Category Archives: herbs

Celebrate National Chocolate Mint Day!

Posted on February 19, 2026 | Leave a comment

Today is National Chocolate Mint Day and for gardeners that translates into the chocolate mint herb (Mentha x piperita forma citrata ‘Chocolate’). Mints are hardy perennials but they must be grown in containers. All mints will take over your garden if you plant them in the ground. These should be easy to find at your local garden center of if you have a friend who has the plant, ask for a cutting.

Chocolate mint has green, textured leaves and dark brown to purple stems. The leaves really do taste like chocolate mint. In my family, we make a syrup out of the leaves and pour it on fresh strawberries (see recipe below). We also put minced leaves in a store-bought brownie mix, chocolate cake, or chocolate chip cookie dough. The leaves are great for garnishing fruit salads, desserts, cakes, and cupcakes. They can be used fresh or dried for making tea, or adding to coffee or hot chocolate.

This is a great plant to have to make gifts. The stems root very easily in water so you can either pot up the rooted stems or just give cuttings to friends. We have given away pots of chocolate mint with recipe cards attached. Because the cost is minimal, pots of chocolate mint make great gifts for your children’s teachers.

Mints can be grown in dappled shade or morning sun and afternoon shade. If there is a dry period in the summer, make sure the container is receiving enough water. They grow to a few feet tall and flower in the summer. The small flowers attract beneficial insects, bees, and butterflies. Deer leave the plant alone.

Syrup

Put one cup of water and one cup of sugar in a small saucepan. Bring just to a boil and when the sugar dissolves, turn off the heat, and add a large handful of chocolate mint leaves. Bruise with a wooden spoon by smashing leaves against the side of the pot. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes. When cool, strain leaves out and pour syrup in glass jar. Store in fridge for up to 2 weeks.

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Making Agua de Jamaica with Roselle

Posted on February 15, 2026 | Leave a comment

Recently I was shopping at an Asian supermarket, and I found a bag of “flor de Jamaica,” which is dried hibiscus flowers. These are not really flowers but the calyces or modified leaf bracts of a tropical hibiscus plant called roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa). The bag was only a few dollars so I purchased it to make a pitcher of agua de Jamaica, also known as agua fresca or Jamaican water. This refreshing Caribbean drink is sweet yet tart and can be used as a base for other types of drinks.

Roselle is commonly grown in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Caribbean islands. It is also called sorrel, Jamaica sorrel, Queensland jelly plant, and Florida cranberry. Roselle blooms yellow okra-shaped flowers that only last a day and afterwards, the calyx, the red part under the blossom, becomes enlarged and envelops the fruit or seeds inside.

Usually, garden centers in my area do not sell this plant but seeds can be obtained from online seed companies. Because of roselle’s long growing season, seeds should be sown indoors under lights in April, just like growing tomatoes. Seedlings are moved outside in May after the last frost. They need full sun and water if it has not rained. By the end of the summer, the plants are about 4 to 5 feet high and a few feet wide.

Autumn’s short days and long nights initiate flowering; however, our first frost can occur in late October. There are only about 2 months of flowering and calyx production. That is why it is best to start seeds indoors and to purchase early maturing strains such as Southern Exposure Seed Exchanges’ Thai Red.

The calyces should be picked when ripe which encourages the plants to keep flowering (like growing beans). The more you harvest, the more you get, so you check the plants often in September and October.roselle

After cutting the calyx off the branch, separate the red fleshy part, which will probably separate into five parts, from the inner green seed part. Throw away (or compost) the inner green seed part. The calyces can be used fresh or dried.

The calyces are used in tea or beverages, dried or fresh. They are used for jams and jellies (very high in pectin), syrup, sorbets, tarts, baked goods, and chutneys. In fact, if you think of how cranberries are used in the kitchen, roselle calyces are used much the same way.

Roselle is high in vitamin C, calcium, and anthocyanins. Roselle tea is a strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that may help reduce high blood pressure. The leaves and flowers also are edible, but I have not tried them yet.

