Tina, I don't want to get ahead of myself by promising to divide and pack plants this spring when I don't know how crazy my schedule will be... but you know I'll try to help out. If you've got a place where you don't mind it running rampant, I can send you some mint (easy to yank up and stuff into a BE!)... I've got 'Chocolate Peppermint', which is especially nice to nibble and put into tea, could probably spare some 'Kentucky Colonel' Spearmint also if it comes up gangbusters as usual. Mints can even be mowed or weed-whacked to keep them in check as a ground cover.
Meanwhile, I'll set aside a BE for you and send you seeds. I'm thinking basils would be good, both Italian culinary types and Thai, Cinnamon, mixed Lemon & Lime... I've also got a purple basil that I think might be the 'Red Rubin' mentioned above, although one year I forgot which basil was planted where, so it could be 'Violetto' -- either way, it's pretty and has a nice aroma. I know I've got extra Purple Cleome and Nicotiana 'Only the Lonely' in my stash from swaps, and I'll see what else I have that might suit...
Will you be able to start seeds inside, or are you mostly looking for seeds you can winter sow or direct sow in spring?
Gearing up....
Hmm, I've been concentrating on fragrance... what about including good butterfly plants?
Milkweed might be good for many of your purposes... I've got seeds from a cream colored Asclepias incarnata that I grew from seeds of 'Ice Ballet'. (I don't know if it grew true enough to be called 'Ice Ballet', but it's pretty, and the monarchs like it.)
Jill any of that would be great! I'm starting the plants inside for now and may have to transplant into pots before the garden is finished. The mints sound wonderful and will probably be tasted as well as smelled! Anyway all help is appreciated but don't stress over getting it to me any certain time. I just appreciate the effort everyone is putting into this.
Thanks you all for the seeds and plants I'm already receiving. It means alot.
Tina
Hi Tina,
My 'Scratch and Sniff' herb garden has lots of plants with scented foliage (mints, beebalm, agastaches, blue mint bush, lavender) and most of them are very prolific. I'm happy to share divisions or seeds. I also have some very vigorous yarrow that has a medicinal scent but wonderful feathery leaves. All of them thrive in full sun and most are edible. Everything is under a few inches of snow right now so it will be while before I could dig them up.
Have you considered sounds in your garden? Japanese gardeners often incorporate sound into the design of their formal gardens. Things like tall grasses rustle in the breeze, and some plants have seed pods that rattle when they dry. I remember walking in the sand dunes at dusk near Moro Bay and there were plants that rattled like snakes. A bit startling in the dark, but interesting in a garden.
Janel
Thats great Janel. Yes sound will be incorporated. The grasses mostly and hopefully some trees with rustling leaves. But all in all it will take a couple of years to be really established enough that I can see the therapy at work.
im mike Im new here at DGs I read your thread on your garden your trying to build. I think your going to have a great garden. as for my yard im in florida wich most i have is tropical. i do think you could use some lemon grass. I dont know if you are familure with this. it is used in a lot of oriential cooking. You can also use it to brew in to a tea to ass lemond flavor but not its sour. This plant is very easy to grow and bunches a lot you can harvest off it and not hert the plant I can give you several peices mabe 10. After a few months you can take babies of the mound plant new mounds, when you cut or break the grass smells like fresh lemonds. next i have a large rosemary plant i can send several cuttings from but you need to find the best way to root them. how about aloe i have a few small babies i can send you but not sure it will servive your winter. i have pinecone ginger and one other type i can send roots from.I have jasmin vine if you can figure out how to root. reply to me tell me what you like to have