Stem cuttings are the easy way to multiply many plants!
 
Trimming a beloved and established herb or perennial does not need to be traumatic or even wasteful. Time to propagate and make lots of little offspring. This technique will work for Lavender, Rosemary, Dwarf Myrtle, Curry Plant, Santolina, Bay Laurel, Scented Geraniums and many flowering perennials. The vast majority of plants that we grow are propagated by this method.

Take your cutting from an actively growing tip, about 1.5" long and strip the leaves from the lower1/3 of the cutting. If your parent plant is flowering remove any blossoms from the cutting. Dip the lower end of the cutting in rooting hormone and plant it in a very small pot (we use plug trays or 2" pots for this) filled with damp, sterile potting medium. Never, ever use garden soil. I always make sure that there is enough rooting hormone on the cutting so that a little is visible above the soil line. Rooting hormone, beside stimulating the cutting to root, contains a fungicide that should stop diseases that will prevent your cutting from rotting.

Keep the cutting evenly moist and out of the sun. Over a number of days gradually introduce the cutting to more sun. If you are doing this in a sunny window remember to rotate the pot occasionally. Bottom heat is advisable; try to maintain the temperature around 68F to 72F. Rooting should occur in 4 to 15 days on soft cuttings of new growth, but scented geraniums will take 2-3 weeks, and woody plants like bay laurel or caper bushes can take 2-3 months.

You will know that your new little plant has rooted when, if you tug gently on the stem, you encounter resistance. Don't pull too hard or all this effort will be wasted. Stem cuttings are best taken in the spring or mid-summer from mature plants - that is what all the gardening books say. However sometimes we do not have that option - and generally we have found that as long as we did not over or under do the watering in the winter they will survive at any time of the year.

That said, there are certain plants that can be propagated from stem cuttings at only specific times of the year.  French Tarragon, for example must be propagated during the late winter and spring when the days are getting longer.

Don't forget that there are lots of plants that can be started from stem cuttings rooted in water. Basil is a good example of this. It will root within a 4 to 7 days just standing in water. For sterile hybrids like African Blue basil this is a simple way to propagate midsummer when your parent plant is a good size. Change the water daily or add a piece of charcoal to keep the water sweet.

Other herbs that will root in water are: catnip, mints and pineapple sage, but it is probably safer and perhaps a bit faster overall to root them in a sterile medium as described above.

Further Reading: Propagating Herbs by Thomas DiBaggio. Interweave Press. Available at Amazon.com on 1/31/06.

Papa Geno

Basil, Dill and Italian Parsley make life worth living! Having lots of fresh herbs is a source of continuing delight for me every season. Most culinary herbs are both easy and reliable to grow. Using them in abundance for everyday cooking is a delicious luxury every gardening cook will savor with pride and pleasure. Besides enhancing the flavors of most foods, cooking with herbs is a good way to cut down on fats and salt without sacrificing taste. They're great for the health of your garden too, as blooming herb plants attract beneficial insects and pollinating honeybees.

 

Even if you don't have a large garden space, you can grow your favorite herb plants in windowboxes or containers close to your kitchen, where you can easily snip them with abandon when you fire up the stove or dress a salad. You'll find herb plants are seldom bothered by disease or pests and yield abundant harvests all season if you tend to their basic need for good fertile soil and adequate moisture. Here are three of my favorites that I wouldn't be without each season.

Basil - Surely one of summer's most indispensable flavors, this Mediterranean native adds its bright green color and spicy sweet perfume to most summer vegetables, is the soulmate of fresh sliced tomatoes, and the chief ingredient in delicious fresh pesto sauce. It's easy to grow from seed if you are meticulous  about waiting to plant when the soil is warmed and nights and days are consistently above 55 degrees. Keep seed beds evenly moist for best growth of this tropical heat lover.

Thin plants and use the thinnings in early salads. Pinch the plants at about 6 inches to encourage early branching. Put stems of newly harvested leafy basil in a vase of water to keep them fresh in the kitchen. If summers are long where you live, make several sowings of basil several weeks apart right up to the beginning of July for long, extended harvests. Keep flowers pinched off at bud stage to prolong plants' productive leafy growth. Be sure to try several different varieties of basil in your garden so you can enjoy their varied flavors and fragrances - I promise you'll love them all!

Italian Parsley - this imported parsley has broader, flatter, darker green leaves than ordinary curled parsley. I love its wonderful mild sweet flavor, juicy texture, pretty glossy leaves and handsome luxuriant plants. Italian parsley is easy to start in spring when the weather is settled but still cool. Be sure to keep the seed bed evenly moist while waiting for germination as parsley comes up slowly and unevenly over several weeks. Once established, parsley grows easily if kept well weeded and watered. Begin harvesting sparingly once plants have about 8-10 leaves. Feed frequently to encourage the growth of graceful sprays of shiny dark leaves. Be sure to let some of the lacy plants flower and set seed as both flowers and seed umbels attract predatory insects to help control garden pests. Biennial parsley plants can handle frost and will winter over in mild climates and often self-sow the next generation for you.

Use mellow, full flavored Italian parsley combined with fresh lemon if you are cutting back on salt. The freshly snipped, rich tasting leaves are a treat sprinkled on green salads, over cucumbers, steamed summer squash and green beans. Its uniquely delicious flavor enhances most vegetable dishes and accents all grains and cooked beans. Combine with chopped clams for a wonderful pasta sauce or use half parsley and half  basil for a really fresh tasting pesto sauce. Combine fresh chopped Italian parsley with a little garlic and lemon to finish any grilled fish dish to perfection.

Leafy Dill - Look for varieties like Dukat that hold their leafy fronds longer than other cultivars so you can enjoy the especially aromatic sweet flavor of dill for many weeks. You'll find dill plants' fine cut leaves are a lovely garden accent.

An American gardener’s view of plant hardiness.

It's the first warm, sunny day in April. You go out to your garden, gardener's caddy in hand, to welcome your plants to the new growing season. Surprise! The "perennials" that you bought last spring are now black and shriveled. The "annuals" you planted just to fill in the bare spots now carpet the entire garden. Nothing is as you thought it would be. If you're frustrated about plant hardiness you're not alone. There's a great deal of confusion on this subject. Hopefully, I'll be able to clarify it enough that the average gardener will be a little less confused and frustrated.

Click here for an interactive Hort Zone map. (Thanks to the National Arboretum!)

Click here for an interactive Hort Zone look up. (Thanks to the  Arbor Day Foundation!)

The problem is multi-faceted. First off is the overwhelming number of gardening books written in Britain by British authors/gardeners. The climate of most of Great Britain is similar to that enjoyed by our friends in the Seattle and Vancouver area, very mild with neither extreme cold nor extreme heat. Many gardeners in western Scotland and southern Ireland are even able to confidently grow sub-tropical plants which we Americans would normally associate with Florida or San Diego.

So, when you look, for instance, in your copy of Everything A Gardener Needs To Know by the renowned Mrs. Edyth Pettibone, and see a plant described as "unquestionably hardy," the books never include the footnote "in Britain." We here in our Zone 5 and 6 gardens read "unquestionably hardy" and think that applies to us. Unless a book makes specific mention of either USDA Hardiness Zones or refers to a plant being grown successfully in your area, never assume that "hardy" actually means "hardy in your garden."

Then there is the confusion about the terms "Annual," "Biennial" (sometimes written as "Bi-Annual"), and "Perennial." These are botanical terms which have nothing to do with climate hardiness. These terms refer to the plant's life span. Each species of plant, just like each species of animal, has a certain life span; some very short, some infinitely long.

An "Annual" is a plant species that sprouts, grows, flowers, and dies all in one year - common Sunflowers and Dill are good examples; a Sunflower will grow, flower and die in one summer whether it's growing in the Florida Keys or Bangor, Maine. Annuals from temperate regions of the world produce seeds which are able to survive severe winters; these are sometimes called "Hardy Annuals."

"Biennials" are usually from temperate regions where, to compensate for short growing seasons, the plants have evolved to grow one year and bloom (and die) the second -- Parsley, Money Plant (a.k.a. Honesty) and Queen Anne's Lace are good examples of Biennials.

