I'd like to know the trick to propagating these delicate herbs so I can keep them going when the parent starts to die back.
I killed off my camomile some time back. Ok, I probably didn't kill it as such it may have just reached the end of it's natural lifespan. Pineapple Sage I have no trouble growing and it's easy to progagate.
Those kinds of herbs - the prefer-it-dry ones like Rosemary (long-lived) Lavender (fairly long-lived) do not do well in a well-watered position. 'Treat 'em tough..' (or something like that). There's others which like the dry e.g. Oregano, Golden Marjoram which are fairly long-lived too. But Sage even Pineapple Sage, gets woody and dies as does Lavender. Garden Mint gets woody as well but it likes plenty of water. All these mints are closely related and can be considered short-lived perennials; they are helped to live longer by us pruning them every year or so and making new plants before they kark it. Thyme of any variety is more tricky than most I've found - and of course I adore Thyme - it loves the dry and benefits from regular hair-cuts. It's more intolerant of warmth and water than the others and Camomile (a daisy not a mint) is the touchiest of all along with Tarragon.
Sage is a funny one, isn't it? I've really only grown it successfully once, but it was so happy in that spot you would think it was the easiest thing in the world to grow. Reflecing on where yours thrives, Lissa, it was basically under cover in an east facing position. It got water only when the storms were wild enough to send rain horizontally. After a while it ran out of vigour and I haven't been successful since.
I've found, to my great surprise, that herbs I have struggled to grow well in the garden like Sage and Lemon Thyme are growing fast in the re-furbished hanging baskets on the west facing front porch. They get shaded by a brick pillar. All the same - really surprised that they like it in there so much. Should have done it years ago.
Going good Lissa, still have lots of spots to fill but its slowly getting there. The pond was a bit dry but is overflowing now and there's several froggies croaking away each night.
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I'd like to know the trick to propagating these delicate herbs so I can keep them going when the parent starts to die back.
I killed off my camomile some time back. Ok, I probably didn't kill it as such it may have just reached the end of it's natural lifespan. Pineapple Sage I have no trouble growing and it's easy to progagate.
That's why a herb spiral works so great, it creates several micro climates. Here's an example I found at Northey Street City Farm:
Those kinds of herbs - the prefer-it-dry ones like Rosemary (long-lived) Lavender (fairly long-lived) do not do well in a well-watered position. 'Treat 'em tough..' (or something like that). There's others which like the dry e.g. Oregano, Golden Marjoram which are fairly long-lived too. But Sage even Pineapple Sage, gets woody and dies as does Lavender. Garden Mint gets woody as well but it likes plenty of water. All these mints are closely related and can be considered short-lived perennials; they are helped to live longer by us pruning them every year or so and making new plants before they kark it. Thyme of any variety is more tricky than most I've found - and of course I adore Thyme - it loves the dry and benefits from regular hair-cuts. It's more intolerant of warmth and water than the others and Camomile (a daisy not a mint) is the touchiest of all along with Tarragon.
Sage is a funny one, isn't it? I've really only grown it successfully once, but it was so happy in that spot you would think it was the easiest thing in the world to grow. Reflecing on where yours thrives, Lissa, it was basically under cover in an east facing position. It got water only when the storms were wild enough to send rain horizontally. After a while it ran out of vigour and I haven't been successful since.
Nice one! Yeah the aussie sun does get quite intense!
Lovely :)
I've found, to my great surprise, that herbs I have struggled to grow well in the garden like Sage and Lemon Thyme are growing fast in the re-furbished hanging baskets on the west facing front porch. They get shaded by a brick pillar. All the same - really surprised that they like it in there so much. Should have done it years ago.
Going good Lissa, still have lots of spots to fill but its slowly getting there. The pond was a bit dry but is overflowing now and there's several froggies croaking away each night.
Lovely. How's the herb spiral going Jake?