***AGRIMONY***
(Agrimonia Eupatoria)
• Full Sun, Pot Suitable, and Use as a Tea.
• Ideal Soil: Light, well-drained.
• Parts Used: Whole plant.
• Pests/diseases: Powdery mildew.
• Medicinal: Food allergies, sore throats, diarrhea, cystitis.
• Culinary: As a tea.
This easy-to-grow, aromatic herb has hairy, dark-green foliage and yellow blossoms. It is most commonly used as a tea and gargle for sore throats.
Also known as church steeples, sticklewort, or cocklebur, agrimony adds height and color to gardens.
All parts of the plant--root, stem, leaf, flower, and fruit--are used for medicinal purposes.
GROWING GUIDELINES:
Sow seed outdoors or divide older plants in spring. Self-sows each year.
• Growth Habit: Perennial; height 2-3 feet [60-90 cm].
• Flowers: Summer; tall spikes with lightly scented flowers then bristly fruits.
HARVESTING AND STORING:
Collect foliage just before flowers bloom. Strip leaves and spread to dry or hang in bunches. Lift root at end of season; dry. Store in airtight containers.
***GARLIC***
(Allium Sativum)
• Full Sun, Pot Suitable, Culinary Uses, and Essential Oil.
• Ideal Soil: Deep, well-drained.
• Parts Used: Bulbs.
• Medicinal: Colds, infections, skin problems, dysentery.
• Culinary: with meat, seafood, vegetables; in sauce.
One of the world's most familiar herbs, garlic is used to flavor food from most every ethnic cuisine. It is also an excellent insect-repelling plant.
To maximize bulb size, prune garlic's star-shaped blossoms as they appear in early summer.
Plant large garlic cloves to produce healthy plants, and don't overwater; it may cause bulb disease.
Garlic's optimum storage container is its self-contained, neatly-wrapped bulb.
To ensure your garlic is "rip", check the status of a few bulbs before harvesting your entire crop.
Wrap twine around garlic stems, or plait the tops of freshly dug plants, and hang to dry in a dark place.
GROWING GUIDELINES:
Separate individual cloves from the bulb and plant in late fall. Side dress with compost in early spring; don't plant after applications of fresh manure.
Growth Habit: Perennial bulb; height to 2 feet [60 cm].
Flowers: Early summer; small, white to pinkish blossoms.
HARVESTING AND STORING:
Dig builds after tops have died down and before skins begin to decay underground. Place in a single layer in a shaded spot to dry, then cut away tops leaving about 2 inches [5 cm] of stem. Hang loose bulbs in nets from the ceiling.
YIELD AND TIMING:
A 20-foot [6-m] row produces 5-10 pounds [2.5-5 kg] of garlic. Timing the harvest can be tricky. Too early and bulbs are small; too late and the outer skin may tear, making the bulbs store poorly. Check the status of one head before you harvest the rest.
