While I'm on the subject of herbs, here's my Syrian Oregano plant. I planted this last year and watched while it grew very modestly and just let it grow. This spring it is putting out lots of luscious tender new growth. Right after I took these photos I cut the plant down to about 6 inches and am drying the stalks. Oregano is one herb that I prefer dried to fresh, the flavor of fresh oregano is too harsh for my taste, drying sweetens it. Syrian oregano is particularly strong. The aroma of the leaves as they dry is wonderful, I think it's going to taste great dried.
A volunteer catnip plant growing with my potted Makrut lime. The flowers on this catnip are huge and colorful. I don't have the heart to pull it out of the pot because it is so pretty. At the moment the lime is not at all pretty so I didn't take a photo of it.
The Pink Flowering caper bush putting out new growth. I grew this plant from seeds that I got from a SSE member in Italy. I have other plants from the same seed source that produce the usual white flowers. Those plants are in pots in a more exposed area of the garden and haven't grown as much yet.
These are my first caper bushes that I mailed ordered at least 8 or 9 years ago. I cut them back hard this winter and they are coming back as strong as ever.
One of the Croatian caper bushes growing atop the wall in front of the house. I never did get around to pruning them. The Croatian capers produced the most buds for me last year, but then, they are my only bushes that aren't confined to pots.
One branch that is growing right up against the upper part of the wall is blooming already.
Here's an oddity. This looks to be a butternut squash or something similar. The plant sprouted from seeds that were in the compost that I dug into this area last fall. The plant started growing late last fall and survived the winter frosts and chill, and the deer, it's outside the deer fence. I wonder if it will produce any squash, or for that matter, any squash worth eating.
This sight brought me a lot of joy. Those fat buds on the mulberry weren't just wishful thinking on my part, it's leafing out!
I need to get the tomato/pepper bed ready soon, look at how those babies have grown.
Thanks for joining me for my latest garden tour, I hope you enjoyed it.
In a way it is good to allow tomato and pepper to overstay as seedlings. Within a few on the bed they are ready to bloom! reduce the wait.....
ReplyDeleteWow, Michelle, even your volunteers are beautiful and well-behaved. The capers never sprouted for me. . . I don't know if it was me or them. Maybe I'll wintersow this year and see what happens.
ReplyDeleteThose tomatoes and peppers look fantastic. I need to get bed prepping. If the weather would only cooperate!
Thanks for the garden tour and update on the capers, I'm impressed that you've such success with them, the caper flowers are so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteHave you try to grow peppercorns?
I'm going to take you up on the crimson flower fava bean offer, I'll e-mail you later.
Everything looks great! Your volunteer squash is quite resilient, and I can't wait to see how it does this summer. I'll be trying oregano from seed this year, so your tip on drying vs fresh will be useful (if I succeed in growing, of course).
ReplyDeleteYour caper bushes are so pretty. Do you know if could grow them in Australia? I love capers.
ReplyDeleteBangchik, the most difficult thing about large seedlings is that they need to be watered more often and I'm not always attentive enough . . .
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Stefaneener, Well, I only showed the good volunteers! I'm sorry to hear about the capers, I'll email you about those later. The weather, just when I thought it is surely spring, it turns cold and wet again. There's more snow on the mountains south of here!
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Mac, Peppercorns, as in black pepper? No, I think it's too cold even here for pepper. Let me know about the favas, I still have plenty of seeds left.
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Momma_S, I suspect that unless I cover the squash with netting that the deer will get around to munching it. It's been fun to watch it, I never thought it would last this long.
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Funkbunny, I don't see why the capers wouldn't grow, so long as it doesn't get too cold. From what I've read, the general rule of thumb that is that if you can grow olives then you should be able to grow capers.
Your seedlings look fantastic as mine are only about an inch high!
ReplyDeleteMy borage always looks scraggly. It gets beat down by the rain and sort of crawls along the ground. I like the squash that can handle frosts. I really wonder what you will get. It would be nice to have a frost hardy squash :> I don't suppose you want to start plant breeding?
ReplyDeleteJan, the seedlings are much bigger than I expected them to be at this time. I've stopped turning on the heat mat at night in an effort to slow them down and harden them off more.
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Daphne, methinks I should protect that squash and see what the results of my "accidental compost breeding" program produces. ;)
The borage is beautiful! It is definitely a plant you can never be ride of once it sets seed, good things they are so nice. It will be interesting to see what the squash grows into. I have seen some pretty strange open pollinated squash at the market....
ReplyDeleteYour peppers and tomatoes look great. No wonder your harvests are so amazing.
ReplyDeleteHopefully, you get an edible squash from that vine!
Hi Michelle. Your seedlings look wonderful. I'll need to look more closely at how you start your peppers. I'm great at getting all kinds of tomatoes going, but I struggle with getting peppers up and running. They're always so slow for me, and as soon as they're outside at all, it is a constant struggle against the earwigs who scarf 'em up. My success rate is so small that it frustrates the heck out of me.
ReplyDeleteAre those caper seedlings in the left corner of the seedling picture? None of mine sprouted. Though they were outside all winter and potted in soil, I'm not sure they ever got cold enough.
Once again, it is all lovely.
You are the only one I have ever read about growing capers! I am sure there are others but if so, never seen them show cased before.
ReplyDeleteMy tomatoes are similarly quite robust but as usual - my peppers are doing the ultra slow start again. (sigh) Even with extra heat and lots of attention they are always really slow to get going here.
I never knew that there is a Croatian caper. I know only that there are capers. I love them, but it’s too cold here to grow them. They do grow down the Croatia coastline.
ReplyDeleteTomato and pepper seedling look great. Mine are probably same in size like yours, but I have to wait for a few weeks longer before planting them in the garden.