| Author |
Message |
    
Growit
My Favorite Photo
My Weather
| | Posted on Sunday, May 27, 2007 - 10:42 am EST : |   |
I am surprised that there are so few posts about herbs on here. They are the most wonderful plants growing where other plants struggle to grow and attracting wildlife in bucket loads (technical term  ) never mind their culinary and medicinal value. My front garden is mainly herbs. Here are some pictures taken about two weeks ago. Not much in flower yet but filling out quite nicely.
Growit
- Hampshire,
Zone "8/9"
|
Greth
| | Posted on Sunday, May 27, 2007 - 03:33 pm EST : | |
Absolutely Gorgeous, Growit.
Herbs actually crop up in a lot of other topics, just not here very much. I grow and sell herbs at country markets, so have a special interest in them. In particular, I have an interest in herbs used in medieval times, and their uses, folklore, etc.My latest acquisitions include some unusual wormwoods from Asia and Africa, and some rare medicinal plants (from a herbalist friend). I am also slowly making a collection of scented pelargoniums - I'm up to 18 varieties now!
My area is semiarid, so I can't grow many of the 'woodland' type herbs, but a lot of the Mediterranean things do quite well here.
You can see my garden in the Deja Vu gallery, tho no recent pictures, I don't have a camera of my own. Don't expect too much, I have started only a few years ago from bare rocky sheep paddock, money is short, very little water, and I have been pregnant or encumbered with small child for most of that time!
Oh, and as for wildlife, mine attracts goats and kangaroos!
Greth
- South Australia,
Zone "?"
|
Growit
My Favorite Photo
My Weather
| | Posted on Sunday, May 27, 2007 - 05:05 pm EST : | |
Wow. Just checked it out Greth. You have a mammoth job on your hands. How much further along are you?
My herb garden is on a slope on solid chalk so pretty arid but although the chalk is hard to dig through at least I do not have to deal with rocks as well.
The medieval herbs info. sounds interesting. I find them fascinating as well. So much history attached to them and a lot of it said to be folklore and myth is now scientifically proven especially on the medical front. I still eat my Sage leaf a day supposed to be good for all the things women have to put up with from PMT to HRT. That sounds pretty good now I have written it down.
Let me know if you want seeds of anything I grow.
When I said attracts wildlife Kangaroos was the last thing I had in mind!!
Growit
- Hampshire,
Zone "8/9"
|
Malgorzata
 Supporting Member
My Garden
| | Posted on Sunday, May 27, 2007 - 05:32 pm EST : | |
Moira,it is GORGEOUS! I love growing herbs (just grow...I do not have to eat them...except a few ). I am afraid that in my recent garden roses and Clematis left so little place for those " fragrant European weeds" as I call them fondly. But what the pots are for?! 
Malgorzata
- Fukuoka-Kyushu,
Zone "8/9"
|
Growit
My Favorite Photo
My Weather
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 - 03:57 pm EST : | |
Thankyou Malgorzata.
I couldn't really grow much else there as it is solid chalk and sloping so whatever went in had to survive those conditions plus it is a bit of a wind tunnel which the herbs don't seem to mind either.
I already think of you as the Clematis lady especially seeing as you have that huge flower next to your ear. I take it you play with Photoshop?
Growit
- Hampshire,
Zone "8/9"
|
Marvie
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 - 04:44 pm EST : | |
Oh your herb garden is lovely! I'm just getting started gardening again, and herbs are a love of mine. I started some things from seed and am anxiously watching and waiting to transplant them. I have Basil, Oregano, Thyme, Lemon mint and Lemon Balm,Chamomile, Broadleaf Sage and Pineapple Sage so far. Nowhere near what I eventually plan to have, but it's a start =) I only hope my herb garden can be as lovely as yours!
Marvie
- Virginia,
Zone "8"
|
Malgorzata
Supporting Member
My Garden
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 - 10:40 pm EST : | |
"I already think of you as the Clematis lady " You made me smile Moira! :) I love herb gardens! What a beautiful texture and fragrance there! With the new house I happen to redesign the garden, change the soil but still have many herbs here and there in pots. My favorite dill (not popular here so may be why...ok, I was homesick) grows everywhere this days: between roses and Clematis as well. Looking forward to your many posts on herbs!
Greth, where have you been?! 
Malgorzata
- Fukuoka-Kyushu,
Zone "8/9"
|
Greth
| | Posted on Saturday, June 02, 2007 - 07:03 pm EST : | |
lol, it rained Malgorzata, so I have been out in the garden weeding frantically...
