Horehound

Every spring for the past 5 years, I have tried to grow horehound from seed. And every year it failed to germinate.

Until this year.

From an entire packet of seeds, one plant came up. And it survived transplanting and is thriving in the herb garden.

I'm not sure why I was so determined to grow horehound. Possibly memories of the lozenges sucked as a child for sore throats, possibly the name (disappointedly derived from the Old English har--grey and hune--plant), maybe just the challenge of having another perennial that I managed to coax to life from a seed. 

Whatever the reason, I finally, in the year when I leave my garden in the middle of the growing season, have a horehound plant.

It's now in a pot. I hope it likes travel because it's being driven 750 miles to our new home, along with a few other herbs that I can't bear to leave.

Gardens to go. A little bit of the old life to start the new.