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....

Old fashioned Flame or Burning Bush is a reliable Euonymous that is easy to grow into a hedge. The leaves fall off in the winter, so it is not an effective privacy screen. Ours, in the photo is not a hybrid. It's the regular, inexpensive, one that originated in China and Japan. We bought ours ten years ago at a nursery sale in a one gallon container. It has been pruned to the ground twice and we attempted to dig it out completely once. But here it is showing off its fall colors! Now, that's reliable. Adaptable to most soils, even the hybrids are hardy. They must be watered in drought years or the leaves will crumble and fall off. It is a good idea to prune Euonymous Alata and control the growth. If they get too thick to allow air circulation they can get powdery mildew damage or aphids can set up residence. In some areas, such as Massachusetts and Connecticut, they are considered invasive.    http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=eual13 . Th...