As some readers may know, I work full-time in addition to running my herb business. I grow my herbs on a back acre of a commercial property, so it is not just a quick walk out my back door to pluck or weed herbs. As a result I have carefully prepared the soil in my 3/4 acre herb garden so that weeding is a task, not a chore. I maintain this unattended garden by mulching. Since I cannot water this garden with anything other than mother nature's rain, I also use the mulch to hold moisture.
For me mulching is part of the annual ritual, but when I started I spent a couple years augmenting the soil by tilling in compost and sand. I worked these down into the soil before any planting was done, and did so even around the perennials afterward. This created a very loamy and soft soil, so pulling the weeds that sprout is not difficult. Just doing this cuts weeding time by half. If you don't have to struggle to get the weeds out, you can linger over the plants instead.
You should mulch your garden even if it is right outside your back door because mulching...[More]
Site: This Basil, just like sweet basil needs a sunny location which receives at least 6-8 hours of bright light per day and moist but well drained soil conditions. Protect from heavy wind, frost and scorching. It does not do well with blaring midday sun.
Propagation: Sow seeds thinly in a warm location in pots or directly in the soil after danger of frost has passed. Sow evenly, covering with 1/4" of soil and keep moist and free of weeds. Germination will occur within 5 - 8 days. Once seedlings have developed, they can be thinned or transplanted to stand 6" - 12" apart. Seeds can also be sown indoors 6 - 8 weeks before planting outside. Avoid over watering seedlings.
Growing: Depending on the amount of regular rainfall, water deeply once every 7 - 10 days to insure the roots are receiving adequate moisture. Always watering at midday not in the evening. In hot weather, syringe leaves. As a smaller basil, this grows well potted in containers. Plants grown in containers will dry out faster than those in garden beds and therefore will have to be watered more frequently. Choose container with holes in the...
Site: Epazote is not fussy about soil, but wants full sun and good drainage. As with most herbs, a less-than-rich soil produces the best and most concentrated flavor in the leaves. It can grow fairly large, up to 2 to 3 feet tall, so give it a good-size pot.
Propagation: Sow a few seeds in the pot, and after emergence thin to the best plant. Germination rates are usually very good, and seedlings should appear within a few days of sowing the seed.
Growing: Epazote self-seeds readily and is considered highly invasive. You might want to consider growing it in a pot outdoors. It is usually described as an annual, but apparently can be perennial given warm winter temperatures so take care of your plant and it might last you some years.
Harvesting: To harvest, cut the center stem first, to encourage bushing. Prune the plant frequently to prevent flowering and assure a continuing supply of leaf, but don't harvest more than half the plant at a time. And, as with most herbs, don't fertilize it, lest you weaken the flavor.
Culinary Uses: Epazote is an unusual herb that is essential for any chef serious about authentic Mexican...[More]
Site:Full sun, heat, and fertile, well-drained soil are all the plant requires. Average moisture is just fine.
Propogation:Although a trifle difficult to find commercially (one nursery source is G.S. Grimes Seeds; 800-241-7333), Mexican oregano couldn't be easier to cultivate. Propagation is also so easy from ripe tip cuttings.
Growing:Hardy in USDA Zones 10 and 11. Gardeners in Zone 9 might risk it outside all year, but heavy, cool, wet winter soils will be its demise. Farther north, try Mexican oregano as a container specimen outdoors in warm weather and overwintered indoors in a greenhouse or south-facing windowsill. Indoors it will relish the same conditions as bay or rosemary—cool temperatures and fresh, circulating air. Watch for spider mites, whiteflies, and mealy bugs.
