Learn from the plants. Do it. . . for the plants. — Richo Cech For those of you who simply cannot get a medicinal or culinary herb seed to germinate, despite your best efforts, here is something that may help. Choose the very easiest germinators that are also the most useful: Genovese basil, Calendula, Chinese balsam, nettles, Echinacea purpurea,…
We like to leave our best plants to produce seeds, seeds that may be harvested and set aside to plant at a later time, or seeds that fall spontaneously to the ground, germinate and grow in season. We follow the “Mother Plant” concept where, given that one is working with open-pollinated plants, a single plant can produce enough seedlings…
The urge to muck about and create plant habitat goes hand-in-hand with the urge to grow more and more species of plants that need individualized growing conditions. As your species list increases, you will probably feel motivated to prepare specific plant habitats. After all, making your plants happy is a way to spread a groundcover of happiness into yourself….
Sandy loam, a substance created by the breakdown of minerals (rock) mixed with the breakdown of carbon (tree or grass detritus). Sandy loam is what we all want, because it is the best all around substrate for growing the plants we love the most: Goldenseal, Ginseng, Black and Blue Cohosh, Wild Yam, Twinleaf, Bloodroot, Stonerooot, Mayapple — the entire…
The higher you are on the pyramid, up there collecting your volunteers, the better the view! — Richo Cech The Wasabi (Wasabia japonica) patch was long overdue for a bit of upkeep and rejuvenation. Plants planted in midwinter were developing slowly beneath a cover of grasses and forbs. My extended fingers pushed in toward the crown of the plant,…
Growing mystical plants requires a certain amount of consciousness on the part of the gardener, and for best results one allows the plants to call the shots. This is only to the extent of one’s willingness to let go of control. One never really knows where it will all go. Simply wishing the plant to do well seems to…
