Herbs

Stepping into the backyard and pinching off fresh herbs to add flavor to anything I am experimenting with in the kitchen is pure joy! Whether it is a dash of rosemary in soup, or fresh basil leaves in a Caprese salad or sandwich, or fresh curry leaves to season an Indian dish, fresh cut herbs add that zing factor as nothing else does.

Mints
I joined a local plant swap group about 2 months ago and was delighted to double the kinds of mint plants I had already growing. I already had Peppermint growing for the past several years. It is a great perennial that I always keep in a terracotta pot. Mints can get very invasive if put in the ground and take over the entire area in just a few weeks with fast growing runners helping it spread in all directions.

The one below is the Moroccan Mint. I had both the Peppermint and the Moroccan mint earlier. They both add great flavor to summer drinks, and to chutneys and relishes. 

A friend offered some Spearmint this spring and it has been a good addition to have in the yard.

I had never realized how delightful Chocolate Mint could be until I added some as a topping to ice cream. It is now a favorite in my herb garden!

Basil
Last year, I planted some Sweet basil, Genovese basil and some Thai basil. I got a good amount to make two jars of pesto. This year, the Thai Basil seems to be doing well.

The Sweet Basil is not happy with all the rain we are getting. This is the only plant which seems to look healthy.

I did manage to get an Indian Holy Basil this year for the first time. It seems to be doing well in the terracotta pot.

Cilantro and Parsley
For the first time this year, I was successful in getting a good crop of Cilantro for a period of over two months. It was fresh and so aromatic!

It got warmer and the cilantro bolted and has a lot of flowers now. I will let it seed over time.

Broad-leaf Parsley is also a new addition to my herb garden. If this works out well, I will try growing some curly leaf parsley as well.

Rosemary, Thyme and Oregano

These three make a great addition to season pasta, salads, and pasta/pizza sauces. A butternut squash soup I make would never taste the same without the addition of Rosemary.

I use fresh Thyme for seasoning pasta and pasta/pizza sauces. It has been a very useful addition to the herb garden.

When I planted the seeds of this Greek Oregano last season, it got lost in the raised bed with peppers on one side and vigorously growing Genovese Basil on the other. I had forgotten it was there until the basil dried out when it got cooler. This little plant got to see sunlight and started to grow at an alarming rate. I quickly transferred it to a large planter and it seems to be doing well. Fresh Oregano adds so much flavor to so many recipes.

Onion Chives
Another subtle yet flavorful herb to grace any garden. The beautiful flowers add color in spring and the leaves are a great addition to salads, noodles, and entrees.
I collect seeds once the flower has dried and replant them in the next season.

Curry Leaf Plant
This one was given to me about fourteen years ago by a friend. I had it in a planter and eventually put it in the ground. It has survived some very harsh winters and I cannot imagine what some Indian dishes would taste like without using it in the seasoning.

Lemon Grass
A friend gave me a small piece of this wonderful member of the grass family. I put it in soil, and didn't fuss around it too much. A year later, it is thriving, and it was my turn to give away little pieces of it to friends. It is a such great addition to have in the yard, especially in winter when the slightest hint of a sore throat or runny nose sent me into the backyard to get a couple of leaves. Boiling these leaves in water with a little ginger/clove/cardamom seeds provides soothing relief.

Lavender
I had tried growing lavender several years ago but it did not do very well. This year, at the plant swap with a local group, a lady had some cuttings with blooms on them. I got a couple. She asked me to scratch off the stem at the bottom, cut off the bloom, and stick the stem in soil. I did just that but let the bloom be for a while. I was delighted that it has taken root and it growing well. The fragrance is heavenly! I hope it will bloom soon.

On that fragrant note, I sign off for today!

Vikingsholm- Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe

The Vikingsholm trailhead had an enchanting piece of Scandinavian design at the end of a steep mile long trail. I love visiting old homes and observing little details that used to be incorporated by architects at the time. The official website states that the owner and her architect nephew traveled to a Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark to get an idea of the design elements they would like incorporated into the home.

