Kitchen Herbs Basil Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum) Image Credit: gardenia.net Catnip Catmint (Nepeta Cataria) Image Credit: Outsidepride Seeds Height: 24″ Catmint ‘Walker’s Low’ Nepeta (Nepeta faassenii) – 3 plants Image Credit: American Meadows Height: 24-30″ tall Chamomile Chamomile Image Credit: Wikipedia Height: 8″ – 24″ Chives Chives Image Credit: Farmer’s Almanac Height: 6″ – 8″…
Category: Herbs
Elderberry in My Garden – Recipes & Memories from My Childhood – Native Plant
Elderberry – Mississippi Native People have asked me when my love of wildwood and gardening started. I can honestly say that I was born to love nature. Both my dad and his mother, my grandmother, were avid gardeners, and my dad was a forager and a beekeeper. My family spent many days rambling in the…
Herbs, Pollinators, Shrubs, and Flowers Planted in My Garden in 2024
I work in my garden almost every day, and planting is a continuum for me. I’ll start with December of 2023, when I planted 2 gallon-sized Zepherine Drouhin Roses. I planted them on each side of an entrance into my rose garden. I was a bit worried about how they would fare during the winter–especially…
Tips for Growing Vegetables in Containers
Jacki Kellum Garden – Raised Bed I garden in raised beds. In a way, my entire garden is a huge container. But for purposes of variety and to create height in places, I also grow some of my outside garden plants in containers. Container Planting in Jacki Kellum Garden Contents of the above container: Purple…
Swiss Chard: A Beautiful Plant that Is Also Nutritious
Swiss Chard ‘Bright Lights’ (Beta vulgaris var cicl) I must be twitterpated by the thought of starting my 2024 garden, but today I noticed, for the first time, a gorgeous vegetable plant Swiss Chard Bright Lights. I had always heard that Swiss Chard is bitter, and perhaps I have simply blocked out this gorgeous plant…
Setting Up My Flower, Herb & Plant Business – First Steps
Cottage Garden Living Plant Shop For many, many years, I have been building a plant business, but until now, my efforts have been on the back burner. But this spring, I’m moving forward with my plan. I have maintained my garden website Cottage Garden Living for at least ten years: https://cottagegardenliving.com/ This spring, I’ll set…
Bee Balm or Monarda – Queen of the Herbs in My Garden
Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) Image Credit: American Meadows Height: 24 – 48″ tall The Native Americans made healing teas from Monarda. “After the Boston Tea Party in 1773, when American colonists dumped tea shipped by the British East India Company, in protest against British rule, the bergamot tea of the Oswego Indians became a popular…
Basil – Beautiful Herb to Grow – Invaluable in the Kitchen – Includes Recipes
Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum) Image Credit: gardenia.net There are many varieties of Basil, but many sources say that Sweet Basil is the variety that every gardener should grow: “This herb is known around the world for its wonderful fragrance and flavor. The key ingredient in classic Italian pesto, Sweet Basil has big leaves that are…
Artemisia – Herb Named for an Ancient Greek Goddess
There are about 500 species of Artemisia. In this post, I’ll tell you about a few of those varieties, and I’ll tell you about the Ancient Greek Goddess Artemis. Diana and Cupid Painted by Pomeo Batoni at the Metropolitan Museum of Art 1761 “Artemisia was named for the Greek goddess Artemis. In Ancient Greek Mythology,…
Artemisia – White Sage – A Plant Traditionally Used by Native Americans
White Sage (Artemisia ludoviciana) Image Credit: gardenia.net Height: 12 – 36″ I love to share personal stories, and I have a story about how I discovered White Sage. Over the years, I have lived in many different parts of the country, and while I was living somewhere else, I was invited to a Native American…