herbs – Fine for Friday

Five for Friday 30 Dec 2022

The New Year is upon us and as always I am looking upon it with great expectations. In many ways, this has been a trying year and I am not regretting its passing.

The severe weather that we just experienced in Central Alabama has caused visible damage and to our plants untold damage yet unseen. Here in the American South, there is still some color to show but also a glimmer of the damage done.

It was a flash freeze that we experienced here with the temps dropping 40 degrees F in just a few hours to temperatures we rarely record.

Here are my pics for today.

First, here is some of the color before the freeze. The Majestic pansy and the kerria were so bright and cheerful.

Second, here were some other window box items that were doing so well. The red sorrel and the curly parsley are now history. The succulent may survive.

Third, here is the ageratum which had been surviving through several mild frost days. It will have to wait until spring weather to see if it survives. I am optimistic.

Fourth, here is a sasanqua camellia. It shows some leaf damage from the freeze that I have never seen before but there is enough green and a bud to hold out promise.

Fifth, I show you a Rudbeckia ‘Indian Summer’ which I protected in my little vinyl greenhouse. It is a survivor.

Finally, there are a pair of other tender plants which I shelterd in the greenhouse and they will survive to bloom another day.

There is a geranium (Pelargonium) here and a shrimp plant.

There has been a lot of damage to water pipes in our area. Many buildings do not have the insulation for the pipes to survive the severity of cold we had and so much of the distribution systems are aged and frail. These problems will take time to fix and may result in more stringent building codes.

Happy New Year and Happy Gardening!

Thank you to Jim Stephens for hosting Six on Saturday Come visit our merry band and enjoy the thoughts and labors of gardeners around our planet.

Six on Saturday 16 Dec 2022

The weather is forecast to be much colder but there are still some blooms to show you. There is also signs of new growth to come.

We are expecting a cold snap here in Central Alabama. Temps will drop below freezing for several nights. Looks like this will continue at least until Christmas. Who knows! We might have a white Christmas.

In the meantime, my photos today will feature some persisiting blooms and some signs of things to come.

First, here is a lantana to start. It still has a few blooms despite the short days and cool temps. I really like this gold color. It will not survive the upcoming cold nights.

Second is the Camellia japonica “Sea Foam”. It is a little early but the double bloom is outstanding.

Third is the second Camellia japonica. I could not find the cultivar name but it is an unusual dark color.

The next are two ferns. The first is known as Southern Shield and it is evergreen. The other is an asparagus fern which dies back with the cold.

Fifth is a bay (Laurus nobilis) which I use for cooking. This has a hint of lemony flavor in addition to the expect bay leaf flavor.

The next is a project that has succeeded. These are leopard lilies that I have started from the seeds (bulbils). I planted them last fall and they sprouted this spring. They should be ready to plant next spring.

Happy gardening! Hope the cold weather does not cause the garden too much damage.

Follow the Six on Saturday group on this site Six on Saturday blog. Jim Stephens has taken over hosting the group.

Thanksgiving 25 Nov 2022

We have had a reprieve from the freezing temps of last week. It has been beautiful with warm days but that always brings the possiblity of stormy weather. In fact, it may bring some thunderstorms tomorrow night.

There was a refreshing rain overnight and we are still overcast this morning as I write. This is Thanksgiving weekend and this is a special beginning to the holiday season. It is appropriate to give thanks for all things. It is a good thing to pause, step back and reflect. Yesterday, it was a feast day with turkey as the centerpiece and sides of traditional food at our house including cornbread dressing, squash casserole and cranberry relish.

It is also a time to look forward beyond the holiday season and to the upcoming year. In the garden, there are signs of the past year but also signs of the year to come.

First, I have a lantana still putting out some blooms. It seems to remind me of colored popcorn.

Second, I have a Camellia sasanqua and a California poppy both with bright blooms.

Third is a large hosta. After the frost, the bright greens are replaced by this golden yellow which is so eye catching.

Fourth, there is a Tuscann blue rosemary with its delicate blue blooms.

Fifth, there is the seedhead of some garlic chives. This is a sign of new life to come and also garden weeding in the spring.

Sixth, there are the buds of blooms to come. This is Viburnum macrocephalum and Edgeworthis chrysantha which will be glorious come spring.

Those are my offerings for this week.

Follow Six on Saturday hosted by Jim Stephens on garden ruminations. It is a gathering of gardeners around the world sharing their love for gardening.

Happy Gardening.

A Winter Harvest

This is Titan parsley that I started from seed last summer. It is in a carport window box. It gets set back on cold nights but always snaps back in a few days. I have to remember that parsley is a biannual so it needs a new start every 2 years. It is so convenient to collect fresh parsley whenever you need it for cooking.

The winter still provides enough fresh items for cooking. Here are some other things that I keep growing around the yard in winter.

Here is some lemon thyme. As you can see, it does so well in the carport in winter. It is a great addition to home made soups. We save leftover chicken or roast to make soups in winter. We like the taste of the fresh thyme in those dishes.

This is Tuscan blue rosemary. It thrives in the garden. If I bump into it, it emits such a wonderful smell. I cut it back one third in the spring to keep it from getting too woody. We like to add it to soups, chicken dishes and pork dishes.

This is ginger. This is one called Big Kahuna Blue Ring. I grow it in a container so it can be brought indoors when the weather cools. Just cut a piece and you have fresh ginger for stir fry. It is a pretty plant in summer but I have not had it bloom. That is a pinecone you see. I cover the top of the soil in my containers with pinecones. That helps to keep the squirrels from digging in them.

This green is red sorrell. It does well in the carport windowbox all year. That microclimate is warm enough in winter and just enough shade for the summer. It adds nice color to a salad and has a pleasant taste.

This is some of my indoor nursery. The leopard lilies are not up yet but I have some dill started and a nice crop of snapdragon. I wanted to start the snapdragons last fall and put them out late fall but best laid plans did that idea in. These snaps are Madame Butterfly.

Remember I was inspired by #Six for Saturday thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com.

You will also enjoy this latest blog from Felder Rushing. Summer Mississippi flowers seen in England.