Surprises and delights at the Herb Garden during Harvest Day
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Clouds earlier in the week softened this view of the Herb Garden's south side. The round patio where mini talks will be held Saturday is in the background. The empty planter to the left will be the site of the new Scented Geranium area, which will debut on Harvest Day. (Photo: Kathy Morrison)
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Gardening engages all the senses, but certainly smell takes the lead when it comes to growing and enjoying herbs.
Rub an herb's leaf and then sniff: What does it entice you to do? Put it in stew, or make a tea with it, or maybe dry it and fill a sachet with it?
Since I joined the Herb Team at the Sacramento County master gardeners' Fair Oaks Horticulture Center, I've learned that herbs are much more subtle and varied than the Genovese basil I always grow to accompany my tomatoes. The basils alone are diverse: Thai basil for Asian dishes, African blue basil for the bees, and tulsi basil (also called holy basil) for calming teas.
One of our delights during Open Garden days is sending visitors to the small tree that's actually a well-trained lemon verbena. When they rub a leaf and take a lemon-scented whiff, a surprised expression comes over their faces. The scent is soothing and refreshing all at once. (I like to stop there at the end of a workday, too.) That's the power of a wonderful herb.
So during Harvest Day on Saturday be sure to visit the Herb Garden, which is just inside the Chuck Ingels Memorial Gate. The Herb Team will have great handouts, informational displays, and a whole array of plants to sniff. Early birds also will receive a lavender sachet filled with dried lavender from our plants.
Two of our experienced herb growers will present mini talks during the morning, at the round patio that's just above and south of the Herb Garden:
-- Ruth Ostroff, 9:30-9:45 a.m., "Amazing Herbs for Low Water Use Gardens." Mediterranean herbs are especially useful in a water-efficient garden; Ruth will have some ideas for gardeners.
-- Vivian Sellers, 10:45-11 a.m., "Pruning Herbs for Better Yields." Vivian is our herb guru, who guided the pruning of the amazing lemon verbena into the shape it is today.
Other mini talks by the Vegetable, Berry, Grape, Compost, Orchard and Water Efficient Landscape groups will be presented during the day in various locations; the three main Harvest Day speakers will present their longer talks under the large tent near the parking lot. The full schedule can be found here . A map of the site also is on that page.
Harvest Day is free and runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center, 11549 Fair Oaks Blvd.
And if you want to take home some herbs of your own, Morningsun Herb Farms of Vacaville will have a vendor booth open during the event. You might spy a few Herb Team members there, shopping for new delights.
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Garden checklist for week of Feb. 8
Dodge those raindrops and get things done! Your garden needs you.
* Start your spring (and summer) garden. Transplant or direct-seed several flowers, including snapdragon, candytuft, lilies, astilbe, larkspur, Shasta and painted daisies, stocks, bleeding heart and coral bells.
* In the vegetable garden, plant Jerusalem artichoke tubers, and strawberry and rhubarb roots. Transplant cabbage and its close cousins – broccoli, kale and Brussels sprouts – as well as lettuce (both loose leaf and head).
* Indoors, start peppers, tomatoes and eggplant from seed.
* Plant artichokes, asparagus and horseradish from root divisions. Plant potatoes from tubers and onions from sets (small bulbs). The onions will sprout quickly and can be used as green onions in March.
* From seed, plant beets, chard, lettuce, mustard, peas, radishes and turnips.
* Annuals are showing up in nurseries, but wait until the weather warms up a bit before planting. Instead, set out flowering perennials such as columbine and delphinium.
* Plant summer-flowering bulbs including cannas, calla lilies and gladiolus.
* This is the last chance to spray fruit trees before they bloom. Treat peach and nectarine trees with copper-based fungicide. Spray apricot trees at bud swell to prevent brown rot. Apply horticultural oil to control scale, mites and aphids on fruit trees soon after a rain. But remember: Oils need at least 24 hours to dry to be effective. Don’t spray during foggy weather or when rain is forecast.
* Feed spring-blooming shrubs and fall-planted perennials with slow-release fertilizer. Feed mature trees and shrubs after spring growth starts.
* Remove aphids from blooming bulbs with a strong spray of water or insecticidal soap.
* Fertilize strawberries and asparagus.
Contact Us
Send us a gardening question, a post suggestion or information about an upcoming event. sacdigsgardening@gmail.com
Food in My Back Yard (FIMBY) Series
Lessons learned during a year of edible gardening
WINTER
Is edible gardening possible indoors?
Hints for choosing tomato seeds
Why winter is the perfect time to plant fruit trees
When to plant? Consider staggering your transplants
How to squeeze more food into less space
Plant a fruit tree now -- for later
Win the weed war by tackling them in winter
Tips for planting bare-root trees, shrubs and vegetables
Time to give vegetable seedlings some more space
Ways to win the fight against weeds
FALL
Dec. 16: Add asparagus to your edible garden
Dec. 9: Soggy soil and what to do about it
Dec. 2: Plant artichokes now; enjoy for years to come
Nov. 25: It's late November, and your peach tree needs spraying
Nov. 18: What to do with all those fallen leaves?
Nov. 11: Prepare now for colder weather in the edible garden
Nov. 4: Plant a pea patch for you and your garden
Oct. 27: As citrus season begins, advice for backyard growers
Oct. 20: Change is in the autumn air
Oct. 13: We don't talk (enough) about beets
Oct. 6: Fava beans do double duty
Sept. 30: Seeds or transplants for cool-season veggies?
Sept. 23: How to prolong the fall tomato harvest
SUMMER
Sept. 16: Time to shut it down?
Sept. 9: How to get the most out of your pumpkin patch
Sept. 2: Summer-to-fall transition time for evaluation, planning
Aug. 26: To pick or not to pick those tomatoes?
Aug. 19: Put worms to work for you
Aug. 12: Grow food while saving water
Aug. 5: Enhance your food with edible flowers
July 29: Why won't my tomatoes turn red?
July 22: A squash plant has mosaic virus, and it's not pretty
July 15: Does this plant need water?
July 8: Tear out that sad plant or baby it? Midsummer decisions
July 1: How to grow summer salad greens
June 24: Weird stuff that's perfectly normal
SPRING
June 17: Help pollinators help your garden
June 10: Battling early-season tomato pests
June 3: Make your own compost
May 27: Where are the bees when you need them?
May 20: How to help tomatoes thrive on hot days
May 13: Your plants can tell you more than any calendar can
May 6: Maintain soil moisture with mulch for garden success
April 29: What's (already) wrong with my tomato plants?
April 22: Should you stock up on fertilizer? (Yes!)
April 15: Grow culinary herbs in containers
April 8: When to plant summer vegetables
April 1: Don't be fooled by these garden myths
March 25: Fertilizer tips: How to 'feed' your vegetables for healthy growth
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