Herbal Bed

As I said before, I love this bed … I had heard that growing Lavender was tricky. Have wanted to try it. Any advice for me … want to give it a “go” this spring. How big does it get??? Where did you end up buying it, since we live close.

As you know, I have a very similar space down our driveway/backyard … I am still thinking about my “pot” garden … oh, that doesn’t sound good does it … hee (remember, high school was in the 70’s!) ... okay my planter bed, yah, that’s better. I am playing with the idea of lining different types of pots down our driveway on top of our white stones (instead of digging them all out).

Have you done any serious planting in pots? My understanding is if you can grow it in the ground, you can pretty much put it in a planter.??? ...

-- "A perfect garden is just a garden to be in-perfection. Mornings to work on it and evenings to pause and look at it." Southeast Michigan, Zone 5a/5b

the garden is luscious!!!!
the list is inspiring.
Awesome.

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

Thank you for the kind words, I do appreciate it! GrandmaT, we got the lavender from the English Garden up on Coolidge north of 14 Mile. We’ve bought many tiny seedlings there, and durn near all of them have thrived.

This year I did a few pot projects (now I’ve got the giggles), including a pineapple and my first foxgloves. We’ve also grown many trees from seed and tiny seedling (those freebies from Arbor Day) in pots, as well as ornamental cabbages and thyme. After foolishly planting mint in this herbal bed, I dug up as much as possible the next season and threw it in a pot (and chased roots the rest of that season). In almost every occasion, we’ve had a good measure of success.

Lessons learned with pots:
1) Pot material is important. If plastic, it will retain moisture, so water less, or get swampy. If made of terra cotta or clay, they will dry out more often, and depending on the root depth of the occupying plants, much much more often. Also, pots on the ground dry out slower than pots on stands or hung from the fence.
2) Start with a very good potting mix, and no matter if it comes with perlite, add more. Good drainage equals happy healthy potted plants. Taking a tip from bonsai projects, almost all soil will compact after a season or two, so it’s good to re-pot perennials or trees in the springtime.
3) A good liquid fertilizer helps to replenish the limited nutrients that quickly get sucked up by hungry roots.

-- Living on the square...Metro Detroit

Looks good! I planted lavender two years back, and something promptly ate it. Never bounced back.

Pineapple? Cool. – and thanks for the warning about mint!

-- southern NH. - smack dab in the middle of 5a and 5b - with lots of shade and full sun, in all the wrong places.

Yeah, mint is one of those things you think is a great idea until it takes over half your bed.

The lavender is a bit fickle…after the first season, I tried to cut off what I thought were dead branches. I was mistaken, and the next year it was very small. I left it completely alone and this season it was impressive! In this location, it probably only gets about 3-4 hours of direct sunlight per summer day, and does just fine.

The pineapple was a total experiment my mother gave me early last summer. She whacked off the top of a pineapple, stuck it in dirt, and the darned thing grew great! I should’ve put it in a bigger pot, but more importantly, I should’ve brought it inside before the first frost…now it’s a goner.

-- Living on the square...Metro Detroit

Thanks for the tips! I was aware of the terra cotta and clay pots soaking up the plants’ water. I’m gonna try to find some antique “old” stuff to use as pots … add interest to the bed as well. And, the lavender is a definite for next year. Hopefully whatever ate Scott’s Lavender won’t eat mine … hee

-- "A perfect garden is just a garden to be in-perfection. Mornings to work on it and evenings to pause and look at it." Southeast Michigan, Zone 5a/5b

Just the top of the pineapple? how much of the fruit was left before planting? and how tall did the tree get before the frost did it in? (i.e. will it fit in the house to last 2+ years, or is it just a fun year at a time experiment… Won’t the neighbors get a kick out of seeing that!

I tried the avacado seed in water trick once, but no dice. Did nada in soil either. Garlic on the other hand took off indoors until the cats ate it – all of it.

So many new things to try!

-- southern NH. - smack dab in the middle of 5a and 5b - with lots of shade and full sun, in all the wrong places.

I think maybe the top 2 inches or so were cut off and put right in the dirt. Good news is that a pineapple is really more of a shrub, not a tree-like structure like palms or coconuts. If I was able to keep it alive, it was supposed to take several years of moving it inside and outside with the seasons before it became big and shrubby and able to produce fruits. I’ll see if I can snap a pic of the carcass, just so you know how much it grew in one season…

Funny how the cats love garlic…my dog ate a whole 3’ dill plant one afternoon!

-- Living on the square...Metro Detroit

I’m with you Scott … so many new things to try, plan for and truly get excited about … love this site!!!

-- "A perfect garden is just a garden to be in-perfection. Mornings to work on it and evenings to pause and look at it." Southeast Michigan, Zone 5a/5b

Cool. I think I will try the pineapple then… It may have to wait until I have a 3 or 4 season porch, that or I’ll put up some plastic sheeting and convert the back porch into a temporary greenhouse for the winter months. Of course the Indoor garden is throwing off enough light, I could keep everything nearby and thriving all winter.

-- southern NH. - smack dab in the middle of 5a and 5b - with lots of shade and full sun, in all the wrong places.