That's interesting. Could you explain in a little more detail? I am rather new to gardening(Two years growing tomatoes in buckets, and my first small veggie garden last year). This year it'll be bigger, but recent back surgery may hamper my efforts.
My front yd is tiny, and I just do shrubs, roses, perennials, etc. The back yard is about 1/2 acre, and I have a 20 x 30 plot ready to plant. What could I plant in other areas? "Flowers" that are pretty and useful, like echinacea, and dill, mint come to mind. What else could I plant in these areas? (I'm in Tennessee - hot and dry, but I water as they need it)What about plants that attract bees and butterflies, to increase pollination?
Thanks for any help. I'm ordering heirloom seeds today.
I know you addressed this to Granny, and she will answer much more thoroughly than me, but I have some suggestions. You are on the right track to get some echinacea, dill and mint. Keep in mind the mints are *extremely* invasive so if you have some ground enclosed with 2 or 3 feel of concrete that's a good place for mint. I had a home for about 4 years where there were several places that the concrete for driveway and sidewalk made 4 to 6 foot square patches of ground. I put a different kind of mint in each space. But, some of the mint roots even managed to climb under 18 inch wide sidewalk....so watch that.
If you plant dill and fennel both you must keep them at opposite ends of the yard... they cross breed and it doesn't work if you want to keep the true flavor.
Try lavenders, sages, lemon balm, lemon verbena, bee balm, borage, calendulas aka pot marigolds, different varieties of basil, flat leaf parsley is wonderful, catnip, catmint, horsemint, horehound, salad burnet, nasturtiums (these do require a water regiment but I put them near an outside water hydrant that drips on it's own, why fix it? it waters things like that.).. oh, and one of the prettiest shrubs in the world is rosemary!
Well, I was kind of addressing the shrubs and flowers that are double useful as pretty bedding plants as well as things you get some good out of. I am sure I've left a lot out as it's almost time to go out and work today.
But, for the garden plot, all the foods that you names that you normally eat are great but remember things like potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, turnips, maybe parsnips or horseradish, which keep well. If you google "plants that attract bees" or "Plants that attract butterflies" you get lots of results.
I know I listed a lot of plants just above. They are all good for a food, tea or health help. I keep all of those for one reason or another, if you have any question about why you would use any of them let me know and I will explain.
Have a GREAT time ordering your seeds today. That is one of my favorite days of the year, though I tend to do it more than once since I'm probably an addict about that. HAVE FUN!!!
Welcome to the thread and gardening.
With a bad back, you need lots of Peppermint, try long hot soaking baths in it. Boil a quart of the leaves for about 5 minutes, cover and let steep till cool, pour/strain this into a tub of water, it feels good.
Lavender, check for the old healing varieties, useful for healing and used to flavor foods.
The hot peppers and even the more common peppers, are high in vitamin C and the hot peppers can be ground mixed in olive or almond oils and used to rub on where it hurts, of course you can add beeswax and make a salve.
Ginger, and Fennel [not the bulb making kind] for gas and rubbed on pain and many other uses.
I usually look in the herb books for the subjects that concern my old body and then choose the plants from those used in the cures.
There are many more, but I have had only one cup of coffee and am still half asleep.
Throughout the thread there are suggestions, posted as I found them, I am sorry they are not in order.