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Growit
My Favorite Photo
My Weather
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 05, 2007 - 04:20 pm EST : |   
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Marvie where abouts are you? Just wondering if you are in the States and they are the dreaded Ditch Lilies that everyone keeps complaining about. Apparently if you dig them up they sprout from any piece left in the ground. Hope they aren't. S'pose you could always eat them. I have never eaten mine although they are supposed to be delicious straight off the plant. I prefer to look at them.
Dj thankyou. Your garden sounds wonderful. Growing herbs in amongst your cottage garden plants is very traditional. Just had a look at your pics. Very nice and love the gourds. Do you sell them?
Growit
- Hampshire,
Zone "8/9"
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Heirloomgardens
My Garden Journal
My Garden
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 06, 2007 - 05:01 am EST : |
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MARVIE Having wild herbs isn't exactly all it's cracked up to be... that Greater Celandine is EVERYWHERE even though I've been pulling it up for almost five years now. HAHAHA!!!
MOIRA Thanks for the compliments. Yes, I sell my gourds, both finished and unfinished. It's not a formal business, though, just sort of a hobby I got into as a result of farming. Sometimes I sell them out of an unfinished room in my house (used to be a milking room a long time ago, but would be a family room now if I had the time to finish remodeling it) and sometimes I just display and sell them outside along with my fresh produce during the farming season.
Heirloomgardens
- MA,
Zone "5b"
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Marvie
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 06, 2007 - 09:09 am EST : |
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I'm in Virginia, right near the beach. I've heard daylilies referred to as ditch lilies before. I'm not sure if there's a difference though? I do know daylilies love water, i've heard people say you could plant them in a swamp and they'd dry it right up lol. I planted some of the ones I dug up in the front, we have a spot that once was a water feature that someone just dumped potting soil into and every time it rained it would fill with water. I put a few daylilies in it, and a few other odds and ends, and even though we've had quite a bit of rain the past few days it didn't fill like it used to. A friend of mine is going to plant some in a soggy spot behind her fence to dry it up too.
They do seem to sprout babies from seemingly nothing though, I've found several babies coming up where I'd dug them out in the back bed. I mist have missed some bits lol. That's ok though, I think they are gorgeous so I'll just keep transplanting them till I run out of room then I'll start giving them away =)
Marvie
- Virginia,
Zone "8"
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Greth
| | Posted on Saturday, June 09, 2007 - 06:05 pm EST : |
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Growit - the verbenas dont seem to set seed much, so no hope from that. The success rate from cuttings is fairly low too. They take a while, may drop all leaves and look dead, but later send up shoots from ground level. Do not let them dry out, they must be moist, even if the potting mix starts looking mouldy. Best striking rate I have had is in midsummer (yes with 42C heat and 5% humidity), but I have got them going even in winter. Here they are not truly deciduous in winter, they look a bit sad but the leaves don't drop and they keep growing slowly. Just take a lot of cuttings, be patient and keep them watered. Havent found any real differences between heel cuttings, soft wood or hardened wood, even flowering cuttings can take.
Join a herb club if you can, you will learn so much so quickly and people are always sharing plants :)
My herb book is listed in the Gardenbuddies classified, http://www.gardenbuddies.com/forum/messages/1228646/1229148.htmlI would have to calculate a UK price. It isnt cheap, it costs a lot just having it printed and bound. And it took a good ten years to gather information, so I think I deserve a slice.
Greth
- South Australia,
Zone "?"
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Growit
My Favorite Photo
My Weather
| | Posted on Saturday, June 09, 2007 - 06:41 pm EST : |
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Tried the link Greth wouldn't work. Said it may have been moved? How wonderful though to have produced your own book. I would love to do a book about the benefits of herbs to other plants but I don't think I will have the time until I am old and grey!
I think I may have found a source for lime verbena. We had an open gardens day in a village near me and a lady there with a stall grows unusual herbs and wild flowers. Bought a lovely Cichorium intybus and asked her about L.V. She has some but had not brought them with her. She is doing a stall at "The unusual plant sale" in our town in a few weeks so heres hoping.
