and capturing the day!

This post shared with Tablescape Thursdays 618th by Between Naps on the Porch