To make the agua de Jamaica, you can use fresh or dried calyces. I took a cup from the bag of “flor de Jamaica,” and washed them in cool water first to get rid of dust and debris. I then put them in 4 cups of boiling water in a saucepan, reduced the heat, and let them simmer for 15 minutes. I removed the saucepan from the heat and let them steep for 20 minutes. Then I strained them out and put one cup sugar in the warm liquid so the sugar would dissolve quickly. I poured this mixture in a pitcher and added 4 cups of cold water. This is done to taste of course, you can make it sweeter if you want. The hibiscus expands with the boiling water plus it stains so be careful. The liquid is a beautiful red color.  My first thought when I saw the red liquid was that it could be used as a natural dye for Easter eggs!After the liquid cools, pour on ice cubes in a glass for a nice refreshing drink. Keep the pitcher in the fridge or freeze some of it. I poured some liquid in a silicon mold of small heart shapes. I then added the red, heart-shaped ice cubes to a glass of Sprite which adds a dash of red and roselle flavor to the Sprite. But the red ice cubes would have also worked well a mocktail or punch or even an ice tea.  When you make agua de Jamaica, you begin to see all types of possibilities like adding mint or spices or combining with lemonade or adding to tea.

Try growing the roselle plant this year or purchasing a bag of dried hibiscus flowers to make agua de Jamaica and explore the many possibilities of this tropical hibiscus plant.

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New Culinary Herbs of Interest to Grow in 2026

Posted on January 31, 2026 | Leave a comment

Spotted Hoja Santa at a botanical garden a few years ago and put it on my wish list

Every year, I write a short article about new culinary herbs I have seen from reading more than 25 seed/plant catalogs (print or online). For this article, I am focusing on a narrow definition of herbs. Many plants could be considered herbs, including edible flowers. Herbs are plants that are of use to humans, either for culinary, medicinal, aromatherapy, cosmetic, and even coloring (dyes).

Also, “new” can be defined in different ways. The item may be new to the company’s inventory but that does not mean it would be a new plant for an experienced gardener. To me “new” is: “Wow! This herb is really different from all the other ones — I have not seen this before, and I think you might be interested.” Obviously, my list is not all new herbs on the market but a selection of “herbs of interest” – suggestions for you to try as you explore your herb gardening adventures.

Adaptive Seeds has a nice selection of herb seeds including three different Asian or celery leaf types (Apium graveolens) and a red foliaged epazote (Dysphania ambrosioides). New to me is alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum). Apparently, this is a very old herb, possibly going back to Alexander the Great. The Adaptive Seeds website says that ancient Romans ate leaves, stems, roots, and flower buds as vegetables. The leaves are comparable to a mild flavored parsley, tasty in a salad or used as an herb. Also called black lovage (love the name), alexanders is a biennial with challenging seed germination. Sounds like a perfect candidate for winter sowing.

Alexanders, which looks like parsley. Photo courtesy of Adaptive Seeds

Burpee is celebrating the nation’s 250th year with its colonial dooryard herb garden package, created in partnership with the American Horticultural Society. This collection has 8 seed packets: Italian parsley, chives, lemon balm, anise hyssop, dill, sweet fennel, German chamomile, and nasturtium. Also new is strawberry mint seeds and plants (Mentha spp.) and Monteverde compact sweet basil seeds and plants (Ocimum basilicum). A nice thing about Burpee is that one can mix and match plants of herbs, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants so you don’t always have to grow from seed if you do not feel comfortable with that.

Experimental Farm Network does not have a paper catalog but going through its website is like flipping pages of the old Sears Wish Book. My sister and I used to pour over that Christmas-themed catalog full of toys, picking what we “wished” for from Santa. I do that with EFN’s website – constantly picking out plants I wish to grow here. New this year are Ukrainian dill (Anethum graveolens), Flatspine Szechuan peppercorn (Zanthoxylum simulans), Kkaenip (Korean green shiso) and Virginia Beach feral shiso (both Perilla frutescens), Ein Abu-El-Harth Jarjir arugula (Eruca sativa), and Abu Al-Rub coriander (Coriandrum sativum) (both from Palestine). You may think that these herbs are not new – we all grow dill and coriander – but these are from other countries so they may taste or perform better here in the United States.

True Love Seeds also has two new herbs from another country: Marzeh, an Iranian summer savory (Satureja hortensis), and Gishniz, an Iranian cilantro (Coriandrum sativum). Aren’t you just dying to know if they taste better?

Calendula Strawberry Blonde, photo courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co./rareseeds.com

There are always new basils on the market, partly because of downy mildew. If you have a downy mildew problem with your basil, look to Johnny’s Selected Seeds. They are always ahead of the curve when it comes to resistant basils. This year they have a purple foliage basil called Doron, part of the Prospera ® active DMR line of basils. This plant has large, 3-to-4-inch glossy cupped dark purple red leaves and is highly resistant to downy mildew and resistant to fusarium wilt.

