Monday, June 25, 2018

Country Garden Herbs (and Microgreens) in Garvagh and Check Tree Ties


 Country Garden Herbs wide choice of mints



 Perennials coming on well


 Plug grown thyme


 Pot grown thyme



The perennial bumper collection of 72 plants is doing very well.  I have had to re-pot a few varieties of some faster growing plants like the gaura, delphiniums and verbena into larger one litre pots and the others aren’t far behind. 

I’m very happy with the impulse buy but still haven’t found anywhere to put the plants once they mature. I did salvage a small plot of ground where the broccoli was growing. It had gone from flower to seed and the insect buzzing stopped so the time was just right to clear the ground. I built a small raised bed on the fresh, weed free soil and have decided to create a small creeping thyme area.  I am hedging my bets as usual and have acquired plants and seeds from different places.  The first set of cuttings I got from a neighbours garden, I then bought seeds from two different places to germinate, I ordered mail delivered plug plants and then I went to a plant nursery in Garvagh near Coleraine for the mature 9cm pot grown specimens.  

It might sound a bit OTT to get plants from so many places but it’s my irrepressible urge to not only grow the plants but to research and view how well each batch does. Some growers say cuttings are not a good idea and only go for seeds so we’ll see. I’ll probably bore you with the results sometime next year.

The seeds have been sown, cuttings taken and plugs planted in the raised bed.  I was happy (ish) with the plugs but they were a bit yellow on arrival but will soon pick up. The 9cm pot grown ones on the other hand were fabulous and well worth the trip into the North coast countryside.  I got them from a bloke called Malachy who runs Country Garden Herbs in Garvagh.  He specialises in growing all types of herbs so when I got there it was like a sweetie shop for me. He has 12 different types of mint so I couldn’t come away without getting a couple of varieties. Malachy suggested I sniff the separate leaves and there were subtle differences to the aroma.  I bought three types, chocolate, berry and cream and pineapple flavours. They are in pots on the patio as I would guess they are all just as invasive as the more common types.

I came away from Country garden Herbs learning a lot and 12 beautiful thyme plants.  I planted 10 of them straight out  in my new planting space and then took 360 cuttings from the last couple and put them in 3cm plug trays. If only a few survive I’ll be happy and if loads of them grow you’ll see me at the country market with a stall.

Microgreens
As well as growing the dizzying array of herbs in pots, Malachy also spends his day delivering hydroponically grown Micro greens to hotels and restaurants along the north coast. He can pick, pack and deliver the fresh greens to discerning chefs within two hours of them being picked. He’s a busy man who seems to take everything at a really relaxed pace and loves what he does. 
To give you an idea of the range of microgreens Malachy is growing, he has 4 types of basil – including spice and cinnamon flavour, coriander, celery, fennel, mustard, chervil, red cabbage, broccoli and spicy mixed salad so the next time you are eating out on the North coast chances are you’ll be tucking into some of Malachy’s freshly picked greens.

Mulch can damage trees

If you plant a small tree, ties aren’t generally needed. In fact research has shown (not mine) that a small tree without a tie will grow far faster and healthier than a larger tree planted with a stake and tie holding it in place.  So when I see trees all tied up where the bark is straining to expand because of the pressure of the rubber, I generally adjust them so they can grow unhindered. – or take them off all together.
All too often they are just forgotten about after planting. There’s another issue for trees and that’s to much mulch around the base of the trunk.  Too much mulch applied over the root ball or resting against the trunk can cause problems. Roots often grow up and into the mulch causing stem ‘girdling’ roots. This is where the tree doesn’t know where ground level is. The cover can also hide decay and dead spots on the lower trunk and major roots. Decay in this portion of the tree can cause the tree to become unstable. If you are mulching around trees then keep mulch about 12 to 18 inches (30-45cm) from the trunk for any size of tree. If you see someone kicking mulch from a tree trunk in your travels it’s probably me.

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