Thought you might be interested to know I have just volunteered to do a few hours work a week in an 18th century walled kitchen garden! You should see it such a beautiful setting! They only started restoring it in 2003 so still lots to do. I said herbs were my thing and apart from some Fennel they don't seem to have much else planted yet. So I am now officially in charge of the herb garden restoration. How cool is that?! I will take my camera next time I go and post some pictures.
Growit
- Hampshire,
Zone "8/9"
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Greth
| | Posted on Sunday, June 10, 2007 - 04:07 pm EST : |
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Must be lovely to work in such an old original garden. 'History' in Australia doesn't go back too far - my area was settled in the 1830's, and the Aboriginals didn't leave any structures much. Apparently there was an old tree burial near one of the nearby towns, visible from the main road, but it crumbled a while ago. Some of our trees would predate settlement, theres some huge old redgums.
Here is a link which may amuse - our local town is too small to have a pub, but we do have a Tuscan Restaurant (and a great one too!)
http://www.postcards.sa.com.au/features/osteria_restaurant.html There is one other shop on the main road.
You should look at heirloom vegetable and fruit varieties for the walled garden too, would make a marvellous resource.
Sorry the link didn't work, just go look in the Buddy Classifieds - it is called Herblore. I had a long spell of being very very ill, which is how Herblore got started. I've put EVERYTHING I can find in there, should be subtitled 'More than you ever wanted to know about Medieval herbs!' I was annoyed with never being able to find the information I wanted without going through ten books, so I collected it together. I want to work on it more before handing it to a publisher, but time to sit down and concentrate is a bit limited with toddler.
Greth
- South Australia,
Zone "?"
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Growit
My Favorite Photo
My Weather
| | Posted on Friday, June 22, 2007 - 10:40 am EST : |
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Sorry Greth. I still find it frustrating navigating this forum. Missed your post completely!!
Cornwall in the outback...thats very funny. Only an Italian would persevere and succeed!
Finally found Buddy classifieds...too many sections, so annoying!...Stupendous job. I thought I knew all their was to know about herbs but still found things about Calendula I didn't know. I think your book will do very well. I own so many books on herbs. Some for cultivation, some for medicinal, some for historical and so the list goes on. Combining it all must have been a mammoth task but well worth the effort. Expect to see you out on the bookshelves in the not-too-distant future (toddler allowing!).
I still haven't actually managed to get to my voluntary job in the walled garden. One of those things you think you can fit in and something always pops up to stop you. I am determined though and when there I will ask which veges they are growing although I am sure they know about Heritage seeds, you never know. Sorry to hear you were ill. I presume now you are completely recovered?
Growit
- Hampshire,
Zone "8/9"
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Cozyglow
My Garden Journal
My Weather
My Garden
| | Posted on Friday, March 07, 2008 - 10:57 pm EST : |
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I wish I had the talent that you people have to grow these things. I am struggling to grow Rosemary, mint, and other things in small pots. Only the Rosemary is doing well on the side of my house. When I bought it, it was already a bush, so planting it was easy and maintaining it isn't hard. But,the Summer Texas heat where I live seems to kill it every year. I bought it two months ago, and I'm hoping it will do OK through this Summer. If not, I'll be back to buying another bush, 1/2 off on New Year's Eve, like I did two months ago.
I \use my Rosemary in my meals and in my soap products that I make. My husband LOVES the smell of it. I mix it with another fragrance for him. I've used Nag Champa with it, and it smells really good. I've also used it with fruitier fragrances to off-set the deep pungent smell of the Rosemary. Sometimes I put in too much of it and it becomes incredibly too strong, and almost intolerable. Softening it up with another fragrance lets the Rosemary smell come through but not as strong as if I were to leave it by itself.
My other favorite fragrances are Spearmint, Basil, Thyme, and Sage. But, I've had no luck with any of them. Basil seems to grow for me, but the cold of the winter does it in. Kills it off as soon as it gets below 50 degrees. I've covered it, but it doesn't do much good.
Anyway, the best to all of you garden and herb growers. My hat's off to you all.
