February Garden Update

Boy, has this month seemed long! It seems like it has snowed at least once a week. We got 12 inches one of those weeks! Unfortunately, the snow made it impossible for me to really get much of my list accomplished. I did get the supplies for my backyard composter, but the frozen conditions made building impossible, not to mention the frozen ground. (Read more about the list in my last garden blog post.)

However, I did do a mock-up of exactly how I want my backyard compost to look and what materials I think I will need:

What do you think? Pretty basic, but has style! It seems like a very easy build too. Your four large posts should be whatever height you are wanting your composter to be. (Not too tall or you won’t be able look or reach into it.) The short boards should be the length of your pallet. Nail them together an that’s your basic frame. Wrap that in chicken wire. Optional: use sheet metal, corrugated roofing tin or other covering to give it a fun, personal look. Imagine this painted in bright, beautiful colors! It has so much potential!

Again, this month is still a slow one for gardeners. I do have a lot of things in store for next month, however!  (Don’t forget to subscribe.)

Without further adieu, here are the herbs I have picked to grow this summer.

I am choosing herbs because they are not only beautiful, but useful in so many ways! I suggest, when planning your garden, to find plants or herbs that interest you. This will make it easier to commit to growing healthy, amazing plants you will be proud of.

This list was partially inspired by the book 75 Essential Herbs For Your Garden by Jack Staub.

Anise – medicinal, culinary and aromatic uses. What catnip is to cats, anise is to dogs — will be fun to find out if this is true!

Basil – medicinal, culinary, aromatic and ornamental uses. Great on pizza! I plan to grow several types, just not sure which ones quite yet.

Bergamot or Beebalm – medicinal, aromatic, culinary, ornamental and cosmetic uses. Great color and beautiful flower, attracts hummingbirds.

Borage – medicinal, culinary and ornamental uses. Has a reputation for invoking courage, believe it or not. Bees love borage!

Caraway - medicinal and culinary uses. Every part of the plant is edible.

Chamomile – medicinal, culinary, aromatic, ornamental and cosmetic uses. Great for teas and bath soaks! I will probably grow a few types. Said to contribute to the overall health of your garden.

Chives – medicinal, culinary and ornamental uses. I know I want garlic chives and common, maybe more.

Cilantro or Coriander – medicinal, culinary and aromatic (more fragrant with age) uses. That’s right, the leaves are cilantro and the seeds are coriander. Very good at attracting useful insects.

Dandelion – medicinal, culinary and cosmetic uses. You can even make yellow and magenta dyes. Who knew this common weed was more nutritious than spinach?

Dill – medicinal, culinary and crafty uses. Kitchen staple.

Fennel – medicinal, culinary, aromatic and cosmetic uses. Fennel makes dye too! (yellow and brown) I’ve got an easy recipe for a great fennel face cleanser. (Watch for this in future blogs; subscribe!)

Feverfew – medicinal, ornamental and crafty uses. Great natural insect repellent.

Lavender – medicinal, culinary, aromatic, cosmetic and crafty uses. Great fragrance! I will be growing a few different kinds of lavender. I can’t wait to make my first lavender wand!

Lemon Balm – medicinal, culinary, aromatic, ornamental and cosmetic uses. Bees LOVE this plant. Lemon balm smells fantastic and is said to cleanse skin. Works great in an herbal bath mixture.

Lemon Grass – medicinal, culinary and aromatic uses. Once used to break fevers in Africa.

Lemon Verbena – medicinal, culinary, aromatic, and ornamental uses. Mentioned in Gone With The Wind as Scarlet’s mother’s favorite fragrance.

http://www.mandyatlarge.com/herbal-dictionary/pot-marigold/ – medicinal, culinary, aromatic and ornamental uses.

Oregano – medicinal, culinary, cosmetic and crafty uses. Essential to Italian cooking.

Mustard – medicinal and culinary uses. Make your own mustard! (Watch for recipe)

Parsley – medicinal, culinary, ornamental and cosmetic uses. It’s even a natural breath sweetener. Be careful, this herb will attract unwanted rabbits.

Peppermint and Spearmint – medicinal, culinary, aromatic, ornamental and cosmetic uses. Amazing home remedies from bad breath to chapped hands and bee stings.

Purslane – medicinal and ornamental uses. Very, very high in vitamins and nutrients. Purslane contains more omega-3 fatty acids than any other plant.

Rosemary – medicinal, aromatic, ornamental and cosmetic uses. Great in bath soaks.

Rue – medicinal, ornamental and crafty uses. Rue is very dangerous in large doses; to plant this in your garden is your call entirely.

