The Herb Cottage is your source for information about herb growing and gardening, with an emphasis on growing and gardening in the humid south where winters are mild and summers are very hot and humid with the occasional hurricane or drenching rain. As with many parts of the country, the weather seems to have become more extreme, and as gardeners, we have to learn to do our best to cope with the weather. We sure can't change it!!

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January 2003

A belated Happy New Year to you all (or should I say y'all, as this letter comes from Texas). As the new year begins, we tend to reflect upon our place in the world and, perhaps, our plans for the future. Here at The Herb Cottage, we've got a good start on cuttings and seeded crops for the coming season. In the south, the growing season for most vegetables is actually very short because, after a short spring, the weather quickly gets too hot and/or humid for vegetable plants to produce. So, I'm already well into production of tomato seedlings, peppers, eggplant, as well as lots of herbs and ornamentals.

Tomatoes are the #1 vegetable grown in today's vegetable gardens. And why not? They are a sign of summer, aren't they? Many people compete with neighbors to see who can raise the first tomato of the season. Personally, my treat is the first BLT sandwich with our own tomatoes and homemade white bread. Usually our lettuce has already bolted for the season by the time the tomatoes are ripe, so I have to settle for store bought lettuce. But, that first bite of the tangy, salty sandwich is heaven to me.

This year The Herb Cottage is offering over 25 varieties of heirloom and open-pollinated tomato varieties, around 20 varieties of peppers and 7 types of eggplant. What a feast for the eyes and well as the palate!

I raise and offer heirloom and open-pollinated vegetable seedlings because I think it's important for you to be able to save your own seeds, if you so choose. If you grow the same variety from saved seed for several seasons in your garden, most vegetable varieties will become better adapted to your area. If you live in Mississippi, the tomatoes you grow from saved seed will be better adapted to the humid conditions there. If your soil is less than perfect, the varieties you grow from saved seed will do better each year. You can share seed with your neighbors and local gardeners with the knowledge the plants will do extremely well in your area.

Another reason I like the heirloom tomatoes is diversity. Who ever decided tomatoes had to be red? There are delicious and interesting tomatoes of other colors. Plum Lemon, a bright yellow plum tomato, makes golden salsa and sauces with a mild tomato flavor. Garden Peach and Tangerine are yellow and orange varieties of medium size slicers to add interest and a mild taste to a salad to tomato plate. Cherokee Purple is a dark rose color inside and out. The flavor is rich and sweet. Purple Calabash looks like a little purple pumpkin with its deep ridges. Sliced crosswise, the scalloped edges are very decorative.

Cherry tomatoes come in all colors, too, perfect for snacking. Gold Nugget is a sweet, golden type on a somewhat compact vine. Green Grape is a grape-type tomato, very sweet, that stays green even when ripe and grows on a short, sturdy plant. Imagine a bowl filled with Gold Nugget, Green Grape and Isis Candy, a red variety with faint yellow stripes. What a picture! And, so tasty.

And, there are stories behind heirloom and open-pollinated tomatoes. We offer a nice, medium red variety that does well into the heat of our early summer called Georgia Prison. I received the original seeds in a swap years ago. I can't tell you why it's called Georgia Prison.... was it developed on a prison farm, perhaps? I tell people to make up their own stories! Riesenstraube is a German cherry tomato with a big taste, like a Brandywine. The name means, in German, "giant grape", and that is how the tomatoes look. The plants are extremely productive, to say the least, and produce clusters of 20-40 fruit per stem. Give this one strong support. The same tomato is also known in Hungary and is called "goat tit" due to its shape. It's oval with a little point at the bottom! This is a very sugary variety, and has been used to make tomato wine, which is said to taste like a dry sherry.

For those who think eggplant is more than just the big, dull, purple, tasteless blob from the produce section of a grocery store, there are long ones, small round ones, green ones, purple with white stripes. The flesh of Rosa Bianca is white and creamy. Harvested young, it doesn't even need to be peeled. Apple Green looks like its name. The flesh is tinted a little green and is very mild. Perfect for Eggplant Parmesan or your favorite stir-fry. One of my favorites is Little Fingers. These are small, purple ones that grow in clusters like the fingers of a little hand. They can be picked at any size and grilled whole.

