Showing posts with label Lemon Thyme. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lemon Thyme. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Planting for Spring

Spring has sprung even if the plant store is a little more wary. We've already got plants in the ground and seeds from last year are already popping up and saying hi.

Among the returnnig plants are the dill, which has come up in a carpet in the area it was in last year and is already attracting the black swallow tail butterflies, and the cilantro or chinese parsley, which again doesn't want to grow in the planting beds but likes to stretch out and grow in the rocks.  I think this is partly due to the birds eating most of the seed they can see on the dirt and when they're in the rocks it's harder for the birds to get to them and swallow them up.

From the plants that come back from the root we have the purple cone flower, hollyhock, a wide variety of iris, daylily, ferns, a basil plant that just didn't want to die, lemongrass, fennel, and onion.

The survivors who stayed green and happy all winter were oregano, thyme, lavender, green onion, rosemary, the monster beet, and of course the live oak.

We've planted seeds, starting from north to south, for corn, bush beans, beets, carrots, onion, and radishes.

Plants we've put in as plants are tomato, thyme, and rue (near our rose bush out front).  So far everything seems to be acclimating well.  the tomatoes, which usually droop a little at first, never even tipped a leaf.  We actually planted two thyme plants, a lemon thyme next to the one that's finally acclimating well and a yellow leaf thyme out near the fennel.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Beauties in the Herb Garden

After a years worth of posts (365) it's a good time to look back over and see what is still working. We may have some gaps in the herb garden, but here are a few herbs which have made it  not only through the brutal summer, but are thriving in the unusual not-so-wintery weather.

Oregano -- It's making a beautiful carpet near the front door and has always been plentiful enough to use whatever is necessary for cooking.  We've even had to toss some of the trimmings when it was just too much.

Lemon Thyme -- We thought it was a goner, but it is making a comeback.  Only a few months ago it was down to about 2 stems and a few dozen leaves. Excellent in cookies.


Rosemary -- This is only one of our three bushes.  While the other two are upright, they are all as glossy and healty as this guy.  Always a pleasant smell as guests arrive and rub against it on the way in.

Cilantro -- This annual is only looking bigger and prettier in the middle of February.  A self seeder, it's come back for a few years now and just in time to miss tomato season.  May have to dry a good bit of this for tomato sauce come summer.