In the Cottage Garden Spirit
Part III

—Jo Ann Gardner

I have been exploring the concept of the cottage garden, separating reality from myth—the vine-covered cottage where plants grow in unplanned ‘gay profusion’. It isn’t like that on the ground. As I have suggested earlier, the cottage garden is a garden that appears to be natural and unforced, but is actually the result of careful planning and the creative use of limited resources. The cottage gardener is a thrifty sort of person who can’t bear waste, who tries to balance esthetic needs (where would this plant look best?) with the plant’s habitat requirements. Sometimes these work together on the first try; more often they don’t. If a plant requires perfect drainage, never plant it where moisture collects at the plant’s crown because this will hasten early death. Hollyhocks (the archetypal cottage garden plant) are often spring victims of such excess moisture. “Where have all my hollyhocks gone?” They rotted at the plant’s crown. When I needed a sunny site to grow herbs in quantity for my growing herb business, my choice was limited to flat ground on the west side of the house that had once been a strawberry bed, but had become waste ground near our poultry house. To create adequate soil and drainage conditions, Jigs and I laid out a raised bed 60 feet long by four feet wide on sod ground , using a no-dig technique that had proved successful for growing vegetables on top of soil we found too difficult to improve by traditional methods: plastic grain bags were placed over the sod, then the area was enclosed with spruce logs, leaving a six-inch outside edging of plastic, later covered with wood shavings to discourage weeds from creeping into the bed. The enclosure was filled with rough compost (not completely broken down), stomped into place and allowed to settle for a week or so. Finally, the entire bed was topped with several inches of aged, composted manure, a rich, dark friable mixture. The completed depth of the bed, 8 to 10 inches, assured good drainage for my herbs.

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The Backyard Herbalist

—Paris-Lynne Graham

Spring is right around the corner and it’s time to plan what new plants we would like to grow. I prefer to grow all of the herbs that I will need for the coming year. I feel that God has supplied all that we need for health right in our own neighborhood without sending away for exotic species that aren’t native to where we live. An example would be vitamin C. Citrus fruits don’t fare too well in northeastern Ohio, but pine needles are loaded with this important vitamin. For those of you who are unable to grow your own herbs I will include the names and addresses of some reputable bulk herb companies at the end of this article. This month I thought I would give you a list of my top 5 must-have herbs. Comfrey. This is the healing herb for wounds, burns, ulcers, and psoriasis. It is an incredibly fast healer that works well in conjunction with other herbs or as a stand-alone remedy. The leaves can be broken up and boiled into a tea to soak the wound in. It is a very lively, quick-spreading plant that is hard to kill. Best planted in a pot or raised bed where it can’t get out of control. Eyebright. This was an overlooked herb that has gained popularity in recent years as a wonderful therapy for inflammatory eye disease. An infusion of 1 teaspoon of the herb to 1 cup of water steeped for half an hour is applied to the eyes when cool. Also useful for nasal congestion. Feverfew. This herb is best used in combination with other herbs such as chamomile. Its main use is as a fever reducer which it does by inducing perspiration. Make an infusion of 1 ounce of flowers per 1 pint of water and take by the teaspoonful every 4 hours. Also useful as a topical application to aid in the relief of the pain and irritation of insect bites. Catnip. This is a very well-known herb that has earned its respect and reputation. Catnip is a useful remedy for colds, fevers, and insomnia. The flowering tops are used as an infusion of 1 ounce of herb to 1 pint of water taken every 2 hours. A child’s dose is 2 teaspoons and an adult’s is 2 tablespoons. Elecampane. Expectorant, antiseptic, and astringent. This herb is chiefly used for coughs, congestion, asthma, and bronchitis in combination with other herbs such as rosemary, horehound, or sage. The root is the part used: 1 ounce of root per 1 pint of water taken in small doses of 1 teaspoon every 2-4 hours. Obviously by limiting my list to only 5 herbs I’ve left out many beneficial and useful ones. Hopefully you will be inspired to try some new herbs to support your family’s health. Happy growing!

 Mountain Rose Herbs                            Bulk Herb Store
PO Box 50220                                             1010 Pearl Rd
Eugene, OR 97405                                     Pleasantville, TN 37033    www.mountainroseherbs.com     www.bulkherbstore.com

The Graham family lives on a small farm in northeastern Ohio where they raise heritage breed pigs, poultry, and children. Paris-Lynne Graham is the mother of eight and enjoys healing her family and animals using herbs and diet. The family can be reached at pastoralsymphonyfarm@yahoo.com or through this magazine.

Starting Seeds and Preparing for Your
Spring Garden

There are many who would agree with me that planting the spring garden must be one of life’s greatest pleasures. After being inside much of the winter, it just feels so good to get your hands in the cool and fertile soil. There is certainly no one specific way to plant a spring garden, but I must write what I know, so I’ll give an outline how I do mine. First of all, it doesn’t have to be large. It is amazing how much food can be planted in a small area. As one crop is finished, another can be planted, keeping the garden productive from spring through fall. My neighbor plants her entire spring garden in one day, then covers the entire thing with row cover. She always has early fresh garden veggies before I do. Although practically everything can be bought in a greenhouse, there are those like me who prefer to raise our own plants. Some varieties I especially like are not available in commercial greenhouses, such as heirlooms passed down from generation to generation. I have lettuce seed I got from my sister and she got it from a customer at her farm market who said it’s been in their family so long they just call it “Grandma” lettuce. Also, I often see some new flower or vegetable in a catalog I’d like to try. When starting seeds probably the biggest mistake we tend to make is starting our seeds too early. Before we know it we have these tall, leggy plants and it’s entirely too early to plant them outside. Then too, smaller plants transplant so much better; they don’t experience the shock that bigger ones do. In our area the last part of March or early April is about right for tomatoes, peppers, marigolds, etc. I start impatiens, geraniums, and snapdragons earlier. Check the seed packet for starting information.

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See our Spring Recipes !