Growing
and
Gathering Herbs
Early Season Gardening
with Herbs
By Elizabeth Barrette 
A garden begins long before summer turns the world green. One of the best times to plan a new garden, or the expansion and refinement of an established garden, is during the winter. You can order your seeds and plants in advance, both for old and new gardens. Some herbs lend themselves well to starting indoors for later transplant. Then in early spring, you can prepare the garden space itself so it will be ready to receive your herbs when the weather warms up enough.
Garden Design
Unlike vegetable gardens, which tend to take up substantial space, herb gardens tend toward a smaller scale. This makes them ideal for balconies, patios, and urban yards. Even in large rural yards, the herb garden is often a little pocket garden right next to the house. Several designs in particular work well with this aspect of herb gardening. Plan an herb garden anytime in winter and set it up in early spring. Prepare and enrich the soil before sowing seeds or transplanting seedlings in mid- to late spring.
On the smallest end of the spectrum, you can grow an herb garden in a single container. Two excellent choices are the strawberry pot and the barrel garden. Choose the strawberry pot if you like both upright and trailing herbs; you plant the upright ones in the large upper hole and the trailing ones in the small side holes. For instance, you might fill the top with French sorrel, sage, and tarragon, while the side pockets hold chamomile, Mother-of-thyme, oregano, prostrate rosemary, trailing nasturtium, and Corsican mint. In a barrel garden you could choose basil, chives, cilantro, Italian parsley, sweet marjoram, and summer and winter savory.
Moving up a step are container gardens featuring a multitude of pots. Shopping before the main garden season can turn up bargains on containers that would be much more expensive at peak demand. Container gardens are adaptable because you can always add or rearrange pots as needed. This approach is ideal if you want to grow herbs that try to take over the world, such as most varieties of mint. It’s also good for separating herbs that shouldn’t grow too close together, such as plain chives and garlic chives or dill and fennel. Many container gardens live on a porch or patio rather than bare earth. You can even fasten containers to a wall, taking up no ground space at all!
Moving a little outward, we find designs intended to pack herbs into a concise space suitable for a dooryard garden. Two popular choices here are the herb spiral and the keyhole bed. An herb spiral begins at ground level, then slopes upward, ending at about waist height, with a spiral path of flat stones helping to hold the earth in place. This works well with Mediterranean herbs that prefer dry soil with sand or gravel; if you’re in a damp climate or have clay soil, this will let you grow different plants. A keyhole garden is basically a round garden with a path leading to a small circle in the center. This design allows you to harvest herbs from both the inside and the outside. Ideally, face the path southward to catch the sun, and plant with shorter plants on the inner circle and taller plants along the outer edge.
Herb Suppliers
There are many different places to obtain herbs, either as seeds or as plants. Take care when choosing a supplier. You may want organic herbs, or open-pollinated “heritage” or “antique” varieties rather than hybrids. At a minimum, make sure the herbs are sustainably produced and not harmfully (perhaps illegally) removed from the wild.
Early in the season, in winter, you can browse mail-order catalogs either in print or online. Thinking about green growing things can help dispel the gloom of the cold, dark season. Place your order when convenient for you, then the company will ship your herbs at the right time for planting in your area. Large garden companies may carry some herbs, usually the common culinary ones. However, for rarer magical or medicinal herbs, you probably need to find a specialty herb catalog. Compare different places to find the best selection and pricing. Here are some suppliers to get you started.
Burpee
Burpee offers herb seeds and plants, including some garden packages, with an emphasis on common culinary and medicinal herbs.
http://www.burpee.com/herbs
Horizon Herbs
Horizon Herbs provides certified organic seeds, roots, and plants. They specialize in medicinal and magical herbs.
http://www.horizonherbs.com
Mountain Rose Herbs
Mountain Rose Herbs specializes in seeds for medicinal herbs, either organically grown or sustainably harvested from the wild.
http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/seeds/seeds.php
Nichols Garden Nursery
Nichols Garden Nursery carries herb plants and seeds, along with vegetables and other varieties. They practice “Safe Seeds” and sell no genetically modified or treated seeds.
https://www.nicholsgardennursery.com/store
Nicky’s Nursery
Nicky’s Nursery provides herb seeds for culinary, dyeing, magical, medicinal, and ornamental purposes. They have a huge selection, including some very hard-to-find items.
http://www.nickys-nursery.co.uk/seeds/pages/herb-index.htm
Sand Mountain Herbs
Sand Mountain Herbs offers native, medicinal, and Chinese herb seeds and roots.
http://www.sandmountainherbs.com
Seedman.com
Seedman.com carries seeds from around the world, including some medicinal and magical ones. Their site has some helpful lists, such as edible landscape, xeriscape, medicinal, and herbal plant seeds.
http://www.seedman.com
Seeds of Change
Seeds of Change provides organically grown seeds, plants, bulbs, and tubers for various herbs and other garden plants. They have a specialty and medicinal section, too.
http://www.seedsofchange.com
Thyme Garden Herb Company
The Thyme Garden Herb Company produces organic seeds and plants for various herbs, plus other herbal products and extra things such as mushroom spawn.
http://www.thymegarden.com
Starting in early spring, you can visit garden centers and nurseries to shop for seeds or live plants. Look in your phonebook to find them, or search online at http://www.gardens.com/local/garden-centers.
Shopping early means you’ll catch the good stuff before it all sells out. Sometimes plants may get frostbitten and be placed on sale; you can usually find ones that will recover with a little care. Visiting a local nursery also gives you a chance to talk with the staff. They can advise you on which varieties grow best in your particular area.
Spanning winter and spring are the seed and plant swaps. Although some have a small entry fee, many of these are free, making an excellent opportunity for gardeners on a budget. It’s easy to find culinary herbs this way, as well as some of the more popular medicinal or craft ones. However, some people are into collecting all kinds of unusual plants, including magical ones and unusual specialties such as dye plants, so you have a chance of finding just about anything.
Seed swaps usually work by posting a list of what you want and what you have, then shipping seed packets long distance. Many swaps are organized online, others in magazines or by gardening clubs. They may be direct exchanges between two people, or a jumble of one-way mailings among different active members.
Plant swaps are more often done in person, where everyone pots some extra plants and brings them to a central location to trade. You get to take home one plant for each plant that you bring.
Both of these swap methods promote herbs that are open-pollinated or can be propagated by division, rather than hybrids. Be aware that you may not always get exactly what you expect, though; sometimes people misidentify things. Swaps are also an excellent place to meet other gardeners, including magical gardeners if you’re lucky.
National Gardening Association Seed Swap
The National Gardening Association’s seed swap is a free forum specializing in two-way exchanges of seeds.
http://www.garden.org/seedswap
Garden Swap Shop
Garden Swap Shop offers a place to buy, sell, or trade plants and seeds.
http://gardenswapshop.co.uk
Plantswap
Plantswap hosts forums where people can post want/have lists of seeds or plants.
http://www.plantswap.net
Seed Savers Exchange
Seed Savers Exchange focuses on collecting and sharing rare and heritage seeds.
http://www.seedsavers.org
Plants versus Seeds
Some types of herbs are available in only one form, usually because they are difficult to grow from seed. Saffron crocus, for instance, typically comes in corms, while asparagus comes as roots. Many varieties that come as seed are also available as plants. Rare or exotic herbs may be offered only as seed if the demand is not high enough for plants. If you have a choice between plants and seeds, pay attention to their respective advantages and disadvantages.
Seeds are cheaper to buy, and to ship if you are mail-ordering your herbs. They weigh less and take up less space. They are less prone to damage in shipping than plants. Selection is often much wider. You can plant your garden much earlier by sowing seeds indoors in late winter. Choose seeds for herbs that dislike being transplanted. This is also the best choice for covering large areas, such as naturalizing herbs for wildlife.
The main drawback of seeds is that they always take extra time to sprout and grow before you can enjoy your herbs. Also, young seedlings are quite vulnerable to pests, diseases, and harsh weather. Some herbs are difficult to sprout from seeds. More careful soil preparation is required if you are sowing the seeds directly in your garden, or growth medium if you are starting them indoors.
Plants give you a head start on growth, so you can enjoy your herbs sooner. If you buy them in person, you can pick out the healthiest ones: look for bushy herbs with no fading, spotting, or holes in the leaves and no roots poking out the bottom of the pot. Many herbs should have a strong scent, so you can check for that as well; usually the stronger the scent, the stronger the flavor. Well-started plants are more resistant to stress, especially if they have been hardened off properly to cope with spring weather.
The main drawback of plants is that they are more expensive than seeds. They cost more to ship if you are mail-ordering. Bigger plants also have higher prices than smaller plants. They can be damaged in shipping, or even just driving home from a nursery or plant swap if you aren’t careful. Plants are also more prone than seeds to harbor pests or diseases that could be introduced into your garden.
In general, annuals and biennials are easier to grow from seed. So are some perennials that tend to be more leafy than woody. Herbs that have a wildflower or weed quality may also sprout very freely. Some good herbs to start from seed include amaranth, arugula, basil, catnip, chamomile, chervil, cilantro, dill, echinacea, fennel, mint, motherwort, mustard, parsley, peppers, sweet marjoram, and summer savory.
Conversely, perennials are often better to raise as transplants. They may not start as easily, but their root systems are more robust once they get going. Annuals that turn woody fast may also transplant well. Anything with a big root or bulb is usually easier to propagate from the ground up than by seed. Some good herbs to buy as plants include artemisia, chives, garlic, lavender, lovage, oregano, raspberry, rhubarb, rosemary, sage, thyme, wild strawberry, sweet woodruff, tarragon, winter savory, and wintergreen.
Starting Seeds
If you’re new to starting your own seeds, begin with a simple project. Choose just a few varieties of easy-to-grow herbs, such as catnip, echinacea, or parsley. Once you have more experience, you can grow more varieties and more challenging herbs. This also lets you expand your equipment gradually, rather than having to buy a lot of things at once.
Most garden stores carry supplies for starting seeds indoors. Some of these supplies are also useful for starting seeds outdoors. Necessary items include growth medium, fertilizer, containers, grow lights, and plant shelters. You can also shop for materials online. Here are some suppliers to consider.