Another new basil is Treviso, a 2026 All-America Selections vegetable winner. It is about 15 inches tall, resistant to downy mildew and powdery mildew, and the leaves stay tender longer and maintain an excellent quality late into the season. It is slow to flower and exhibits vigor and heat tolerance. Currently it is only available through True Leaf Market, an online seed company.

And another new basil is Basil Bonsai, a fine-leaf, compact Greek basil that is part of the Kitchen Minis Collection. The Kitchen Minis collection is a line of potted veggies and herbs that can grow on the counter near a sunny window. Both Park Seed and Territorial Seed Company are offering Basil Bonsai.

Surprisingly, Park Seed is selling an unusual culinary herb that is of interest to me but I do not know if it will grow well here in Virginia. If you look at the flowers of Mertensia ‘Silver Ocean’ (Mertensia maritima), you will see its relation to Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica) which does grow well in Virginia. But if you look at the gray green foliage that thrives in coastal areas, you wonder if the plant will perform well during Virginia’s hot and sultry summers. Also called oyster leaf, the foliage is supposed to taste like oysters and is used by high end chefs on the west coast.

Mizuna Pinky Pop, photo courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co./rareseeds.com

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds also sells oyster leaf seeds although their variety is not labeled ‘Silver Ocean.’ They do have a new basil called Spice Boys Globe, a compact, small leaf variety. But the big surprises are their calendula varieties (Calendula officinalis). With their many narrow, quilled petals, Yellow Porcupine and Orange Porcupine do not look like calendula at all. Strawberry Blonde, from breeder Frank Morton, does not look like a calendula either with its unique color palette of yellow, pink, and cerise.

Equally different are the new mizunas (Brassica rapa), which are spicy and pungent leafy greens in the mustard family. They can be called a green or an herb but with these new colors they also can serve as a garnish. Check out the new Pinky Pop, which has bright pink stems and green leaves. Benigoromo has purple red stems and foliage, and Japanese red mustard mizuna has highly serrated burgundy foliage on green stems.

Usually, I purchase seeds but this year I ordered a plant from Territorial Seed Company: the Hoja Santa plant (Piper auritum). It is new to their inventory and new to me. Also known as Yerba Santa, Mexican Pepperleaf, and the Root Beer Plant, this tender perennial has large green heart-shaped leaves that can be used to wrap food or for cooking. According to Territorial Seed Company, the flavor profile is “pepper, anise, eucalyptus, nutmeg, mint, tarragon, and a bold hit of sassafras giving it its root beer nickname.” I am looking forward to receiving it in May when it warmer. If anyone has any suggestions on how to Hoya Santa in the kitchen, please comment below. Or if I missed a new herb, please submit your suggestions.

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Fantastic Fennel

Posted on December 26, 2025 | 2 comments

fennel in the summer

I grow fennel, Foeniculum vulgare, in my Virginia garden for many reasons. Fennel is easy to grow from seed but you can purchase a small plant in the spring at local garden centers. Fennel can be a showstopper at five feet tall with many yellow blooms. Sometimes, the plant bends from the weight to weave among the perennials and shrubs. The foliage mingles with the pumpkin vines on the ground, rests on top of the chrysanthemums, and peaks through colorful zinnias.

Throughout the summer, I harvest the foliage for use in the kitchen. The anise flavored leaves add flavor to fish and chicken dishes and root vegetables. They are perfect for green salads, soups, eggs, and tuna fish sandwiches.

In the summer, the fennel blooms large, star-burst like structures, made up of many small yellow flowers which attract beneficial insects and pollinators. The flowers are edible so they make a great garnish on deviled eggs. Sometimes, I cut the flower heads for floral arrangements but I always leave some to go to seed.

In the fall, I clip the seed heads and put them in a paper bag. The seeds have medicinal qualities (the foliage does not) and are often served in restaurants to help with digestion and to freshen the breath. Eating the seeds or making a tea from the seeds can relieve flatulence, bloating, gas, indigestion, cramps, and muscle spasms. Fennel seeds are called “meeting seeds” because when the Puritans had long church sermons they chewed on the seeds to suppress hunger and fatigue.

fennel with zinnias

Seeds can be used for baking sweets, breads, and crackers, or in sausage, or herbal vinegars and pickling. The seeds have a much sweeter anise flavor as if they were sugar-coated. For me it is like eating small candies.

