Up-Rooting

It’s not often you get to see the root structure of perennial herbs.  So this is really interesting…

White sage (Salvia apiana) root structure

This is the root structure of a two year old White sage (Salvia apiana) plant.  See how it’s quite wide and shallow?  White sage likes really dry situations so it’s roots don’t go deep in search of moisture.  Knowing a plants root structure is really handy if you’re container gardening or wanting to grow plants close together.  So in the case of the white sage – if you’re going to grow it in a pot it doesn’t need to be deep as it needs to be wide.  Most plants roots go as wide as its foliage does.

Now.  Why on earth am I up-rooting my beautiful white sage plant?  Because we have been up-rooted, and like this plant in the photo our roots are now hanging in the air looking for a new piece of earth.

Our landlords are selling up and we have til the 16th November to find a new place to live.  The greatest fear for renters is having the moving decision made for them  (and rents going up), this is the first time it’s happened to us out of the blue.  We’re pretty damn gutted to say the least; and I’ve put so much mana into this garden…sigh!

I’m frantically digging out all my plants before they put on their spring growth and freak out with being dug up.  Because we don’t know where we’re going to end up and whether it will have established gardens.  Everyone is going into containers as though they’re going to stay in pots.

Off to the shadehouse to recover, lemon thyme, purple sage and common sage.

I also want to take as much as  can as I know that the landlords method of gardening extends only as far as the Roundup spray nozzle.

Here’s a wee sample of what I’ve done.. (just the main herb bed)

Here’s what it looked like when we moved in

Feb 2016

At it’s peak beautifulness..

Feb 2017

And now that I’ve reclaimed everything!

Aug 2017

Being that both Josh (Of husband and Industrial Fusion fame) and I work from home we have quite a few requirements for our new abode and have to look throughout the North Island.  So it’s a bit up in the air as to what markets I’ll be going to this season.  I will still be doing mail order though.  Due to the crappy timing of all this I won’t be growing as many tomato plants.

So this is life at the moment, will keep you posted when we know more.  At least I have plenty of white sage now ready to cleanse our new home!

Salvia apiana ready to dry for smudge sticks