You can check out the Lemon Verbena Lady at her blog http://lemonverbenalady.blogspot.com.

I thought I would take a break from stories about Peru. I was inspired by Taylor Miller's blog (The Garden Gnome), Giving the White House a Green Thumb. This was a lettuce bed in the early days of our kitchen garden BD (before deer). We also have rabbit fencing surrounding the garden now and repellents work for deer browsing. When we forget to spray the repellents, the deer remember to eat! (Learn more about repelling deer from your garden.) 

Whether you have one bed for your kitchen garden or many beds, herbal kitchen gardens are making a huge difference in many lives all over the world. (Learn more about creating your own kitchen garden this summer.)

Several years ago, I went to France with my husband to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. Our English friends, who we stayed with in the Loire Valley, took us to the Château de Villandry. I thought I had died and gone to herbal heaven. It is breathtaking and spectacular all at the same time. It was the last great château to be built in 1536. After the gardens were turned into an English park in the late 19th century, the house and gardens were restored by a Spanish scientist in the 20th century. Thank heavens! The herb garden was placed in a separate location than it was in medieval times. I was really looking forward to seeing it but was disappointed–the herb garden was clipped so severely that I could not recognize my favorite herbs. This one is lemon verbena!  Doesn't look at all like it, does it?

We recently returned from a trip to England. We drove one day to Grafton Underwood and came upon this Englishman starting work on his allotment in early March. He paid 4 pounds (about $5.60) for his plot, which will feed his family and leave enough left for a donation. 

Last week, I did a presentation on herbal kitchen gardens for a local garden club last week–I wrote this ode and would like to share it with you.

Ode to Herbal Kitchen Gardens

The Greeks and Romans celebrated with bay.
The monks grew their sage and thyme and used them every day.
Walls were built around to protect the young herb plants.
The monks needed diversity and left nothing to chance.
The English used the front yard to start the four square plot.
The rosemary, kale and roses were raised and eaten on the spot.
The French made their potagers as pretty as a picture.
Then planted lettuces, marigolds and young fruit trees to add to the mixture.
Washington, Jefferson, FDR and Obama had kitchen gardens in their blood and some haved lived into the next generation like new edible flower buds!
So plant an herbal kitchen garden this very day and you will start reaping the bounty in every savory way!

Hope you are starting your own herbal kitchen gardens because, among other good things, it brings beneficial insects and wonderful, flavorful meals using all of the various herbs you have grown.

Honeybees are the best of friends for blooming fruit trees flowers, and herbs, such as apricot, cherry, members of the daisy family, lavender, oregano and sage. We’ve known that bees help pollinate plants before Jugen Tautz’s study. Tautz, of Biozentrum Universitat Wurzburg, Germany, has studied bees since 1973 and in 2008 released his book The Buzz About Bees: Biology of a Superorganism (Springer, 2008). Now, Tautz has studied even more about the relationship between honeybees and plants. In 2008, his extensive study on honeybees, caterpillars and blooming plants and trees, proved that honeybees protect plants from hungry caterpillars. 

Tautz’s findings revealed that caterpillars have sensory hairs located on the front portion of their body. Although these sensory hairs can detect vibrations, such as the buzzing of a bee, they are unable to distinguish bees from wasps, which fall into the same vibration level. Assuming the worst, the caterpillar will often stop moving or intentionally fall from the plant when a bee or wasp is overhead. (It is a technique to fool the flying creature by making them believe they are dead.)  

In addition to this, Tautz found that if bees or wasps are present, caterpillars will become stressed and feed less. This is especially true for caterpillars feeding on blossoming fruit trees. He says that plants that were “protected” by visiting honeybees suffered 60 to 70 percent less leaf damage.

Courtesty of Flickr/Energetic_Spirit
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nperlapro/

To protect your garden from caterpillars, put blooming trees and plants near non-flowering plants to create a bee-friendly yard. Bees are attracted to yellow, blue and purple colored flowers. According to Tautz’s study, the honeybees will create a stressful environment for the herbivores to the extent that they will be discouraged from eating in that location.

Q: Why are my herbs dying?

A: The fourth part in our “Herb 911” series is dedicated to mint (Mentha spp.). Although it is easy to grow, I’ve killed a few mint plants for many different reasons. Whether you have better luck or a light brown gardening thumb like me, these tips will improve the health of your mint.

All mint varieties are “easy” to grow because they can flourish in almost any lighting condition, but mint performs the best in full sun. The general ideal temperature range is between 60 to 80 degrees.

The herb likes a medium-rich soil—not too moist and not too dry. The pH should be around 5.6 to 7.5. If you live in a dry climate, you might want to water more frequently. The opposite goes for wet tropical climates, such as southern California or Hawaii.

