“Mia, look at the sunrise! It’s a beautiful morning,” Pip, the deer mouse, calls from her hollow in the cypress tree.

“Good morning, Pip!” Mia, the blue jay, flutters down from a nearby branch. “It is a perfect morning. A perfect day for an adventure. Any ideas?”

“Let’s go to the Community Garden. Moonbeam, the skunk, said new flowers are blooming. Maybe we can help in the garden too,” Pip suggests.

“I like that idea,” Mia agrees. “Let’s go!”

As they arrive at the garden, Pip sees Moonbeam and waves, “Good morning, Moonbeam.”

“Hello, Pip! Hello, Mia!” Moonbeam smiles and waves back. “Look at the lettuce patch. Isn’t it luscious? It’s thriving.”

“Yes, it is! We are here to see the new flowers and volunteer to help in the garden today,” Pip shares.

“Just a second… There we go, finished,” Moonbeam looks up at Pip and Mia.

“What can we do to help?” Mia asks.

Moonbeam points to the corner, “See the overgrown area?”

Mia responds, “Yes.”

“Would you like to help me clear it and plant some herbs?” Moonbeam smiles, awaiting their answer.

Mia tilts her head, “What kind of herbs?”

“We have basil, rosemary, thyme, and peppermint,” Moonbeam shows them four different pouches of seeds. “Basil goes well with the other soup and salad vegetables. Rosemary and thyme are good herbs to season our food. Peppermint makes a delicious tea.”

Pip’s whiskers twitch, “I love the idea of an herb section in our community garden. The others in the Watercolor Woods community will love it. Let’s get started!”

Mia volunteers, “I can clear the leaves and twigs.”

“I can pull the weeds,” Pip smiles.

“And, I will turn the dirt for sowing the seeds,” Moonbeam adds.

While working, Pip thinks aloud, “I have heard herbs help healing. How?”

Ember, the owl, overhears Pip while flying past and explains, “Different herbs do different things. For example, thyme stops germs, like an antiseptic.”

“Hello, Ember!” Pip greets. “What do the other herbs do?”

“Well,” Ember says, thinking for a moment. “Peppermint settles an upset stomach, and lavender calms.”

“I had no idea herbs are this useful,” Mia exclaims.

Pip nods, “Me too!”

“It must be midday. The sun is getting hot overhead.” Mia says, stepping back to look at their progress. “This section is ready for planting. Let’s sow the seeds.”

Moonbeam hands Pip a pouch of seeds, “These are the basil. Plant them on the end, over there. Sprinkle the seeds, cover them lightly with dirt, and tap down gently.”

“Mia, here are the peppermint seeds. Sow them like Pip is sowing the basil over on the other end.”

Moonbeam hands Ember a pouch of thyme seeds, “Would you like to help sow these, right here?”

Ember takes the pouch of seeds and says, “Glad to help.”

“I will plant the rosemary seeds between the peppermint and thyme,” Moonbeam points to the last area ready for sowing.

“This is exciting!” Pip scurries to her end and starts sprinkling seeds. “I can’t wait for them to sprout.”

Mia finishes sowing the peppermint, “Now I can water them. Carefully! I do not want to wash them away.”

Over the next few weeks, Pip and Mia help Moonbeam and Ember tend to the seeds.

“It’s getting close to sprouting time!” Pip grins as they arrive at the community garden.

“Oh! Look, Mia!” The basil is sprouting,” Pip squeals. “Little green shoots are starting to poke out of the dirt.”

A few more weeks go by and Moonbeam announces, “The herbs are growing and ready to start clipping a few sprigs here and there.”

Pip smiles, “I will collect basil leaves to add to our salads tonight.”

Mia picks a few sprigs of peppermint, “I will make tea to go with our salads.”

Pip’s whiskers twitch, “I can’t wait to taste it!”

Ember stops by the garden, “The herbs are a wonderful addition to our community garden. Everyone seems to be enjoying them. Herbs have been used for generations, to add flavor to recipes and for their healing properties. It is good we have them here.”

Pip’s ears perk up, “What else can we do with them?”

Ember thinks for a moment and replies, “Have you tried a rosemary fur and feather rinse? It makes them shiny and healthy.”

Mia flaps her wings, “I will give it a try after dinner tonight. What else can we do with the herbs?”

“Well, basil makes a good insect repellent,” Ember answers. “Mint, lavender, and chamomile mix creating a refreshing bath soak.”

“Pip, after dinner, would you like to try the rosemary rinse with me?” Mia asks. “It sounds wonderful.”

Pip nods, “Yes, it does.”

Walking home in the Watercolor Woods, Pip and Mia enjoy discussing everything they learned about herbs. They even thought of a few new recipes to season with the herbs.