Garden pics

[Lannie]

At the beginning of the month, I had posted that I thought my garden was ruined because of all the flooding, and then the hailstorm right after that, but it's starting to come back now with the sun and warm weather. So I thought I'd post a few pics. It's not nearly as far along as most people's gardens, but remember, we only had our last frost on May 10th, then we got flooded out about the time everything was sprouting, so it's doing great, considering the circumstances!

Here's a view of the south half of the garden. There's nothing planted yet in that big dirt patch, and there probably won't be this year. I think it's a little late to plant now.



This is the north half, where I have most everything planted:



Here are my poor tomatoes, who have been through so much this year and just keep on keepin' on! They're not very tall, but they all have flowers now!



And my beautiful lettuce and cabbage bed. It got mashed by hail in the middle of the month, but it came back! I'm really proud of this one! I've never been able to grow lettuce here before because it was too hot!



Here's a closeup of some of the romaines:



Here's my turnip and pea bed. LOL! You can't even SEE the peas anymore!



But the few that sprouted finally really ARE in there, and they're flowering!



The pepper bed. Jalapenos are closer, Sweet peppers are on the far end.



And summer squash on the left, Butternut squash on the right. Most of these I was convinced were dead after the hailstorm, but look at 'em go!



My little chard patch is looking much better now, too:



Then there are the herbs. Here's parsley and yarrow:



Some catnip, motherwort, Turkey rhubarb (flowering) and chives:



Catnip, carrots, and spearmint. The carrots were experimental, that's why they're in the herb bed.



When I get the main herb garden ready, probably not until next year, all those herbs except the spearmint will be transplanted out. That whole round bed is going to be for the spearmint, and in another couple of years, it will be wall to wall mint in there! LOL!

Anyway, like I said, it's not as far along as most everyone else's garden, I'm sure, but at least it looks like I'll get something this year! And, the BEST part is, I'm staying ahead of the weeds! LOL! There are still a few here and there, and of course, the pathways are full, but last year by this time, you couldn't see the veggies - the weeds beat me fairly. This year, it's gonna be different!

~Lannie

[boundarycurrent]

What gorgeous lettuce.
I love how you have so much diversity in your garden, with companion planting, herbs and everything, but it still looks really tidy and organized.
Our garden is growing well, but we made the mistake of planting a particularly invasive mint hybrid in one of the vegetable beds last year, and every week I have to dig it out again.

[Lannie]

LOL, you think mint is invasive! I'll go you one better! COLTSFOOT! I'm SO stupid! I bought two teeny tiny little starts of that a couple of years ago, and didn't do my research on growth habits first. Big mistake! It runs like mint, but it's much bigger and tougher. Nothing kills it! It's hardy to Zone 0 I think! LOL! It's completely taken over my whole big herb garden, and now I'm pulling sprouts of it out of the veggie beds. I figure in a few more years it will have completely traveled off our property and then it'll be "at large" in the grasslands. If anybody asks, I plan on putting my best innocent face on and saying, "Coltsfoot? What's that? No, I'm sorry, I've never seen that plant before." Ya live 'n learn!

At least while the coltsfoot's here, I can harvest it. I should have about a 20-year supply before long! LOLOL!

~Lannie

[mrskk]

What is coltsfoot used for?

[Lannie]

Mainly it's used as a demulcent (soothing) and expectorant in cases of throat and lung problems (colds, flu, etc.). Recent "research" has found that rats fed a diet that contained 4% coltsfoot flowers developed liver tumors, so now it's no longer recommended. Since I don't eat a diet of 4% coltsfoot flowers, and only use it when I need it (which isn't often anymore), I'm not worried. But you know the sheeple will run screaming. Same thing happened to comfrey, one of the best medicines in the world.

~Lannie

[boundarycurrent]

Lannie, what do you use your other herbs for? Thanks for the info about the coltsfoot.

[Lannie]

Hmmm... let's see if I can remember most of what I have...

Motherwort is for heart strength, it's also a nervine (calms you down when you're stressed), and it supposedly helps with menopause symptoms. I haven't hit menopause yet, but if I have any symptoms when I do, I'll see if it really works!

Catnip is for relaxing when I'm jumpy or stressed. Sometimes after spending a day out working hard in the garden, I'm sore and my muscles want to keep going when I want to stop! LOL! A hot cup of catnip tea makes me feel like I'm wrapped up in a warm soft blanket, and off to sleep I go.

Then I have the coltsfoot, and also horehound, elecampane, mullein, yarrow (my brain is going blank - I know there's more...) which are all for congestion and breathing difficulties if you're sick with a cold or flu virus. I haven't been actually sick in 3 years, though, so I haven't been harvesting these much, just keeping them around for "in case." And besides, they're pretty.

I like the parsley for tea, as well as lemon balm, carrot tops (yes, they make tasty tea!), dandelion, alfalfa (which I don't grow on purpose, I just go cut some when I want it), Viola, calendula, chamomile and some others I'm sure. Of course, these all have medicinal uses, too, but they taste so good, I like to just drink them for pleasure.

The comfrey is for anything wrong inside, like ulcers, internal bleeding of any sort, strained or sprained body parts, and externally, it's great to stave off bruises and bumps, but you have to be quick about it. If you don't have some smashed root on your bump within 10 or 15 minutes, it doesn't help all that much, but it will keep the bruising down anyway. I use it in THAT capacity all the time! LOL!

Then of course, there are all the cooking herbs (which also have their medicinal uses), but I just grow them for cooking, like rosemary, thyme, sage, savory, basil, dill, etc. I've been having a heck of a time getting rosemary to overwinter here, even in the house, so I might just have to give up on that one and just buy what I need.

I know that's not all of it, but without going outside and doing an inventory, that's all I can think of at the moment! LOL! I need an herb to improve my memory! HA!

~Lannie

[Liz]

Beautiful garden!!!!
I love red lettuce and yours is especially beautiful!
Nice job you have done!

[mrskk]

Lannie,
Thanks for all of the info on herbs. I've been experimenting with growing my own, as well, and like to add to my medicinal garden.

I've also had a lot of trouble getting rosemary to overwinter in the house (NO WAY outside). This year, I'm just growing it in a pot, rather than put it in the garden and dig it up in the fall. Will let you know how it works out.

I have a fledgling patch of comfrey - started out with three plants a couple of years ago from a plant exchange. There are still just three plants, but they are blooming this year for the first time. Do they spread through their roots, by self-seeding, or both ways?

Thanks for letting me pick your brain!

[Lannie]

Your three plants will get bigger, Karen, but I've never noticed any of mine reseeding themselves, in spite of all the flowers they produce (which the Bumblebees trample each other for, by the way - they LOVE them!). I don't think the roots spread much, either, however, if you cut the root, for instance to mash and put on your bruise the cut ends left in the ground will send up new little plants, so the more you cut the roots, the more plants you'll have.

If you want some more plants, all you have to do is dig up a root, cut it into 1 1/2" to 2" pieces, and replant the pieces on their sides a few inches deep. You'll have new plants in a few weeks.

I brought my comfrey from Oregon. I dug a root and stuck it in a zip lock bag full of damp dirt and carried it in my purse. When we got here, I cut it into several pieces and planted it.

Here's a picture of it from 2 weeks ago. It's taller today, and absolutely loaded with blossoms, and starting to topple under its own weight, so I need to get out and cut it pretty soon!



~Lannie

[mrskk]

Gorgeous! I've also heard that comfrey can be fed to animals.