It’s been over a week since sowing and my seedlings have
been coming along, some more quickly than others. Each variety has poked
through the surface, with the lobelia, or cardinal flower, making its first
appearance yesterday.
Unfortunately, my cabbage sprouts are getting very leggy. Many
of them are flopping over. Perhaps I did not sow them deep enough; perhaps they
are growing too fast in the warmth; perhaps they are not getting the kind of
light they need to be. It is still too cold outside to give them any time in
the direct sunlight.
To help improve the light situation, I have found an unused
table lamp and screwed in a compact florescent bulb. I have removed the shade
and turned the lamp on its side to give the seedlings close exposure to the
florescent light. Hopefully this will improve things.
I have been fighting a nasty cold this weekend, and it makes
me wish that some of these medicinal herb seedlings were further along. While
the efficacy of much of 1800s pharmacology is dubious at best, certain plants
are still held to have a very legitimate medical value.
For example, horehound
is traditionally used in treatment for sore throats. White horehound is a small flowering perennial plant native to the Mediterranean, but has become
ubiquitous all over the world. It is still a common ingredients in natural throat lozenges.
White Horehound My Horehound Seedlings
Echinacea, or purple coneflower, and yarrow are believed to boost the
immune system. Echinacea is a perennial wildflower native to the Eastern United States
and was traditionally used as a medicine by Native Americans. Yarrow is another perennial flowering plant, native to the Western United States and Europe. Both are commonly
used as supplements or ingredients in natural cold remedies.
Echinacea Purpurea My Echinacea Seedlings
Yarrow My Yarrow Seedlings
Ricola Cough Drops contain several other herbs popular in the Victorian pharmacopoeia, including sage and peppermint, which are already growing in the Pry Garden.
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