Where do I order plants or seeds for herb garden???

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Wow! Thanks to all of you for the great info on my thread below about what to plant in my new herb garden this spring.

So now I have another couple of questions: Do you plant seeds or plants in your gardens? Which works better for you?

Also, where do you order the plants or seeds? I know Wal-Mart has some herbs in the spring but I worry about their quality sometime.

thanks again!!!!!

-- Suzy in Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), February 11, 2002

Answers

I think this is a pretty good source for herbs: Well-Sweep Herb Farm, 205 Mt. Bethel Road, Pot Murray, New Jersey 07865, (908) 852-5390, http://www.wellsweep.com/ . "Come Visit! We invite you to bring a picnic lunch, play with your children in the sandbox or on the swings, visit our farm animals, enjoy a leisurely stroll along our garden paths, or just relax and enjoy the beauty of the day." Well-Sweep has over 63 different cultivars and hybrids of rosemary, “Arp” and “Hill Hardy” (are hardy to –10 degrees F.) and about everything else, including a formal Elizabethan herb garden, and medicinal garden.

-- BC (desertdweller44@yahoo.com), February 11, 2002.

Hey, I live near there! I'll have to check it out.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), February 11, 2002.

Hello! In response to your question plants or seeds,coming from experience "Don't bother with seeds,it takes usually 100 days to germinate". Plants are how I got started and I foolishly tried many seeds to no avail. I personally love chives,sage,thyme,angelica,bible leaf,peppermint,orange mint, chocolate mint,spearmint,lime mint,lemon balm(tea),monarda(osego tea),chamomile.Pineapple sage,lemon verbena, and lemon thyme are all very mediterranean so they must come in the house along with rosemary. If you have any more questions you can e- mail me. Good Luck!!

-- carla (herbs@computer-concepts.com), February 12, 2002.

Plants or seeds... it depends on what you are growing. Some herbs cannot be grown from seeds and some do not grow true from seeds. For example, if you plant a specific variety of mint seeds you will not necessarily get that variety, but will probably end up with a generic mint. Tarragon cannot be grown from seed. Some herbs will grow from seed,but need special preparation or need to be planted fresh. Herbs such as Basil do very well grown from seed, also parsley, borage, chervil, marjoram,(I forgot to mention this one before as a good one to start with) summer savory and dill. Annuals are usually more reliable from seed than perenials, but this is not a rule and I have easily grown sage, thyme and others from seed. Economically, it does not make sense to spend $3.00 for 1 basil plant when you can buy a package of seeds for about $1.50 and grow lots of plants quite easily. If you grow organically, seeds are a better choice than plants unless you buy from an organic supplier or a supplier who at least leans toward organic. I like Nichol's Garden Nursery, they have been mentioned here before, Fedco, Pinetree Seeds who have also been mentioned here and Richter's has the most amazing selection I have seen. I do not have the web addresses at hand, but you can search them or if you want I can post them later. Herb gardens are so much fun, from planning to using.

-- nancy (stoneground@catskill.net), February 12, 2002.

Johnny Seeds! I think Its www.johnnyseeds.com

-- Chandler (Providencefarms2001@yahoo.com), February 12, 2002.


Suzy, sometimes you can find decent plants at the discount places. You just have to be picky and only get good looking plants. No yellow or wilted leaves, etc. Any local nurseries around your area? They usually carry at least the basics. Any friends or neighbors willing to share a division or two? Or maybe a CS forum herb swap??

-- Bren (wayoutfarm@skybest.com), February 12, 2002.

For a fantasic selection of herbs try:

Horizon Herbs PO Box 69 Williams, OR 97544-0069 http://www.chatlink.com/~herbseed

I also like: Richters in Canada www.richters.com

Johnny's Seeds is also a good option, sorry I don't have the address handy, but they should pop up on search engine. Enjoy!

-- diane greene (greenwitch@catskillnativenursery.com), February 13, 2002.


I just found Horizen Herbs the other day! They are truely awesome!! I'm counting the minutes till my catalog arrives...

-- Bren (wayoutfarm@skybest.com), February 13, 2002.

Ok... Here is my biggest gardining secret.... Le Jardin Du Gourmet...They have any and everything you could ever want. email me and I can give you the web address.

-- Kristean Thompson (pigalena_babe@yahoo.com), February 13, 2002.

Horizon Herbs out of Oregon.

Ask around. Most of my herbs i have gotten for free from other herb lovers!

-- marcee (thathope@mwt.net), February 13, 2002.



Yes, I agree that you can sometimes find decent plants at discounters, but they are never taken care of properly and aren't always marked properly, either. Seeds are fine depending on what you're growing (as one person said so well), but I'd really like to encourage you to seek out local growers. Check the little "Mom 'n' Pop" greenhouses and like operations. Most advertise in some way or another so keep an eye on the papers, but also check the phone book and ask around. Some places only operate in the spring and don't do a lot of formal advertising. Best of all, they generally grow the plants they sell, are knowledgeable about them, and have a reputation to maintain so they're very conscientious.

Discounters are a last resort for live plants!!

-- Marcia in MT (marciabundi@myexcel.com), February 17, 2002.


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