Herb Circle Update

When the plants get going, one cool cloudy day I'll straighten the dividers that form the sectors and take away the extra pieces of brick.

The center piece is a part from an old planter that I found

in the dirt. It is held by a large bolt from a light pole with

an old brown insulator on top. The grapevine ball was lying

around where I twisted grapevines together when I pruned. 

When I considered the heat and the amount of work to make a near-perfect wheel first I settled for getting plants growing (at the wrong time of year) instead of making a photo-worthy base with no herbs.

So far there are dwarf marigold transplants that I grew from seed a few weeks back and a clump of Lemon Grass Cymbopogon citratus that wintered in the greenhouse. Lemon Grass is slow to return from roots this year outside. Out of sight in the far left section are three Parsley plants deciding whether to live in the heat or not. They would prefer shade, I think.

Waiting on the greenhouse porch are bits of Rosemay. The larger Rosemary that I transplanted has already died. Two pots of Oregano divisions are promising. Small pots of Thyme from seed await enough roots to safely transplant. The bits of brown in the pots are aged juniper needles the storm blew off last night.

More Thyme seedlings. How many puns about having Thyme

for the garden could you stand?

Lemon Grass and White Pentas in the Yellow Rose Bed

Cymbopogon citratus is one of the popular garden grasses here. In this clumate it does not set seeds, so no seeding about where it isn't wanted. It does die back in winter but puts out from the roots when warm weather returns. I

In late winter, I pulled up a dead looking clump similar to the one above center and divided the stems into culms. Left in a bucket in the greenhouse with minimal water, it started to put on new roots and growth, come warm days. The clump above wants dividing and replanting for a nicer border.

Lemon Grass culm at bottom left.

Thursday I planted 13 Lemon Grass culms along the edge of one of the rock beds.

White Pentas from 2012.

 

Several clumps of White Pentas in the Yellow Rose Bed have new foliage from the roots.

 

I planted 4 more among those clumps for the delight of Butterflies.

My rooted cuttings have roots filling the pots, but not root-bound.

 

Everything I planted is on the other end of this bed.

At right is Parsley planted last spring, now going to seed.

Butterflies totally ignored my parsley last year. Some years they eat it

to the ground. I hope that happens before it finishes seeding out.

Enough 'Julia Child' blooms are open to catch the fragrance from a distance.

 

Besides Roses, Lemon Grass, Pentas and Parsley in this bed, the side next the driveway has a row of Yellow Daylilies already putting up scapes.

 

Joining Tootsie Time for Fertilizer Friday. Fertilizer? I am running so far behind and the blueberries are calling for Fertilizer according to He-Who-Mows. See you!