75% of the herbs we use, we grow! Many of the herbs are perennial and some are annual. The annual herbs get direct seeded or are started with organic soil in our nursery greenhouse. Dayempur Farm has never used chemicals in its soil, and we handle everything with tender, loving care.
The garden has taken off and it isn't waiting for us! As the weather is warming and the Spring showers have been abundant, we're seeing a lot of growth in the garden. It's been all hands on deck prepping the beds and weeding! Some of the first herbs that we are seeing include; Echinacea, Elecampane, Burdock, Feverfew, Mullein, St. John's Wort, Valerian, Marshmallow, Motherwort, Cleavers, Peppermint, Stinging Nettle and Yarrow. It is incredibly rewarding seeing new plants pop up every time we're in the garden.
We grow over 35 different medicinal herbs in our garden, many are perennials, but some are annuals that we start from seed each year. Over the last month, we have begun our seed starts in our nursery greenhouse. Some medicinal plant seeds need extra care such as passionflower, which requires removing a bit of the seed coat, planting in little cells, covering the trays and placing on a heat pad to encourage germination. Other plants, such as Tulsi Holy Basil, is just happy being in soil and within a week, it's germinating!
As it goes with gardening, every year is different and the growing conditions vary. So it's not unheard of to have spotty germination once in a while, or even having too many hands in the pot so that a tray gets overwatered. Although some plants were spared in the overwatering, some weren't so lucky. Thankfully, it is spring and we are still in the window to restart seeds.
We've just passed the last frost date for Southern Illinois - April 15. So as the soil remains relatively cool, and the temperature warms up, we seed some of the herbs directly in the garden. This week we direct seeded; Plantain, Peppermint, Pleurisy Root, Yarrow, Echinacea, and Skullcap. We also direct seeded ornamental and edible flowers for future enjoyment :-).
Besides planting and weeding, we have other projects around the garden in preparation for our Herbal Medicine Workshop that will be on Saturday, June 17th. Stay tuned for the next garden blog installment!
Looking for Dayempur Herbals' products in Carbondale, IL? Town Square Market carries all of our products! Jenn Pellow, General Manager of TSM, swears by using our Elderberry Syrup in her daily cup of tea during cold and flu season!
A convenient way to get your immune support.
Click below to visit Town Square Market: 106 E. Jackson St., Carbondale, IL
Organic Deli, Supplements, Catering and Local Gifts!
Elderberry Drink Recipes
Elderberry Tea
2 Tablespoons of Elderberry Syrup
Hot water
Honey to taste
Very Berry Elderberry Smoothie
2 Tablespoons of Elderberry Syrup
2 cups of berries of choice
1 1/2 cup dairy of choice
Water or juice for consistency
Elderberry Spritzer
2 Tablespoons of Elderberry Syrup
Choice of sparkling drink