I'll leave the subject of peppers for another day. Just let the visions of yellow, purple, green, red and pleated tomatoes with names like Arkansas Traveler, Eva Purple Ball and Polish Linguisa run through your imagination as you're perusing all the seed catalogs this winter. If you'd like to check out all our vegetable varieties for 2003 go to: http://theherbcottage.com/vegetables.html.

What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset. -Crowfoot, Native American warrior and orator (1821-1890)

Until next time,
Good Growing to You,
Cindy Meredith, proprietor
The Herb Cottage

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July 2004

Happy Independence Day, everyone. It's the morning of July 4th as I write this. I've been listening to the audio book called Founding Mothers by Cokie Roberts. It tells the stories of many of the women related to or married to the founding fathers of the United States. It's an uplifting and fascinating book. Anyone interested in learning how the women of our young country contributed to its beginnings would find the book a good read. I was interested in the part where the colonists boycotted "English Tea", which was their preferred drink. What kinds of "tea" did they then drink, I wondered. So, after a little research, I came upon some interesting information.

Of course, not everyone in The Colonies could afford to drink the imported English Tea, which was actually imported from either India or China. Some of the native herbs used for tea were bee balm, Monarda didyma, wintergreen, Gaultheria procumbens, a variety of goldenrod, Solidago odorata, New Jersey tea, Ceanothus americanus, and leaves of the raspberry bush. In the southern colonies, sassafrass tea was enjoyed, made from the bark of sassafrass root. This also is the original ingredient in root beer.

In the Virginia Gazette, Williamsburg, Virginia, January 13, 1774 is an article signed by one Philo-Aletheias that details the patriotism of the "English Tea" boycott and gives some examples of "Liberty Tea". The article begins as follows: "Can posterity believe that the constitutional liberties of North America were on the Point of being given up for Tea? Is this exotic Plant necessary to Life? ... But if we must through Custom have some warm Tea once or twice a day, why ma be not exchange this slow poison which not only destroys our Constitution but endangers our Liberties and drains our Country of so many thousands of Pounds a Year for Teas of our own American Plants, many of which may be found pleasant to the taste, and very salutary, according to our various constitutions..." And, Mr./Ms Philo-Aletheias gives 17 examples of substitutions, some of which are: "Sweet marjoram and a little mint; mother of thyme, a little hyssop; sage and balm leaves joined witha little lemon juice, rosemary and lavender, a very few small twigs of White Oak well dried in the Sun with two leaves and a Half of Sweet Myrtle; Clover with a little chamomile; Peppermint and Yarrow; Twigs of liquid Amber Tree (commonly called Sweet Gum) with or without the flowers of Elder..." The list goes on.

Herbs certainly were used for more than tea during the colonial period of our history. A well stocked medicine cabinet would contain portions of dried herbs for poultices or to make a soothing draught for a cold or sore throat. The kitchen was not neglected, either, when it came to using herbs. Some of the notes on cookery that survive mention sassafrass flavored New Orleans gumbo, rose water added to a wedding cake, and Sally Washington's chicken dressing had thyme in it. A "smothered veal" dish contained the heady combination of parsley, thyme, carrots, turnips, roast chestnuts, potatoes, onions and celery root. In Louisiana the French flavored their dishes with Bay Leaves , thyme, cloves, garlic, cayenne pepper, mustard, tomato and parsley. In the West, marjoram was a Spanish influence added to cayenne peppers.

Many of the colonists brought over seeds and a few plants from the gardens they left behind. Since regular shipping routes were in place, plants and seeds were soon being sent for. Some newspaper clippings have survived with notices such as this one from the South Carolina Gazette in 1735: "Just imported from London to be sold by John Watson... mustard seed", and from the same paper, December 28, 1738: "Just imported from London by Doctor Jacob Moon... anis seeds, carraway seeds, sweet fennel seeds."

So, as you celebrate this Independence Day, think about the people who came to the Americas and made a life here, eventually risking all for freedom from England. And, if you'd like a different take on the history of the Revolution, read "Founding Mothers" and you'll realize all the people of the colonies played a part in the birth of our nation.

