Herbs in "Trade Gallon" sized pots
Basil
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Grow basil in a sunny location with well-drained, rich soil. Fertilize & prune once a month for luxuriant growth & flavorful leaves. Pluck the flowers to keep the leaves sweet-tasting; and pinch the plant tops to make it more bushy & productive. Use leaves and flowers any way: fresh, frozen, or dried, cooked or raw, or as garnish. Use fresh in salads, viniagrettes, cheese or egg dishes, beverages, ice creams, sorbets, or with fruits, tomatoes, mild summer vegetables, veal, lamb, seafood, poultry, white beans, pasta, and rice. Excellent in cookies, cakes, muffins, and scones. Incorporate into potpourris, sachets, & dried winter bouquets.
NOTE: Basils are annuals. The plants must be protected from temperatures below 40*, or replaced the next season. |
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Lavender plants thrive in warm, well-drained soil and full sun. Winter dampness is detrimental; good air flow is necessary. Mulch after ground freezes, & protect from harsh winter winds. Requires perfectly drained soil and prefers alkaline conditions. Prune lightly to shape only in early spring so as not to cut off flowers. Good container plant with good drainage, & overwintered in a cool indoor location. A lean soil will encourage a higher concentration of oils. An alkaline and especially chalky soil will enhance lavender's fragrance. Once the flowers have faded, cut off the spike close to the stem. Maintain the overall shape of your Lavender by selective pinching of the new shoots. Lavender flowers can be crushed for potpourri & sachet. It is also a good fresh & dried cut flower. Attractive to butterflies & honeybees, deer resistant. The hardiness of lavenders varies, especially in this area of fluctuating winter temperatures. If in doubt, keep your lavender in a container and move it to a sunny garage area, or into your home, before first frost. Plantings on the south side of a foundation are always the most protected. We offer several different types of lavenders. You are sure to find one or more to suit your uses. |
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Mints are aromatic herbs with erect, square, branched stems. The leaves are in opposite pairs and often downy. Leaf colors range from dark green and gray-green to purple, blue, and sometimes pale yellow. They have flowers on long stems, each with a large upper lobe & smaller ones. Most Mentha grow best in wet environments and moist soils. They can spread over a wide area & should usually be planted in their pot to help contain wandering roots. |
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Oregano is easy to grow & will provide you with fresh & dried flavoring for Italian, Mexican, and Spanish dishes. Begin harvesting when plants are 4-5" tall. Strip the leaves, or cut stems all the way back to the ground, which will encourage more stems and a fuller plant. |
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Sage, which attracts bees & helps repel cabbage butterflies, & improve the flavor of cabbage. It can be grown in containers. Use in stuffings for poultry, rabbit, pork, & baked fish; also in sausage or meat loaves. Harvest sage before the plant flowers. After hanging out of sunlight to dry, remove leaves & store in airtight containers. Uses include insect repellent, fragrance in potpourris, hair coloring, skin stimulant, flavoring, salad ingredient, herbal wreaths and nosegays. |
Russian Sage
Although Russian sage is not a "true sage," I've included it here for comparison. Growing to a height of 3-4 feet tall, Russian Sage has silvery foliage that glistens in the sunlight. Loaded with steely-blue flower spikes from mid-summer through fall, creating a misty-blue haze and an airy appearance, this plant looks great anywhere in the garden. Hardy in zones 3-9, Russian Sage thrives in full sun and well drained soil, and will even tolerate dry soil. This plant is dramatic in masses or as a specimen, for use in the middle to back of a mixed perennial border. Suitable for xeriscaping, in rock gardens, and for dried flower arrangements. It can be used effectively in combination with whites, yellows and silver foliage plants, including lamb's ear or wormwood.
$
6.00
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Thymus vulgaris (common thyme, etc) is a low-growing, woody perennial, best suited to well-drained soils and full sun. It tolerates drought & deep freezes. Quite deer resistant, it is excellent in rock gardens, containers, between stepping stones, and pots. Thyme can be used as an edger, but it has a tendency to die out in spots. Its fragrant blooms attract honeybees. Established thyme can be harvested by snipping a few stems. The blossoms are also edible and are at their best when first opening. Thyme blends well with garlic, olive oil and tomatoes, complementing tomato sauces, cheeses, eggs and vegetables. It can also be used to flavor jellies, breads, vinegars, marinades, sauces and in bouquet garni. Thyme retains its flavor on drying better than many other herbs. The essential oil of common thyme contains an antiseptic, an ingredient in mouthwashes & hand sanitizers, & effective against toenail fungi. Oil of thyme was used in old times to medicate bandages. A tea made by infusing the herb in water can be used for coughs and bronchitis, and thyme may be beneficial in treating acne. |
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Miscellaneous Herbs
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These popular herbs are not reliably hardy in Tennessee. They may be grown in containers in the garden and moved inside, at least into a sunny garage window for some protection,before first frost. Alternatively they may be replaced after last frost in spring. |