When it first rained, I had a spell of moving rocks to build up my retaining wall on the driveway, gravel sized rocks going on the driveway itself to prevent winter bogging. Now the weeds are up, and they are the big priority. Also the days are getting short, so we have less solar power for the computer, sigh.
After that dreadful drought, I have a few sad losses, many of my creeping thymes, a lemon catnip, some daisies.
Last year I deliberately allowed some plants to go to seed, salad lettuces, rocket, florence fennel, parsley, marigolds. Now I have a thick layer of seedlings coming along, and most of them are useful, so sorting them out from the weeds before they are overgrown.My husband works long hours, and is not here in daylight hours during the week, so in one week he saw the whole 85 acres turn from grey/brown to bright green.
We do eat them, handfuls of greenery go into the cooking everyday, and I'm sure the family is happier and healthier from the experience. And I dry some of the seasonal things so that I can have them in winter.
Keep collecting, Marvie, it is lovely to have all those lovely plants in the garden, and flavours in the cooking pot!
Greth
- South Australia,
Zone "?"
|
Growit
My Favorite Photo
My Weather
| | Posted on Sunday, June 03, 2007 - 04:51 pm EST : | |
Thankyou Marvie. Have you grown Pineapple sage before? It does not survive the winter here and you are the same zone as me.
Growit
- Hampshire,
Zone "8/9"
|
Marvie
| | Posted on Monday, June 04, 2007 - 07:39 am EST : | |
No, this is the first time I've ever even seen it. I've got it in a south facing bed, about a foot or so away from the fireplace wall, so I wonder if it just might hang out and survive the winter if I give it a bit of protection. Can't hurt to try at least! I'll take some cuttings to winter over indoors though just in case. I love the scent, and the flowers are so pretty, it's definately something I want to have from year to year.
Marvie
- Virginia,
Zone "8"
|
Growit
My Favorite Photo
My Weather
| | Posted on Monday, June 04, 2007 - 01:41 pm EST : | |
It does take very easily from cuttings. Used to grow them at the nursery I managed and we would overwinter them in the greenhouse. They grew very large very quickly so we did the cuttings to have some smaller ones to sell. I agree with you about the flowers. They are stunning. You maybe lucky if it is sheltered enough. Keep it pruned to shape as it can get quite straggly. You will get lots more flowers as well. Another one to try if you love scent is Aloysia triphylla (Lemon Verbena). The lemony scent is fabulous and it does have flowers but nothing very showy. Personally I think it has the best smell of any herb I have grown and the leaves can be used in summer punches etc.
How large an area are you planting up Marvie? If you want any help or suggestions just ask
Growit
- Hampshire,
Zone "8/9"
|
Cindym
My Weather
| | Posted on Monday, June 04, 2007 - 01:58 pm EST : | |
Growit, are your zones the same as ours in the States? I'm considered 8b. My pineapple sage will usually die back during the winter, unless we're spared a hard freeze, but it always comes back in the spring.
I agree with you about lemon verbena. It's such a wonderful lemon scent. Much nicer than lemon balm.
Cindym
- LA,
Zone "8b"
|
Growit
My Favorite Photo
My Weather
| | Posted on Monday, June 04, 2007 - 03:00 pm EST : | |
Yes we are the same hardiness zones as you. I think the problem is the species we are talking about. There are 2 Salvia elegans! I just googled to check which one I was talking about and wether it was the same one you were talking about. Salvia elegans is both S.incarnata and S.rutilans. I can grow incarnata I cannot grow rutilans which is commonly known as Pineapple sage in England.
Check this link.http://www.ncl.ac.uk/medplant/about_mprc/My%20Webs/Sage/S.elegans/about.htm
Growit
- Hampshire,
Zone "8/9"
|
Greth
| | Posted on Monday, June 04, 2007 - 04:53 pm EST : | |
There is a lime verbena too. Identical plant but a gorgeous lime scent. I grow both, they are a bit fiddly to propagate but very popular. I am told there is also an orange scented one, but I have never seen a plant of it and don't know anyone who grows it here.
Greth
- South Australia,
Zone "?"
|
Growit
My Favorite Photo
My Weather
| | Posted on Monday, June 04, 2007 - 05:04 pm EST : | |
I didn't know that Greth. Now I will have to find them and grow them as well!
Growit
- Hampshire,
Zone "8/9"
|
Greth
| | Posted on Monday, June 04, 2007 - 05:08 pm EST : | |
Lol, pity I can't send you one. I'm a member of my local Herb Society, I have lots of friends with great collections. I'm way behind the best of them, but working on it!
