Jan 14 2009
Movable Feast Gardener
Put up favourite culinary garden herbs to save them from impending frost, moving them indoors or out as weather permits.
Kerry Hippensteel savors the herb season as long as he can. In september, he transfers favorite culinary herbs from his garden to an old tim bucket that can be brough in and out if his Indiana farmhouse with ease. “When fall hits, people have more time to cook and experiment with herb cooking, but that`s when a large part of the country is expecting frost,” Kerry says. “This bucket is the perfect way to keep fresh herbs on hand. You can pick it up by the handle and carry it inside on nights when frost threatens and bring it back outside when you head for work in the morning.”
Here`s how to create a movable herb feast of your own.
Containers: Select a bucket, enamel pot, or other container that is at least 15 inches wide and 12 inches deep. Use a drill bit or hammer and nail to make drainage holes. Add about 1 inch of clay-pot shards at the bottom to aid drainage.
Soil: Use a soil-less mix that`s light and will hold water better than ogther potting mixes.
Plant Selection: Kerry suggest mint, thyme, sweet basil, Greek oregano, Italian parsley, lemon verbena, sage, chives, garlic chives, cascading or upright rosemary, and cilantro. “It`s good to pick plants with different growth habits.”
Care: Most herbs will do well in a pot that receives six hours of sunlight or artificial grow light each day, kerry says. When you plant several herbs in a pot together, trim the herbs to keep them shaped and thin invasive oreganos and mints so they won`t overtake the pot.
Water: As easy guide to watering this bucket is to pick it up. “If it feels heavy, don`t water; if it feels light, water.” It`s also a good idea to water with an organic fertilizer such sa fish emulsion or manure tea every two to three weeks.
Willow Trellis: As a decorative touchm Kerry created a small trellis for his herb bucket. “I put it in simply for looks, but you could train nasturtiums up the back and have the edible blossoms for salads,” he says.
By Luann Brandsen, Country Garden Mag, 1997