Burpee
Burpee offers grow kits, growth medium, grow lights, heat mats, pots and trays, paper pot rollers, and other accessories.
http://www.burpee.com/seed-starting
Grow Organic
Grow Organic sells soil-block makers, seed-starting trays, biodegradable pots, plant labels, heat mats, hand seeders, transplanting tools, and many other supplies.
http://www.groworganic.com/growing-supplies/seed-starting.html
Harris Seeds
Harris Seeds carries light stands, heat mats, propagation trays, humidity domes, labels, watering gear, and more.
http://www.harrisseeds.com/storefront/c-30-seed-starting.aspx
Home Harvest Garden Supply
Home Harvest provides nursery flats, rooting gels and supplies, row markers, seed sowers, growth media, heating equipment, misting systems, cloning and rooting systems, and plant health-care supplies. Look here if you’re into home propagation beyond just seeds, such as cuttings.
http://homeharvest.com/propagationmain.htm
When planting seeds, first consider timing. If you plan to start more than a few seeds, establish a weekly planting schedule. Count backwards from the last frost date in your area. Seeds typically require four to twelve weeks of growth indoors before they can be transplanted outdoors; longer times may require transplanting to a larger pot before the garden. That timing varies by species (and care), so check the descriptions on the seeds you buy. You can also find some seed-starting schedules online, such as at http://herbgardens.about.com/od
/indoorgardening/a/StartHerbSeed.htm.
Choose containers based on numbers and other concerns. If you’re sprouting only a few herbs, individual pots—preferably biodegradable ones—maximize growth potential. Moderate numbers of seedlings benefit from pots or soil plugs gathered in a tray. Large numbers do best in specialized seedling trays with many small pockets. Another good option is to use solid flats full of growth medium, sow thickly, then thin the herbs before digging out the transplants. With herbs you can snip off the thinnings and use them in salad! Try to avoid plastic containers, or if you must use them, at least reuse them rather than throwing them away.
Use soilless growth medium rather than garden soil. For starting seeds, the medium needs to be very fine; a coarser medium is acceptable for transplanting tiny plugs into larger pots. Ingredients may include coir, compost, greensand, peat moss, perlite, protein meal, sand, sphagnum moss, trace minerals, vermiculite, and so on. Bear in mind that some of these are sustainable and others are not; if you’re growing culinary, medicinal, or magical plants, you may want to be especially careful in choosing Earth-friendly materials. If you do a lot of seed starting, you may wish to mix your own growth medium.
Temperature affects germination and growth speed. Some herbs benefit from higher temperatures. Placing a heat mat under your propagation tray will boost the performance of your seeds. Take off about a week of growth time if you do this, to account for the faster rate. Note that soil temperature matters more than air temperature. About 75ºF underground is good for many herbs, but check the individual species for exact details.
Light allows plants to grow and produce food for themselves. Indoors, herbs need supplemental light to grow. You can find grow lights in garden stores and sometimes also in supermarkets or hardware stores. Online garden suppliers also sell them. If you have more than a few herbs, a plant rack with lights is a good investment for compact storage and good lighting. Note that some species, especially wildflower herbs, may need light to germinate. Seedlings require twelve to fourteen hours of light per day.
Water is also necessary for germination and growth. The trick is to keep the growth medium damp but not soggy. If it’s too dry, seeds won’t germinate; too wet, and seeds or sprouts will rot. Seedling trays are often designed to soak up water as needed from a reservoir at the bottom. If you water from the top, you’ll need a special mister to avoid damaging delicate seedlings. Use pure water, not tap water or softened water, which contains chemicals that may harm the plants.
Fertilizer provides nutrients for your herbs to thrive. An excellent choice is compost mixed into the growth medium, because you don’t have to keep fussing with it. Otherwise you can use a liquid fertilizer, such as fish emulsion, or a compound chemical fertilizer. Begin fertilizing when seedlings develop their second set of true leaves, using a half-strength fertilizer about once a week. When seedlings are about a month old, use full-strength fertilizer according to package instructions. Remember to prepare your garden soil by adding compost or other necessary amendments before sowing seeds or transplanting seedlings.
Transplanting
If you sow seeds directly in the garden, they won’t need transplanting. If you sow in individual pots, they will need transplanting once, when they have several sets of true leaves but before they get spindly. If you sow in flat trays or in trays with tiny spaces, they’ll need to be transplanted into larger individual containers and then into the garden. Pot them when they get their first set of true leaves.
Prepare the pots or garden soil to receive the transplants. Dig a hole for each seedling. Carefully lift the seedling out of its original container, or tear away the top half of a biodegradable pot. Place the seedling in the hole, making sure it sits at the same soil level. Fill and firm the soil around it. Water gently around the base.
Seedlings raised indoors should be “hardened off” prior to planting outdoors, so they can acclimate to the new conditions. First, lower the temperature and reduce the amount of watering indoors. It also helps to put a fan on low near the seedlings for an hour or so a day, simulating breezes and encouraging their stems to grow sturdier. Then put them outdoors for half a day at a time in the shade. After a few days, make it half a day in the sun. Then put them out all day in the sun. Do not leave seedlings out in the rain, wind, or very cold weather. The whole process should take about two weeks.
Finally, delicate seedlings may benefit from shelter in the garden. In full sun you may need to use shade cloth. In cool weather, cloches or row covers help hold in heat. Mesh tipis can provide shade and protect against wind or rain. You can usually discontinue the shelter once seedlings put out new leaves, indicating that their roots have sunk into the garden soil.
Further Reading
Burpee Seed Starter: A Guide to Growing Flower, Vegetable, and Herb Seeds Indoors and Outdoors by Maureen Heffernan. John Wiley and Sons, 1997. Find out about starting herbs from seeds in your home or garden.
The Herb Gardener: A Guide for All Seasons by Susan McClure. Storey Publishing, 1996. Follow herb-gardening techniques through the year.
Homegrown Herbs: A Complete Guide to Growing, Using, and Enjoying More Than 100 Herbs by Rosemary Gladstar, Tammi Hartung, and Saxon Holt. Storey Publishing, 2011. Learn how to grow herbs and what you can do with them.
by James Kambos
W hile growing up on my grandparents’ Ohio farm, I was greeted by two things every summer morning: the sound of a rooster’s crow, and the sight of Heavenly Blue morning glories blooming on a simple chicken wire trellis that covered one side of our front porch. My grandmother would sow the seeds in late spring, and by mid-summer they’d put on an extravagant show. Their intense blue flowers echoed the blue of the early morning summer sky.
I thought they were so pretty. I still do.
As a gardener you’ll find this easy-to-grow annual vine to be the perfect backdrop for any herb or perennial garden. Morning glories come in such a wide variety of colors that I’m sure you’ll have no trouble finding the perfect one to complement your color scheme.
And, as you’ll see, the morning glory has a rich history. It not only was used as an ornamental, but was also highly prized by ancient magicians for its alleged mystical qualities. The seeds, and to a lesser degree the flowers and foliage, were used to communicate with the spirit realm and the gods.
Botanical Information and History
Morning glories are a member of the Convolvulaceae family and the genus Ipomoea. The number of species within the genus Ipomoea is at least 500, and some experts say the number could be as high as 1,000.
Although the morning glory is a native of Mexico and Central America, it’s believed the Chinese were the first to use the morning glory for medicinal purposes. They used the seeds in small doses as a laxative. By the ninth century the Japanese were growing the morning glory as an ornamental.
Native Americans also used the plant for medical reasons. They made teas from the roots for use as a laxative and a diuretic. They also dried the foliage to make a tea to treat headaches and indigestion.
Since all parts of the morning glory can be quite toxic, the plant is seldom used today by herbalists as a medical treatment.
It’s the indigenous people of Mexico, however, who have had the highest regard for the morning glory as a sacred and magical plant since ancient times. Cultures such as the ancient Aztecs, Mazatecs, and Zapotecs believed, and still do believe, that the morning glory not only contains spirits, but that the plant has the ability to connect us with the spirit realm, and ultimately the gods.
The shamans of these ancient civilizations would drink a magical potion derived from ground morning glory seeds mixed with water to achieve a state of altered consciousness. Morning glory seeds contain certain types of lysergic acid derivatives, or LSA, which is related to LSD. Ingestion of the seeds caused powerful visions, which the shamans would use to communicate with the spirit realm. These visions would assist the shaman in discovering how to cure the ill, or help in enhancing their magical powers. The process usually involved grinding the seeds, wrapping them in a cloth, and soaking in water. Soon after consuming this sacred liquid, the shaman would begin a spiritual and visual quest to receive messages from the gods.
Today, consuming morning glory seeds isn’t only illegal, it’s also very dangerous. Side effects include cramps, nausea, miscarriage, permanent mental disorders, convulsions, stroke, and death. Also be aware that most seed companies now coat their seeds with a fungicide to prevent ingestion of the seeds. In other words, never attempt to use the seeds as a hallucinogen!
Habitat and Cultivation
In Mexico and Central America, the morning glory is a perennial. In northern climates, however, it’s grown as an annual.
Morning glories need some type of trellis or support and can reach heights of five to twelve feet. The vine is covered with large heart-shaped foliage. The lovely trumpet-shaped flowers are usually two and a half to four inches across. As the name suggests, the flowers open in the early morning, then curl and close in the heat of late morning or early afternoon. On cool, cloudy days, the flowers may stay open most of the day.
Colors include white, blue, purple, pink, and red. There are several varieties that are uniquely striped or are delicately edged in white. Each flower also features an attractive five-pointed star shape, which can be a contrasting color or can be the same color as the flower. The trumpets usually have a white throat tinged with yellow, but in some varieties the throat is pink. The Ipomoea moonflower is the only variety in the morning glory family that has flowers that open in the evening. The stunning, pure-white flowers are fragrant and measure about five inches across. Some gardeners plant them with morning glories so they’ll have flowers blooming both morning and evening.
Morning glory seeds are easy to sow directly into the garden. Select a sunny or partially shaded location with average garden soil. After danger of frost has passed, turn the soil, then prepare the seeds. To hasten germination, nick the seeds with a knife or soak them in water for several hours. Plant the seeds ¼ to ½ inch deep; keep the seedbed moist. Once the seedlings appear (usually in seven to ten days), I usually stop watering, unless it’s very dry—then I’ll continue watering. When the seedlings are four to six inches high, you can thin or transplant them. Use a garden stake or some string to lead them to the support of your choice. If you plant by the “signs,” morning glories benefit from being planted during the first or second phase of the moon, when the moon is in Virgo.
Once your morning glories are established, water them only during droughts. Too much water or a rainy summer will produce lush foliage, but few flowers. They don’t require fertilization.
