2018 Herb Garden

The asparagus seemed to like this area but still working  to improve the soil in these boxes. I am planning on using the same plan as last year since most of the herbs  come back each year. This will be a wait and see garden this year and I will simply replant the areas that did not make it though the winter months.

Basil, 2	Asparagus	Asparagus	Asparagus	Asparagus	Dill, 9
Basil, 2	Asparagus	Asparagus	Asparagus	Asparagus	Dill, 9
Basil, 2	Asparagus	Asparagus	Asparagus	Asparagus	Dill, 9

The asparagus was planted  two year and grow nicely. I hope it does well this year.

Bed B

Parsley, 2		Cilantro, 9	Rosemary, 1		Sage, 1
Parsley, 2		Cilantro, 9	Rosemary, 1		Sage, 1
Parsley, 2		Cilantro, 9	Rosemary, 1		Sage, 1

Bed C

Oregano, 1		Chives, 1	Thyme, 2		Lemon balm, 1
Oregano, 1		Chives, 1	Thyme, 2		Lemon balm, 1
Oregano, 1		Chives, 1	Thyme, 2		Lemon balm

Bed D

	Spearmint, 1   Sweet violets Spearmint, 1  Sweet violets Spearmint, 1   Sweet violets

Herb Garden 2017

I am still working on the back shade garden trying to find the right things to plant because due to the increase of shade it no longer supports regular vegetables. I have even tried vegetables that were suppose to be okay in partial shade and by mid summer they were gone.

I decided to try herbs this year but I had to do a lot of research to find some that are supposed to like shade.

First I had to decide just how much sun the area receives. Deeply shaded or fully shaded describes a garden that receives no direct sun and very little if any reflected sunlight. Lightly shaded describes a garden that receives an hour or two of sun each day or is light, airy, and well illuminated by reflected or indirect light for a good portion of the day. Partially shaded describes a garden that receives the direct sun for two to six hours and is lightly shaded or receives dappled shade the remainder of the day.

Dill, tarragon, fennel, hyssop, bay, lavender, oregano, cilantro, basil, sweet marjoram, rosemary. sage, and myrtle all prefer the full sun.

Angelica, basil, bee balm, calendula (Pot marigold), catnip, chamomile, chervil, chives,  cilantro, comfrey, costmary, echinacea, eyebright,  garden cress, garlic, germander, horseradish, Lady’s mantle.  lemon balm, lovage, oregano, parsley, peppermint, rosemary, sorrel, spearmint, sweet flag, sweet woodruff, tarragon, thyme, valerian, and wild strawberry can handle  partial shade.

St. John’s wort, evening primrose, lungwort, valerian, and sweet violet prefer full shade.

When planning a herb garden you need to decide on how you are going to use your herbs. Do you want cooking herbs, herbs for teas, herbs for general health, or for crafts?

A culinary herb garden may include rosemary, basil, thyme, tarragon, fennel, marjoram, sage, and garlic.

A general health (teas, etc.) may include German camomile, feverfew Lady’s mantle, Roman camomile, and echinacea.

A herb garden for skin care may include lavender, red clover, Roman camomile, myrtle, and calendula.

I want this enclosed garden for cooking so I chose mainly herbs used in cooking. This is the 2017 Herb garden plan.

Basil, 2	Asparagus	Asparagus	Asparagus	Asparagus	Dill, 9
Basil, 2	Asparagus	Asparagus	Asparagus	Asparagus	Dill, 9
Basil, 2	Asparagus	Asparagus	Asparagus	Asparagus	Dill, 9

The asparagus was planted last year and grow nicely. I hope it does well this year.

Bed B

Parsley, 2		Cilantro, 9	Rosemary, 1		Sage, 1
Parsley, 2		Cilantro, 9	Rosemary, 1		Sage, 1
Parsley, 2		Cilantro, 9	Rosemary, 1		Sage, 1

Bed C

Oregano, 1		Chives, 1	Thyme, 2		Lemon balm, 1
Oregano, 1		Chives, 1	Thyme, 2		Lemon balm, 1
Oregano, 1		Chives, 1	Thyme, 2		Lemon balm

Bed D

	Spearmint, 1   Sweet violets Spearmint, 1  Sweet violets Spearmint, 1   Sweet violets

Herbs tend to spread so I gave them a lot of room to grow. I also plan on adding a bunch of top soil to the beds since we have piles of it across the front from digging the new pathway. I plan on mixing in some organic fertilizer so  hopefully this will help make this garden more productive.

Last year I laid black fabric down between the beds and there where no weeds all summer and none so far this year.

Update on the bird garden = The daffodils are starting to grow and I had to move a bunch of them yesterday into the center area (they were in the way of the new path) so hopefully they will continue to grow. I plan on adding a bunch of white narcissists this spring to the center’s outer edge. I can hardly wait until spring to see the results! I know that this year will not be great because they are all newly planted but still looking forward to it. I have always wanted a large patch of daffodils but never created that type of garden before.

