Earthly Garden

*apologies for the lack of posts the last couple of days-I had to have some dental work and it laid me low. Now back to gardening!

Last time we talked about how to start an indoor herb garden. Today I’m going to share with you some herbs that do great indoors!

Dill- This fragrant herb has attractive, feathery foliage and does well in a sunny window. Look for the compact “Fernleaf” variety. Dill is delicious when used in egg, fish or chicken dishes, dips, and of course, pickles. Both the leaves and the seeds can be used.

Oregano-This is another fragrant and popular herb. Choose the Greek variety, which forms an 8 to 12 inch mound. Oregano is fantastic in a wide variety of Italian and Mexican dishes.

Lavender-This herb is treasured for its beautiful and relaxing scent. The leaves can be dried and used in sachets and potpourri. Look for compact varieties such as Spanish Lavender.

Chives- This herb’s grass like foliage adds a mild onion flavor to many dishes. It’s especially good with potatoes, baked or mashed.

Parsley-This herb is the world’s most popular garnish and is also good for freshening breath after a spicy meal. Try varieties, the common “Curly Leaf” and the Italian version, known as “Flat Leaf” or Cilantro. Cilantro is a key ingredient in salsas and other Mexican dishes.

Chamomile-This herb makes a wonderful tea and is also good for sachets and potpourri. It’s known for its soothing, relaxing fragrance. It looks like grass until the small daisy like flowers appear.

Mints- Peppermint and Spearmint both make great windowsill plants. In fact, if grown in the ground they will quickly take over the garden! They make great teas and are a popular flavoring for all kinds of beverages, baked goods, and even meats like lamb.

Basil- This herb is a staple in Italian cooking. Look for the “Spicy Globe” variety as it stays nice and compact.

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Here is a great article about setting up an indoor herb garden for the winter. Tommorow I’ll share with you the best herbs for indoor growing and how to succeed with each one!

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 /PRNewswire/ — Just because the days are growing cooler and the leaves are starting to turn, doesn’t mean the end of fresh herbs and the garden’s bounty. Container herb gardening is a great way to spice up your winter cooking with fresh, tasty herbs all winter long.

Gardeners at all levels can enjoy fresh herbs this winter with these five simple tips from Dr. Calvin Finch, horticultural educator and one of the country’s leading master gardener program directors.

Contain It. Selecting the right container is key. Choices range from standard flower pots and planter boxes to wooden barrels, hanging baskets and larger pots. Be sure to choose a durable container that has adequate drainage. For most herbs, mid-size containers are large enough to ensure the root area stays moist and is unrestricted. Line the base of the container with newspaper to prevent soil loss.

Move It In. It’s relatively simple to cut a portion of an outdoor plant — such as chives, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme and plant it indoors. Get as many roots as possible when you remove the clump. You can also take a stem cutting by snipping a six-inch section of stem and removing the lower leaves before planting. Some plants, though, including basil and dill, will work best from seeding.

Choose Your Medium. Commercially prepared “soil-less” mixtures work well because they drain quickly and are free from soil-borne diseases and weed seeds. You can also purchase a good quality soil potting mixture, which generally consists of one part loam or topsoil, one part peat moss, leafmold or compost, and one part vermiculite or perlite. Regardless of the medium, make sure it is nutrient-rich to help plants reach their peak. Local soil alone won’t include the right balance of nutrients.

Let the Sunshine In,Your garden will require at least five hours of direct sunlight daily. Place plants in a south- or west-facing window. If good window light isn’t an option, fluorescent lighting can work as well.

Feed the Beast. Container plants can run out of “food” quickly since their roots can’t expand to find nutrients. At the time of planting, mix controlled-release fertilizer granules into the soil mix. Then, to maintain the nutrient supply, use a soluble liquid fertilizer with every other watering. Be sure to learn about the nutrient needs of your herbs, because requirements can vary substantially between plants. And be careful not to over-water. Check with your finger about one-third of the way into the pot to see if the soil is dry and needs watering.

Most Common Container Gardening Mistakes

Appropriate amount of light. Many plants that work well in containers indoors do not require full sun but many perform best with some light. Gardeners who are most successful research the light needs of their plants and seek locations that provide adequate light.

Over watering.Container plants require adequate water but the soil should not be soggy. Let the surface dry out between watering. It is usually best to water enough to have it run through into the saucer and then to empty the saucer. It’s much easier to kill herbs by overwatering than underwatering.