Going around the grounds of Vikingsholm was a rewarding experience. The tours to see the interior of the castle were not open for visitors at the time of our visit.
Apart from the entry from the facade that looks out to the bay, there was a side entrance to a central courtyard. This did not lead inside the house, but it was enough to get an idea of the layout of the home.

Walking around to the side, this beautifully designed timber exterior with a sodded roof promised of an interesting couple of hours ahead.



The entrance to the central courtyard from the side. Wooden panels with nice details lined the passage.

The first view of the courtyard, with a neatly paved walkway.

Some interesting design details on the side where we gained access to the courtyard.

A timber lined hallway looking into the central courtyard tied together the side unit.

The sodded roof looked so pretty with the fresh green sod. An article on Wikipedia says sod was used to hold the timber on the roof in place and also provide insulation in winter.

Another view from the courtyard showing a tower in the corner.

Some stained glass windows added color and charm to this granite rock wall.

 The courtyard led to the back of the house through this passage. This picture is taken from the back.

Once again, very interesting details on the back wall, with pointed timber trusses holding up the hand hewn logs of wood on the roof. This feature was seen from the courtyard as well.

On both sides of the back, were these rooms with a separate entrance. This was the right wing.

Intricate rope patterns with dragon heads at the end decorated this part of the exterior.

The Dragon heads.

Another angle of the roof where the two perpendicular walls meet.

A view of the back wall from the right side.

A very similar setup of rooms on the left side of the back wall.

 Another view of the design details.

From the website, I quote "Outstanding features of the Vikingsholm exterior include: granite boulders embedded in mortar, typical of Swedish stone churches and castles built in the 11th century; massive hand hewn timbers, characteristic of those used by the early Norsemen; carvings around the doors adapted from those bordering old church entrances; carvings extending along roof ridges with dragon heads crossing at roof peaks; and a sod roof with wildflowers."

A granite rock walkway leads to the front of the castle, and one can see the bay again. 

Getting to visit this beautiful piece of architecture was a pleasure and made the steep mile long hike totally worth it. 

Visit to Lake Tahoe- Part 2- Emerald Bay

Emerald Bay was a highly recommended destination at Lake Tahoe. To get there meant driving on a route that was getting ready for the onslaught of summer tourists. At several points, it was monitored by road construction crews and we sometimes had to wait 10 minutes until a pilot truck escorted the traffic across. With a wind advisory and a storm threatening snow a day later, the hours of the park that day were 11 am to 4 pm. We got there at about 1 pm. Several vista points along the way offered beautiful views of the bay and Fannette's Island, which is the only island in Lake Tahoe.

A Steller's Jay was splashing about in a nearby brook. There were a few clouds in the sky and it was a perfect day for a visit.

We parked at the parking lot for the Vikingsholm Trailhead. A huge granite rock welcomes you as you get out of your vehicle. Some great views from this point!

Both the parks website and the Vikingsholm site warns visitors about the steep mile long trail that takes you to the castle. A sign at the trailhead also asks people with medical conditions to keep away. However, this was a very popular trail going by the number of people using it. A lot of young couples used it for a brisk walking hike. I should have taken my hiking poles to aid in climbing back up, I would've covered the distance in less than the 25 minutes I took to do it without them. It was absolutely worth the walk down. The trail was very scenic with wildflowers, streams and lush green foliage dotting the route.

At the bottom of the trail, one is at the same level as Fannette's island, after walking down 500 feet in elevation. 

The Vikingsholm castle stands there in all its glory! It is a beautiful piece of Scandinavian architecture, built in 1928, depicting medieval times. The tours were not operational when we visited but just the outside was enough to keep me mesmerized. I will write about this in detail in a separate post. Old homes like this one always deserve a post of their own. 

As we walked away, this small house was on the side. 

I turned the camera on the trail backwards as we climbed back up to our vehicle.