"Perennials" are plants with more lengthy life spans. Trees and shrubs are technically Perennials but the term is usually applied to herbaceous (non-woody) plants. Like everything else, though, each Perennial plant species has its own particular life span. Some are "Short-Lived Perennials" which only live 2-4 years - Hollyhocks and Foxgloves, for example, which are frequently sold as Biennials, are actually in this group. Other Perennials have indefinite life spans, such as Peonies.

Unfortunately, these terms have fallen into common use among both gardeners and nurseries to refer to climate hardiness rather than a plant's natural life span. Peppers and Impatiens, for example, are sold as "Annuals" but in fact are Perennial plants; pot one up, put it in a greenhouse, and it'll live for years. Although they are Perennial, they are not winter hardy north of Zone 9. Sometimes, where tropical Perennials are concerned, you'll see the phrase "grown as an Annual in northern climates." This is one of those phrases which does more to create confusion than to resolve it. It would be a lot less confusing if local nurseries would simply list plants as either "Winter Hardy" or "Not Winter Hardy" rather than to create confusion by mis-use of the terms Annual, Biennial and Perennial.

When dealing with a mail-order nursery, first look up their location on a USDA Hardiness Zone Map. If the nursery is in a Zone equal to or lower than your own Zone, check to see if the particular plants are "field grown" out in the open, grown "with protection" in lathe houses or similar protected sites, or grown in a greenhouse. Many mail-order nurseries do not list this information in their catalogues -- if they don't, call and ask. If a mail-order nursery is in a higher numbered Zone than your own consider as questionable any use of the term "hardy" as it applies to your own situation.

The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map was devised by the United States Department of Agriculture for use by the Horticulture industry in the U.S. and Canada. These Hardiness Zones are based on average low temperatures (Farenheit). They do not take into account rainfall, snow cover, prevailing winds, duration of low temperatures, or extreme high temperatures. Hence you may have noticed that the Hardiness Zones are not always entirely reliable. (Remember, the USDA is the same group who brought us the genetic time bomb of Monoculture -- everyone across the country raising the same variety of corn, tomato, potato, etc.)

In an effort to provide a more accurate guide, the USDA has recently revised this Map and now divides each Zone into "A" and "B" sections. These Hardiness Zones should only be used as a basic guideline, combined with the other information specific to your particular area. For example, a plant may be able to survive a single zero degree (F) night but it may not be able to survive two or three weeks of zero degree weather. Statistics based solely on average low temperatures wouldn't provide this information. If you don't know which Hardiness Zone you live in, many gardening books and magazines have copies of the USDA Map. For more specific information about your area, contact your state's department of agriculture office or local extension office.

When considering winter hardiness, It's also important to consider the native origin of a specific plant. Many of our traditional European herbs, such as Sage, Lavender and Thyme, are from the Mediterranean region where they've evolved to withstand occasional periods of extreme dryness. These plants are able to withstand our extreme Zone 5 and 6 winters as long as their soil is well-drained. There are many species of Cactus and other Succulents from mountainous regions which are also able to survive extreme cold temperatures as long as their roots are dry and their soil well-drained. On the other hand, many plants from woodland and other moist areas won't survive any period of winter dryness. Mulches, windbreaks, even a blanket of snow, can help regulate these conditions.

With some plants it's also important to consider, especially for those gardeners in Zones 9 and 10, the average extreme high temperature. Some plants from colder regions will not tolerate high temperatures, which is something we sometimes forget to think about because we're always worried about the cold killing our plants. Examples of heat-intolerant plants would be Sweetfern, as well as Birch and Aspen trees. A gardener has to do his/her "homework," which should always include talking to other gardeners about their own experiences with particular plants.

A final subject is "Microclimates." This is a term used to describe growing conditions in a specific spot, such as your yard. Many things determine the climatic conditions of a particular spot. They could be natural things like hills or mountains, bodies of water, heavy stands of trees, even large boulders, or they could be man-made things such as buildings, paved streets and parking lots, brick or stone walls, even such things as styrofoam rose cones and upturned bushel baskets. Any of these things can slightly alter the conditions of a certain spot, providing protection either from extreme cold or extreme heat.  

If you find out a plant is "usually, but not always, hardy" in your area you may be able to create better odds by placing the plant near a south facing brick wall, for instance. Boulders absorbing the winter sun often keep the surrounding few inches of soil slightly warmer than soil a foot or more away. This slight difference may be just enough for certain plants to survive the winter.

Ultimately, the only tried-and-true method of determining winter hardiness is to plant something in your garden and see if it's still alive the following spring. For those "wish list" plants that you're unsure of and don't want to risk the financial outlay of a large specimen plant, consider buying smaller, less expensive plants to use as "test subjects." Sale tables at the local nursery are an excellent source of "test subjects." And let's not forget the age-old tradition of "swapping" plants and seeds with other gardeners, whether local or in other parts of the country. Who knows? You may find yourself the only person in your state with a ______ that lives successfully outdoors, year in, year out.

This article was submited by another gardening friend, Dean Sliger, from Michigan.

Below is the "standard" USDA Hardiness Zones map.  For details, use the links just below the map.

Click here for an interactive Hort Zone map. (Thanks to the National Arboretum!)

Click here for an interactive Hort Zone look up. (Thanks to the  Arbor Day Foundation!)

Papa Geno

This is the second of two postings on Scented Geraniums.

Outdoor growing - Scented geraniums (Pelargoniums) are a great addition to any area of your garden. We've used them in beds with brightly colored annuals like marigolds and zinnias, combined with standard geraniums, and in beds dedicated solely to scented geraniums. With few exceptions they need 5-6 hours of direct sun per day. Peppermint (and a couple of other "fuzzy" varieties) can get sunburned, and love light shade. At least a dozen varieties make attractive hanging baskets, and we use several varieties for creating topiaries and espaliers.

Growing scented geraniums indoors - Scented geraniums are not picky about temperature, but prefer to be cooler than standard geraniums. A range of 55 to 70 ° F is ideal. If you have them in a south window, sheer undercurtains are the perfect screen to prevent sunburn in summer.

Planting your scented geraniums
Any pot that provides good drainage will do, but we think unglazed clay (terra cotta) is a natural complement to these plants. Start with a 5" or 6" pot, and use a light commercial potting mix, or make your own using lots of perlite and/or sand. These plants are indigenous to a cool, semi-desert area and do not like wet feet, so water them well, and then let them dry out before watering again. In warmer areas (Zones 7-10), you may plant them outdoors after a period of acclimatization.

Scented geranium care tips
Give your geranium at least four hours of direct sunlight a day. Night temperatures should be 50° to 65°; day temperatures are ideally 68° to 72°. Allow the soil to dry out somewhat between thorough waterings. Fertilize every two weeks from March through October and once per month during the rest of the year. Pinch the tips of plants that are not branching on their own in order to avoid tall, leggy plants.

Fertilizing
Take care to not overfeed scented geraniums; overfeeding will diminish their fragrance and they actually don't need a lot of fertilizer. Any well balanced commercial plant food will do; natural fish emulsions and seaweed fertilizers are great for outside use. Use all of them at about 1/2 the strength recommended for houseplants. As with most plants, fertilize more often during periods of active growth, and not at all during the winter months.

Pruning
To prune or not to prune? Prune! Some plants may arrive looking as if they have just had a haircut, which is probably true, particularly late in the spring shipping season. These plants are not damaged - in fact, pruning encourages dense, lush growth. To truly appreciate these plants, you need to prune them on a regular basis.

Propagating
Starting new plants to add to your collection or to share with friends or neighbors is very simple. Use the plant material which you prune off your plants! Put the cut ends in damp sand and you will soon have new rooted plants. Plant into containers or into your garden when they're well rooted.

Winter care
Keep them indoors when it's cold outside! As they are easy to grow inside, scented geraniums make great fall and winter houseplants. They need only a sunny windowsill or a flourescent light and seem somehow to thrive on neglect. If you use a light, keep it turned on 12 hours per day during the winter. Some scented geraniums are large and bushy and will need regular pruning to keep under control.

A couple of weeks before it is time to move them outdoors in the spring, prune them back to a nice shape, repot if rootbound, and fertilize. Because of their lack of fussiness and tolerance of hot, dry conditions, scented geraniums are naturals for American summers. Plant them where and when you would plant standard geraniums - after danger of frost is past. Dig and re-pot about 3 weeks before the first fall frost, and gradually acclimatize them to the house before moving them inside for the winter.