Harvesting:Though not a true oregano, Mexican oregano is native to Mexico, as well as Guatemala and parts of South America. A somewhat ungainly shrub, it grows up to five feet tall and wide under ideal condition. Its brittle branches are very narrow, stiffly arching, and arranged in a seemingly haphazard manner. Its dark green, highly fragrant, corrugated foliage is minuscule—about 1/3-inch long by...[More]
Every year I scour the catalogs and websites of my favorite nurseries looking for something new to experiment with for a season.Sometimes it is an herb that dopes not grow well in Illinois and I need to prove that to myself.Other times it is one I have heard about but never grown.Sometimes it is a cultivar of a plant I love so I want to see what someone else has crafted into a new plant.When the Herb Companion magazine came up with a list of five plants to try in 2010, it got me thinking of my own list of plants to recommend.So here are 5 plants to try out in your garden this year.In the next 5 days I will give information of growing cultivating, harvesting, and using these same five plants.
Mexican oregano(Lippia graveolens) -While not actually a member of the oregano family it still possesses the requisite essential oils that provide oregano's heady, easily recognizable fragrance and piquant flavor. Mexican oregano has a sweetness and intensity that many gourmets prefer to the flavor of the true European or Mediterranean...
I’ve completed the main categories for Winter Interest, but in my research I also found a few other items of interest that can be placed in an herb garden to create Winter Interest, so I am including them here at the end of the series to round out the information I have provided.Winter interest is a concept employed by some gardeners in cold climates who still want to have something of interest in their garden when it goes dormant and when it’s covered in snow. Most often, winter interest is achieved by using architectural plants and elements that will remain standing all winter. Sometimes it is the outline of the form of the plant, such as a leafless dwarf weeping maple that provides interest. Evergreens are popular, not just because they remain green, but also because they look attractive holding onto snow. A few perennials, such as sedum and the stiffer ornamental grasses, also remain attractive throughout the winter season. In areas where snow cover is substantial, the outline of paths and structures like arbors and benches are the only means of defining the winter garden space.One plant largely left out of my series was grass. ... [More]
EVERGREEN Plant listsBroadleaf evergreen shrubs provide color year round, making winter interest in the garden easy. The following evergreen shrubs are all broadleaf shrubs with foliage in shades of green.
Mountain Laurel ‘Freckles’ (Kalmia latifolia ‘Freckles’) – A native evergreen shrub, the mountain laurel prefers acidic soil with good drainage and part shade to full shade. The mountain laurel is a broadleaf evergreen shrub and ‘Freckles’ has white flowers with maroon specks on the petals that truly look like freckles. ‘Freckles’ is a compact evergreen shrub growing only 3-6’ tall.
Green Gem Hardy Boxwood (Buxus ‘Green Gem’) – One of the hardiest broadleaf evergreen shrubs, the ‘Green Gem’ boxwood is hardy to zone 3b with protection or zone 4 unprotected. A fragrant shrub, this boxwood is a compact 2’x2’ and keeps its rounded shape with little to no pruning. Glossy evergreen leaves and inconspicuous but fragrant white blooms are added features of this broadleaf shrub. Protect the shrub from drying winter winds.Evergreen shrubs add color to the garden year round and can become the planning foundation for an entire garden design. The best thing about these plants is they provide stunning color accents because...[More]
In the winter, evergreen plants move from the background elements we build the rest of our gardens around, to the primary players that are hugely important. A winter landscape without spots of green would be bleak indeed. Casually dismissed at times, evergreens come in several categories.Be aware that even with evergreens, many plants change color during winter. Some plants turn sickly shades of brownish-green such as the eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) although not all individual plants will. Others, such as some azaleas and rhododendrons turn lovely reddish or yellow colors on leaves that last the season long.Consider looking at evergreens from the following color categories:
Conifer Evergreen Shrubs
Broadleaf Green Foliage Shrubs
Varigated Foliage Shrubs
Colored Foliage Shrubs
Also, don’t forget that evergreen plants in the winter garden do not just come in the form of shrubs or trees. Many perennials will hold cover through the winter and are evergreen, or semi-evergreen. Some of these plants include lavender, hellborus, many sedum varieties, coral bells (Heuchera spp.), yucca plants, some ornamental grasses and more.
