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spicin' it up
Available for shippin' in the spring & early summer.
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5 plants $7.95
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Mentha spicata - Spearmint
COLOR: white/pink
LOCATION: sun/ partial shade
HEIGHT: 14" - 20"
USE: Containers, floral arrangements,
GROWTH HABIT: 2½" - 3" flowers are cup shaped 5" tall & 2-3" across
REQUIREMENTS: Mints will grow in most conditions but not too dry
Likes damp, moist soil with shade at the roots & sun on the leaves
CONSIDERATIONS: Can be invasive, pleasant smell & taste. Has antiseptic qualities - used as a mouth freshener.
Spearmint aid digestion, mint jelly and sauces, oil used as a flavouring in drinks, soaps and toothpaste, etc.
Vermin deterrent – rats and mice dislike mint.
HISTORY: Name derives from the nymph Menthe, who was turned into a plant by the goddess Perserpina when she found
out that Pluto was in love with her.
Greeks used to clean their banqueting tables and added to their baths to stimulate their bodies
Romans used it in sauces, as an aid to digestion and as a mouth freshener. |
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5 plants $7.95
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Origanum vulgare - Greek Oregano
COLOR: Small white or lavender flowers
DURATION: Summer
ZONE: 4-9
HEIGHT: 6 to 24 inches
LOCATION: Sun/Partial Shade
CONIDITIONS: Well drained soil. Responds well to mulch. Water low to moderate.
HARVESTING: Clip aboveground portion before full flower.
USES: Leaves for infusions (teas), gargles and bath additives. Essential oil for external use only.
Medicinal benefits: Oregano is a strong medicinal supporting a healthy digestive system function.
ORGIN: Mediterranean region. |
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5 plants $7.95
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Allium schoenoprasum - Chives
COLOR: purple
LOCATION: Full sun
ZONE: 4 to 8
PLANT TYPE: Bulb
HEIGHT: 1 to 1.5 feet
DURATION: April - May
CONSIDERATIONS: Low maintenance
ORGIN: Balkens, Siberia, Asia Minor
USES: Chives are commonly used as culinary herb that gives dishes a mild
onion flavor. They can be added to salads, soups, vegetables and sauces. Flower heads can be used as a garnish
for soups and salads. Plants also
have good ornamental value.
Roses & Chives
Most people love roses. Growers and collectors have them in their gardens for the variety of their beautiful and
fragrant flowers. But one of the challenges of growing good roses is that they also attract a range of pests and
diseases. Aphids especially love roses, and traditional methods involve a regular spraying regime.
An alternative and inexpensive solution to this problem is to underplant the rose bush with small clumps of chives.
The onion smell of the chives masks the smell of the growing rose shoot and acts as a deterrent to aphids. This
sustainable method tricks their senses and the avoid roses. |
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5 plants $7.95
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Thymus pulegioides - Lemon Thyme
COLOR: purple
LOCATION: Full Sun
ZONE: 4-9
HEIGHT: 3-5"
DURATION: Spring/Summer
CONSIDERATIONS: Thyme requires very little attention - water only in very dry conditions. Mulch with organic matter
in October time will help protect them from severe frost and will also provide most of their feeding needs. Thyme
likes a well-drained soil. Likes to creep over walls and among rocks
Can be walked on and sat on
ORGIN: Southern Europe
USES: Leaves and flowers - both safe to eat. Pleasant smell and flavour
Dried thyme is insect repellant. Cooking - flavours food.
HISTORY: The name Thyme is derived from from the Latin thymus, which goes back to Greek thymós "spirit",
originally meaning "smoke".
The name thyme, has also been attributed to Theophrastus, the Third Century B.C. philosopher and naturalist, though
it was well known and well used prior to his naming it. Thyme has been given several beneficial properties by the
Greeks which include its use to restore strength and clarity to the mind, and its ability to clear the air of illnesses
and diseases.
Thyme was burned as a religious incense, and also to give courage in difficult circumstances. It was one of the
chief ingredients in ritual altar fires, purifying the animal sacrifices to make them acceptable to the gods, and
also to season them.
Thyme was also used to mark the key human events - at funerals, placed in the coffins of the dead. It was thought
that the souls of the dead took up residence in the flowers of the thyme plant. |
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spicin' it up
