Grow Your Own Magazine

What should I think about pruning now, before the spring comes and it goes all wild again! I've got rosemary, thyme, oregano, majoram, sage and lavender...the fever few seems to have disappeared for now, as has the fennel but I'm sure they'll pop up again soon!

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Rachel

Trying to tame the mad thing called a garden and failing

My Garden Mayhem...inspirational blog for me I hope!

Nice to see you back, Gryfon - not sure on your pruning herbs thing tho'.

Oh - and congrats on the little one too!

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Hazel
www.hazelandjanesallotment.blogspot.com
update Wed 09/07/2008...peas a-plenty..

I would let the risk of frost be over before exposing any herbage myself.
They may be untidy but until cold weather is over outer foliage would protect them from damage or even demise.
You may also get new shoots popping out if the weather temporarily goes warm which them will be damaged by a cold snap.

Thanks! It's nice to be back as well, I've really let the garden go to seed over the past year or so which is a shame. However you have to prioritise some things

If I leave it till next month then do you think that will be alright? Being down in Guernsey we don't usually get many frosts which is nice.

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Rachel

Trying to tame the mad thing called a garden and failing

My Garden Mayhem...inspirational blog for me I hope!

I have a flower bed full of rosemary and use it all the time in my cooking, I just cut what I need for cooking by cutting a few sprigs halfway down off each plant.
these are planted in a rosebed and absolutely fill the bed it smells nice and the cats from over the road no longer do their bussiness in my flower bed.

Cheers Chris

There is a paragraph in this months GYO mag about pruning evergreen herbs such as sage, rosemary, thyme and lavender, it says they need regular clipping ( how often is regular?) using secuteurs to cut off all but the bottom 1" of the most recent growth, to be done in mid february and to be careful not too cut into old established wood.

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Imagination is everything, it is a preview of what is to become.

Isn't regular pruning on herbs just what you do when you need a bit for the pot??????

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Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.

Which one are you and is it how you want to be?

Good point!

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Imagination is everything, it is a preview of what is to become.

We just harvest the perennial herbs 'as we need them' and that tends to keep them nicely pruned, and fresh-growing, rather than getting woody, which also keeps them healthier. But it does depend on how often you use fresh herbs from your garden in your cooking. If you don't use them regularly, trim them to shape anyway, and that will keep them healthy and productive.


With fresh herb plants and sprigs SO expensive to buy, it's worth taking the time and trouble with them. Ask your neighbours if they'd like a few sprigs. Chuck herbs in your stockpots, soups, gravies, casseroles, on your roasts and roasted vegetables.......

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With Love,
Wellie

Give it some....

http://hollycottagegarden.blogspot.com

Updated Sunday 6th July:
NEW BALLS THANK YOU....

Hear hear Wellie. Don't be hide-bound by convention either. Try lavender with lamb. Hyssop with beef. Bayleaves with EVERYTHING!

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Some days you're the statue, some days you're the pigeon!

vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated July 7th 2008