We've had a few light frosts, so it is time to bring in the tender herbs and houseplants that have been vacationing on the porch. Today, I brought in:
Galangal
Cardamon
Turmeric
Bay
Rootbeer plant – Piper auritum
Calea zacatechichi
Camellia sinensis
Vanilla orchid
Attar of Roses Scented Geranium
Piper nigrum
Oenanthe javanica (stolenifera) Vietnamese Celery
Cactus grandiflorus
Jiaogulan
Aztec Sweet Herb
Gotu kola
Salvia divinorum
Peppermint Scented Geranium
Coffee
Rabbit’s Foot fern
Moujean Tea
Inebriating Mint
Vick’s plant
Mandrake
Lemon Scented Geranium
Honeydew Melon Sage
Habek Mint
Iboza
Lemon Verbena
Rock Rose
Costus
Balm of Gilead
Aloysia gratissima – Bee Brush
Vetiver grass
Polygonum multiflorum – He Shou Wu (Fo-ti)
Cuban oregano
Helichrysum - curry plant
Rosemary
Aloe vera
Lemon Meringue Scented Geranium
Old-Fashioned Rose Scented Geranium
Christmas cactus
Citronella Scented Geranium
Agapanthus – Lily of the Nile
Houyttunia variegata
Autumn means moving tender potted herbs indoors
Oh good grief girl! - do you have all these sitting on a wheel-about cart???? I'm so impressed.....I'm trying to get some basil, dill and cilantro started. Maybe thyme and oregano. Serious herb envy here.
I wish they were on a wheel-about cart! Nope! And, of course, those are just the tender herbs, we have LOTS of herbs that live in all the raised beds. Some day, I'll update my list and provide a link to all that we grow. Someday.
OMG! Quite a list. Where do you find room f0r all this?
We still haven't had frost yet, but soon I'll be bringing mine in as well. I have a lot less to bring in than you, as I replant the annuals every year rather than overwintering. My hubby kills me for the mess every year. I'm still dreaming of a greenhouse....
Herbalbetty- where did you get a Salvia divinorum?
herbspirit, I got my S. divinorum from Mulberry Creek Herbs. It's for curiosity sake only.
Inebriating mint and Salvia divinorum? Some teenager with a knowledge of herbs would have a grand time in your herb garden! That sounds like a lot of work, Betty! Wow, I am so impressed. The worst I have to deal with is a few perennial herbs going dorman during the winter and losing the basil.
Momherb
Betty - thanks for sharing your list!! I had almost forgotten my lemon verbena but we've not had a frost yet....so it's saved. Can you tell me......should i cut it back now? it is blooming right now....should i have not let it bloom? i just got my little plant this year so she's new for me. love the smell though!!! again, thank you so much Betty!
~chele
Momherb, a teenager with a knowledge of herbs would also go after every morning glory grown between here and Timbuktoo. Or every jimsonweed growing in a ditch.
Cheles_garden, enjoy the blooms on your lemon verbena. I find that most times, when I move my lemon verbena inside for the winter that within 2 weeks or so, it will lose all its leaves. However, within a week or two after that, it will grow new ones. Just the shock of moving it. So, you can pick all the leaves now if you want as they usually drop off anyway.
Has anyone ever tried doing cuttings of lemon verbena for a new rooting to overwinter?
I too have had it lose it's leaves over the winter, due to shock and the temp differential of coming indoors. I'm wondering if a new rooting would behave differently.
Cheles- because I am north, I've never had a season long enough to see the lemon verbena bloom. Either that or I cut it back and use it too much. I'm jealous. I would love to see it bloom.
Betty/momherb- It's the uneducated teens that scare me more. Kids get alot of extraneous info on the internet these days and a reference to morning glory seeds without knowing their medicine is a recipe for disaster. I've read posts by teens trying lobelia inflata as well, hearing of it's pain reliving/ anti-spasm properties, thinking they would get mellow, and not knowing it's also called puke weed. Lesson learned the hard way. :)
I educate my kids Even if it means that later they will know what the plant looks like and try to use it poorly. I'm hoping through me teaching now they will also understand that it is powerful and sacred medicine and not to be used for such profane things. A mother can only hope she gets through ......
aaahhh herbspirit - i now feel unworthy of my blooms. LOL. i just got my little plant this year and feel it's been neglected. it looks a little leggy and i was just considering cutting it back. the blooms are finishing up, it's been going for a couple weeks now......and like i said, it just looks a little leggy with leaves just toward the ends of the stems. now i am on a mission to read up some more on this little plant - i sure don't want to kill it. :-)
herbalbetter - thanks i am enjoying the little blooms. ok, i will try to pick all the leaves off. ^_^ just because you said i won't hurt it. lol.
herbspirit, I'm not advocating teenagers or any other agers use those plants we spoke about. I'm just saying I like to collect odd plants for the sake of growing them, not using them for their effects necessarily. I also doubt a random teenager would find my place, get on the porch without my knowing, look through the jungle of plants and find the one pot of "interesting" stuff I grow and use it.
herbalbetty- I'm the same way, I collect the more unusual plants as well.
I understand where you are coming from.
Patricia
Shoot, I'm just glad I'm not a teenager anymore!!!
(sorry, had to jump in!)
Pagancat, for SO many reasons, I'm glad I'm not a teenager.
~chele ~ on the L. verbena... you were planning to bring it in? It will need winter protection. Very delightful fragrance and yes, as Herbalbetty said, it will shed its' leaves. I harvest them right then if you use the leaves but don't worry, it will sprout new growth shortly.
Agreed!
Thanks for the warning on the dropping leaves - I would have thrown the whole plant out (that I dug up two days ago). It's looking pretty wilty so I took a few cuttings. I had tried to take cuttings earlier without much success, think I'll put these on a heat mat and see if they work any better.
Question, are you drying your Lemon verbena leaves or using them fresh?
You can use lemon verbena fresh or dried. Try making a jelly with the fresh leaves (look on a Certo package and use their basic herb jelly recipe). Or, you can dry leaves and put in tea. Mix it with spearmint and rose petals. Lovely.
Thanks! So far I've just added it fresh to my Crystal Light lemonade (trying to kick the diet cola) and will try it with the spearmint and rose petals as a hot tea- sounds great.