We carry two kinds of rosemary, trailing and upright. This is a wonderful drought tolerant and deer resistant herb. Becareful rosemary is very good at taking over very quickly. If but in a bed you will need to keep it trimmed back.
Lavender
Lavender is a great herb to add to your garden. This herb is a little harder than most the most common problem is root rot! It needs very rocky well drained soil. It is deer resistant and drought tolerant!
Chive
The leaves of chives are used in all kinds of sauces and salads to lend a delicate onion flavor. Flat-leaved garlic chives combine the flavor of onion and garlic. Once you plant chives in your garden, chances are you'll always have them. Chives are hardy perennial plants and can be easily dug up and divided when they get too large. Plus, the attractive purple flowers scatter their seeds, so you likely see numerous chive seedlings each spring.
Broccoli
Broccoli should be supplied sufficient water to plants without creating waterlogged soil. Too much water is harmful. Stress from inadequate water will decrease the quality and quantity of the broccoli harvest. Supplement sandy soils with organic matter to help hold moisture in the soil.Most often, broccoli is grown as a seedling for about 4 to 6 weeks then transplanted into the garden. Hardened-off transplants can go out 2 to 4 weeks before the average date of the last frost.
Orange Mint
A family favorite for making a nice herbal tea. Orange mint has green, branching stems tinged with red that reach 2 feet high. Leaves are round to oval, smooth and dark green with a red edge. White and pink flowers in short spikes bloom from mid to late summer. Very fragrant, citrus-like scent. High in Vitamin A and C, fresh leaves are used in salads, desserts, and garnishes. Great for making mint sauce for lamb or fish. Try making orange mint jelly and orange mint vinegar. Adds refreshing taste to cold drinks, too. "Orange Mint" is quite easy to grow. It will readily make itself at home in full sun to partial shade in moist soil. Most gardeners don't have any trouble growing it.... they have trouble containing it. One should frequently harvest or cut back their mint to keep it looking its best. Remove old woody plants to allow newer, younger plants to fill in. At the end of the growing season cut plants back to ground level. All of the plants in the Mentha family are best used fresh... but they can be dried or frozen. Mint is very hardy and can be harvested as soon as new growth appears in the spring. Young new growth is the most fragrant and flavorful... but all leaves are edible. Hang small bunches upside down in a dry, dark, warm area to dry. Leaves can be dried on paper or on screens. Store dried leaves in an air tight container.
Spearamint
Mint plants are members of the genus Mentha, which is comprised of about 25 variable species. Mints are an intricate group of plants that hybridize in the wild as well as domestically, often making identification difficult. All mints are rich in volatile oils. Menthol, which gives the plant its distinctive flavor, is also an antiseptic, decongestant, and analgesic. The anesthetic quality found in peppermint (Mentha piperita) produces a cooling, numbing effect that makes it favored in sweet foods such as chocolate, ice cream, and candy. Japanese mint produces almost 75% menthol, and is a main source of the ingredient. Both spearmint and peppermint are among the most popular flavorings in the world, and are commercially cultivated in many countries. Mint is easily propagated by seed, division, or cuttings. Rich, moist soil and full sun to partial shade is recommended for best results. Mints with grow well in shady areas at a slower pace. Varieties started from seed should be planted in the spring; those propagated by division are best planted in spring or fall; whereas cuttings may be placed during the growing season. If the whole plant is to be used, the best time to cut is when flowering commences. Leaves only may be cut during growing season.
Peppermint
Peppermint is one of the most popular mint plants. Its oblong, purplish leaves and stems make it easily identifiable. The leaves of the peppermint plant grow 1 to 3 inches long and have pointed tips. It blooms from July to September with small pink, white or purple flowers.Plant your mint in a well-draining area in which the soil retains water in the summer. Peppermint, like all mint plants, can take over a garden bed if left to its own devices. It sends out runners and quickly spreads to fill any available space. For this reason, plant peppermint in a separate area from other plants; a couple of peppermint plants about 2 feet apart will fill in the space between and create a nice ground cover. If such a space is not available, sink a large bucket or other container into the ground to help contain the roots and discourage them from sending out runners.
Cilantro
Cilantro is used in a great many different dishes, particularly Mexican and Asian dishes, but despite the growing popularity for this dish in cooking, you do not see cilantro growing in the home garden as much as you do other popular herbs. This may be due to the fact that many people think that growing cilantro is difficult. This is not the case at all. If you follow these few tips for growing cilantro, you will find that you will be successfully growing cilantro in no time at all.The most important thing to remember when growing cilantro is that it does not like hot weather. Cilantro growing in soil that reaches 75F will bolt and go to seed. This means that the ideal cilantro growing conditions are cool but sunny. You should be growing cilantro where it will get early morning or late afternoon sun, but be shaded during the hottest part of the day.
