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Post by octave on Feb 11, 2015 11:11:07 GMT -5
What kind of uncommon plants (possibly edibles) can be grown--or at least started now-- in zone 5? Territorial Seeds sells ginseng, but it takes 3 years minimum to harvest. Non sure I'd like to wait that long for something I may not even like.
Then there is Epazote, another plant I'd like to try if I only knew what it tastes like. This is what wikipedia says about it: "Epazote's fragrance is strong but difficult to describe. A common analogy is to turpentine or creosote. It has also been compared to citrus, savory, or mint."
The mushroom thread made me want to try shiitake at home, except I don't have a place where I can generate enough indoor humidity.
Any idea?
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Post by breezygardener on Feb 11, 2015 11:28:18 GMT -5
As far as ginseng goes, have you researched what it's used for? Because it's not really a culinary product; more a medicinal one.
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Post by desertwoman on Feb 11, 2015 12:02:52 GMT -5
Though not currently doing so, I have grown stevia (sweet leaf) in the past. It does well in zone 5.
I also harvest the echinacea (cone flowers) roots that take 3 years to be ready for harvest. In the mean time I enjoy the flowers! This is also a medicinal herb, not a culinary food stuff.
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Post by octave on Feb 11, 2015 13:04:17 GMT -5
Though not currently doing so, I have grown stevia (sweet leaf) in the past. It does well in zone 5. I also harvest the echinacea (cone flowers) roots that take 3 years to be ready for harvest. In the mean time I enjoy the flowers! This is also a medicinal herb, not a culinary food stuff. I was thinking about using ginseng as a tonic, and perhaps sell the extra if there is a local market for it. I don't know yet. I am interested in growing it mostly because it's a new thing for me, and I like the challenge. I have a friend who grows hops, and I know I can grow it here, but the prospect of building a 12+ ft support does not appeal to me much. For hops there is a growing market, lots of new local breweries would like locally sourced hops.
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Post by desertwoman on Feb 11, 2015 13:16:25 GMT -5
Ginseng is a powerful herb, a great tonic. I've drank it a lot- off and on- over the years. If you grow it, I'll be interest to hear your experience with it.
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Post by SpringRain🕊️ on Feb 11, 2015 13:40:12 GMT -5
In the past I've grown a lot of herbs, some just for looks, but I really enjoyed the variety. Some were harvested for edible purposes, including edible wreaths from which I "harvested" all winter long. Others just have beautiful leaves and/or flowers. Some of my favorites aren't really unusual, but I guess it depends on what is considered unusual. ;)
Rue has a lovely leaf but the odor is terrible. Tansy has a nice ferny type leaf, spreads easily. I grew it not only for its appearance but because I had read it was a moth inhibitor; I haven't found it to be so.
Sweet woodruff and borage were just lovely and scenic. Hyssop was kind of unusual.
Lemon balm is very fragrant and prolific; my mother gave me 3 plants decades ago and they grew into large colonies. Even though it spreads easily, I love the fragrance, as I do with mints. I could never ban them from my garden because they have such a refreshing scent.
Artemisia and dusty miller are beautiful, have a pleasing appearance and create a sense of romanticism in the garden, especially if paired with pale pink or pale lilac flowered plants. Sweet Annie Artemisia has a wonderful fragrance; I just love that plant. I have a few wreaths that I made from it.
Lavender is also a plant to be grown for fragrance, especially if you want to make lavender sachets or lavender wands.
I haven't grown ginseng, but it's on my list; the leaves are stunningly beautiful.
As to flowers, I've always thought hellebores were pretty and would be nice to have in the garden; I've yet to try them. Hydrangeas aren't that unusual, but there are a lot of new hybrids with absolutely beautiful flowers, and from what I've seen, the dried heads remain strong during the winter so they provide winter interest. They could also be harvested for wreaths.
As to creating enough humidity to grow for shiitake, would the kitchen or bathroom work? They're both generally the most humid places in a house.
Another possibility is to identify plants from theme gardens. There used to be a marvelous and diversified site hosted by a Florida entity, one of the educational institutes I believe. One of the varieties of theme gardens was a Medieval Medicinal garden. I wish I had copied all of the garden information because the site was closed several years ago. There also were suggestions for a Shakespearean garden. If you check David Austin's rose varieties, you'll find many with names from Shakespearean plays. A Shakespearean herbal and rose garden is one of the things on my list of gardens to create, which probably will still be a list years from now.
There are also some special theme gardens which could have unusual plants. A Moon Garden could have a gas plant, flowering tobacco, etc., although these really aren't all that unusual.
But wait! Guess what I just discovered - Hershey's has its own gardens! www.hersheygardens.org/attractions/themed-gardens. Chocolate plants are a bit unusual, sometimes dramatic, but hopefully they're not edible or people like me would spend all my time in the garden munching.
These gardens aren't that unique, but sometimes the plants can be, especially if they're grouped in a collection to create a themed garden: www.plantdelights.com/Theme-Gardens-for-sale/
Another themed garden I've wanted to create is the Jurassic Garden, with plants that have massive leaves and really do create a sense of being in another geologic era.
