While checking out the web, there were a few interesting ways to kill the adult beetle. One suggestion was to check the plants and flick the beetles into a bucket of soapy water. Leave the bucket by the plants and apparently the odor of the dead beetles will deter others. This may be an old tale that continues on. A second option isto plant some geraniums, white seems to be the preferred color, a few feet away from your plants. The beetles are attracted by the flowers, but after eating them, they are paralyzed and fall off. They can recover within 24 hours, but are often eaten by other yard creatures. I think I’m going to get some geraniums this year for my garden!

Also, the trick for not having too many garlic chives is to cut the flowers off as soon as they bloom. Once they go to seed, they are everywhere and their root system does make it hard to get rid of them. But, I have been successful in limiting these plants by getting rid of the blossems.

Hopefully all you’ll have to worry about is “what to do with all your basil in the early fall”.

Tulip, that’s odd with your mint. I keep mine in pots and it’s like a weed. Try ornamental grasses, not an herb but they are pretty and they birds will seed them.

Enjoy your gardens all.

But for Deb B, who was trying to remove thyme leave from the stem, I did learn in India just to strip them off with your thumb and fingernail.

I’ve tried spraying the plant with some soapy water and that helps — for one day. I would so love to get rid of them FOREVER.

Thanks!

I learned a few years ago to forgo those cute ‘collections’ of several herbs in one pot and give each wonderful herb their own pot to grow to the maximum. They.Grow.So.Much.Better that way!

I do rosemary, basil, thyme, parsley and cilantro (but cilantro can be tricky if we’re having a very HOT summer as it goes to seed so quickly). I put mint in a hanging basket on my deck. It gets lush and lovely. I steep mint water like Sun Tea & keep it in the fridge. It is soooo refreshing on a hot summer day.

Sometimes miss the days of living in a rural area where I had a wonderfully gorgeous/huge garden with all sorts of veggies! Now I must rely on several local farmer’s markets…which is a lot less work on my part:-)

Start with transplants not seeds so you enjoy more of the growing season in your zone.

Some mature herbs must be pinched off every other day or so or they will flower and seed. When you pinch off basil, these are the most tender and fresh leaves – so use these – don’t toss them out! Cilantro (Chinese parsley) goes to seed fast – but did you know the seeds are ground and this is coriander!

Use nutrient rich soil, dig a good hole, fill with water, and let the water soak all the way in for 30 mins or so. Then add 1 T Epsom salt to the hole with a natural fertilizer, like sheep doo – only a 1/4 cup or less. Mix around with a little dry soil at the bottom of the hole and plant the herb with loosened roots. When you’re done with planting, water appropriately.

Tip: don’t over plant a raised bed. A 4′ x 4′ bed holds 8 basil plants, max, for example. 5 is even better. It looks so empty at first, but the plants will fill the space before you know it, and need air flow and sunshine. I find herbs in this environment grow bigger than normal – so give ‘em room.

Let the transplants grow into more mature plants before you start cutting bunches for cooking. I have fantastic results year after year – and an abundance of gorgeous, fragrant, fresh herbs. Enough to share! I give herb arrangements instead of flowers

Ps. Mint – keep it well contained – in a separate big pot. I let mine run wild in a retaining wall. Just be warned – it spreads. Mojitos, anyone? Need I say more? You can’t have enough mint

Happy gardening, friends!