Lemon Verbena Weathering Contant Rainy Days in May

Day after day of thunderstorms are taking a toll on all the garden plants this week, which includes the Lemon Verbena. So, we rigged up a station for them under the deck, where they would be out of the hard, pelting rain and hail. Yes, there was some hail last night, too. And tornadoes, but fortunately not in our neighborhood.

Most plants don't grow well in standing water or constant wet conditions, but Lemon Verbena is a lot like Lavender in that they both REALLY dislike "wet feet." You can't see it too well in the photo of plants under the deck, but we have a box fan set up to blow air over the plants, gently but constantly during the heavy, damp weather. 

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Author and blogger Makiko Itoh posted about preserving the fresh taste of her Lemon Verbena by placing about two cups of loosely-packed fresh leaves, and between a half to a whole cup of sugar (brown or white or natural cane sugar) in a food processor, processing until it forms a paste. You can use the paste fresh on fruit, in drinks or in baking, or freeze for later use.

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