Ouroboros garden

This plant, well known for it’s anxiolytic/sedative effects also has other benefits in the garden. In the first year, this plant appears as a fairly low, rosette of fern-like leaves. In the second year however, it explodes in size, reaching up to seven feet. It is also in this second year that the plant first flowers. The flowers are white-pink umbels (similar to dill or parsley, though Valerian is in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae not Apiaceae) with a beautiful sweet scent that spreads a significant distance from the plant. At the end of the second year, after the frosts have come, is when the plant is normally harvested for it’s roots which is where the anxiolytic/sedative compounds accumulate but it will grow up to about 5 years if left alone.
Germination instructions:
Cold stratification can improve germination of Valerian but is not strictly needed. The easiest way to do this is to plant the seeds in late fall and allow winter to do the work for you. Otherwise, put the seeds in damp medium and keep in the fridge for a minimum of two weeks. The seeds also have better germination with light, so it’s best to sow very shallowly or even surface-sow. Once sown, seeds take about 2-3 weeks to germinate, with faster germination at temperatures between 15ºC and 20ºC . If starting indoors, allow the plants to reach several cm tall and grow their first true leaves. Then harden off and transplant to the garden.