Apartment dwellers may grow these vigorous vines on a terrace. Simply sow the seeds in a large planter and thin to about three seedlings. Then place a small trellis into the planter and they should do fine.
Favorite Morning Glory Varieties
No matter where you choose to grow morning glories—on a trellis, rambling over a porch, or climbing up a mailbox post—they are an old-time garden favorite that will always remind us of a gentler time. For many of us they conjure memories of summer mornings long ago. Morning glories are an inexpensive way to add beauty and charm to the garden from mid-summer to hard frost.
Here are the names and descriptions of a few classic varieties of morning glories that have stood the test of time.
Blue Star
This variety is pale blue with a pink star. If you enjoy something different, this is the one for you. Grows to 6 ½ feet.
Candy Pink
Vivid pink, this variety reminds me of cotton candy. Ultimate height is 10 feet.
Carnival
This unique variety is a mix of flowers that have lovely pink and white, or violet and white, stripes on each flower. A compact grower; height is 5 to 6 feet.
Celestial Mix
This morning glory variety is a mix of white, light blue, and dark blue flowers. Most have a contrasting star. Grows to 6 to 7 feet.
Crimson Rambler
Red flowers with white throats make this old variety a favorite. I plant it frequently. A vigorous grower; height is 12 feet. Looks great covering a porch.
Early Call
This variety is one of my favorites. It blooms a couple weeks earlier than most. It’s sold as a mixture; the flowers will be pink, violet, red, and deep purple. Some flowers will be edged in white. It grows to at least 12 feet.
Flying Saucers
Blue and white striped flowers make this morning glory a dramatic accent; interplant with a white variety for great impact. Height is about 10 feet.
Grandpa Ott
One of the greatest morning glories of all time! An heirloom variety, its flowers are a little smaller than most, but they’re an unusual color combination: purple with a red star. Vigorous plants grow to 15 feet and self-sow.
Heavenly Blue
Introduced in 1931, this is the most popular morning glory. It has gorgeous blue flowers; height is 12 feet. A classic.
Pearly Gates
This strong grower is known for its white flowers set off with yellow throats. Looks great planted with red or blue varieties. Grows to 12 feet.
Scarlett O’Hara
This morning glory looks great rambling over an old, weathered fence. The flowers are scarlet with white throats. Height is 10 feet.
As I finish this article, it’s a chilly, overcast autumn morning. But the Heavenly Blue and Crimson Rambler morning glories that cover my deck brighten this gray day. Gazing at them takes me back to my grandmother’s porch. It’s easy to understand why these old-fashioned vines have remained a gardener’s favorite for generations.
Seed Sources
Morning glory seeds are available at any garden center, or try these online sources:
Harris Seeds. http://harrisseeds.com.
Swallowtail Garden Seeds. http://www.swallowtailgardenseeds.com.
Moon Shine:
Herbs of the Night
by Jill Henderson
Often associated with the mystical, moon gardens have been lighting up the night for thousands of years. Adored by lovers and philosophers, these midnight gardens were places of secrecy and silence, contemplation and meditation, ritual and ceremony.
The moon has always given humankind a reason to look toward the heavens in search of answers and inspiration. The perfect time to relax and reflect is during the cool, solid stillness of night. The moon garden provides a place to do just that. It’s no wonder moon gardens have become not only a popular gardening theme, but a true place of peace.
To our ancestors, the roundness and luminosity of the moon spoke primarily to the feminine form, and the moon became a goddess of fertility and bounty, a keeper of time, and the mother of all living things. Many cultures paid homage to the moon in the form of deities such as the Greek Selene and Artemis, the Roman Diana, the African Maou, and the Aztec Coyolxauhqui. Both beautiful and mysterious, the moon’s soft femininity was countered by a vengeful power strong enough to push and pull the waters of Earth and the cycles of life. Those who worshipped the moon clearly understood this force quite well, performing traditional rituals and ceremonies to honor and appease her.
In ancient times moon gardens were not just for aristocrats, poets, and stargazers; they were places filled with valuable medicinal herbs used in the healing arts and religious rituals. Monks, shamans, doctors, and granny women have long been recognized for their contributions to the wealth of knowledge in the use of plants as medicines. Like many farmers of the day, these healers knew that seed should be sown in the light of a full moon and that root crops are best harvested under a waning moon when the energy of the plant is being drawn back down into the earth. This timing affects not only the plants, but also the potency and effectiveness of medicines made from them. With the moon playing such a critical role in the growing and harvesting of plants and herbs for food and medicine, it’s no wonder moon gardens came to be not only functional places, but places of sanctuary.
Moon gardens are as old as the mythology surrounding the moon. Little is known about their true origins or when they were first intentionally cultivated. It was most likely a natural progression from an average daytime garden to one that included plants whose bright, reflective colors illuminated the darkness all around them, dispelling certain fears and scenting the night air. After all, what better place to meet friends or a lover than in a beautiful garden in the evening when the heat of a summer’s day has slipped away? Like our early ancestors, we too have need of such spaces. Whether you want a special place to gather with friends or loved ones, or a retreat for quiet contemplation, the moon garden simply shines.
Growing your own slice of heaven need not be a complicated affair. Whether you decide to incorporate a few select moon garden plants into an existing flower or herb garden or create a full-scale masterpiece, only one thing really matters: that you make it a place you will enjoy.
If you are like me, the first thing you want to know is what kinds of herbs and flowers work best in a moon garden. Because they will be enjoyed primarily in the evening or after dark, plants for a moon garden have several things in common. To begin with, all moon garden plants tend to have blooms that either stay open all the time or bloom exclusively at night. These flowers generate the most “shine.” White, yellow, and gold are all good color choices, though red and purple flowers can add a nice jolt of color for sunset viewing. Also, having one or two plants with sweetly fragrant flowers, such as night-blooming jasmine, white roses, or angel’s trumpets, adds yet another layer of enchantment to the moon garden.
The second most important feature of moon garden plants is reflective foliage. In the next section you will find groups of flowering plants and herbs that have gray, silver, or variegated foliage. These plants add much needed depth and contrast to the moon garden by reflecting their ghostly forms. Many plants with gray-green foliage have the added bonus of being luxuriantly touchable and are sometimes quite fragrant as well. Artemisia and sage are two good examples.
The next group of plants anchors the garden by providing vertical lines and structural interest to the moon garden. These include ornamental grasses, small trees, slender shrubs, and even bamboo. Ornamental grasses have the added benefit of generating movement and sound. Last but not least, you can add a touch of functionality and whimsy to your moon garden by including a few white or almost-white vegetables, such as pumpkins, eggplant, tomatoes, okra, and peppers. Many of these vegetables are not only decorative, but edible as well. Imagine the ghostly forms of white bell pepper lanterns or magical glowing pumpkins in your moon garden. What a sight!
The following groups of plants are meant to get you started in your moon garden adventure. These plants are but a few of the thousands of wonderful possibilities. Use them as a stepping stone to find new and interesting cultivars to plant in your own moon garden. These lists include the plant’s common name, the Latin name, and, where appropriate, the specific cultivar, as well as whether the plant is an annual or perennial. Please note that a few of the night-blooming plants are poisonous and have been marked as such. Use caution when growing these around small children.
Moon Garden Plants
Night Blooming
Datura/White Moonflower (Datura inoxia) annual, poisonous
Cereus Cactus (Cereus genus) perennial
Night-Blooming Aroids (Philodendron/Arum family) varies
Angel’s Trumpet (Brugmansia arborea) tender perennial
Night-Blooming Water Lily (Nymphaea lotus var. ‘Dentata Superba’) self-sowing annual
Flowering Tobacco (Nicotiana sylvestris) self-sowing annual, poisonous
White and Yellow Flowers
Cleome (Cleome hassleriana) self-sowing annual
Daylily (Hemerocallis species) perennial
Evening Primrose (Oenothera species) annual/perennial
Evening Primrose (Oenothera speciosa var. ‘Pink Petticoats’) perennial
Garden Thyme (Thymus species) perennial
Opium Poppy (Papaver laciniatum var. ‘Swansdown’) self-sowing annual
Oriental Poppy (Papaver orientale var. ‘Louvre’) self-sowing annual
Snow-on-the-Mountain (Euphorbia marginata) annual
Sulphur Cinquefoil (Potentilla recta var. ‘Warrenii’) perennial
Vervain (Verbena officinalis) perennial
White Four o’Clock (Mirabilis jalapa) annual
White-Flowered Borage (Borago officinalis var. ‘Alba’) self-sowing annual
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) perennial
Yucca (Yucca filamentosa) perennial
Gray, Silver, and Variegated Foliage
Artemisia (Artemisia ludoviciana var. ‘Silver King’) perennial
Coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides var. ‘The Line’) annual
Common Garden Sage (Salvia officinalis var. ‘Berggarten’) perennial
Common Rue (Ruta graveolens) annual
Curry Plant (Helichrysum italicum) tender perennial
Eucalyptus Plant (Eucalyptus gunnii var. ‘Silver Drop’) tender perennial
Lamb’s Ears (Stachys byzantina) perennial
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) perennial
Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) perennial
Munstead Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia var. ‘Munstead’) perennial
Red Everlasting (Helichrysum sanguineum) perennial
Sage/Salvia (Salvia species) perennial
Santolina (Santolina chamaecyparissus) perennial
Variegated Yucca (Yucca filamentosa var. ‘Variegata’) perennial
Woolly Lavender (Lavandula lanata) perennial
Woolly Thyme (Thymus psuedolanginosus) perennial
Woolly Lamb’s Ear (Stachys byzantina) perennial
Wormwood (Artemisia pontica) perennial
Yarrow (Achillea taygetea var. ‘Moonshine’) perennial
Vines with White Flowers
Clematis (Clematis terniflora var. ‘Sweet Autumn’) perennial
Moonflower Vine (Ipomoea alba) annual poisonous
Night-Blooming Jasmine (Cestrum nocturnum) perennial
White Cypress Vine (Ipomoea quamoclit) annual
Ornamental Grass
Blue Fescue (Festuca glauca) perennial
Creeping Broad Leaf Sedge (Carex siderosticha var. ‘Lemon Zest’) perennial
Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora var. ‘Avalanche’) perennial
Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora var. ‘Karl Foerster’) perennial
Golden Hakonechloa Grass (Hakonechloa macra var. ‘Aureola’) perennial
Japanese Silver Grass (Miscanthus sinensis var. ‘Cabaret’) perennial
Japanese Silver Grass/Porcupine Grass (Miscanthus sinensis var. ‘Super Stripe’) perennial
Mt. Hakone Grass (Hakonechloa macra) perennial
Trees, Shrubs, and Bamboo
Gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides) perennial
Ghost Bamboo (Dendrocalamus minor var. ‘Amoenus’) perennial
Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick (Corylus avellana var. ‘Contorta’) perennial
White Climbing Rose (Rosa species) perennial
Yellow Stem Bamboo (Phyllostachys aureosulcata var. ‘Spectabilis’) perennial
White Vegetables
Bell Pepper (‘Bianca’)
Eggplant (‘Alba’)
Eggplant (‘White Egg’)
Eggplant (‘White Lightning’)
Hot Pepper (‘Arrivivi Gusano’)
Okra (‘White Velvet’)
Pumpkin (‘Baby Boo’)
Pumpkin (‘Lumina’)
Tomato (‘Great White’)
Tomato (‘Weissbehaarte’)
Now that you have an idea of the types of plants that can be grown in a moon garden, let’s get down to the bones! Start by selecting a location for your garden. It can be in a little-used corner of the yard for privacy or meditation, or it can sit smack dab in the middle of the yard. For trip-free nighttime strolls, be sure to allow plenty of room for pathways that are both wide and clear. If you are not the type of person who really wants to wander in the yard at night, consider placing the garden near a porch or deck where it can be enjoyed in relative comfort and safety.