I also grow fennel for the caterpillar form of the black swallowtail butterflies. The caterpillars love to eat the foliage and it makes me happy to grow food for them and to support the butterfly population.

Sometimes the fennel comes back the next year, it really depends on the winter. I have heard that in warmer climates it gets out of control but in my zone 7 garden, it has not been an issue. After a hard freeze, I cut back the old fennel stalks revealing new foliage at the base. In December, the new foliage is just as lush and green, providing a nice garnish for holiday meals.

fennel seeds in the fall with the mums

Fennel prefers full sun but can tolerate some shade and need well-drained soil. Treat them like summer annuals and sow seeds every year.

fennel in December

I grow the “leafy” type, Foeniculum vulgare. I have grown the bulbing type, Foeniculum vulgare var. dulce, which is shorter with a bulbous base. It is harvested for the bulb before it flowers and sets seed. The bulb is sliced fresh for salads or cooked with fish and vegetables.

Bronze fennel is a popular ornamental type which grows like the leafy fennel but the foliage is dark bronze, not bright green. Bronze fennel is edible, it can be used in the kitchen but not as tasty. Think of it as a garnish.

Try growing fennel in your garden. You will be pleasantly surprised at its versatility.

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Parsley: Easy to Grow Culinary Herb

Posted on December 13, 2025 | Leave a comment
parsley

flat leaf parsley in January

Parsley is one of those easy to grow culinary herbs that adds beauty to your garden and flavor to your cooking. Here in Northern Virginia, parsley can stay green above ground in mild winters.

Parsley is a biennial, it produces foliage the first year and flowers the second year. I have set aside a small area in the ground I call the parsley patch. There are enough plants so that some are in the first year (when I want to harvest foliage for the kitchen) and some are in the second year (when I want them to flower and develop seed). For extra luck, I also scatter seeds every spring. This way I can harvest fresh parsley year round.

Recently I have discovered that I can winter sow parsley seeds and then transplant them to my patch. After Christmas, I sow seeds in a plastic milk jug and then just let the jug sit outside all winter long. In April, I open it up and transplant the tiny seedlings to the parsley patch. They do not mind the cool spring, in fact I think they prefer it to the hot summers.

Parsley likes organic matter, moisture, and morning sun or dappled sun. My plants are in the ground but parsley can be grown in containers and window boxes for the summer. I grow flat leaf or Italian parsley, which is best for culinary purposes. The curly leaf type is best used as a garnish.

curly parsley in the summer

To harvest parsley, cut outer, older leaves at the base, leaving the core or inner, younger leaves.  Cut with scissors (don’t pull) and put in a large bowl of cool water for about 20 minutes (to wash the foliage and drown any bugs). Pat dry and cut the leaves and stems into small pieces with scissors or a knife.

I use parsley for my bean stew, roasted vegetables, pasta, and salads. I also use the foliage for garnish for holiday dinners and plates of fruit. I have heard of folks using it in smoothies. In addition to its flavor, parsley has high levels of vitamins A, C, and K, plus a high level of chlorophyll that freshens your breath!

Try growing parsley from seed this year to create your own parsley patch. You can either direct sow or use the winter sowing method. Here is a list of more than 100 seed companies.  Or purchase small plants in the spring at local garden centers and either plant in the ground or in a container. Even if you don’t use it in the kitchen it makes a nice green filler.

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Should I Grow Catnip or Catmint?

Posted on November 15, 2025 | 1 comment

Catmint blossoms up close

Recently I gave a lecture to a local garden club about herbs. A woman asked the difference between catnip and catmint. The names make them sound similar, they both are herbaceous plants that grow in the DC metro area, and they both are in the Nepeta genus, which is in the mint family.

Catnip blooming, photo courtesy of Mountain Valley Growers

Here are the differences. Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is the plant we grow for our cats. These plants have nepetalactone, a chemical that is structurally like feline pheromones. You can purchase the catnip plant in containers at garden centers, or you can purchase a seed packet (easy to grow from seed). At garden centers, the plants are in the herb section, not the perennial section. However, catnip is a perennial, hardy to Zone 3, but it is considered weedy looking. The plant grows to 3 feet tall with spikes of small white flowers. The gray-green leaves look like lemon balm leaves. After the plant blooms, goldfinches will flock to eat the seeds, but the plant may also re-seed readily in the garden. People can make herbal teas with catnip for a soothing, calming effect.

