Wednesday, February 1, 2012

THYME WASTED, NEED SAGE ADVICE



      No use crying over spilled milk, or broken water pipes that flooded my herb garden and required it being dug up to find the leak.
     Gone are the thyme, chives, rosemary and thyme that had been happily growing here for over a dozen years.  The well-worked soil embellished with compost is now laden with chunks of thick red clay, pounded and smoothed by the worker on his mighty little backhoe, thinking he was doing me a favor.
     Happiness once was tripping out to this little herb garden with scissors in hand to snip a sprig or two for whatever was cooking on the stove.
     Woe is me!



   

Starting from scratch, once again, I'm goin' to rebuild this sucker.  You see I've spread a layer of leaves I chipped up with the mower.  I'll work that in, as well as another layer of compost and more leaves, to help enrich the soil and give it some air and volume.  Again, I'll try to do this organically.  
     Below is my spinning composter.  It keeps the raccoons, squirrels and deer out, but doesn't do a great job over the long haul.  I find it difficult to remove the "black gold," that great dark, aged composted material that's ready to go to work, from the new kitchen scraps I add just about daily.    And, I found water had leaked in, so I've had to deal with a very wet mixture.  Help!  




    One of my upright rosemary plants seems to be surviving its holiday in a pot, and the bay tree seems to be thriving in its new potted home.  But I want to to find thyme that I don't have to wait on.  Okay, I know, a bad pun.  But you get my drift....I want mature plants that I can start cutting on fairly quickly.
     I plan a trip down to Sanford to Big Bloomers, and to Logan's in Raleigh.
     Any other garden shops I should check out in the VA/NC/SC area where I'd find a great variety of herbs and perennials?  Please send me your advice and suggestions via email!
      I could use some sage advice!