All the Dirt on Gardening

Fresh herbs contribute scent, flavor and flowers for our gardens and our kitchens. Whether they are in the ground or in containers, just give them soil that drains well and plenty of sun.  Common herbs can be purchased as small plants in the spring at many vendors but the plants vary in quality.  With seeds and cuttings, an herb bed can be grown inexpensively. When planting from seed, remember that herbs need room to spread. Rosemary, Sage, and Oregano need 4 feet; Basil and Thyme, 2-feet; Cilantro, Dill, Chives and Parsley need at least one foot. Mint travels everywhere by rhizomes. To build your collection, ask fellow gardeners for cuttings so you can collect varieties that do well in your local weather and soil.  These herbs are fairly easy to grow from cuttings: Lavender, Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, Mint, Basil, Marjoram, Sage, Savory, Scented Geranium, Monarda (Bergamot for tea and salad), Sweet Woodruff, Lemon Balm, Lemon Verbena and Pineapple Sage....

Betony is more than reliable in my garden - it generously reseeds itself to the point that I pull out half or three fourths of the tiny plants every spring during cleanup. By March, the tiny plants are just a few leaves hugging the ground and are easy to remove as I'm taking off the leaves and last year's perennial stems for spring. Betony is easy to get along with - it has no special soil requirements and will thrive in sun or part-shade down to zone 4 cold winters. The flower spikes are at the top, then to both sides of an interrupted spike. The one in these photos spent the winter in the garden shed and is happily blooming and making buds. You can usually get unwanted plants from friends at this time of year. Most of my thinnings become compost. Established plants can be divided in the spring and they can be started from seeds. Many people use the leaves or the entire plant in many tea infusions and as herbal medicine, especially for headaches. The leaves are d...