Themed Garden | Herb Choices for All Seasons

#Medieval, #Medicinal, #Cloister, #Herb, #Ethnobotany, #Themed Garden

Hot Season            

These are a few of the plant choices I have selected for my herb garden. 

Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans)

I consider pineapple sage an annual in my ecoregion (7b). It is a perennial in zones 8 and greater. Pineapple scented sage grows naturally in oak and pine scrubforests at elevations from 8,000 - 10, 000 ft in Mexico and Guatemala. Propagation for the pinapple sage is the most successful from tip cuttings taken in the spring. Pineapple sage, (Salvia elegans) can be found in the nursery in the spring.The best luck I have had with salvias are plantings along the edge of a  retaining wall in part sun. The raised nature of the retaining wall allows for good drainage.

The fresh leaves of the lovely scented pineapple sage are used for tea, fruit salads and drinks. Crush a few fragrant leaves into hot or iced tea for a flavorful treat. The delicious flowers add color and flavor to salads and deserts.

Berggarten Sage, Garden Sage, Common Sage

Salvia officinalis

Lamiaceae Family

Origin: Mediterranean basin

Catnip

GOLDEN OREGANO

RUBMIN

LAVENDER

FOR

bASIL VARIETIES OFFER DIVERSE FLAVORS AND SCENTS

This year we have expanded the varieties of herbs we are growing. Sweet basil is so easy to grow in our 7b-8a hardiness zone garden. This basil cultivar is the best choice for anything Italian like soups, sauces, and pesto. Other varieties include Italian large leaf, lettuce leaf, Genovese, and Napoletano basil. Plants height is 14 to 30 inches tall. They are prolific in hot, sunny locations. 

If you harvest the top four leaves often, the plant will continue growing and producing the best sweetly flavored leaves for culinary use. These are the varieties of basil we are having success with so far: sweet basil, Aristotle, African blue basil, lemon basil, lime basil, cinnamon basil, lettuce leaf basil, Thai basil, spicy bush basil, and purple ruffles basil.

Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum)

Growing Basil

Basil is an easy to grow and often used culinary herb. Mediterranean  food is now becoming a very healthy choice for people watching their diet. Place in a sunny spot with good soil.

African blue basil

Ocimum kilimandscharicum × basilicum

African blue basil is a sterile perennial hybrid, with purple coloration on its leaves and containing a strong portion of actual camphor in its scent. This basil species is native to Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, and Ethiopia. 

Cinnamon basil (Mexican spice basil)

Ocimum basilicum 'Cinnamon'

Also called Mexican spice basil, with a strong scent of cinnamate, the same chemical found in cinnamon. 

Lettuce leaf basil

Ocimum basilicum 'Lettuce Leaf'

The lettuce leaf basil has leaves so large they are sometimes used in salads.

Thai basil

Ocimum basilicum var. thyrsiflorum

The Thai basil has a scent of licorice, small to medium leaves and purple flowers

Lemon basil

Ocimum americanum

Lemon basil contains citral and limonene, and smells very lemony. It has a sweet flavor.  It can be found under alternative names, hoary basil or Indonesian basil. 

Lime basil

Ocimum americanum

The Minimus Basil

Aristotle basil  (Ocimum minimum  'Aristotle')

rounded bush form with small delicate leaves

Neat, compact mounds of small leaves with a most delicious flavour make Basil 'Aristotle' a stunning ornamental, edible pot plant. The aromatic foliage adds flavour to all manner of dishes, particularly Italian recipes. This Greek basil is perfect for growing on the kitchen windowsill or in containers outside the back door. Height: 20 inches.

Variegated Flax Lily (Dianella tasmanica 'Variegata') Mexican Sage, Purple Basil, Holly, Autumn Sedum, Louisiana Iris

This Herb Garden includes fresh Garden Greens for Salads and Soups

Cool Season            

Fennel with umbrella-shaped flowers

Fennel, parsley, cilantro

All Season            

 Lemon Oregano | Origanum vulgare

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LEMON OREGANO

FORT WORTH B

This is an herb that has performed extremely well for me throughout each season, for several years. Oregano is a perennial herb and a native of the Mediterranean region frequently used in Italian dishes.

Plant outdoors 12 inches apart after all danger of frost has passed. Oregano needs only a moderately fertile soil to thrive.  

When flowers appear, oregano is ready to be harvested. About six weeks after planting, trim oregano shoots to within one inch of the center which will stimulate lush, bushy growth. 

The oregano will spread and establish additional roots. You can then dig the rooted oregano with a trowel to share with friends.

Propagation

Pinch off a few sprigs of  basil, mint, or lemon verbena. Place the sprigs in a canning jar or get fancy with a hollow stem goblet and add water. The roots should form within two weeks if you change the water often. 

If placed in a window with a southern exposure your room  will smell awesome. 

If you like the idea of a themed garden here are some other ideas: 

 Native, Desert, Rock, Butterfly, Wildlife,  Childrens, Elizabethean/Shakespearean, Herb, Medicinal/medieval/cloister, Victorian/parterre/knot, English, Chinese, Japanese, Color, Night (using white), and Cutting gardens

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