(Much of the information for this newsletter came from a book originally published in 1933, Gardening with Herbs for Flavor and Fragrance, by Helen Morgenthau Fox. It was reprinted in its entirety in 1970, and is sold by Dover Books)

America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter, and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves. -Abraham Lincoln, 16th U.S. President (1809-1865)

Until next time,
Good Growing to You
Cindy Meredith, proprietor
The Herb Cottage
442 CR 233
Hallettsville, TX 77964

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August 2004

Well, it's been hot here in Texas. No surprise, there, right? I was spoiled after our cool, wet spring and cooler-than-normal July. I was lulled into believing summer wasn't so bad after all. Wrong!! August is summer. Pots need water every 24 hours or they get really heat stressed. It's easy to see which plants are pot-bound and need potting up into larger containers. They're the ones that seem to need water morning and afternoon! Even my "drought tolerant" plants start looking a little weary. The chickens spend the afternoons in their house where it's shady and cooler, bathing in the dust that makes up the floor of their house.

Yesterday was somewhat cooler due to a weak "norther". That's air flowing in from the north rather than the hot dry west or the hot, humid gulf. North is where our cold weather comes from, too. You might hear me complain in the winter about a "blue norther", a very cold front that sweeps down over us freezing everything. But, now a norther is quite welcome. I took advantage of the temps only in the low 90's and cleaned up the herb bed, pulling out bermuda grass, pruning my Vitex tree and other herbs that had grown rampant and ungainly. I decided the Vitex would be better as a single trunk tree, rather than a multi trunk specimen, so I pruned off the lower branches. I was surrounded by the wonderful aroma of Vitex while the branches were falling around me. I will loose blooms, though, as I cut off a lot of foliage. The area looks neater, though, and there's now room underneath for other plants. (Look for Vitex to show up on my availability list next spring... I set cuttings from the cut offs.)

My big Poliomintha longiflora, Mexican Oregano, was looking very poorly. It only had blooms and leaves on the tips of the branches. It's gotten very woody with many stems about an inch in diameter. New growth is showing in the middle, though, so I cut it back to 6 or 8 inch stems. I'll see how it recovers. I may decide to dig it out and divide the mass of woody stems, replanting only a few in the spot in the herb garden where it's growing, and pot up the rest. But, that's a job for a much cooler day in the fall. This practice is necessary for many of the perennials that become woody over time. The center of the plant looses the ability to produce leaves and the plant sprawls and no longer produces dense foliage. To be sure, more frequent, lighter pruning would be better, but as I am nowhere near a perfect gardener, I do not get to those chores on a regular basis.

If you're not familiar with Mexican Oregano, poliomintha longiflora, it has many virtues. First is its taste. Even though it's not in the Origanum family, it has a wonderful aromatic, full oregano flavor. It grows into a mounding shrubby plant with small, narrow leaves of a bright medium green. Then, it puts out lavender/pink tubular flowers all summer long. Even in the worst heat, the poliomintha is blooming. Butterflies and hummingbirds are attracted to the nectar within the flowers. All in all, it's a very drought tolerant, pretty plant. My specimen is at least 5 or 6 years old, and its age is the reason it's getting woody. The stems are interesting, though, with the bark a dark brown and shaggy in appearance. It's root hardy to Zone 8.

Some of the other things I pruned back were the catnip... which really needed water. It's not as drought tolerant as some of the other herbs in that garden. The Greek Oregano had finished blooming weeks ago, and needed the tall flower stems cut off. The winter savory, a very drought tolerant plant that I'm just learning to use in the kitchen, was over grown with the Greek Oregano and as I uncovered it, I realized it had sent out long branches in search of the sun. So, the savory has its spot back to itself and it's pruned back into shape.

With a couple of deep, infrequent waterings during the rest of the summer, which here will last at least until the end of September or mid October, these plants will flush out and be ready for fall harvest. I plan to make lots of herb vinegar, some wreaths for gifts and enjoy the garden in the cooler months of fall and winter.

For those of you gardening in the south, it's time to plant tomatoes and add a few extra peppers and eggplant for fall harvest as well. There's still a great selection at the web site. And, before too long, fall vegetables such as heirloom Italian broccoli, lettuce, Asian Greens and more will be available for planting. Let The Herb Cottage be your place for sturdy, well established fall seedlings. Visit the web site at: http://theherbcottage.com

Our society must make it right and possible for old people not to fear the young or be deserted by them, for the test of a civilization is the way that it cares for its helpless members. -Pearl S. Buck, Nobelist novelist (1892-1973)

Until next time,
Good Growing to You
Cindy Meredith, proprietor
The Herb Cottage
442 CR 233
Hallettsville, TX 77964


The Herb Cottage Newsletter
September, 2004

The newsletter is a little late this month because I thought I might find an interesting topic to share with you at our Texas Herb Growers and Marketers Association Conference last weekend. While there were some very interesting speakers (and maybe a topic for a later newsletter), lots of networking among attendees and all sorts of good herbal information, an article from an old newspaper given me by a colleague at the library sparked my imagination for this issue.

