Sandy

Some herbs spread mostly by roots or rhizomes. Mints fall into this category. It seems when you are not looking they shoot out all over your garden. They can outcompete other plants. One way to stop this is to sink an open bottomed container like a clay drain tile into the ground and plant your mint inside this container. Another way is to choose a spot bordered with a sidewalk, wall, concrete or blacktop driveway, or other barrier. My mountain mint spreads throughout the herb bed every year competing with the monarda. This year the monarda was hard to see and needed rescuing so I pulled out much of the mountain mint. Don’t worry, there is still plenty left.

When I first encountered mountain mint I used to tell people that it was well behaved and stayed where it was planted. Well, that mountain mint was growing in clay and that did keep it under control. In the improved soil of my herb garden it seemed a different creature. Pollinators love it so I give it lots of space. They love it so much that mountain mint, during a particular observation period, had more pollinators on it than any other plant. This was determined in a Penn State Master Gardener test plot at the Penn State evaluation trials in Manheim, Pa.

-Sandy

Aggressive herbs, such as catnip, lemon balm, horseradish, and mint can take over your garden if left to their own devices, creating a willy-nilly tangle in your garden with their vigorous growing habits. To keep them under control, consider planting them in containers to hold the running and spreading at bay.

-Nicole

1. Herbs are relatively drought-tolerant.

2. Herbs are naturally resistant to disease and have a low pest burden.

3. Herbs can be an essential source of nectar and pollen for pollinating insects and wildlife such as butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.

4. Herbs have ornamental value in the garden. The foliage can be quite striking.

5. Herbs are great plant partners, helping to protect other plants from predators and insect damage.

-Nicole

Over the years I have received many plants and plant cuttings from friends and family. Mostly the plants have survived. Also, I have shared cuttings and plants with others. Now as I walk around my yard and look at the shared plants, I have fond memories of all of the donors; now, some are not with us anymore.
Another way I have enlarged my flower gardens is by buying some plants at the Thyme for Herbs annual plant sale and purchasing some at the plant auction held by Thyme for Herbs at one of the club’s meetings.

– Helen

You just brought home a pineapple sage plant but you would like a couple more. You could go back and purchase more plants. Or you could start them from cuttings you take from the one you already brought home. Prepare a 3” pot with moist soilless mix. Take a 4” cutting from the top of the plant using a sharp knife. Remove the bottom two leaves and stick the cutting into a hole you’ve made in the soilless mix. Firm the soil around the plant. Put the plant in a plastic bag held above the cutting by a clean plant marker or plastic spoon. Seal the bag and put it under fluorescent lights or on a northern windowsill or a very bright spot. Do not let the sun hit the bag or it will cook. When your cutting has rooted, gradually remove the plastic bag and give it more light. If it wilts, reseal the bag and wait a few more days. When it has developed a good root ball, gradually harden the plant off outdoors before planting in the herb garden.

The best time to plant herbs into your garden is on a cloudy day. But if you absolutely have to put them in on a sunny day, you can create shade for the plants. One easy way to do this is to stick a cedar shake/shingle in the ground on the south side of the plant. Tilt the shingle slightly to cast the most shade on your plant. Press it in firmly so it doesn’t fall over. You can get a bundle of cedar shingles at a building supply store. The shingles are smoother and thinner than the shakes. Both are of various widths. The wider ones can be split into more narrow ones. At the very least you will amuse your friends and neighbors with your ‘shingle garden’.

-Sandy