THE HERB GARDEN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22006, 12 January 1935, Page 8 (Supplement)

THE HERB GARDEN

PLAN OF FORMATION The formation of herb gardens was one of the first attempts toward making a collection of plants near houses or institutions, and herb gardens were the forerunners of botanic gardens. Early herb gardens were formed by apothecaries with a view to tho study of medicinal plants and pot herbs and the convenient study and collection of drug plants. At one period it was the recognised duty ol tho housewife to collect and dry the shoots of herbs for winter use, either for medicinal purposes or for use in the kitchen.

Numerous modifications of the original herb gardens, where as many medicinal herbs as possible were gathered together, came about, and in some places onl.v herbs that could be used ior culinary purposes were encouraged; in others only sweet-smelling herbs ivere grown; or a mixture of decorative and useful herbs was made, and so on. Eventually the herb garden disappeared from largo estates and the few herbs required were relegated to a corner of the vegetable garden.

Of late years there has been a tendency to set aside a definite area of the garden for the cultivation of herbs. It is a good idea, for such a garden is full of interest, more particularly when it is possible to study the herbs grown by the aid of one of the old herbals. The accompanying diagram is a suggestion for a herb garden of ornamental design. For utilitarian purposes rectangular beds about 4ft. wide with paths between are more appropriate.

KEY TO HERB GARDEN I. Pool. 2. Seat. 3. Paving. 4. Lavender. 5. Dwarf lavender. 6. Lemon-scented thyme. 7. Lemon-scented verbena. 8. Balm. 9. Cammomile. 10. Night-scented stock. 11. Sweet Alysaum. 12. Peppermint. 13. Common thyme. 14. Bergamot. 15. Pennyroyal. 16. Tarragon. 17. Southernwood. 18. Tansy. 19. Santolina. 20. Chervie. 21. Mint. 22. Rue. 23. Sweet Cicely. 24. Sage. 25. Horehound. 26. Rosemary. 27. Hyssop. 28. Mignonette. 29. Borage. 30. Wormwood. 31. Marjoram. 32. Night-scented stock. 33. Rosemary. 34. Bay Tree. The soil of the herb garden should be of good quality, such as might be expected to produce good vegetables. The plants must be lifted occasionally, the ground dug and the position of the different kinds changed. When grown for commercial purposes the ground should be placed under an entirely different crop when the yield of herbs begins to decrease. Culinary herbs that should be given a place in the herb garden are sage, thyme, lemon-scented thyme, mint, marjoram, tarragon, parsley, mustard, garden cress, endive, chicory, dandelion, chervil, carraway, basil, chives angelica, borage, horse radish, celery and watercress.

Plants with aromatic foliage worth a place in the herb garden are sweet bay, myrtle, rosemary, lavender, cotton lavender, rue, lad's love, scented verbena, balm, bergamot and sweet cicely. Herbs of medicinal value: Linseed, hellebore, peppermint, henbane, houseleek, chammomile, pellitory, lungwort, foxglove, red poppy, mustard, penny royal, liquorice, evening primrose, feverfew, wormwood, marshmallow, St. John's wort, hyssop, aconite, alkanet, tansy, castor oil plant, dill, thorn apple, saffron, male fern, cowslip and woodruff. Most culinary herbs are also of some medicinal value. CUCUMBER WILT CAUSE AND' CONTROL During the past few seasons the cucumber wilt has been particularly virulent in some districts, and has caused considerable loss in crop. The wiltine may be caused by two species of fungi, Verticillium albo-atrum and Fusarium vasinfectum. The external symptoms of these two diseases are the same —wilting, yellowing and drying up of the lower leaves, followed by tho same effects on successively higher leaves until the whole plant withers and dies. If tho stem is cut across, the wood is seen to be yellowish brown where Verticillium is present, and reddish brown in plants attacked by the Fusarium, the two diseases being equally common. Tho Verticillium fungus is also the cause of sleepy disease in tomatoes. The Verticillium wilt can be controlled in glasshouses by raising the temperature of the house above 76 degrees, earthing up tho bases of the plants and reducing watering to u minimum. Cucumbers out of doors are more difficult to deal with, and it has been evident that the disease is more virulent in a season of low temperatures, accompanied by much moisture. For the Fusarium wilt there is no control known. The diseased plant should bo removed and replaced with a healthy one after the soil has been soaked with Cheshunt compound. As the spores are present in the soil it is obvious that some efficient means of sterilisation must be employed to prevent tho recurrence of the disease anothnr season. All haulms, whether diseased or not, should be burned at tho end of tho season. If dug ia tho next crop is sure to bo infected.