Greth
- South Australia,
Zone "?"
|
Marvie
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 05, 2007 - 08:11 am EST : | |
I took a cutting yesterday and potted it up, hopefully it will take. I'd love to have more of them =)
I have a very small yard with just a few beds in it. Eventually I plan to make the entire back yard gardens, but for now the one that runs the back of the house is 1/3 full of daylillies, has two huge peonies, a tree trunk, a pitiful lilac and the few plants I've managed to start. I plan to dig it all up in the fall and redo it, as the daylilies are hogging way to much real estate and hubby wants me to move the peonies away from the house due to the ants. I'd like to make that bed my herb garden. Though i do like to mix my herbs into all of my beds, I'd still like to have one mostly for herbs. For now though, they are just all sort of stuck into all of the beds in no particular orderly fashion.
I'd love to get my paws on some Lemon (and Lime!) Verbena. I just love lemony scented plants. I have teensy seedlings of Lemon Basil, Lemon Balm and Lemon Mint right now. I wish they'd hurry up and get bigger lol.
I spent a good chunk of yesterday transplanting basil seedlings... I went a little sprinkle happy with the seeds and ended up with about 60 seedlings of 5 types. I've given some away but I still ended up with tons that I just couldn't bear to pinch so I stuck them all around in every bed lol.
If I could get some Lavender and Rosemary I'd be thrilled. I've definately got those on my list for next time I can afford to buy anything =)
I'll take any suggestions you have to offer *g* I'm pretty new to gardening, just getting back to it after a three year time frame where I had no room. Before that I had one whole season of experience ;)
Marvie
- Virginia,
Zone "8"
|
Growit
My Favorite Photo
My Weather
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 05, 2007 - 01:14 pm EST : | |
Shame you are not nearer Marvie. I would love to take the daylilies off your hands.
Sounds like you too have your work cut out. Greth is moving whole mountains with toddler attached you have tree trunks etc. Neither of you like the easy life obviously.
Marvie first tip I would give is always carry a small sharp pair of scissors whenever you go out. Herbs need pruning to stay looking good. You need herbs which are easy with a bit of practise from cuttings!!
I will of course deny ever having suggested you do this should it come up in court.
Greth how easy are Lemon/Lime V. from seed? Have you ever tried?
Growit
- Hampshire,
Zone "8/9"
|
Heirloomgardens
My Garden Journal
My Garden
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 05, 2007 - 01:55 pm EST : | |
Moira, your herb garden is beautiful!! It is so soothing to look at with all of the colors, textures, and shapes flowing into one another, like waves on a swirling green ocean.
I've always wanted an herb knot garden, but for now I just grow herbs wherever they fit. I just planted a patch of Ambrosia, Anise, and Horehound by my rhubarb patch, but I have a couple of nicely established Sage and Oregano plants and a few Chamomile plants growing in my iris garden. I also have a few more Sage plants growing in other parts of my cottage garden, along with Feverfew and Echinacea, some Hyssop by one of my rock walls, and a clump of Lemon Balm by my water faucet. Things like Angelica, Basil, Cilantro, Parsley, and various mints are still lying in wait in their seedling trays. Other herbs grow wild around here, like Greater Celandine, Soapwort, Mullein, Elder Berry, and Witch Hazel.
Heirloomgardens
- MA,
Zone "5b"
|
Marvie
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 05, 2007 - 03:12 pm EST : | |
Heh, yeah I don't know what possesed anyone to plant trees right up against the house like that. I've got two stumps left to deal with, one of which may just have to stay where it is and decompose itself due to it's location. The other we'll dig out come fall. These beds are constantly causing me to shake my head and wonder why someone would do this or that or allow this or that to get started. But I'll fix it =) I swear nothing makes me happier than puttering in my yard =)
Here's the bed I was talking about (or part of it)
One of my head shaking moments was wondering why someone plopped all those daylillies right up front in that bed. There's a blank chunk behind 'em, I stuck some sunflower seeds back there, and a few other things just to fill it in for the summer. I did dig out a bunch of the daylillies to make a spot for a few odds and ends where the fireplace sticks out. Surprisingly, the ones I dug out and tossed against the fence (where they sat for two weeks before I finally figured out where to plant them) have buds and are about to bloom up a storm.
I've read the flowers are edible, but I have never tried them. Not sure I'm brave enough either lol.
Heirloomgardens, I'm envious of your wild herbs! I'd love to have those growing in my yard. Course, I might and just don't know it lol. There's no telling what hubby and I have yanked or killed without knowing. This yard was just overgrown and pitiful, so we basically yanked everything I didn't immediately recognize as a purposefully planted thing (daylillies, peonies, iris, lilac and rose oh, and a clematis and some glads)
I have tons of books on herbal remedies and such, and there's soooo many I want to grow.
Marvie
- Virginia,
Zone "8"
|
|
