Autumn Gathering of Lemongrass

Why I love lemongrass and six things I do with it at summer’s end.

I don’t know about you, but I’m overcome with sadness at summer’s end. Garden tasks seem more like work, and I even have moments of wondering why I do it year after year.

That feeling doesn’t last long. I take my mind off the sorrow of saying goodbye to days in my little garden by gathering and preserving her treasures.

One plant that soothes my fall days is lemongrass.

Things I love about lemongrass.

Lemongrass in containers helps keep the mosquitoes away. I’ve read it doesn’t — but it does.

I plant two containers, and on a breezy day; I love to watch it dance. It gives me the feeling I’m on a sandy beach; my feet being tickled by the waves.

Her long slender leaves arch and whip in the wind like a sea anemone, but the scent that moves through the air is of lemon with a hint of fresh-cut grass.

She is beautiful, providing a frame for other plants. Whatever color scheme I’m using in my humble patio garden, she never overpowers them. With geraniums and petunias, she is a graceful backdrop.

Planted beside my cucumbers, she keeps the cucumber bugs away. I’ve not read this anywhere, but it works for me. Plus, the long arching leaves add beauty as the cucumber gets scraggy at summer’s end.

Six things I do with lemongrass in the Fall.

• Make wreaths for tea. Place one in a cup and steep a few minutes for a light lemony herbal tea.
• Wrap leaves around chicken breasts and freeze them for a winter lemon chicken meal.
• Dig and separate stems and freeze to add to stir-fry meals.
• Wrap in bundles for tossing on a fire. They smell nice and can work as fire starters.
• Infuse in oil which I use to make soap or shampoo.
• Make lemongrass vinegar for a refreshing salad dressing. Or hair rinse. Or facial toner.

How I dry my lemongrass.

Lemongrass is an easy plant to dry. Its leaves hold little moisture, so the drying time is short. Here is a brief story I wrote about making lemongrass wreaths for tea.

After reading my article about making lemongrass wreaths, a friend delighted me when she shared this photo.

She dried hers in the oven at the lowest temperature for an hour.

Don’t they look lovely?

The sadness of summer’s end is soothed by the simple pleasures of preserving garden treasures for winter use. I say goodbye to warm days in my little garden. I give thanks.

Just that; I give thanks.

And now, a little garden secret.

To keep mosquitoes away as I garden or sit outdoors, I make a simple lemongrass essential oil mist. I could spray it on me but prefer to spray it all around me.

I fill a 32 fluid ounce (one liter) spray bottle with water. To that, I add two drops of dish soap and 24 drops of lemongrass essential oil. I shake before each use and mist the area freely. I don’t point at plants or people; I just mist the air.

The plants don’t mind.

The bees don’t mind.

The hummingbirds don’t mind.

But the mosquitos hate it!.

Thank you for stopping by. Katie

Katie Michaelson tends plants and people from her 120-year-old home and small garden. She sees strength in the injured spirit and finds significance in the insignificant.