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The French Tarragon, ‘Artemesia dranunculus sativa’, cannot be easily purchased. To obtain French Tarragon, you need to obtain plants or to use cuttings. French Tarragon has a spicy anise flavor that turns ordinary main dishes into masterpieces. Tarragon goes well with meat and vegetables and is a top choice in any hearty recipe. This herb reaches a height of 2 feet with an 18 inch spread. To use Tarragon in cooking, chop the leaves very fine to extract the flavor for cream sauces and bearnaise sauce. Add it to tuna or chicken salads, eggs and quiches, mayonnaises, and mustard salad dressings. It makes a wonderful flavored butter and can be combined with dill and parsley for fish. Protect your tarragon from harsh winters by mulching with shredded bark. Cut the plant back to the ground in spring, remove dead stems, and trim to shape. The plant also should be divided every 3 to 4 years. French Tarragon likes life on the dry side with plenty of sun. The soil should be well drained and watering should be thorough. Keep a good supply of fresh tips for cooking by cutting it back to the ground several times during the growing season. French Tarragon also makes a good choice for growing in a pot.

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The Mache Corn Salad Big Seeded, ‘Valerianella locusta’, has the mildest flavor and softest texture of any salad green. The leaves are so tender, they melt in your mouth. We chose the big-seeded Mache variety because it handles spring/summer heat without getting bitter. Great for both north and south gardens. This old garden green, enjoyed in the late stone age, contrasts nicely with the sharp-flavored greens in salads. It tastes delightful cooked quickly like spinach and combines nicely with fruits and vegetables. Mache Corn Salad is cool season annual. In northern climates, plant in early spring as soon as the ground is workable. In mild climates, plant in the fall for winter harvest. Mache prefers fertile, moist, and well drained soil. Mache is good for intercropping among larger vegetables such as broccoli and looks great with other greens. To harvest, simply cut off at ground level. The leaves can be picked off when they are 1 to 2 inches long.

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Feed plants up to 4 months on a single application. ClassiCote time release fertilizer 16-9-23 formula contains 11 essential nutrients including: magnesium, sulfur, boron, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc. Use indoors or out for balanced growth. Great for trees, shrubs, bedding plants, gardens, vegetables, and hanging baskets. 2 lb. bucket.

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Produce nutrient-rich compost for your flowers and vegetables with this patented design. A large lid on top for large loads along with 2 flip-up hinged doors for kitchen scraps and vent design promotes bio-degradation without nasty odors and lower door slides for easy compost access. Also included is the most powerful compost activator available. Sprinkle it on, bio-activator immediately unleashes nature’s powerful enzyme reactions for faster decomposition, richer, more fertile compost.

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The Fennel Bronze, ‘Foeniculum vulgare’, has stunningly beautiful, purple feathery plumes that provide a lacy contrast in the vegetable or flower garden. The Bronze Fennel is an absolutely dazzling, hard to find Fennel, that is used primarily for ornamental value and has tasty foliage and seeds. The tall feathery, smoky purple foliage provides a beautiful accent with pink and white roses or any other contrasting flower color. The Bronze Fennel attracts butterflies. The swallowtail butterfly lays eggs on fennel. The seed produced by the Bronze Fennell is used for flavoring cookies, breads, and cakes. Fresh leaves can be sprinkled on salads or used in salad dressings. Plant in the spring 2 weeks before the last average frost date. Fennel does best in well drained, sandy soils with lots of organic matter. They need to be kept moist.

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