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As you can see from the photo above as well as in the background, Ten Mile Farm has already been successful in growing bluebonnets, our Texas state flower. We also have gardens specializing in herbs and native or naturalized flowers, and have potting plants and a few dried spices available at very reasonable prices. Potting plants are available only for pick-up at our location, while seeds can be shipped anywhere in the U.S. We'll be adding a photo catalog soon (with prices), but for now, here's a list of some of the plants we offer: Herbs - Potting Plants Basil (Ocimum basilicum) - Basil may be the most popular of all kitchen garden herbs. It's native to Asia, but thrives in Texas weather. We favor two varieties - a traditional Genovese variety for culinary use, and Purple Ruffle Basil just for its beauty. I've read that Purple Ruffles is just as tasty as the Genovese, if perhaps a little stronger, but I haven't ever used the more colorful herb for cooking. Boneset (Eupatorium) - This fragrant native grows to 5' - 6' tall and will tolerate almost any conditions. It's beneficial for butterflies, serving both as a larval host and nectar source. Bees like it, too. The flowers are a dirty white, not as striking as its pink/purple cousin, Joe Pye Weed, but the fragrance is so sweet that it's easy to forgive the sometimes straggly appearance. This plant can be invasive, so plant it where it can roam free without overtaking other desirable plants. Or consider cutting the bottom out of the plastic pot and plant the whole thing - pot and all - in the ground to help slow its spread. Cilantro (Coriandrum Sativum) - This annual is native to Asia and Africa, but is wildly popular in Mexico and the U.S. Southwest. It adds a very distinctive flavor to Mexican cuisine, especially salsa and tortilla soup. Consider keeping at least two areas for cilantro in your garden - pinch the flowers off on one to encourage leafy growth and use those fresh leaves for flavor or garnish, and allow the other to flower and go to seed, then collect the seeds for use in sausage, curry dishes, or even beer-brewing. Peppermint (Mentha Piperita) - Peppermint is a hybrid of watermint and spearmint, having first been intentionally cross-bred in England. The familiar peppermint smell and taste makes this a popular herb for the kitchen garden, but it can be invasive. We keep ours in check by cutting fresh leaves frequently for use in making tea, which we find to be very soothing to the stomach. Spearmint (Mentha Spicata) - This herbaceous perennial is a native of Europe but is so well naturalized in our part of Texas as to be just as hardy as most natives. It has the delicious spearmint smell and has many culinary uses. We like steeping fresh leaves in hot water to make a very light tea that is extremely refreshing, especially in the hot summer. Spearmint is aggressive to the point of becoming a nuisance if you don't select the right place for it in your garden. Or forget the garden and plant some spearmint in a large pot to keep in or near the kitchen. Yarrow (Achillea Millefolium) - Another herbaceous perennial, a native of Texas and much of the Northern Hemisphere. I love the soft fern-like texture of this plant, and the fragrance also makes it one of my favorites. We have varieties with the traditional white flower, as well as red and pink. Truthfully, the white flowers are the least attractive, but the plant that supports those plain little flowers is more lush than the others, making the white my favorite. As with many natives, yarrow grows aggressively, so once you get a good start in your garden, you'll be able to share with friends and neighbors by digging up little plants that come up from shoots.
Herbs - Seeds Coriander (Coriandrum Sativum) - This annual is native to Asia and Africa, but is wildly popular in Mexico and the U.S. Southwest. The fresh leaf commonly known as cilantro adds a very distinctive flavor to Mexican cuisine, especially salsa and tortilla soup. Consider keeping at least two areas for this plant in your garden - pinch the flowers off on one to encourage leafy growth and use those fresh leaves for flavor or garnish, and allow the other to flower and go to seed, then collect the coriander seeds for use in sausage, curry dishes, or even beer-brewing. Dill (Anethum graveolens) - This annual is native to Europe and parts of Asia, and doesn't do well when transplanted, so we offer fresh seed only. My husband loves fresh dill on grilled salmon or tuna, and I'm sure there are other dishes that can be enhanced by this aromatic herb either fresh or in seed form. But I personally grow it for other reasons. I love the scent in my garden, and the butterflies and bees seem to like it just as much as I do. The blue-green foliage adds a wonderful soft look to selected flower beds. Plus, dill is said to be a good natural deterrent to certain pests, including aphids, and is also said to attract beneficial insects like ladybugs. What's not to love about this herb?
Flowers - Potting Plants Bearded Iris (Iris Pallida) - This is another "must have" for the old-fashioned garden. The iris is actually a perennial herb (orris root), with species native to virtually all parts of the Northern Hemisphere. We have hybrids in several colors, including white, yellow, and many shades of purple (from the palest lavender to the deepest purple that looks almost black).
Canna (Canna Indica) - This showy perennial is a wonderful, low-maintenance addition to your landscape. We have two varieties. For an old-fashioned garden, use our hardiest variety, which features flowers of a soft, almost buttery yellow and solid green leaves. Or for a more exotic look, try our "Tropicanna" with bold reddish-orange flowers and variegated leaves of green, red, and gold. In our garden, the Tropicannas spread a little more slowly than the others, and they are a little more sensitive to our hot Texas sun. Ours do best with a southerly exposure and protection from the afternoon sun. Mexican Petunia (Ruellia) - This hardy perennial is perfect for anyone who doesn't have a green thumb. We have both the full size (about 24" - 30" tall) and dwarf (each plant forms a leafy mound about about 6" tall) varieties. We find that the full size variety can be very aggressive when grown in good conditions (good soil, adequate watering) but can be very well-behaved when it's left alone. The beds closest to our home get plenty of water, and must be thinned several times a year to look good. That's OK with us, though, as that gives us more flowers to transplant to other parts of the yard that get less water. We created a small bed around a flagpole near the barn using only transplanted ruellia, and since that bed doesn't get much water (other than what God provides, which in our part of Texas is only about 34" per year), we've never had to thin that bed, but it continues to look beautiful. One of the nicest things about ruellia is that it starts blooming early in the summer and continues blooming until the first good freeze. If you like purple flowers and don't want to spend lots of time taking care of them, this is the plant for you. Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans) - This deciduous vine is a prolific bloomer, with bright orange tubular flowers that attract lots of hummingbirds. In our climate, trumpet vine can be extremely invasive, so I recommend planting it either in an area where you aren't worried about how much it spreads, or in a large pot with a trellis to train it upward (if the vine reaches the ground, it will take root and spread). When we bought our place, trumpet vine was growing on one fence, threatening to completely overtake the crape myrtles and more tender vegetation. So we transplanted everything else, leaving that fence for the trumpet vine alone. It sends out runners, but I keep those in check by mowing. An additional word of caution - I've read that some people are allergic to trumpet vine. I personally am extremely allergic to poison ivy, and am also sensitive to a variety of other vines, but trumpet vine has never caused any problems for me. Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) - Another deciduous vine, Virginia creeper lacks the showy flowers of trumpet vine, but it makes up for this in the fall, when its leaves turn beautiful shades of orange and red. It also provides a berry that's quite popular with the birds, thereby assuring that if you have one good stand of Virginia creeper, with the help of a few birds, you'll soon have several small starts wherever the birds congregate. The vine grows fast but is easily managed by pruning regularly. Wild
Poinsettia (Euphorbia Cyathophora) - Also known as
"Fire on the Mountain," this is actually an herb, and is, in
some places, considered a weed. I've read that in Georgia, various
types of euphorbia, including the beautiful wild poinsettia, create many
problems for peanut farmers. But here at Ten Mile Farm, we consider
it a desirable flower because of its combination of beauty and hardiness. |
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