GARDEN HOURS UNTIL JUNE 26TH:
Thursdays & Fridays:
10am to 5pm
Saturdays thru June 11th:
9am to 1pm (at the Farmers Market)
2pm to 5pm (at Belle Vie Gardens)
Saturday June 18th & 25th Yard Sale Days:
9am to 5pm (at Belle Vie Gardens)
Sundays: Noon to 5pm
Please come join us Sunday, June 26th for our “Thanks to our Gardening Family” Appreciation Party and Potluck BBQ. We’ll be winding down, finishing up the yard sales, and feeling grateful to all of you who have made Belle Vie Gardens so enjoyable. There will be good food, lots of sharing of stories, fun things for the kids to do, and quite possibly some mini-workshops. Please RSVP to (408) 686-0143 or Donna@BelleVieGardens.com to let us know if you can join us.
(Potluck contribution is NOT necessary!)
Yes – the rumor is true, this will be the last year for Belle Vie . . .
It is with mixed feelings that we want to tell you of our decision to close the nursery, sell the property and move on to other pursuits. This decision was a hard one to make with many factors to consider. On the one hand was the heartfelt gratitude and friendship we have felt with so many of you who have become part of our gardening “family”. Growing our herbs and vegetables for you to enjoy has been one of the most rewarding parts of this business. On the other hand, with only the occasional help that we could manage, the operation has become increasingly too physically demanding for the two of us and so we decided to retire from running the nursery as of the end of June. We are considering keeping up the website and email, maybe continuing to offer easily shipped items like our gardening gloves and such. If you would like to be included in our email contact list, please let us know.
We will continue to go to the Morgan Hill Farmers Market until Saturday, June 11th keeping our normal open schedule until then. The last two weeks in June we plan to have big yard sales as we try to find homes for as much of our nursery and household belongings as possible. We would love to find someone who is interested in taking over the nursery and/or property so if you or someone you know would like to continue what we’ve started, please let us know.
We really want to make sure to tell you how much it has meant to us to be able to provide you with our plants, veggies, and gardening help over the years. So many of you have told us how we have inspired you or your kids to try something new in the garden and that has made our little venture feel like a huge success. Thanks for all your support over the last five years!
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Happy Gardening (and Healthy Eating),
Donna Ahern and Kathy Nolan
Herb Of The Month: LAVENDER (Lavandula augustifolia, aka L.Vera, L.officinalis)
The scent of lavender is one of the most well known fragrances in the world. You only have to brush up against it to release its distinctive, fresh aroma. Lavender flowers come in shades of purple, violet, pink, and blue. Not only is lavender a striking garden ornamental, but its aromatic flowers & leaves are useful in cooking, cosmetics, crafts, & medicine.
Lavender comes from the Latin word lavare (to wash). Its use has been documented for over 2,500 years! Lavender is a native of the Mediterranean region. Originally domesticated by the Arabians, it was used in mummification by the ancient Egyptians and in perfumes by the Phoenicians. The ancient Greeks and Romans bathed in waters scented with lavender. It was believed to aid insomnia, relieve headaches, and reduce irritability and depression. Lavender has antiseptic properties and during WWI nurses would cleanse soldier's wounds with lavender washes. Queen Elizabeth drank lavender tea to aid her migraines. Queen Victoria used it to wash floors, furniture and walls, to freshen the air and had it strewn among the linens.
Lavender is a relatively easy perennial to grow. It does best in a sunny location with a well-drained, limey soil (neutral or slightly alkaline pH is ideal). Lavender is very drought-tolerant and is a wonderful companion plant in the garden, attracting the bees and beneficial insects. Harvest before the last flower on each stalk is fully opened, since this is the time when the oil content is the highest. Tie in bunches and hang in an airy location, away from direct sunlight. Remove the dry flower buds for sachets and potpourris. Use the dry stems to burn and scent your fireplace smoke. Use fresh or dry in cooking.
Not cooked with lavender before? Lavender pairs well with lemonade-try this to familiarize your taste buds.
Lavender Lemonade
5 cups water
12 stems fresh lavender
1-1/2 cups sugar
2-1/4 cups lemon juice
Boil half the water with the sugar. Add the lavender stems (stems & flowers) and remove from the
heat. Cover and set aside to cool. When cool, strain out the lavender and add the lemon juice and
the rest of the water. Serve with ice and a lavender blossom garnish.
Chicken with Black Figs and Lavender
3-1/2 lbs chicken, cut into pieces
2 Tbls olive oil
3 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup red wine
3/4 cup fresh black figs, quartered
2 onions, diced
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp thyme leaves
1-1/2 tsp lavender flower buds
Lavender for garnish
Saute the chicken in 1 Tbls of the olive oil until golden on the outside. Remove from the pan and hold aside. In the same pan (without cleaning) add the remainder of the olive oil and saute the onions. When the onions are lightly browned, add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Add the chicken and cook slowly until done (about 15 minutes). Remove the chicken to a serving platter. Turn up the heat and reduce the sauce until it is thick. Pour over the chicken, garnish with a few lavender flower sprigs and serve.
Herbes de Provence
This is a popular French herb combination. It's available in the spice section in most grocery stores, but you can blend your own using fresh chopped rosemary, thyme, tarragon, basil, savory (winter or summer), cracked fennel seed, sweet marjoram, and lavender flower buds. It is great rubbed on pork or chicken roasts or used in making a delicious stew. It is also delicious with roasted veggies.
Copyright 2004 Belle Vie Gardens & Nursery- San Martin/Gilroy, California
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