Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Living Well with the Carrie Connection

There are strawberry jars today which are clay or ceramic containers available in different sizes with planting pockets in their sides.

They can bring a garden anywhere  an herb garden to the front porch, fragrance to the deck, foliage to a dinner party. Strawberry jars are not just for strawberry plants, Impatiens or begonias as we so often see.

Strawberry jars filled with herbs are quite attractive. Plant the jar with a variety of herbs, such as parsley, chives, sage, and thyme. Basil, marjoram and oregano can be used as well. Place the jar in a sunny location right off the kitchen and you can have fresh herbs for use in many cooking creations.

Do you have a hot sunny deck or pool area? Try a strawberry jar filled with different varieties of sedum. Many sedums are creeping plants with green bi-colored or tri-colored foliage. Plants bloom with yellow, red or white flowers. They thrive in hot dry places, so this jar will prosper even with infrequent watering and neglect.

For a table in the shade try a variety of ivies as a centerpiece. Ivies grow vigorously with trailing branches creating an interesting centerpiece. Other plants for shade include browallia, lobelia and Impatiens. Choose bright colors or white to lighten up shady areas.

How about a jar for fragrance? Sweet alyssum, heliotrope, lemon verbena, creeping thyme and miniature carnations are some of the most fragrant flowers. A sunny spot increases the fragrance. Trim plants in mid-summer to encourage a second flush of bloom in late summer.

Start with small, young plants. They're easier to fit into the plant pockets and their root systems will quickly spread. Use a well-drained potting soil and for easy care, mix a time-release fertilizer into the soil when planting. One dose will probably last all summer. Be sure to keep spent flowers removed as well as unattractive leaves. Pinch plants back to produce a bushier plant and water regularly (probably daily).