Cats’ reactions to catnip vary – some roll around in it in a state of euphoria while others get very mellow and calm. The foliage dries well, and bags of dried foliage are sold commercially to be given to cats as treats.

Nepeta ‘Cat’s Meow’, photo courtesy of Proven Winners

Catmint is a desirable, ornamental plant for the garden. Catmint is edible but no one eats it or uses it as an herb. There are many Nepeta cultivars and species on the market. In the perennial section of the garden center, you will find containers of cultivars with names such as Walker’s Low, Cat’s Meow, and Cat’s Pajamas. Depending on the variety, catmint will grow to 1 to 3 feet tall and bloom spikes of purple, pink, or white flowers. The plants can be grown in full sun to light shade, in well-drained soil. Part of catmint’s charm is that the plants are summer bloomers, drought and heat tolerant, and deer and rabbit resistant. After they bloom, the flower spikes can be sheared to encourage a subsequent flush of color. Although catmint is commonly sold at local garden centers, one can also order plants from online sources such Digging Dog, Monrovia, and Proven Winners.

Cats may prefer both catnip and catmint or just catnip. If they do roll around in catmint in the garden, the plant will bounce back. Both can be grown in the garden but the one you select depends on if you have cats.

Nepeta ‘Cat’s Pajamas’, photo courtesy of Proven Winners

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Taking Care of Your Herbs in the Fall

Posted on October 2, 2025 | 4 comments
calendula

calendula

As we enter the fall season our thoughts turn to saving the plants we can and knowing where to cut our losses. Many people who have been growing herbs, especially in containers, are wondering how to overwinter them for next year. On Facebook, they are asking questions such as: Will the herbs make it over the winter, should they be removed or cut back, can they be saved somehow for next year? To answer these questions, there are three things to consider.

Know the plant. Just like not all children or dogs or cats are the same, not all “herbs” are the same. “Herbs” is a catch all phrase for a useful plant but there are many different types. Learn if the plant is an annual, tender perennial or tropical, biennial, perennial, etc. This is objective information that is easy to find on the internet.

Know your zone. If it is an annual plant, it will not matter which hardiness zone you live in since its life cycle is one growing season. It will live, set seed, and die (but you may be able to save seeds). However, if you are growing tender perennials, tropicals, and perennials, it matters if you are in very cold winter place which has a lower zone number, or a mild winter place like Virginia, Zone 7, or even a warm winter area such as Florida, Zone 10. This is objective information that can be found on the internet or this link.

Know about insulation. Many plants will not overwinter if they are in a container because the container does not provide enough insulation. If the same plant were in the ground, it may do much better because the soil provides more insulation. If you are growing a perennial herb in a container, you need to put it in the soil now in order for its roots to become established so it can survive the winter in the ground. Don’t forget to water after you transplant from a container to the garden bed as October can still have hot days.

Here are a few common herbs that I grow in my Virginia garden and how I deal with them in the fall.

Annual Herbs

Basil: By now basil has set seed and is finished for the season. Either save the seed or leave for the birds. The plant can be pulled anytime from now until we get our first frost, typically at the end of October. The frost will kill the plants and you will want to pull them out and compost as the cold will blacken the foliage. If you grew this in a container, it will not matter if you move it to the ground as it is an annual that will die with the first frost.

Cilantro: If you had grown cilantro in the spring, it should have gone to seed by now and you can save the seeds for next year. You can sow cilantro seeds again in the fall with the cool weather but remember to water as the days are still hot. It likes the cool weather and you may have enough time (before frost) to get fresh foliage for cooking but the plant will not survive our winters.

Calendula: By now this plant may look awful because it does not like the summer heat and tends to get powdery mildew on the foliage. It does not matter if it is a container or in the ground, the winter will kill it. You can save the seeds for next year.

Dill: Dill should have set seed by now, which you can save. Dill is a short-lived annual plant that usually sets seeds in mid-summer and then gradually dies by fall. You can pull the plant anytime and sow seeds again next year. If you had it in a container there is no need to move to the ground as it is an annual that should be dying now. The foliage is easy to dry and save to use in winter months. It retains its flavor.

Tender Perennial and Tropical Herbs

lemongrass

lemongrass

Lemon grass and lemon verbena are not going to make it outside in the winter but you can harvest the lemon grass and freeze it. You can dry lemon verbena leaves for tea or potpourri, or you can bring the plant in the house and let it go dormant. They are not pretty when they are dormant, plus they may get spider mites so you have to weigh the effort versus the cost of buying a new plant next year. Lemon grass is actually one of the cheapest plants to purchase if you buy the culm or shoot from an Asian grocery store and root it in soil. Lemon verbena has to be purchased as a small plant at a nursery.

