Get Going on the Garden

Article Tools

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

Sent Straight from the South

In the rolling hills of central Tennessee, owner Michele Brown sees her Possum Creek Herb Farm as a destination, noting that, “You have to plan to come because we are so far off the beaten path.” During the last seven years, Brown has steadily increased her stock of organically grown culinary and fragrant herbs, and this year has added medicinal herbs to the mix. She thinks all gardeners should grow herbs not only for themselves, but for the benefit of bees and butterflies. In Brown’s ideal world, every herb garden would include wildlife-friendly herbs such as anise hyssop, bergamot and plenty of sages.

At Sandy Mush Herb Farm near Asheville, North Carolina, owners Kate and Fairman Jayne apparently agree with Brown, because they grow and sell nearly 100 types of sage. Their 30 years of experience with herbs shows in their 88-page catalog, which includes planting plans for special gardens, recipes and handy reference lists of common and botanical names. Sandy Mush is also a great source of herbs native to the eastern mountains, such as evergreen wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) for shady spots, or mountain mint (Pycnanthemum spp.) for sunny sites.

In Texas, midway between San Antonio and Houston, Cindy Meredith has been growing her mail-order business, The Herb Cottage, steadily for eight years. Naturally, she veers toward herbs that thrive in warm weather, such as basil, as well as those that tolerate drought. “I think people should grow winter savory more. In the humid South where thyme is difficult to grow, winter savory is a good substitute.” Cindy also recommends lemon savory, a type of summer savory, for its zingy lemony flavor.

Order the Best in the West

California and some other western states restrict the sale of incoming plants, but finding great herbs from in-state growers is easy thanks to the many wonderful mail-order nurseries there such as Mountain Valley Growers in Squaw Valley, Crimson Sage Nursery in the northern mountains near Orleans, and Lingle’s Herbs in Long Beach. A beginning gardener can get a big leg-up by starting with one of Mountain Valley’s certified organic herb garden kits, or you can choose from their long list of herbs grown in 3-inch pots.

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print