Cilantro!!!

Last week I decided it was time to pull out last year's cilantro plants and put in the new plants I started earlier this spring.  This was quite an undertaking, since the cilantro had completely overrun half of the herb bed, and had self-seeded from 2009 plantings in a large pot and a concrete planter next to my door.  We just had a lot of cilantro.

A big pile of cilantro to clean and sort and store

I decided to leave one plant by the birdbath and see if I can collect some coriander later this year.  It is monstrously big.



A giant cilantro plant dwarfing the birdbath.

When I was done I had two ice cube trays full of chopped cilantro (which I froze with a little water), one large tray to dry (dried cilantro?) and two stuffed baggies that I just decided to give away.  No one needs this much cilantro!




Cilantro cubes in a freezer bag, and drying cilantro on my cooling rack

While I was cleaning the leaves I found a neat little surprise: ladybug eggs!  They're orange, oval, and usually arrayed in neat little geometric patterns that remind me of crystals.  Whenever I see these I try not to disturb them, but if I see them it usually means I already have.  I took them back outside and tucked them into a shrub that has an insect problem; hopefully they'll make it.


Ladybug eggs on a cilantro leaf