Vickles, I have an herb garden. I have sage, thyme, oregano,chives, garlic, motherwort, cilantro, and mint. Some I started from seed, some were bedding plants.
I've tried to get both lavendar and purple cone flower from seed with no success, so this year I'm doing bedding plants.
I planted soapwort, chamomile,and feverfew, but we had a cold snap so they may not germinate. I'll reseed.
Sage grows like a weed and makes a nice border. We dig up cilantro and keep it in a sunny window. It will keep unless it bolts(pinch off the flowers.)
I dry them in brown paper bags or on our dehydrator and store them in recycled jars or baggies.
I keep my herbs indoors, on the kitchen window sill in an assortment of little pots I've collected over the years. It makes it more convenient when I want to reach for one. Right now, I have parsley, chives, rosemary, dill, thyme, oregano, some lavender, and an aloe plant. Lately, I just start them from seeds, which I keep in the freezer. If one plant dies, I just sprinkle a few seeds in the pot, and in a couple of weeks, I have another plant started.
I have too much shade in the backyard for a vegetable garden, but I get enough afternoon sun on the back deck for a tomato plant, cucumber, and bell pepper that live together in the same planter, surrounded by nasturtiums, which (I hear) are not only supposed to be edible (I've never eaten them), but are also supposed to keep the rabbits away. I had a little more room in the planter, so I started carrots indoors, and I'm going to add them soon. And that's about it for my gardening this year.
Vickles, I have an herb garden. I have sage, thyme, oregano,chives, garlic, motherwort, cilantro, and mint. Some I started from seed, some were bedding plants.
I've tried to get both lavendar and purple cone flower from seed with no success, so this year I'm doing bedding plants.
I planted soapwort, chamomile,and feverfew, but we had a cold snap so they may not germinate. I'll reseed.
Sage grows like a weed and makes a nice border. We dig up cilantro and keep it in a sunny window. It will keep unless it bolts(pinch off the flowers.)
I dry them in brown paper bags or on our dehydrator and store them in recycled jars or baggies.
Lavender is used for its scent a lot of times. You can find it and put it in things like soap, potpori, scented oils etc. I can't imagine cooking with it, but maybe someone knows something I don't. I think it has some healing/ soothing qualities to it as well, that someone may know more about than me.
Herbs gardens are great. It gives you a source of fresh herbs or you can dry them, many as I said have healing or soothing qualities, plus they just make the yard smell nice. It is also just fun to have a lot of differnt types that may not make the yard fragrant but you can go and rub and smell them up close.
I've only tried growing herbs once, and I'm not sure what I did wrong, but they all died. :(--> I love the idea of growing them indoors, but have no place to put them.
On the other hand I have had great success with vegies of great variety. This year I am doing my first one in this house (never got around to it last summer). The soil here is very different than the last place I lived - there I had very rich soil and all I did was plant, water, and weed. Here there is a lot of clay, so I mixed in some fresh top soil and lime (thanks Herbiejuan).
I have tomatoes, cayenne and serrano peppers, peas, corn, and always I have to grow carrots for Aaron.
lavender and tarrigon thrown into a brown gravey with sauteed shrooms. try it on ostrich reaLLY. I love to grow veggies put mine in the other day. if you can find sone lemon flavored thyme plant some it's great on haddock etc. but beware many herbs spread like wild fire and tend to take over. happy planting
Vickles, I just like how the lavender looks and smells, especially with the tiny purple blossoms in the winter. I don't do anything with it, other than occasionally splash it with water.
Yeah, the herbs grow year round. Some of them flower, some don't. Occasionally, one will inexplicably die off, so I start another. I cook more in the fall and winter than I do the rest of the year, so that's when I like having them around. I just clip pieces of them off and throw them in with whatever is on the stove.
If you are going to plant your herbs indoors, you may want to keep them separated in their own pots. Each seems to need different amounts of water, or something, or maybe mine are just moody, but when I started out with them all in the same pot, they didn't much enjoy each other's company. One would take over, another would wither away. Anyway, things have worked out better now that they each have their own little space, rather than all camping out together.
Also, when I plant them, I look for the ones that only grow to a foot or less. Then I stuff them into a pot, put in one of those little plant spikes a couple of times a year, point them toward the sun, and that's that. More than being useful, I like how they look and smell.
