I love nothing more than a pressed Pansy. :)
I also keep a pretty basket on the kitchen table all Summer long. When I’m dead-heading flowers or interesting seed-pods from the garden, they go in there for use later in potpourri.
But fresh herbs are the best, IMHO. Such useful and beautiful plants! I’ll be starting a flat of Basil come March for the garden. We make tons of pesto in the summer. If you want my recipe, just ask. It’s really easy and freezes well. You can have a taste of Summer all year long.
I’ve kept a big Rosemary alive all winter; it’s nearly time to take cuttings from her to make some new plants for Spring, too.
Some folks put ‘geraniums’ or ‘pelargoniums’ into the herb category as well. I LOVE scented pelargoniums. Time to make some cuttings from them, too. :)
Pressed pansies are adorable. Once I filled my late aunt’s birthday card with oodles of them. She loved the surprise.
And yes, I’d love your pesto recipe, please. That sounds so good right now. My favorite in the summer is a slice of baguette drizzled in olive oil topped with tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil. Drool!
How do you root your rosemary cuttings? I’ve got a pot I’d love to propagate right next to some wonderful pussywillow branches that are starting to root and bloom.
You’ve also reminded me that I need to cut down and repot the pelargoniums. Some of them are going on 6 years old now. They’re like reliable old friends and I can’t wait to see them blooming again. :)