Tag Archives: herbs

Ye Olde Garden

Basil Seeded

Something that’s been glaringly missing from this year’s backyard garden are the volunteer basil plants that normally sprout about this time of year. I fondly remember the monstrous basil plants that drew in all the pollinators.

I dug into my seed drawer several days ago to empty out some of the basil seeds that I ordered from previous years.

Sprinkled them into my stock tank beds and here they are aplenty, sprouting happily.

I’m looking forward to some colorful Purple Ball basil as well as Fino Verde and Amethyst Improved.

Of course I’ve always had rooted cuttings of the pesto perpetuo basil that I keep indoors. However, they don’t flower very well and they really can’t handle the Texas heat.

Ye Olde Garden

Unboxing: Wildseed Farms, Johnny’s Seeds and Strictly Medicinal

Craving more Cosmos, I picked up large packets of seed at Wildseed Farms, along with some other annuals I hope will germinate well.

Lady Bird Dwarf Cosmos Blend ×1 1/4 Pound
Mexican Hat ×1 1/4 Pound
Bishop’s Flower ×1 Ounce
Cosmos Dwarf Sensation Blend ×1 1/4 Pound

And because I couldn’t get enough Cosmos and nasturtiums, I picked up more packets at Johnny’s Selected Seeds. I wanted to also grow my own dill in case the aphid apocalypse hits my veggie gardens again.

Double Click Mix Cosmos Double Click Mix Cosmos Seed x1
Double Click Cranberries Cosmos Double Click Cranberries Cosmos Seed x1
Lemon Mint Monarda (Bee Balm) Lemon Mint Monarda Seed x1
Alaska Mix Nasturtium Alaska Mix Nasturtium Seed x1
Bloody Mary Nasturtium Bloody Mary Nasturtium Seed x1
Fernleaf Herbs for Salad Mix Fernleaf Dill Seed x1
Red Snapper Smooth-Leaf Spinach Red Snapper (F1) Spinach Seed x1
Astro Arugula (Roquette) Astro Salad Arugula Seed x1

Finally, I had strong feelings about growing more types of basil, especially the holy basil kind, so I surfed over to Strictly Medicinal Seeds to whet my appetite for some hard-to-find seeds.

TULSI (Holy Basil) SEED SET (5 seed packets): Amrita, Krishna, Rama, Temperate & Vana, all organic1
Basil, Mtule (Ocimum suave), packet of 30 seeds, organic1
Basil, Mrihani (Ocimum basilicum) seeds, organic – Packet1
Wooly Lambs Ears (Stachys byzantina), packet of 50 seeds, organic1
Skullcap, Helmet (Scutellaria integrifolia), packet of 30 seeds1
Lime Balm (Melissa officinalis ssp. altissima) potted plant, organic – 11
Sage, Jerusalem (Salvia hierosolymitana), potted plant, organic1
Skullcap, Barbat (Scutellaria barbata) potted plant, organic – 11
Ye Olde Garden

Unboxing: Colonial Creek Farm

I love purchasing budget friendly plants from Colonial Creek Farm. They always have a great selection of herbs and pollinator plants.

Kitten Around Catmint x1
John Whittlesey Salvia x1
Mirage Rose Bi-Color Salvia x1
African Blue Basil x2

This year, I get to grow African Blue Basil! I also purchased a dwarf catmint. Can you guess which one of the plants pictured attracted the kitties?

I also picked up Rose Bicolor Salvia. I had this plant last year but lost them to the heat. I did get another specimen from Denton Plant Factory.

Ye Olde Garden

Winter Veggie Garden Update

There are more veggies scattered throughout the backyard!

I had to find a home for the leftover brussel sprouts and broccoli starts that I purchased from Burpee in October. The cinderblock planters and grow bag where we relocated the lorapetalum seemed ideal.

It’s been nearly a month since these veggies were planted, and they appear to be faring well in their new homes. Although the broccoli and brussel starts nearest the fence line appear to need more sun.

I also random-sowed some fenugreek seed in a pocket next to the unfinished water feature. This spot gets full sun throughout the day. The fenugreek seedlings seem to handle the cold winter nights pretty well.

I still plan to perform much-needed maintenance on the foundation garden beds, but I’ve tasked DH with repairing the border stones before I can resume work on them. I have a pile of compost that needs to be laid, and weeding needs to be performed on the shade bed.