Weeding After a Rain Conjures Up the Faint Scent of Lemons

I love weeding after it rains. If I start early enough in the day, drops of moisture still cling like crystal tears to the thirsty leaves and blossoms. On a practical note, that precious moisture sends the weeds shooting up above the plants around them, making them easier to grab. Then, too, the roots are looser in the moist soil. 

Best of all, when I weed after a rain, I am treated with amazing smells of green and of herbs salted in among the perennials. Every time my hands brush against the lemon balm, I smell heaven. Lemon balm or verbena is another of those herbs that earns a place in a perennial garden on the beauty of its leaves alone. The oval, textured leaves of the verbena stay full and bushy all summer. The stuff has a subtle but distinct lemon-y flavor just pulled off the stems and strewn over a salad.

Another herbal favorite known for its scent is lavender. Unlike verbena, it officially qualifies also as a “flowering plant." Lavender’s delicate purple blossoms make an interesting contrast to the plant’s grayish leaves and long, drooping stems. Gardeners often use lavender to outline a path. I even know of a vineyard on the Main Road with a “lawn” made entirely of lavender plants set a foot-and-a-half apart. Lavender is both edible and useful in sachets and pots-pourris.

When planning a garden, leafy herbs have a distinct advantage. Flowers fade. The gentle aura of lemon or lavender stays with the garden the whole summer long.