It seems my pups have a taste for dill. My poor dill plants have been nibbled and grazed on. Methinks I need new dill plants. Also, my lavender plants came in last week…I managed to get them onto the patio this weekend…before the pups did any more damage to them. But the photos demonstrate that the herb garden is thriving despite the attention of vegetarian pups.
This weekend marked the beginning of my modest herb garden. Since I needed to drop by Home Depot to pick up a bag of garden soil, I decided to replace the dead ornamental pepper plant and pick up some filler for 2 unused planter troughs I still had sitting on the patio. I decided with all the cooking I’ve been doing lately, I might as well stop spending money on store-bought fresh herbs and grow my own. I purchased 2 each of the following: lemon thyme, thai basil and fernleaf dill. I suppose I should read up on the care and maintenance of these plants. (Edit: good info on care)
In addition to the new plantings, I finally got my white salvia into its new pot, which will hopefully prevent it from drying out. I also sank the remainder of my calla lily bulbs in the new herb planters.
My lavender plant grower contacted me this morning to inform me that my order will take another 2 weeks before shipping. I can’t wait for the lavenders to arrive!
I snapped the next set of pictures of my slowly-expanding patio garden this morning before work. The asahi zuru is slowly unfurling its leaves, like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. Both salvias are sporting brilliant red blooms. The new rosemary shrub is perfuming the patio. And last night’s addition, a Salsa asian jasmine, sits merrily in its store-bought pot, waiting for a new home. You can see the new planter trough which I have painted in hammered bronze.
Meanwhile, I’ve added another round of plants to my shopping cart. I ordered two varieties of lavender, Coconut Ice and White Provence, from Blossom Farm in Ohio.
| Coconut Ice Lavender Plant | 2 | 4.90 | 9.80 |
| White Provence Lavender Plant | 2 | 4.90 | 9.80 |
A pleasant discovery: there is a sprinkler head position in front of my patio. So it seems my salvia and maple are getting watered without any intervention from me. I’m not certain that the maple is getting its requirement, but since the weather has been cool, I’m not increasing the amount it is currently getting.
I visited Puckett’s Nursery in Allen and picked up a rosemary bush. I’ve decided to expand my aromatic herb selection and am currently shopping for a lavender bush to add to the patio garden. I’m considering a white-flowering cultivar, compact but preferably with a strong perfume. Ellagance Ice is one cultivar I currently have my eye on.
Meanwhile, I have decided to shelve the caladium idea and try my hand at heuchera and heucherella. They possess the fiery color which I believe will pair well with calla lilies. I also hope to finally get my mitts on a couple of Salsa Asian Jasmine. I just need to paint the new planter trough I purchased and start sating my spring gardening cravings.