This all started one day while I was at Trader Joe's. There were pots of herbs for sale in bunches of four herbs. I grabbed Oregano, Rosemary, Mint and Thyme. I needed a little bit of the country in my life. I just moved from Lexington, Kentucky to Los Angeles. Yeah, it's been tough. I work with horses, but alas, there aren't that many in my immediate area of LA. The tracks and farms here are a long drive away. Not in distance - only in time. The traffic here is obnoxious. Not only is it busy, a lot of the time I am afraid to walk on my own, so I stay here at the apartment. Grabbing those herbs at Trader Joe's opened a whole new world for me.
Here is a list of the herbs I'm growing now:
Apple Mint
Spearmint
Mojito Mint
Rosemary***
BBQ Rasemary
Thyme***
Lemon Thyme
Tarragon***
Chives
Oregano/Majoram***
*** not sure of the exact cultivar/species
I don't have a lot of sun. I have a North facing balcony, with an ugly view of the neighboring building. One great thing about this building though, is the amount of reflected light it bestows on the balcony. Hopefully, this and being on the third story (I may get some direct light in the summer) will help my plants grow.
Now, some of you gardeners out there will probably tell me that this can't be done in the shade. Hell, you might be right. Will it also shock you that I've been growing tomatoes and peppers too? The plants are green and growing. I'm not sure if they are going to get any fruit, but I am certainly trying.
In the process of this, I am attempting to make the balcony beautiful. This may or may not be possible considering the ungly surroundings. But one thing is certain... It's not going to be boring!
Here is a picture of my tarragon. Can you identify it as French, Russian or Mexican? I've tasted it and it has the anise taste and a little bit of a tongue numbing effect. I bought this in another bunch from a nursery in January. This is the new plant...