Susan
Cozyglow
- Texas,
Zone "Southeast Texas"
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Greth
| | Posted on Saturday, March 08, 2008 - 04:46 pm EST : |
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Basil can't tolerate frost or anything like it at all. Consider it a summer annual. My sages are struggling and needing a little extra water - we have had about 1/2 inch of rain in the last three months. They will pull through, I expect. If they don't they are easy to grow from cutting and I keep cuttings going in my shadehouse all the time, so have replacements available.
I'm surprised if the rosemary dies in the heat - mine isn't growing, but sitting in a state of summer dormancy.I try to establish new plants as early in autumn as possible, so that they can get their roots well down before the next summer's heat hits. Maybe mulching will help them enough? Thymes are not quite so tough - normally they can survive our hot dry summers, but even the experts here have lost a lot with our current drought.
I don't use rosemary much in cooking, I find it generally too strong. Try hyssop and savory for a bit of a change. Flavours are thymy, I have hyssop and Savory of Crete growing without extra water now, common savory gets a bit more fussing in the veggie garden.
Greth
- South Australia,
Zone "?"
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Cozyglow
My Garden Journal
My Weather
My Garden
| | Posted on Sunday, March 09, 2008 - 06:53 am EST : |
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Thank you for your wonderful reply. I think the problem with the Rosemary may be that it was always in a pot, and never in the ground. This year, having bought it as a bush, maybe it will do better.
I hadn't realized that Basil was just a summer things. It did well two winters ago, but this winter, nothing. Just dead stems.
I'm thinking of trying my luck at starting my own from seeds, rather than keep paying $4.00 for every plant I buy. It got very expensive, last year.
I don't use much Rosemary when I cook, though I will try the Thyme. I guess we're just used to it. It's Dill that I've never gotten used to, so I stay away from that one. I use the Rosemary a lot with my Chicken dishes. Sometimes, with Pork Chops, but not much. I usually just stick to Basil and Parsley for that. I also use Rosemary in my Chicken soup, but not always. Sometimes, my husband just likes it the old fashioned way, and bland. Yuck. I don't care for it, but God Bless! He does, so I comply at his request and then doctor it up when it's in my bowl.
And, as I think I may have mentioned, I do use it when I'm making soaps for my business. Soon, I think I'll try putting it in my Rosemary Mint fragranced candles, too, just to see how that may look through the clear way or if I use white wax. Sometimes, as the wax hardens, I can put things near the outer part of the candles. It looks really nice when I do that, too.
Again, thank you for your wonderful reply.
Susan
Cozyglow
- Texas,
Zone "Southeast Texas"
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Growit
 Supporting Member
My Favorite Photo
My Weather
My Time
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 11, 2008 - 04:04 pm EST : |
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More than likely. They are quite vigorous growers once they get going and hate being confined.
Pretty easy to grow from seed. Most people do here as it is so cheap to buy from the supermarket it seems a waste of money to buy a plant that won't last.
Wonderful with lamb but overpowering with most meats. What I do is just pop a few sprigs in the bottom of the oven. It gives whatever is cooked a hint of rosemary and makes my kitchen smell wonderful.
How long have you been making your soaps then? My husband tried. We had soaps drying out in virtually every drawer in the house for a year or two. He never did really get the hang of it. Do you make it with that nasty caustic soda?
Growit
- Hants UK,
Zone "8/9"
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Cozyglow
My Garden Journal
My Weather
My Garden
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 11, 2008 - 04:38 pm EST : |
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No, I make mine from glycerin. Then, I add vitamin E, fragrance, herbs, teas, or whatever the customer wants. I pretty much do it made-to-order.
I do lotions, too. I make mine with lots of good healing agents. My doctor was impressed with it, and so were her nurses and staff.
Susan
Cozyglow
- Texas,
Zone "Southeast Texas"
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Cozyglow
My Garden Journal
My Weather
My Garden
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 11, 2008 - 04:39 pm EST : |
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Right now, I'm trading soap supplies from a girl who didn't get the hang of it, either, with a candle and some of my products. She's sending me Cocoa Butter and Shea Butter, so I'm trading her a candle, soap and one lotion for them.
Cozyglow
- Texas,
Zone "Southeast Texas"
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