Evergreen ground covers include ajuga, creeping phlox, thyme, and creeping juniper.
Vines that are generally evergreen include English ivy,...[More]
In the winter, more than any other season, the basic structure and outline of garden and plants takes on a greater importance. The rest of the year poor silhouettes can be hidden with masses of color and blooms, but in winter, with so little activity in the garden they become more noticeable.
Pleasing or interesting silhouetted plants include:
Weeping Trees and Shrubs
Unusual Branch Patterns
Pyramidal/Upright Growth Habit
Rounded/Horizontal Growth Habit
Adding Weight Generally speaking, evergreens and deciduous trees with stout, heavy limbs add weight to a garden space. Contrast that with thinner branched, deciduous trees whose structure and silhouettes are more delicate and light. Try to maintain a pleasing balance in the garden by taking these tendencies into consideration. If you planted one small deciduous tree in front of a mass of large evergreens it might end up looking pathetic and sickly in the winter. On the other hand, a group of them together could create a pleasing interlacing of delicate branches that compliment each other.
Focal Points Be aware of the surrounding sky line when it comes to focal point silhouettes. Some plants, such as a beautiful weeping tree, or the twisted branches of the ‘Harry...[More]
It almost seems an oxymoron; winter blooms. When I first began to discover the potential around me for colorful flowers during the winter "dormant period" I was amazed. By carefully selecting a few of the plant varieties we’ll discuss below, you will be able to enjoy beautiful winter blossoms even with snow on the ground.
Some of the most useful winter-flowering shrubs in the average landscape are the witch hazels (Hamamelis spp.). These shrubs usually grow around 12 to 20’ tall although this depends on the variety. In a range extending from Nova Scotia, west to Ontario, and south to Texas, and Florida, common witch hazel flourishes on shaded north-facing slopes, along fence rows, country roads, and the stony banks of brooks. The lovely floral fragrance is a delight in the dead of winter.
All varieties have late-autumn to winter blooms that appear like magic on the dark, bare branches. The rounded and open growth habit makes for a lovely addition to the garden in summer as well. Check for hardiness as some varieties are hardy through zone 7 or some all the way through 3 or 4.
Japanese pieris (Pieris japonica) a broadleaf evergreen shrub can...[More]
Once you cut your herbs you must decide if you are going to dry them or preserve them. Drying changes and intensifies the flavor. Preserving allows you to hold onto the fresh herb flavor in some fashion.
There are three basic preservation methods:
Herbal Vinegar – Using fresh air-dried herbs you place them in a glass (non-reactive) container. I use glass corn syrup jars with plastic lids.Cover the herbs with plain white vinegar or white wine vinegar. Bruise the herbs with a spoon or other implement.Then you can use one of two methods:
·Cold infusion – you allow the herbs to simply rest in a cool dark place for at least 4 to 6 weeks before straining and using the vinegar.
·Warm infusion – you microwave the container with herbs and vinegar for 2 minutes then cap and place in a cool dark place. This will only need 2 weeks before it can be strained and used.
Once the herbs have infused the vinegar with their flavor you want to strain and rebottle the vinegar for use. You can keep it in any...
I have used four different methods to dry the harvest from my garden.All are easy and I have listed them in order of energy and attention needed.Those that need the most attention are listed last.
Before you begin:
Always pick herbs just before the plant flowers to insure the strongest flavor.
Cut only healthy herbs.Don’t worry about a few dead or damaged leaves; just pluck them off before the drying process.
You can cut quite a bit from the herb plant (more than you expect). For perennials you can cut up to half their height in the fall, but as much as 2/3 to 3/4 the height in the summer season. With annuals you can cut as much as you want.
Ways to dry:
Hang Drying – this is ideal for any long-stemmed herbs, tarragon, lavender, sage, rosemary, mints, lemon balm, etc.
