herbs and seed

I did stuff. Cut two large bunches of tarragon and dill to hang for drying. I tried to leave plenty of dill for the swallowtail caterpillars, and checked that the plants I cut didn't house any baby ones. Stripped the stems of summery savory I'd dried previously, and stored in jars. Also cut back the lavender and hung some of that to dry (I like to put sachets of it in my sock drawer). And cut those two stems of false indogo seedpods- just because I was curious on it.

The seeds. My smaller plant never surfaced this spring, so I do want to try and grow more.

Most of the work I did was with dill seed, though. I had these umbrels cut from when the older plants were so tall, hanging to dry in a paper bag. I think I left them too long- now I learned that it's easier to separate the seed cleanly if the stems are still a bit pliable. I put a small handful of seed mixed with chaff in an envelope for storage, to grow next year. Doesn't matter for that if it's super clean. 

But I wanted to use the rest of the seed for cooking. Shaking the bag got lots of seed off, not all- a ton left on the stems. As you probably know, it grows in these clusters of umbrels.

I found two ways to get the rest of the seed off, more or less. One was to break off each individual small umbrel from the larger bunch-

pinch it flat between fingers and pluck the seeds off with other hand.

This got a pretty clean bunch of seed, which I was satisfied with. There's still some bits of stem in there, that clung to the seeds.

My next method I realized by happenchance. I had more seed, broken roughly off the umbrels and rubbed between fingers to loosen chaff, in a plastic bowl. I had thought to take this outside and winnow it, but that didn't work- the seed is about the same weight as the chaff. But when I tipped the bowl, I noticed that some seeds would jump ahead of the chaff falling on the side of the curve, and the chaff would cling to the side of the bowl- due to static electricity I think-

By sifting with my finger and tipping in stages around the circumference of the bowl, and then swiping out the free seeds onto tabletop, I was able to separate them. This lot of seeds came much cleaner.

Both methods are quite tedious, and for all that work I only filled half a jar!

Well, next time I'll pay attention how dried the umbrels are, and do this sooner. The leftover bits:

how some things are doing

out there- these are some of the newer plants, from the last swap I went to, months ago. Coreopsis on the narrower side yard did okay- at least, it bloomed- but flopped over into a tangled cluster. Pretty sure it ought to look a bit more tidy?

The Liatris spicata has made interesting spikes topped with purplish-pink flowers- but they're so straight and tall, the few in the front bed feel out of place. And this one's leaning.

I'll move them to join these on the side later

The obedient plants are unimpressive- just greenery. So is the boneset, but it's grown so tall and healthy looking, actually done better than anything else I planted in that spot back near the fence yet. I would like to get another boneset, maybe an earlier-flowering one . . . 

I've got a volunteer baby evergreen back here, too- that escaped my attention when it was smaller (I usually pull them when just a few inches high)

Here's that dusty miller I always thought would die- it survived and grew a little more. I think because I've started pulling out and cutting back all the yellow salvia around the panicle hydrangeas. They're spreading and it's too much.

Still love my false indigo plant, and it has these odd, fat fuzzy gray-blue seedpods now

Black-eyed susans have spread to the other side of the walking path. So bright in that corner. My kid likes picking them.

My milkweeds are tall, tall! But no monarch caterpillars still. I'm disappointed at that. They've got heavy hairy seedpods on them now (not pictured) and quite a few are flopping over- I think probably because growing near the remnants of old maple stump under the ground, which might thwart the roots of new plants still?

Last of all to note, here's one of my redbuds that survived the deer so far (because I fenced it in). Funny, this is supposed to be an understory tree, but all the others which grow in shade are much smaller than this one, which is getting full sun more than half the day.

another puzzle

Today I dug up young plants, what I still think is volunteer shiso from a few garden beds and paths, and moved to a row against the fence like before.

Found this one growing in the same area. Feel once again, like I ought to know it, I recognize, but can't remember what it is. 

My first thought was that joe pye weed had scattered its seed downhill- but the leaves are slightly different color and not quite as long. Here's the joe pye- all grown in thick and fast!

