No and no, this is a nursery that specializes in growing and using herbs, especially lavender! Barn Owl Nursery got its name because the owner likes owls. In fact, she has a collection of owl gifts that family and friends have given her over the years. The gift shop at the nursery is a barn-like structure. Occasionally owls can be heard and seen flying over the nursery, however, no real owls have made the gift shop their home. We suspect they prefer the easy access to the older, neighboring barns. In honor of owls, and to follow the owl theme, we have chosen a pair of barn owls for the nursery logo. There is an owl weathervane on top of the shop, and part of the owl gift collection does reside inside, to add to the theme. We think this is a wise and fitting choice for our little herb nursery!
We do not give advise on how to use herbs medicinally. We do not sell medicinal herb products or bulk medicinal herbs, or supplements. As an herb nursery, we do sell a nice selection of organically grown, medicinal herb plants.
For more information on medicinal herbs and how to use them, contact: The Australasian College of Herbal Studies at 503-244-0726 or 800-487-8839, located in Portland, Oregon. Email at: achs@herbed.com Web site: www.herbed.com
Another good source of information is the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon.
Some examples are: (for more details, click on each class or go to the "Workshops" page within this web site)
Herb Growing in the Pacific Northwest
Growing Lavender in the Pacific Northwest
Growing & Using Scented-Leaf Geraniums
Growing & Cooking with Your Own Culinary Herbs
If you are interested in scheduling a class, lecture, or workshop for your group, we would be happy to plan an experience that will fit your needs and budget. Call or E-mail Chris, at Barn Owl Nursery, well in advance to discuss some options.
There are three basic requirements for growing most herbs successfully:
First, and most important is that you have soil that drains well. Most herbs will not tolerate soggy roots; so do not plant them in poorly drained areas or heavy clay soil. Generally, once most herbs are established, they prefer a rather dry soil, water them as necessary, maybe a little more during the first season, then sparingly, when they are mature plants. If you do not have well-drained soil you will need to amend it by mixing 1 part sand and 1 part peat moss into your tilled garden soil. Consider planting in raised beds for added drainage. Mulching the soil surface after planting your herbs will maintain an even soil temperature and moisture content, it also discourages weed growth and will save time in watering and weeding.
If you are planting in the spring, wait until the soil warms and the rains are less before mulching. Don’t mulch around new plants until they are tall enough, otherwise the mulch might smother them. If planting in the fall, apply mulch right after planting. Use a 3-7 inch layer of mulch to keep the weeds down. A winter mulch for new or tender plants is a good idea too. Organic mulches can harbor snails and slugs and promote rot when wet, so keep them away from the stems of the herbs.
Some organic mulches that will decompose and add fiber and nutrients to the soil are: chopped straw, leaves, or hay, chopped bark, grass clippings or peat moss. A light colored mulch like straw will keep the soil cooler. A dark colored mulch like black plastic, will keep the soil warmer for the heat-loving herbs. A neutral pH range is best for most herbs, but some herbs prefer a soil on a slightly acid side, with a pH around 6. Heavy, dense clay soils are often more acid than desirable. Adding lime or dolomite will make a less acid soil, this can also improve the structure of the soil. If the soil pH is high, you can lower it by adding sphagnum peat or sulfur to adjust the pH, make the changes at least 6 months before the season you are planting, especially when adding lime.
Second,
an average soil, suitable for vegetables, with a little lime and fertilizer added, is all most herbs need to thrive.
Herbs usually require only a small amount of fertilizer and are
sensitive to overfeeding. In rich
soils, herb plants may be larger and seem to grow faster, but they will
probably be weak in flavor, fragrance, and growth.
The best time to fertilize herbs is in the early spring, just as they are
planted or when they start to put on new growth.
If the herbs start yellowing and are sparse in growth later in the
summer, they may need another shot of fertilizer. You should use a fertilizer that is low in nitrogen. Add a
fresh batch of compost or well-rotted manure to the garden at the start of the
season, before you plant your annual herbs.
A 1-2 inch application will
feed the soil adequately for most garden herbs throughout the season.
Herbs are rarely heavy feeders. If
sufficient amounts of trace elements are lacking, the plant may show symptoms
such as yellowing between the leaf veins, brown and
wilted shoot tips, or stunted growth.
