Perennial Herbs - Key for Pollinators

At this time of year, sitting in the garden and watching the varied amount of bees, hover flies, moths, butterflies and beetles is quite amazing.

I wish I knew my bees, but this little one went through each tiny trumpet. Flower clusters are no bigger than a nickel.

Helping them find pollen is key this time of year.

I find the most activity is in the perennial herb boarder.

Most culinary inclined gardeners prevent many herbs from flowering, unless to achieve seed harvesting in the late season. I however, allow many to go to flower and bolt in order to provide bees and other pollinators a chance to gather pollen (much needed now for overwintering preparations).

Don't under-estimate small flowers from herbs. Here is an assortment of perennial herbs that have tiny flowers that attract a lot of pollinator activity:

Lemon Balm

Mint

Spearmint

Summer Savory

 Oregano

Basil

(Although, basil is not usually perennial in my zone (5b), this one self seeds every year)

Onion

 Chives

Sage

 Coriander

With multiple self seeded plantings in a season, this late bloom (albeit tiny flowers) attracts pollinators like crazy.

Please let them bolt and flower. Within 5 minutes of snapping shots, I captured about 4 different pollinators on varied flowers. 'Bee' amazed at what you'll see.

When all the herbs have a few stems that are allowed to flower at once, it's a sheer delight to hear all the buzzing go round.

When Cilantro becomes Coriander

For some reason, I always associate Coriandrum sativum; the green leafy portion of the herb as cilantro and its dried seed as coriander. Yet, essentially they are interchangeable. I used this association to come up with my blog entry title. Hope it doesn't confuse folks.

It's late August and I've basically run out of usable foliage for fresh leaf harvesting off my cilantro plant. Here you can see it has bolted and started to produce seeds.

Wish my photo was better, but I love their larger 4 petals flowers fanned over a smaller star shaped florets.

Once the flowers wither, these plump seeds arrive. I plan leaving them on the stems to dry so I can collect some for re-seeding next year and some for the kitchen.

In desperation, I've used this ferny dill bolting foliage in cooking. It's just as tasty as the parsley shaped leaves. When it bolts like this, unfortunately there isn't much to go round.

I used to compost my cilantro once it bolts, but I've seen bees and butterflies enjoy the white flowers and I can't wait to harvest organic seed and use them in some Asian meals. Going to let them dry and harden them on the plant and enjoy harvesting the seeds in October...

Update:

...Well, it's now October and here are the seeds:

 

Perhaps not the largest, and highest volume, but enough to seed for a crop next year and enough for a meal or two.

Have a look at my previous post on Cilantro/Coriander.

Edible Ornamentals

My garden is too small to have a separate veg patch. Last year I decided to add my veggies in between my ornamental plants and I was happy how they blended in with my perennials. I'm tired of plants only looking good. In the last couple of years, I'm quite glad to see garden design trends here in Canada including plant material that have edible benefits, outside of a solitary vegetable patch hidden in the corner.

Strawberries in bloom, great ground cover.

If you're interested in adding edible ornamental alternatives that come back each year, here are many perennials and woody shrubs that I could think of here for my zone (5b, 6a). Offering visual interest and edible benefits for any front or back garden borders:


Hardy overwintering edibles:

• Blueberries - fruit and wonderful fall colour

• Gooseberries - fruit bearing in a leafy shrub border

• Red and Black Currant - great bush for borders or informal hedging

Few more weeks....then....mmmm. :)

• Allium - chives with tall texture and lovely purple flower tops

• Strawberries - ever-bearing white flowers with red leaves in fall - great ground cover

• Serviceberry Trees - white flowers, lovely edible berries and great fall leaf colour

• Garlic Chives - white flowers and edible leaves
  

• Asparagus - ferny foliage, spring harvest

• Quince - beautiful flowers, great fruit

• Elderberry - flowers and berries useful for cordials and sauces

• Violets - flowers are edible, great for salad

• Rose species (Rugosa and Villosa), rose hips for canning or tea

• Mahonia - Oregon Grape, yellow flowers, glossy foliage and blue-black edible fruit

• Lavender - herb uses 

• Thyme - great ground cover

Here are some annual (non hardy) plants that add visual interest while providing edible qualities:

