herb gardening :)

[This Busy Mom]

After the wettest spring ever (so it seems), the ground is finally dry enough to work. I'm putting in a 15' x 3' herb/flower garden. I'm also trying to hide part of a chain link fence and provide some privacy. I planted 2 clematis already and have some sweet pea seeds soaking. I think early next spring, I may actually try some snow peas on the fence, or on another section of fence. I bought rhubarb, fennel, tarragon, chives, oregano, echinacea purpurea (pink & white), thyme, and sage. It should be enough to get things started.

Along another partially shaded section of the fence (probably 30 feet long), we took out a HUGE wild grape vine this past weekend. I thought it was more than one plant, because it covered the entire fence and even wrapped around the corner for another 20 feet. In its place I planted 2 blue/black seedless glenora grape vines I bought on a whim on sale. Now that I've looked them up, I may have to go back and get a couple more :giggle . I also scored a very large clump of hostas from my best friends landscaping she was rearranging. It was so big I had to use an axe to break up the root ball and I chopped that up into 16 different plants. I spread those out along the fence and found a contrasting hosta in one of my mom's overgrown flower beds. I'm not sure what else I'll plant along there except for some sweet woodruff my friend let me have.

I was going to head to the organic herb farm today, but we had to get two new tires for the van we were hoping to get rid of this week. So much for that idea ;) . I'd love to get an elderberry bush, but that can wait for the new house next year.

[Macky]

Sounds wonderful! :) You need some rosemary and dill in there, too, btw. ;)

I hear you on the wet spring. :hug We've been dealing with flooding here since 2007 (our largest paddock and horse shelter are under water still). Last year most of the garden rotted :cry; only transplants survived and they didn't produce to their potential. We were even talking of installing a French drain down the centre. Then this spring we've had really no rain to speak of... accumulated total so far for the whole entire spring is only 0.8 inches. :jawdrop We're sooo thankful!

[This Busy Mom]

Sorry about the flooding :( Anything that helps your garden would be good.

Rosemary here is a tender perennial (I'm sure it is there, too), so it's pretty much treated as either an annual or a house plant... and I kill houseplants :lol . I'll plant some dill when I figure out where I want it. I use a weed guard barrier in my herb/flower beds to keep them under control. I'm not sure how the plants that reseed will do there, especially the dill and the poppies.

[Macky]

What zone are you? I'm zone 2a.

[This Busy Mom]

The hardiness map says 6 but I think we treat it more like 5. We can get down to -15.

[Macky]

You have way more selection than I do then. :giggle I grow rosemary as an annual.

Ime, weed fabric is basically useless because the wind always blows soil and new weed seeds on top of it. :shrug Based on that, I would think the dill and poppies would indeed reseed and would establish by just poking their roots through the fabric.

[This Busy Mom]

That's what I'm hoping. I use the weed fabric to keep out the dandelions and keep the grass down, oh and keep the crazy mints & greek oregano in check.. Everything here grows like crazy.

[canadiyank]

I'm in Zone 6 and rosemary is hit or miss here whether it makes it through the winter. I mulch it if I remember and hope for the best. I usually take cuttings, too. You just stick the cuttings in soil and keep it moist and you should have little plants in the spring. Easy and free.