Growing Rosemary

Rosemary is an herb that is a royal treat to have in your garden. It appeals to all of senses from its evergreen quality to its unmistakable fragrance as you brush by its branches. A beautiful plant that has its place in every landscape. I love mine. And it started from a cutting I was given at our Master Gardener demonstration garden called, Heritage Garden.

Something you may not realize about rosemary is that it is fairly easy to start from a cutting. From just a  few of these you can have more rosemary for your own garden, some to share with friends or give away as gifts.

I have the shrub-like variety known as Rosmarinus officinalis  It grows to a height of up 48" with a width of nearly the same. It is hardy for zones 7a-10b. Like most herbs, it prefers a drier well-drained soil.  Rosemary that grew the largest at my house is planted on the south facing side of the house, where it gets plenty of sun.

Rosemary can be started by both seeds and cuttings, but cuttings have a higher rate of success and  grow much faster.

Here is how to do it to propagate rosemary from cuttings:

1. Cut branches from rosemary that are either semi-hardwood or softwood.  (See the brown and white stems of each?)

2. Cut pieces about 5 inches long, stripping leaves off bottom 2/3

3. Plant cuttings in a seed starter mix. Moisten. Mist and water as needed after that.  In 2-3 weeks you should be able to gently tug the plant to see if roots are developing. Allow to grow to a nice size in the pots before transplanting.                                                             Rosemary can even be started in water if placed in a sunny window. Watch for roots to develop and then transfer to small container with seed starting soil . Follow up as before. This is my full grown rosemary plant. I planted it here in 2008 and trim it down periodically to keep it from getting leggy. I like to trim it up early in the Spring heavily, then  a little through the season as needed.                                     From all of the trimmings I either start new plants or dry them for later use. Its pretty easy to do. More information about growing rosemary can also be answered by Stephanie Suesan Smith over at Information Central, Gardening Questions Answered.

I've Grown All of This Mint, Now What?

Preserving Mint Leaves - This is Apple Mint

I can't think of a much easier plant to have success in growing than mint. Its one of those plants that seems to find a way to spread everywhere if you don't keep in confined. Its such a wonderful plant to walk by and break off a leaf, crumple it between your fingers and smell the undeniable fragrance of mint. Its a treat young or old. But besides enjoying the pleasant fragrance, this is what you can do with it:

Harvesting - 

Harvesting mint can be done for the length of the growing season a leaf at a time if you like. The best leaves are the younger tender ones as the older ones may become bitter.  The best time for harvesting is right before the plant begins to bloom. The oils are at their peak during that time. Pick the leaves or cut the stems first thing in the morning and don't take more than 4-5 inch stem cuttings if you want to harvest later. Otherwise use longer stems for some drying methods.

Rinse mint under cool water, shake the water off and towel dry to remove excess water before starting anything.

Preserving -

• Drying - Hanging mint to dry while left on the stem is common. The cuttings are tied together in small bundles and hung upside-down together until dry. They can be used as needed or stored in an airtight container when completely dry.  The other method is removing the leaf while fresh and spreading it out on an absorbent surface like paper or a towel to dry. Store leaves when dry the same way.
• Freezing -  This is a good method if you are using mint for cooking because the leaves will lose their normal green color. Flash freeze the leaves by spreading the cut leaves out in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Place in the freezer until frozen, then transfer to a freezer storage container for later use.
• Fresh leaves  (good to add to drinks) - Keep in the house by placing cuttings in a glass of water to keep fresh. I like to remove the bottom few leaves from the cuttings. You may find that some of them start producing roots after 3 weeks though, but that may be a bonus too. 

Using

• Tea - Both fresh and dried mint leaves make excellent tea. Mint Tea Recipe - The bonus is that its caffeine free if needed.
• Mint Tea Punch and Minted Lemonade use fresh mint leaves and are refreshing summer drinks.
• Doing a search for recipes that include mint are a snap.  One that I'm going to try soon is  Apple Walnut Salad
• Mint has been used for centuries medicinally. Medicinal Uses for Mint

I'm sure there are more, but I hope this will start you thinking about what to do with all of the mint you have grown.

Earth Day Tribute - What Type of Gardener Are You?

Grapes are really abundant this year

Pink Verbena

Mullein

Spiderwort The more I garden and visit with other people and their gardens I have started asking this question. Its easy to be defined by a style, but in truth it goes deeper than that. I have found that gardening in many ways is an extension of a personality. Order, whimsy and purpose mark a garden in the same way we dress ourselves and decorate our homes. I think it is why our curiosity is sparked when an opportunity arises to walk around someone's yard or garden. They all tell a story. And we want to hear that story. Being involved with the Master Gardener program allows me the privilege of seeing more gardens than most. It's interesting to know that some gardens are more showy and "out-front" types that appeal to the eye.Those are the ones that make an immediate impression on visitors as one who knows everything about gardening and must be an expert. The truth is, the surface has only been scratched on the levels of gardening and know how. Even among our Master Gardeners if a question comes up about a certain plant or situation we often know immediately who needs to answer that question. That is why we have "Specialists" for certain things such as Vegetable Gardening, Composting, Etymology, Propagation etc. Its just hard to know everything. I often wonder when someone asks to see my yard what they expect. A botanical garden maybe? A show stopping view from the street? That always intimidates me when I think about it because in truth, I'm not that type of gardener. Mind you, I LOVE flowers and blooms of all types. I collect perennials and my inspiration is always an English Cottage Garden style. I fill in plants and collect them as gifts from friends and family. All of my plants have a story to tell. What is my type? I guess I'm really a backyard type of gardener with a cottage style flair. I plant things with a purpose. I like flowers and herbs so my bees and butterflies are welcomed in for a visit and nourishment. I plant vines and trees for shade. I grow food for animals and people. Its a broad spectrum of interests and I enjoy the challenge. It may not always be showy, but boy does it have a story to tell. One thing I can say is this, moving to the country has liberated my garden creativity process. I love the idea of hanging baskets overflowing with massive annual flowers and show stopping landscape design. I am inspired by them and often under my own breath say, "next year I will try this or that". But I often find myself back in the same places year after year building and dreaming in my own backyard. I like that... no pressure. Today I will be planting a few more herbs and filling soil in a three more raised beds where I grow food. I have several plants that have been given to me as gifts from friends that need a home in my yard. I will gladly place them with love and care as I think about my dear friends who gave them to me. New raised garden beds

Spring Progress

Getting back to my gardens and animals is something I've really looked forward to this year. Many of the things that have occupied my time have come and gone so now I'm ready for some fun. A few updates for this year include the expansion of my raised bed garden.                   I have changed the beds from 4x4's to 4x12's. I thought this would allow a lot more workable space and make the space more efficient. I so far have 5 of these beds built in a grid pattern. I'm slowly filling the beds with soil. I recommend the soil mixture used for Square Foot Gardening for most beds. So far I have an herb bed, a strawberry bed and one for flowers. As I fill my other beds I plan on filling them with more strawberries and a possible asparagus bed. Because all of these need to be in an undisturbed area, raised beds reduce the need for weeding. Asparagus is actually a really attractive fern-like plant. I will be happy to see it be used for more than just a quick season of food.