You can apply a spray of seaweed extract or a side dressing of kelp meal
to provide adequate trace elements. For more nitrogen, use blood meal as
you plant. You can broadcast dry,
organic fertilizers by hand or with a spreader, till it in or leave it on the
surface as a mulch. To feed
perennial herbs, add organic materials to the soil surface as a mulch.
In general, those herbs that are grown for their leaves, rather than for their seeds or flowers, may be grown successfully in pots. However, because they are contained, container grown herbs do not produce as much at harvest. When you plant several herbs in one container, it is best to plant together only those that require similar amounts of water, sun, and soil conditions.
Some herbs are going to grow better if they are given their own pots. Mints, or herbs in the mint family, are a good example. They will quickly take over a pot on their own. Each type of mint should be given its own pot so it will not cross with other mints. Herbs with tap roots need pots that are deep enough for the full grown root. Parsley, or herbs in the same family, are best grown in their own deep pots.
Provide container herbs with as much light as possible, 6-8 hours of full sun if growing them outside, 14-16 hours under fluorescent lights if growing indoors. If growing them in a window, rotate the pot once a week. Most herbs prefer temperatures of 55-60 degrees F at night and 65-70 degrees F during the day. Humidity should be around 50%, or as high as possible indoors. Set pots on a tray of pebbles with the water line below the bottom of the pots to provide more humidity indoors. It is best to use a sterile, commercial potting mix and amend it with pumice or perlite to achieve greater aeration and drainage. Clay pots also provide good drainage because they are porous. If you use a plastic pot you will need a very light potting soil with sand and perlite, you probably will not need to water it as often. Water the herbs when the top soil is dry. If you have good drainage and a warm house this could be once a day or every other day.
Water all herbs from the top -- not the bottom. Do not let them sit directly in the water. Avoid getting the foliage wet. Water the plants early in the day, avoid watering at night. Herbs grown in containers outside in full sun, during hot weather, may need to be watered twice a day. Fertilize container herbs every two weeks with a low nitrogen, liquid fertilizer, about half the recommended amount.
When you plant your herbs in the desired containers, fill the pots half way with the soil mix, place the herbs in the pots and pack soil around them, leaving 1 inch head room. It helps to trim container herbs often to keep them healthy and within bounds. By doing so you will encourage new growth with more to harvest and use. You should remove old flower stems to encourage the herbs to flower again. Keep the plants well groomed and dead leaves cleaned out of the pots. Weeds are easily kept to a minimum if you carefully select weed-free potting soil. When plants have reached their maximum or desired size, they should be repotted yearly to renew the soil, or transplant the herbs to larger pots that will accommodate a larger root system and allow the plant to grow larger, if desired.
It is easier to grow herbs in containers outdoors in the spring and summer, then in early fall, start to gradually acclimate the tender perennials to an indoor environment. Tender perennial and annual herbs usually make the most cooperative houseplants. Hardy perennial herbs that die back in the winter, usually benefit from a freezing period outdoors and don't grow very well indoors. Watch for white fly, aphid, and red spider mites on your highly scented herbs, particularly on scented-leaf geraniums, and when growing herbs indoors. If you find bugs, separate infected plants from the others, cut them back, use a mild, soap spray on the leaves, or a commercial spray like Safer's. You may have to apply the spray several times, over a few weeks. Container grown herbs require a little more care than those that are grown in a garden.
Here are a few herbs that will grow well in shade/partial shade: Angelica, Bay, Betony, Burnet, Chives, Comfrey, Corsican Mint, Costmary, Lady's Mantle, Lamium, Lemon Balm, Lovage, Mints, Parsley, Pennyroyal, Sweet Cicely, Tarragon, Valerian, Violets, Woodruff
These herbs are probably the most notorious for being very invasive:
Coltsfoot, Comfrey, Fennel, Lemon Balm, Lily of the Valley, All mints, Oregano, Violets, Woodruff
Angelica, all Artemisias, Bee Balm, Blue Indigo, Catmint/Catnip, Chives (most plants in onion family), Clove Pinks (Dianthus), Echinacea, Lady's Mantle, Lamb's Ears, Lamium, all Lavenders, Oregano, Rosemary, Sage, Tansy, Thyme, Violets- (Labrador), Yarrow
All lavender flowers are fragrant, but there are certain cultivars that are suppose to be more fragrant and produce better oil. It varies each year depending on our weather and the soil you are growing the plants in, as to how fragrant they will be.
