ABOUT HERBS 



lavender, onto which to spread the 

 baby's freshly washed clothes. And 

 after they'd dried there, never again 

 was the lavender scentless. It pos- 

 sesses, to this day, the fresh wonder- 

 ful perfume we connect with cleanli- 

 ness and soap. 



Lavender now has a variety of 

 named cultivars. I still have the best 

 luck with the Old English type. I 

 grow it from seed and from layering 

 and I revel in each harvest. As long 

 as lavender has full sun, sweet soil, 

 excellent drainage, and — away from 

 the seacoast — a good mulch in win- 

 ter, it should thrive. It flowers in late 

 |une and the harvested flower stalks 

 will retain their scent and color for 

 years. 



Horehound {Marrubium vulgare) is a 

 native of the Mideast. It's an annual 

 that easily reseeds itself and, with its 

 thick wrinkled silvery-grey leaves, 

 makes a nice contrast plant in our 

 New England gardens. Christian tradi- 

 tion mixes it with the sweet grasses 

 used in the manger. Horehound is 

 also sacred to Horus, the chief god 

 of the Egyptians and, because of 

 this, is sometimes the symbol of the 

 Holy Family's flight to Egypt. 



Legend says thyme {Tkymus ser- 

 pkyllum) and sweet woodruff {Galium 

 odoratum) were among the clean dried 

 grasses that made up the birth bed 

 of Mary. All thymes are fragrant pe- 

 rennials and love sun-drenched, well- 

 drained locations and sweetness in 

 their soil. Thyme dries beautifully 

 and is one of my favorites for the 

 herb bunches formed into garlands 

 used for holiday decorating 



Sweet woodruff, a low-growing, 

 shade-loving perennial groundcover, 

 has no noticeable scent when fresh, 

 but as it dries, it develops a heady 

 vanilla/new-mown hay odor. The 

 scent was dearly loved in the Middle 

 Ages and the herb was used to stuff 

 mattresses and scent bedchambers. 

 It is also the major flavoring ingredi- 

 ent in May wine, used to celebrate 

 Spring. 



The modest little spring-flowering 

 bulb, star-of-Bethlehem (Ornilhogalum 



umbellatum], is another herb closely 

 bound to the Christmas tradition. 

 The story says that after the Star led 

 the Wise Men to the stable, it ex- 

 ploded. As the pieces fell to earth, 

 they turned into the small, white 

 star-shaped flowers that were given 

 the name, "Star-of-Bethlehem." The 

 flower grows from a small bulb and is 

 related to the onion. It's quite com- 

 mon in old New England gardens 

 and was a great favorite of the Victo- 

 rians. The bulb multiplies with little 

 trouble and a patch can continue for 



years. The flowers bloom in early 

 spring and can be picked and 

 pressed for Christmas use. 



There are many of these stories 

 and legends. Share them with your 

 customers and, if you can find a little 

 quiet time during the hectic holiday 

 struggle, think of these herbs, maybe 

 even taste or smell them, and bring 

 a little peace and gentleness to 

 yourself. 



Tanya \ackson, a well-known local herbalist, 

 can be reached at 603-431-6774. 



9^ 



X NOTI 



'XT 



A New Amendment 

 in Town 



There's a new soil mix amendment in town. It's called Coir. Origin- 

 ally presented as a peat replacement, research shows that it can 

 stand alone or in combination with a conventional mix. 



What is coir? Coir is the outside husk of a coconut. Until recently, 

 it was a waste product of the coconut processing industry. The moun- 

 tains of discarded husks were considered useless. 



Our counterparts in Europe were concerned about future peat sources 

 because of the "Greens " environmental push to stop harvesting. Coir, a 

 renewable resource, seemed to be a satisfactory substitute. Coir has 

 many of the characteristics of peat, as well as some unique differences. 

 Before it is milled, it looks like peat with long fibers and similar color 

 and texture, it has better water-holding capacity and wets out much bet- 

 ter. In fact, you don't necessarily need a wetting agent with coir. (Try 

 wetting peat sometime without a wetting agent.) Coir is more stable, 

 having less shrinkage. 



The plant's response to coir has been most notable in the root sys- 

 tem, Plants root faster and roots are more evenly distributed through- 

 out the cell than in a peat mix — so coir's place may be in the propa- 

 gation part of your business. Because there is less degradation in 

 coir than in peat, fungus gnat populations are reported to be lower. 

 Algae is reported to be less of a problem. The pH of coir is near op- 

 timum at 6 (unlike peat, which is 4.5). Sodium levels can be high, but 

 one leaching at planting usually solves the problem. A peat replace- 

 ment? Better to look at it as another tool available for our growing 

 needs. Coir, the Canadians must think we've gone "nuts. " 

 |iw Zablocki. Territory Manager, The Scotts Company, Northeast, can be reached at 

 603-224-5583. 



THE PLANTSMAN 



