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Indoor Tea Garden
By Karen Hegre
Many tea herbs grow well indoors. They may not reach the fullness or height
that they would outdoors as their container-bound roots are somewhat
dwarfed, but they can still provide beauty and an abundance of leaves for
making herbal teas.
Some tea herbs to grow indoors include:
Angelica, bay, borage, burnet, catnip, chamomile, dill, fennel, horehound,
jasmine, lavender, lemon balm, lemon verbena, marjoram, mint, oregano,
basil, parsley, rosemary, sage, savory, tansy, tarragon, thyme, wintergreen,
sweet woodruff, and of course....scented geraniums!
Make sure you choose a spot where the plants will get plenty of sun, ideally
a south-facing window that gets light all day. If you don't have that,
you may have to use artificial plant lights, giving seedlings and plants
from 12 to 16 hours of artificial light each and every day.You can grow a
garden on a table next to a window, in a window greenhouse,
in hanging baskets, in a terrarium, on trays, in large window boxes and of
course in pots.
Make sure you use room temperature water. Take time to learn the herbs
habits and water accordingly. You should also provide enough humidity.
If your home is dry, as it tends to get during winter months, use a
humidifier in your home, or mist herbs daily, preferably early in the day
so that the herbs are dry when the light is no longer available. Some herbs
will adapt to the drier humidity of indoor growing...but some will not!
If an herb's leaves wither, check to see that it's getting enough, or too
much water, and enough light. If the leaves develop brown streaks...the
plant may be getting too much sun. A lot of us indoor gardeners think
insects or disease are causing leaves to wither, turn brown, or develop
crisp edges, but this may not be so. The plant may be getting too much
heat, or soil temperatures may be fluctuating too much.
Lifeless-looking leaves may be the result of too little water. Buds
dropping off usually indicate rapidly fluctuating temperatures. If
stems turn soft, the herb isn't getting enough sun, and it's probably
getting too much water.
Indoor Pests and Disease
Herbs growing indoors are fairly resistant to disease and insects, just as
they are outdoors. But, they DO get them.
Major indoor herb pests include aphids, mealybugs, mites, and white flies.
White flies love mints indoors! Insecticidal soaps, used to combat
outside pests, are also available in indoor formulas. They provide
effective insect control and are organic, they contain no substances
injurious to people or to pets!
When you buy herbs from the nursery this time of the year, especially in
colder zones, they may well have insects, so isolate them for your other
plants for up to a week.
Be sure to keep your plants trimmed. Trim just above the leaf buds, and
trim regularly rather than allowing plants to become too large and 'leggy',
which will require dramatic trimming, and can cause the plants to die of
shock caused by the imbalance between the roots and leaves! Believe
me....I speak from experience!
Indoor plants require careful monitoring because they depend on you for all
of their needs.
If you use the herbs as decorative centerpieces for your table or as welcome
fragrances in the bedroom or kitchen, be sure to alternate them so they are
not in the shade for more than a few days at a time.
This is all well worth the work! These herbs offer not only
beauty and fragrance close at hand, but a bountiful harvest of herbal teas
as well!
About The Author
Karen Hegre
I feel very fortunate to have met Karen, and to be able to share her
wonderful
crafts and herbal inspiration with our visitors. She has a gentle soul
and contributes
not only her words but encouragement as well.
Karen is a Master Gardener specializing in herbs, a mom and grandma.
She and her husband have a Backyard Wildlife Habitat, plus 'Fairy
Gardens' where the children can learn about different herbs and hear
Karen read a story about the Garden Fairies and Flowers. They are open
to the public May through September.
Karen owns several discussion lists, which we have listed below with
the subscription
information. All are free to join and a joy to be a member
of!
Nature
Crafts: This is a list for those who enjoy crafting
with Nature and want to learn more!! We will share projects, learn ways
of preserving those natural items and much more. Click Here to
subscribe.
Keepers Of
the Gardens: This list is a 'learning &
sharing' list on how to create beautiful back yard habitats for birds,
butterflies, hummingbirds, and other wildlife including bees,
dragonflies, frogs, toads & other friendly insects &
reptiles. Click Here
to subscribe.
Aromatherapy
One-0-One: This is a list for learning the basics
of Aromatherapy and Essential Oils. A friendly place for questions and
ideas... a place where we can learn from each other. Click
Here to subscribe.
SeptemberLady "Born and have lived in Southern MD most of my life. My husband and I just finished building a new home on the family farm, where I hope to retire in the near future.
My interests: Doll collecting, cookbook collector (especially old ones), antiques, family/friend get-togethers, cooking/baking, flower and vegetable gardening, bird-watching."
Memorial Day: Backyard Grilling Memorial Day signals the start of barbecue season. Everyone wants to light that fire and charcoal that first meal. A few tips might pre- vent your entree from becoming a "Burnt Offering."
Read these tips for plenty of grilling ideas, make this year's barbecue perfect!
Growing and Using Garlic Chives Garlic chives, Allium tuberosum, is a hardy perennial (Zones 3-9) that will grow to about 12 inches high. The stems are skinnier and flat, instead of hollow as are regular chives, with greenish white blooms that are about an inch wide and not as rounded. They bloom in the summer rather than spring. The bloom stalks grow much taller than the leaves, sometimes up to 30 inches.
The stems and blooms are both edible and have a mild garlic onion taste. I've noticed many writers will list this as primarily as an Asian herb, as they are also known as Chinese chives, Chinese leeks, ku chai (China) or Nira (Japan), but it has many other uses as well!
The Perfect Porch Swing Perhaps it is the soothing rhythm or the reassuring creak of the porch swing that attracts us. Perhaps it is the companionable silence or quiet conversation. Or maybe swings simply remind us of more genteel times.
Although porch swings can be purchased in a wide range of materials, the most common are wicker and wood. You can also make your own porch swing from one of the myriad of woodworking patterns available at garden centers, hardware stores, or on the Internet.
Memorial Day: Backyard Grilling
Growing and Using Garlic Chives
The Perfect Porch Swing