Chile Pequin
Green maturing to bright red or red-orange, dries to brownish-red. Average Size 1/2 – 3/4" long, 1/4" diameter. Wild pequins are oval while domesticated chiles are a slightly elongated oval. The pequin is the smallest chile of all, about 1/3 inch long and wide. Do not let the size fool you, though. It is hot! The pequin has a complex, smoky, citrus, nutty flavor. Scoville Heat Units 30,000 – 40,000. Most Common Uses Salsa, soups, vinegars, beans, pickled Used mainly for liquid hot-pepper seasoning. The green fruits usually are pickled; the red ones are mostly dried.
Sage
There are numerous types of sage, although just a few are considered culinary herbs. A classic herb for stuffing, sage is also used in salads as well as meat and poultry dishes. Common sage is a handsome perennial shrub with downy, gray-green foliage. Sage thrives in a sunny garden location and very well-drained soil. Young plants need a steady moisture supply until they are established. You can start plants easily indoors from seed or in the garden in early spring. The best way to grow true-to-form, high-quality sage is to take cuttings from an established plant. Set plants or thin seedlings to stand 24 to 30 inches apart. CareEach spring, prune the heavier, woody stems from the plants. The quality will drop off after 4 or 5 years, so dig up older plants and replace them with new ones started from seed or by cuttings. HarvestingHarvest lightly during the first year to allow this perennial plant to become established. In the following couple of years, you may be able to harvest an entire plant two or three times. When harvesting, leave a few stalks in place to allow the plant to rejuvenate.
Tomato
Water often and deeply, soaking the soil six to eight inches deep at least twice a week. Tomatoes do not respond well to letting the soil dry out between waterings. Keeping moisture levels in the soil even will help prevent the dreadedblossom-end rot, that small black spot on the bottom of the tomato which eventually can spread throughout the fruit.A layer of mulch (straw, plastic, grass ) will help conserve soil moisture during the hot, dry days of July and August. In addition to moisture, tomatoes need warm soil. Black plastic mulch will work wonders if you live in a land of cool summers. For people in warmer climes, straw or another organic will be your mulch of choice. We carry a wide variety for your taste buds pleasure. Including: Celebrity, Juliet, Box Car Willy, Mortgage Lifters,Big Rainbow, Cherokee Purple, Abe Lincoln, Bingo, and Pheniox.
Sweet Marjoram
Sweet marjoram is a shrubby tender perennial that grows to about 1' tall with wiry, red-brown stems and downy gray-green aromatic leaves. It produces tiny white flowers on clustered spikes in summer. It is a zone 9 plant and is therefore grown as an annual in cold climates. It does well in a container and can be brought in for use during the winter. It hates winter wet and poor air circulation and likes a temperature of 70°F during the day and 60°F at nighttime. It likes well drained to dry soil, and full sun. It grows quickly and should be pinched back often to remain bushy.Marjoram has a mild oregano flavor with a hint of balsam. It is wonderfully aromatic. It is good with veal, beef, lamb, roast poultry, fish, pates, green veggies, carrots, cauliflower, eggplant, eggs, mushrooms, parsnips, potatoes, squash, and tomatoes. It compliments bay, garlic, onion, thyme, and basil. It can be used as a substitute for oregano in tomato sauces for pizza, lasagna, and eggplant Parmesan. Add it to marinade for artichoke hearts, asparagus, and mushrooms.
English Thyme
Thyme, like parsley, goes with everything-veal, lamb, beef, poultry, fish, stuffing, stews, soups, sauces, stock, herb butters, flavored vinegars, beans, lentils, potatoes, tomatoes, cheese, onions, cucumbers, carrots, eggplant, leeks, mushrooms, eggs, and rice.Harvest small amounts throughout the season as needed. Cut back 2" from the ground for your main harvest in late summer. Taking a second harvest before winter may make plants less able to survive a cold, wet winter. To dry, tie bunches and hang in a warm, shady, airy site. Or you can strip the leaves from the stems and dry them on a close-meshed screen. Store in a tight-lidded jar in a cool, dark place. Thyme can also be frozen.
Purple Basil
Purple basil is a wonderful addition to any herb garden. Not only is it useful for adding seasoning to Italian and tomato dishes, it's also aromatic and attractive in the garden. Purple basil can be used in any recipe that calls for sweet basil, but until you have tried it, it is best to use slightly less purple basil--the flavor is more intense than traditional sweet basil.
