Garden update

From all the cuttings I took at Mom's, I found that the rosemary was the most difficult to propagate. However, one of those cuttings is now taking off nicely. The others bit the dust.

The cutting that's doing well was actually a branched portion. It had some new growth on it but the stem is part of the woody part of the plant. Perhaps that's the secret for rosemary. The newer ends just didn't want to set roots.

I've got rose and jasmine cuttings from next door, too. I put them in water to try to get them started. So far, nothing has happened as for growing roots but the cuttings are doing well and not dying. It should be another few days before I see roots forming, I think.

A week or so ago I put mint cuttings between the stones on the path that leads to the bird bath. Of course, they're doing great. Mint is very invasive if left to grow on its own, so it's loving these spaces between the stones. I'm not interested in harvesting it from there so it's ok if we wind up walking on it. Every step should give us a burst of aroma!

Soon, it will be time to bring some of the plants and herbs inside. The more tender cuttings will need to come in since they're still in small pots as will the basil. I want to have fresh basil for as long as possible. Other herbs, the established ones, can winter over outside in their large pots or where they are planted in the ground.

Here in the south, I have found that herbs such as oregano, mint, lavender, lemon balm, and sage do very well outside all year and will flourish again in the spring. The key is to put them in a permanent location where they can have the summer to establish a strong root system. My oregano is potted (another invasive plant, you know) but it will do well. It's growing like gangbusters in it's pot, so next spring I'll probably put it in the ground in an area where it can really take off.

The lavender cuttings I have are doing well. I'll have some to share with others and some to plant in other places here. I really want some lavender and rosemary next to places where we walk. It's so nice to brush up against them and have their heavenly aroma accompany us as we go along.

I'd really like to have some hydrangea bushes for the back side of the house. There's not much out there now besides the woods. It faces a sort of northern direction and is well shaded all day long, so I think hydrangeas would do well there and help "warm up" the back area.

I have other plans for the yard and area surrounding the house to give myself a sort of English Cottage garden feeling to this place in the country I do so love.

The back yard is a hillside covered with trees, so I'm thinking that planting shade loving plants back there, shoring them up on the downhill side with fallen logs or stones, will add a lot of interest with not much upkeep. It's too shady there for vegetables and many kinds of flowers, but it does need some dimension added to it.

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