Troubleshooting

Why are my geranium's leaves discolored?
If you notice mottling, streaking, curling, or abnormal color patterns on the leaves of your geraniums, they may have been infected with a viral disease carried by insect pests. Once infected, there is no cure; infected plants should be destroyed to prevent the spread of the virus. A regular program of watering and fertilization will keep plants healthy and best able to ward off viral infection.

What diseases affect geraniums and how can I treat them?
The first step in combating a plant disease or pest is to identify it. Here are some descriptions of common geranium diseases and their recommended treatments:

Southern root-knot nematodes: These microscopic, soil-dwelling worms can attack geranium plant roots and cause stunted growth, wilting and yellowing. Infested roots will display knots or swellings. These worms are most troublesome in warm-winter climates and sandy soils. Nematode infestation can be prevented with a regular program of watering and fertiliztion in conjunction with the use of compost to introduce beneficial soil organisms and crab or shrimp wastes to amend the soil. These wastes contain a substance which encourages the growth of nematode-attacking organisms. Once infested, a plant cannot be treated; however, the organisms remaining in the soil can be killed by solarization. Cover bare soil with clear plastic sheeting for three to four weeks. The build-up of solar heat under the sheeting will kill most pests and weed seeds in the top few inches of soil.

Leaf spot: Leaf spot diseases develop during warm, moist weather and cause leaves to display brown or black spots with yellow edges. Eventually, the leaves may drop and the stems may rot. Cut off and destroy infected plant parts as well as seriously affected plants and any soil their roots touch. Since the diseases overwinter on plant debris, if leaf spot occurs, keep the beds clean and replace the mulch. Because the diseases can spread via water, infected tools, or unwashed hands, avoid splashing water on the foliage and keep your hands and tools clean. Spacing plants widely will promote good air circulation.

Botrytis blight: Also known as gray mold, this fungal disease is spread by wind-brone spores and thrives in cool, moist weather. Stems and flowers will rot and develop gray mold, especially during damp, cloudy weather. To prevent its spread, destroy diseased plant parts. To prevent infection, space plants widely to promote good air circulation and allow the soil to dry out between waterings.

Pelagonium rust: This fungal disease causes small, yellow spots on leaf surfaces or powdery, orange spores on the undersides of leaves. Badly infected leaves and plants should be destroyed. Plants with minor infections can be sprayed with sulfur. Watering early in the day, widely spacing plants, and avoiding overhead watering will help prevent infection.

What pests commonly attack geraniums?

Some common geranium pests include the following:

Geranium aphids: These tiny, soft-bodied, pear-shaped insects suck plant juices and can spread viral diseases. They can be controlled by knocking them off the plants with a strong stream of water, an application of insecticidal soap (pay special attention to treating the undersides of leaves), spraying with horticultural oil, and releasing beneficial insects, such as parasitic wasps, ladybugs, green lacewings, and aphid midges.

Caterpillars: Several species of caterpillars chew geranium leaves. Caterpillars can be handpicked and destroyed or they can be controlled with an application of Bt (Bacillus thuringeinsis) which kills caterpillars, but does not harm beneficial insects. Cultivating the soil in winter will kill overwintering pupae. Attracting or releasing beneficial insects such as ladybugs and parasitic wasps will also help to control caterpillars.

Other pests: Common garden pests, such as mealybugs, whiteflies, and spider mites, can easily be controlled by knocking them off the plants using a strong spray of water, watering plants well during dry spells, and attracting or releasing beneficial insects. More severe infestations can be treated by applying insecticidal soap or neem.

What is the best way to overwinter geraniums?
It is almost impossible to overwinter geraniums outdoors in Zones colder than Zone 8, but quite simple to do so indoors. To overwinter entire geraniums or scented geraniums, dig them out of their beds or window boxes and place them in a bright spot inside. Make certain not to overwater your plants during their stay indoors. Some gardeners prefer to grow cuttings of their plants indoors rather than try to overwinter entire plants. To start to root cuttings, remove bottom leaves and place in a glass of plain water on a windowsill. Make sure to protect all overwintering geraniums and new cuttings from freezing temperatures which can occur if your plants are left too close to icy windows.

Why won't my geraniums bloom?
A common reason many flowering plants refuse to bloom is an overdose of nitrogen. Many commercial fertilizers are extremely high in nitrogen. While nitrogen is an essential element for vigorous plant growth, too much nitrogen encourages leafy growth at the expense of blooms. Try supplementing your soil with a balanced organic fertilizer such as our Rose and Flower Food. You might also consider having your soil tested through your local county extention agency. This is a free service which will help provide you with valuable soil improvement suggestions.

What should I do to get rid of the spent blossoms on my geraniums?
The best way to deal with old and withered flowers is to deadhead the plants. Deadheading can be done at any time of year, by cutting or pinching dead buds. You can use any hand tool, pruning shears, or even scissors -- just be sure to avoid new buds and blooms. Deadheading will freshen the appearance of your garden, as well as promote longer lasting and more abundant blooms.

If you are really interested in SGs, I know of one good book – Knowing, Growing and Enjoying Scented Geraniums by Jim Becker and Faye Brawner.  It is available both new and used on Amazon.com as I write this. (January 2006).

Click here to see our 140 varieties of Scented Geraniums.

Papa Geno

This is the first of two postings on Scented Geraniums.

Scented Geraniums is the fastest growing category of our little business. In their native habitat of the Cape of Good Hope, the scented geraniums (pelargoniums) are perennial, but in most of the US, they are treated as annuals or tender perennials. The leaf form is highly variable and the leaf texture can be smooth, velvety or even sticky. It is the back of the leaf that releases scent for which each geranium is named. I have personal experience with about 150 named varieties, but I am sure that there are others which I do not know.

 

Cultivation: Scented geraniums are well suited for growing in containers, but can also be planted in the ground. They thrive in sunny location in evenly moist soil. They are occasionally grown from seed but do better from rooted cuttings. Water them well several hours before taking cuttings. Cut “slips” 3 to 5 inches long with a very sharp knife or nurseryman’s clippers, sterilized with alcohol. The best cuttings are from a stem that “snaps.” Cut below an internode at an angle and remove lower leaves and stipules. Lay the cuttings out for 24 hours to “callus.” This stimulates the growth of new cells on the wound. Filtered light, a dry atmosphere, and no more than 70oF assures the best callusing. Placing cuttings in a frost-free refrigerator for 12-to 36 hours assures good callusing. It is not necessary to use a rooting hormone on geraniums. However, if you are going to root them in sand or soil, the fungicide contained in rooting compound may prove helpful. Stick the callused cuttings upright into the soil medium. Put this in a warm place in filtered light. In two weeks or so the cuttings will develop roots. Certain varieties do better in a rich loam as opposed to ordinary potting soil: Mint (Tomentosum), apple, apricot, strawberry, Mabel Grey. Transplant to garden if desired, adding soil amendments as necessary. Remove any leaves as they yellow.

History: These geraniums (pelargoniums) are grown for the scent of their leaves as opposed to their flowers. Native to the Cape of Good Hope, they were first introduced into Europe in the early 1600s. And by the late 1800s there were over 150 varieties described in American catalogs. In their native habitat and parts of the south, these geraniums are perennials. In most of the country, they are treated as annuals or tender perennials. Some can reach a height of four feet and the scents range from rose, pine, mint, fruity and spicy. Flowers are small. Other uses are potpourri, paper making and body care products.

             

Using scented geraniums

Obviously, scented geraniums are a diverse group, so it's not surprising that their uses as diverse as well. Here are some suggestions:

• Plant three of the smaller varieties in ceramic pots on a windowsill.
• Fill a large clay pot with a specimen plant of Lemon Rose on the patio.
• Combine them with flowers in a whiskey barrel.
• Tuck a mid-sized Peppermint into a shady nook in the garden.
• Plant a row of pruned Lemon Crispum as a border.
• Place a matched pair of standards or topiaries at the front door.
• Use them as backdrops or foundation plantings.

Combine them with vinca vine as an elegant hanging basket. Your imagination is the only limit, but remember to place them, indoors or outside, where you will be able to touch them and enjoy their fragrance. There are myriad uses for the fragant and flavorful foliage of scented geraniums. for some suggestions.

