My "Herb" Bed

Two years ago, I moved my herb bed frame out of a shaded area of the garden and into the sun.  I spent some time figuring out how to deter the dogs from walking on my plants, and how to pretty the whole thing up.  I blogged about that project in a serial extending over Part One and Part Two.

Since then, the bed has become nicely established.  It is surrounded by yarrow, which is threatening to take the whole thing over, but I do love my yarrow, so I'm not pulling it out (yet).  This year, for the first time ever (cue drum roll please!) two of my perennial herbs survived the winter.  I'm not sure what I did differently.  My Auntie Mary warned me about planting peppermint because she said it would be invasive, but I've had to replant all mints annually.  This year, though, my spearrmint and my oregano (!) both survived the winter.  The chives are also doing well in their converted canner planter.  I stuck a few more herbs in there (trailing rosemary, chocolate mint, and another oregano plant, which I bought before I realized last year's survived).  I always put some flowers in for colour too.

The view from my deck:

Quadrant 1 is mostly herbs.  Top row:  oregano, rosemary.  Middle row:  chocolate mint, petunia in shoe.  Bottom row: spearmint and another petunia.

Quadrant 2: snapdragons in the upper left; yarrow on the bottom left, chives on the right.

Quadrant 3 is mostly flowers, with daisies (which also survived the winter) in the basket on the left, yarrow in the bottom centre, and my new oregano plant on the right.  Snapdragons here and there for colour.

Quadrant 4:  the yarrow took over one of the herb containers, and scarlet runner beans are planted at the base of the trellis.

My "No More Greenhouses" resolution hits the dust ...

So, a few weeks ago I posted a facebook status saying I was not allowed to visit any more greenhouses/nurseries/plant places. My niece left a comment, laughing at me, and saying "yah, good luck with THAT, Auntie!" Seems she knows me all too well. I've been able to resist (most) annuals at this point (with the exception of that one begonia last week, oops). But, I remembered that last year, Zellers had a blow out sale on their perennials in mid-July (that's where I got the columbine), so I decided to take a gander over there yesterday. *ahem*

I dragged home 24 plants, mostly perennials, for $2 each. This was a better price than at Early's Farm and Garden, where 4" perennials were still 3 for $12 yesterday. I know 'cause I went there too. *ahem*

I got:

4 purple coneflowers

3 painted daisies

3 hens and chicks

2 creeping charlies

6 columbine

3 St. John's wort

3 lavender

I was excited about the hens and chicks because I killed off my mom's this spring. I had to keep that part of the rock garden blocked off from the dogs, and the hens and chicks were the casualties of my blocking efforts. The creeping charlie will also go in the rock garden. I realize I have never posted about the rock garden yet, mostly because it looks so sad right now.

I've overwintered lavender before - kept it alive here in the Zone 2 boonies - through two successive winters, so I will pot these ones and hope for the best again.

And I'm NOT visiting anymore greenhouses this summer. At all.

*ahem*