Sketching Out Blog: Sketches of art, watercolor, photos, recipes, books, interviews, Jewish topics, and Highland Park, New Jersey

Nature Notes: Slow Seed

basil_lawn
Call me impulsive. Or a creative gardener. A risk-taking lawn owner?

I’m sick of grass. I don’t much care for weeds, either. So I pulled up some of my grass in early spring and planted some chamomile seeds on my front lawn. The seeds took a while to germinate, and now I have these pretty, leafy green plants (pictured on right side of photo, under the rudbeckia leaves), but no chamomile flowers yet. While playing with my daughter in the front I pulled up some more weeds. After a while, I had more space to plant in front. My intention was to plant flowers, ideally perennials that would grow back each year. I put in a few, such as creeping phlox, speedwell and Mexican primrose (at left in photo). But there was still room for more. If you recall from an earlier post, I had planted a lot of basil seeds. So I had a lot of basil plants. Since the groundhog or the deer had eaten my dill and chomped at my marigolds and nasturtium in the backyard, I thought my front lawn might be a safer place for my basil. I now have little basil plants in both my backyard and the front yard. And some parsley, too. A few oregano seedlings.

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Ilana-Davita says

Good luck with all your herbs. Hopefully this time the animals in your area won't eat them all.

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leoraw says

So far, the basil hasn't been disturbed in back or front. Animals have eaten some perennials that look very unappetizing to me, though. Strange.

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Michelle @ ramblingwoods says

I love the idea of getting rid of lawn and putting in plants. I want to do that with our front lawn. Already one section is moss, but I want to plant as much plant life as possible and have a little grass. I am guessing that my neighbors will find it very unconventional as the green lawn rules here.

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leoraw says

I guess I am fortunate that I live on a block with some immaculate grass lawns, some perennials and/or ground cover, some neglected weedy lawns. I think I'm the first to plant basil in my lawn, but a neighbor down the street grows tons upon tons of basil in pots, as well as tomatoes and lettuce. They line his walkway. He grows lettuce the way some people grow flowers. I often consult him on gardening.

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Carver says

I love seeing little seedling holding so much hope. I have both perennials and self seeding annuals which I like a lot. My garden practically plants itself at this point but I guess that's the advantage of staying in the same house for 25 years.

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Jew Wishes says

What a great photo of the seedlings. Keep us posted on the results of your herbs!

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Bird says

We just did something similar this year and dug up a fair bit of our tiny lawn to plant vegetables. It's so much nicer! Oh, but chamomile....I am truly envious. I really hope it grows well for you. The scent when stepped on is heavenly...

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Ellie says

Love chamomile chai - in Bulgaria it grow everywhere - as kids my sister and I liked to go in the fields and collect the flowers - then give them to Mom to dry - in the winter gratefully we enjoyed our own herbs. Happy you have chamomile in your garden!

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