Take stems and bundle together, tying them or holding them with a rubber band.Depending on the size of the stem 10 to 12 stems is a good size bundle.Choose a hanging location that has good...
This time of year I get asked numerous questions about what to do with herbs in the garden as the seasons move toward winter. There are several ways to preserve your herbs which I will discuss in the next couple of days. First I want to mention how to harvest.
There are several rules you should try to follow:
Always pick herbs just before the plant flowers to insure the strongest flavor.
Cut herbs in the morning if possible just adter the dew has lifted. The flavor will be the strongest.
Cut only healthy herbs. I mean wilting, withering, etc. Don’t worry about a few dead or damaged leaves; just pluck them off before the drying process.
You can cut quite a bit from the herb plant (more than you expect). For perennials you can cut up to half their height in the fall, but as much as 2/3 to 3/4 during the main growing season. For annuals you can cut as much as you want, they are going to die at the first front anyway.
When harvesting you want to cut with nice sharp, clean utensils. Use scirrors (even regular scissors work fine) or a sharp...
While many herbs can be used to make delicious herbal tea and tea blends, there are some that I consider essential in any tea garden. Those six are: Anise Hyssop, Bee Balm, Chamomile, Lemon Verbena, Black peppermint and Pineapple Mint.
Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum). Known to some as licorice mint, anise hyssop is related to mints and hyssop. It delivers a hint of delicious licorice flavor to tea-a tea once enjoyed as a traditional beverage by the Native Americans of the northern plains. Its tall spikes of purple-blue flowers reach 3 to 4 feet high, and the plant is much loved by bees. Anise hyssop is a perennial hardy in Zones 4 to 9 and grows best in full sun with a rich soil. Easily started from seed, it happily reseeds itself but is by no means invasive. Both leaves and flowers can be harvested for tea. It attracts bees in great numbers, especially bumble and honey bees.
Bee balm (Monarda didyma). This hummingbird attracting flower with amazing trumpet -shaped petals comes in shades of pink, red, lavender, scarlet, and mahogany has become one of my favorites in both the garden and in tea. Bee balm-also...
Herbal Tea is the whole reason I began growing herbs back in the late 1980s. At that time herbal tea was not available in stores and if you wanted Green tea you had to go to an oriental restaurant. I was tired of single herb teas like chamomile and peppermint, so I began to grow my own herbs for tea.
Culinary herbs like rosemary, sage, lavender, thyme and lemon balm not only liven up a garden though scent and texture they can also add amazing flavor to herbal tea. Herb teas are refreshing and especially good in the summer months as ice tea. In addition to herbs you can add rose hips, leaves of fruit bushes, like raspberry, blackberry, strawberry and blueberry for a tasty treat. Flower petals, like hibiscus, add a tangy zip.
The other nice aspect of tea herbs is they have a variety of colors and textures and especially scents that lend themselves to any garden situation. Tea herbs work well in a mixed border or bed and if your space is limited you can grow most in pots and other containers.
Now for a theme bed of their own, tea herbs are...
My favorite culinary herbs -- Greek oregano, thyme, dwarf lavender, winter savory, common sage, tarragon, and exotic mints -- have as many uses in the garden as they have in the kitchen. These are mounding plants that have gree or gray-green foliage and grow between 6 inches and 2 feet tall. All of them fit nicely among annual flowers, perennials, vegetables and even evergreens.
Here are some attractive mates to these and other herbs:
Annuals: alyssum, dwarf nasturtiums, calendulas, zinnias, and marigolds.
Perennials: coreopsis, purple coneflowers, and all sorts of dianthus, geraniums, and yarrow.
Vegetables: peppers, eggplants, and bulbing fennel.
Evergreens: low shrubs, such as germander, and dwarf forms of boxwood, myrtle, and barberry.
Maybe you don't want an entire herb garden but the flavor and look of herbs appeals to you.... Then here are some tips you can use for incorporating herbs into a floral landscape.
.
