camomile lawn

[the.fee.fairy]

That's ok.

I bought mine from a food festival. They were doing 5 for £5 i think, i bought a pineapple mint, an eau de cologne mint, a chamomile, a cotton lavender and a st Johns Wort. The plants were really small looking, but the chamomile has definitely started shooting sideways (i don't think dad mowing it helped...).

I've planted the two mints together in a trough type thing, so they can't get into the garden!! I've put the lavender adn the St John's Wort next to the chamomile, so it'll be like a healing corner to the garden. Its also at the top of the steps where you enter the main garden bit, so hopefully, when they get bigger, they'll smell gorgeous as you brush past.

Personally, i'd say that £1.50 each is excellent value!!

We've got really clay soil here, don't know if that makes a difference, but i planted mine in as much soils as possible from the original pot, and it seems to be doing ok.

[hedgewizard]

I didn't know they could out-compete grass... that's good news since I needn't dig the area over for them then. I bought a pack of seeds from Garden Organic and sowed into two seed trays... bizzarely one tray came up really well and the other hardly bothered, but I treated them both the same! Go figure... got around 20 plugs I reckon, once I've cut them up.

[the.fee.fairy]

That's what the bloke said...and he was selling the herbs, so i'm going to wait and see on that one!!

[cheyenne]

Funny to imagine someone planting this, we have it growing wild everywhere and it's toxic to cattle and horses. Makes them photosensitive. You could make a lot of money gathering it to sell for natural antidepressant over here!!




I guess I'll have to look online for seeds since I want a chamomile/thyme lawn but the area I want to cover is too big for plugging at the price of plants. Currnetly my 'lawn' is made of nasty weeds.

[Shirley]

I wonder if it's a problem to goats and poultry - might not be such a good thing for us to plant if so. MIND YOU - the area I was going to put it is away from them IF they stay in their designated areas hmmmmm !!!

[cheyenne]

As far as I know, goats can eat ANYTHING. Chickens are selective. I don't think you need to worry if all you have a goats, poultry and dogs or cats.

[ina]

Shirley, mine love the wild camomile! Goats don't eat absolutely everything, only what's on the other side of the fence. They do eat small quantities even of stuff that's slightly toxic (creeping buttercup for example).

[cheyenne]

I found 10K chamomile seeds on the net!

Wish I could borrow the neighbors' goats but I would have to watch them or tether them. Actually I just wish for some land of my own!!!

Cheyenne in Seattle

[Shirley]

Thanks for that Ina.... we gave up on the electric fencing because Nia kept walking through it... we can't get it to go live, despite having THREE large earthing spikes in the ground... We'll have to keep trying though because eventually they will work out where my veggies are

Cheyenne - 10k chamomile seeds - wow...

I hope you will one day get the land you wish for.

[cheyenne]

Thanks Shirley!
Guess I should blow on a dandelion puff... maybe that'll work!

Cheyenne

[Smooth Hound]

As far as I know, goats can eat ANYTHING. Chickens are selective. I don't think you need to worry if all you have a goats, poultry and dogs or cats.

Goats will eat anything including the washing of your line, this is a problem apposed to a blessing as some things are not good for them and you may not be aware of the damage done, ie kidney or liver damage, one of the things that comes immediately to mind is ragwort. I would suggest that any one who keeps goats or any other animals make proper enquiries on this subject.
Mike

[cheyenne]

Mike aka smooth hound,

True, very true--about the washing line. I personally saw two goats shot because they got into the dogs' kibble and bloated. As far as ragwort, the goats' digestive sytem supposedly produces enzymes that destroy the toxins in it--or so I'm told. Don't take my word; but I know it is a paid practice to set a herd of goats on weed-infested property. The people to ask might be the owners of these enterprises. Often the animals so used are Cashmere goats. I want some!! For sure, if my horse was eating tansy ragwort, I might not know until something overloaded her damaged liver or kidneys and she died. There aren't many warning signs or they are too late.

I'm even afraid to deworm her in case that puts her over the top! --Cheyenne