I have been a busy little bee this spring! Finally I have pics to show off.
Here is the herb garden, where most of the herbs call home. I have nettle in pots WAY away from traffic flow. Just yesterday I was reminded what a nettle sting feels like - it's been 10+ years, but oh yeah... I remember now! It turns out that lemon balm pretty much instantly relieves the pain and itching... I just plucked a leaf, chewed it once or twice, held it on the "nettled" area for a moment and then rubbed it in a bit. Nearly instantaneously I was all better! There are a few herbs in this picture that are still quite small, but I'm sure as the spring and summer progress, this area will fill in nicely.
In this patch: Feverfew, Lemon Balm, Catnip, Burdock, Chamomile, Lavender, Hardy Hill and Arp Rosemary, Milk Thistle, Clary Sage, Hyssop, Thyme, Echinacea, Oregano, Peppermint, Chives, Dill, Parsley, Calendula and Valerian.
So far, I have only used a mixture of rosemary and peppermint essential oils in warm water for keeping insects at bay. I am hopeful that I won't have to use anything more than this.
Here is a corner with potted peppermint, dill and chives planted in pots in the ground and a glimpse of hyssop, valerian and calendula.
A lovely calendula blooming!
A great view of the feverfew, lemon balm, chamomile, burdock, rosemary and thyme :)
Lovely, but sometimes quite painful, milk thistle near the top of the photo.
It bites if you let it :(
Another view
Tiny echinacea try to grow big enough to show up in photos! They are SO slow growing.
Notice the kitty on the left. She is eye-balling the area where she knows the catnip to be. It's between the burdock and lemon balm... out of view in pics for now. She has already somehow broken in and eaten the plants down to almost nothing! We had to seal all of the possible infiltration areas of the fence and hope that the catnip would make a comeback. It's getting there - but there are only 2 plants left and they are rather small for now. Patience, Miss Kitty. There will be more catnip for you later.
Next post will be a spotlight on the vegetable garden... you didn't think that I was only going to grow herbs, did you?
