Herby help

[Jessey]

I'm thinking ahead to moving, I still want to have a track but it does leave the land bare at the edges, as the paddock is right next to their driveway I want to do something to hide the track a bit, my thought is to put the fence 2 feet in from the drive and plant up the buffer with wildflowers, herbs etc. so that through the summer there is a pretty screen

So I need to get my order in to my mum about what I want cuttings of, she will grow them on for me for the next couple of months until I am ready to plant, so what should I ask for?

Her garden is ram packed with things, and they have a big meadow nearby where they walk the dog and she will love going out hunting for things to take cuttings or save seeds from

Mint
comfrey
milk thistle
fennel
sage
thyme
chamomile
lemon balm

I will probably buy a wildflower seed mix from meadow mania or the like, just for ease

 

[Jessey]

must add calendula and evening primrose, yarrow and cleavers

 

[Mary Poppins]

Now this has made me want to plant some herbs in my garden!

 

[Jessey]

I'm just going to keep adding things as I think of them, at least I won't loose my list here
Rosebay willow herb, meadow sweet, Echinacea

 

[Bodshi]

I'm not much of a gardener, but I do know that Rosebay Willow Herb is a pesky weed because the seeds are so abundant and fly so far, so you may not be popular with your neighbours if they are trying to keep a more formal garden nearby.

I really want a wildflower 'meadow' in our garden but somehow I never get round to doing the preparation. I have an area in mind - it used to be a vegetable plot before we bought the house, but now it's just grassed - but we'd have to remove the grass and prepare the land and then we'd have to fence it in to stop the dogs going to the toilet in there ... if I didn't spend all my time with the horse ....

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

Don't forget nettles and dandelions, they are probably the 2 most helpful herbs for horses. Watch out for the comfrey, if it likes the situation it is a complete thug and will even fight the nettles!

 

[Jessey]

I doubt nettles will be a problem, they seem to love the 'over grazed' track environment Perhaps I'll make some planters to put the more aggressive growers in, so they don't take over everything, good tip I don't think there is any formal gardens nearby, a rough lawn one side and a fallow farmers field the other.

 

[Kite_Rider]

I would echo @Jane&Ziggy unless you go for the variety Bocking 14, that is much less likely to take over, it’s an amazing plant actually, great for bees etc and makes an amazing fertiliser.
Ditto @Bodshi too, rose bay willow herd is a PITA