Susan's Herbal ID

Hand Lettered Labels and Tags for Gardens and Gift Bouquets


I made an herb bouquet for my friend Lucia's birthday last week and did something I had been wanting to do for a long time—make hand lettered tags to identify the herbs. I liked it so much I decided to make them available and added garden labels as well.


Downloadable pdf, $1.95

Herbal Fan Book

A book is like a garden carried in the pocket.
Arabian Proverb

It's the time of year to celebrate the bounty of the garden and my favorite, and only edible, crop is herbs.

For the book, you'll need:
a panel of a cereal box
a piece of paper
a twist tie
two buttons

To make the book:
1. Trace a plate on a cereal box panel and cut it out.

2. Trace the same plate on a piece of paper and cut out. I used a brown grocery bag.

3. Glue the paper circle on one side of the box circle.

4. Cut the circle in eighths. You can do it by eye or trace and cut another circle from scrap paper and fold it to use as a guide.

5. Punch a hole in each narrow end by pushing the punch in as far as it will go. It may take some extra oomph to get through. You can keep the pointy ends of the pages or trim them off (what I did).

6. Thread a twist tie through a button, make the ends even and thread them through the holes of the pages. Thread the twist tie through another button and twist the tie to make it secure.

If you want to make a simpler book, start with a rectangle and make rectangular pages.

Don't care about herbs? Make a book of trees, shells, dogs, cats, or favorite books.


LINKS
Herb Society Schools Site
A site from the Herb Society of the UK. Most of the site is geared for children with some advice about making a school garden for teachers. There's a a puzzle page, information about the history of herbs around the world, suggestions for activities such as making a tussie-mussie, and information abut individual herbs.

Herbs at kidsgardening.com
Information on setting up a garden and suggestions for curriculum connections and history. Unfortunately most of the links in the Resources section are expired.

The Herb Guide
Information on herbs including a culinary A-Z.


SUSAN'S HERBAL ID
Hand Lettered Labels and Tags for Gardens and Gift Bouquets


Downloadable pdf, $1.95

Lammas

Lammas, "loaf mass", is the festival of the first wheat harvest and the first day of autumn on the Celtic Calendar. It seems an impossible thought this year when I feel that I am still waiting for summer to come. But today the sun shines bright, the air is clear, and I rejoice in the blooming the flowers and fragrant herbs of the garden and the local harvest of vegetables and fruits.

The image was created from a photograph of a calendula blossom and is one of the Emily Dickinson Series.

May the fullness of the season bring you joy.