MARIGOLD, POT (Calendula officinalis)

This flamboyant plant puts forth bright orange and yellow flowers. It is a cheerful addition to any garden and can be used as a substitute for expensive saffron. Pot marigold should be started from seed. It is self-sowing and thrives best in rich soil.

MARJORAM, SWEET (Marjorana hortensis)

Of the more than 30 species, M. hortensis is the most valuable for kitchen use. The leaves are similar to oregano in taste and may be used either fresh or dried. They are small, greyish-green in color and quite pungent.

Start marjoram from seeds sown indoors, from stem cuttings or crown division. It does best in a warm, moist, light chalky soil, and you will have to keep it cut back to inhibit its woody growth. If your climate is relatively cold, treat marjoram as an annual.

MINT

Of the more than 40 mints the most popular are: peppermint (Mentha piperita); spearmint (M. spicatä); wooly mint (M. rotundifolia); variegated applemint (M. gentilis variegatà). All the mints are zesty and extremely useful for culinary purposes-hot teas, cold drinks, jellies, sauces and candies. They are easy to grow and must be restrained as they spread rapidly. To get them started, buy or beg a root or a plant. They need lots of moisture.

NASTURTIUM (Tropaeolum minus)

The nasturtium is well known for its bright, showy flowers. The dwarf variety (T. minus) makes a pretty border. Use its petals in teas and salads. T. majus is the larger or climbing variety. The leaves of both varieties are round, tender and peppery, delicious in salads.

Start nasturtiums from seed. Like other herbs they need a sunny place in which to live.

OREGANO

Oregano, the well-known herb so essential in Italian cookery, is actually wild marjoram. The type which grows in the United States is inferior in quality, however, and you will not want to grow it yourself. The dried oregano sold in stores may be of any number of species. Choose the one with the taste and scent that most pleases you.

PARSLEY (Petroselinum hortense)

This biennial should be treated as an annual. The familiar foliage can be used the first year. If undisturbed through the winter, seeds will form the second year, but the leaves will not have as good a taste as the first year.    Parsley is

very slow to germinate, but grows rapidly once it has come up, and will be good even after a few light frosts. You may want to grow both the curly- and flat-leafed varieties; the former for its appearance, the latter for its taste. The curly-leafed parsley makes a very charming border.

Sow parsley seed in drills or light furrows. Later, thin the plants so that each will have about 4 inches in which to grow. Parsley thrives in either sunlight or partial shade.

PENNYROYAL (Mentha pulegium)

Although actually a mint, pennyroyal grows prostrate rather than erect as do other mints. It is the smallest of the mints. Unlike spearmint, it does not spread and therefore does not need to be confined. A hardy perennial, it is attractive for its furry, small oval leaves and bluish-lavender whorls of flowers.

Pennyroyal tastes like other mints, but is rather strong. Our grandmothers called it “pennyrile” or “pudding grass” and used it in cooking, but today pennyroyal is grown only for its usefulness as a ground cover.

Buy roots or plants and then propagate by root division. Select a partially shady spot for its home.

ROSE GERANIUM (Pelargonium graveolens)

Rose geranium is a perennial which is quite sensitive to cold and must be brought indoors during the winter. It is famous for its use in jellies and cakes, in sachets and potpourris.

Get stem cuttings from a friend or buy a plant.   It rarely blooms but is wonderfully fragrant.

ROSEMARY {Rosmarìnus qfficinalis)

The most widely known herb of history and folklore, rosemary resembles an evergreen. Its leaves look like long oval pine needles, even more so when dried to preserve their warm, pungent spicy taste. Rosemary is a tender perennial which you must bring inside during the winter. Shrubs will grow from 3 to 5 feet tall outdoors, but grown as a house plant, rosemary will probably be less than a foot high and will trail its lower branches gracefully over the sides of the pot.

Although it is possible to start rosemary from seed, it is safer to buy a plant about a foot high. Propagate by stem cuttings or layering. Rosemary does best with abundant sunlight, in a thin, gravelly soil.

RUE (Ruta graveolens)

In medieval times rue was used to season salads, fish and eggs, but it has a somewhat unpleasant aroma and its taste is no longer much liked. It has also been used as a medicinal herb, but be careful; some people develop a rash when handling this plant.

Rue provides an extremely pretty border or low hedge, having bluish-green divided leaves and gay yellow flowers. Start from seed or get cuttings or roots.

SAGE (Salvia officinalis)

Sage is perhaps our best known herb. There are 500 species of which a large number have either a medicinal or culinary value. S. qfficinalis is the one used for the Thanksgiving turkey dressing. Three other common varieties of sage are: S. rutilans, “pineapple” sage; S. sclarea, clary; S. splendend, the common red salvia used in flower gardens.

Sage’s grey-green soft, furry leaves are attractive. Gut the bush back after the blue flowers are gone. Put the plant in a corner where it can remain undisturbed.

Start sage from seed. It may be propagated from root division, cuttings or layering. It thrives in a poor soil if it gets plenty of sun

This entry was posted on Friday, August 22nd, 2008 at 8:32 am and is filed under Herbs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.