Wanting to grow my own herb garden.

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Cam Atis
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Wanting to grow my own herb garden.

Post by Cam Atis »

Hi. I wanted to grow my own herb garden right in the few spaces that are usable and has access to full sunlight from dawn till 2pm. Can I ask for a few tips on the following points and HOW will a chow respond to these change in the landscape?
Points:
1. Which is suitable, plant them directly to the ground or elevate them using something similar to a
a board walk and them potted?
2. If on ground, Do I need to put some short fence around the area? The bermuda grass are thriving. Do I need to separate them from the soil where the herbs are growing?
3. In general, do herbs love sunshine or they need some screen to cover them from the heat?
4. To those who are gardening already, how did your Chowdren figured in the landscape of these herb garden?

Thanks! I hope to get some ideas to get me started as it is my first time to start an herb garden and if my chow Cassie will love it also. I mean admire.
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kingalls
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Re: Wanting to grow my own herb garden.

Post by kingalls »

First, be sure to check the list of poisonous plants (http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/plants/) to decide which plants you should buy.
Second, when using fertilizers, be sure to buy the safe kind - say no to cocoa mulch (http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/pet-care- ... ening.aspx)
Third, most herbs grown in pots do fine

As for gardening with Chows...our backyard was featured in Sunset Magazine a few years back, then came Shiloh and Nahkohe - two bulldozers when rodents, squirrels, or other vermin venture into our yard. They made their own paths through the bushes and other decorative landscape things...Nahkohe has pretty much taken up the drip lines with his backleg-kicks...both have come bounding into the house with half a rosebush stuck to their breeches...we wouldn't have it any other way :D

Good luck & happy gardening...
Karen, Kohana, Takoda, and our Chow Angels Nahkohe and Shiloh
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Cam Atis
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Re: Wanting to grow my own herb garden.

Post by Cam Atis »

Thank you for the links. It gave me awareness to some that can be poisonous to my dogs.
And I hope to keep the vermins away from my would be herb plots so Cassie won't bulldoze it. Blue is smaller and wouldnt be able to do much damage as compared to a chow.
I guess rats are the ones eating my tomatoes
I am new to vegetable gardening and I am looking at pure organic way, I wont have cocoa mulch. Just rice hay and some wood shavings. Thanks a a lot!
I wonder if marigolds are poisonous to dogs. I got some seeds and it is a good insect repellent to those who are damaging the foliage of my vegetable garden
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Re: Wanting to grow my own herb garden.

Post by reddog »

Just a thought/suggestion for your to consider.

I live in town and my home is on a piece of ground 40’ x 80’. I’ve always enjoyed gardening with flowers, herbs and some vegetables all around my home. I knew I’d have to make a few changes when I rescued my beloved Chloe 15 yrs ago. I bought some vinyl coated, 18” high fencing /edging to use as a border around my gardens. The edging consists of 12” panels connected to each other so you can do some contouring if need be and comes in 12’ lengths I’ve used it every year since then during our growing season. Plants kept inside and Chloe respected the edging and kept out of the gardens/flower beds. =D= Chloe passed away a year ago and now I have Whitby. The edging was put to use again this year and is still doing the trick. \:D/

Happy Gardening! :)
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Ursa's daddy
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Re: Wanting to grow my own herb garden.

Post by Ursa's daddy »

Reddog's idea may work. I just completed a paving stone walk where the dogs have been coming down the steps off the deck. They had cut a trail in the grass, so I decided to pave it. On the side I have laid out a foot wide border to plant. I had lots of help. Malachi wanted to practically lay on me as I did the work. I can stick up bamboo and use a long piece on the top, and the chows know to keep out. The terriers maybe, but the real problem is that the cats think they need to help by fertilizing the plants.
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Cam Atis
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Re: Wanting to grow my own herb garden.

Post by Cam Atis »

@Reddog: that's excellent idea. I can do a makeshift replica that is similar to what you have. That's great!

@Ursa's Dad: LOL! Guess your cats think they are doing you a favor huh.

Well. Slowly I am completing my herbs one by one. It is not as easy as buying packed seeds or seedlings. I have to find them from households having them so I am asking around. I've got lemongrass, pandan, various chilis, pechay (greens), anatto, garlic, onion, turmeric, and ginger. as well as some medicinal plants such as aloe and marivellosa. I am planning to separate them from my bonsai fruit trees. (intentionally pruned and planted in small containers) My grapefruit has one fruit already. :-)
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Re: Wanting to grow my own herb garden.

