This section of Blackwood Manor is dedicated to one of my favorite pastimes...gardening. Though I am a novice, I love flowers and plants. Just this fall I planted my first spring bulb garden, consisting of Sky Blue Lillies, Purple Feather Hyacinth, and mixed varieties and colors of Daffodils and Narcissus. I usually have small herb gardens, no more than 6 plants, and usually in containers, so this is going to be very experimental.

I am also going to try sprouting some tomato seeds for transplanting this spring. I intend to use a few varieties of heritage seeds, as I understand they have wonderful flavor.

The New Lexicon Websters Dictionary of the English Language defines an herb as "a plant valued for flavoring food, for medicinal purposes, or for its fragrance", and in a biological reference, as "an annual, biennial, or perennial plant with no persistant, woody parts." For my purposes, I will use the first (nonbiological) definition.

Catnip

Rose GeraniumThis is a scented geranium, the scent coming fromthe leaves rather than the flowers. I have found this plant to be fairly tolerant of drought and my infrequent watering of it since winter came on and I brought it inside as a potted plant. I have made Rose Geranium Cookies from the leaves and the homemade rose water from my neightbors generous donation of fresh rose petals this summer. (I store the rosewater in the freezer to keep it from spoiling; the alcohol keeps it from freezing completely) This plant loves direct sun in the afternoon -- mine grew from a tiny 4" plant to a monsterous 1.5 footer in 6 weeks!

VervainMy Vervain died again; I don't have a clue as to why. It looked over dry, so I watered it...that didn't help. Perhaps it got *too* much sun...

ChivesKeep the flowerheads off the plant! It fades quickly when they are out.

OreganoThere are many types of oregano, but I like Golden Globe the best. It loves sun, and isn't too fusy. It can be grown indoors in a pot as well as in the garden. Don't overwater it, as it gets rotted roots easily.

ThymeBe careful of not letting Thyme take over your garden! It's not as bad as mint, but it *is* a fast grower, and a "creeper", regardless if you get "Creeping Thyme" or not! Thyme will tolerate dry conditions and/or poor soil, but prefers average (not too rich) soil and conditions.

MyrtleAnother failure of mine, I still don't know what went wrong. I'll update this in the summer of 1998 when I've gotten another and experimented a bit more.

Basil"Sweet" basil is an annual, and there are *many* varieties of this very good plant! If you grow it from seed, remember to harden off the plants very well before setting them out. When fertilizing, too much nitrogen can affect the taste, so be careful. moderate to fairly rich soil will be the best growing soil for this versitile herb.

Sweet WoodruffI bet you wondering why I have a wine glass icon next to this herb name. Woodruff has been used to flavor white wine for May Day celebrations and to make German May Wine! This is another plant you have to watch to prevent it from taking over your garden; if not exposed to the heat and glare of the harser afternoon sun, it will grow into a tight ground cover!

RosemaryI grew this plant for no peticular reason; I rarely use rosemary in cooking. But it makes a wonderful mini Christmas tree if you have the patience to prune and shape it. It ike sandy well drained soil amd PH levels around 7.6.

SageI grew Golden Sage, Variegated Sage and Tri-Color Sage. sage prefers a drier soil, well drained and a bit on the sandy side.

This page unfinished; please visit again.

Return to Great Hall.