Herbs can be a little harder to find than some plants. Yes, you can find the traditional basil, thyme and oregano but looking for medicinal plants or crafting herbs can be challenging.
You can find herbs for your garden in the form of seeds, rooted plants or cuttings and divisions. Here are a few suggestions for those hard to find plants.
Parsley, basil, oregano and dill seeds can be purchsed at most grocery stores and five-and-dime stores. Being used as much as they are for cooking and seasoning they are usually included in with the vegetable seeds.
Larger stores, garden centers and greenhouses have a more specialized customer base and offer the harder to find herb plants and seeds. Their selection of herbs depends on the demand in the area. You will find some stores will carry the unique seeds in small quantities to attract herbalists and crafters. Its best to shop for your seeds and plants before the selection is gone.
Check the events calendar in your local newspapers for any local botanical garden or master gardeners seminars for a plant sale. Many of these garden groups have spring sales where odd varieties of plants and seeds like bergamot, soapwort or chervil can be found.
My favorite way of expanding my herb collection is by swapping plants or asking my neighbors, friends and family for extra plants. Besides walking away with plants you always get gardening tips and helpful advice. Many old farms have herbs growing in their gardens that most people no longer use or even recognize. These heirloom herbs are often impossible to find in stores and seed catalogs.
Another way to increase your herb collection is to forage for plants. Beebalm, yarrow and many other herbs grow naturally in meadows.
One last way to find seeds is to check out the Internet for seed catalogs and seed companies. Richter’s is my favorite herb catalog. Pine tree seed catalog also has a nice selection of hard to find herb seeds and plants.
Herbs are fun plants to grow with many uses and purposes. As you study these plants you will find more that you want for your garden.
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