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Thread: Herbs

  1. #1
    Surreptitious Watchman Kemperor's Avatar
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    Default Herbs

    So, this is what I'm going to grow in my herb garden this coming season. The clary sage is still going strong and I believe the borage will come back on its own.

    Angelica
    Arnica
    Astragalus
    Basil, Holy
    Burdock
    Calendula
    Chamomile, German
    Echinacea Angustifolia
    Echinacea Purpurea
    Lemon Balm
    Marshmallow
    Meadowsweet
    Milk Thistle
    Motherwort
    Mullein
    Nettle
    Plantain
    Shepherds Purse
    Valerian
    Wood Betony
    Yarrow

    That's what I have in mind. I have plenty of space to plant them and I have spots where the differing growing conditions can be met. This is aside from the vegetable garden, which my father is in charge of. What do you all think? Any additions, criticisms, etc?


  2. #2
    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Nice mix of plants but you have some varied soil requirements. Marshmallows require a very damp/wet soil (hence the name marsh) while basil requires hot dry conditions. Not very cold tolerant. Both should do well in Indiana if you can accommodate the soil requirements as you indicated.

    You might not be happy with lemon balm. It's in the mint family and all mints are pretty invasive. It will self sow so if you want to slow it down then you will want to dead head the plant. It also likes moist conditions. I have bee balm and they thrive. Also a good leaf tea.

    Echinaceas grow very well in Indiana. You shouldn't have any trouble with them as long as they don't have wet feet. I have a slug in a bright sunny location that's fairly well drained. I keep them watered but they are pretty hardy. Root or leaf tea either one.

    Horsetail is good as is sunflower. And purslane makes a great salad and is one tough little perennial where the soil has been disturbed. It really likes waist lands and open gardens. I have several plants that appear in my garden every year and I just let them grow. Pick them right along with the leaf lettuce and spinach.

    Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
    Last edited by Rick; 02-04-2008 at 03:59 PM.
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  3. #3

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    I agree with Rick. And as he said, be careful about certain species getting away from you and taking over the whole yard.
    Earth - love it or leave it.

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  4. #4
    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Jeepers gang. I offered you the best straight line and no one took advantage. Not one person asked why I had a slug? Are you slowin' down on me?
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  5. #5
    Senior Member nell67's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rick View Post
    Jeepers gang. I offered you the best straight line and no one took advantage. Not one person asked why I had a slug? Are you slowin' down on me?
    I just thought you had weird taste Rick!

  6. #6
    Surreptitious Watchman Kemperor's Avatar
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    Ok, why do you have a slug Rick?

    That is some excellent advice. I have decent spot next to a stream that I could flood and make a bit of a rice paddy type deal for the marshy plants. I'm just going to have to pay some close attention to it and make sure the water doesn't stand there too long because of skeeters. I grew some basil last year somewhat close to some tomatoes. They seem to get along with one another quite well, so I'll probably put the basil in with my fathers veggies.

    I might try the bee balm instead of the lemon balm, or i might try both. I'm glad you told me about the invasiveness of the plant, I'll probably end up growing the lemon balm in a patch of its own far away from the other plants, as I have plenty of room to work with.

    I know a good area where I can dig up some loam to use for the Echinacea. I'll be looking extensively into all of the details within the next month on when to plant and all that. Echinacea is one of the main herbs I'm looking to plant. When do you think I should plant them Rick? I might even sell some if they turn out good. I'm not expecting a huge success. Gardening, like most things in life, is learned through trial and error. Except for sunflowers. Every year they get attacked by birds, so the seeds fall all over the place and I actually have to uproot a few of them here and there. The borage I planted last year went a little wild as well.

    It is going to be a little difficult as I'm basically going from what I've read in books straight to the soil, but no better time than the present to get the experience, eh?

  7. #7
    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    If this is your first year for Echinacea then you can sow seeds now in pots and acclimate the seedlings for about a week and stick in the ground after the last frost. If you don't want to go to that much trouble then just sow the seeds and they will germinate when the ground warms. Think of what the plants does. It just drops seeds in the fall and they lay there all winter until the ground warms up.

    Rabbits like the seedlings so you might have some problems there. If you can protect them until they grow a bit it would help.

    At the end of the season, leave some flower heads on for the birds and they will help you but dispersing the seeds for you. Birds really like the seeds.
    Tracks Across the High Plains...Death on the Bombay Line...A Touch of Death and Mayhem...Dead Rock...The Griswald Mine Boys...All On Amazon Books.

  8. #8
    missing in action trax's Avatar
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    All that and you never answered his question. Smooth, surfer boy. Every time I click on this thread called "herbs" I'm terribly disappointed. Not what I was thinking of at all, oh well...
    some fella confronted me the other day and asked "What's your problem?" So I told him, "I don't have a problem I am a problem"

  9. #9
    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Look, special mushrooms boy, some of us take a very serious approach to survival in the wilderness.....oh forget it. I can't even type it with a straight face. A slug: a shot of liquor taken neat; belt. Any more questions? Yes, you. In the back.
    Tracks Across the High Plains...Death on the Bombay Line...A Touch of Death and Mayhem...Dead Rock...The Griswald Mine Boys...All On Amazon Books.

  10. #10
    Senior Member wareagle69's Avatar
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    Default this is for trax

    sung by cheech and chong

    no stems no seeds that you don't need alcupolco gold is bada** weed
    (anouncer voice) hi there folks smoking more now but getting high less?try new alcupolco gold regular or menthal long in the leaf and short in the stem it will cure what ails ya so try new alcupolco gold today.

  11. #11
    missing in action trax's Avatar
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    Thanks WE, that's what keeps me smilin' at surfer boy's repartee....
    some fella confronted me the other day and asked "What's your problem?" So I told him, "I don't have a problem I am a problem"

  12. #12
    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Doh! It just dawned on my he was talking about guys named Herb. What a jamoke!
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  13. #13
    Surreptitious Watchman Kemperor's Avatar
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    No, I think it was girls named Mary.


    There's a reason I usually do pretty well with gardening things I have little experience with, because of experience gained gardening something more difficult. That is something that I'm not discussing on public forums though. Send a PM if you want to discuss that.

  14. #14
    Tracker Beo's Avatar
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    Surfer Boy, I thought it was Twinkie! I like calling him Twinkie sounds more... Rickish.
    And Rick... Marshmallows are best over an open flame not in damp soil thats just nasty bro.
    There is no greater solitude than that of the Tracker in the forest, unless perhaps it's that of the wolf in the wilderness.

  15. #15
    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    (head slap) Doh!
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  16. #16
    Surreptitious Watchman Kemperor's Avatar
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    Hey, a little dirt never hurt.

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