• Carrots  - ferny foliage, great in clumps instead of rows

• Nasturtium - flowers are edible, great for salad

• Purple Ruffles Basil - great contrast colour and useful in cooking

• Parsley - coarse ferny leaves

• Cilantro - coarse ferny leaves

• Red Russian Kale - leafy texture and attractive colour

• Bright Light Swiss Chard - leafy texture with brilliant stems

• Sweet Pea - sugar snaps, lovely flowers and great vine

• Red-leafed lettuce - contrasting red foliage

• Oregano - ground cover, purple pink flowers
  

• Rosemary - rigid growth which look similar to lavender
  

I decided on more containers this year and will be adding nasturtium, sweet peas, cilantro, russian kale, swiss chard, red-leafed lettuce into my annual displays.  Their unique foliage colour, texture and growth habit camouflage the fact they are actually edible. At least this way you enjoy your garden more with fruitful yields, adding visual interest as well.

Cilantro (Coriander) from grocer....planted on.

Having had a craving for Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls today,  I stopped at my local supermarket on the way home to pick up some fresh cilantro. A fresh batch was just set out and I was delighted to see healthy, crisp roots still attached. Then my green fingers thought - these are perfect planting specimens!

Not only did I get the cilantro I needed for my dinner, but I now have an edge on getting a batch started for the summer.

I never start plants by seed, since I only have one full sunny window. Sniff, sniff, as I wish I could.

I just end up buying plant-lets at the garden centre which can be costly. Since this spring season has been so unusual temperature wise, I've been hastily waiting. I'm glad I didn't buy any cilantro. Instead, now I have plants and herb bliss in the making today!

First I took a good look at the bundle and separated the good bunches from the not so good ones. Then I rinsed them with cold water.

I then took each plant and took off the outer bulky stalks that are perfect for my recipe but too much bulk for my starter idea.  I left 2 to 3 stems of the new growth in the middle (having to remove the outer stalks sometimes by scissors, if the centre was thin).

I found one of my herb pots and filled it with 1 part compost and 1 part potting soil (leaving 2 inches from the rim). I poked holes with my finger and then gently wedged the cilantro roots down. 





Any leafy bits that looked wilted or that looked weak, I cut back.  This reduces stress on the planted roots. You've got to remember, this cilantro had a lengthy travel from the where it was grown to my kitchen. Many leaves and stems would of been bruised or damaged.



I didn't firmly pack down the soil, I watered it well until I found the soil settled nicely, making each stalk stand rigid.

I managed to get about 12 stalks in this 8 inch pot. Not bad for having paid $1.49 for the entire bundle. Hopefully in a few weeks, I can pick more fresh Cilantro!

Vegetables for shade

Late summer 2011

It feels like spring out there and I can't help share my veggie plans for this coming season.

Now that I have more knowledge of what light conditions my garden has, I have made my list and developing plans for what vegetables and herbs I would like to plant.

I'm keeping in mind: "If you grow a plant for the fruit or the root, it needs full sun. If you grow it for the leaves, stems, or buds, a little shade will be just fine".


Vegetable plant list for 2012: *Photos from OSC Seeds

*Baby Leaf Blend Lettuce

• leaf lettuce
• mache (lamb's lettuce)
• arugula              
• swiss chard
• spinach
• kale
• beets (for leaf too)
• radishes
• basil
• parsley
• cilantro 



*Cherry Belle Radish

• cherry tomatoes

Leafy greens, radishes, beets and herbs are my choices. They are tolerant of some shade, not huge amounts, but certainly partial sun and dappled sun.  My containers will be ideal for more herbs, outside of my perennial chives, mint and hopefully my oregano will overwinter.

*Bright Light Swiss Chard

In regards to lettuce, arugula, kale, swiss chard; I will purchase seedlings from my local garden centre instead of sowing them myself. I find the organic selections are far better established than I could ever seed indoors with low light. I could wait to seed outdoors, but my harvest season will be delayed if I wait until May.  The lettuce, arugula, beets and spinach however, will require more than one crop. I have bought seed packs now, just so that I can sow in containers and transplant more mid to late summer, that way I can extend my crop harvest.

Last year I had success with lettuce, spinach, parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, chives and cherry tomatoes. I tried leeks, mini carrots, onions, garlic and although they weren't terrible, I would rather have better. I have spots with about 6 hours of sun - it just isn't enough.

One trick I learned to maximize sun, is to situate a large pot on wheels. I had an abundant crop of cherry tomatoes last year, allowing easy movement towards sunnier areas on my patio. The sun's intensity changes from spring to fall, this way I extended my yummy cherry tomatoes until October...they are my FAVOURITE!

With this years selections, at least I'll be getting enough greens!