I took pics once a month for quite a while, but not lately. I need to get out the camera before I do the drastic autumn stuff. About 1/3 of the way down from the top are some older pictures of the herb garden -- you can see the passifloras growing on the arbor. They're pretty much eaten away by the caterpillars now.
Herbs in Texas?
I saw those. I wanted to see close-ups of the Pinapple Sage, Stevia, and Blueberry bushes
Hi and welcome David,
We haven't ventured around too far yet but I know Jacksonville is south from us.
I'll drop ya a message so not to use up space here.
I may not be doing alot in giving any help but I sure am learning from everyone ...THANKS!
Another good day in the neighborhood.....Mr. Rogers.
Welcome David! Hope to see you at the next RU in College Station. That's the only one I can get to probably. Fall is not a good time for me to go to a RU and I probably only have time for one even in spring. Besides if you go to the one in CS, you get meet Dave!:)
OOOOHHHH. When is the one in College Station again?
David ~ Hello and glad to have you join in! I am constantly learning how little I know and how much I enjoy! I cannot recall how many hundred years ago since I have been to the Jacksonville area. I am very near Louisiana and can see it when at Toledo Bend. I am about 2 hours or so south of you. Were I free to travel, I would ask where the place for herbs is located but that is not in the stars or the full moon for me. 8 )
OTH, I will share if I have extra of anything you are interested in. Yes, I think our climates are very similar. The zone map actually shows a cooler zone dipping along the reservoir where I am located.
Brigidlily ~ I am always glad when you are able to join us. Your learning curve will help me. Always heard there are two ways to learn ~ one by my mistakes and one by others mistakes. The later is the easier and cheaper. Please share your knowledge when possible. The multipliers were sets when I originally planted. The ones I left in ground really clumped. I dug them up to keep them from being run over earlier this year when we had foundation work done. Now, I am waiting on a new drive cable on the tiller to turn in the compost and fix a permanent bed. I hope I haven't left them out of the ground too long.
November 10th, is the College Station swap, they have a thread about it.
Here is the link. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/762873/
pod, you are one of the most knowledgable people on DG. Don't put yourself down. I always read every post you make because I know I will learn something.
Thank you, JO. I've just got to get somewhere to meet my friends.
The multiplier has an interesting bulb. The foliage comes from the base of it.
LouC ~ thank you but no... the more I think I know, the less I truly do know. But am never too old to want to learn! 8 )
Always the mark of a wise person.....
If I'm doing this right, here is a photo I took this morning of the salvia...
Edited to say that's it. The red blossoms are the pineapple sage, and in between that and the Ingrid Bergman rose (just above the center of the picture) you'll see what really is tiny white blossoms on stalks (I hope I'm describing this right) and that is the stevia. The puny little stuff that looks like grass (below the rose) is garlic.
This message was edited Sep 27, 2007 11:23 AM
And instead of re-editing, you can see rosemary between the stevia and Ingrid Bergman. The rose to the left is Charlotte (pink flowers) and to the left of that one is Bengal Tiger (the bright coral bloom) which was totally overshadowed by a golden berry bush I've eliminated. Look closely and you'll see Dittany of Crete in the pot, St. John's Wort behind Ingrid, echinacea going to seed, and portulaca.
And that's the south/fire bed of my herb garden.
Here's a view of the whole thing this morning.
Everything looks fantastic, Brig! Now, wher are the blueberry bushes?
Good job Brigid!!!
In another bed altogether. I don't have much of a picture of them, but you can see them if you look really closely, behind the bed footboard, way to the left in the raised bed behind the raised bed where the footboard is. Is that a confusing enough description?
But come next month, when the moon is right, I'm putting them in this section of the herb garden.
Edited to say wow does that comfrey look awful! It's gotten baked and I haven't been culling out the dead leaves the way I should. The blueberry bushes will go where you can see some very puny leeks, along the path toward the top of the photo.
This message was edited Sep 27, 2007 1:29 PM
Brigid,
Your herb garden looks fantastic!!! So nice to see photos of it filled out. Now I wanna know, are those honeydew melons I see in the section close to the bed???
Bushel gourds.
Brigidlily ~ how rewarding that must feel. To have observed from the first loads of dirt being doodled by wheelbarrow, I am impressed!
