yay herbs! OK, here's what has worked for me. Perhaps it can work for you all as well. I'll try not to ramble too much, but herbs are a passion of mine..... First of all, the best time to plant herbs is in the Fall or Spring. If you are growing from seed, start them in the Fall so they can be planted out in the Spring. I've got all my herbs in the ground. I believe this makes them more hardy and durable throughout our weather extremes. But many people have success with containers. Do whatever suits you best. Nearly all herbs appreciate well drained soil, either in a pot or in the ground. Make sure they have it. Many herbs thrive in ordinary sandy dirt. When planting, I enrich the site just a bit with a generic store-bought "garden soil." Most herbs (in Florida) prefer morning sun and afternoon shade. Some more than others. Shelter of some kind (tree, arbor, fence, etc.) can help protect herbs from heavy rain or wind. Herbs range from high drought tolerance to absolutely none. If you can, group the plants by water-need for an easier time with watering. Following are the herbs that have done the best for me. Most have culinary/aromatic as well as medicinal uses: -Rosemary -Apple Mint -Rue -Lion's Ear -Mexican Tarragon -Thyme -Lemon Verbena -Garden Sage -Southernwood -Goodwin Creek Lavender (a specialized variety that does well in FL heat and humidity. most other types die off.) There are some others out there, like lemon balm, feverfew, bronze fennel, and patchouli that are doing OK, but not as well as the ones above. It's a constant experiment. Good luck!

What a great theme and way to package the items!! OMGosh! I'd have purchased that guide Cathy made!! The whole experience, recipes and all (which I have dutifully copied), are so amazingly well-thought out. Terrific box to have received! Lots o' fun here!!! Cathy...truly amazing!

Do u amend your soil??? I grew cosmos and they got huge they're annuals so I didn't think they were meant to live long just until they set seed or At least here in fla they don't live long ? Zinnias- sunflowers- blanket flowers ( a deep rosey red pink color I found :) - coreopsis (there's a pink variety at swallowtail garden seeds very pretty) milk weed ( many "cottage" colors) verbascum southern charm - give achillea a try- morning glories- cypress vines- black eye Susan's- echinacea- Allysum- sweet William -candy tuft- larkspur ( mine gets big n flowers like crazy but goes to seed n re sows itself everywhere! I think installing drip irrigation n LOTS of soil amendments is what Helps the most - there's many roses that do well here for that cottage look- That's my favorite n what I like to strive for!! California poppies r Short lived but whimsical if sowed in fall : ) bee balm n phlox - Blue daze & buttercups -my buttercups got huge in st Pete!! Rose of Sharon ? Cora vinca gets big in st Pete and guara does too! I lived in st Pete my whole life born n raised!! I thought it was zone 10, unless they changed the zone? Angelonia gets big too! lobelia- 4 o clocks ? -African bush daisy mexican heather, spirea "reeves"..... gerbera daisy- gonzia daisies, perlargoniums -with shade - blue bellflower with afternoon shade- all salvias - queens wreath vine or queens vine is very very pretty! So is the bombeiya tree , the pink ball tree does well there n looks like a hydrangea tree!! Diamond frost euphorbia does awesome in st Pete n very cottage garden ! Close as we get to baby's breath I guess besides the double types of achillea . Yesterday today n tomorrow vine & camellias do well with some afternoon shade n extra water- Pentas thrive here n the sun inpatients r good too u just have to do it research and sometimes its best to push the boundaries of Mother Nature :) good luck !

Memphis was beautiful here last year, so am hoping for a repeat. Jeanne Deaver's Dream was not sweet la la here, as it sort of languished. Took a few beautiful pictures much nicer than reality, but never did much. With climate change, perhaps it would be better. But a few years and they have to prove their stuff. I look forward to seeing Strolling Through the Roses this year.