Abigail: I have the same problem -- my backyard is mostly a mixture of rock and clay. Perenials do fine, weeds thrive, but vegetables aren't happy. The first few years after we moved in, I tried a vegetable garden, but after I finally found the plants that would grow here, the fruit ended up tasting bitter. I just don't have the right soil. The ones on the deck do fine, and, really, one tomato plant is plenty. Plus, without a garden, I have a reason to go poke around at the farmers' markets.
Feverfew is a medicinal tea herb, good for headaches. But I'm growing it mainly because it fits toward the back of my garden and has daisy like flowers.
Soapwort is a pink ground cover that can be used as a mild cleanser.
My oregano doesn't have much flavor, so I'm thinking of getting a different variety.
I tried to grow stevia--a natural sweetener-- but it won't grow in our ph soil. Maybe I'll grow some in a pot!
I have alot of shade so, for a change I'm growing a covercrop which is fescue and whatever weeds came up.
Garlic is easy to grow and is tolerant of some shade (just make sure your soil drains well to avoid root rot). Best place to get some is your homegrown farmers market (homegrown, now that brings back memories ).
You can take a soil sample to your county extension office and they'll test it for you and tell you what you need to add. Usually a ph adjustment and compost will solve most soil issues. Composting is not hard nor necessarily that comlicated, I dump grass clippings, animal poop and leaves in a pile n let nature take its course, then I flip it and let it finish cooking. I've then got a good 3' x 6' of enriched soil where the compost sat chock full of worms and enough finished compost to enrich a 4' x 8' bed.
I guess my advice would be to have fun and experiment, lay out yer garden so it pleases the eye and fits with your space, both physical and spiritual.
A neighbor came by the other day and brought a plant that had mixed together it was garlic and onion. He says that is quite unusual to mix and has a different kind of taste that is delicious.
So I'm planting it today and see how that comes out.
Feverfew sounds interesting. I do get whats called cluster headaches and don't like to take meds for it unless I really have to. This would probably help.
Where would I find seeds for these unusual group of herbs?
Sounds like spring garlic and it's great in salads or stir fry. One of the cool things about garlic is that you can use the whole plant, root hairs, flowerettes leaves and all somewhere in your recipies.
Here is a one year plan to growing well adjusted vegi's in crappy soil.
Pick the spot where you want your garden and get the soil tested and ph/NPK corrected (might as well do the whole yard while yer at it). Pick out a 3' x 12' area (or less) and loosen the top 6" and derock it. Then take a good garden fork and loosen the soil as far down as it will reach.
Build a 3' x 3' compost pile at one end and let it cook. When it looks halfway done, flip the pile over onto the adjoining 3' x 3' space and cover the first area with a fairly thick layer of leaves, shredded if possible. When the pile is done, mix it into the remaining 3' x 6' area and cover the whole thing with leaves.
If you do this now you can work in two good compost cycles and be ready to plant in good soil next year.
A 3' x 12' bed is more than enough space for a good variety of fresh vegis and ground fruit and if you buy open pollinated varieties and like it you can save the seeds for next years planting.
I've tried to get both lavender and purple cone flower from seed with no success, so this year I'm doing bedding plants.
I grow all my perennials from seed. Try this method and see if it works for ya.
Take a pot and fill it with potting soil. Next take your seed and sprinkle it on top of the soil. Then take some sand and sprinkle over the seed remembering the seeds correct planting depth. Watering is easy because the sand on top will show you when watering is necessary.
I usually get 50% to 75% of my seed to germinate. When the baby's are big enough to transplant, transplant them to their own pots. You still may loose 50%, but out of say 40 you'll have 20 health plants.
Last year I started White Swan Cone Flower, Bee Balm, Hollyhocks, Sweet William, Lavender, Anise Hysop, Lemon Balm, and many more. Watch out for Lemon Balm or it will take over your garden.
This year I have Mallow, Baby's Breath, Double Bloom Poppy's, and my secound try with Larks Spur.
This year I only have tomatoes, bell peppers, beans and zucchini. So far I have three tomatoes on two of my plants and lots of peppers. They are flowering beautifully!