Culinary Uses:
Not all scented geraniums have tastes that complement cooking. Recipes call for either rose, lemon, or mint. Most often their flavors are infused into the dish and they are removed and discarded before serving, although fresh leaves can be used as a decorative garnish. The leaves are used fresh. Scenteds are typically used in sweet dishes. Rose varieties add a delicate but stimulating flavor to sugar which is then used in baked goods or to sweeten teas. Stack clean, dry leaves in a large canister between 1 inch layers of sugar. Place the canister in a warm spot for two to four weeks, and then sift out the leaves. Some cooks recommend first bruising the leaves to impart more flavor. The sugar can be substituted for all or part of the plain sugar called for in recipes for white cakes or icings. Small rose- or lemon scented leaves can also be candied by dipping them in egg white and coating them with sugar to create impressive cake decorations. Dry them on a rack before using. The leaves can be arranged in the bottom of a lined or buttered baking pan and pouring cake batter over them. Jellies flavored with rose scenteds can be used as a filling for sponge- or angel-food cake layers. Apple and crab-apple jellies are most commonly used for this purpose.

Other uses include fruit punches, wine cups, ice cream and sorbets. Use lemon and rose scented geraniums in sweet vinegar recipes, they combine especially well with lemon verbena, lemon basil and mints.

Scented Geranium Jelly

4 lbs cooking apples

3 1/2 cups water

White or preserving sugar

Juice of 2 lemons

15 scented geranium leaves

Chop the apples roughly, leaving the skin, stalk and pips. Put in a large pan with the water and simmer until soft. Strain for several hours through a jelly bag or muslin; do not squeeze the fruit pulp through or the jelly will be cloudy. Measure the juice into a preserving pan and for every 2 cups of juice add 1 pound of sugar. Add the lemon juice and the geranium leaves. Stir over a low heat to dissolve the sugar, then boil rapidly until set, for about 10 minutes. Quickly remove the leaves and pour into clean, warm jars. Cover the jars while the mixture is still hot.

My thanks to Maureen Rogers at the Herb Growing and Marketing Network for part of the above content.  See next Scented Geranium posting on this blog for additional information about caring for them.

If you are really interested in SGs, I know of one good book – Knowing, Growing and Enjoying Scented Geraniums by Jim Becker and Faye Brawner.  It is available both new and used on Amazon.com as I write this. (January 2006).

Click here to see our 140 varieties of Scented Geraniums.

Papa Geno

The Lavenders - Removing the Mystery

The flowers and leaves of the Lavender have been used as herbs for at least 3000 years, and probably much longer. It probably originated in Asia Minor and followed the spread of the great Middle Eastern and European civilizations. The Greeks and Romans certainly grew and used it, and gave it its common name, which has persisted through the millennia. The Romans took it with them into Spain, across France, and into England and Central Europe.

Throughout most of its history, until well into the 19th Century, lavender was used both as a culinary herb and as an important medicinal plant. Today, its principal uses are in cosmetics and perfume, potpourris, wreaths and similar products, although there are many culinary recipes that call for lavender.  Perhaps it is most widely used in America as a decorative plant, for that it is.  I regard lavender as one of the "must haves" in any herb garden for which I am responsible.

The "English" lavenders

There are many different species, varieties and cultivars of Lavender; I have grown more than thirty in and around Lincoln, Nebraska, and in Northern Wisconsin.  Certainly the species most widely grown in America is Lavandula angustifolia (or L. spica and L. vera if you consult some British herb books). It is often called English Lavender, but those words are usually not enough to tell you what you are getting. Among the English Lavenders available today are such cultivars as Hidcote Blue, Munstead, Rosea, Jean Davis, Lady, Twickle Purple, Nana Compacta, Croxton’s Wild and Grappenhall. I regard 'Lady' and Nana as true dwarfs - 8-10 inches high and about as wide.  Hidcote and Munstead are listed as dwarfs in some catalogues, but I have grown, and seen others grow, specimens that would not qualify as "dwarf" as most of us understand the word. Rosea, Jean Davis and Twickle Purple have regularly reached 2 - 2.5 ft in my gardens, while standard English Lavender regularly exceeds 3 feet.

Two popular herb books on bookstore shelves today refer to the English lavenders as "hardy, evergreen perennials." They may be in Coastal New England, California or England, but they certainly aren't evergreen over much of America! I have pretty good success getting them to survive our winters, but not once have they remained "evergreen," and they get trimmed back every April.  In many of the herb picture books are gorgeous photos of lavender hedges and borders, three to four feet high, but those are only possible where the plants are truly evergreen, and don't have to start over every spring.

                              

The Non-English Lavenders

After the English lavenders, common names for lavenders really get confusing. Lavandula stoechas, which I call Spanish Lavender is also called French Lavender and Dwarf Lavender. L. dentata, which I list as French Lavender, is also called Spanish Lavender, Fringed Lavender and Dentate Lavender. L. dentata candicans, which I list as Grey French Lavender, has the same array of names as its cousin.  L. latifolia is generally known as Spike Lavender, although I have seen it called Camphor Lavender in Europe, presumably because of its strong odor. I have never seen L. lanata called anything but Woolly Lavender, but that doesn't mean some clever marketer won't come up with a new name next spring. Similarly, I have never seen L. multifida listed as anything but French Lace Lavender, but then again, I have never seen it at all outside of a very few specialists.

At least a few true hybrid lavenders are worth mentioning. L. hortensis (or L. x intermedia) is a hybrid of L. angustifolia and L. latifolia.  The most common name in America is Provence Lavender, but in Europe, it is also known as Lavandin and Dutch Lavender. I have seen it here listed as Spike Lavender as well, and I assume that is because one of its parents is L. latifolia, but it is not the same plant that I have called Spike Lavender in the preceding paragraph. The other hybrid widely grown from cuttings is L. heterophylla, most likely a cross of L. angustifolia and L. dentata. It is usually listed only by the Latin name, but lately I've seen the name Sweet Lavender used, and may adopt that name as well. However, there are some herb growers who refer to the whole L. angustifolia group as Sweet Lavender, as did many 18th & 19th Century British romantic poets. Other hybrids reasonably widely available in America, and well worth growing are Grosso, Fat Spike, Goodwin’s Creek, and Alba.

Hardy/Tender

Your head must be swimming with Latin and English names by now, so I'll switch subjects.  None of the non-English Lavenders are supposed to be perennials, but I have had most of them over winter in my garden on occasion.  The one notable exception is L. lanata, which has great difficulty thriving under my care in any circumstances, summer or winter.  I believe that a reasonably experienced gardener, who has raised healthy plants, will be able to over winter some lavenders, at least some years, by cutting them back by 1/3 in the fall and providing plenty of mulch.  The best candidates for overwintering in most of temperate America are Munstead, Hidcote, Nana and Croxton’s Wild.

That said, I must tell you that I believe - contrary to the prevalent opinion among American growers - that it is not so much the temperature, per se, that raises havoc with lavenders, but rather a period of thawing and freezing at either end of the winter season. I have planted exactly the same cultivars in Zone 5 Nebraska (which often has Zone 6 winters) and at our summer place on an island in Lake Superior (which is borderline Zone 3/4), and invariably I have a better survival rate “Up North.” On the island, the snow comes early and often and usually doesn’t completely melt until well into April. Thus providing crucial insulation to keep the ground from “heaving” with repeated thaws and freezes. Many times I have found clear signs of life in lavenders in my Nebraska gardens in January only to find them deader than a doornail in late March. And when I dug them I discovered that the roots were pretty much torn up from the Spring heaving. Lesson? Mulch well any lavender that will be exposed to below-freezing weather!

Soil

Some lavenders are more picky than others with regard to soil conditions, but none of them like wet feet.  All except possibly the Provence Lavenders are susceptible to root and stem rot. They do best in well-drained, well limed soil (to raise the ph.)  All of them need as much sun as you can give them, and will tolerate limited periods of drought much better than they tolerate unlimited periods of rain. None of them do well in even partial shade.  Some of the most gorgeous lavenders I have seen - on both sides of the Atlantic - were growing in what most American gardeners would regard as terrible soil. Rocky, sandy, desert-like stuff!  And they do not do well in even the richest “black dirt” soil unless lots of humus and sand have been added. If they are to be grown in a container, use only top quality potting soil, to which lime and perlite or vermiculite has been added, and be sure that the drainage hole is unobstructed. I cannot overstress the importance providing good drainage. Virtually every lavender I have autopsied has succumbed to root rot!