Mounding Habit
Herbs with small green-to-gray-green leaves and a mounding habit-namely, Greek oregano, sweet marjoram, French thyme, creeping winter savory, common sage, tarragon, and spearmint-work well as background plants that complement brighter colored flowers.
.
Color and Texture plants
sfdgsfdg
Herbs with unusual colors and forms-such as common chives, with its tubular, grasslike foliage and lavender flowers, and Chinese chives, which has straplike leaves and white flowers-make showy accent plants. I'm especially partial to one of their relatives: society garlic, which has straplike leaves and bears tall spikes of lavender flowers from May through October. This plant is bulletproof in my Los Altos, California, garden (USDA Zone 9), and its flowers taste great in salads. I also gravitate toward the ornamental sages 'Icterina,' 'Tricolor,' and 'Purpurascens', which make lovely stand-alone plants .
Nutrient levels and pH in soil are also something you should try to know about your soil.The local Agricultural Extension service with offer information on soil testing to determine basic nutrients.There are also some over the counter tests available from high-end garden supply stores.
pH is the condition of acidity or alkalinity in units.Some plants thrive only when the pH is optimum for the plant.A 7 pH is neutral, higher numbers are more alkaline lower are more acidic.To neutralize acid one can add agricultural lime.The optimal pH for most herbs is 5.5 to 6.8 pH.
Creating a good soil should be an important task in any garden.The next step in planning your garden is to examine your soil structure and determine the needed amendments to create your good soil.You may have to wait until the ground thaws, but if you can get a handful of soil you can get a look at its structure.
If it crumbles easily and runs through your hand it is sandy.If it holds tighter firmly it is clay.
Ideal garden soil is loam which is about ½ sand (medium particles) and ½ silt or clay (fine particles) with some organic matter mixed in.If the hand test doesn’t work or your soil is too wet. Place a hand shovel full in a quart jar and fill up to the top with water.Shake the jar and set it to rest.The larger particles will settle out first, the smaller last with the organic material floating on the top. You can then easily determine the ratio of silt to sand.
The good news is the solution to too much clay not enough sand or the opposite is to add...
Okay have you started a wish list?Then let’s begin to refine.If you are not a wild dreamer, then use these tips to get you started on that plant list.
Although the word herb usually refers to edible plants there are other kinds of herbs so although you do not want to grow more herbs than you can use in the kitchen that does not mean you should restrict yourself to herbs that can be eaten.You may even have herbs in your floral landscape already.
When choosing plants keep in mind several things:
Did you grow plants last year?
What plants did well?
What plants did not do well?Do not grow plants that failed last year no matter how nice the picture in the catalog looks!
Do you want them for fresh eating, medicine, dried projects, tea, etc?
What varieties are suitable for your locality?This will include knowing your hardiness zone, but also what is winter like, does snow cover the ground most of the winter or does it snow and melt or get very cold and windy without snow.
I am going to avoid blogging, not that I did it that much anyway --- until after the NEW YEAR. Beginning January 1, I will start walking you through the steps of preparing an herb garden from planning to planting to harvesting. Check back after January 1 for the first installment. Until then enjoy the recipes in the archives.
I left my favorite of the lemon herbs for last. Thyme is a low growing, strongly scented and flavored herb that comes in a variety of scents. However, the lemon varieties are among the best Thyme has to offer. I grow more than 17 different varieties of thyme, of those about 7 are lemon scented/flavored varieties.
Thymus X citriodorus is the varieital name used for many but not all of the lemon thymes.They are shrub-shaped, with small pointed leaves that vary from dark green leaves to bright green to even yellow variegated leaves.The sharp lemon scent combines with the traditional flavor of thyme making an herb that is perfect for cooking and drying into wreaths.Flowers vary from white to pink to lavender, with the plants growing about 10 inches tall.There are a few creeping lemon thyme varieties in the family Thymus serpyllum available as well. All need full sun with well-drained soil but can tolerate part-shade.Hardy in zones 5 to 9 some of the flavored thymes are less hardy and suffered drying and root rot in the winter making them act as tender perennials. You can get two...