Of course, your moon garden can be any shape or size you like, but the traditional moon garden shape is round. A circle can be arranged in many interesting ways. If the purpose of your moon garden is for relaxation or meditation, perhaps you might like to have a labyrinth of pathways within the circle that lead to a focal point in the center, such as a sitting area. A circle garden can be quartered to represent the four equinoxes, or wedged into twelve triangles to represent the months of the year. Half or crescent moon–shaped gardens lend themselves well to a fence or trellis against which climbing, night-blooming plants become the focal point.
Limited space or apartment living need not deter you from creating a small but beautiful moon garden. It’s surprising how many plants can be grown on the smallest deck or patio using pots, urns, or tubs. Small wooden or plastic trellises are perfect for growing vining moonflowers or jasmine. To add some drama and flair to a small garden, use stands, blocks, or empty pots to stagger plants at different heights. Hanging baskets, window boxes, and many other space-saving planters are available to those with small spaces.
Water features are especially beautiful in moon gardens. Fountains make soothing gurgling sounds, while still ponds and birdbaths shimmer and shine with the moon’s reflection. Particularly attractive in a moon garden are large structural elements such as glass orbs, statues, and sculptures. Objects that reflect light or make soft sounds are all welcome additions to the moon garden. Stones don’t always shine, but they add a lot of architectural interest to any garden. Even light-colored pebbles in a pathway will glow in the moonlight, guiding you safely through the garden.
Obviously, a moon garden is meant to be viewed in the soft, ambient light of the moon, which isn’t always available when we want it to be. For cloudy nights, or those of the new moon, a few strategically placed solar path lights will do wonders to make your garden shine. Even on full moon nights, one or two spotlights focused upwards or placed behind a predominant feature such as a fountain, statue, or trellis might just take your garden from pretty to stunning. No matter what shape, size, or configuration you choose for your moon garden, be sure to provide comfortable seating so you can sit back and enjoy the light of the silvery moon.
For thousands of years humankind has gazed into the heavens and been awed by the beauty of the moon. The ancient Hermetic teaching “As above, so below” is quite appropriate when contemplating a moon garden, for a moon garden is simply an earthly reflection of the heavens above. A moon garden teaches us to see things in a different light, both literally and figuratively. To see it correctly and to fully appreciate the smallest detail of a moon garden, we are forced to slow down and adjust our vision and perspective. Doing so allows a gentle light to really shine.
By Emyme
My gardening life goes back twenty-five years. At times very alive and active, but for the most part quite dormant, my love of the earth and all its decorations resurfaced, and held, when I moved into my current home over six years ago.
During the first few years of caring for the yards and gardens, I concentrated on the flora. The care and repair of the house and grounds were so time-consuming, I barely noticed the fauna. They were just a nice distraction when resting after all of the mowing and trimming and planting and watering and weeding. Eventually the groundskeeping settled into a routine, and I discovered that equal to (and on occasion surpassing) the beauty of plants and flowers, one of the most rewarding aspects of owning and cultivating “a little bit of earth” is the wildlife. Rabbits abide, chipmunks amuse, squirrels annoy, insects alight, and the birds amaze.
More knowledge of those with whom I shared my out-of-doors was required. Once the pursuit of education began, three events confirmed I was on the right path:
• A visit to a birding specialty store provided seed, feeders, decorations, and more information than I knew what to do with, from knowledgeable and contagiously enthusiastic salespeople.
• Casual perusal of a colorful periodical uncovered previously unconsidered potential for decorating outdoor spaces: designs that use flowers and plants to attract birds.
• An inviting piece of junk mail introduced budget-friendly ideas in caring for the earth and her creatures, and optional financial contribution, regardless of where you live: city, suburbs, or country.
I suddenly saw the backyard with new eyes and determined to establish a wildlife habitat … only to discover I already had one. Should you choose to follow this path, it can be done with minimal effort and at reasonable cost. A cautionary note here: If manicured, leafless lawns and picture-perfect gardens are what you adore, you may wish to read no more. All but the most ecofriendly pesticides and weed killers are banned. Tolerance of disruption is to be expected when making homes for small mammals and offering food to birds.
Although there may be some who can manage to combine immaculate landscaping with wildlife habitats, for the most part they are at odds with one another. This has proven to be true for me, and it was quite a relief, actually. One of the previous owners of my home left a large dip in the backyard from a decorative pond. With thoughts of filling it inexpensively, I began a haphazard compost heap. Leaves, twigs, weeds, and grass … all are thrown in. Fruits and vegetables past their prime find their way there, as does the occasional out-of-date egg. Not very attractive to the human eye, the compost heap attracts all manner of bird and beast. Once in a while I used to cast a stray thought as to how it looked from my neighbor’s second floor windows. Now, in the name of habitat, I can add to it without a care about aesthetics.
Other issues you may face:
• Chipmunks burrow, disturbing the lawn. Also, moles and voles create raised furrows.
• Rabbits build warrens in dense foliage and high grasses, requiring caution when trimming and mowing.
• Squirrels inconveniently drop twigs on the grounds and house while constructing their leafy nests.
But all of this is nothing compared to the satisfaction gained from creating a safe haven for these entertaining and necessary creatures.
And then there are the insects. Depending on the season, jeweled butterflies cautiously alight on the blooms of their eponymous bushes. Praying mantises in every phase of their life cycle crawl serenely among the plants. Dragonflies flit, fireflies glow, spiders weave, bees pollinate. Of course, there are mosquitoes and gnats. Some invisible something appears to chew on the rose bush. Nevertheless, nothing really attacks the plants; for the most part insects are left alone. Only rarely does something destructive come along and interference is compulsory—think mud wasps nesting on the brick façade by the front door and odorous house ants claiming the kitchen counter. I like to think I have been rewarded for good behavior in that I have never suffered any bite more serious than that of a mosquito. I have a plan in place to introduce the ever-helpful ladybug into this mix—maybe that will stop whatever is chewing on the roses.
Finally we come to what I consider the most excellent aspect of creating a wildlife habitat: the birds. Over the years the yard has managed to attract such a variety of them that I bought books and binoculars to aid in identification. At first it was merely the brown and black birds: mourning doves, sparrows, and crows were the only visitors. Perhaps an occasional robin or two. With the introduction of seed and feeders, the yard gained some color: bright blue jays, yellow goldfinches, and brilliant red cardinals stopped by.
Now, spring rains bring up the earthworms and robins nest by the front door—startling us and them whenever we exit. One year, house finches (sometimes mistaken for female cardinals) took up residence in the evergreens. Every summer the tap-tap of the woodpecker or northern flicker can be heard; they help with insect control and make fast and furious appearances—you have to be patient to see them. Starlings nest twice a year in the large birdhouse next to a rogue grape vine. Fall and winter bring the titmouse, chickadee, and nuthatch. As in any natural setting, the large feathered creatures and small furry critters collide. One hot summer day I witnessed a Cooper’s hawk have its way with a rabbit. The carcass was left to me for disposal. Some years later, by the light of a half moon I saw what appeared to be a neighborhood cat take wing. In its talons, the great horned owl carried away another furry meal. The circle of life, indeed.
My yards and gardens are a haven for me and a habitat for wildlife. Even the least experienced gardener knows the seasons dictate the work schedule. Spring: clean up and repair the yard and gardens from the winter, plot and plan and plant. Summer: weed and prune in the cool of the morning, mow and trim in the heat of the day. Fall: bulbs in, annuals out, and leaves raked. Winter: resting, both the earth and I. Throughout all twelve months you can be sure of some or all of this: rabbits abide, chipmunks amuse, squirrels annoy, insects alight, and the birds amaze.
References
National Wildlife Federation. http://www.nwf.org.
Wild Birds Unlimited. http://www.wbu.com.
Rewilding and Reconnecting:
Wildcrafting as Sacred Stewardship
By Darcey Blue French
T here are many kinds of herbalists in the world: some who buy their medicines from others, some who grow their medicines in a home garden or on a farm, and some who wildcraft their medicines from the places where plants grow of their own accord. Many herbalists get their medicines in some combination of all these ways. I, myself, have for years used all of these methods for obtaining the medicines I use on a daily basis, and I want to share what I have discovered about the importance of wildcrafting our herbal medicines.
Wildcrafting plants is both a responsibility to and a relationship with the earth, the plants, and wild communities. Wildcrafting is a sacred act of reconnecting and rewilding our own spirits, and caretaking and honoring the earth upon which we live. It is a skill that is absolutely necessary to learn in our changing world and changing times, both for our own well-being and self-sufficiency and for the well-being, protection, and healing of our earth home.
Plants growing in the wild are subject to and influenced by the stresses of an unpampered life, with variable and often difficult growing conditions. Growing in the wild they develop higher concentrations of medicinal compounds, vitamins and minerals, and a stronger resilience and life force. It’s no mystery to anyone that a tomato or a peach grown in a home garden and harvested freshly, at the peak of ripeness, is intensely more vibrant, delicious, and nourishing. Wild plants grow in soils undepleted by continuous cultivation, and increase their vital life force specifically because of the challenges through which they grow and survive.
