April 21, 2016
Lucinda Hutson’s Zesty Summer Herbs
First, quick tour in my garden. Amaryllis by morning? Okay, kick me! Johnson’s or St. Joseph’s lily.
Also in my garden: senna by afternoon, when bees swooped onto this passalong.
When a bee chased this Red Admiral butterfly off its dinner, it found another table nearby.
Certainly I’ll never match Lucinda Hutson’s magical design. Watch our tour!
Butterflies and bees raced from one plant to another.
Even though Julia Child disliked cilantro, I know she’d appreciate its lacy bolting flowers against her namesake fragrant rose.
This week, Lucinda Hutson, tops on my list of vivacious, passionate garden poets, tantalizes our taste buds with zesty, tangy, and oh-so-fragrant herbs.
From lemony thymes to colorful, sensory basils, see how she flavors up summertime recipes.
I so envy Lucinda’s edible shade tree, a kumquat so bursting with fruit that her kitchen’s filled with homemade marmalade.
On a previous visit, I loved her allspice tree and ran out to find a little one of my own.
Allspice needs winter protection, but so worth it for those glossy leaves and fabulous scent when crushed between your fingers (or in a potpourri). On my morning sun/afternoon shade patio, I water mine only once a week in summer.
And check out her books and fabulous website! Watch her spirited Viva Tequila interview about how agaves turned into a fave beverage.
Daphne answers JoQuita Schremmer’s question about her desert willow. In summer, this super drought tough small tree/shrub signals hummingbirds to stop by.
But, is something wrong with JoQuita’s tree that has struggled a bit? Find out why Daphne thinks JoQuita’s tree is okay and what we need to know before planting one.
Like desert willow, Daphne’s Plant of the Week, Big Red sage (Salvia penstemonoides), needs good drainage. Hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies head for its spring-to-fall flowers on this two-foot perennial.
Ah, so now, how about those hands and nails? I can tell you that mine look pretty darned sad. Trisha’s to the rescue with easy, natural hand scrubs, softeners, and pretty nail tips.
In our How To section, get her “recipes” for homemade treatments.
Some people hate milk thistle, but not me! I love the foliage. Bees and butterflies love the flowers. And yes, it’s an herbal plant, though I haven’t used it that way.
The experts at the American Botanical Council can tell you about it and hundreds of other beneficial plants. They’re open every day, but on their annual HerbDay May 7, they’ll have talks and plant sales where you can pick up tried & true culinary and medicinal plants. Find out more.
Get a “taste” of American Botanical Council’s gorgeous gardens on our tour this week.
They’ve beautifully framed an historic house in east Austin with gardens dedicated to human systems and culinary/medicinal plants by origin.
And it’s simply a lovely wildlife habitat and serene stroll through designs to try at home. 
See it all now!
Thanks for stopping by! See you next week, Linda