Flowers

Ah yes, the flowers! Every commercial plant publication will provide you with glowing descriptions of the lavender flower, and if they have a good selection of lavenders, they will run out of adjectives to describe the color.  It's just as well, as the color of the blooms differs as much within cultivars as between them in most cases.  I can state safely that Lavandula flowers range from soft white through every shade of pink, violet, and lavender to the deepest purple.  Jean Davis and Rosea are predictably white to pink to rose, varying somewhat with location and season. That is about as much as I can say with certainty about flower color.  The Provence lavender cultivar ‘Alba’ is almost always a creamy white, but I have one plant in a rocky spot that produces pale, pale pink blossoms.

Every description of L. dentata I can find states that the flowers are purple, but I have never grown one that had anything but white or the palest blue, pink or violet flowers.  One would think that 'Hidcote Blue' would yield blue flowers, right? In the summer of '99, I planted two 'Hidcote' plants from each of three suppliers, side-by-side in the same bed. In July, I had four distinctly different hues among the six plants, ranging from a pretty fair deep blue to a deep, deep purple.  Munsteads are usually bluer than the Hidcotes, but there is still a fairly wide range of color. L. angustifolia usually produces flowers that match my definition of the color lavender.  I suspect (but have not done the necessary research to prove) that the color of lavender flowers is strongly influenced by acidity or some other soil condition. 

The truest blue lavenders I have seen are grown only (to my knowledge) on one lavender farm in the highlands of Provence. I have grown plants from cuttings taken from that farm in Nebraska, and the blue is not nearly as clear here.  So . . . I have to settle for lavender wands and buds, which I get from Provence every September.

Propagation

You will find lavender seeds for sale in garden centers, hardware stores shopping malls and all manner of seed catalogues, but unless you are a pro with a sense of adventure, or someone who doesn't much care what kind he/she grows, don't try to grow them from seed. Why do I write that?

1. You never know what you're going to get out of a seed packet unless you buy seed from a legitimate herb specialist. Even the most reputable generalist seed companies in the U.S. apparently don't have a clue when it comes to herbs. If you want seeds true to type, order them from a specialist firm like Renee’s Garden, or Richter's.

2.  Relatively few types of lavender seeds are available. Some cultivars don't produce seeds at all.

3.  Lavender is difficult to germinate and slow to grow from seed. 

4.  It is easy to propagate lavender from stem or heel cuttings.                              

5.  There is usually a pretty good selection of lavender plants available from catalogs and Internet sites.

To see lavender plants, click here.

Using Lavender

Most varieties of lavender can be dried and used for culinary, medicinal and decorative purposes year round.  However, the English and Provence varieties are the only ones suitable for culinary use.  The other varieties - L. stoechas, L. dentate, L. multifida, etc. – produce flowers with a strong, almost camphor or eucalyptus scent and taste.

The dried flowers and buds of L. angustifolia and L. intermidia hybrids are useful in the kitchen. We use them in delicate desserts like pound cakes and cookies, as well as in our classic herbs de provence blend and our grilling herbs for meat.  In due course, I will post a blog containing several lavender recipes.

By far the most important uses of lavender in the 21^st Century involve its use to impart fragrance to toiletries and beauty aids, and its use as a decorative item.  Despite the fact that we are primarily growers, our best selling items for years have been Lavender Wreaths and bouquets.

                    

To see lavender wreaths and bouquets, click here.

Good luck with your lavender garden!

Papa Geno

The culinary herb Sage carries a history as rich as the flavor it brings to food.

Botanically known as salvia, sage has been treasured since ancient times for its medicinal properties. Today, it’s a traditional addition to poultry and game stuffing, pork and cheese and is thought by many to contain properties that aid in the digestion of fatty foods.

The International Herb Association chose sage as its Herb of the Year for 2001 because of its culinary, medicinal and ornamental properties.

With its two-lipped flowers, square stems and opposite leaves, sage is considered a member of the mint family. There are more than 900 species of salvia and hundreds more cultivated and natural hybrids, according to Betsy Clebsch, author of A Book of Salvias: Sages for Every Garden (Timber Press, 1997.)

Roman historian Pliny the Elder first used the name "salvia" in his Natural History of the vegetable kingdom. The term derives from salvare (meaning to heal or save) and refers to the plant's believed medicinal values. In the 16th century, noted English herbalist John Gerard wrote that sage "is singularly good for the head and brain; it quickeneth the senses of memory."

Not all salvias are appropriate for culinary use, and quite a few are not hardy enough to survive cold winters.

Most common among the culinary sages is garden sage, known botanically as Salvia officinalis. Hardy enough to grow in most of North America as a perennial, the subshrub has woody, wiry, square stems and pebble-grained grayish leaves. It's the sage most often found in dried poultry mixes.

Other varieties of S. officinalis worth trying in the kitchen include Berggarten sage, with broad, round blue-green leaves and Purpurea, or purple sage, with reddish-purple leaves. Several varieties of garden sage are available as seed

Click here for Sage seed.                   Click here for Sage plants.

Given full sun, good air circulation and well-drained soil, S. officinalis is generally an easy plant to grow. It also comes in gold (Aurea), green and yellow (Icterina) and white, purple and green (Tricolor) forms.

Another type of sage, Salvia elegans, has special value on the dessert table. Varieties include pineapple sage, a three-foot-tall plant with sweet, pineapple-scented leaves and scarlet flowers, dwarf pineapple sage, and honeydew melon sage.

Leaves of S. elegans can be used in teas and other beverages, or finely chopped into salads and dessert batters. The flowers work nicely as a garnish and add color to cookie and cake batters.

S. elegans is generally not hardy enough to survive cold winters, and gardeners must either grow cuttings inside over the winter, or buy new plants each spring.

Although the flavor of sage is most intense when fresh, nearly all varieties of S. elegans and especially, S. officinalis, keep their scent well when dried. Stored in an airtight container in a dry, cool location, the dried herbs will help sage-hungry cooks survive until the next growing season.

                     

What kind to grow?  Depends on how you want to use it. A quick perusal of four or five seed catalogs reveals at least 25 varieties for sale this year, but I suspect many of them are nothing more than a marketer's new name for an old variety. We can recommend the following varieties as being distinct from one another, and as covering most conceivable uses of Basil.

Main Crop (Italian Basils) - for pesto, sauces, soups, etc. - Napoletano, Genovese, Italian Broad Leaf, Fino Verde, Red Rubin (Dark Opal)

Scented Basils -Cinnamon, Anise/Licorice, Siam Queen (Improved Thai variety) and Maenglak (Improved Thai Lemon variety.), Mrs. Burns Lemon Basil, and more

Small varieties for patios - Greek Miniature, Spicy Globe, others

Special basils - African Blue, Aussie Sweetie, Purple Ruffles, Variegated, Magical Michael

Seeds vs starter plants? Depends on your circumstances. If you are a decent gardener and have the space, starting basil from seeds is a no-brainer. Just follow the instructions on the packages. Some varieties are sterile hybrids and available only as cuttings. (See below.) And unless you live in a town with a real herb grower, you probably will not be able to find more than 2 or 3 varieties available as plants.

Click here to see basil seeds for sale.              Click here to see basil plants for sale.

If you choose to grow from seed.  Damping off is the most common problem with very young seedlings - this can be readily avoided by using a sterile starting medium, not overwatering, and making sure the young plants are in a warm enough location - around 68F daytime temperature and at least 60F at night. The young plants are very prone to sun scorching and should be shaded from the hot midday sun; otherwise the tender leaves will burn easily. Frequent pinching promotes bushiness. And while the flowers are perfectly edible most people agree that it is better to pinch off the forming flowerheads rather than let the plant flower and go to seed. I personally find that the leaves seem bitter or tasteless in many varieties after it has flowered.

Pests and problems. Basil is remarkably problem-free in most parts of the U.S. Outside in pots or in the ground they attract the usual summer pests - grasshoppers, slugs - especially if the location is too damp, and of course, rabbits. While white fly may be a problem indoors, there are other plants they prefer outside. I have never seen basil attacked by aphids. Mosquitoes ignore it and the neighbourhood cats are uninterested - they know far more interesting plants to annoy. Basil needs well drained soil; doesn't like rainy periods. Like most herbs it does not need lavish fertilizing although I feed plants in pots every two weeks or so.