By the same token, by relying on the wild plants that grow naturally around us, wherever we live, we are relieved of the need to provide extra resources to ensure a harvest. This is especially true in harsh, arid, or otherwise sensitive climates, where providing extra water or extended growing seasons with electric heating in a greenhouse may not be sustainable over the long term. Relying on locally available wild plants also has the benefit of reducing our impact on the earth. When we refrain from shipping medicinal herbs across the world, we save fossil fuels, promote ethical labor practices, and conserve plants threatened by commercial demand. While desired and valuable herbs don’t always grow locally, it is important to remember that using what grows in your backyard and your bioregion is more sustainable over the long term. Using these nearby plants begins to put you into direct contact and relationship with the health of the land you live on.
Sacred Relationship
Wildcrafting puts you in deep relationship with the plants you use for medicine. It connects you to the land you live and work on more than any other activity in the wild. Wildcrafting plants for food and medicine requires spending time in natural places focusing widely and deeply on the plants in front of you as well as the landscape and community around you. When you begin to wildcraft, first spend time sitting with the plant. Breathe deeply and begin to notice the details of the plant using your senses. What do the leaves feel like, how does the plant smell, and how many shades of colors can you see? Then use your senses to notice where the plant grows. Does it grow in the shade or the sun? Near water? Or on a dry hill? What other kinds of plants are around it? Are there many of the same kind of plant, or just a few? Do you see any signs of wildlife?
Always pay attention to feelings, memories, and sensations that come up when you are with the plants. Record your impressions, thoughts, and botanical notes in a plant journal that you can refer to year after year. This piece, the memory of plants, in place, is where relationship begins. Return, again and again, and ally yourself with that plant and that place. Use a field guide to identify the plant and make medicines with it, and take a small piece to wear in a medicine bag or to tuck into your pillow at night. You will begin to find yourself returning to the plant or the place as if to a beloved friend. These practices, when used every time you to go the wild places and plants, will instill in you a sense of the inherent value of the plant and the community it comes from. When your relationship goes deep like this, you will do everything you can to protect, preserve, and tend these plants and places. It is no longer a question of economic worth, but of love and care for something with value immeasurable.
Respectful Sustainability
It is this care and urge to protect that which we love that make wildcrafting plants a sustainable choice for the long term. Ideally wildcrafting is done by the person who is actually using the plants, or a person who is serving the local community as an herbalist and/or teacher. There are instances where intense commercial wildcrafting of species like echinacea, goldenseal, and American ginseng has depleted and threatened the existence of these plants in the wild. Spending time on the land, in the plant communities, allows you to pay attention to the health of the land and the well-being of the species. You will notice if plant populations are increasing or decreasing. You will notice that in a dry year there are fewer plants, and take less. You will notice which plants also feed or shelter other creatures, and leave more than enough for all beings who use the plant.
When you wildcraft plants, learn proper harvesting techniques for each plant. Is it possible to clip a few leaves, or a runner root, rather than uprooting an entire plant? I use the rule of 1⁄3 when harvesting most plants (excluding very sensitive, rare, endemic, or slow-growing plants), which is: never take more than 1⁄3 of a single plant, and never more than 1⁄3 of a stand. Even 1⁄3 is too much in some cases. You will need to know your plants as individuals. Is it a slow-growing perennial root? Take less. Is it a vigorous seeder? Take more, but spread the seeds around. Does it grow only in this spot? Take less.
It is vitally important that we preserve these medicines for future generations. As the world around us is changing, we will need to become more self-reliant. These plant medicines are a gift from the earth for everyone. Our work preserving the land, the plants, and herbal knowledge are the ways we can demonstrate gratitude and be in service to the earth.
The Practice of Crafting
Wildcrafting is a skill and an art. It requires a specific set of tools, knowledge, and attention to safety. Equip yourself with the proper tools so you can safely collect your plants and get them home and turned into medicine. Always travel with plant clippers or a knife. Many plants can be collected with your fingers alone, but tough roots, branches, or thorny plants will require a tool so you harm the plant as little as possible. You will want a good spade, shovel, or digging stick if you plan to dig roots. Digging roots in rocky soil by hand can be done, but it is a challenging lesson in preparedness. Always have a container to bring your harvest home in. I prefer baskets, canvas bags with handles, or paper bags. I never use plastic, as it can lead to mold or mildew, plus plastic bags degrade very easily in the sun and could possibly contaminate your harvest. Sometimes I’ll even take out the glass jars and alcohol I intend to tincture my plants in, and put them up right there in the field for the freshest medicine possible!
Always remember to bring along all the tools you need to care for yourself as well, including:
• Enough hearty food and plenty of water
• Hat
• Sunscreen
• Journal
• Camera
• Bug repellent
• First aid kit
• Matches
• Rain gear
• Map
• Phone, or a specific plan to return left with someone at home
There have been more than a few times when I forgot just one of these seemingly minor details—and ended up shivering in rain on top of a mountain in a tank top, dehydrated and hungry and not paying attention to careful harvesting, or bringing home unexpected harvest in my hat. Part of this is the learning and adventure of wildcrafting, but just one unfortunate slip could be dangerous in some cases, so always be prepared to take care of yourself and anyone with you when you go out.
Here are some of the pitfalls and problems you should pay attention to and be aware of when wildcrafting plants. When I first started I was very wary of harvesting but also very excited, and fortunately had an excellent mentor to teach me where the safe, clean places to harvest were in my area.
You should take into account the cleanliness of the habitat you are picking from. Many lovely plants grow by the side of the road because of runoff and disturbed soils, but picking from the side of the road could mean the plants are contaminated by exhaust, oil, antifreeze, salt, or pesticides. Is your plant growing in an old farm field or an abandoned lot? Do you know the history of that land? Is it possible that the land was sprayed or subjected to other forms of contamination?
Know where you are collecting and the laws around collecting. Is it private land that you need to get permission from the owner to pick from? Is it public land that you need a permit for? It is almost always illegal to pick plants in national and state parks and in many other public and private preserves.
How comfortable are you in the place where you are picking? Do you feel safe, comfortable, and able to relax and pay attention to the plants and to what you are doing? Is it possible you may be interrupted by passersby? Are you prepared for that? Have you seen the plants growing in this area over time, or is it a new place for you? You may want to take less from an area that you are unfamiliar with in order to preserve the plant community over time. Take into account the potency of the plant: you can take less of very strong plants and still get good, strong medicine, and some plants tend to grow even fuller and stronger when they are harvested appropriately.
It is important to go to the plants with openness to what presents itself. Are you going out with expectations or specific intentions? You may go expecting to harvest one thing, and not find it, not get permission, or not find enough; but if you stay open, you may find someone else who wants to come home with you. Try not to go out with a sense of entitlement, but rather a sense of wonder and adventure. It is precisely these unexpected and unplanned connections that make up the bulk of our learning and connection with the wild.
Pay attention to why you are harvesting each plant. What are your intentions? Can that plant or that population sustain that sort of need? Have you asked the plant for permission? Have you sat with the plant and expressed your intentions? Often the medicine most needed from a plant comes when we ask and come with a heartfelt intention. Make sure you give something back. It could be a drink of water, an offering of tobacco or other sacred offering, a scattering of the seeds, or making and keeping a promise to the plant ally.
I never take from the plants without offering something in return, and I often go to the plants to offer something without taking anything—songs, offerings, time, attention, and a promise to teach others about their value. This is the sacred relationship that, as herbalists and earth lovers, we cultivate carefully and attentively. One of my deepest, most sacred relationships with a plant is with an oak tree I have known for nine years. I have never harvested medicine from my friend. I regularly visit. I offer songs. I offer ceremony. I leave prayers.
Wildcrafting can be extremely rewarding when practiced with care, attention, love, and respect. One of the greatest rewards, beyond being able to spend countless hours of sacred time in the wild, beautiful world, is the sense of empowerment and self-reliance you develop as you work with the wild plants; and the knowledge that you know how to find, prepare, and use medicines and foods from the wild. You are no longer dependent on any other entity, institution, or organization to be able to care for yourself and your family. The earth is our home and our true provider of all we need—and being deeply connected to, in love with, and taking part in the reciprocal gifting cycle is one of the deepest healing and sacred journeys we can take. The plants are a sacred gateway into the wildness and magic present in all of life and our beautiful home, Earth. Step onto the path of a lifelong relationship with the magic and sacred gifts of the plants and the wild earth!
The Gardening Wonders
of Comfrey
by Charlie Rainbow Wolf
Comfrey has many healing properties and makes a valuable addition to the herb garden, but its overall use should not be overlooked by the serious vegetable or flower gardener. Comfrey has myriad uses, all of which are beneficial to anyone who is serious about composting, mulching, or attracting birds and butterflies into their plot.
The most popular strain of comfrey for domestic use is Symphytum officianale, more commonly referred to as Russian comfrey. It is a member of the borage family. The plant is perennial, dying down after the first frost and re-emerging with the first breath of spring. It is the root that is used in folk medicine, but we are going to focus on the other properties of this wonderful plant.
Comfrey is a very handsome addition to the garden, and it does not seem to be bothered by any garden pests or diseases. It has large ovate leaves that are dark green and covered in light fuzzy down. Some people find these little hairs quite irritating to their skin. The flower spikes consist of small mauve bell-like clusters, which gracefully bow down and sway in the breeze. Butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators are drawn to the flowers, which have little to no scent, and the local bee population is also very thankful for these blooms in the garden.
Originally a European wildflower, Symphytum officianale is very hardy, and in some areas of the United States it is considered an invasive weed. It is wise to check with the local agriculture regulations before planting comfrey for a composting crop. It is tolerable of most climates, but because of the tuberous root it does prefer a moist location. It may not fare well in very salty or very dry locations. This plant won’t thrive on chalky or rocky grounds either, for its roots need to go deep into the earth.
Once comfrey has been established in a growing location, leave it where it is. The most minute hair of root left behind will soon sport a new plant, as many amateur gardeners have found out to their chagrin! For this reason, comfrey is easily divided. The most popular way of propagating comfrey is simply to split a strong growing crown. It seems virtually indestructible.
The deep tap root is what makes comfrey such a wonderful garden compost plant. The root reaches down deep into the soil and draws up valuable nutrients into the wide leaves. When used as a mulch, the plant brings valuable potassium and nitrogen to the composting vegetation. The broad leaves of the comfrey can be laid directly around growing plants to slowly release their nutrients as they decompose.
