Newsletter: 27th July
This year, our Thymes have truly outdone themselves, creating a beautiful tapestry of colour across our herb garden. When these herbs are in flower they are putting on a performance worthy of the West End, however, once the flowers fade, they can look a bit weary. It's vital to remove the dead flowers as soon as they turn brown and then reward your plants with a nourishing seaweed feed.
Many of the creeping thymes that Jekka has cultivated feature their flowering stems standing tall above the green foliage, making it easy to trim just above the leaf line with a pair of clippers. By clearing away the old flowering stems, you not only prevent the thyme from becoming woody but also encourage the plant to channel its energy into healthy new growth, creating lovely autumnal cushions of Thyme.
'Jekka's Red Eye' Thyme ready for pruning
For the upright thymes we cut them into domes, careful not to cut too low and to stay in the green. Again this encourages new growth and in a months time we will have beautiful green domes of thyme.
Have you fed your Herbs this week?
With the warm weather we have been experiencing this summer, you may have noticed that your plants are lacking a little lustre. This can happen when the extra watering washes away vital nutrients in the soil. We recommend feeding your herbs weekly to ensure they get the nutrients they require. We feed ours on Fridays!
At Jekka's, we love using Maxi Crop on all our plants, and for those more established herbs, especially the evergreen varieties, we use Epsom salts for an extra nutrient boost. Herbs love magnesium, it is like taking a vitamin C tablet when you are feeling run down.
Can you identify these plants?
Come to our open days and we will introduce you to the large array of herbs that we grow. We are passionate about sharing our knowledge as we believe the more you understand and care for your plants, the more the plants will thrive. Healthy plants = beautiful garden = happy gardener!
Join us for our August Open Days, next week, on Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd August.
Morning Session (9am–12pm):
- Garden Tour at 9:30am
- Herb Talk with Jekka at 10:30am
Afternoon Session (1pm–4pm):
- Garden Tour at 1:30pm
- Herb Talk with Jekka at 2:30pm
These days are a wonderful opportunity to visit the Herb Farm, explore Jekka’s Herbetum and Herb Garden, and meet our knowledgeable team, who will be on hand to help with plant purchases and offer guidance for your own herb-growing journey.
We’ll also be joined by the Woodland Trust, who will have an information stand. And of course, our café will be serving homemade cakes and herbal teas!
Proceeds from the tickets on Saturday will be going to the National Garden Scheme's chosen charities.
Cultivating flavour, creating experiences.