The newspaper is the Lavaca County Tribune, Tuesday, June 2, 1942. The byline on the article is from College Station, TX. As any college football fan knows, College Station is the home of Texas A&M University, The Fightin' Aggies, as they're fondly known. It is a major agricultural research center and the home of the Texas Extension Service. Lots of solid gardening information can be found on their web site concerning home gardening, market gardening, growing vegetables, fruit, herbs, ornamentals and more. There is information regarding pests and diseases in the garden, orchard and field, a question and answer section and links to other resources. The website address is: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu

The article that caught my colleague's eye is titled "Herbs in Victory Gardens". Most gardeners have heard of the Victory Gardens encouraged by our government during W.W.II, some of you may have even planted them or helped tend them as children. These gardens were a major source, 40%-50%, of produce for American families while the major portion of commercially raised crops went to feed our troops. Most people think of the Victory Gardens as being just vegetables. I found a list of the common vegetables grown and it reads like a well stocked farmers' market: tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, cabbage, lettuce, radishes, cucumbers and more.

People still wanted their food to taste good, so the article from College Station tells about the different herbs that are adapted or native to Texas that could be grown to compliment the vegetables. Basil is listed first, because what is summer without basil for your fresh tomatoes, then dill is listed because pickles are a bore without it, and canning was a big part of the Victory Garden plan. In fact, community kitchens were set up in towns where women could go and learn to can vegetables, use the facilities and spend time visiting with other women. I wish these facilities were still available... think of the shared knowledge about all sorts of things... gardening, raising children, home repairs, sewing, and more. Then comes mint, sage, parsley, anise, bergamot, catnip (as a sedative, perhaps, to calm cranky children?), fennel, hyssop, savory, tarragon, and lemon verbena.

The article goes on to suggest ways to use herbs in cooking, "an art which is practiced too little", according to Miss Camp, home production planning specialist for the Extension Service at A&M. Herbs give stimulating flavors to drinks and distinctive flavors to "warmed-over dishes and in many other ways can aid the homemaker in making cooking an adventure rather than a daily chore." Well, I can just see an over-worked mother whose husband may be overseas thinking about her adventure in the kitchen...

Miss Camp goes on to suggest parsley and fennel are good with poultry, veal venison and fish. A dish of mint or tarragon will make a fruit salad more "delightful". Chives, mint, watercress and sorrel give salad a new dimension. And, she says, mint, lemon verbena and rose geranium are good in beverages.

As you're tending, or harvesting, your gardens this fall, think about those Americans a couple of generations before us who were concerned about loved ones abroad in harm's way and did what they could here at home without complaining and with a sense of purpose. Our gardening traditions are a wonderful way to connect to the past.

For information about Victory Gardens, I used the following web site: http://www.victoryseeds.com/TheVictoryGarden

"No unemployment insurance can be compared to an alliance between man and a plot of land."
Henry Ford

Until next time,
Good Growing to You
Cindy Meredith, proprietor
The Herb Cottage
442 CR 233
Hallettsville, TX 77964


The Herb Cottage Newsletter
October 2004


Fall..... autumn..... vernal equinox. To me, fall brings images of the late afternoon sun slanting into the chicken house with a warm glow as I close the flock up for the night. Darkness falls earlier and earlier. It's always surprising to me how fast the days shorten once the equinox passes. It's a time of thinking about colder days ahead, comfort foods in the kitchen and baking to warm up the house a little.

I do very little baking in the summer. In our farm house with an air conditioner used only in the bedroom when it's extremely hot and sticky over night, the kitchen (and the rest of the house) stay very warm for about 3 or 4 months. We do lots of outdoor cooking and quick meals. But, during the cooler months, the kitchen again releases those wonderful aromas of bread, cookies, stews, bean pots and sauces.

Many people don't think of herbs as an ingredient in dessert food or sweet treats. We all know herbs are used liberally in dishes like stew, casseroles, pasta sauce, soup and roasted fowl or meat and, of course, tea. But, baked goods are a perfect place to incorporate more herbs in your meals. And, remember, herbs are not used only for flavor. Many of the common culinary herbs we use every day have health benefits. The seemingly small amounts of herbs used daily add up to give the body added immune properties, vitamins and other health benefits.

