Herb Garden Workday

There were cars and trucks parked around the demo gardens Friday morning as Master Gardeners worked in the perennial, herb and Gass House gardens.

Herb Garden - April 2013

Planting, mulching and watering happened in the herb garden. Trailing germander (Teucrium Chamaedrys ‘Prostratum’) was pulled from the holding area and planted along the edge of one of the front beds. This is also known as the "poor man's boxwood” and is often seen at the edges in knot gardens or formal garden beds.



Trailing Germander

The Craft Garden

Sweet Annie (Artemisia annua)

Sweet Annie (Artemisia annua), used in making wreaths, potpourri and sachets, was planted. The leaves from mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris), pulled from the pollinator garden on Monday, are an excellent insect repellent and can be added to sachets for linen or clothes closets.

Globe amaranth plants (Gomphrena haageana ‘Strawberry Fields’) were added. The red globe amaranth adds bright red to any wreath or dried crafts and can be used as visual additions to dry potpourris.

Globe Amaranth

The garden includes violets, used for dried flower crafts, and lemon thyme (Thymus citriodorus) used for potpourris.

Violet

Also added were both red and yellow yarrow (Achillea millefolium) used in wreaths, arrangements and potpourris.

Yarrow 'Paprika' (L) and Yarrow 'Schwellenberg' (R)

 

Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota)  is used for arrangements, wreaths and as a visual to dry potpourris. Presumed to be named after Anne, Queen of Great Britain, the flower resembles lace. Although the tiny red center flower is thought to be a blood droplet where Anne pricked herself making lace, it is actually a flower colored by anthocyanin which attracts insects.

Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus carota)

Other plants to be planted in the near future are baby’s breath (Gypsophilia), lavender cotton/santolina (Santolina chamaecyparissus), celosia, curry plant (Helichrysum italicum), scented geraniums, another scented thyme and Iris germanica var. florentina, also known as orris root, a fixative for scents in potpourris and cosmetics.



Curry Plant

The Dye Garden

This garden is a bit of a challenge as many of the plants are not commonly found in gardens. The binomials of some plants include “tinctor …” meaning to tint or dye. On order are madder (Rubia tinctorum), woad (Isatis tinctoria), dyer’s chamomile (Anthemis tinctoria) and indigo (Indigofera tinctoria). Only a goldenrod (Solidago spp.), claimed from the pollinator garden, has been planted so far.  Also planned are yarrow (Achillea), zinnias (Zinnia spp.), marigolds (Targetes spp.), saffron crocus (Crocus sativa) and a centerpiece plant, dyer’s broom (Genista tinctoria).




Dyer's Broom

Stay tuned for more on the herb garden as the weather turns warmer and the seedlings from the greenhouse can be moved to the various beds.

Goldenrod and Ragweed

Closeup of the flower of Common Goldenrod, Solidago canadensis Picture courtesy of Annette MaCoy
Cumberland County home horticulture educator

Goldenrod, or Solidago canadensis, a native perennial, is often blamed for causing misery for allergy sufferers this time of year. The real culprit, however, is ragweed, or Ambrosia artemisiifolia, a summer annual. Allergies are caused by small pollen grains from plants and trees that use the wind to spread them over a wide area. The plant’s reproductive survival is based on these wind-blown pollen grains happening to fall on another flower of the same species of plant or tree located elsewhere. The chance of successful fertilization is increased by producing a huge quantity of small, light, pollen grains, which can carry over great distances.

Field of blooming Common Goldenrod, Solidago canadensis
Picture courtesy of Annette MaCoy
Cumberland County home horticulture educator

Unfortunately for us, that also means that we can breathe them in, causing an immune system response that results in the familiar symptoms of sneezing, running nose, and headaches that make outdoor activities difficult for allergy sufferers. Goldenrod, however, is a flowering plant that uses insects to spread its pollen around. These grains are larger and heavier, and produced in much smaller quantities. Goldenrod gets the blame, simply because they are far more visible and blooming at the same time that the inconspicuous flowers of ragweed are also blooming. The native, wild species of goldenrod are also somewhat aggressive, spreading both vegetatively and via seed and can be considered weedy by home gardeners and farmers. They do, however, provide a welcome late summer and fall nectar and pollen source for beneficial insects and pollinating bees, that make them a desirable plant to have around.

Closeup of the flower of Common Ragweed,  Ambrosia artemisiifolia
Picture courtesy of Annette MaCoy
Cumberland County home horticulture educator

Fortunately, plant breeders and hybridizers (mostly from Europe) have developed Solidago cultivars that are smaller and less aggressive, making them attractive additions to a home landscape, with the added benefit of providing a food source for the good bugs.  The European cut flower industry has also recognized their attributes and they are increasingly used in arrangements, especially for cemetaries.

Common Ragweed, Ambrosia artemisiifolia Picture courtesy of  Annette MaCoy
Cumberland County home horticulture educator

So, keep ripping out any instances of ragweed that you find, to reduce the amount of pollen in the air, and consider adding some goldenrod to your landscape.