Plant of the Week
Plant of the Week
Pycnanthemum muticum is the sort of plant name that makes a great argument for common names, unlike last week’s POW, Phlox paniculata, which has the not so helpful common name of garden phlox (the genus has 67 species, and can’t they all grow in a garden?) But back to mountain mint, an excellent plant for so many reasons. P. muticum is also called short-toothed mountain mint or clustered mountain mint. I am in love with the tiny silvery buttons surrounded by garden gnome scale petals. This plant is deer-resistant, drought-resistant, grows as well in shade as it does in sun, and is an amazing native pollinator. It spreads, yes, but wouldn’t you want something so good to spread? Very easy to edit with all your friends in mind to extend the joy, and offers the ability to make a Mountain Mint Julep.
Guest
Brie the Plant Lady is a foodscaper extraordinaire, author of two books on the subject, excellent speaker, YouTuber, and TV star on the PBS show Growing a Greener World with Joe Gardener. She and I chatted about all of that, and she gives great ideas on how to easily incorporate edibles into your landscape. You could build a separate veg patch if you want to, but why not think of these edibles as ornamental too? Rice instead of pennisetum. Basil instead of coleus. Not only will you provide food for yourself, but if you use deep rooted grains, you can bust up clay soil and bring nutrients up to the surface to benefit all of your plants. Talking with Brie makes me want to give up the Farmer’s Market and get going in my own garden.
Brie mentioned another great foodscaper, Rosalind Creasy, and the web site Ample Harvest, for sharing the piles of food you are sure to grow if you follow Brie’s advice.
The Play List
Get yourself some Mountain Mint. I’ll share— I’m serious!
Water water water water water do a rain dance water water water...
Be sure you know the difference between the similar purslane and spurge, the former being a nutritious edible and the latter having a milky sap that you really don’t even want on your skin, much less in your belly. Get more info here. Those two are very much happening right now.
If you missed the tick information that I talked about in Episode 21, here is that link again for TickEncounter.org.
Listen
The Temps keep running through my mind, cuz I wish it would rain.