Ginger: Ginger is harvested in the fall before our first frost. When I talk to garden clubs, some people say it does overwinter in the garden while others say it does not so I think it is very microclimate specific. You can either see if your specific spot is warm enough or dig up and harvest the rhizomes. The rhizomes freeze well.

Turmeric: The same is true for turmeric. In general, it will not overwinter here. However, I have one plant in a very warm spot in the garden bed and only that one comes back. The others in cooler spots do not come back. So if you do not want to take a chance, harvest it before the first frost.

fennel

fennel

Fennel: There are two kinds of fennel: bulbing fennel and leaf or foliage fennel. Bulbing fennel is an annual where you harvest or pull the plant, bulb and all, to eat fresh or cooked. By now you should have harvested it. It will not overwinter. Leaf fennel is marginally hardy which means it is really hardy to zone 8 but in our area, it may overwinter depending on the mildness of the winter and the microclimate. Mine are in a full sun, warm spot so mine overwinter well. They can get very large in the summer and in the fall, they set seed. You can collect the seed to sow next year, leave the plant as is in the garden and see if it will overwinter, or cut back and see if the remaining stump or root will overwinter and come back. If you grew this in a container, you can try to move to the ground now and see if it will overwinter.

red flowered pineapple sage plant

pineapple sage

Pineapple sage: Pineapple sage comes into its glory in the fall when it blooms red flowers. This plant also is marginally hardy. Sometimes it comes back next year and sometimes it does not, depending on the winter. It is best to purchase this in the summer when you see it for sale at the nursery because by the time you want it in the fall, it may not be available anymore. It is not grown from seed. Pineapple sage will die back in the winter so you need to prune or cut back after our first frost to clean up. You can leave in the ground and mulch to see if it will come back. I had one that came back for a few years and then it died so I just bought more. If you grew this in a container it should be blooming now so you don’t want to move it or you may lose the blossoms.

Perennial Herbs

Anise hyssop: Anise hyssop has vertical blooms that attract butterflies and bees. It blooms from summer to fall and in the fall. You can cut the flower heads and save the seeds. In the winter, the plant will die back. It comes back in the spring with purple foliage that gradually turns to green when it matures in the summer. This is a hardy perennial but short lived. If you grew it in a container, you can move it to the ground or collect the seed and sprinkle in the ground and you will probably get anise hyssop babies in the spring.

marjorum

Marjoram and oregano

Oregano, marjoram: Mine are in a terraced area and by fall they have set seed and look weedy and overgrown. You can leave as is, cut back the flowering stalks only, or give it a trim to leave a few inches. I personally leave my flower stalks for the birds. In March I cut them back down to where I am seeing new growth at the base. No need to save seeds, this is a perennial plant that will come back every spring. If you have this in a container, move it to the garden bed now and water until established. The marjoram is marginally hardy but the oregano is very hardy. In my garden my marjoram overwinters well since it is a full sun, well-drained area.

Sage, rosemary, lavender: These are woody shrubs that will over winter in my zone 7 area provided the soil has good drainage. If they are in a wet spot, they may get root rot. If you have these in a container now, move them to the garden bed for insulation. Keep in full sun and do not forget to water so the roots can become established before winter. I do not prune the sage back. I have already pruned the lavender plants and leave them as is for the winter.  I have a cold hardy ‘Arp’ rosemary and I can harvest the foliage (and flowers) year-round for cooking or crafts.

Chives: Chives are perennial plants–very easy to grow. The foliage dies down in the fall and comes back in March. No need to cut it back or do anything. If you want to save the foliage to use for cooking before it dies down, you can give it a buzz cut and freeze the foliage in freezer bags or preserve in butter. If this is in a container, move to the garden bed.

Thyme: Thyme plants make great groundcovers. These are hardy perennials that remain above ground in the winter. No need to prune or cut back unless you think it is spreading too much. If this is in a container, move to the garden bed.

thyme

thyme

Mint: Mint should always be grown in containers. Fortunately, they are hardy so they will make it through the winter in the container. The foliage will die down and if you want you can harvest the leaves and dry them for tea before winter.