This year my herb garden is parsley, thyme, oregano, chamomile, lavender, basil, sage, rosemary, chives and garlic chives.
Most of my gardening now is done in pots, 'cept for my parsley, chives and rosemary; chives and rosemary I've had for years, my parsley keeps reseeding itself. :D-->
I have a hard time growing lavender because of our summer heat. This year I've had success! I started early before the heat set in, around February and now that it's established I have it under a tree so that it gets some sun and stays cool.
My best year gardening was when my entire back yard was a veggie and herb garden with flowers here and there to help with bug control. It was absolutely beautiful. When the corn started to come up my neighbors would stop and talk to ask about what was growing. It was so much fun!
Gardening from seeds, to me, is the most fun :)-->
coolchef, have you used lavender on anything besides ostrich?
We went out to the garden and picked the lettuce greens and some spinach to put on them.
In a month or so, we'll be able to pick onions, tomatoes, lettuce greens, oregano, and jalapenos for our gilled burgers, which will be eaten on Cindy!'s homemade bread, and we'll pick corn to be eaten as a side dish.
We also have peas, broccoli, jabaneros, poblanos, bell peppers, beans, asparagus, potatoes (my first attempt at potatoes, not sure how they'll come out), dill, chocolate mint, chives, rosemary, basil, thyme, sage, strawberries, and one or two other herbs that I forget. Most of this was from seed, but many of the herbs were not.
yes gc lavendar ang tarragon wthis shrooms in a brown gravy is good on most any meat you would use gravy on try it!
I sauteed a portabello mushroom with an onion, chopped up some lavender, sprinkled on some tarragon, added a brown gravy mix, and served it with mashed potatoes. It was excellent.
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vickles
I also am planning a herb garden but have no idea what to plant and what they are used for except for a couple of things.
Anyone into herb gardens?
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Bramble
Vickles, I have an herb garden. I have sage, thyme, oregano,chives, garlic, motherwort, cilantro, and mint. Some I started from seed, some were bedding plants.
I've tried to get both lavendar and purple cone flower from seed with no success, so this year I'm doing bedding plants.
I planted soapwort, chamomile,and feverfew, but we had a cold snap so they may not germinate. I'll reseed.
Sage grows like a weed and makes a nice border. We dig up cilantro and keep it in a sunny window. It will keep unless it bolts(pinch off the flowers.)
I dry them in brown paper bags or on our dehydrator and store them in recycled jars or baggies.
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laleo
I keep my herbs indoors, on the kitchen window sill in an assortment of little pots I've collected over the years. It makes it more convenient when I want to reach for one. Right now, I have parsley, chives, rosemary, dill, thyme, oregano, some lavender, and an aloe plant. Lately, I just start them from seeds, which I keep in the freezer. If one plant dies, I just sprinkle a few seeds in the pot, and in a couple of weeks, I have another plant started.
I have too much shade in the backyard for a vegetable garden, but I get enough afternoon sun on the back deck for a tomato plant, cucumber, and bell pepper that live together in the same planter, surrounded by nasturtiums, which (I hear) are not only supposed to be edible (I've never eaten them), but are also supposed to keep the rabbits away. I had a little more room in the planter, so I started carrots indoors, and I'm going to add them soon. And that's about it for my gardening this year.
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vickles
ok both of you mentioned lavendar, which I heard for the first time the other day. She didn't know what it was used for either.
What is it and what is it used for?
doing herbs inside sounds like a great idea. Do you have that all year around then?
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vickles
What is soapwort and feverfew?
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lindyhopper
It is stuff those crazy pagans use. lol (kidding)
Lavender is used for its scent a lot of times. You can find it and put it in things like soap, potpori, scented oils etc. I can't imagine cooking with it, but maybe someone knows something I don't. I think it has some healing/ soothing qualities to it as well, that someone may know more about than me.
Herbs gardens are great. It gives you a source of fresh herbs or you can dry them, many as I said have healing or soothing qualities, plus they just make the yard smell nice. It is also just fun to have a lot of differnt types that may not make the yard fragrant but you can go and rub and smell them up close.
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Abigail
I've only tried growing herbs once, and I'm not sure what I did wrong, but they all died.
:(--> I love the idea of growing them indoors, but have no place to put them.