Sufficient nutrients.Fertilizers are critical in container gardening, but shouldn’t be used as a cure-all. Provide a controlled release fertilizer at planting and a soluble fertilizer every second watering for most plants, but don’t add extra fertilizer every time a leaf yellows. If you’re fertilizing properly, then consider water and light if your plants aren’t at peak health.

SOURCE Nutrients For Life Foundation

indoor gardening, herbs, growing herbs indoors, windowsill gardening, herb gardens

Good Morning!

The dill I planted about a week and a half ago is finally starting to sprout! I love dill, it’s such a versatile herb! You can use the seeds and the leaves, and it is delicious in egg dishes, with fish, and of course, with pickles! It also makes a great dip. I’m growing pickle sized cukes in the garden and can’t wait to make some homemade pickles! If you’d like to trying growing dill yourself, look for the more compact varieties and put in a sunny window. Keep moist, and you’ll have your own crop of this fragrant, attractive, and delicious herb!

Gardening Pic of the Day:

gardens, gardening, herbs, growing herbs, dill, dillweed

gardens, gardening, herbs, growing herbs, dill, dillweed

I’m sitting gazing out the window to my garden, and am happy to see that my little swarm of wild bees are back! They disappeared for a few months, and I was worried about them. I have no idea where they live, but a beekeeper friend identified them for me soon after they appeared here a few years ago…turns out they are honeybees! He told me he’ll help me capture them and put them into a hive, but I’m not sure I want the responsibility of tending a beehive. The bees seem to be doing fine on their own.

One surprise…they LOVE rosemary! My rosemary plants bloom off and on year-round here, and I never thought about that being a good source of pollen, or nectar. Apparently the bees think otherwise. I see a handful of them swarming the plant this morning, but last August there were thousands out there. The idea of rosemary-flavored honey is intriguing, I will admit.

I was glad to see the bees in the garden because they help the plants with pollination. One reason I have a totally organic garden is so that the beneficial insects can thrive in it and aren’t killed off by pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. Too many of our native pollinators are disappearing because of widespread spraying of crops. For me, that’s reason enough to go organic.

Until tomorrow….dig it!

bobbi c.

insects, herbs, rosemary, bees, honeybees, beekeeping, pollination, native bees, native pollinators, nectar, organic gardening

This morning it’s 27-degrees and all thoughts about early planting of spring tomatoes have been replaced by worries that I might lose my little lime tree that’s been living in a pot on the porch since last year at this time. Actually, I’m surprised it has lived this long. This winter has been harsh here for us in many ways–more icy storms and colder temperatures. Maybe it will be a blessing in disguise, and will kill off some of the grasshopper eggs I know are lurking underneath the cedar mulch that covers my garden paths…nature’s way of dealing with bugs!

My new grow light stand (a late Christmas gift) I ordered finally got here, and even though it’s a bit late for us, I’ll be starting tomato, pepper and herb seedlings myself this year. It will be nice not to be tied to the small inventory of hybrid varieties that the local garden center sells, and I can space the timing out instead of buying them all at once. I’ll be starting some Brandywine tomatoes, a popular, tasty heirloom. I always grow cherry tomatoes, too, for salads, and those do well in pots as long as they are fed some fish emulsion or liquid seaweed.

I’ve been going through all my garden photos, and will be posting more of those as I find them.

Happy Valentine’s Day, all!

Dig it!

bobbi c.
All photos and text Copyright©2005-2007 by Bobbi A. Chukran

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Mornin’ all! First of all, I have a big announcement…my basil seeds I planted ten days ago are up! Such little things bring me joy. LOL. I can’t help but “wax poetic” about the several pounds of basil and all the wonderful pestos, etc. that will come from each of those teeny little plants (assuming I don’t kill them first.) A seed really is a tiny miracle, come to think of it.

And, for those of you who are just itchin’ to get your hands in the soil, I ran across this great article on the Better Homes and Gardens site about starting seedlings. Lots of good info. from a reputable source.

Happy gardening, and don’t hesitate to ask questions if you have any. I may not know the answer, but will try to find it for you!

Dig it!

bobbi c.
Copyright ©2005-2007 Bobbi A. Chukran. All rights reserved.

starting seeds indoors, basil, seedstarting, Better Homes and Gardens magazine