Lemon, Potpourri or a Combination?

The August, 2013 Herb Garden

Don't get excited!  The snow and cold is not gone, but I did want to remind you in the cold northern states that you should be thinking about this year's herb garden.  I did a post from 2012 called Some Resources to Help with Your Herb Garden Planning.  In 2011 I did a post called Lots of Good Basic Herb Gardening Information.  These posts may be helpful in your planning sessions!

I'm just going to cut to the chase.  We are going to amend our soil because we haven't done so it about 9 years since the garden was redesigned.  I also think that we are going to lime it as well.  Because our soils are so acid and herbs like a sweet soil, lime will help raise the pH levels.  A soil test will help define exactly what we should be doing.  You can find your local extension office through this website, Cooperative Extension System Office.  Just click on your state and it will give you a larger state map with counties.  Just click on your county for the location of your nearest cooperative extension office.  They have lot of services for both farms and residential gardeners.  I volunteered with them for years.  They have sound information from their land-grant university.  In Pennsylvania's case, Penn State University.

So what am I going to do in my herb garden this year?   Well, maybe a lemon herb garden or a potpourri herb garden or a combination of both.  The Herbal Husband and I have gotten to the point that starting a lot of seeds is not efficient.  So I'm going to rely on my favorite herb farms Mulberry Creek Herb Farm (Open March, but call for exact dates and times) and Beech Creek Gardens in Ohio (Greenhouse is open from early April through June 30) and Well-Sweep Herb Farm in New Jersey because they still have mail order for my herb plants this year.  If you are in the northern New Jersey, it is a must see destination for the classic herb garden design and unusual herbs.  All three of these locations grow great herb plants.  Each of these three grower has a passion for herbs and have unusual choices.

I have a list of lemon herbs already from this article from what used to be Herb Companion magazine, now Mother Earth Living called How to Create a Lemon Garden from Geri Laufer.  Geri does live in Atlanta that has gotten a dose of our kind of weather here in the northern climes, but that's not normal for the south.  I will probably use some of her list of plants, but not all of them.  That list is included in the main article with a link right at the top of the article.  It is a much bigger garden than I have or need but I'm going to take a chunk out and use it.

I have a list of potpourri plants somewhere and I have some lavenders and a rose in my garden already.  So I'm thinking of doing a combination of both gardens.  Do you have plans for your garden this season?   If you have questions for me, I would be glad to try and answer them for you.

We have another round of snow coming overnight!  This is one of the harsher winters we have had for a long time!  Spring can't be that far away!  Oh, it's going to be 50 over the weekend!  Yippee!  Talk to you later.