Bluemont Fair

Well, here I am on the first day of the Bluemont Fair. It was a glorious day and the weather had a hint of fall to it but just enough summer left to revel in. These are pictures of the booth taken just as we finished set-up this morning at 9:30am. I was busy through the entire day and sold lots of lavender, rosemary standards, pussy willow and dried flowers. The sweet aroma of all of these dried flowers and living plants combined wafted out of the booth and persuaded lots of visitors to come under the canopy to browse, shop, and especially, to talk about lavender, one of my favorite subjects. I had "Betty's Blue" (L. Angustifolia) plants on hand to sell as well today. It is one of my favorites to have in a garden border with it's deep violet to dark purple blooms. They sit next to some small myrtle standards that are great for the upcoming holidays and not quite as "picky" as rosemary to grow inside during the colder months.

I can't tell you how many times I was asked about how to keep rosemary alive indoors through the winter months. Yes, it can be a persnickety plant, especially inside, but it is do-able if you just keep it in a sunny, cool window, rotate it every other day, fertilize it once a month, keep it watered but not too wet and don't let it dry out completely. Mist your rosemary plant every few days, but not too much. Rosemary needs good air circulation as much as it needs sun. I find that if you put your rosemary plant outside on or twice a week if possible, rosemary will be much more cooperative in surviving the winter. Just remember to bring it in before the sun goes down and the temperatures really take a tumble. In short, pay attention to your rosemary plant and it will reward you with added beauty in your home for quite some time.

One of the first items I sold this morning was a eucalyptus wreath that Peter made so I talked him into making a few more for tommorrow. You see him here in his "creative mode" as I write this. There is no rest for the weary...

Anyway, tomorrow will be another gorgeous day to spend outside and enjoy at a country fair and, that is exactly where you will find me--selling lavender and such. Hope to see you there.