Just ordered these

[Biscombe]

Jennym found this site, after a question about curry leaf

http://www.poyntzfieldherbs.co.uk

Just ordered these

ARTICHOKE
JAPANESE GINGER
BASIL, SACRED
CARDAMOM
CITRONELLA
MASHUA/TUBEROUS NASTURTIUM

But the herbs that I most wanted, Stevia, French Tarragon and Curry Leaf cant get till the Autumn  :(
Never mind, I'm still very excited about my purchases!!  ;D Apart from artichoke, anyone out there grown any of above??

[Biscombe]

[Tora]

Looks like a really good site!

I never knew Japanese ginger (mioga) is available in UK. I'm tempted to buy it! I love mioga sliced and marinated in sweetened vinegar. Good in miso soup too... :P

Stevia - I bought a plant from ebay a few years ago but it was bitter and no good for anything. I got some seeds in a swap last year, one survived (snails ate lots of seedlings) and the plant is much better flavoured.  I think the seeds were from Nicky's Nursery.

Hope you have a success with them. :)

[adrianhumph]

Hi Biscombe,
                      Afraid i can`t help much,,  :'( but  you cannot get seed for french tarragon as it does not have any,  ;D It only grows from cuttings & root cuttings. I took some root cuttings last year & they have been in the coldframe all winter, 2 or 3 are now starting to sprout  :o .  I love tarragon so here`s hoping they grow well!

                                                                            Adrian.

[Biscombe]

This is more of a plant site although the Sacred Basil is seed. Tora I'm looking forward to trying mioga, how much do you think I'll get from one plant?? and do you eat it raw??

[Jeannine]

Biscombe, I got Stevia seeds from seedrack.com    Whatcom County this year,

Very few in the packet though. XX Jeannine

[Biscombe]

Hi J! Sowed some Stevia about 2 weeks ago, not germinated yet!! supposed to be really difficult to germinate! how are your doing? xx

[Jeannine]

Haven't sowed yet, did you get a leaflet with them on how to sow? I did,

XX Jeannine

[Biscombe]

No! tell me more! xx

[cambourne7]

cool they have tea plants as well!!

[Biscombe]

Yep ordered one of them too!! I asked the very nice guy who I ordered from how you process the leaves, he said pick and brew for green tea of ferment and dry for black?????

[cambourne7]

yep you only pick the tips.

You can use a toaster bag and toast them in a traitional pop toster

[Tora]

I'm not sure how much mioga you get from one plant, as I've never grown one before, but I heard it's a vigorous grower in a shady, damp site.

Yes, you eat it raw. It has a very strong flavour so you use it sparingly like herbs. :)
Cooked dish I can think of is mioga tempura. :P

[Biscombe]

Thanks for the tips  ;) ;)

[potterfanpete]

What weird and wonderful stuff - at least now I know where to get my artichokes from!

[Biscombe]

They advertise Chinese artichokes but also sell the normal Jerusalem too  :)

[potterfanpete]

ahhh - might look to get both of them then! Chinese would be interesting to grow...