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Storing herbs

I use a lot of herbs while cooking and in the past I had not had much luck growing them in my “back door” topsy-turvy planter.

But I upgraded the planter this year and the herbs are growing faster than I can use them so I need to harvest them to keep them from over growing the pots.

It is said that all herbs can be frozen or dried. Basil, borage, chives,chervil,cilantro, dill (better frozen than dried),fennel leaves, lemongrass, mint, oregano parsley,, sage, savory (both winter and summer), sorrel (better frozen than dried), sweet woodruff, tarragon, rosemary,thyme, and lemon balm freeze well. You use frozen herbs the same way as you would use fresh ones in cooking. Frozen herbs should not be used as garnish because they will be limp when they thaw. You should use the frozen herbs within two months for best favor.

 

There are many different ways to freeze herbs but they all begin with harvesting the leaves and cleaning them.  Simply rinse them if needed in clear water.  Then be sure to pat dry or spin them dry in a salad spinner.  Don’t crush them. Once frozen be sure to label the container as they will all look-alike when frozen.

Method 1. Simple  strip the leaves off the stems and spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. Place the sheet in the freezer and wait. The leaves will be easy to use because they will be loose and not frozen in a lump. Smaller leaves or chopped leaves may be placed directly in a freezer bag and into the freezer.This method works well with whole sprigs and large leaves,such as rosemary, parsley or thyme. Bay leaves can be frozen this way.

Method 2. Freeze them in water in ice cubes.

Start with dry herbs that have been stripped off the stems. Chop the leaves so that they will fit into the ice-cube tray.

Fill the ice-cube tray half full of water and add about 1 tablespoon of herbs to each cell.

Freeze overnight.The next morning finish filling the tray with water and freeze. Once frozen pop the cubes out and place in a plastic labeled bag. These herbs work best in soups, stews, and recipes that call for liquids. I love to use the spearmint ones in my iced tea. They are best if used within two months but I have seem where some keep them for a year. They are good as long as they keep their favor and color.

Method 3. Freeze in oil in ice-cube trays. Same as above but cover with oil or mix about 2 cups of herbs with 1/3 cup olive oil and pour into the ice-cube trays. Best if used within three months.

Method 4  Freeze in butter. Make herb butter by mixing the herb of choice with butter. Thyme, basil and rosemary works well in this method. Divide into usable portions and wrap in foil. Place in sealed labeled container and freeze. Use within a year.You can cut away what you need or thaw the whole block of butter to use. Thaw in the refrigerator and once it has thawed, keep it covered in the refrigerator and use within 2 to 3 days.

. According to Purdue University the frozen herbs will last longer if blanched first. Blanch the herbs for a few seconds in boiling water before freezing.

Relaxing with my frog shaped mint ice cubes in my iced tea.

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Painting Terra cotta pots

I made this Topsy -Turvy  Planter back in April 2014 .I liked the way it looked in this location but the plants had a hard time living since they would dry out too quickly. Recently we added a new patio and I moved this planter to a new area.

Notice the problem! The planter blended in with the wall and could not be seen. My solution was to paint the flower pots but first I had to clean them which took a good week.

After cleaning the pots and allowing them to dry completely I sprayed them inside and out with a clear finish to keep the moisture inside the pot.

The pots sprayed are the shiny ones the two larger pots are what they looked like before being sprayed.

I waited a full day before spraying the pots a gloss white color. I sprayed the entire outside and at least an inch down from the rim on the inside. Wait for them to dry completely.

I gave the pots a second coat of paint and waited a full day before painting the rims.with Apple Barrel Multi-purpose paint in Electric blue. I found that a foam brush worked best and I give them two coats.

I waited two days before I stenciled the rims because I used Folk Art peel & stick stencils and  wanted the rims to have a chance to cure a little before applying the stickers.

I really love these stencils! They can be reused up to a least 20 times and clean with soap and water. I used Apple Barrel multi-purpose paint in black and a small round brush to stencil the names of the herbs onto the rims. Load the brush with paint and dab the brush onto a paper towel before dabbing the stencil. Remove the stencil while the paint is still wet and allow it to dry.

After another 24 hours I sprayed the pots again with a clear finish to protect the paint job. The hardest part of this project was the wait time but it is also the most important part. Everything must be completely dry before going to the next step and this was the hardest wait of all – the pots needed to cure for 48 hours before adding the soil and plants but the finally results turned out wonderfully.

The plants are small and I just sowed the thyme and chives into the pots. I had planned on dividing a clump of chives from the garden but it turned out to be harder than I imagined so I took the easy route and sowed more seeds.  Now to get the rock mulch laid.