A New Era
13 hours ago
Monday, March 20, 2006
Seeds!
Spent yesterday making little pots out of newspaper strips. Then, this morning, I filled them with potting soil and -- my favorite part -- planted seeds. I planted almost fifty black hollyhocks with seeds I harvested last summer. Thirty dill plants, thirty mint plants, and lots of wormwood seed (too tiny to count). Also, several moonflowers and lots and lots of Bowles Black violas. Slipped them under the bright lights and, now, the magic happens.
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The future Mrs. Geor3ge and I have a new house with some (I'm afraid) infertile clay soil. Any suggestions how to make a garden grow? (I'm a beginner, I'm afraid).
Dear George,
Where is your new house and what would you like to grow?
Bloomington, Indiana. I'm thinking of starting out simple. Kitchen herbs, maybe.
and lots of wormwood seed (too tiny to count)
Maybe I'll graduate to brewing my own absinthe. :)
Dear George,
An herb bed is a good idea, as herbs like lots of sun and don't need especially good soil.
One trick is to take a piece of string half as long as you'd like a round herb bed to be. Stake it in the middle of where you want your circle to be and tie a pointed stick to the other end. Use it like a compass to draw a circle.
I'd dig down a foot or so and then buy some sand and some topsoil at the hardware store or on line. Make a mixture of about 2/3 top soil and 1/3 sand. Fill in your hole. You can put stones or bricks around the circle to keep your soil in place.
Make a list of the herbs you like. Rosemary, basil, sage, parsley, thyme, and mint are very easy to grow. Use your string to partition off the circle, like spokes on a wheel, one section for each herb. If you want to be really fancy, you can use marigolds or thyme to mark the spokes.
Then, you just need to decide whether to buy living plants (definitely easier!) or to start with seeds. I ususally do some of each. Plant your sections and water as needed. Most herbs need less, rather than more water.
Let me know how it goes!
Thanks for the herb garden instruction. I think I may try it. But could you explain what the sand is for?
Thanks!
Let me know how it goes!
I'll send you pictures!
'Course, it will have to wait until the snow melts, but it gives me an idea. Thanks for your wisdom.
Dear Ellie,
Most herbs don't like their soil too rich. Many of them originated in the dry rocky soil around the Mediterreanean (think Rosemary, for example). The sand will keep the soil from being too rich, but, unlike clay, will also drain so the herbs don't get too much water.
Good luck!
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