An Evening in the Garden

I got in late tonight and went straight out to the garden. That happens most nights this time of year. The day ends, the house goes quiet, and the herb beds are the first place I go.

We plant every herb we can get our hands on. Right now the beds hold rosemary, basil, chamomile, and dill. A ton of dill. The basil patch is the one I keep coming back to. It’s thick and ready, and over the next few days it’s going to turn into a lot of pesto.

Most of it gets frozen. Pesto goes into cubes. Chopped herbs go into cubes too, with a little olive oil or broth to hold them together. In January one cube goes straight into a pot of soup and the whole thing tastes like August.

None of this needs a big garden. One pot of basil by the back door will keep a kitchen supplied all summer. A narrow strip along a fence is enough for rosemary and dill. Herbs are forgiving. They don’t ask for much.

Then there’s the other part. Standing out here at nine o’clock with nothing to do but look at it. That’s my peace. After a long day it beats almost anything else I could be doing.

Here’s where to start if your own herbs are coming in faster than you can use them.

Garden-Fresh Pesto for Winter The freezer cube method I use for basil. Holy, Thai, and sweet varieties, plus ways to use the cubes all winter.

Fresh Herbs, Zero Waste Storing cut herbs in water so they last, and turning the leftovers into frozen cubes for soups and sauces.

Rosemary and Basil Powerhouse Flavored oils, vinegars, herb salts, and compound butters. Five health benefits and five ways to use them.

Three Plants That Earn Their Space Lavender, rosemary, and basil. Where to put them, how they hold up, and what they give back in the kitchen.

Grow Your Own Hydration Herb-infused waters straight from the garden. Mint, basil, and lemon balm combinations worth keeping in the fridge.

Garden-Fresh Lemonades Lemon balm mint lemonade and the simple syrup method behind it. Good for a warm evening on the porch.

Fresh and Clean: DIY Lemon Thyme Cleaning Spray A kitchen spray made from thyme, lemon, and vinegar. Herbs earning their keep outside the kitchen.

Cari Ann Carter is the best-selling author of Are Your Roots Right? Rightsize Your Space. Reclaim Your Life. and a multi-faceted entrepreneur with a passion for intentional living, design, and home. She leads the Cari Ann Carter Group, bringing over 28 years of experience in real estate, design, build, and renovation, and is the creative voice behind DIY Designer Homestead. Through Fresh Roots Living, she shares practical ideas for cooking, gardening, entertaining, and creating a home that supports your next chapter.

Whether you’re reimagining your current home or searching for your next anchor space, Cari Ann and her nationwide network of trusted real estate and design professionals are here to help guide your journey—no matter where you live across the country.