Anise-Hyssop, Agastache foeniculum

Agastache foeniculum
 Anise-Hyssop

Flowering now, this metre high short lived perennial herb is familiar to many who keep bees as it is a great source of nectar over the summer. It is native to the United States and Canada and is much loved for the aniseed scented leaves which are suitable for use as a herbal tea, and for the tall spikes of lavender blue flowers. It is an easy plant to grow and is not troubled by pests and diseases and not particular as to soil or water. A Dutch raised hybrid between this species and the Korean A rugosa is worth looking out for as it has up to 120 spikes of flowers on each plant. It is called 'Blue Fortune'.

Bay Leaves and Garlic

Street seller of bay leaves and garlic
18th century print by Delpech after an original by Vernet
Victoria and Albert Museum, London

A ghost from Christmas past and a tough way to make a living... I have a crop of garlic planted which is still green but I will dig some soon as it is good to use fresh. I have a small bay tree which is a plant I can't live without. Garlic and bay leaves , essential ingredients for a great meal and Christmas fare.

Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun'

Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun', Blanket Flower

The blanket flower is so called because the flower colour resembles native American woven cloth and the original species G. aristata is indigenous to the dry plains of Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. This cultivar is a real winner because it stays dwarf and compact and flowers for all of summer if deadheaded regularly. It prefers soil on the poor side and does better in sandy soil than clay. I don't have any pest and disease problems in growing it. Propagation is from seed or cuttings in late summer.
2017 update: I am currently out of stock.

Monarda citriodora, Lemon Beebalm

Monarda citriodora
 Lemon Beebalm

This is another native American plant found from California to Florida and Nebraska to Texas. I have grown it in my community garden plot as a companion plant and one to attract beneficial insects. The other species Monarda didyma is difficult to grow here as it gets powdery mildew on the leaves and I just don't think it gets cold enough for it. It is commonly called Bergamot or Oswego Tea and is said to be a flavouring ingredient of Earl Grey tea. Luckily I photographed the Lemon Beebalm last week as sadly today after some gale force winds, yes that crazy weather again, it blew over and split from the middle with all the stems broken. I am hoping it will regrow from the base before summer is over.
2017 update: I no longer grow this.

Echinacea purpurea

Echinacea purpurea 
 Purple cone flower

Echinacea, which is flowering now, is indigenous to the dry open woodland and prairies of central North America.The American conservation organisation, United Plant Savers has listed Echinacea spp. as at risk, becoming rare mainly through over-harvesting or loss of habitat. www.unitedplantsavers.org
 It is a herbal ingredient, the roots are used, in a range of products including toothpaste, cold remedies, face creams and shampoo. Long before its current popularity it was used by Native Americans as a cure for infections and snakebite, hence the origin of one common name 'Kansas snake root'. According to Bartram's Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine, it was from the medicine men of the Mohawk and Cherokee Indians we obtained our first knowledge of the plant.
In Australia, it is mainly the purple and white flowering forms which are grown. It is an easy care perennial, not demanding of special growing conditions or soil. It goes to ground over winter and sends up its tall metre high flowering stem in early summer. A more compact dwarf form is available which goes by the name of 'Knee High'. However the plant breeders at Terra Nova Nurseries have produced the most exceptional cultivars in an extraordinary range of colours and forms. It is worth checking them out at their website. Love the "Mac n Cheese" golden flowered one and the red "Tomato Soup", clever names for brilliant flowers. www.terranovanurseries.com

Bull's Blood Beetroot

This is new variety of beetroot I have grown for the first time. The leaves are dark metallic purple and as a micro-green are excellent for adding to salads or using as a decorative garnish on a plate. The root itself is neatly round and well formed growing quickly to just the right size.

ZZZzzzzzzzz........Zinnias

First Zinnias of Summer

The zed/zee sound of mosquitoes droning around my head just after the lights get switched off at night or the sound of me snoozing during afternoon siesta on a hot day..... The Z flower, Zinnias are just starting to flower. I like their bright colours, the coarse raspy texture of their leaves and their smell like old library books........