On the other hand I have had great success with vegies of great variety. This year I am doing my first one in this house (never got around to it last summer). The soil here is very different than the last place I lived - there I had very rich soil and all I did was plant, water, and weed. Here there is a lot of clay, so I mixed in some fresh top soil and lime (thanks Herbiejuan).
I have tomatoes, cayenne and serrano peppers, peas, corn, and always I have to grow carrots for Aaron.
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coolchef1248 @adelphia.net
lavender and tarrigon thrown into a brown gravey with sauteed shrooms. try it on ostrich reaLLY. I love to grow veggies put mine in the other day. if you can find sone lemon flavored thyme plant some it's great on haddock etc. but beware many herbs spread like wild fire and tend to take over. happy planting
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laleo
Vickles, I just like how the lavender looks and smells, especially with the tiny purple blossoms in the winter. I don't do anything with it, other than occasionally splash it with water.
Yeah, the herbs grow year round. Some of them flower, some don't. Occasionally, one will inexplicably die off, so I start another. I cook more in the fall and winter than I do the rest of the year, so that's when I like having them around. I just clip pieces of them off and throw them in with whatever is on the stove.
If you are going to plant your herbs indoors, you may want to keep them separated in their own pots. Each seems to need different amounts of water, or something, or maybe mine are just moody, but when I started out with them all in the same pot, they didn't much enjoy each other's company. One would take over, another would wither away. Anyway, things have worked out better now that they each have their own little space, rather than all camping out together.
Also, when I plant them, I look for the ones that only grow to a foot or less. Then I stuff them into a pot, put in one of those little plant spikes a couple of times a year, point them toward the sun, and that's that. More than being useful, I like how they look and smell.
Abigail: I have the same problem -- my backyard is mostly a mixture of rock and clay. Perenials do fine, weeds thrive, but vegetables aren't happy. The first few years after we moved in, I tried a vegetable garden, but after I finally found the plants that would grow here, the fruit ended up tasting bitter. I just don't have the right soil. The ones on the deck do fine, and, really, one tomato plant is plenty. Plus, without a garden, I have a reason to go poke around at the farmers' markets.
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Bramble
Feverfew is a medicinal tea herb, good for headaches. But I'm growing it mainly because it fits toward the back of my garden and has daisy like flowers.
Soapwort is a pink ground cover that can be used as a mild cleanser.
My oregano doesn't have much flavor, so I'm thinking of getting a different variety.
I tried to grow stevia--a natural sweetener-- but it won't grow in our ph soil. Maybe I'll grow some in a pot!
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herbiejuan
How very cool Vickles
:)-->
I have alot of shade so, for a change I'm growing a covercrop which is fescue and whatever weeds came up.
Garlic is easy to grow and is tolerant of some shade (just make sure your soil drains well to avoid root rot). Best place to get some is your homegrown farmers market (homegrown, now that brings back memories
).
You can take a soil sample to your county extension office and they'll test it for you and tell you what you need to add. Usually a ph adjustment and compost will solve most soil issues. Composting is not hard nor necessarily that comlicated, I dump grass clippings, animal poop and leaves in a pile n let nature take its course, then I flip it and let it finish cooking. I've then got a good 3' x 6' of enriched soil where the compost sat chock full of worms and enough finished compost to enrich a 4' x 8' bed.
I guess my advice would be to have fun and experiment, lay out yer garden so it pleases the eye and fits with your space, both physical and spiritual.
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vickles
herbiejuan,
A neighbor came by the other day and brought a plant that had mixed together it was garlic and onion. He says that is quite unusual to mix and has a different kind of taste that is delicious.
So I'm planting it today and see how that comes out.
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vickles
Feverfew sounds interesting. I do get whats called cluster headaches and don't like to take meds for it unless I really have to. This would probably help.
Where would I find seeds for these unusual group of herbs?
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herbiejuan
Sounds like spring garlic and it's great in salads or stir fry. One of the cool things about garlic is that you can use the whole plant, root hairs, flowerettes leaves and all somewhere in your recipies.
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ChasUFarley
Bramble -- try getting a Greek oregano - it's more bush-like, less like a ground cover. It dries nicely and is more pungent.
