Little Green Herbs...

Sage, Thyme, and Holy Basil

     ....Spring 2016.  Easter has come and gone, and still we are riding on the rollercoaster of temperature changes here in Ohio.  Everything is greening up and the bold spring bulbs are sporting their glorious blooms in spite of the cold weather.  Easter day was wonderfully sunny and warm in the 70 degree range.  But as usual, Monday has turned a nasty wet, cold 45 degrees.  The color scheme of the day is battleship grey.  Enough already! We need some solar coaxing to leap into real spring mode.  When I worked for a local bookstore I remember a co-worker telling me that she had just visited a local greenhouse nursery for just the smell of moist earth after a long winter away from the fragrance of growing green things.  As soon as I was able, I, too, made the trip to a nursery to enjoy the humidity of a warm greenhouse and the smell of little green plants.  Best therapy in the world after a long and dry winter trapped indoors until the warm temperatures of spring help one to break out of winter captivity.
      On the sunny Saturday before Easter I bought my first little green herbs to pot.  When I shuffled out some of my precious terra cotta pots to set the plants up for the beginning of my container gardening efforts, I had a delightful surprise. As I lifted up a pot that was sitting on top of another pot, I discovered that some little chive plants were already growing in the old soil I had left in the container from last fall.  Leaving soil in a pot at the end of the growing season is not my usual practice, but with plants that might return in the spring it is an option.  One simply must make sure that the container is protected from ice and snow that would cause the container to crack. Marjoram, sweet basil, catnip, and chive are the plants with which I have begun the growing season. Tomorrow promises warmer temperatures.  I am eager to start cleaning up my little garden and to get my favorite containers ready for new plants.  For now, my first plants have had to shuffle back and for from outdoors to indoors and back.  Tonight's weather will dip to 39 degrees and my little herbs are just not ready to endure that kind of cold.  Sadly, my faithful rosemary did not survive the dry conditions of my apartment.  Some of my next plant acquisitions will be rosemary and lavender.  The thymes I planted in my square foot of space have made it through our odd winter and are greening up nicely.  I am still waiting to see if the lavender plant will green up.  Steadier sunlight and warmth will help that cause.  My stalwart sage is also a survivor of Ohio's weird winter.

Garden Sage



Pots of Thyme

       Several friends have asked if I will be growing my giant sunflowers again this summer.  I have been thinking about sunflowers of various colors and height to create a sunflower corner in my tiny growing space.  In the next few weeks as things warm up I will be setting up the sunflower garden.  I am eager to get it going.  Right now I am working on getting my garden decorating pieces et up for display as they await the accompanying flowers and herbs.  A few tomato plants and lettuces may find their way into the mix as well.  Never having been much of a vegetable gardener I  might just sneak in a pumpkin or two for fall decorations. We'll see how that goes.  I regret not having put in tulip bulbs and iris, but perhaps I can purchase some in pots that are already blooming.  Geraniums, oh my gosh, geraniums!  I saw the first ones in one of the in a local nursery.  Be still my herbie heart!  I can hardly wait for the scented geraniums to make the scene.  Am I getting carried away?  Probably!  But you can't keep a gardener's heart buried forever.  Just like the plants in spring that herbie heart will pop through the topsoil and explode with green potential for the season of growing.

Catnip

      National Herb Day is May 7th this year.  Plan to do something herbal.  If you don't have any ideas of what to do on Herb Day, I suggest you check out this website.  herbday.org. Local nurseries may offer some classes and events to coordinate with National Herb Day.  If you can't find any Herb Day activities, then create your own.  Buy some herb plants, plan an herb garden, have a spa day in your home using herbal product, make some herbal crafts, have an herbal picnic. These are just a few of the ideas of what you can do to celebrate National Herb Day.  I would love  to read your plans and how you celebrated Herb Day 2016.  Without a doubt I will be sure to blog my herbal celebration.  Until then, buy some little green herbs to pot, be herbal, be happy!

Red Geranium