• 3 each mini yellow, red & orange peppers cut in half lengthwise
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon salt & black pepper
• 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Directions

Prepare grill for direct cooking. Place peppers, skin side down.  Grill peppers over low grill 10 minutes or until skin is charred.  Put peppers in shallow glass serving dish and set aside to cool.  Combine oil, vinegar, garlic salt & black pepper in small bowl; whisk until well combined.  Pour over bell peppers.  Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature.  Sprinkle peppers with cheese and basil just before serving.

• 8 diced roma tomatoes (other varieties will work too)
• 1/3 cup diced red onion
•  1 bunch fresh basil
• 3 chopped garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 dash salt & pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese
• 1 sliced loaf long French bread

Directions

Dice tomatoes, red onion, garlic and put into a medium sized bowl, set aside.  In a food processor chop basil until very fine and add tomato mixture.  Add balsamic vinegar, oil, salt & pepper and mix well. Meanwhile grill or broil the bread until just toasted.  Scoop on Bruschetta topping, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and return to the oven until cheese is melted.  Serve and enjoy!

The smell is almost intoxicating; sweet and pleasant, it often leaves me standing and smiling after I smell it.  I never walk by my Lavender plants without touching and smelling them!!  It is interesting,  how the aroma of a plant, can give you, what I call a ‘good sense of well being’!! No wonder lavender is used for its calming effects.

Sweet Valley Herbs carry several varieties of Lavender,  all with their own Lavender fragrance and growth habits.  My favorite has to be Munstead Lavender.  It grows rather bushy and puts an abundance of purple flower spikes out in late June through July.  This variety does amazingly well in well drained soil, and is very heat and drought tolerant!  It is perfect for the south side of your house and a lovely addition to a walk way or patio.

My second favorite is Hidcote Blue Lavender.  It has an amazing scent as well, but is more sweet in my mind, and the  foliage is a little more silver in colour, than the Munstead.  Also,  the growth habit is more compact and the  flower is a little deeper blue-purple.   This is a nice variety for edging.

Hidcote Lavender

Every year we try a different variety of Lavender, and this year we were not disappointed!! One of my new favorites is the ‘Vicenza Blue Lavender’ from the English Lavender family. Vicenza Lavender will bloom from July – September!  And the smell…well let’s just say…hopefully, you have a hammock nearby!

Vicenza Blue Lavender

If you are looking for a contrast for your Lavender garden, we have finally found a perennial white Lavender.  This ‘Potpourri Snow’ English Lavender will also not disappoint, with its white spikes of blooms and gorgeous fragrant foliage!

Not only does Lavender look and smell amazing, it can be used in cooking, potpourri, sachets, bath oils and soaps.  More importantly, it is the perfect attractant for bees and butterflies, nature’s perfect pollinators! Plant lavender in your veggie garden to attract beneficial insects and watch your garden blossom!

If you have never grown Lavender, I must say, it is rather easy! Well drained soil and full sun is its main requirements…with this you will reap the rewards of this fragrant, beautiful herb!  Good Luck and enjoy Sweet Valley Herbs’ Lavender.  Find several varieties of lavender in our ‘Fragrant Herbs’ selection of the product listing.

Because we produce a food crop, Sweet Valley Herbs have chosen to never  use pesticides to combat bug problems in the greenhouses.  We know that our customers want to feel safe and confident in what they are eating.  Also, they are looking for food crops that are not being treated with dangerous chemicals.  We understand that this is the way of the future and have already been proactive in combating pests in a natural and sustainable way! For over seven years we have used biologicals…AKA…’Good Bugs’ to eat the ‘Bad Bugs’.  Currently, we release about 10 different kinds of predators in our greenhouses.  Here is what you may find on your Sweet Valley Herbs or Vegetables….

For treatment of Whitefly we use Amblyseius Swirskii and Eretmocerus mundus.

• These treatments together can be very effective in whitefly prevention and control.  Being proactive is the key to success in using biologicals.  We never wait until we see whitefly…we treat well in advance of problems.  If you notice little cards in your plants that look like the ones below, you will  know that there  are amazing little predators looking to feast on some nasty garden pests!

Eretmocerus - Beneficials ready to hatch out on the circle of cards....they go after all species of whitefly!

For treatment of Thrip we use Cucumeris, Swirskii, Orius, and Steinernema.