Post by Clovers_Mom »

Wow your herb garden sounds so amazing! I think that Chows 'get it', and are meddling when you have vegatables, herbs... However....i say this and of course every situation is different so who knows... BUT .. Clover is still young getting her in December- Winter for us, she had free range of through winter up until current.. that she is not to dig (I mean divet..ha) anywhere near there- and she has adhered to that. (fingers crossed while I am typing this)
Good luck with your herbs, it sounds very exciting. This is the 1st year that we had veg. and herbs. I made a small selection just in case it didnt work... So far this season we have 'harvested' Kale, some heirloom and reg. tomatoes, portuguese hot peppers, lavendar, rosemary, and have bhut peppers on the way! There is such a great feeling about growing, harvesting and then providing food that you have grown for either medicinal or consumption!
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Re: Wanting to grow my own herb garden.

Post by Clovers_Mom »

PS Love that you are going the organic route ;-)
and Yes herbs Love sun! Marigolds are not poisonous and a great insect deterrent.
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Cam Atis
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Re: Wanting to grow my own herb garden.

Post by Cam Atis »

Your Clover certainly is a good girl for following mom's instructions ;-)
That's great that you have told me Marigold is safe for them. i am precisely planting it for insect repellent properties.
I am using the EM1 Technology and Bokashi techno. My vermiculture is , well, slow but i guess the worms find it hard to chew on Duhat leaves. I'll see them in October or November when they can show me some decent results. They are only a handful.
In as much as i wanted to plant Parsely and basil, I know they require special care. The seeds of european herbs are hard to find but at least they can be found. Currently I planted Sage and Thyme seed. I hope they grow. O:)

Oh i have oregano now, from my neighbor's lot. And Anatto (atchuete seeds) from Burirao. It is handy handy in giving the food a tint of yellow to deep orange. My tomatoes are saying goodbye now, while my Bush sitao is giving its bounty (string beans).
I LOVED LAVENDER (the scent) I only saw it from books. Havent seen it in my country. Guess it doesnt grow here. Wish you were my neighbor and would spare me a few roots. Hahaha.
Our siling Labuyo (small itty bitty hot red pepper about 1.5cm long. Mostly 1cm only and about 0.5cm or less in circumference) IS one of the hottest chili. I crushed a few and add it to my EM1 solution as biopesticide along with garlic and ginger.
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Re: Wanting to grow my own herb garden.

Post by Auddymay »

Mine ignore all signs to stay out of the gardens. They have laid waste to my Hostas, and love hunting rodents in my Phlox and Artemisia. BUT- it is their yard, so I am redesigning to meet their needs. How Dillon didn't smush the Columbine I have no idea, but he lays right up on it!
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Re: Wanting to grow my own herb garden.

Post by Clovers_Mom »

Cam
I have realized how much I take for granted little things... I wish I could send you lavender seeds....Is it illegal? or automatically be confiscated at customs... i dont know... They would def. be organic though. Annatto is great for use in coloring- one of the ingredients I look for when i buy pre-packaged food, since so much of the food here is chemically enhanced. I have never looked into micro-organism gardening.. it has sparked my interest though!
Good Luck!
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Cam Atis
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Re: Wanting to grow my own herb garden.

Post by Cam Atis »

Thank you so much for the offer. I don't know but I guess it is not illegal. I also wonder if Lavender will grow in a tropical country. Sure do love to have the real thing! :-) In return I can send you some seeds of the plants native and can only be found in my country such as the hot chili we call Siling Labuyo. Our garlic and onions are also smaller but more pungent so you only use a little because of its flavor.
Here's Cassie posing for pictures in the fruit trees and backyard vegetable patch (bananas, string beans (sitao), sprouts of lemongrass. :D
Image Image
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Clovers_Mom
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Re: Wanting to grow my own herb garden.

Post by Clovers_Mom »

Yes, figure it cannot hurt to try! I will PM you and we can get into further detail.
Love the pix of Cassie. I had to do a 2nd look when I 1st look at them- Cassie and Clover look very similiar! I attached a pix for reference!
If I am not able to PM you tonight, I will tomorrow with out fail!
clover.JPG
clover.JPG (47.77 KiB) Viewed 6578 times
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Cam Atis
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Re: Wanting to grow my own herb garden.

Post by Cam Atis »

Yes indeed! Only Clover have longer mane now. She looks such a lady all relaxed and poised. :-)
I just learned yesterday that the fruit of Suha you can see in the picture is called Kaffir Lime. HUH? My househelp Gary saw its leaves being sold in the newly opened supermarket and pointed it out to me that that's suha, so I thought oh so it does look like the young leaves but I didnt notice. and the supplir Aloha Farms is owned by a foreigner so perhaps they call it that way. I thought it is grapefruit (suha)
Funny if they have labeled it Suha Leaves nobody's gonna buy that because it is common here. Hahaha
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Clovers_Mom
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Re: Wanting to grow my own herb garden.

Post by Clovers_Mom »

It's funny sometimes when people decide to sell a product- how they do not perform due diligence and research their product/market. How they expect to succeed as a whole always amazes me! Good luck to them!
Maybe you should sell the leaves as kaffir leaves, he-he!
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