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Galega x hartlandii 'Lady Wilson'  On Monday, our garden was included in the HPSO Study Weekend. This is a four-day event that includes speakers, plant/art sales and garden tours. The event rotates every two years between the cities of Portland, Seattle, Victoria B.C. and Vancouver B.C.  It will be 2033 before Portland hosts again. I toured the Portland gardens on Friday and Saturday and will share some photos in my next post. The weather was perfect on those days. Not so much on Monday, the day for the Vancouver, Washington gardens tour, and by late afternoon, the temperature had reached 94. However, it wasn't too bad in the first part of the day, and that's when we received the most visitors. We didn't have an exact count, but making an estimate based on our guestbook, I would say around 200 people. It was a hectic but fun day! We had a lot of visitors from Seattle and areas north of us as attendees were making their way home. Every time we open our garden, there ...

Complete Container Herb Gardening - a book review


Complete Container Herb Gardening: Design and Grow Beautiful, Bountiful Herb-Filled Pots by Sue Goetz. Cool Springs Press (December 22, 2020)

I find it pretty amazing that an entire book could be written on the topic of container herb gardening. I would struggle to come up with two pages but author Sue Goetz has produced a 192 page book that covers every aspect on the topic. Beginning gardeners will find everything they need to know here and even experienced ones will surely pick up some new pointers in the process. I know I did.


Each chapter covers individual aspects and include:

  • Choosing the right kind of pots - there are terra cotta, concrete, metal, plastic, wood, vintage and repurposed. The various pros and cons of each are covered.
  • Location - Light needs and microclimates are essential factors to consider and then there are topics on placement (balcony, rooftops, entries, patios, decks, living walls, and growing herbs indoors.
  • Container garden design might be not a topic of consideration by the author opens your eyes to the possibilities of choosing containers for color and style, composing pots for pleasing arrangements and grouping plants for color, form and texture. 
  • Descriptions of the major herbs as well as varieties used for exotic flavorings.
  • An entire chapter on herbal beverages that covers herbs for garnishes, simple syrups, and teas.
  • Herbs used for healing properties and aromatherapy. Lemony herbs are profiled individually.
  • Herbs for household uses and beauty treatments like foot soaks and cleansers.
  • Pollinators (plants to attract bees, hummingbirds and butterflies).
  • Cultivation (choosing plants, soil types, watering, maintenance, harvesting).
  • Propagation techniques.

The book is nicely illustrated with hundreds of photos.


 

 

I was provided with a review copy from the publisher.

 As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

 

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy


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