In the English Lavenders, (Lavandula angustifolia,) the most fragrant cultivars are suppose to be: Angustifolia, Backhouse Nana, Brabant Blue, Buena Vista, Dark Supreme, De Lavande, Fiona English, Folgate, Lisa Marie, Maillette, Middachten, Munstead, Norfolk J-2, Pastor’s Pride, Richard Gray, Sachet, Sharon Roberts, Tucker’s Early Purple, Two Seasons, Victorian Amethyst, Wyckoff.
In the Lavandins, (Lavandula x intermedia), the most fragrant cultivars are suppose to be: Abrialis, Dutch, Dutch Mill, Fat Spike Grappenhall, Grosso, Old English, Provence, Super, White
English Lavenders, (Lavandula angustifolias), have the darkest flowers for drying. Among those, there are some cultivars that have especially dark blue/purple flowers: Baby Blue, Betty’s Blue, Fiona English, Hidcote, Imperial Gem, Lodden Blue, Mitcham Grey, Munstead (True), Nana Atropurpurea, Pastor’s Pride, Purple Bouquet, Royal Purple, Royal Velvet, Skylark, Tucker’s Early Purple. While the Lavandins, (Lavandula x intermedia), do not produce dark flowers in comparison, the darkest flowering varieties are Grosso, Gros Bleu and Impress Purple.
English lavender plants, (Lavandula angustifolia), produce seeds and are the largest group of lavenders. We sell around 60 recognized cultivars that are grown in the Pacific Northwest. The average size of a mature English lavender plant is between 18-24 inches. However, there is quite a range in sizes, from the smallest dwarf that grows 5-8 inches, to the larger plants that grow around 24-36 inches. The fragrant foliage of the English lavenders is generally a green/gray, with shorter leaves on the stems. The flower stems themselves are an average of 12 inches long. The fragrance of the flowers is generally a sweet lavender scent. There is quite a selection among the flower colors in the different English lavender cultivars. They range from light blue to different shades of purple/blue, to dark, blue/purple. There are light pink and white flowering varieties, too. English lavenders make nice, low hedges in the landscape, but they do require more pruning. The different cultivars start blooming in Western Oregon, around the 2nd-3rd week in June, usually finishing around mid-July. Some of the cultivars bloom again in the fall.
Lavandin, as they are called in France, (Lavandula x intermedia), is a smaller group of lavenders because they do not produce seed and they must be propagated vegetatively. This group of lavenders are a cross between the English lavender, (L. angustifolia), and Lavandula latifolia. We sell around 15 recognized cultivars. This hybrid, and its cultivars, are larger, rounder plants, they need less pruning to maintain their shape, than their English cousins. The size of the plants average from 18-20 inches to 36-48 inches. The leaves are wider, longer and grayer. The different varieties start blooming 3-4 weeks later than most English lavenders. In Western Oregon, that is usually the 2nd week in July into August. Their flowers are a lighter, lavender/blue in color, (there are some white flowering cultivars,) on longer stems, some reaching 3 feet in length. The long flower stems grow in a fan-like shape from the plant, so they need to be planted further apart and allowed more space in the garden. These plants are vigorous growers, they will grow faster than English lavender plants. They hold their shape and retain their leaves in the winter. The scent of the flowers is more pungent that the English lavenders.
English lavender and Lavandin plants will live for many years if they
are maintained and pruned well. In a home garden these lavender plants can last more than 10
years if you start pruning when they are young plants and you prune them hard at
least once a year. All cultivars
need to be pruned after flowering, or in the fall. Lavender hedges need pruning twice a year.
The first trim is best in the spring.
Only the sides should be cut to allow for the top to flower.
The second pruning should be in the fall, before any frosts.
Both the sides and the top should be cut back hard to maintain the shape
of the hedge. They may be pruned
back by 1/3 to 1/2 their size, if necessary, they can be cut back to three sets
of leaves or three leaf nodes from the base.