Gardening with Lemon Herbs -- Lemon Santolina and Lemon Savory
March 3, 2008
Lemon Santolina (Santolina eriociodes) is a perennial plant that is good in borders or rock gardens with a button-type flower and fresh clean scent. Regular santolina is known as lavender cotton because of its fuzzy silver/white leaves.It grows to 12 inches in a neat compact shrub.It looks lovely in a border and you can air-dry the flowers easily.Santolinas are good for repelling insects, especially moths.When mixed with equal portions of lavender and southernwood it makes a great moth repellant blend.They are slow growers and should be purchased as plants. They can winter over in Zone 4 & 5 if properly protected with sand and mulch over the base before the ground freezes.
Lemon Savory (Satureja biflora) is a tender perennial, since it native habitat is South Africa.it has small white or lilac flowers, and likes full sun and tolerates part shade.The strong lemon flavor and scent are used in cooking and teas.Savory generally has a spicy smell and a peppery taste and is a widely used herb in savory dishes.The summer and winter savory varieties are annual and perennial respectively....
Gardening with Lemon Herbs -- Lemon Gem and Tangerine Gem Marigolds
February 29, 2008
I first discovered this plant at FOPCON (Freinds of the Oak Park Conservatory) herb sale back in 1990. They are small fragile looking plants, but flower profusely and for a long time. I like the lemon best, but the tangerine are a great traditional orange shade.
Called Signet marigolds (Tagetes tenuifolia) the small, showy, single 5-petaled flowered plant has a pungent lemon or citrus flavor and aroma that is present in the leaves and flowers in the lemon gem and tangerine gem varieties.In the family Tagetes which has few edible varieties, these are a great plant as the ferny foliage releases scent at the slightest touch.In the formal Victorian era they were used as bedding plants, as they are suitable for mass plantings.I grow them as filler in pots with foliage pants as they seem to flower constantly from mid-summer to first frost.Slightly hardier than regular marigold it only grows 6 to 12 inches, but has the same ability to control soil nematodes and other insects making them a great companion plant.They need a long growing season, so if you use seed, it is best to start indoors. ...
Gardening with Lemon Herbs -- Lemon Scented Geranium
February 28, 2008
I have previously sung the praises of scented geraniums, but it is worth repeating.
Pelargonium plants are in a different family from true geraniums, but they are known commonly as scented geraniums.I love this plant as the variety of colors, leaf shapes and scents is almost limitless.However the lemon-scented varieties are my favorites.These native South African plants grow wild and can reach 10 feet.But in the areas north of Zone 9 they are gown as annuals and fit well in small pots as houseplants.I always bring mine in for the winter, being careful to wash the leaves thoroughly to not bring in whitefly.They prefer a sandy soil.I usually add an extra part of sand to my traditional potting soil mix. (6 parts top soil, 2 parts compost 1 part sand).They can withstand heat and dry conditions so they are a great sunny patio plant.The flowers of these plants are small and relatively insignificant, but the foliage has a rich scent that activates by touch, I always set them near doorways and stairs so you brush against them releasing the scent.As...
Gardening with Lemon Herbs -- Mexican Hyssop, Lemon Eucalyptus and Sorrel
February 27, 2008
Three more unusual lemon herbs for you today. These are lovely and worth the experimentation to grow them in your own garden.
Mexican Giant Hyssop (Agastache mexicana) is hardy in zones 7 to 11, so must be grown as an annual in colder climates and started indoors.It can still grow rather tall in just one season.The foliage is lemon-scented and the flowers are edible.The flowers are a reddish purple color and appear on long spikes in mid to late summer.The seeds for this plant are available from Richter's.
