Planting season is here.

It’s that time of year again: time to get your hands into dirt and make things grow.  Not sure where to start? I can think of nothing better or easier to grow than your own little herb garden.

Pretty tarragon.

Whether you live in a high rise with a sunny window sill, a place with a balcony, or a few outdoor stairs leading to your  door or have a whole yard to plant in, (I’ve done them all) planting a few herbs will usher summer right into your kitchen.

Thai basil- I bought two of these as we use it so much! No more trips to the grocer!

Garden, hardware and corner stores are stocked to the rafters right now with herbs ranging in price from around $1.50- $5.00 depending on where you are shopping and the quality of herb.

Salad rolls here I come!

Just imagine having a whole summer’s worth of herbs  at your fingertips, ready to cut and throw into your famous roast chicken (tarragon, sage, thyme, rosemary) to brighten up your salad rolls (mint and basil) to throw into your mojitos (mint) or to add to your favorite lemonade or herbal remedy or tea.

Add a few stones at the bottom for drainage.

So go to it. Pick up some terra cotta pots (Check Craig’s list, garage sales or sidewalks on garbage night- I have picked up many that way!). Throw a few stones in the bottom for drainage, add in some good potting soil, then add your herbs, water, and watch them grow.

Add good potting soil.

Make sure you buy herbs that are appropriate for the type of sun you get. (Don’t buy a full sun herb if you only have sun/shade.)

Pop in your herbs.

Potted herbs also make a wonderful gift for a friend, housewarming or just a cheer up. They smell wonderful, taste wonderful and are a snap to take care of. And remember, if you plant in a garden, many herbs are perennial so they will be back next year, fuller and thicker. Not a bad deal for such a small financial investment.

Water

The best part about planting herbs: Dirt under your nails at the end of the day.

and watch them grow.

Happy planting!

A couple of weeks ago I turned 40. There is a long running joke in my family that I was born at the age of 40 because of my serious and pragmatic nature as a child and for the most part I would agree. So to be actually turning 40, I feel like I have kind of caught up with myself finally. I feel weirdly grounded.

Birthday breakfast in bed, surfing! Bliss!

There is a lot to be said about aging in our culture. Many of us spend a lot of energy trying to fight the clock and stressing about getting older.  Some of us worry about beauty fading as we age, synapses firing less and generally losing what we “had” when we were younger.  It’s pretty understandable, as we live in an age of that glorifies and commodifies youth.

A fancy b-day decaf latte courtesy of Mike.

But I think it’s high time to celebrate getting older. Everyone’s doing it, you can’t stop it, so you might as well embrace it, breathe it in and enjoy the wisdom that comes with it. I may be one of the few people I know who lie about their age- the wrong way.  Half way through 39 I was telling people I was 40.

The rest of the day was spent transplanting ferns and working in the garden.

Birthdays are a great opportunity to re-evaluate. I ask the same questions every year. Am I happy? Fulfilled in my career? In a loving place with my friends and family?  Am I angry? Am I hanging on to old baggage that no longer serves me? Am I stuck in old patterns? Am I living life fully? What things do I want to do in the next year? What can go, what can stay? What needs to shift? It’s a good time to be honest with myself and move from there.  After that, it’s time to celebrate. Acknowledge the day quietly or with a big bang.

Dinner! Queen and Spadina at 40.

The past 40 years have brought me to this place in life. The road has not always been smooth and things rarely turn out the way I think they will – but it is mine and I forged it.  I hope the next 40 are as full of adventure as the last 40.

50 here I come!

Thanks for popping by! Suitably Cool is away for two weeks. Check back next Wednesday (May 19th) for the regular weekly post.