Lemon balm: This perennial plant will die down in the winter and come back in the spring. If this is in a container, move to the garden bed but if you think it will be too rambunctious, just let it die and buy a new plant next year. Although I do not have the issue, when I talk about lemon balm to garden clubs, many people say it is too assertive in their garden.

Biennial Herbs

Parsley: If you have parsley in a container, you may have to leave as is and let it die because it does not like to be transplanted. If you have it in a garden bed, leave as is. It may stay above ground and green all winter long if we have a mild winter. If it has flowered and set seed, save the seed. This plant grows the first year and then flowers and sets seed the next year. So any plant that is flowering and setting seed is in its second year of growth and will die this year. If you want, you can harvest the seed and then pull or remove those plants.

If you have any herb questions, please comment and I will respond. Or join the Culinary Herbs and Spices Facebook group and others will respond as well.

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Comfrey: The Garden’s Swiss Army Knife

Posted on August 21, 2025 | 2 comments

Comfrey in shady site in my garden

Recently I have been exploring “natural ways” in which to help the garden, especially the vegetables that I grow every summer. At risk for pests and diseases, tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers need all the help they can get. I have always heard how comfrey is used in permaculture so last year I purchased two plants of Bocking 14 (Symphytum x uplandicum). Hardy to zone 4, this herbaceous perennial is a hybrid of S. asperum and S. officinale.

I put one plant in a shady, moist area and one in a sunny, dry location. This summer, the one in the shady, moist area is much larger, about 2 feet tall and wide. The plants have large green leaves, up to a foot long, arising from a central crown. The foliage is bristly, making gloves necessary. The other one in the sun is not doing well. In fact during a long dry spell I had to hand water it and I am not sure it is going to make it.

Comfrey has many uses: pollinator/beneficial insect plant, medicinal herb, animal feed, fertilizer, compost green, and mulch. The plant blooms small, bell-shaped blue flowers that fade to pink. The shape of the inflorescence reminds me of fiddlehead ferns. It starts flowering in the beginning of summer and can continue in the fall. Because it is sterile, Bocking 14 will flower and produce nectar and pollen but not viable seed. The flowers attract predatory wasps, lacewings, and bees.

Comfrey Flowers, Organic Vegetable Garden, Potomac Overlook Regional Park, VA

As a medicinal herb, the leaves are a source of a cell-proliferating molecule called allantoin which is needed for the healing process. Also known as “knitbone,” comfrey leaves can be used to create a poultice for bruises, inflammations, swellings, cuts, and burns. The leaves can be dried to make a powder, used to make a salve, or infused to make an external tea. This plant should not be taken orally.

Comfrey is commonly used in permaculture as a companion plant to fruit trees. It is used as a living mulch and a weed suppressor. It is also used as feed for pigs and poultry.

One of its claims to fame is that its deep roots bring up nutrients from the subsoil, re-locating them throughout the plant. Comfrey has potassium, phosphorus, calcium, copper, iron, and magnesium. Because it is an excellent source of potassium (the letter “K” in NPK), it is very beneficial to tomato, pepper, and cucumber plants. By cutting the leaves and placing them under another plant, nutrients are brought to that plant. After harvesting leaves, the crown sends up new foliage quickly so the plant can be harvested 3 to 5 times per growing season. Alternatively, a nutrient rich compost tea can be made with leaves and water.  Comfrey also can be added to compost piles as the “green.” It breaks down quickly and helps to activate the compost pile.

There are so many uses for comfrey that I am looking forward to experimenting in my garden.

Comfrey at Ladew Topiary Gardens in MD

 

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Time to Prune Lavender

Posted on August 2, 2025 | 2 comments

I have several Phenomenal® lavender shrubs from Peace Tree Farm, a wholesale nursery in Pennsylvania. They have been in the front of my house for 8 years. Each summer they bloom profusely, attracting many bees. There are many types of lavender, but this is Lavandula x intermedia which works well as a hardy garden plant. Because of their highly fragrant foliage, deer don’t bother them. I have never had pest/disease issues. Now in August, the blooms are past their prime and the bees have moved on to other flowers in the garden. This is the best time to remove the spent blooms and to prune the shrubs to maintain their shape.

Although we think of lavender as a perennial, it really is a woody shrub that must be pruned annually. As the shrub ages, the branches become thick and gnarled, and they tend to crack and split. Annual pruning is necessary to prevent this with the branches and to remove the spent flower stalks.

A close up shows how far down the flowering stalk you have to cut.