Lemon Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus citiodora) is a tropical plantthat can actually grow into a tree.It can be grown in a tub like a houseplant and brought in for winter.The lance-shaped leaves of this tree smell of lemon.I like it in potpourri.Sandy Mush Herb Nursery carries this hard-to-find plant.
Sorrel (Rumex acetosa or Rumex scutantus) has several other names including garden sorrel or French sorrel.Of the 200 varieties of sorrel in existence, these two are the ones most edible.All sorrels have Oxalic acid giving them a sour taste, but these two varieties...
Sorry these are all bunched, I thought I posted them and wnet in to check and they were missing!
Lemon Grass is an architectural as well as culinary herb.The lush tall grass has narrow green leaves with a bluish cast. It can grow up to 6 feet tall in the right conditions (in the Midwest don't expect more than 3 feet).It has a sweet lemony perfume and flavor and is a common additive to Thai dishes.There are actually two version to choose from Cymbopogon flexuosus (East Indian lemongrass) and Cymbopagon citratus (West Indian lemongrass).Lemongrass should be grown as a tender perennial.You can bring it in in a pot to winter over, but I usually grow it in a raised bed and harvest the entire plant before frost and use or dry it.The base of each stem of C. Citratus is fleshy like a scallion, so I remove the heart to cook with.It can keep in the refrigerator for up to a month or be frozen.The grassy portion dries very well and can be cut with scissors once dry.The plant, as I mentioned,...
Gardening with lemon Herbs -- Lemon Bee Balm and Lemon Catmint
February 27, 2008
Lemon Bee Balm (Monarda citiodora) also known as Lemon Bergamot, like its cousin Bee Balm has similar whorls of trumpet-shaped flowers but they are lavender rather than rich red.It is easy to start from seed and grows as a full-sun annual.It will self seed, so may believe it is a perennial.It needs good air flow because like all Monarda varieties it is susceptible to powdery mildew.Also they should not be watered from above because moist leaves encourage the mildew.It attracts bees and butterflies and even humming birds, has a bushy round shapeand lightly lemon scented leaves.The young leaves are great in salads and stuffing as well as a tea.Native to the Southwest United States, it was originally used by the Hopi People to flavor game and as a tea.
Lemon Catmint (Nepeta cataria 'Citriodora') is a perennial catmint (catnip) with a lemon fragrance.The foliage is a downy green-gray and can get up to 2 feet tall in full sun or part-shade.It grows in zone 3 to 9 and is a member of the mint family.You can always...
As I mentioned previously I cannot garden without lemon herbs.In the last 12 years I have gone from a few of the most common lemon herbs to several usual and exotic herbs with a lemon twist.The first of these out of the ordinary lemon plants is Lemon Verbena (Aloysia triphylla).This is a plant native to the sub-tropical regions of South America including Argentina and Chile.My favorite experience with it was in an arboretum in Guatemala where the plants grew 6 to 7 feet tall covered with those fragrant pinnate leaves.It is a woody plant so falls into the shrub category, but is more like a deciduous tree as it loses its leaves in the fall when the days shorten.Although it can grow up to 5 feet that requires a frost free environment, in colder areas you have to grow it in a pot or assume it is a tender perennial and treat it like an annual.I grow them in containers and bring in in winter because they are slow growers.It prefers a loose, sandy soil and must not be kept in standing water....
Finally truly chilly times have arrived. When it is too cold to go outside, too frozen to garden and too dark to watch the squirrels, I begin my garden planning. Last fall I ordered catalogs from all the herb nurseries and seed companies I could find to restart the winter delivery of fun gardening materials. The catalogs started to arrive yesterday. Now I can curl up with a cup of herbal tea and begin to plan what I will plant, try and experiment with next season. I have not done any major overhall to my production garden since the move to Elmhurst 6 years ago. The itch to experiment can be held back no longer. In the next couple weeks I will share with you some new herbs as well as seasoned favorites that I have discovered or rediscovered searchng the catalogs. I will also share the links and address for the seed and nursery companies for you to look at as well. Stop back!