I have favorite herbs for desserts and sweet treats and like to experiment, too. An easy way to incorporate herbs in baking is to find a quick bread recipe that is rather plain. Then, chop some lemony herbs to add to it. Or, if you don't want little green specks in the bread, steep your lemon herbs in the required liquid over night, remove the herbs and use the flavored liquid. I think either lemon balm or lemon verbena works best for this type of recipe. For a holiday splash, instead of using lemon herbs, use the flowers and leaves of pineapple sage. You'll have red and green speckles throughout the bread.

Shortbread is a good carrier for herbs in a dessert. The butter in shortbread brings out the flavor of the herbs. I like to use a combination of finely chopped rosemary and thyme in a plain shortbread recipe. With fresh herbs, I use about a total of 1 tablespoon to a single recipe. If you're using dried herbs, you'll want to use about one and a half teaspoons of herbs. The resulting shortbread is buttery and savory, very unusual and flavorful.

A plain sugar cookie recipe is another perfect starting place for using herbs in baking. I like to use about a tablespoon of chopped mint in a sugar cookie recipe. I like peppermint, chocolate mint (a peppermint cultivar) or orange mint in sugar cookies. If you want a little stronger flavor, mix the chopped herbs into the butter a few days before baking as if you're making herbed butter. Then, use the flavored butter. You can always add a little mint or orange extract, too, to enhance the flavor.

And, don't forget what a lovely flavor rose geranium adds to an angel food or white cake. Line the cake pan with clean, dry, fresh leaves, pour in the batter and bake. When you remove the cake from the pan, the leaves will be baked into the top of the cake. If you're going to frost the cake, remove the leaves first. After frosting, decorate the cake with more leaves, and you have a lovely and attractive dessert. Rose or lemon-rose geranium leaves can also be finely chopped and mixed with the sugar in the recipe to give a special flavor to the cake.

One of the things I like best about cooking, including baking, is the fun of experimenting. After making a recipe once the way it's written, I like to add or change flavors to make something a little different. When working with herbs, just remember, a little can go a long way, especially when baking. The flavors seem to wake up and really permeate the food. So, my advice is to go easy on the amount of herbs you use. You don't want the herbs to overpower the flavor of the dish.

If you've been preserving your herbs this fall for use over the winter, you can just as easily use the dried herbs in your baked goods. Chop them finely or rub them, and add to the dough or batter when you're mixing.

For yeast bread, I usually add the herbs when I'm first adding ingredients so the herbs get mixed in well. Rosemary and oregano added to a crusty bread adds to any meal with Mediterranean flavors. Dill, chervil or fennel also give a distinctive flavor for bread or biscuits to be served with a hearty soup. Choose your herbs to go with your favorite meals and the bread you bake will add more enjoyment to your table.

I hope you all enjoy your fall season and winter doesn't rush in too soon.

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A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesterday. -Alexander Pope, poet (1688-1744)

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Until next time,
Good Growing to You
Cindy Meredith, proprietor
The Herb Cottage
442 CR 233
Hallettsville, TX 77964

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November 2004
Fall has finally come to our part of Texas. We had a very hot and humid October after a cool spell in August, which tricked us into believing fall had arrived way back then. But, no, of course not.... we were in for more uncomfortable weather. The fall plants were sulking in the late humidity and there was no rush to get in our cool weather crops like dill, cilantro, chervil, calendula, the brassicas and lettuce that we love in the winter here. The basil was still blooming and it was too hot even for the fall tomatoes to ripen.

But, about a week or so ago a cool front blew in with much needed rain and now we are enjoying our short fall season. Texas seems to have very short transitional seasons. We go from hot to cold or from cold to hot very quickly, so when we do have cool nights and dry, sunny days of fall, we take advantage of it.

I've been seeding herbs and flowers for early spring already and cleaning out flower beds. While I've been outdoors in this lovely weather, I'm amazed at the number of butterflies and bees that are taking advantage of the blooms in all the beds. There are the small skipper butterflies, beautiful bluish black swallowtails, huge yellow and black swallowtails and the yellow sulpher butterflies. Then there are the Gulf fritillaries that lay their eggs on my passion vines, but get nectar from many sources. And, monarchs mimics, the Viceroy, are taking advantage of the Asclepius tuberosa or Butterfly Weed flowers. Standing still in the yard and watching, I can see literally hundreds of flying insects all collecting nectar or pollen from the flowers and pollenating them in return.

