Petunias, Verbena and Horseradish
I made a brief visit to a garden centre to pick up some annuals for my summer hanging baskets. I got some trailing Petunias and a white Verbena. Some of the Petunias are the Million Bells variety – smaller flowers but more of them. I’ve not tried these before so it will be interesting to see how they do. I also had an impulsive buy – bet that never happens to you. It was Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana).
Horseradish has a strong taste and a pungent aroma. It is a member of the mustard family so that gives you some idea of its general flavour. The root can be grated and added to a number of dishes or added to mayonnaise to give it an extra kick. I’ve never grown it before but always wanted to give it a try.
Petunias, Verbena and Horseradish
Talk about disappointment – the packet actually contained two dried little sticks about 10 cm (4″ ) long and the thickness of a pencil. They were dark brown and looked very, very dead. The last things I saw that were that dry and shrivelled were the Egyptian mummies in the British Museum.
I was expecting something like the thick leg bones portrayed on the front of the pack. Hmmm…the mummy analogy is taking over. Anyway I’ve planted them on the small allotment. I cannot believe they will come to anything. Time will tell.
8 comments
Good gracious! I’ve never come across anyone planting horseradish before, only ever digging it up.
Isn’t this a bit like planting docks?
Esther
Esther: Probably but it was hard to resist :-)
That’s so exciting! I was just looking at it in a nursery catalog today… dreaming of all the exotic things I don’t have space to play but that I’d like to plant someday. If you don’t get anything out of yours, you can always blame The Mummy’s Curse! :)
Karen: From what VP has said below it looks like it will rise from the dead and take over!
Sooooo, you’ve succumbed at last ;)
Don’t worry – you’ll soon have horseradish like it shows on the packet. Be careful, it can be a bit of a brute, like mint.
Those blue million bells are usually scented too – a good choice.
Have a good Easter!
VP: Thanks for the warning. If it grows I’ll move it into a sunken pot as I’ve done with the mint.
Someone gave us a horseradish thong to put on our allotment (strange word for the root, thong – with it being rather potent, you wouldn’t want to get your thongs mixed up!). Anyway, we planted it, with me saying that we’d regret it as it would take over. Nothing has come up. I think. SomeBeans said the leaves look like docks, and we have some of those coming up. Now I’m not sure if I’m cultivating horseradish or weeds!
Horseradish, huh? Interesting. I might want to try that too. I’ll buy it if I see it around, and I’ll report back whether the roots look the same.
Megan: Let me know if you are successful.
The horseradish was a great buy. We always have some roots growing in the garden and enjoy them in the kitchen after the first frost. I agree that they are very ugly and get uglier when the bugs find them and chew on the leaves, but they are easy to grow even in heavy soil.
Karen: I think my problem will be keeping it under control (lol)
I must admit I thought horseradish was pretty invasive!
Libby: Apparently it is! I should have done more research!
I have seen horseradish for sale and have almost been tempted. My memory is not brilliant but I think that I have planted ‘Million Bells’ in the past, but found the leaves were quite fragile and snapped off easily :( This could be just be my general clumsiness and I hope they flourish for you.
Anna: I think being in hanging baskets will protect the petunias from any damage, hopefully!
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