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herbiejuan
Here is a one year plan to growing well adjusted vegi's in crappy soil.
Pick the spot where you want your garden and get the soil tested and ph/NPK corrected (might as well do the whole yard while yer at it). Pick out a 3' x 12' area (or less) and loosen the top 6" and derock it. Then take a good garden fork and loosen the soil as far down as it will reach.
Build a 3' x 3' compost pile at one end and let it cook. When it looks halfway done, flip the pile over onto the adjoining 3' x 3' space and cover the first area with a fairly thick layer of leaves, shredded if possible. When the pile is done, mix it into the remaining 3' x 6' area and cover the whole thing with leaves.
If you do this now you can work in two good compost cycles and be ready to plant in good soil next year.
A 3' x 12' bed is more than enough space for a good variety of fresh vegis and ground fruit and if you buy open pollinated varieties and like it you can save the seeds for next years planting.
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Bramble
Vickles,
I bought some seeds on ebay--some of the less common ones. I've also ordered from Heirloom Seeds
http://www.heirloomseeds.com/herb.htm
Others I got at Walmart or nurseries around town.
I'll try the Greek Oregano!
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CWF
I grow all my perennials from seed. Try this method and see if it works for ya.
Take a pot and fill it with potting soil. Next take your seed and sprinkle it on top of the soil. Then take some sand and sprinkle over the seed remembering the seeds correct planting depth. Watering is easy because the sand on top will show you when watering is necessary.
I usually get 50% to 75% of my seed to germinate. When the baby's are big enough to transplant, transplant them to their own pots. You still may loose 50%, but out of say 40 you'll have 20 health plants.
Last year I started White Swan Cone Flower, Bee Balm, Hollyhocks, Sweet William, Lavender, Anise Hysop, Lemon Balm, and many more. Watch out for Lemon Balm or it will take over your garden.
This year I have Mallow, Baby's Breath, Double Bloom Poppy's, and my secound try with Larks Spur.
Prayer is #1 in gardening..........
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Bramble
Thanks CFW! I'll try that.
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gc
I'm with you CWF, prayer and gardening
:)-->
This year I only have tomatoes, bell peppers, beans and zucchini. So far I have three tomatoes on two of my plants and lots of peppers. They are flowering beautifully!
This year my herb garden is parsley, thyme, oregano, chamomile, lavender, basil, sage, rosemary, chives and garlic chives.
Most of my gardening now is done in pots, 'cept for my parsley, chives and rosemary; chives and rosemary I've had for years, my parsley keeps reseeding itself.
:D-->
I have a hard time growing lavender because of our summer heat. This year I've had success! I started early before the heat set in, around February and now that it's established I have it under a tree so that it gets some sun and stays cool.
My best year gardening was when my entire back yard was a veggie and herb garden with flowers here and there to help with bug control. It was absolutely beautiful. When the corn started to come up my neighbors would stop and talk to ask about what was growing. It was so much fun!
Gardening from seeds, to me, is the most fun
:)-->
coolchef, have you used lavender on anything besides ostrich?
gc
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coolchef1248 @adelphia.net
yes gc lavendar ang tarragon wthis shrooms in a brown gravy is good on most any meat you would use gravy on try it!
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Steve!
Yesterday, I grilled hamburgers for the ! family.
We went out to the garden and picked the lettuce greens and some spinach to put on them.
In a month or so, we'll be able to pick onions, tomatoes, lettuce greens, oregano, and jalapenos for our gilled burgers, which will be eaten on Cindy!'s homemade bread, and we'll pick corn to be eaten as a side dish.
We also have peas, broccoli, jabaneros, poblanos, bell peppers, beans, asparagus, potatoes (my first attempt at potatoes, not sure how they'll come out), dill, chocolate mint, chives, rosemary, basil, thyme, sage, strawberries, and one or two other herbs that I forget. Most of this was from seed, but many of the herbs were not.
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laleo
I sauteed a portabello mushroom with an onion, chopped up some lavender, sprinkled on some tarragon, added a brown gravy mix, and served it with mashed potatoes. It was excellent.
Any more recipes?
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coolchef1248 @adelphia.net
laleo that sounds wonderful! i will try it. steve... choc. mint? never heard of it sounds great please expound
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