Herbs

Today I completed my garden by planting the herbs I purchased on Sunday in my herb garden.

I used to plant the herbs in the ground in a wagon wheel design, but after a few years, the wagon wheel was taken over with grass.  So last year I dug up the herbs and put them in pots, and covered the ground with plastic, cardboard and bark.  But over the winter, the herbs in the pots didn't make it.

So this year I purchased more herbs, have more pots, and plan to put the herbs somewhere this winter where they won't die.

Here is what the completed area looks like.  If you look closely I have a toilet and a kitchen sink in this garden.  My dream is to one day add a claw foot tub to the area, and fill it with herbs.

In the two bigger pots, I planted Tri-Color Sage and Oregano.

 

I found some of my books on Herbs, and one gave the meaning of some of the herbs.

 

Sage means:  Domestic Virtue, wisdom

Oregano means:  Substance

 

 

I had made these window box planters years ago with old windows from our former house in uptown Kellogg.  I decided to make use of them in the herb garden, by putting the potted herbs in the window boxes.

 This box has Lemon Verbena, Rosemary and Stevia.  Lemon Verbena has a very lemony scent and flavor, which is good because I love anything lemony!!

Rosemary means:  Remembrance, your presence revives me.

Stevia is a popular herb these days, and has become commercialized as a sweetener.  If you take a little bit of one of the leaves, you will be amazed at how sweet it tastes.

This window box is full of three different kinds of mint.

This mint is called Kentucky Colonel Mint.

Mint means:  Virtue

This variety of mint is Chocolate Mint.  I have grown this mint before, and it is delicious.

This variety of mint is Banana Mint.  I have never heard of this kind of mint before. 

 It smells good, like a banana.

In the final window box I put four colorful pots I purchased at Michael's Craft Store last month. 

I thought the herbs would go perfectly in these pots.

 

 

 

In the pink polka dot pot I put Peppermint.

The yellow pot has Spicy Greek Oregano.

 

The pink striped pot has Spicy Orange Thyme.  I have had Lemon Thyme before, but never orange.

 

And the blue polka dot pot has the more traditional English Thyme.

Thyme means:  Energy, affection.

My one herb that did winter over was the Chive I put in the top of our old Weber BBQ. 

Chives are pretty hearty.

 

I also have three pots of Basil growing on the ledge of our patio.  I put some here two summers ago, and this is the perfect place to grow basil in my yard.

 

Basil Means:  Love

Sweet Basil Means:  Good Wishes

 

 

I look forward to having herbs once again, and experimenting with them in my cooking.  They have such wonderful flavors right out of the garden.  I loved finding my books on Herb Gardening, and look forward to using some of the recipes I found today throughout the summer.

 

If you have ever been in an Herb Garden, one of the best things to do is walk through and rub the leaves of the plants to emit the wonderful smells from the plants.  Then the smells stick to your hands and you have that delicious smell with you for quite a while, lingering on your hands.

 

There is something about herbs that is also soothing.  Many herbs make wonderful tea.  Many herbs are used for medicinal purposes.

 

Herbs are good to have in the garden.