• When cuttings are taken, they are immediately dipped in a mixture of water and Steinernema.  Steinernema will feed on the larva stage of thrip, entering the host through natural body openings.  Once inside, the nematodes move to the intestinal canal and drill through the intestinal wall of the larva. Steinernema cannot be seen without a magnifier.  They may be tiny, but are strong in numbers, as they are mixed up by the hundreds of thousands.
• Orius is said to be the most voracious beneficial insect against thrip.  It is one of the only predators that can be used to attack the adult thrip, and  it is highly effective!
• Cucumeris is on every plant at Sweet Valley Herbs.  They can be found in the little piles of bran, that is often seen on the soil of our plants.  Cucumeris are highly effective, especially when applied regularly.
• Swirskii is effective in treating both thrip and greenhouse whitefly. This tiny mite looks just like the cucumeris, but will survive and multiply better in much warmer conditions.

Applying cucumeris in bran to new basil transplants.

 Aphid control is taken very seriously at Sweet Valley Herbs, and Aaron has even learned how to host his own predators on grain plants/grain aphids until regular aphids rear their ugly heads!

• The ‘Good bugs’ on these ‘banker plants’ are known as Colemani. This is one of our favorite predators.  Large enough to see in action, we often get lost in time, just watching them pierce into the grain aphid body, killing it and laying its egg inside! Amazing!!!
• We also sometimes use Aphidoletes, which are gall midges that occur naturally in Europe, North America and Asia.  These are different than the gall midge, that can cause damage by forming galls on leaves.  This ‘Good bug’ eats all forms of aphid.

Spider mite can multiply quickly and do a lot of damage in a short period of time.

• To combat this pest, we find Persimilis to work extremely well!  These  little, red mites can be seen moving quickly across the foliage of the herbs in search of their prey, which is the two spotted spider mite!  They are ideal to use on dry crops and are fantastic because they will consume all stages of spidermite.

Persimilis....tiny, red, fast moving mites!

 Getting Fungus gnats or Sciarid flies is very common when growing in the greenhouse.

• This problem is eliminated by using Hypoaspis and Steinernema. Treating regularly, to plants that are susceptible to more damp conditions, is a good idea.  Remember, being proactive is better than being reactive!!

Another Biological we realease is Atheta. This is an extremely voracious and efficient predator of some of the most troublesome soil insects.  It is used to treat fungus gnats, shore flies and thrips.

Hint:  To distinguish between a ‘Good bug’ and a ‘Bad bug’ look at the speed of your critter….if it is moving slowly, chances are, it is feeding off of your plant and is a bad bug.  A quick moving critter is in search of food and is looking for the slow moving…plant sucking…bad bug!

Using Biologicals has been an exercise in patience and a true learning experience.  Sweet Valley Herbs is  dedicated to making our herbs and vegetables as pest free as possible, while at the same time, producing a beautiful and safe food product!  We have truly reaped the rewards of using beneficials over the years and are proud to be able to encourage people at our local market, to smell and taste our herbs, knowing that they are 100% safe to eat!

If you see a Sweet Valley Herbs product, you too, can also feel confident to smell and taste, knowing that we use 100% safe practices!

Question

I planted Rosemary in my garden last year and it didn’t come back? Isn’t it a perennial?  Thanks, Mike

Answer

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves. It is native to the Mediterranean region. The name Rosemary derives from the Latin name rosmarinus, which is from “dew” (ros) and “sea” (marinus), or “dew of the sea”  because in many locations it needs no other water than the humidity carried by the sea breeze to live.

This explains, why although it is a perennial herb in warmer climates, it is not a perennial here in the Maritimes…  It is tender or sensitive to our climate, making it what we call a ‘Non-hardy perennial”.

My advice would be, rather than planting your rosemary in the garden, plant it in a pot. In a pot you have the option of bringing it inside in  the fall.  I would suggest not too large of a pot, so it is easy to handle.  Rosemary does not like to be too wet, so when you bring it inside remember not to over water it!! And here is a useful tip…once a week bring it in the bathroom while you take a shower…it loves the humidity, especially during our long, dry Maritime winters!

Enjoy your Rosemary, Mike!  Don’t hesitate to try different varieties…they all have great flavor, just different growth habits!

Site selection and preparation

Any well drained sunny site will please herbs. Most herbs grow best in full sun, although partially shaded sites will also produce a bountiful harvest. Plant tender herbs after the danger of frost has passed. For best results, harden off plants first before planting and plant on a cloudy day.

Caring for your herb garden

Frequent light spraying is not a good way to water herbs. It is better to water, either with a sprinkler or by hand, less frequently, but more thoroughly so that the water penetrates. The joy of growing your own herbs is having them fresh at your fingertips. Most herbs put out new growth at the branch tips, and this is where they should be snipped to encourage bushier growth. Some herbs, like chervil, chives and parsley, grow from the base, so use older outside leaves first. Remember not to harvest too much until your herb has established good growth.

Pick and enjoy!

Note: Most Herbs are Perennials and providing the severity of our winter, will be back for you to enjoy the next year!