Mulberry Creek Herb Farm

Delphinium, Dwarf Electric Blue

Delphinium grandiflorum 'Blue Butterfly'
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Picture electric blue butterflies dancing in your flower beds, altitude 1 foot high! Grown for 7 years in upright, unearthed, land tiles at the entrance to the greenhouse, it never fails to stop customers in their tracks. Re-blooms throughout the growing season. Will re-seed sparingly for years of enjoyment. Longer life than its taller delphinium cousins.

Dianthus, Tiny Rubies

Dianthus gratianopolitanus 'Tiny Rubies'


Commonly grown alpine because of it's easy culture. Bright ruby-pink faerie flowers smother the bluish grass foliage in spring. Can eventually form a 2 foot across mat.

Double Daisy, Red

Bellis perennis 'Rominette Red'


These are the red, double english daisies that were carefully illustrated along with the faeries of Cicely Mary Barker. Each spring, 3-4"" mounds of dark green leaves appear followed by 6"" tall, double red daisy flowers during the summer. Divide and share every other year to prevent rotting.

Dymondia, Mini Gazania

Dymondia margaretae


If you can overwinter it, this is a colorful, coarse textured, groundcover with 4 inch wide rosettes of blue-grey foliage and silvery undersides. Or consider it an annual with 1/2"" yellow daisies, most of the summer.

Echinacea, Purple

Echinacea purpurea


We chose this herb as part of our logo because of its beauty and multiple use: the quintessential herb. 4"" large, purple, daisy shaped blossoms are held upright on sturdy stems. ""Echinacea,"" is one of America's favorite medicinal herbs for the colds and flu. You can imagine my face when Mark pointed to the newly purchased Vodka saying "" It's for medicinal purposes,"" but he wasn't kidding. He made a tincture by stuffing a canning jar with coneflower leaves and filled it with 100 proof Vodka. We placed it in the closet and shook it daily for two weeks. Tasted awful, but seemed to work for us and we take it by the dropperful. We use it ONLY at the onset of symptoms, or when we're exposed to ""snotty"" folks, then we quit taking it, within 3 weeks. Pick leaves before it flowers and harvest flowers in their peak. Some folks believe the roots are the most therapeutic, but we've used all parts, in their prime.

Echinacea, Tennessee

Echinacea tennesseensis
This Echinacea does not stop flowering. We predict that this species, which was almost dug to extinction, (and was placed on the National Endangered Species list) will become one of America's most popular flowering perennials. What a great medicinal herb too. It is similar to Echinacea angustifolia in its medicinal chemistry. Smaller flowers than other ""Purple Coneflowers"", but the petals on this variety turn upright and are darker purple rather than droopy and washed out.

Edelweiss

Leontopodium alpinum


Mark, having been born in Bavaria, Germany & now growing alpines, is obligated to grow this legendary ethereal, for which many a mountain climber died to bring these into cultivation. Too bad! These are rather short lived perennials, however, they usually self-sow the next generation before they perish. Great wooly white tufts. They appriciate well drained soil with plenty of air, naturally.

Faery Money, Golden

Lysimachia japonica minutissima


Minutissima (in the botanical name) describes this dark green groundcover for the shade, precisely! Bright yellow flowers in late spring/early summer pop up between stepping stones, miniature landscapes, english troughs and, of course, faerie gardens. This is also one of the very best R X R groundcovers as it is hardy, spreads well, but will not take over the tracks.

Fennel, Bronze

Foeniculum vulgare `Bronze'


This beauty need not provide anything useful, but boy does it ever! Imagine fine feathery foliage with a bronze-red cast, tickling yellow hued ""Queen Anne Lace""-like flowers above. Does not produce a bulb but leaves and stems are tasty, finely chopped, added to salads, fish, and soups. A tea from the leaves or seeds eases our indigestion. After seeds begin to mature, cut entire stalks. Hang them upside down in a paper bag to finish ripen, and avoid self-seeding all over the garden.

Fennel, Florence Bulbing

Foeniculum dulce




This ""eat-everything-but-the-squeal herb"" is grown as a vegetable until full bulb forms, but harvest green foliage along the way. Dig up entire plant before bulb splits. Often mislabeled as anise in grocery store. Use in stews or cut into large chunks for steaming. Grate steamed bulb or add snipped leaves to lightly season pasta, white sauce or eggs. I make an apple, fennel bulb, bleu cheese and greens salad with balsamic vineagrette. Fennel is the preeminent anti-wrinkle herb, often used in facial steams, mouthwash and hair rinses.

