Good Companions!

Some planned, some good fortune, some a total surprise...not much more to say!

hosta Satisfaction with self seeded sedum

spirea with inherited climbing rose

hosta with geranium Blushing Turtle

heuchera Palace Purple with geranium Elke

hosta aureomarginata with self seeded valerian officinalis

sambucus nigra with rosa Erfurt

hardy geranium with valerian officinalis - both self seeders

rosa Blush Noisette with clematis The President

geranium sanguineum striatum with golden marjoram

Pretty Perennials

I recently spent some time appreciating the pretty perennials around Holly Grove.  This being the third or fourth season for many of them, they are getting well established and some will need splitting and/or relocating next year.  For now let's just enjoy the display...

knautia macedonica Burgundy Buttons?

campanula and potentilla fruticosa

lythrum Fire Candle, linaria purpurea Canon Went, lavender Hidcote, allium sphaeroceplalon

campanula, potentilla, oregano, prunella vulgaris (self heal)

Herbs by Post

Yesterday's blog post focused on the planting of a herb border but what I failed to mention was this planting inspired me to search the internet for some more herbs for the garden, so much for saving money by using existing plants for the new herb border!  I wanted some old favourites and some new variieties and I didn't want to pay for fully grown plants.

The solution was to find some decent plug plants.  I have tried buying plugs by mail order before with varying dgrees of success, so I ventured forth with some trepidation.

in their packaging

I found a lovely site with such a range of herbs that I had real trouble choosing what to try; the herbs are listed alphabetically with good photos.  The site is Home Scent Herbs based in Norfolk.

It's possible to buy either small plants or plug plants - I went for the plugs as I am a great believer that small things grow more quickly than larger plants which take some time to settle down when transplanted.  I bought 18 assorted plugs for just over £16 including P&P...not bad, depending on the quality.  So I placed my order just after 6am on Tuesday and unbelievably the parcel arrived on Wednesday morning!

The herbs were delivered in a tiered carboard box and I couldn't wait to open it up and see the treasures inside - three plastic trays of six plugs each complete with labels.

lavender Hidcote fresh plugs

So straight into the potting shed to get these little beauties potted up and growing on.  As you can see they are good sized plants and all looking very healthy.  I'll grow them on for about four weeks before checking to see the root development (by gently tipping them out of their pots) before planting them in the garden, though a couple may end up in pots near the kitchen door.

all potted on

I almost forgot to let you know what I bought - three types of thyme; two creeping lemon thyme, two lemon thyme and two thyme Wine and Roses; six lavender Hidcote; two lavender Madrid Purple, one cotton lavender; one pineapple sage; one Moroccan mint; and one rosemary Miss Jessop's Upright...and that makes eighteen!

I'd heartily recommend Home Scent Herbs; the quality of the plugs, reasonable prices, the variety of the herbs available, a useful website and amazing delivery - what's not to like?

The Scented Border

So how long does it take to create a herb border? 

I have wanted to join two borders together between the party patio and Valentine's gate border for some time but as it will be a narrow strip the question remained what to plant.

viola yellow rebecca

As it would be sited right beside the party patio some scented plants would be good; then the Handyman suggested lavender.  He'd been inspired as he brushed past the small lavender hedge planted three years ago and the scent floated up to him.  As we discussed this possiblity we thought of the herb border in the kitchen garden and the two thoughts combined - as we use the party patio as our main BBQ location the thought of herbs on hand to add to the cooking and the lovely scent as they are cropped convinced us that this was the solution.

very ittle lemon balm in the foreground

So next question - how to stock the border? 

With the miriad of herbs available we were spoiled for choice however to do it on a budget we mostly gathered plants from our existing stock by relocating a couple from less favourable spots in the garden and lifting and dividing some herbs from the kitchen garden.  The result is that we have a lovely new border with lavender, chives, lemon thyme, sage, lemon verbena, parsley, rosemary, golden marjoram, lemon balm, sweet violas, lemon scented geranium...hmm, seems to be a bit of a lemon theme going on!

And to answer the original question: with the Handyman's help in clearing the grass and digging over the ground; two and a half hours from grass to growing!