After a fabulous weekend in the garden, I came away with a few lessons that I hope I've learned and won't soon forget. This winter was particularly tough on my garden, and I think the culprit was ice. Lesson 1: Rosemary isn't so tuff afterall. Both of my prostrate rosemary plants, rosemary in the front garden & rosemary in the back garden perished in the frigid temps. I hoped that the shelter of the front porch would have spared my prostrate rosemary, sadly no. So now I'm on the hunt for new plants. I prefer the prostrate variety to the taller ones. It seems to flower more and it reminds me of countless trips to Disneyland!
Lesson 2: Sage is that tuff! My 5 year old sage plant is coming back strong. Dead gray crispy leaves are giving way to green soft ones. Hopefully soon to follow are those delicious purple flowers! Sadly my pineapple sage didn't make it, but if I see it I'll buy it again. I love the red flowers and the scent. It's worth it as an annual.
Lesson 3: Chives are coming back. My garlic & traditional chives are peeking out of the ground & planters. One set was overcome with moss, so off to the compost. But with chives comes my fav edible flower, chive blossoms!
Lesson 4: Thyme just can't quit. My thyme plants are springing back to life, so I'd better go trim them! Fingers crossed they'll be as prolific as years past, but just in case I bought a few more. You just can't have enough thyme.
Lesson 5: Oregano & Mint, possibly the easiest twosome to keep in pots. Green has been spotted in these pots. I keep both away from the in-ground gardens for fear that they'll take over all garden beds. I use & dry both often. The mint (chocolate) makes a great tea. The dried oregano is a fam fav on all Mediterranean dishes.
Learned any lessons in your garden? Get out there & see what's green & what's not! One new green thing in my garden is a vertical garden! It holds 12 small plants. I'm testing out water lovers & haters to see what works best.
