Debbie's Garden

Hi all! Got new basil seed the other day, and planted them. Soon I will (hopefully) have Basil - Christmas, and Basil - Purple Petra (i have a few of those left from earlier this spring). We've had such a cool spring here in Georgia, that the basil has been slow to grow. Hopefully the weather will be a little warmer from now on!  I have other new varieties I have yet to plant, will try to work on that in the next week or so.  Also received some fresh culantro seed. Culantro is a perennial, and has almost the same flavor as Cilantro, and it's hardy when it's hot, unlike cilantro! So I am getting some of those going, and also some more fennel.  I will be going out to the Marietta Square Farmer's Market again this Saturday with my herbs, 9am to 12noon....hope to see you there!  Have a great weekend!!  deb

Well I couldn't stand it! In my last post I mentioned it was raining and I guessed I'd be inside....or on the porch.....well, the porch won! I transplanted some purple petra basil, and some opal basil. Then proceeded to plant some tarragon (never grown it from seed before so this should be interesting), some GREEN RUFFLES basil, which I've also never grown before, but i do like to grow different types of basil.  I also planted some East Indian Lemongrass. Tomorrow I will be dividing and repotting tomato plants and various types of peppers, and pray they will grow a bit before the Plant Sale in April! My friend Michelle said she wants some of those bell peppers - the variety i planted is Big Dipper. Also have cayenne and sweet banana coming along....my friend Linda gave me some heirloom tomatoe seed the other day, and even though it's kinda late, i went ahead and planted them anyhow....can't hurt, i'll just have a late harvest :-)  Hope everyone else had a pleasant and productive day.

Hi everyone, it's been a few weeks so i thought i would update your all on the babies in the greenhouse! I have seedling basils(lots of varieties), chamomile, catnip, lavender, oregano, thyme, and the tomatoes and peppers are coming up and looking good! A few other stray weird plants...i like a challenge and have planted some Fenugreek just for fun, it came up right away so it wasn't much of a challenge!  Outside, in the garden, i planted onion and bibb lettuces. My radishes are up, garlic is doing well, tarragon is peeking through the soil and i have romaine and baby lettuce mix going strong. Cilantro and dill, they love the cooler weather, and are doing just fine! Of course, the ever present PARSLEY...not just for me, but for the butterflies too. I'm getting ready for our plant sale on April 18 at Point of Need Ministries, on Canton Road. We are having a festival type event, a BAND JAM, and many vendors will be present, including MOI with the plant sale! I will have irises, gardenias, butterfly bushes, coreopsis (perennial), mugwort, and a bunch of other plants, including the herbs....it will be a great sale! I was going to try to post a photo here....never done that before....of my plants "getting ready"!  Couldn't figure it out, so i'll try again later.....Ya'll have a great day, and pray the weather holds and spring is here to stay! HAPPY GARDENING!

Yea it's official, spring fever is here....LOL! I have all my little seed packs and have been in the greenhouse, and will be out there again today planting cinnamon basil, thai basil, purple basil, BRUSSELL SPROUTS, tomatoes, peppers.....yea my greenhouse will be overflowing....i rearranged to accomodate more plants, and realize i just was not using the space as wisely as i could have....it's cramped, but doable!  A good source for seed (besides me)  is Botanical Interests they are awesome! Lots of info on each packet, and reasonable priced, good selection, the whole nine yards.....so i have some new seed to plant from them. They have a website and blog too, and are a family owned company.  I can't wait to get out there and DIG IN.....!! Ya'll have an HERBY day!  debbie

The babies are up! Baby basils of the lime, genovese and lettuce leaf varieties! Also some morning glories and cyprus vines are  up....hopefully soon we'll have strawberry gomphrema and lavender as well. I've decided my greenhouse is defintely too small! I need much more room for all I need to start, or i'll just have to give it up! (yea whoever heard of a plant fiend giving  up? LOL!)  The rosemarys are doing well, seemed to have rooted (most of them). Now I need to start some moss curly parsley, oregano, dill, cilantro, to name  a few. Market will be here before I know it! I think I shall go see if i can find a bigger greenhouse....i'll let you know the outcome! Have an herby day! deb

It was too gorgeous a day in Marietta, GA to stay in the house, no matter I had a ton of things to do inside as well! Got a head start on planting some herb seeds in the greenhouse! Planted some sweet basil, lime basil, large leaf basil, then some flowers, too ...strawberry fields gomphrena and cyprus vines & morning glories....even rooted some rosemary cuttings...ok enough for one day! It is, afterall, only FEBRUARY! Temps in the greenhouse have been "tropical" the past few days so hopefully the basil will be up in a few days, as usual! NEVERMIND it's supposed to snow on Tuesday....LOL! Balmy today, freezing tomorrow...you never know in Georgia! :-) Everyone have a great day!

Hello all, and HAPPY NEW YEAR! I'm glad to have entered another new year with localharvest.org. The greenhouse is keeping all the baby herbs warm, and before we know it spring will be here again. Until then....I got a new seed catalog yesterday and am spending my time "daydreaming" about growing new types of basil and such! Perhaps i'll order some, and get it going in the greenhouse. Can't wait for farmer's market in May, I miss everyone! And, i'm still shelling pecans, too.  I believe in doing two things at once (at least) and i can listen to music or on-tape books and shell pecans at the same time! Got to keep those hands busy! Dreaming up new herbal tea blends, too...can't wait to savor them, hot or cold! Truly i have been blessed beyond belief, and i can't wait to see what 2009 has in store for me! I'm off now, can't sit still too long.....! Have a great day!