Sage – medicinal, culinary, aromatic, ornamental, cosmetic and crafty uses. I will be planting several kinds of sage plants.

Tansy – medicinal, culinary, cosmetic and ornamental uses. Makes outstanding tea! Great color. Can discourage ants and flies.

Tarragon – culinary uses. Tarragon is a staple in French cuisine.

Thyme – medicinal, culinary, aromatic and cosmetic uses. Very beneficial medicinal uses.

That’s my basic list. I’m sure there are tons of other great herbs out there. If you think I should add one to the list let me know in the comments below!

What to expect next month?

- If weather permits, I will be finishing up my backyard compost contraption.

- This weekend, I am attending the horticultural walk at our local zoo to learn about their winter plants, as well as how they take care of their tropical plants during the winter. All that in next month’s edition of Beginning Gardening.

Tags: compost, February, herb list, herbs

January Garden Update

I have been fascinated by flowers and gardening since I was little. My great grandmother used to have enormous flowerbeds and vegetable gardens; some of my fondest memories are of helping her with them. Now that I’m all grown up (24!) I want to reconnect with this lost love of mine. I am a designer and normally stay indoors and within 25ft of a computer at all times. I plan to break that bad habit and really give gardening my all this summer. Each month I will be writing a new installment of happenings in my garden. Hopefully it will inspire you as well, because if I can do it.. you can too!

While researching the various plants, flowers, and vegetables to see what I wanted to plant, I saw the interesting and creative uses for herbs. I fell in love with the idea of making my own potpourri, face masks and skin care creams, and herbal teas. Not to mention the vast culinary uses!

My plan is to grow mostly herbs in my garden and use them to make many fun crafts and foods. I will be posting all of the recipes that I find/use. (as well as the not-so-successful stories that I’m sure will happen) I will also be posting video and pictures along the way! I would LOVE it if our subscribers joined in the fun with their own garden images and stories. Leave us a comment (below) and let us know what you think! This is a little bit different than our normal posts here at the Bloomin’ Blog but we think it will be a lot of fun! Subscribe to our RSS or bookmark us for later by hitting CTRL+D. I can’t wait to see the garden in all it’s glory!

The winter weather in Northeast Arkansas, where I live, is still too cold to start any major changes to my garden just yet. Here is what’s going on so far:

Quick and Easy Cardboard Mulch

I have read a lot about cardboard mulching and began the process in late October. It is a great way to begin gardening with very little effort. Laying a layer of cardboard and mulch down before winter helps in many ways. (1) Kills all grass and weeds (2)Keeps the ground from freezing worms tend to migrate to the area (3) Enriches the soil

1. Lay down large sheets of cardboard over the area you plan to garden. Make sure the layers overlap to block out the sun and keep weeds from germinating.

2. Water the cardboard thoroughly.

3. Lay down a layer of mulch.

That’s it! At least I hope. It’s a bit of an experiment. I began this in October of last year and I am planning to test the soil regularly to see how this process works for me. I’ve read several positive articles on this process so I think it will have good results. I have also put old flowers on top of my mulch for extra nutrients.

Testing The Soil

Planning early can be a (plant) life saver! Most plants can grow in a variety of pH levels, however it’s a good idea to test your soil to know exactly what you’re working with. Test your soil now to see if it is ready to grow plants. The soil in our area contains a lot of clay which tends to be towards the acidic side. Clay is the most nutritious of the soil types (Sand, Silt, and Clay) but binds the roots of the plant with its density and keeps them from expanding their roots. By finding out your soil composition now you have time to correct this before its time to plant.

To test the soil, contact your local gardening center to find out where to get a soil testing kit in your area. Most of the time you can get one from them. Follow the instructions and send it in to your Cooperative Extension Service which will test your soil and send you a reading. The reading can be tricky so take it to your local garden center and let them help you. Because they are local gardeners too, they will know exactly what you need to correct your soil and have it ready for planting!

Garden Calendar

Now is a great time to fill out a garden calendar. It doesn’t have to be incredibly detailed but have all of your major events planned out. Our state extension service’s department of agriculture website has a wonderful monthly gardening calendar that lets you generally know what to do each month. Google can help find the something similar in your area. Use broad planning for now. Mark your calendar to buy your plants in March and plant early April or the appropriate dates for your zone. Just use a highlighter to remind yourself.

If you know what plants you are going to grow, look for instructions on when to plant and jot those down on your calendar. I plan on having my (mostly) detailed calendar done by next update. Stay tuned!

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What to expect next month

Soil test results and explanation

Video how-to on backyard compost creation

Detailed garden calendar example

Also blogged in the Bloomin’ Blog at FlowerShopNetwork.com

Tags: compost, garden, january, planning