The really bad problem with basil - the occasional plant whose stems turn streaky brown, then almost black followed by almost total exfoliation and plant death - apparently is not repairable. A disease called Fusarium Wilt has infected seed stocks in the Old and New worlds and there is no known cure. Gene informs us that the prognosis among commercial growers is not good. If you have this problem, do not plant basil on the site where previous plants have died - the contagion is very long lasting. If you grow in pots, you should never re-use any potting soil - especially soil that housed a diseased plant. And don't forget to clean your pots thoroughly before you use them again. (See Joi's Gem below.)

 Annual or perennial?

 There is a great deal of debate as to whether or not Basil is a perennial or an annual. The simple, direct answer is that most basils are "Tender Perennials." Many varieties will live for years in a pot getting bigger, thicker and gnarlier every year. However most of us, because of climate and space limitations, discard them at the end of each growing season. There are some varieties that are sterile hybrids and as such cannot be grown from seeds, but grow very easily from stem cuttings, such as the famous African Blue Basil or Papa Geno’s Variegated Basil. Small-leafed varieties such as Bush or Greek Basil seem more tolerant of harsh conditions. The subtle nuances of the numerous varieties are too lengthy a topic to go into here but I would recommend planting at least three different varieties - for your own personal investigation.

Basil in Containers  

Basil is one of the most perfect pot herbs. So before I talk about their cultivation in pots, I would like to say a few things about pots and their care. Herbs in pots are more exposed to the air and as a result the roots can get a lot hotter than herbs in the ground. That is one of the many reasons I advocate terracotta - you know - plain old clay pots. But terracotta can look really well used in a season or so. People ask me what is all the fuss about cleaning pots - in a word - Disease. Fungus spores, insect eggs and numerous deadly and most unpleasant lodgers can lurk in dirty pots. Be aware of this especially if the previous tenant of your pot died of known or unknown causes. Some people soak their pots in bleach but this is a bit of a pain because you then have to soak the pot in plain water to soak out the bleach. I use a strong solution of vinegar and water - 1 to 5 - and let the pots soak overnight. Then I scrub them with an old brush. I might lose some of the well aged charm of my pots - but my new plants don't inherit any problems. They make enough of their own.

I generally grow about five varieties each summer - with half of my plants in pots - they range from 4" Long Toms to 8" Standards. A four inch pot is a bit small but it is beautifully convenient on my kitchen window when I don't feel like going down to the garden to pick basil. My personal pet peeve are those very cute sets of little pots, often sold in a container or with a tray, that are marketed as 'herb pots'. No herb is going to grow successfully in a 2'" or 3" pot - no matter how pretty it is.

Basil will also grow very contentedly in a larger pot or window box, sharing space with other herbs or annual flowers. Basil, chives, oregano and parsley in one big pot, with perhaps a big bronze fennel in the center makes a statement - and it's all right there when you are making a fresh pasta sauce.

 Joi Beckett

PS: Now for you who think that Long Tom is some sort of obscure British dirty joke - let me assure you that it is a perfectly respectable Pot. Generally they are called Rose Pots in the New World - those slightly taller than standard pots, so good for deep rooted plants.

Note: Joi is a Welsh friend of mine, now living in the United States.

There is a difference between hybrid and heirloom seed. Growing delicious vegetables from seed is one of the most rewarding of all gardening activities and this is the season. We gardeners get started doing it with great anticipation and relish. Choosing seed varieties can be a little daunting because there are lots of choices. To further complicate things, both the gardening press and the marketing arm of many of the seed catalogs sing the virtues of older

open pollinated, heirloom varieties or sleek new hybrids, implying that one kind is better than the other or even more politically correct. What’s a gardener to do! Looking more closely at how open pollinated, heirloom and hybrid seeds are developed and come to market may bring some degree of clarity to the subject.

A few basic definitions are in order to begin any discussion. The term F-1 hybrid means the first filial generation made by crossing two different parent varieties, the offspring of which produce a new, uniform seed variety with specific characteristics from both parents. For example, breeders may choose to cross two tomato varieties to make an F-1 hybrid that exhibits the early maturity of one parent with a specific disease resistance of the other.

The unique characteristics of an F-1 hybrid are very uniform only in the first generation of seed, so seed saved from F-1 plants will not come true if replanted and may exhibit many distinct types in the second generation, often reverting to various ancestral forms. To produce consistent F-1 hybrids, the original cross must be repeated each season. As in the original cross, this is done through careful and controlled hand pollination and seed production is often offshore, where labor is cheaper. Many common home garden tomatoes, such as Early Girl, Celebrity, or Carmello are F-1 hybrids, and most commercial fruiting vegetables seen in supermarkets like eggplants, tomatoes, melons and bell peppers are grown from F-1 hybrid varieties.

Open pollinated seeds are a result of either natural or human selection for specific traits, which are then reselected in every crop. The seed is kept true to type through selection and isolation; open pollinated or O.P. seed varieties are pollinated by having bees or wind pollinate the flowers. Their traits are relatively fixed, within a range of variability. For example, if I grew the Brandywine variety of open pollinated tomato in dry Northern California summers year after year and saved seeds only from the best tasting, earliest ripening fruits in my climate zone, I would have a locally adopted strain of Brandywine, varied from the Brandywine seed saved by a gardener in humid, rainy Alabama who has been saving seeds from fruits that produce very well in Alabama, rather than my California conditions.

All heirloom varieties are open pollinated, but not all open pollinated varieties can be considered heirlooms. Unfortunately the definition of "heirloom" has been somewhat of a moving target recently, but, generally; it means a variety, that is at least 40-50 years old, no longer available in the commercial seed trade and that has been preserved and kept true in a particular region. So, for example if a particular kind of open pollinated pepper has been grown in Vermont or Maine for 5 or 6 generations and seed has been selected and saved by local growers and gardeners, it would be considered an heirloom variety. Obviously, heirloom varieties have been saved because they have some real virtues. The classic examples are heirloom tomatoes which often have superior flavor, color or texture for home garden situations but lack the holding ability, disease resistance or early maturity, etc., that would make them commercially viable.

Seed saving organizations, specialty seed companies and home gardeners have been the agents that have kept heirloom varieties in existence over time, as larger seed companies generally focus on varieties (both O.P. and F-1) with commercial qualities. Fortunately in the last few years the popularity of heirlooms like Mortgage Lifter, Brandywine, and Marvel Stripe tomatoes has been growing rapidly, and some seed producing companies have started to make them available to home garden seed sellers once again.

I think that both hybrid and open pollinated/heirloom varieties deserve a legitimate place in any home garden. Hybrids can offer uniform fruit often with superior disease resistances, reliable productivity and a particular maturity range. So, if I garden in an area that has a very short season with serious soil nematodes, I can choose a tomato hybrid developed to produce ripe fruit early and whose plants resist nematodes. If I garden in containers, I look for F-1 hybrids bred to grow into a short spreading bush with concentrated harvests.

With tomatoes, it is often said that F-1 hybrids lack flavor, but that depends on which ones are planted. It’s true that many commercial tomato varieties have not been bred with top flavor as a priority in the USA. But some home garden varieties do taste great, and some hybrids from Europe, where flavor has been more commonly a commercial breeding goal, are quite delicious! Brassica family F-1 hybrids are a first choice in my garden because they are much more resistant to pests, disease, and weather fluctuations, and have been bred to be space saving and compact.

Open pollinated fruiting vegetables also have a lot to offer. If you enjoy saving seed, you can choose those open pollinated varieties that produce the best tasting and easy growing harvests and save seed from their best plants to use every season. It’s fun to become a backyard breeder this way and develop your own selected cultivar. Heirloom, open pollinated varieties usually have a beloved local history and may exhibit unusual colors, shapes or flavors. They may ripen over a prolonged season or been selected to do well in a specific area. One of my favorites is Moon and Stars watermelons. These plump big beauties have pretty little yellow moon and star shapes decorating their dark green rinds. They need a long season to properly mature, but if you can offer them long hot summers, they are a true pleasure to grow and taste exquisite. I also love planting a rainbow of tomatoes, so by choosing heirlooms, I can go way beyond ordinary red tomatoes and grow big, juicy orbs that ripen up to yellow, orange, pink, bicolored, cream or even purple/black! All have colorful histories and while they may not produce as plentifully or as reliably as F-1 red slicers, I wouldn’t be without them every summer.