This drastic pruning can help to keep the bushes healthier for a longer
period of time. Lavenders that have
not been pruned become woody looking sooner.
If you already have old woody bushes, it may too late to revive them. If
they have reached three years of age or older, and have never been pruned, then
pruning at this stage may not help and you might be better off replacing the
plants. If you can see young growth
just above the woody part, the plant can be pruned back to within three nodes of
this, but if you cut it back too far it may die.
There are some lavender cultivars that are more prone to woodiness than
others, so this approach may not work with some of your plants.
Spanish lavender, (Lavandula stoechas), cultivars have a life span of 3-10 years depending on how they have been cared for. They are prone to splitting open, and will need to be replaced if they are not pruned well. If they are pruned hard once a year, you can prevent the splitting and prolong the life of the plant. You can cut back as much as ˝ of a larger plant and this is usually best done in early to mid fall, before chance of frost. Spanish lavenders usually start blooming in April. Pruning in the spring may prevent an early spring flowering and promote a late spring/early summer flowering. Plants pruned in the spring will need to be pruned again in the fall since they will be top-heavy from all the flowering. It is also beneficial to lightly prune those plants that have bloomed again in mid-fall to keep them more compact for the winter months.
Pruning any of the lavenders should begin when the plant is still young in a 4” pot and it would be even better if they were not allowed to flower until their 2nd year. In general, lavenders should be pruned once a year for the whole life of the plant. If you start early, and prune regularly you should have nicer looking lavender plants for a longer period of time in your garden.
The English lavenders and the Lavandins are best for drying. There are certain cultivars that dry better, which means that more of the flowering parts (calyxes) will stay on the stem when dried. On mature plants, it is hard to cut all the flowering stems at the perfect stage without sacrificing some that are not ready and others that are too far gone, but it is easier to cut all the flowers on a bush at once, instead of individually. You will want to watch closely as the plants begin to show more color, a few of the little flowers (corollas) have started to open on most of the stems on a plant. Usually, they are ready to pick at this stage. A good indication is when the bees begin to start “working” the plants. The colors are dark or bright, most of the flowering stems are in the “bud” stage, the “buds” (calyxes) are plump, and just a few of the corollas have opened on each stem. For the best color, fragrance, and dried product, you will want to pick most of the lavender flowers at this stage. In Oregon, sometimes it is hard to find the right days to harvest from your plants. Different cultivars will be ready at different times in June and July, depending on the weather conditions. It is best to harvest the flowers after the dew has dried, but before noon. Sometimes that is difficult when we have a lot of fog or rain at blooming time. You will want to pick the lavender flowers at least one day after it has rained, if possible. To hasten the drying process, you may need to strip the leaves off the stems, so the flowers will dry more quickly. Hang them upside down in small bunches held together with rubber bands. Choose a drying area that is warm, with good air circulation and low humidity. Find an area where they will not receive direct sunlight. The lavender flower bunches should be dried quickly within 3 to 4 days. Remove them from the drying room and store loosely in a covered cardboard box, in a cooler area, until you are ready to use them. You can also dry a small bunch upright and loose in a vase without water. This will give the stems a more natural appearance; they will droop a little and not be perfectly straight when dried in this manner.
If you are willing to prune and care for your lavender plants, than you can expect the English lavenders and the Lavandins to last up to 10 years or longer in your garden. They will be woody, but as long as the foliage and shape of the plant still looks attractive and the plant is producing enough flowers, they are worth keeping in your garden. Spanish lavenders will probably need to be replaced before 10 years.
It is easier to make lavender wands from the flowering stems of the Lavandins, (Lavandula x intermedia) cultivars. All can be used, but the longest stems come from: Dutch, Dutch Mill, Fragant Memories, Grappenhall, Hidcote Giant, Old English, Provence, Seal, Spike, Sussex and White. The longer the stems the easier it is to weave the ribbon between the stems. Some of the English lavender cultivars that have longer stems can make nice wands, (even though they are shorter wands.) They are: Ana Luisa, Andreas, Buena Vista, Grey Lady, Jennifer, Nana Atropurpurea, Richard Gray, Silver Frost, Summerland Supreme, Twickel Purple.