To prune, look at the flowering stalks and where new growth occurred this year. Look for where the woody base ends and the new foliage growth begins. Cut into the new leaf growth but not into the woody section. Usually, the new spring growth you want next year will not occur in the woody section. Make your cut about 2 to 3 inches above the woody part and into the “green” part. You can use pruning shears or hedge shears depending on how many you have. Sometimes it is easier to cut off the stems first and then go back and shape the bush to create a symmetrical, dome-shaped appearance. Remove dead or damaged branches. Everything can go in the compost pile or save the foliage for potpourri.

Shaping it like this prevents the shrub from becoming a woody gnarled unattractive shrub. If left unpruned the shrub’s woody base will only get bigger, making it harder to cut and shape. Also, if left unpruned, it will develop fewer flowers. It is best to prune after the shrub blooms but no later than late August. Pruning in the fall will encourage tender new growth which will be killed by the cold winter temperatures. If you don’t prune in the fall, prune in the spring when new foliage growth emerges but before the plant blooms. Because my bushes are in front of the house and in front of spring blooming bulbs, I prune in the fall. I think the dead flower spikes are unsightly in the winter, and they detract from my spring bulb display.

Since its 2013 introduction of Phenomenal®, Peace Tree Farm has introduced Exceptional™ which has white blooms, Sensational!® which has purple flowers, and Inspirational!™ which has white flowers. All of these are winter hardy and perform well for us in the DC metro area. You should be able to purchase these from local garden centers. Lavender plants need full sun, plenty of air circulation, and well-drained soil. Good drainage is key so think about amending the soil or placing in raised beds.

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Rockin’ and Rollin’ in the Herb Garden

Posted on July 19, 2025 | Leave a comment

For an unusual family outing this summer, consider visiting the new Rock and Roll exhibit at the National Herb Garden, located at the U.S. National Arboretum in DC. Throughout the National Herb Garden are plants that have been mentioned in songs, named after songs, albums, or music groups, or used to make musical instruments.


The National Herb Garden entrance features a large sign that says “Welcome to the Rock Garden… This year we are rockin’ out in the National Herb Garden and featuring two of our favorite things: music and herbal plants …” The sign has a QR code for visitors to download a playlist of 107 songs on Spotify.


Each plant is labeled with the botanical and common names and relationship to music. For example, in front of a chile pepper there is a sign stating: Capsicum annuum ‘Purple Rain’, chile pepper, and the song Purple Rain from Prince and the Revolution. In front of peppermint is a sign stating Mentha x piperita, peppermint, and the song Incense and Peppermints by Strawberry Alarm Clock and Peppermint Twist by Joey Dee and the Starliters.


There also are plants used to make musical instruments such as boxwood, Buxus sempervirens, to make violins; elm, Ulmus spp., to make Iroquoian rattles; and the calabash tree, Crescentia cujete, to make berimbaus (Brazil) and maracas (Cuba).


The exhibit has 35 plants named after music, 40 plants mentioned in songs, and 21 plants used to make musical instruments. Signage is very easy to spot and color coded by category: plants that make instruments are blue, those mentioned in songs are green; and those named after music are purple. Most are in the entrance but there are some punctuated through the herb garden.


This interesting idea is the brainchild of National Herb Garden gardener, Erin Holden. Erin also is an herbalist and a member of the American Herbalists Guild, United Plant Savers, and the Herb Society of America.


“While looking at a nursery catalogue a few years ago I stumbled upon a fun cultivar of Coreopsis with fluted petals called ‘Jethro Tull’, said Erin. “Although Bluestone Perennials claims it was named after the 18th century agriculturalist, I think it’s no coincidence that the lead singer of the 70’s progressive rock band Jethro Tull also famously plays the flute. And it got me thinking – are there other plant cultivars out there named after music groups?”


Erin spent many evenings scrolling through seed catalogues and nursery inventories, making a list of plants that had music-related names. She then pitched the idea of a Rock and Roll Garden display in the National Herb Garden, which was accepted but it took quite a while to locate and order the plants. The results are well worth it! 


Visit the exhibit soon as it will only exist this summer through fall. The National Herb Garden is on 2 ½ acres at the U.S. National Arboretum and is the largest designed herb garden in the United States. It was completed in 1980 and is supported by the Herb Society of America. The U.S. National Arboretum is at 3501 New York Avenue NE and is open every day except Christmas. Admission is free, and there is plenty of parking.

 

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