In the home garden and farm stand arenas of the seed industry, consumers can really influence the market. When gardeners demand lots of choices and make that known to the nurseries or catalogs where they purchase their seed packets, more kinds of open pollinated heirlooms are once again grown out and seeds become available. Chefs and restaurants have also given much more visibility to old varieties by featuring them, as vegetables have moved to the center of the plate in food fashion over the last decade.

As in most areas of life, gardeners can and should celebrate diversity. Ask for and grow both the best hybrids and exceptional heirlooms. Enjoy the process of seeing what successes each growing season produces and keep experimenting with both new F-1 introductions and revitalized old favorites. In the end, gardening is an art in consistent evolution in everyone’s backyard, and a full palette of variety options are its tools.

Click here to see Renee's seeds, both heirloom and hybrid.

Culinary Uses: Because it's a cross, Italian oregano tastes sweet and savory at the same time and is thus a versatile herb that can be used to season meats, eggs, soups and vegetables. It blends well with other savory herbs like basil and tarragon. Can be used like either oregano or marjoram.  It is not as “hot” as Greek Oregano and not as sweet as marjoram.

Propagation: It is very easy to dig and divide the plant in early spring and autumn.  Larger divisions can be planted out directly into their permanent positions. It is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer. One can also take cuttings of young stems all spring. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer. It is hardy to zone 7, sometimes Zone 6.  It flowers from June to September. It may occasionally set seeds that germinate in sandy soil, but if there are any oregano cousins nearby, you could get hybrids of unpredictable quality. The plant is usually harvested as flowering begins and can be used fresh or dried. Cut back after flowering and new growth will come from the base. It should be pruned periodically even if you don’t want to use the prunings.

Tomato and Eggplant Parmigiana

1 large eggplant

1 lb ripe red plum tomatoes

1 Tbsp Italian oregano

3 oz fresh parmesan cheese (grated)

2 tablespoon olive oil

salt & pepper

fresh chopped parsley

Cut the eggplant into 1/8 inch slices and place into colander and rinse with water and drain fro 30 minutes. Take eggplant out of colander and place on paper towels and pat dry. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fr y the eggplant in batches until golden brown. As eggplant is ready to take out of frying pan place on paper towels to drain off olive oil.

Take the plum tomatoes and cut them into wedges and arrange with the  eggplant into alternate layers in a shallow ovenproof dish, sprinkle each layer with Italian oregano, salt & pepper and parmesan cheese. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and parmesan cheese.

Thanks to HERBALPEDIA™, a publication of The Herb Growing & Marketing          Network.

This is a recipe for Pork Tenderloin a Provence that I have adapted and “improved” over the past decade. Please forgive me if I fail to observe any cook book conventions; this is the first recipe I’ve posted.

You will need a couple of similar sized pork tenderloins (not loins).  They are usually sold in a package containing two around here, and weigh only 2-3 pounds together.  They are tapered, with the large end maybe two inches in diameter, and the small end about one inch.

Fresh rosemary - 3-4 tablespoons, chopped finely

Garlic - 3-4 cloves, minced finely

Lavender flowers - 3-4 tablespoons dried (organic culinary, not florists') lavender

Dijon mustard - about half of one of those little jars of Grey Poupon

Balsamic vinegar - enough to make a thin paste of the above

Cotton butcher's string

Mix the rosemary, garlic, lavender and mustard in a small bowl. It will be really thick and "grainy" at this point. Add just enough balsamic vinegar to make it an easily spreadable paste.

Lay the two tenderloins facing opposite directions. (That is, the skinny end of tenderloin # 1 should line up with the fat end of tenderloin #2.)

With a spatula, spread the herb paste thickly on the flat side of one of the tenderloins. (You will have plenty of paste left.)

Position the second tenderloin so the flat side is facing the flat side of the other.

Cut  5 - 6 pieces of butcher string about 8" long.

Start at one end and tie with string so that the whole thing looks like a mini rolled roast, about 3" in diameter, maybe a little smaller, and probably about 8" - 10" long. Trim off the excess string ends.

Smear the whole roast with the remaining paste, wrap in saran wrap or put into a plastic bag and put in the fridge for 2-8 hours to marinate.  Take it out now and then and squish it around to make sure the paste is in contact with all surfaces of the meat. Do NOT marinate this at room temperature - any botulism spores present will multiply a million-fold in six hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Place meat in a shallow roasting pan, coated with a thin film of good quality olive oil. (You won't need a rack, since there is no fat at all.) Roast at 375 F for 20 minutes or so, and then reduce heat to 325 F and roast for another half hour or so.  (I use a meat thermometer so I've never really timed it after the first twenty minutes.)

Remove roast from oven, let sit for 5 minutes and slice into 1/2 inch slices, removing the ties as you go.

Hints and cautions from my own experience.

1. Be sure that you use lavender flowers you've grown yourself or have gotten from a natural foods store. 99% of the lavender flowers sold in this country are treated with a fairly strong insecticide just before packaging!)  (Lavender apparently sounds yucky to most Americans as an herb for meat, but it is definitely what makes this entree special!!!  If you can't find organic lavender, or can't stand the thought of cooking with lavender, you can substitute 2-3 tablespoons of fresh English or French thyme, but it will not be the same.)

2. Do not use polyester string or any cord made from man-made materials. It will melt and totally ruin the taste of the food.

3. This is a small piece of meat; do not overcook.  I take it out of the oven when the internal temp is 160 degrees F.

If I am preparing it as a main course, I usually continue the "Provence" theme, and serve it with small red potatoes roasted with herbed olive oil, garlic and rosemary and steamed haricots verts with savory butter. (By which I mean finely chopped summer or winter savory blended with softened butter.)  It will make four nice servings.

If I am preparing it for a buffet or cocktail party (which I go to maybe twice a year) I serve each slice of meat on a thin slice of baguette with a dollop of moutarde de lavande. (Dijon style mustard made with lavender flowers.)

Creating a butterfly garden.

It is an easy and pleasurable task to create a garden for butterflies by providing them with their favorite flowers. Planning a habitat especially to attract these beautiful, ephemeral creatures allows the gardener to behold their intricate wing patterns up close as well as play a role in conservation in the home garden's environment. The presence of butterflies flitting and frolicking in carefree flight indicates a healthy and well integrated horticultural habitat.

Butterflies inhabit gardens to seek nectar from flowers for nourishment and as fuel for flying. With each sip from the heart of a flower blossom, grains of pollen also gather on the butterfly's body, and it then helps pollinate the garden as it flutters from blossom to blossom.

Flowers advertise their unique personal attributes of color, scent, and shape to lure butterflies to land upon them, thus ensuring the spreading of their seeds.  successfully designed habitat for butterflies includes food, water, shelter, and warmth. Since butterflies are attracted to both flower colors and shapes, group plants in great masses to provide large splashes of brilliance to draw them instead of isolating a single flower here and there throughout the garden. Sunny days in the garden are synonymous with a busy freeway of flying butterflies. The hot sun warms their wing muscles, enabling them to soar and fly while going about their job of pollinating, so situate the butterfly garden in the warmest, sunniest area. On gusty summer days, they need protection from the wind which is easily provided by arranging tall  flowering plants at the back of the border to make it comfortable for the butterflies while they are "nectaring."

The shiny, fern-like, coppery foliage of "Smokey Bronze" Fennel with its golden umbrella-like flowers is a stunning backdrop for the lower growing plants in the mid- and front border. A long dramatic row of "Torch" Tithonia planted at the back of the border makes a blazing hedge of brilliant orange-red landing pad blossoms, and provides both a convenient perch and windscreen for winged visitors. For the mid-border, air-waltzing butterflies will be attracted to the searing scarlet and orange colors of "Persian Carpet" Zinnias. Charming semi-dwarf "Musicbox" Sunflowers shine at waist height in a full range of bright colors: from cream yellow and deep gold to wonderful bicolors in shades of bronze and mahogany over gold. Plant the front of the border with the restful white fluffy pillows of "Snowdrift" Alyssum to create a welcoming effect.