One plant that is a real magnet for bumble bees and the skipper butterflies is the African Blue Basil that is blooming tall flower stalks from every branch. It is alive with the little critters quickly flying from flower to flower. The big, fat blossoms of Siam Queen basil attract the flying squads, as do all the basils that are blooming now... sweet, Genovese, lemon, purple ruffles and cinnamon.

Bees and butterflies hold on tight in the breeze to the small flowers on the tall stalks of the porterweed. Red, purple and lavender, all the porterweed colors beckon to the insects. I have lots of the old-fashioned vine we call Coral Vine, Antigonon leptopus, and it just hums with bees and bumblebees. The sound, almost a palpable vibration, is constant around the places the vine has climbed up walls and over trellises.

Not to be left out of the party, salvia 'Indigo Spires', the greggi salvias and salvia 'Anthony Parker' all are attracting their share of butterflies and bees to their flowers. 'Anthony Parker' is especially full and lush with dark purple blooms thick on each flower spike. Red stalks of Russelia sarmontosa grow through the 'Anthony Parker' to lure butterflies to its flowers and to create a very striking combination for the humans in the garden to enjoy. In my desire to reclaim one garden bed, I pruned a blue plumbago and was dive bombed by bumblebees that didn't appreciate my efforts since I did prune off several blooming stalks they were working on.

I know this is the last hurrah for many of these plants before they put themselves to bed for the few cooler winter months we experience here. It seems the insects, too, are aware of the closing of the season and are taking full advantage of the bounty that is there for them.

When planning your gardens next spring, if you want to have a garden full of flying colors and pollenators, think The Herb Cottage for flowers and herbs that will attract many different butterflies for you and your family to watch and enjoy. Look for the butterfly symbol by the plant listing when shopping The Herb Cottage website, http://theherbcottage.com.

I hope Thanksgiving brings you and your families together, if possible, to give thanks for the bounty we enjoy from Mother Nature. If you are not able to be with family members, my hope is that they will be with you soon and that they are safe and well.
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Home is not where you live but where they understand you. -Christion Morgenstern, writer (1871-1914)
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A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer and philosopher (1803-1882)
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Until next time,
Good Growing to You
Cindy Meredith, proprietor
The Herb Cottage
442 CR 233
Hallettsville, TX 77964

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December 2004

Cold weather and gloomy skies have come to my part of Texas. We're experiencing the most rainfall in a year than we've had in some time. In one way, it's good because my outdoor watering chores are kept to a minimum. And, since it's been cloudy a good bit of the time, even the pots in the greenhouse are slow to dry out. In another way, though, the over-abundant rain has caused problems. Around several parts of Texas there has been flooding, causing people to evacuate their homes, and the fields are very wet... too wet to plow and plant with winter crops.

This time of year I turn my focus to planning and planting for spring. Like many of you, I look at the catalogs that come in the mail, dreaming about next year's crops of flowers, herbs and vegetables. I look for new items that I think would be attractive to my customers or items that compliment the collections I already offer. One thing I've noticed is more and more seed companies are offering seedlings for sale of their, presumably, best sellers. I guess they've figured out that many people prefer already grown plants to starting their own seeds. After all, I'm in the plant business, too, because I saw a market for plants. I am offering more seeds this year, however, for those of you who would like to grow your own herbs, vegetables and flowers from seed.

Some varieties of plants really do better from seed in your own garden than started plants. One that comes to mind is the sweet pea. Here in the southern U.S., we plant sweet peas in fall or winter and they grow and then bloom in early to mid spring. Those of you in the more northern reaches of the U.S., will plant them as soon as possible after the last frost. The old varieties of sweet peas are grown not only for their lovely flower colors, but also for their spicy or sweet fragrance. I love them in a vase perfuming the house.

Sweet Peas are best direct sown in the soil where they are to be grown. But, you can give them a head start by starting them in the house or a greenhouse beforehand. Indoor seed starting seems daunting to many people, hence the popularity in purchasing plants. But, there is something quite satisfying about starting your own crops and plants from seed. Each seed has all the information necessary to grow to fruition if you have the patience to see the process through.