Comfrey leaves and stems can be added to the compost heap to make a great green compost activator. Because they are so rich in nutrients, they not only add valuable elements to the compost pile, but they actually encourage it to heat up, thus speeding up the decomposition of other organic matter. Some people run the plants through a motorized chipper to break them up before adding them to the pile, but most who use comfrey regularly in their gardens agree this is not necessary.
Comfrey tea is another plant food option. The author has had great success making it using an old bathtub placed outside on cinder blocks. The harvested comfrey was wrapped in muslin and placed in the bathtub, and water was then added. The mixture needed to be stirred every day for about a week. The smell became more and more offensive as each day progressed, which was a good indication that decomposition was taking place! Once a nice black slime had been created, the plug of the bathtub was pulled and the tea drained into another container placed under the bathtub. The remaining slime in the muslin was added to the compost heap. Even the muslin cloth was reused, being placed under mulch to help prevent weeds near a vegetable bed.
Comfrey grows very fast, and one root system will soon give rise to a bushy plant that can grow up to a meter tall with an equal spread. Comfrey harvested in spring will rapidly reestablish itself for a second cutting approximately six weeks later, depending on its growing location. In a good year, it may be possible to get as many as four cuttings from the plants. For mulching and composting purposes, it is best harvested before the flowers form, but it does seem a shame not to let the wildlife feast on the beautiful blooms.
There are many reasons to devote a quiet corner of the garden to comfrey. The nutritional value for teas and composts, the instant mulch and plant food that can be created with the leaves, and the activity of the beneficial wildlife that the pretty flower spikes attract all make this an outstanding plant for the gardener. Aside from its gardening uses, it is medicinal and edible. Cherokee women used to smoke the leaves instead of tobacco. Comfrey also has a lesson to teach, for its tenacious manner and the way it keeps returning year after year remind the gardener that persistence is the key to success.
by Carole Schwalm
Rainforests like the Amazon and those in Madagascar are the “lungs of the planet.” They are also home to potentially lifesaving drugs that are found nowhere else. The billions of acres are home to millions of species of plants, many that will be completely gone in forty years or sooner. One of these could someday save your life or a loved one’s life.
We’ve tested only a mere five percent of these plant species, and many are anti-cancer drugs. How many potentially life-giving plants are lost in the hundreds of acres of rainforest that are burned and destroyed each year, about 1 to 1 ½ acres per second?
Saving the valuable rainforests filled with beneficial drugs sounds like a job for big pharmaceutical companies, or so you’d think! But, dear lover of the earth (that would be you), this is not the case. Oh, a few came, but they arrived in the form of “biopirates,” and they stripped the forests and took seeds with them. The pillaging resulted in millions of dollars in profit. However, it wasn’t adequate; the payoffs do not happen fast enough for pharmaceutical companies, for it takes time to study Mother Nature’s complex compounds. Shamans, through extensive study, discovered that plants defend themselves against insects by manufacturing their own chemicals, which then became lifesaving knowledge.
The impatient pharmaceutical companies handed off to corporate co-biopirates. Large multinational companies swooped in and deforested to create land for grazing, timber, or corn and rice farming.
The Shaman: A Living Treasure
A shaman is as valuable a resource as the rainforest plant life itself. He or she possesses limitless knowledge that encompasses thousands of years. Most shamans are seventy years old or more. When they die, their knowledge will die with them, unless the young study the old ways and unless the spirits call others to take their place.
Currently a group of international scientists are working in agreement with traditional healers and elders in light of drug research in the 107,500-acre tropical forest in Madagascar. Scientists are also working with native healers in Samoa, to glean, among other things, their generations of knowledge about bark, berries, leaves, and sap long used to heal coughs, malaria, and stomachaches.
Herbs, Glorious Herbs
The Southeast Asian rainforest dwellers use 6,500 species of plants. The Northwest Amazonian rainforest dwellers use 1,300 species in healing. We cannot not mention some of the life-giving, lifesaving blessings of the rainforests and discoveries attributed to the Native Americans. They serve as reminders of what other wonders are there. They encompass coca, quinine, opium, and Taxol—a blockbuster drug from the bark of the Pacific yew. It is the strongest cancer drug on the market (one-half of all anti-cancer drugs are attributed to natural products).
In Panama, rainforest leaves and plant extracts are used to treat breast, lung, and nervous system diseases, plus the AIDS virus. They are also used to attack cancer cells and disease organisms that cause malaria and Chagas disease (the latter killing 50,000 people a year).
Centuries ago, Native Americans used natural herbs on themselves to treat conditions that settlers found fatal. The Hopi, Navajo, and Zuni used baby white aster for toothaches and rheumatism. The dandelion root is the medicinal part used as a tonic and a diuretic. The greens are a potent source of vitamin A.
Many of the wonders already found—like goldenseal, a natural antibacterial also used to treat asthma and colds—are disappearing because of demand. The lady’s slipper, used for nervous disorders and female troubles, has been overharvested. Ginseng sells for $320 a pound because of the demand. How much more is unknown?
Are You Inspired to Be a Shaman?
The spirits may call you: the urge to learn to be a shaman is a spirit message.
Do you have paranormal abilities? Have you cured by using your hands? Were you born with a caul? Have you survived a natural accident, an illness (called a “sacred illness”), possibly an illness doctors can’t classify? Are you a coma survivor, or have you had a near-death experience? Are you a loner who enjoys going off in the woods to commune with nature, and you actually do feel at one with nature? Have you seen ghosts or a UFO? Do you often have unusual, vivid dreams? Have you experienced déjà vu? You can be part of the irreplaceable knowledge of the people.
In his book The Medicine Wheel, Sun Bear wrote: “The Medicine Man has eyes, ears, mind and heart open to see the magic that is always there.” Do you see the magic? What you see can teach you. As the Medicine Men and Women discovered long ago, according to Sun Bear, the plants tell us which ones to eat to live well. One needs only to listen, just as we should pay attention to the valued treasures that are the shamans, the wise and indigenous people.
References
Butler, Rhett A. Mongabay.com. Rainforests. http://rainforests.mongabay.com.
Sun Bear and Wabun. The Medicine Wheel: Earth Astrology. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1980.
Bees, Butterflies, and Birds:
How to Welcome Flying Friends into Your Garden
by Lisa Mc Sherry
After years of urban and apartment dwelling, I finally moved into a real house with a real backyard. I knew I wanted to create an environment that would attract birds, bees, and butterflies, and so the seeds of this article were planted.
Here in the Pacific Northwest (as in many parts of the country), blackberry and raspberry bushes abound—they’ll easily take over your yard. Clearing them back or confining them to a designated section of fence can open up your yard and increase the amount of sun and space available to you. But don’t get rid of them entirely! Birds love berries, and a small patch can keep a flock happy for days.
A key element to attracting wildlife is a reliable water source. My yard isn’t big enough for a water feature such as a pond or waterfall, but I hung a birdbath in a shady, protected corner and make a point of changing the water every few days and refilling it daily during the summer. Most people have room for a birdbath, whether standing amidst a bed of wildflowers or hanging from a fence or porch.
Like many gardeners, I prefer to cultivate a mix of perennials and annuals, leaning more towards the plants that renew themselves naturally, thereby gradually decreasing the amount of time I have to spend putting in and taking out plants. Old-fashioned roses have a gorgeous scent and love to climb the fence, softening the lines that mark the boundaries of the yard. I particularly like Gallica roses, which are an Old World rose hybrid. They produce a long-lasting and spectacular show of pink, red, or purple flowers through the summer, with a heady fragrance. Bees love them. Another section of fence boasts a covering of clematis (Clematis jackmanii), which boasts large dark purple blooms that the butterflies and bees particularly love.
Lilies are easy to grow and propagate on their own, providing an ever-renewing and expanding collection of plants that honeybees love. Daylilies (Hemerocallis) are hardy and drought-tolerant and come in a variety of colors; a particular favorite in our household is the Stargazer lily (Lilium stargazer), which has an intense fragrance and blooms in mid to late summer. Most years we don’t even bother to take the bulbs out of the ground, but leave them over winter and watch them bloom again the following year. A border that includes Queen Anne’s lace (Daucus carota), lilies, echinacea (I especially like the purple ones, Echinacea purpurea), and sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima) is a fragrant and pollen-filled welcome for bees and butterflies.
In a shady area, the stalwart hosta (Hosta plantaginea has a wonderful fragrance) grows beautifully along with Siberian iris (Iris sibirica), vinca (both major and minor), astilbe, azalea, and crocosmia (Crocosmia aurea). This garden will grow well and attract flying friends, expanding the possibilities of your garden.
Other plants the bees and butterflies love are some of the most common ones found in gardens: hydrangea, which produces flowers from early spring to late autumn; spring-blooming violets (Viola); rosemary (severn sea is a spreading cultivar with deep violet flowers); lilac (Syringa), which is used as a food plant by several species of butterflies; honeysuckle (Lonicera); and sweet-scented, night-blooming jasmine. Not as common, but my absolute favorite plant for bees and butterflies, is the gorgeous buddleja (often misspelled buddleia). Appropriately, its common name is butterfly bush and there are nearly a hundred species, the most popular of which produces white, pink, and purple flowers. Zebra longwing butterflies find buddleja flowers irresistible.
Slightly more exotic plants that feed the bees and butterflies include lamb’s ears (Stachys byzantina); black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia); the evocatively named love-in-a-mist (Nigella) and dragon’s blood sedum (Sedum spurium); blue bugle (Ajuga genevensis); and smoke bush (Cotinus coggygria). If you don’t have allergies, planting goldenrod (Solidago) will provide a bright spike of yellow, and bees make a spicy-tasting honey from it. Fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus), a relative of the aster, does well in the Northeast, producing feathery pink or white flowers. Spiderwort (Tradescantia) is native to the United States, although more rarely found in the West and Northwest. Bee balm (Monarda) produces wildly varying flower colors ranging from crimson red to deep purple, and is also known as bergamot. Bright yellow coreopsis (Florida’s state flower) blooms from June through August and leaves seeds for songbirds to enjoy during the winter.
Butterflies are attracted as much by bright colors as by taste, and they prefer yellow, purple, and pink flowers. Providing a broad variety of flowers will call them to your garden. Butterflies start appearing in your garden as soon as nectar is produced, which can be as early as March, depending on the climate. Feed these early visitors with spring-blooming shrubs, such as lilac, weigela, and witch hazel (Hamamelis).