Geez - first comment I get is someone asking me if we're legit.  I guess the best I can do is to invite you to come visit us at 5835 West Roca Road, two miles northwest of Martell, Nebraska.  Call first to make sure we're here - 402-794-0400.  You will soon see that we are as real as dirt.

Papa Geno's Herb Farm and Prairie Home Perennials are small, family-owned businesses located in Lancaster County, Nebraska. Papa Geno's is not a name made up by some corporate PR flack to make us sound quaint. When my kids and grandkids gave me a hard time about the (somewhat pompous) original name of this business several years ago, I invited them to come up with a better one and "Papa Geno's Herb Garden" was their choice. (The kids and grandkids call me “Papa Geno”.) About the same time, the business had grown enough for me to ask my “silent” partner Sharon Rose to quit her day job and join me in the plant business. A few years ago when we bought a small farm, we changed the name to Papa Geno’s Herb Farm to reflect that growth. And now we have sold the original farm, bought a larger one to handle the ever-growing business, and provide homes for Sharon and her fiancée and my wife Dorrie and me. (As well as a pleasant place to visit for our numerouskids and grandkids.)

Twelve years ago, I rented a couple hundred square feet in a friend’s greenhouse, and sold a few thousand dollars worth of herb plants to gardeners in Lincoln, NE. The following year, I leased half a greenhouse, and then an entire greenhouse, and then another, and then I built one, etc, etc. Along the way we gradually shifted our focus from local retail to mail order and now to the Internet. Right now we have four large greenhouses, a huge barn for shipping, and we remodeled a horse barn into offices. We’ve also been “lining out” thousands of hostas, iris, daylilies, peonies and other flowering perennials, both as propagation stock and to supply our growing bare root business.

Sharon’s role is primarily that of operations manager and money-minder, but we both do anything that needs to be done. Sheila (Sharon’s fiancee’s daughter) is our greenhouse production manager, Dale and Scotty are mainly “plants persons” but they – like everyone else here – helps with the shipping during busy seasons. We have other office, garden and greenhouse helpers as the season demands. Tulo, Max and Levi (Shihtzus) and Zack (Border Collie) are our official greeters and watchdogs. At the moment, we have two greenhouse mousers and barnguards – Jack and SixToes.   There are photos of all of us on the website, but I haven’t yet figured out how to include photos in this blog.  I’ll try to include a photo of the farm in the gallery part of this blog as soon as I figure out how it works.

Papa Geno

About Bay Laurel (Lauris nobilis)

Bay Laurel is called for in many recipes, and is widely popular for American kitchen use. In French and Italian kitchens, it is indispensable. The leaves can be used fresh in soups, though they will have to be picked out of the soup before serving, as they remain hard even with long boiling. I prefer the subtle fragrance of fresh leaves but the flavor is more

concentrated if they are dried beforehand. Once dried they keep for months (if stored in a cool, dry, dark place.) If it is a hassle to fish out the leaves from a stew or soup before serving, dried leaves are easily broken up to fit inside a stainless steel tea-ball or tied into a little cheesecloth bundle, perhaps mixed with other herbs and spices. Bay laurel is present in almost all “Bouquet Garni” recipes that I have seen.

They can be started from seed, but it is VERY difficult to obtain fresh seed in America, and “fresh” is the operative adjective for Bay. The seeds absolutely cannot be allowed to dry out, and they have to be planted at exactly the right stage of development.  Very tricky business – it took me about five years to learn how to germinate bay seeds effectively!

It is much easier - not to mention reliable - to purchase bay laurel seedlings, or well rooted cuttings, from a trusted herb grower.  The reason I emphasize “trusted” is that a couple of years ago I found a display of fairly large plants labeled “Bay Laurel” in a big box store, only to discover on closer examination that they were not Bay laurel at all, but Laurus californica, which looks kinda sorta the same, but which is truly nasty tasting, perhaps even toxic.  Totally useless as a culinary herb.  I wonder how many Americans are now turned off of growing and using Bay Laurel because of their experience growing California Laurel.  (This big box store is one of hundreds of the same name in every State in the Union. I can’t believe that they intentionally misled tens of thousands of customers, but they certainly got screwed by an unscrupulous grower somewhere.)

If you can’t find small starter plants where you live, I generally have them on my website from January-June, and then again from late August-mid October. Click here and go to "Kitchen Herbs."
 
Bay Laurel likes deep watering to get started, but wants to dry out entirely between waterings. In Zones 4-7, it needs to be treated as a “tender perennial” – that is, brought inside before the first frost in autumn, and kept indoors in a sunny place until danger of frost is past in the spring. It becomes somewhat drought-hardy when long established, especially in the Northwest where rainfall is sufficient except at high summer. They require very well draining soil or they're at some risk of rotting during wet winters. They don't like temperatures below 25 degrees Fahrenheit, but usually bounce back from mild winter damage come spring. In a protected spot, it does very well outdoors in most of Coastal California and Pacific Northwest locations. And of course it will grow well across the southern part of the U.S. in non-soggy spots. Wherever it is protected both from summer sunburn & winter wind-burn it will look dark green and fresh year-round.

Bay Laurel (Lauris nobilis) can sucker as a large multi-trunked bush outdoors, easily reaching fifteen feet in ten years or sooner, or suckers can be removed & it will slowly reach 20 or 30 feet as a tree with one or two “trunks.” In its native Mediterranean setting and at least in Southern California it reaches sixty feet.  The largest one that I have grown here in Nebraska reached 7-8 feet tall and 4 feet in diameter in four years. (As in – it goes outdoors in late April/early May, and comes back into the greenhouse the third week of September.)

It doesn’t have many pests, but it is susceptible to scale. My eight-footer was gorgeous when I put it outdoors in May of 2004, but when I went to move it indoors in September, it was covered with scale, notoriously difficult to eliminate on large plants.  With great sadness, I consigned it to the burn pile, so that the scale would not infest other plants.

You can read more technical information about bay laurel at:

Will gardeners use a blog to get information about plants, seeds and help with their gardens?  We will soon find out.

This blog will be pretty tightly focused on gardening and natural things – flowers, herbs, scented geraniums, heirloom veggies, organic gardening, wild critters, the weather, wild birds – stuff like that.  You will not read about rude retail clerks, politics, dirty jokes or the progression of my daughter-in-law’s pregnancy. I will try to present information useful to gardeners – not only about the things I sell, but also generic subjects like “How to grow lavender” or “How to use scented geraniums.”  I will probably include a recipe now and then, but only as an adjunct to using produce from your herb and veggie gardens. There will not be much on medicinal uses of herbs in this blog because I don't know much about it. Perhaps a "guest blog" now and then.

Some entries will be brief, some will be longer. I will attempt to check the blog every day and to answer questions in a timely fashion, but (unlike many bloggers) I have a life and work other than this blog.  I am primarily a farmer, not a computer geek, and I am a 61 year old geezer, not a 22 year old whiz kid.  I’ve got a lot to learn about this stuff, so please be patient.

Please don’t hesitate to suggest topics – within my general area of knowledge – that we could explore in this blog.  I hope to be able - fairly regularly - to post contributions written by gardening friends, colleagues and customers, some of whom are much better wordsmiths than I am. I will give appropriate credit when I use somone else's work.

Here is a starter – How to plant a little herb garden indoors, while you are waiting for it to warm up enough to start your outside garden.

Start a windowsill garden by sowing readily available seeds or taking cuttings from some of your favorite indoor and outdoor plants and rooting them in water. Use a sharp knife to cut a 3- or 4-inch stem; strip off the bottom leaves and place the cut stem in a small container wet and sterile potting mix.

Few traditional outdoor plants are as easy to grow indoors as herbs. Raise them from cuttings or seeds. Place the plants in your sunniest window (preferably one facing south or east, where trees and buildings don't obstruct the light). A kitchen windowsill keeps the herbs within easy reach when cooking, and pots of herbs make great centerpieces in the dining room on a temporary basis. Some herbs, such as various mints, tarragon, and thyme, grow well in hanging plants. Mints tend to produce smaller leaves when you grow them indoors, but they are just as flavorful. Tarragon succeeds best if you make root divisions or take stem cuttings instead of digging up the whole plant from the garden and attempting to move it indoors.

When it gets warm enough to plant outdoors, it is easy to transplant these herbs directly into the garden or into larger containers for the patio. Don’t forget to harden them off gradually.