Herb Planting, Groundcovers, Re-Growing Romaine Lettuce and Other Vegetables

Groundcover Plants Add to a Garden

I have pachysandra growing in my backyard. It is flowering now; delicate white blossoms are peeking out from their green leaves. Pachysandra is a groundcover plant. Groundcover is exactly what it says — a plant that covers the ground. It spreads easily and makes the space where it’s planted a garden feature.

We have another groundcover in our front yard, too. It is Vinca or periwinkle, a plant that sprouts little purple flowers and can take over a lawn.

I love the way these plants seem to take care of themselves. Whatever the season, they bring green vibrancy to the area where they grow. In Spring, they send up flowers that are a nice reminder of what is ahead. In Winter, they remain green under the snow and slough off the frigid temperatures. The rest of the year they just grow — and spread — as the garden goes through its cycles.

There are a variety of reasons to plant groundcover. A steep incline can be kept from losing soil with a covering of St. John’s Wort, for instance. Shady spots that could use a little color would look nice with a covering of blue Ajuga leaves. There is a plant for almost every need. Plus, I think, groundcover plants add an air of sophisticated neatness to a garden.

It’s almost as if groundcover knows it has a chore to do and just does it. It makes me think of the idiom to “cover a lot of ground” which means to deal with a lot of information or to travel a great distance. It implies a purpose and determination, a stick-to-it quality. I hope I have that when there is a job to be done. There is a positive energy to the phrase, a hint of admiration when someone covers a lot of ground. These plants seem to embody the concept and I do admire them for it.

Some varieties to investigate:

http://www.birdsandblooms.com/Gardening/Top-10/Garden-Favorites/Top-10-Groundcovers/

Herb and Lettuce Re-Growing Planting Time

I have been buying basil in my favorite Whole Foods market all winter. A package of the hydroponic herb can last several weeks, sometimes longer. It is one of my favorite herbs. So now that the weather is hinting at Spring and Summer, I am beginning to think of planting some in my garden.

I already have mint back there. It comes back every year. At first I had planted mint in the ground but it spread so fast and so far that it threatened to be the only thing growing in that space. I dug up as much as I could and replanted it in a large pot, which gives me more than enough leaves for my needs. I still get outcrops of mint where I least expect it but it is manageable.

This year I think I will make an attempt to grow my own basil outside. My friend’s neighbor, who owns an Italian restaurant, has a virtual nursery of basil plants in pots outside his townhouse. It doesn’t seem that hard to do. I would be in basil heaven to have so much of that herb growing in my garden. basil

I am also thinking of planting cilantro, which I absolutely love. Cilantro, like basil, has many uses — in sauces, salads, sprinkled into soups. And the simplest of all is to add some to any kind of sandwich for a distinctive lift.

Yes, I will plant herbs this Spring. I don’t need a whole lot, just a bit. They are subtle tastes but their presence always makes me take notice. I think they will be a good reminder to pay attention, to be in the present while eating, a very Yogic concept. Maybe that little bit of herbal awareness will generalize and spice up the rest of my day.

The basics of basil and other herbs — definition, planting, harvesting, drying,and more:

http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/hortcult/herbs/ne208hrb.htm

Editor's Note: Ferida added this gem about a type of sprouting and planting we expect to love and profit from:

"I just put in potatoes that were growing on my windowsill. Now I have lettuce heads to transfer. I just cut off the bottoms of romaine lettuce and put them in water. Now they are growing, sending up leaves and setting down roots! Very exciting."

We realized that not many have heard about this phenomenon which apparently also extends to celery and green onions. Consequently, we did a little investigating and found these posts with similar advice:

http://backtomyrootsblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/re-grow-romaine-lettuce-hearts.html#.UYacQsqkaZQ

http://threepsandq.wordpress.com/2011/12/11/peculiarities-and-plants-romaine-lettuce/

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Herb Planting, Groundcovers, Re-Growing Romaine Lettuce and Other Vegetables

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