Early spring is the most important time to feed birds, because the natural food supplies are at their lowest. Even if you don’t stock bird feeders otherwise, this is a good time to do so with the seed the birds most prefer. (This will vary by species and habitat, so ask at your local garden center or use the oracle of Google.) Suspending feeders between trees increases the birds’ protection from predators and keeps squirrels from eating all the seed. The rest of the year, birds will forage on insects, seeds, and fruit.
Flowers whose seeds are especially attractive to birds include aster, bluebell (Campanula rotundifolia), coneflowers (which include echinacea), dianthus, four o’clock (Mirabilis jalapa), gaillardia, delphinium or larkspur, sunflowers, marigolds, and zinnias.
Ground covers provide insect homes, a haven for earthworms, and a rich diet for hungry birds. Ivy (Hedera) and ferns (Pteridophyta) are beautiful to look at and easy to care for, and help keep your hillside soil stable. Pachysandra is especially popular on the East Coast, tolerating cold winters and humid summers with ease. Bugleweed (Ajuga) shows bright blue flower spires in the spring, and vinca produces multiple waves of soft purple flowers that provide an early food source. I like mint (Lamiaceae), although it needs to be watched carefully so it doesn’t take over the whole garden. Sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum), verbena, and thyme are other favorite ground covers.
Adding to your garden’s perennial beauty, nectar-rich annuals attract butterflies and bees as soon as their flowers open. Zinnia (especially suited for the Northeast), cosmos (native to the Southwest), and Mexican sunflowers (Tithonia) are butterfly favorites. Marigolds, cosmos, and salvia are also food sources for a wide range of butterflies. Annuals keep your garden in continual bloom, providing color, fragrance, and an unending source of food for bees, butterflies, and birds. Keep clipping blooms as they fade to encourage new flowers, but late in the season just let the flowers dry to preserve their seeds for winter birds.
A garden setting that attracts birds, bees, and butterflies doesn’t have to be purely ornamental. Black swallowtail caterpillars, for example, happily feast on the leaves of parsley, carrot, fennel, and dill. Other herbs you could include in your garden are yarrow, mint, chamomile, borage, chive, sweet basil, comfrey, and lavender.
I hope it goes without saying that avoiding the use of any chemical pesticides is strongly advised. Most garden problems can be solved with organic or natural solutions; a little research can provide a wealth of answers. Remember, too, that the caterpillars munching your leaves today are tomorrow’s butterflies. If they are eating your cabbages down to the ground, try planting nasturtiums nearby to lure egg-laying butterflies away. Onions, thyme, or wormwood have strong scents that can keep caterpillars away from your edible plants.
Finally, I suggest that you research the plants native to your area and see how you can incorporate them into your landscape. Native plants are what will best attract the birds and butterflies in your area, as they are their original diet. Native species are best accustomed to the area’s weather, soil type, and moisture levels. Once established, most native plants need very little coddling and often do well in areas where other species fail.
Planting a garden that attracts butterflies, bees, and birds is a simple way to create a wonderful place to spend time. Plan a viewing area and you’ll have hours of entertainment year after year.
by Emyme
M y gardening life began over twenty-five years ago. We lived up a hill from a small lake, and the water table was very high. The lawn was lush and emerald green all summer—no matter the lack of rain. In the front of the house I planted yellow daffodils and red tulips to greet visitors, a row of soldiers in regimental colors standing guard. In the backyard I planted annuals, and watched in amazement as the purple ageratum, pink impatiens, and white begonias went from sparse, two-inch babes to flowering beauties a full eight inches across. I thought I was great at this gardening stuff, but that was all just the luck of location. Looking back, I had no idea what I was doing.
At the next house I planted annuals again: impatiens and begonias and dusty miller. Poor soil, no plant food, not enough water, and a crumbling marriage killed off that little garden. At one rental I planted marigolds and sunflowers. The outcome was an unattractive hodgepodge. It was seven years before I owned a home again, but the care and repair of the inside of the house left me no time or energy to devote to the outside. Another few years of apartment living and single parenthood put even the idea of gardening well on the back burner. In the winter of 2005, I moved into my current home: an American dream come true, a source of permanency and security. With apologies to writer Frances Hodgson Burnett, I finally obtained a “little bit of earth.”
Similar to Burnett’s The Secret Garden, the landscaping at my new home was a disaster. It would take far too long to describe all the changes I made over one very long, cold, and wet spring day three months after we moved in. I will say this: a previous owner had invested heavily in quartz stones and granite rocks. The rocks, arranged in a cairn-like heap by the garage, were moved to the backyard and currently mark the edges of three gardens. One oak tree and two bushes, an azalea and a rhododendron, also benefit from small, circular, granite-rock borders to hold in mulch. As for the stones, outside of a quarry I have sincerely never seen so many stones in my entire life. The removal and relocation of the stones is an ongoing project. Currently they are out of sight and off my mind. Their future status in the yard remains uncertain.
The first summer I carved out two little gardens in a shady corner. On one side grew a strange, neglected, little tree. Too much shade forced the tree to bend and twist as it sought the sun, with roots half out of the ground. It had to go, but instead of digging it out, the trunk was cut away to reveal a fascinating piece of natural sculpture. Around this stump I have planted and moved, replanted and removed, flora. After years I have hit upon an eye-pleasing configuration of textures and colors. Several heights of pink and lavender astilbe, the rich maroon of coral bell leaves, bright green sedum, delicate white lily of the valley, and purple balloon flowers—perennials all—take up the bulk of the eight-by-three-foot space. The companion garden is smaller and half-moon in shape. Sparsely planted, this bed holds only four plants: a small hydrangea in dusky blue and periwinkle, dwarf purple-bloomed butterfly bush, pink bleeding heart, and white astilbe. Where the first garden is a rough-and-tumble work in progress, the second is stately and static.
Nothing brand-new or perfect decorates my gardens. A child-size bench from a yard sale, antiqued white with hints of gold, is the non-flora focal point. Nearby sits a hunter green toad house from a garden center’s as-is sale table. The plastic frog peeking out from under the balloon flowers surfaced while digging in another part of the yard. Resting within the twisted tree roots is a miniature, golden gazing ball rescued from a forgotten shelf in a nursery back room. Under the hydrangea sits a battered bee skep, and a hedgehog statue peeks out from the butterfly bush—both painted silver.
The only other planned garden in the backyard is circular, created in the mulch of a felled oak. It was haphazardly planted, with one large and one small green and white striped hosta at the north and south compass points, and a ground-hugging evergreen in the center. For years nothing did well there, and it never called to me, until I stumbled upon the idea of a green man. The large hosta at the top is “hair” and the smaller one a “goatee.” On either side and slightly above the evergreen “nose,” Mexican heather serves as lavender “eyes.” Completing the face are pink geranium “cheeks” and a smiling “mouth” of red sage. Yes, imagination is needed, but I have found that to be so in every green man. These beds are my pride and my pleasure. Every year I add some annuals for variety—grasses or ground cover. Herbs and edible flowers are on the list for the future.
Cuttings
Most of the plants and shrubs in my yard from previous owners had been severely neglected and were beyond saving. However, each year a tenacious, spindly azalea greens up, and orange-red daylilies provide glorious color. After much harsh pruning, the vine we suspected was grapes was left to grow, and bore fruit.
Due to weather and disease, we have been forced to remove some large trees. A few were oaks upwards of sixty feet tall and sixty years old. For every tree removed we planted another. Two flowering pears and a dogwood have been introduced, providing elegant off-white blossoms every spring. A rowan is planned; I look forward to the orange clustered berries.
I happily accepted lamb’s ears and black-eyed Susans from a friend. The ears did very well. Too well. They were discarded after a few years when they threatened to override some other plants. The black-eyed Susans thrived and gave great pleasure until a well-meaning helper “weeded” them out. I mourned them greatly until the following year, when a few hardy survivors bloomed. They are being coaxed along, and that helper has been banished from that section of the yard.
One particular weed has presented itself as a great nuisance. Tropical soda apple is a ridiculously invasive plant with leaves mimicking those of the maple tree. Lured by tiny lavender and yellow flowers, and green and white striped, marble-sized fruit reminiscent of watermelon, the uninitiated will soon be cursing. For this lovely plant hides nasty needle-sharp thorns on almost every surface but the root. I have given up pulling them and now just mow them down. Their only salvation is they attract bees needed for propagation.
Every year something crops up that has been “naturally” planted. From bird droppings we have enjoyed random unfertilized maize—no ears, just stalk and tassel. Birds also “planted” sunflowers. The daylilies self-seed, as do the Rose of Sharon bushes. Recently, pumpkin vines grew from jack-o’-lanterns left to rot the previous fall/winter.
The front bed receives full sun for hours. One summer we planted marigolds of different sizes and all shades of orangey yellow. At the end of the season I collected and oven-dried thousands of petals for potpourri. A permanent part of this front bed is a rosebush, the flowers of which are a fine, rich shade of pink. No amount of pruning has harmed this bush, and it blooms well into November. Air-dried, these petals also contribute to potpourri.
My gardening life began over twenty-five years ago and was not without interruption. My education is in no way complete. I do not even know the proper names of all the plants I tend. In some cases I do not know the name at all—“ground-hugging evergreen” works for me. One thing of which I am certain: gardening is good, and needed, and difficult to do wrong. The earth blesses those who touch it. I heartily recommend gardening to everyone.
by JD Hortwort
Here’s a conundrum for you: all herbs are plants, but not all plants are herbs. Here’s an extension of that conundrum: all plants should be grown carefully, but not all herbs can be grown like common plants.
Regardless of where you garden in the world, most gardening advice starts out with this: When planting, pick the right spot, then amend the soil with organic material at a rate of one part organic to two parts parent soil. This works for beans and marigolds. It works for hostas and maple trees. It doesn’t always work for herbs. It especially doesn’t work when you are attempting to translocate an herb from a natural setting into your landscape.
There are no two ways about it: Herbs are different creatures. They have different needs. They can be the most exasperating plants to grow and the most rewarding, if you succeed.
So, What Makes an Herb an Herb?
