My Herb Garden

Herbs

This is my herb garden I have 2 pots of Mint which have 3 types of mint in them. Apple mint, Spear mint and a Lemon mint (or lemon balm).

Lemon balm

Lemon balm, also known as balm or balm mint and not to be confused with bee balm, is a perennial herb in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to center-southern Europe and the Mediterranean region. It grows to 70–150 cm tall. Wikipedia

Scientific name: Melissa officinalis

Higher classification: Melissa

Rank: Species

Apple Mint

Mentha suaveolens, apple mint, woolly mint or round-leafed mint is a member of the mint genus Mentha that ranges through southern and western Europe and the western Mediterranean region. Wikipedia

Scientific name: Mentha suaveolens

Higher classification: Mentha

Rank: Species

Spearmint

Spearmint or spear mint is a species of mint native to much of Europe and southwest Asia, though its exact natural range is uncertain due to extensive early cultivation

Scientific name: Mentha spicata

Higher classification: Mentha

Rank: Species

I have just invested in some curley parsley, rosemary, thyme and lemon thyme.

Parsley or garden parsley (Petroselinum crispum) is a species of Petroselinum in the family Apiaceae, native to the central Mediterranean region (southern Italy, Algeria, andTunisia), naturalized elsewhere in Europe, and widely cultivated as a herb, a spice, and avegetable.

Rosmarinus officinalis, commonly known as rosemary, is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers, native to the Mediterranean region. It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae, which includes many other herbs.

Thymus citriodorus (Lemon thyme or Citrus thyme) is a lemon-scented evergreen mat-forming perennial. There has been a great deal of confusion over the plant's correct name and origin. Recent DNA analysis suggests that it is not a hybrid or cross, but a distinct species as it was first described in 1811

Thymus vulgaris (common thyme, garden thyme or just thyme) is a species of flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to southern Europe from the western Mediterranean to southern Italy. Growing to 15–30 cm (6–12 in) tall by 40 cm (16 in) wide, it is a bushy, woody-based evergreen subshrub with small, highly aromatic, grey-green leaves and clusters of purple or pink flowers in early summer.^[1]It is useful in the garden as groundcover, where it can be short-lived, but is easily propagated from cuttings.^[1] It is also the main source of thyme as an ingredient in cooking and as an herbal medicine.

Clematis Update

I said in a previous post that i thought the big petaled Clematis was a Viticella 'Venosa Violacea' but I managed to find a sliver of the label 

So here is an update about this plant it turns out that this one is a group 2 plant originated in Japan c1980 it is a hybrid cross of 'Star of India' and 'Crimson King' it grows to between 2.5 - 3 meters so the extra wire mesh that I have put up for it is not needed.

I have found lots of information about it here and on the same web site I have found some more information about the Montana Elisabeth here This site has links for just about every Clematis so it is well worth a visit also they have a lot of information about the nurseries or botanists who raised the hybrids. I have found that people can get very passionate about Clematis and i can really understand why.

Clematis

Clematis

In My garden there are 2 types of Clematis. This one with large flowers is my favorite I took this picture on the 8th of June last year. I have forgotten the name of this one I think that it might be a Viticella 'Venosa Violacea' The petals are such a vivid colour 

The other type that I have in the Garden is Montana Elizabeth. I will put up some photos of this one when it flowers this year. We have had these plants for a few years and they are well established the labels have got so brittle that as you can see from the Montana Elizabeth it cracked just from turning it over.

Clematis come in 3 Groups based on flowering time and habit.

Group 1:  Early Flowering species and their cultivars, including the Montana groups. These flower from last seasons ripened stems.

Group 2:  Early Large flowered Cultivars Bloom on short current seasons stems 

Group 1 and 2 are sometime known as 'Old Wood' flowering Clematis. 

Group 3 Late flowering large flowered species that flower on current seasons growth

If you grow Clematis you will need to know which Group yours fall into when it comes to pruning. 

Prune at the following times;

• Pruning Group 1: Prune mid- to late spring, after flowering and once the risk of frost has passed
• Pruning Group 2: Prune in February and after the first flush of flowers in early summer
• Pruning Group 3: Prune in February

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?pid=109

It is possible to raise new plants from seeds. I am trying this at the moment with no success at this time but I will keep you informed if this changes. or by Layering this involves taking an active stem. cutting half way into it and holding the wound open then leaving this compost until the wood roots. when this happens you can remove the cutting from the main plant as an established new plant.

https://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/Profile.aspx?pid=97

Strawberry Planter

Strawberry Planter

I mentioned in a recent post that I was planning to use an old pipe that I found as a strawberry planter. Someone I know who is a bit of a mentor to me said that the pipe would be to thick so it wouldn't allow the soil to heat up quickly enough and he said that he had an old strawberry planter that I could have. 

It took a fair while to fill the planter and nearly all my compost but I am so happy with the results and so too are my strawberries. This also means that the area of the garden where the strawberries were is now available for planting.

When I moved the strawberries from the bed I ended up with more than I was able to use in the planter so  I was able to plant them around the base of the planter next to the new Herb bed that I will talk about in another Post.

Iris Harmony

Iris harmony

So excited just been out into the garden and my first Iris Harmony has just flowered. Didn't it look beautiful. Just 2 days ago it was just a few leaves sticking out of the ground. 

I should have made more notes about where they were planted. I planted 10 in the back garden which means there should be 10 in the front garden planted by the chrocus but nothing has come up on that side of the house.

Planting schedule

Just finished my planting schedule. Really excited

Striking Red (40 Bulb collection)

Striking Red (40 Bulb collection)

Picked up these bulbs the other day. I have placed them in a corner of the front garden. I think they are going to be rather striking. They are going to provide some nice color from May till the first First Frosts. I'll Provide pictures later in the year. I am really looking forward to seeing the freesias as I used to work in a greenhouse farming these for Export to England the smell was awesome. I hope that I can get some cut flowers from these as well.

Common Name:	Garden anemone 'Hollandia', Anemone coronaria (De Caen Group) 'His Excellency'
Botanical Name:	Anemone coronaria (De Caen Group) 'Hollandia'
Exposure:	Full sun and shelter
Hardiness:	Zones 8-10
Height:	Full grown height 25 - 50 cm
Color:	Red
Bloom Season:	May to June
Bulb/Plant Size:	Bulb size 3/4 cm
Number:	26

Common Name:	Freesia
Botanical Name:	Freesia
Exposure:	Full sun
Hardiness:	Zones 4-8, elsewhere lift in fall and store indoors
Height:	Full grown height 25 - 50 cm
Color:	Red
Bloom Season:	July - August 3 - 4 months after planting
Bulb/Plant Size:	Bulb size 4/5
Number:	6

Common Name:	Gladiolus Traderhorn
Botanical Name:	Gladiolus Traderhoen
Exposure:	Full sun
Hardiness:	Zones 8-10, elsewhere lift in fall and store indoors
Height:	48-60" tall
Color:	Brilliant scarlet with a white center
Bloom Season:	July - September averages 75-80 days from planting
Bulb/Plant Size:	14+cm, exceptionally large
Number:	8