HERB - Growing herbs and Questions

[Mike and Pat Luco]

Hello its me again (Henri/Mike)

I also can't keep lavender growing.  It does well until the really hot/humid weather sets in.  I really think its the humidity that kills it (or maybe my lavender brown thumb)  I'll keep trying.  I live in Houston and have raised beds.  I planted the lavender in the afternoon
shade, but to no avail.  Rosemary grows into small bushes (3 ft globes) that have to be pruned to keep it from crowding out the other plants.  There is a war going on between the pineapple sage and rosemary to see which can take over the backyard.

I finally have St. John's wort blooms!!!  I was wandering how one would make a tincture from those yellow blooms.  I'm trying a 60% grain alcohol solution.  As the blooms open I pick them and place into the solution.  Is this right?

I also have echinacea (purple cone flower) blooming, which I would also like to make into a tincture.  It is a perennial, right? So it should come back from the roots next year?  Or do I need to let it go to seed and plant those to keep the production going?

Henri Hearthland
Barony Stargate, Ansteorra


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