Would be nice if it was a little bit of black-and-blue salvia, but that doesn't quite match either.

I looked more carefully comparing it to lemon balm- nope.

Then went and scratched my head over bed seven, that my kid used once- this plant I thought was sprouts of catmint 

(here's the catmint)

Well, it isn't. Here they are next to each other- you can see the catmint is slightly darker and bluer in hue, with leaves a tad narrower and more toothy.

I thought with happiness- maybe it's the blue sage! Because there's quite a few of these unknowns now growing across that bed, and I do love the blue sage. But here's one alongside bed four, where I know I grew blue sage last year, and the foliage matches my older pictures of that.

So I've got more looking through photos to do, for both of these. Or just wait and let them grow up and flower, and then yank them out if I instantly recognize it's something I don't want (like I did that yellow maybe-it's-false-indigo plant. 

And by the way, here's the real false indigo starting to flower. Lovely!

I've been trying to figure out

the identity of a plant growing on the sunny hillside. I can't remember if I transplanted it, or perhaps it spread by seed naturally. I think it's the same as this one- the false indigo down in the back near the compost heap. This one, in more shade, has longer leaves, which made me think it wasn't the same plant, but perhaps they grow longer because of the light difference.

The second false indigo in the original location by the panicle hydrangea is not there- I remember it was faltering one year, and I can't recall if I dug it up and moved it over here to have more sun . . . that would explain this. I looked back in my record here to see if I'd made note of it, but nope.

Here's the one I'm wondering about. 

Closeup of the leaves

They look so much the same, with that simple pleated fold in the middle, except some of these have slightly serrated margins? It does have a very vase-like shape viewed from a distance, which clued me in. Nearby are two smaller plants I think are the same, though at first I thought they were some kind of clover (ha) and almost pulled them:

The large one is about to bloom- so soon I can make a more positive identification (and remove it promptly before seed sets, if it turns out I once again nurtured a weed!)

I do recognize this clump nearby- one of the sedums I transplanted over here from the other dead stump spot in the front yard (which is so rotted out now I could remove all that sedum and put a new young tree there . . . )

out in the yard

I had thought that ajuga was a shade plant. But this large clump that survived the removal of maple trees on my larger sideyard, has grown even bigger and is blooming great!

There's also tons of violets scattering down the hillside. I'm glad these aren't considered invasive, because I like them.

More bleeding hearts-

Found the crown of my false indigo is growing back, so I cut down its old stems. Only the larger plant, though. Smaller one closer to the hydrangea, no sign of it.

Nearby, glad to see this bit of artemesia is still alive too.

I feel like every spring I'm still looking for some as survivors, wondering if they made it through the cold. Especially when I wasn't out there mulching protectively as much as I used to.

some plants

One of the rue I transplanted last year near a hydrangea, is grown taller and flowering now

Most of the rue cuttings I tried to grow in pots died. This one left.

I planted the zinnias in a row near the back perennial bed. Not sure if they'll get enough sun. It's kind of rough conditions back there.

Near them, the false indigo I thought was going to die last year, is actually looking good!

In the borage bed I created on the skirts of a maple tree, some are just starting to bloom. I cut down the borage in the garden spot, near peas and beans. It was collapsing all over the place. I did leave the base of the plant with a few leaves, perhaps it will grow back some.

Peony flowers are all done, the cut ones in the house have faded. I still enjoy the foliage out front,

especially where a blue cranesbill peeks through. Mine are leggy from shade but I kind of like how they creep up through the peony.

some yard plants

The hellebore flowers are nearly finished- fat green seed pods forming

Hellebore overlapping ferns

Arum is almost done- until fall.

I really need to figure out where to move my rhubarb to

So far, the false indigo is doing a lot better than last year

I really like how light seems to glow on the new liriope foliage

On the shady sideyard, chocolate joe pye is looking great!

so are the lance-leaved hostas

and this nice large blue one.

In the back, monarda is already a green wall

and out front, some of the mums are just big enough to start pinching.

All coming along!