Well, that opens another can of earthworms. Some people say an herb is any plant that is valued for its flavor, scent, or medicinal qualities. Emperor Charlemagne is alleged to have said in the eighth century that an herb is “the friend of physicians and the praise of cooks.” Botanists will report an herb is the above-ground portion of a plant that does not become woody. So what are we to make of rosemary, which can mature to the point of having woody stems? Some experts say an herb is a plant that has no woody stems and dies back every winter. That pretty much leaves out plants like yerba mate and sassafras.
For the purposes of this article, we’re going with the broadest definition: An herb is a plant, woody or nonwoody, perennial or annual, that is valued for its flavor, scent, or medicinal quality. To achieve that quality when we grow herbs, whichever of the three definitions we are talking about, we have to look at them differently than vegetables and ornamental plants.
Consider the desired result of a vegetable garden. Certainly you want tasty produce from your cucumbers or squash. But you want as much as you can get from these plants. The same is true of fruit trees, vines, and shrubs. These plants are high-performance athletes. Some last for only one season. Others, hopefully, will live for many seasons. Regardless, when they grow we want results. We want lots of tomatoes, bushels of apples, and pecks of blackberries.
So we treat the plants in a special manner. Like a goose destined to produce fois gras, we feed them extravagantly. We water them copiously. We monitor for insects and disease and treat accordingly. Yes, it’s true that some gardeners take a natural approach to their production plants. They use organic fertilizers that create lower yields and are quite happy with that outcome. Still, even the amount of fertilizing done in organic gardening is more than the plant would likely get if it was growing in the wild (assuming it could survive in the wild). Plus, organic gardeners supplement with water. They take special steps to try to conserve that water—but they water, nonetheless.
Try this approach with herbs and you’ll have compost within a few weeks. Herbs do not respond well to high fertilizing schedules. Only a few appreciate copious amounts of water. Most can take care of themselves very well, thank you, when it comes to insects and disease.
A Different Tack
When growing herbs, we have to throw out our production schedules and take a different tack. Our herbs are meant to have intense flavors and/or scents that come from essential oils. These oils need to be concentrated. That means growing not a high-performance plant but a high-endurance plant. It means training a long-distance marathon runner, not a sprinter.
Herbs take conditions that would make a vegetable plant wither and turn that tribulation into a depth of character that we call essential oil. Feed them too much and the herb ends up sending a finite amount of essential oil into too much foliage. Overwater them and the herb will succumb to crown rot. Interestingly, when you overfeed and overwater, if these two conditions don’t kill the herb, they will weaken the plant to the point that it will become a mecca for insects and disease.
Starting with tips for growing the common kitchen herbs that many gardeners enjoy, begin by preparing a growing site. Of course, the planting site should be in an area that receives at least six hours of direct sunlight per day.
A sandy soil will require more organic material than a clay soil. Amend sandy soil with a bulky compost like aged sawdust. If this is not available, try soil conditioner. Soil conditioner is the remnants left after bark nuggets are packaged for sale. A good rule of thumb is to till the area to loosen up the soil. Next spread about one inch of soil conditioner over the sandy plot and till this in.
For clay soil, you need one part bulky organic amendment plus one part coarse builder’s sand to get the right drainage. Use both sand and organic amendment. If you just mix sand into clay, you end up with brick. If you just use organic amendment, you might not get the drainage you need. The rule of thumb still applies: combine one inch of amendments over the area to be planted and till them in.
The next step is to check the pH of the soil. Most state land grant colleges offer soil testing services, although many charge for that service these days. Check with your local cooperative extension service to find out how to submit a soil sample. You can also purchase soil testing devices at most garden centers that will tell you the soil pH but not much more.
The pH is a measure of the acidity of a soil. The range runs from 0 to 14. Seven is neutral. Most U.S. soils are acidic. As nature would have it, the greatest number of herbs need to grow in neutral soil. This includes culinary or kitchen herbs. A soil test will indicate how acidic your soil is and how to amend it. The usual recommendation is 50 pounds of agricultural lime per 1,000 square feet of gardening soil. If your gardening plans aren’t so ambitious as to cover 1,000 square feet, then just factor it down. That’s approximately 25 pounds per 500 square feet, or 12.5 pounds per 250 square feet, or 6 pounds per 125 square feet, or 3 pounds per 60 square feet.
If you have incorporated enough amendment into the growing area, you will likely find you can easily mound up the soil into a modified raised bed. No need to surround it with timbers or bricks unless you just want to. Creating a raised bed allows the soil to warm quickly at the beginning of the season and drain properly throughout the growing period.
Now you are ready to plant. Modern gardeners, being the impatient folks we are, like to purchase pre-grown sets. The advantage to sets, aside from the obvious, is that you know exactly what you are getting. But don’t forego the savings of planting from seeds. Basil, coriander, dill, perilla, chives, hyssops, lemon balm, rue, chamomile, borage, and calendula can easily be grown from seeds. With plenty of patience, parsley, horehound, and sage can also be grown from seeds.
Certain other plants are better grown from sets or propagated from stem cuttings. They either grow entirely too slowly from seeds, or the offspring are unreliable in their characteristics. Mint is notorious for producing offspring from seeds that taste nothing like the parent plant. Others include valerian, oregano, marjoram, costmary, rosemary, tarragon, and thyme.
Beyond the Classic Herb Garden
Most anyone can create an herb bed and purchase plants to grow there, but it takes special skill to encourage plants growing in one environment to accept a new location in your landscape.
When you decide to move plants from one spot to another, please consider taking a few precautions. First, desire does not supersede right. It’s one thing to move a plant from the back of your property to the herb border, but it’s quite another to take a plant from someone else’s property without permission. In my area, some gardening groups will occasionally organize rescue missions if a property is being developed. This is especially true if there is a colony of rare plants on the site being developed. They always get permission from the developer first.
Second, make sure the plant you want to move is not on an endangered species list. Moving protected plants can get you in serious trouble if you are caught. Think twice about moving a plant from a different USDA growing zone. If you live in zone 7, for example, transplanting an herb from your cousin’s property in zone 5 will be difficult. The growing conditions from winter through fall will likely be too different for the plant to survive. You can find your growing zone by doing an online search for the USDA zone map. (See the Research Help section at the end of this article.)
Properly identify the plant. Research it online. Talk to an expert at the local garden center. Check with a specialist at an agricultural college. If necessary, take a sample into the local cooperative extension office for identification. You may be surprised at what you learn.
As I was growing up in central North Carolina, my mother desperately wanted to move some clubmoss from the woods to a border near our house. Clubmoss has medicinal applications, but Mama wanted it for its fine, ferny foliage.
We tried countless times. We moved entire plants. We tried gathering spores and broadcasting them in the bed. We tried cuttings. Nothing worked. It was only years later that I learned clubmoss has a symbiotic relationship with a fungus in the soil. Without the fungus, no amount of coaxing will get clubmoss to grow in a new location. It’s amazing how much you don’t know about plants until you start researching.
Finally, make certain you understand what you are moving before you introduce it into the landscape. Herbs, whether medicinal or culinary, are wonderful things. But some don’t belong in your landscape. Some plants are poisonous or, like pokeweed for example, have poisonous parts. You would not want them around little children or pets that might be harmed. Some plants are weedy. Witchgrass has an interesting seed head in the fall garden, but those seeds can take over a lawn. Japanese honeysuckle smells wonderful in late spring, but it’s a prolific and aggressive self-seeder. Do some research before you allow “love at first sight” to wreck your landscape.
When you’ve done your research, it’s time for work. Begin with your eyes, not your hands. Pay attention to the growing conditions of the plant you want to move. Many, many years ago as a novice gardener I coveted some mayapple I found growing at the edge of a dirt and gravel parking lot. What could be easier? I thought. Here is a plant that grows in tough conditions. It should be easy to incorporate into the garden bed I just started.
I’m glad it took some time before I could try to move the plant. Time taught me that the area where the mayapple was growing had a lot of organic material in the soil. It was growing in a low spot that tended to stay damp. If I had moved the mayapple into my heavy clay soil at the sunny corner of my house, it would have quickly died.
Observe the plant you want at different times of day. Just how much sun is it getting? Probe the soil to see what is going on below the surface. Once you understand the plant’s growing demands, go back to your own landscape. Can you replicate the same growing conditions there? If not, leave your heart’s desire where it is.
Your research should tell you whether the plant you are interested in is best grown from seed, from division, or from cuttings. Divisions should be done in either spring or fall. Cuttings are typically done in the spring or early summer after new growth begins. Seeds are obviously gathered from summer to fall, depending on the plant. For example, bellwort will set seed in mid-spring. Jewelweed makes seeds all summer. Pipsissewa makes seeds in the fall. Needless to say, if you intend to be moving a lot of plants around in the landscape, you are going to become very good at conducting research on the Internet.
If the growing conditions are right, prepare the area in your landscape before you dig the plant. Transplant shock has killed more plants than can be imagined. Get the plant up from its native area and back in the ground at your home as quickly as possible. Pay attention as you dig. How deep did the roots go? Did they run just under the ground surface or reach deeply into the soil? Remember to create the same type of space for the roots at the plant’s new home.
Water well. If possible, create a temporary shelter for the transplant until it gets established to protect it from harsh sunlight or drying winds. An easy way to do this is to trim some light branches from an evergreen shrub and set them up around the transplant in a tipi fashion.
Monitor the transplant closely over the next few weeks. After roughly ten days, you should be able to remove the protective covering. After the first growing season (assuming the plant survives the winter), you can let your transplant grow without a lot of nursing. Herbs are such strong, self-sufficient plants once they get established.
After all, isn’t that why we love herbs?
Research Help
The Internet has become one of my favorite gardening tools. I often wonder what we did before it became available. Still, you need to be certain your resources are reliable. Here are a few to get you started.
Your local cooperative extension office can put you in touch with area plant experts near your town and at state land grant colleges. You can find your local office by visiting http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension.
The USDA Plant Database is a good place to start when researching plants growing in your neighborhood. This site will give you horticultural information, clues about where the plant will grow, and information on whether the plant is endangered or protected in your area. Visit the website at http://plants.usda.gov/java.
To see an up-to-date version of the plant hardiness zone map for your area, visit the U.S. National Arboretum website at http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html.
Once you get started growing herbs, you may find yourself so enamoured, you have to know more. Start with the American Herbalists Guild for information on how to use herbs. You can read more at http://www.americanherbalistsguild.com.
What we call herbs, some call weeds. So it should come as no surprise that a website on weeds would have good information on the look and growing requirements for some of the plants you have questions about in your landscape. Visit the Weed Science Society of America at http://wssa.net.