BTW,
Quoting:
wouldn't happen to be society garlic? My garlic hasn't sprouted yet but the society garlic looks similar to yours. The puny little stuff that looks like grass (below the rose) is garlic
I am so impressed with the Stevia. I did not realize it would get that tall and I have never ever seen it look that magnificent! Have you harvested the leaves and done this yet?
Stevia Extract
To make a liquid extract, combine 1 cup[100 proof]vodka with 3/4 cup macerated fresh stevia leaves or 1/4 cup dried stevia leaves in a jar with a lid. Shake everyday for two weeks, then strain through a coffee filter. Label and store in refrigerator.
Stevia
This plant is just now gaining in popularity. Its claim to fame is that it is a healthy natural sweetener 20 to 30 times sweeter than sugar! Simply boil the leaves and allow to steep a few minutes, discard the leaves and use the liquid in drinks and recipes. You can also simply dry the leaves and sprinkle them on food for a sugar substitute.
Thanks for the extract recipe! I was kinda impressed by this one, myself. I'd tried it last year in a pot and got nowhere. I stuck it in the ground and said, "die if you want, I don't care..." and this happened! We'll see how it lasts the winter.
I have an iced tea maker, and when I want it sweet, I put a bruised stevia leaf in it. SWEET!
Are you leaving the Stevia in ground? Mulching it? Taking cuttings to root?
Love the "die if you want, I don't care..." attitude ~ lol. Looks like your bluff worked... 8 )
Haven't read the whole thread but society garlic is not edible if my memory serves me right.
Actually it is ~ excuse me but I find I can't type this a.m. It is a more delicate garlic that is not supposed to leave the garlic aftertaste/odor. It is sold mainly as an ornamental tho. The blossoms are used to add flavor to food.
Maybe thats it...the blossoms, not the stem. It is a wonderful plant ,isn't it?Do you eat it?
I've nibbled it but mostly love the "purple" blooms... I also have it in the variegated. Did I mention I love purple? lol
Purple is also one of my favoritesThe form and light color are great.I have it scattered throughout the flower beds. I always feel it's a compliment if someome wants some. Varigated must be pretty too. Is it just as hardy?
If herbs and purple are your likes, do any of you grow what I call wild purple basil ? This is very invasive from seeds. Has the basil smell but a bit stronger. I do not eat it and not sure I would. It gives you that dark, purple splash in areas.
I really like the Var. plants and try to grow as many as I can. I like the dark colored plants next to them as they play off each other well.
David
I grow sweet and thai basil mainly to eat
.I like the dark oxalis and "wandering jew". They actually looked great behind sunnyblue veronica. I like your design tip. One plant I have a hard time with is blue mist shrub(sorry can't think of latin name) The purple/blue flowers are along the stem and it always looks like a hole in the landscape.
I have had the purple basil for years....received as a pass-a-long and everytime someone new sees it.....gets passed along again. It fills in empty spaces and the color always sets the rest off very well. We "chiffonod" as they say on the tv cooking shows just a couple of leaves to add to a salad.....very pretty and not too strong....sort of licorice.
Grow sweet basil and cinnamon basil as well....uuummm
Ahhh LouC ~ you mentioned licorice. A few years ago I grew a dark purple basil call licorice basil on the tag. Bet that was it. It was pretty but I never let it go to seed and didn't manage to keep it going. I learned on DG that blooms on basil and other herbs will make the herb taste bitter.
I must have 500 plants come up every year.....pick and choose which I leave....pick and choose when to let a few go to seed. They are mostly ornamental but the deep, dark purple is yummy to look at.
What color is the bloom?
It is not so much a bloom in the strictest sense of the word. Kind of a skinny stalk with seeds on the side. Will try to get a picture and post tomorrow. Have pulled up most of them already but have a few left that are seeding now.
Ok you have made me decide with all this talk of herbs.
I am going to take and plant herbs in the terrace area behind the house that way they are close and I can walk out and grab what I want for cooking.
I am assuming that If I want anything now I will have to grow them in pots in the house till Feb?
And where is a good place to find a wide variety as I want more then just basil, thyme, dill, sage, rosemary, mints etc
Phyl, somewhere just a couple of days ago there a post from someone that lives in Jacksonville. Said there is a grower that has the herbs for all the nurserys. Oh heck,
did you see it? You could get everything already potted and healthy. On another post today this same person told about a big sale on hwy 69. don't you just love it when I tell you there is something, somewhere that you just have to have....I just don't know what it is.
It's in the Texas forums.....I'll try to find it.