Foxglove, Herold’s Yellow

digitalis ferruginia `Gigantea Gelber Herold'


A true giant among the perennial foxgloves, it can reach 5 feet if grown in a rich, acid soil with good summer water. Gigantic, yellow flowers are not to be passed up either.

Foxglove, Pam’s Choice

Digitalis X 'Pam's Choice'


Huge white flowers with a maroon red spotted throat are a five alarm siren for any hummingbird in the area.

Foxglove, Silver Fox

Digitalis purpurea 'Heywoodii'


Tall, short-lived foxgloves, step aside. We’re tickled with this compact cultivar which endures year after year and picture this- woolly white hairs covering the foliage and soft pink, speckled flower balanced above.

Foxglove, Spanish Peaks

Digitalis thapsi
Toss out the stakes. Reach for this short, woolly gray leaved foxglove. 2"" purple-rose flowers have sweetly spotted throats. It flowers for about one month, in June, before other foxgloves and repeats in the fall for us. As a native of east Portugal & western Spain, it will tolerate a higher soil pH. The foxglove of faery gardens.

Hyssop, Blue

Hyssopus officinalis `Blue'


Blue flower spikes appear throughout the growing season. This miniature semi-evergreen shrub is extremely hardy and ideal for hedges and borders. It is easily clipped but be aware of bees- it's an important source of pollen for them. Overlook the bitter fragrance as it flavors heavy meats and liqueurs quite nicely, or so I have read.

Hyssop, Pink

Hyssopus officinalis `Pink'
Semi-evergreen, nice bloomer and bee attractor. Like ""Blue Hyssop"" but with tasteful pink flowers. Another ""poor man's boxwood"" hedge.

Hyssop, White

Hyssopus officinalis 'Albus'


A white flowering variety for the moonlight garden.

Lamb’s Ear, Helen Von Stein

Stachys byzantina 'Helen von Stein'


Lady bugs rejoice! After many tries, we finally received the real thing. Six to ten inch fuzzy leaves give this variety its other name ""Big Ears"" and a warm winter home for beneficial lady beetles in the North. Holds up better in the heat and humidity, maybe because it is not as fuzzy, albeit just as fun to pet.

Parsley, Italian Flat-leaf

Petroselium crispum `Gigante D' Italia'


The plant isn’t gigantic but the thick, juicy leaves are full of flavor. I used to think there weren’t big differences in parsley flavor. Can be a culinary band-aid if too much sage, garlic (is that possible?) or hot peppers are used. Rich in Vitamin A, C, iron, and magnesium.

Parsley, Triple Curled

Petroselium crispum `Krausa'
Parsley update: some curled varieties now have flavor, as well as good looks and breath cleansing qualities. Mark demands this variety. Best used fresh but frozen works. (See our Basil Intro. for freezing information.) Goes with anything short of sweets but, dried parsley?- forget it!

Rue, Blue Mound

Ruta graveolens `Blue Mound'


The dwarf mounding habit of this ancient herb makes an excellent mate with roses, in groups of 7 or more. The semi-evergreen blue foliage contrasts well with almost any perennial, especially roses & yellow conifers for a winter color display. Rue's foliage, sunlight & skin MAY result in skin rashes. Please don't eat it.

Rue, Herb Of Grace

Ruta graveolens
Chartreuse, star shaped flower clusters, bloom all summer contrasting with blue foliage. Its strong antiseptic foliage was credited for stopping plagues and the inspiration for ""clubs"" on a deck of cards. Can reseed itself with abandon. Rue's foliage, sunlight and skin may result in skin rashes. Please don't eat it.

Sage, Berggarten

Salvia officinalis `Berggarten'



Broad, oval shaped leaves on this compact plant make 'Berggarten' easier to use. It's so much nicer, there are few reasons to buy the common sage anymore. ""Flash fry"" leaves in a bit of olive oil, only about 30 sec. Remove. Cool. Crumble & use like bacon bits. Rated great variety for southern states. In the north, unfortunatly, it rarely blooms as flowering tips freeze off.

Sage, Berggarten Variegated

Salvia officinalis 'Variegated Berggarten'
Mark gained this cool variegated plant from Scott Kresge (Emily May Garden Shop in Pen Argyl, PA) at the Herb Society of America's Cleveland Conference. Just as winter hardy as 'Berggarten' with clean, blue-green and white variegation on a leaf that is closer to the slender outline of straight S. officinalis. Prune out anything that reverts.

Sage, Garden Dwarf

Salvia officinalis 'Compacta' (Nana)


Because it's an exact miniature version of common sage without the ""unkept"" look, it's a natural for mixed containers and child-sized hedges. Plus it's covered with blue flower spikes in the spring. Use 1 tsp (fresh) per pound of pork to make sausage, or add to the classic turkey dressing.