A few common types of mint are spearmint, which is often used in dishes; peppermint, which is commonly used in teas as it is stronger than spearmint; and apple mint, which is used in teas and salads. The main differences between these various types of mints are their scents, flavors and appearance.

Tips for Keeping Mint Alive:

In general, the same tips for growing common types of mint are the same for unique and rare types of mint.

• If you plan on planting mint in a pot, keep in mind that its roots grow quickly. I recommend using a medium sized pot, around 12 to 15 inches deep and seven to 10 inches wide.

• If you are going to plant mint in the ground, keep it away from other herbs. It will give a minty flavor to its closely surrounding plants. On that same note, don’t plant different types of mint next to each other, as they will loose their original flavors.

• Keep an eye out for weather conditions, such as sudden freezes or heat waves that could damage your plants and adapt water and fertilizer amounts.

• Find an appropriate watering balance for your growing Zone and plant size. For a medium sized plant, about five to seven inches, use about two to three cups of water every three days and adjust from there. 

Do you have problems growing mint? What herbs do you have a difficult time growing? Let’s chat about it; drop me a comment or email me at snelson@ogdenpubs.com.

You can check out the Lemon Verbena Lady at her blog http://lemonverbenalady.blogspot.com.

We continued our tour of Chaclacayo and literally stumbled into an herbal clinic and botanical garden in a residential neighborhood. It was called the Instituto Peruano de Investigacion Fitoterapica Andina, founded in 1983 by a Polish priest. It is a private, non-profit, scientific medical, health care and promotional association. It had a walled garden and was very secluded and peaceful. 

We had a little tour of the grounds. There were various animals around the grounds, including a tortoise, monkeys, birds, guinea pigs and rabbits.

My Spanish is unfortunately only the bad words, and fortunately, she didn't use any of them! I did understand some of the tour though. There were rooms that were right in the garden for the consultations and treatments.

No wonder  people returned regularly to this beautiful spot. Our guide told us that they treated many diseases, including cancer. All of the herbs were labeled and some were recognizable, including, rosemary, fennel, comfrey and salvia.

A tiny part of me was hoping I could get a treatment of some kind while I was there. We were lucky to see this true herbal paradise!

Q: Why are my herbs dying?

A: The third part in our “Herb 911” series is dedicated to lavender (Lavendula angustifolia), a versatile herb used in cooking, used medicinally and used decoratively throughout the home. When I think about lavender, the romantic purple fields of Provence, France, and endless products come to mind. This dreamy herb is a warm-season perennial plant that is durable to frosts and mild freezes.

English lavender blooms in early summer. Compared to other types of lavender it is darker in color and taller with longer flowers. French lavender (Lavendula dentana) is a medium-sized plant that is gray in color and capable of blooming year round (depending on location). There are many types of lavender but English lavender and French lavender are the most common.

The native Mediterranean herb prospers in sunlight—we recommend anywhere between six to eight hours of warm sunlight. Create a growing space that offers the appropriate amount of light. You can plant lavender in the ground or in a pot for easy transportation during cold months.

Another important aspect is proper soil drainage; too much rain and humidity can lead to mildew or root-rot, which is a common reason why this otherwise resilient herb dies.

Lavender is a long-lasting herb that likes well-drained soil and can withstand minor drought conditions. If you are growing lavender in humid conditions, avoid dark mulches as they encourage fungus growth. The soil should be between neutral to slightly alkaline and have a pH of 6.5 to 8.2. Testing the quality of your soil is easy with a pH kit from your local gardening store. Although there are many types of lavender, most can handle Zone 5 growing conditions.

Photo by _setev/Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/downunderphotos/

Tips for Keeping Your Lavender Alive:

• If you are going to take clippings of the herb, take them when the stems break easily. (This usually happens in June.) Clippings promote a healthy, bush-like growth.

• Make sure your plants have a good drainage system to reduce root-rot and fungus growth. To achieve this you might add sand or perlite to your soil, but keep in mind that too much will dry the plant out. If you live in a wet climate and want to add sand or perlite, add no more then 1/5 of the pot’s container, if growing in a pot.

• If planting in the ground, place lavender 2-3 feet apart; lavender can have an expansive root system and can be tall and bushy.

• Keep an eye out for weather conditions, such as overnight frosts, that could damage your plants; adapt water and fertilizer amounts accordingly.

• Find an appropriate watering balance for you climate and plant size—lavender needs lots of watering, especially in the first season of growth. You can start with 3 cups of water and adjust from there. 

Do you have problems growing lavender? What herbs do you have a difficult time growing? Let’s chat about it; drop me a comment or email me at snelson@ogdenpubs.com.