To successfully grow your own starts for the garden is pretty easy. You only need to follow a few basic guidelines to have the seeds up and growing in time for your garden. Timing is important, because you don't want the seedlings too large before you plant them out, unless you intend to keep potting them up until the correct outdoor planting date for your area. Most seeds take 6-10 weeks to reach a good size for outdoor planting. Annuals tend to grow more quickly than perennials, so you don't need to start annuals as early as perennials. Since most vegetables are annuals and do grow quickly, you'll want to start them about 6-8 weeks before time to set them out. Perennials, especially many herbs such as oregano, lavender, Mexican Mint Marigold, thyme, stevia and chives take longer to get started. These can even be planted as much as 12 weeks before your frost free date.

The type of soil mixture you use is important when starting seeds. You need a light mixture, not, generally the soil from you garden. For one thing, garden soil is usually too heavy and it can contain pathogens that don't bother established plants, but can be a problem for tiny seedlings. So, use a good potting mix that contains peat or coir, vermiculite and/or perlite. You can use recycled pots or cell packs from your garden purchases. It's a good idea to wash and even rinse them in a bleach solution to kill any bugs or diseases that may linger there. Then, fill the pots with your potting mix and water it in. Let the filled pots set for a few hours or even overnight to moisten the soil mix evenly.

Then, the fun part begins. Gather your seed packages and make tags or labels for each variety you're going to plant. You can use any number of different recycled and found items for tags. I like the unused slats of mini blinds. They're easy to cut and an indelible marker writes on them easily. If you have spring type clothes pins, take them apart and use each side as a plant stake. Again, an indelible marker will write on them. But, be sure to mark your planting. You may think you'll remember, but you won't!! Making tags with the variety name and date planted makes sure you'll know exactly what's in that pot or cell pack. If you like record keeping, start a notebook or file in your computer with all pertinent information: date of planting, brand of seed, variety, and leave a place for notes so you can record the progress of your seeds. Your records can be as full or abbreviated as you wish or have the time and inclination to do.

Follow the directions on the seed packet as to how deep to plant or if the seed needs light to germinate, just sprinkle the seed onto the surface of your soil mix. Water the seeds in gently so you don't disturb them. Many people like to place the pots in a pan of water and allow the water to be taken up by the soil. That way you are sure not to disturb the newly planted seeds. A light spray is also a way to water newly planted seeds.

Then, you'll need to find a place to grow your seeds. They'll need light as soon as they come up so they won't get leggy. A sunny window is OK, but you'll need to turn your pots so the plants don't lean toward the sun. An inexpensive shop light fixture with fluorescent tubes is a great plant light. It should hang only a couple of inches above the soil and be able to be raised as the plants grow.

Sometimes problems occur when growing plants indoors. One common problem is a fungus that causes damping off. A seemingly healthy seedling is found just lying over. This fungus is caused by too much dampness, not enough airflow or soil that had the fungus lying dormant in it. So, it's important to have good airflow around your seedlings, even a small fan turned low will help keep conditions healthy and use new, sterile soil. Don't crowd your plants together too much. Try and find another roomier spot if you think you're crowding them.

Then, water just enough to keep the soil moist so the seeds don't dry out. As the seedlings grow, you can cut back on watering a little, so the soil dries out a little between watering.... not enough to wilt your seedlings, of course. You'll avoid fungus gnats that can appear as if by magic if you keep the soil a little dry. As the seedlings age a little, you can water less frequently as their root systems can take up and hold moisture longer.

Then, just give them a little half strength organic fertilizer every 2 weeks and before you know it, it'll be time to get the garden ready for your new plants. You'll be so proud of the crops you harvest from plants you started from a tiny seed. And, you may have a better appreciation for the plants you do purchase, knowing all the work that goes into producing those plants from seed.

Be sure to check out our seed selection at: http://theherbcottage.com/seeds.htm. for seeds from Botanical Interest Seed Co.

And, don't forget The Herb Cottage to help you make holiday shopping easier with either a gift certificate or one of our Kitchen Gardens of the World. Just make your purchase with the recipient's name and address in the 'ship to' field, and I'll send a holiday greeting to the recipient and the garden will be shipped at the right time to plant outdoors.
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A book lying idle on a shelf is wasted ammunition. Like money, books must be kept in constant circulation. Lend and borrow to the maximum. -Henry Miller, novelist (1891-1980)

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Until next time,
Good Growing to You
Cindy Meredith, proprietor
The Herb Cottage
442 CR 233
Hallettsville, TX 77964