Ivydene Gardens Offbeat Glossary: HILM

This Offbeat Glossary shows in tabular form an alphabetical list of terms commonly encountered in writings about gardening, which exclude agrochemicals, together with some offbeat but interesting ideas.

TERM

DEFINITION

Herbal Lawn

Ground Cover Herbs from Seed

By Conrad Richter (then click on Browse the Magazine Rack for this article)

I often get asked what herbs are suited as ground covers. Customers tell me, "I hate cutting grass," or "I like trying something completely different, and I don't mind if my neighbours think I'm crazy to dig up my lawn." Herbal ground covers are very different, but their pleasing leaf textures and often showy masses of colour are becoming more popular in place of grass. Being the tough little critters they are, they need next to no care once established. And if you don't mind foliage and flowers that tickle your ankles and beyond, you can dispense with the weekly trysts with the lawnmower to keep things trim and proper.

The biggest problem with herbal lawns is the start up cost. Regrettably, some of the finest low growing herbs are only increased by cuttings or division – the flowerless variety of english chamomile, Treneague, is a notable example. You need the payroll of a CEO to afford enough plants for an instant lawn. Or, you need the patience for many seasons of divide and spread to cover much ground starting with a few plants.

Fortunately there are several good choices for herbs you can grow from seed. By far the most popular is wild thyme (Thymus praecox subsp. articus), also known as mother-of-thyme. It grows 4 to 6 inches high, has masses of rose-pink flowers in July, and grows fast enough to crowd out weeds. At 110,000 seeds per ounce, the seeds are very fine, much smaller than grass seeds, so it is a good idea to mix seeds with a filler like sand to avoid dropping 90% of your seed in 10% of the area to be covered. We recommend an ounce of seed per 1000 square feet. In the kitchen wild thyme is not commonly regarded as a culinary herb in North America, but European cooks have long used it in meat dishes just like the more famous English and French thymes (Thymus vulgaris). If nothing else, wild thyme will at least drive you from drink should you dare to consumer alcohol and the leaves at the same time. The combination causes a mother-of-a-hangover!

Another popular choice for lawnless lawns is yarrow (Achillea millefolium). While its white, red or pink flowering stalks can reach a foot in height, its dense, many-divided leaves make for a cushion lawn that just invites a picnic, a snooze or other prostrate activities. I have seen yarrow used very successfully in small urban settings. especially under partial shade. If the flowers get too high, one or two runs a season with the lawnmower will keep things in check. Yarrow seeds are small and light, lighter than wild thyme. there are 175,000 seeds per ounce, and an ounce per 2500 square feet is the recommended sowing rate. Yarrow tea is insurance for colds and flus, which is a good thing if you are going to lie around in your lawn a lot.

If you don't mind a more rangy and taller cover, Fassen's catnip (Nepeta x faassenii) is a good aromatic choice, growing up to 12 inches in height. Don't worry, cats are not as enamoured by this variety as they are by the much taller growing regular catnip (Nepeta cataria). Sow an ounce per 600 square feet.

Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) is a good choice for warmer, sunny locales. It is a perennial, hardy to zone 6, with finely divided emerald leaves. The small daisy-like flowers are, of course, used to make the popular herbal tea. Be forewarned, there are those who insist that tea made from the Roman (sometimes also known as 'English') is superior to the annual German or Hungarian variety (Matricaria recutita), and there are others who argue just as strenuously the other way. As sides ten to fall along ethnic lines, we prefer to stay out of the debate! In any case, a Roman chamomile lawn is pure enchantment in many landscape settings. Again the seed are very fine – 155,000 per ounce – and one ounce will cover 2000 square feet. As with all seeds this small, it is crucial not to plant too deep; best simply to press the seeds, once broadcast, into the soil using a board or other object with a flat surface.

Hiving a new swarm

INTERCROP PLANT

Life

THE MAYONNAISE JAR AND 2 CUPS OF COFFEE

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things--your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favourite passions - and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

The sand is everything else - the small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

'Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first -the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. 'I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'