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Herbs by Common or Folk name 'P'
Parsley
Petroselinium crispum
 No real introduction necessary. This herb is an absolute 'staple' even if you don't have a vegetable garden.
The seeds strike well, and quickly, (3-5 days), you can grow it at any time of the year and because it is essentially a biennial, you get great value from any one plant.
Apart from the usual supplementary benefits, the leaves, stems and root are diuretic, and reduce the production of histamine which we find a boon while out mowing the lawn.
The seeds are wonderfully aromatic as well, making every part of the plant useful.
50
fresh seeds $3.50
Panama Red Passionflower
Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa
 A fabulous climber that is familiar to almost everyone but so hard to get, just when you want it.
It strikes well from seed and easily if the seed is fresh.
It grows quickly, so if the seed is planted in winter or early spring you can almost guarantee bucket loads of fruit at the end of summer and early autumn.
One vine yields around four buckets of fruit generally.
Make sure you allow enough room for it to spread and flourish.
We make a tea from the leaves which gives a non-addictive, non-depressant sedative for insomnia or anxiety or to reduce high blood pressure.
This vine is not a hybrid and is heritage, as are all of our seeds.
20 seeds $3.50
Patchouli
Pogostemon heyeanus
 This is a very attractive bushy shrub.
About 45cm in height and 50cm in spread.
Ours are planted facing west and have yielded many flowers and leaves for drying.
They make a great border and look good most of the year, slowing down for winter but never disappearing.
The flower is not really noteworthy but with the delightful fragrance of the leaves all year around, that does not seem important.
Uses - Aromatic essential oil, Perfumeries, Cosmetics, Toiletries etc.
Soil - Well-drained deep loam to sandy loam soil, slightly acidic, with no water stagnation.
It likes to dry out a little between watering. Grows commercially under trees where it needs less water and tending.
Potted Cuttings $5.50
plus $2.50 extra postage
We cannot supply
pots to Western Australia, Tasmania or Overseas
Paroo Lily
Dianella caerulea
 This is a clumping native that grows naturally along creek banks throughout most of Queensland.
It prefers sandy, well drained soil and does not seem to do well anywhere else.
It has lovely blue flowers with yellow anthers in spring which quickly mature into pale purple berries.
It has strappy leaves and is a kind of exclamation mark in the garden.
It grows well from seed and will spread itself as well by underground runner.
10 seeds $3.50
Papaya
Carica papaya
 Being a bi-sexually reproducing tree, this delightful addition to almost any garden is convenient because 'one is enough'.
It grows best where it is not subjected to severe winters and will grow in the southern states if it is completely protected from cold winds and frost.
The seed strikes easily but not always uniformly and it is best to keep potted until around 1m tall.
The oblong fruit is quite red in colour, very sweet and has a great texture. If you really must... then you can use the pulp as a face mask.
The chemical 'papain' exists in the green as well as the ripe fruit and has an enzymic reaction with the skin, giving it the reputation as a cleanser.
10+ seeds $3.50
Petty Spurge / Radium Weed
Euphorbia peplus
 A much maligned little plant, it has a reputation as a weed, which is probably only because it self seeds so freely and easily.
If kept within a contained area, it's usefulness is consistent. It will grow in a wide range of soil types but does best where the ground does not dry out completely.
It grows to around 30cm in height and can make an attractive, discreet border.
Do not fuss over it and plant the seed where you want it to grow.
Care must be used not to allow the sap onto unaffected skin or anywhere near the eyes.
30 + Seeds $3.50
Pepino
Solanum muricatum
 These fantastic solanacea's are so easy to grow and are so generous with their juicy and delicious fruit that I don't understand why they are not everywhere you look.
They grow easily from seed with an 80% viability rate, but if you don't want to wait, we have well rooted cuttings as well.
The plant itself is a bit of a sprawler, growing naturally to about 60cm high but spreading to aprox. 1 metre. We stake our plants up which increases the height to aprox. 1M but contains the spread a little and makes it easier to find the fruit.
The pale green fruit is decorated with a deep magenta stripe if it ripens in the sun. Fruit is unstriped if it ripens in the middle of the bush in the shade.
The taste is sweet like a rockmelon but with an apple texture and overtone.
10
fresh seeds $3.50
Plantain
Plantago major
 Perennial plant growing to about 35cm with clusters of tiny green flowers on tall spikes.
When the flowers are spent the seeds form on the hardened spikes, this makes for easy
harvesting of seed as it is not unlike picking up joss sticks.
Parts used are the leaves.
Rich in vitamin C, K and T.
We use the leaves as a poultice, combined with comfrey for treating bruises and broken bones, stings and mild abrasions to the skin.
100
fresh seeds $3.50
Peanut
Arachis hypogaea
 This oval leaved annual is one of those plants that people rarely consider planting in the garden.
Vitamin rich and happy to grow by itself with no intervention, it makes an excellent ground cover and moisture retainer in the garden.
The hardest thing we found getting started was finding good quality seed but now it is a constant in the garden and once the food is harvested the rest of the plant is an great addition to the compost.
30
fresh seeds $4.50
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