{"id":23057,"date":"2019-08-03T19:42:48","date_gmt":"2019-08-03T17:42:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.edimentals.com\/blog\/?p=23057"},"modified":"2019-08-12T12:24:58","modified_gmt":"2019-08-12T10:24:58","slug":"lemon-balm-rescue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.edimentals.com\/blog\/?p=23057","title":{"rendered":"Lemon balm rescue"},"content":{"rendered":"

Getting on for 35 years ago, we created what we called the Herb Bed in the garden for sun-loving herbs. It was the most sunny part of the garden, facing south. Herbs like winter and summer savory (sar), hyssop (isop), flere sorter oregano (bergmynte), french tarragon (fransk estragon), lavender (lavendel), sage (salvie), thymes (timian), lemon balm (sitronmelisse) and others.
\nHowever, a small birch tree became a large birch tree over the years\u00a0 and the roots spread throughout the bed and it became very dry. I had also introduced greater stitchwort \/ lundstjerneblom (Stellaria holostea) near the bed and it spread into the herb bed and, loving the dry conditions, spread through part of the bed and was difficult to control. Over the years, most of the herbs died, apart from the oreganos which thrived under these conditions and the lemon balm (sitronmelisse), despite the fact that this we hadn’t expected this to be hardy enough (we covered this part of the bed with leaves in winter to protect it for many years). English bluebells (Endymion non-scriptus) are also doing well, a bit of nostalgia from the old country!
\nI started today to clear this bed, rescuing valuable plants such as lemon balm and german tarragon (tysk estragon) which was planted here in 2010 and has liked the dry conditions.\u00a0 The oreganos will be left as they were. Once I’ve dug out as many of the plants as possible, I’ll cover with newspaper for a year before replanting.<\/p>\n