Italian Basil
Basils are loaded with volatile oils, responsible for the heady aroma and strong flavor so essential to cooking. The composition of oils varies greatly in different basil types, thus accounting for the wide range of scents available. Large Leaf Italian basil is regarded as the essential variety for true Neapolitan cuisine, especially pesto. Pick the extra large leaves and use fresh or dried in tomato dishes, pasta sauces, vegetables and soups. You can also use basil in the garden as a companion plant to repel aphids, mites, and tomato hornworms. This Genovese-type basil grows 18 to 24 inches high and 12 to 15 inches wide. The dark green, shiny leaves grow up to 3 inches long on a tall, erect plant that is slow to bolt. Small terminal racemes of pink flowers are borne in summer. Grow in a rich, well-drained, soil in full sun. Pinch out growing tips to encourage bushier plants and to delay flowering.
Dill
Dill is a hardy annual plant with an aromatic, feathery blue-green leaf. It's upright habit produces flat heads of greenish yellow flowers. Dill grows to a height of 2 to 5 feet. Dill can be grown in a container on a sunny windowsill, if kept trimmed. Some new cultivars have been developed to produce a fuller, stocky growing habit with more fruiting heads. Dill is not hardy in this zone. Plant in full sun, but protect the plant from wind. Plant dill in well-drained soil. Thin to 9 to 12 inches apart. Dill is prone to "bolt" to seed very quickly when the weather turns hot. Do not plant near fennel. The plants cross-pollinate, which detracts from flavor of both. Gather leaves when young. Pick seeded heads just as fruit begins to form. Dry or freeze individual leaves. Dry ripe seeds. Make dill vinegar. Use dill seed in soups, fish dishes, pickles, cabbage, dill butter and breads. Add a flower head to a jar in pickling cucumbers, cauliflower and carrots. Chop leaves into salads. Add dill to dishes such as potato salad, potato soup and new potatoes. Combine with cream cheese, eggs and grilled meats. Dill with sour cream sauce is a wonderful compliment to fish dishes, especially salmon. Dill leaves are sometimes referred to in recipes as dill "weed". Chew a few seeds to freshen breath. Use crushed seeds as a substitute for salt.
Bell Pepper
Did you know that all baby peppers start out green, then change color as they mature? In fact, when you’re growing bell peppers, some stay green until they mature to yellow or red, while others may turn white, lilac or purple before maturing to red, yellow or orange. We have Big Bertha.
Jalapeno Peppers
Good-quality Jalapeno peppers should be firm, smooth-skinned and have solid green coloring. Dry lines are not a blemish. They are signs of a mature pepper and indicate hotness. We have Hot and Mild Jalapeño as well as Serrano.
Roman Chamile
There are two plants known as chamomile. One is the more popular German chamomile (Matricaria recutita), while the other is called the Roman, or English, chamomile ( Chamaemelum nobile). Although they belong to different species, they are used to treat similar conditions. Both are used to calm frayed nerves, to treat various digestive disorders, to relieve muscle spasms, and to treat a range of skin conditions and mild infections. Chamomile can also be found in a variety of face creams, drinks, hair dyes, shampoos, and perfumes. Most research on chamomile has been done with German chamomile, which has similar, but not identical, active ingredients. Traditionally, Roman chamomile has been used to treat nausea, vomiting, heartburn, and excess intestinal gas. It is widely valued for its anxiety-relieving properties. Used topically, this herb may also reduce inflammation associated with cuts or hemorrhoids. It may ease the discomfort associated with conditions such as eczema and gingivitis (swollen gums). Test tube studies have also shown that chamomile has antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. It also has antispasmodic properties, meaning it helps relax muscle contractions, particularly in the smooth muscles that make up the intestines. Roman chamomile originates in northwestern Europe and Northern Ireland, where it creeps close to the ground and can reach up to one foot in height. Gray-green leaves grow from the stems, and the flowers have yellow centers surrounded by white petals, like miniature daisies. Its leaves are thicker than German chamomile, and it grows closer to the ground. The flowers smell like apples. Chamomile teas, ointments, and extracts all start with the white and yellow flower head. The flower heads may be dried and used in teas or capsules or crushed and steamed to produce a blue oil, which has medicinal benefits. The oil contains ingredients that reduce swelling and may limit the growth of bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Roman chamomile is available as dried flowers in bulk, tea, tinctures, and in creams and ointments.