The only concern I would have about unusual plants is whether they've been grown in enough areas and over a period of time to determine their viability, preferences, durability, disease resistance, etc. But then, gardening has always been a sort of adventure, hasn't it?
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Post by breezygardener on Feb 11, 2015 15:01:10 GMT -5
Rue has a lovely leaf but the odor is terrible. Tansy has a nice ferny type leaf, spreads easily. I grew it not only for its appearance but because I had read it was a moth inhibitor; I haven't found it to be so.
When I had my little herbal landscaping business, I planted a couple of gardens that included both of the above, including for myself.
While Rue makes a nice addition to both a medicinal & a blue/gray garden, not only can the odor be offensive to some, but the plant itself can cause contact dermatitis (aka "rash"). After weeding a bed with Rue in it, I couldn't understand why my arms were covered with a horrible bright red rash until I did more Rue research. And that rash took MONTHS to finally disappear.
Have not found Tansy to have any attributes outside of its history. The original variety grows extremely tall & gangly, plus spreads quickly; however, there are more domesticated versions that are shorter, more compact, & more easily tamed.
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Post by davidjp on Feb 11, 2015 19:57:59 GMT -5
What kind of uncommon plants (possibly edibles) can be grown--or at least started now-- in zone 5? Territorial Seeds sells ginseng, but it takes 3 years minimum to harvest. Non sure I'd like to wait that long for something I may not even like. Then there is Epazote, another plant I'd like to try if I only knew what it tastes like. This is what wikipedia says about it: "Epazote's fragrance is strong but difficult to describe. A common analogy is to turpentine or creosote. It has also been compared to citrus, savory, or mint." I really like Epazote, just grew it for the first time last year, someone gave me a spare plant. I wouldn't use it fresh but when added to bean dishes it really seemed to give a fuller flavour, great for pinto beans with your tacos. So will definitely be in the garden this year. I was actually looking for seeds locally for it but looks like I will have to order online.
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Post by gardendmpls on Feb 11, 2015 22:16:34 GMT -5
Spring, hate to be the one to break it to you, but Chocolate Mint. Uh oh.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2015 0:49:38 GMT -5
Ginseng makes a berry. That berry needs be rebroadcast into woodlot every year. It (the berry) will show up about year three. However the root is not big enough to harvest that young. Harvest roots about year ten.
It grows fine under other arbor projects as well as under grape. Making it a pretty good two-fer.
Cold stratified seed is offered at least by Johnny's (I expect there are others).
My next woodlot seeding project will be goldenseal. Updates as I make them. ;)
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2015 12:39:56 GMT -5
Bloodroot is another herb I have and continue to grow (although all my BR are now at my eldests campground). I grew it as an ornamental only. I *guess* it falls into a medicinal herb category.
It has a soft gel-like seed making merchandising seed problematic.
I have been told time and again it is not an orchid, but the flower size (huge) to leaf-size (small) means somebody has to be symbiont to somebody else. Who Is playing rootsy with whom in the dirt I have no idea.
I had quite a read about (this winter) to find out if goldenseal had a seed like ginseng, that could be managed and handled. even if goldenseal need to be cold stratified (it does), or was a "wet" seed like bloodroot that can't take much handling.
If there is a benefit for woodland plants like ginseng and goldenseal is they can be enhanced by broadcast seed. Bloodroot not so much.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2015 12:57:12 GMT -5
Chestnut-chinkapin
If size matters this could be the east-coast monarch. It was beaten down late in the nineteenth century castenea was hit with a root and a bark disease.
Unlike the rest of the list I have been prattling about in this thread; this tree starts growing as soon as the nut hits the dirt. Most tree seed that do need cold stratification, loaf till spring. castenea do not.
Just about every other (tree) seed I have loaf in their pot outdoors. Chestnut is nestled in peat with slowly growing roots in the fridge. Awaiting anxiously a spring release.
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Post by breezygardener on Feb 12, 2015 12:59:01 GMT -5
Then there is Epazote, another plant I'd like to try if I only knew what it tastes like. This is what wikipedia says about it: "Epazote's fragrance is strong but difficult to describe. A common analogy is to turpentine or creosote. It has also been compared to citrus, savory, or mint."
Oh - one thing to keep in mind when growing Epazote is that it's been described as being quite invasive due to prodigious self-sowing, so if you grow it, keep the seed heads clipped off. It's actually considered a naturalized weed in some parts of the U.S.
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Post by gakaren on Feb 12, 2015 13:49:48 GMT -5
The most unusual thing I grow is stevia. And I got my plants several years ago from Territorial....they arrived in great shape...clear across the country! All of my orders with them have been super fast delivery!
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Post by SpringRain🕊️ on Feb 12, 2015 17:01:18 GMT -5
Spring, hate to be the one to break it to you, but Chocolate Mint. Uh oh.GD, are you telling me I can't eat all that chocolate mint that I'm planning to grow? Or that it's so tempting that I'll be sorry I planted it?
Truly, though, there are so many lovely mints - I can never have enough mints in my garden.
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