Tag Archives: herbs

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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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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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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Yes, Virginia, Tarragon Can Grow Here

Posted on May 3, 2025 | Leave a comment

Tarragon re-emerging in April

Tarragon is one of my new culinary herbs in my Virginia garden. It took a couple of tries to figure out its happy place. I had grown a few plants before in different locations but they never reappeared in the spring. This time, the tarragon that was given to me last year is back! It must be happy with full sun exposure in a well-drained area.

A member of the Asteraceae (aster) or Compositae family, tarragon, Artemisia dracunculus, is cousin to the other artemisia plants: mugwort (A. vulgaris), wormwood (A. absinthium), and southernwood (A. abrotanum). The term “dracunculus” is considered a corruption of the French “estragon,” which means little dragon. This refers to the plant’s brown, coiled roots, similar to serpents.

Tarragon in the summer

I have French tarragon, Artemisia dracunculus var. sativa, the preferred culinary variety. French tarragon has anise-flavored leaves (like licorice). An herbaceous perennial, tarragon has green, narrow leaves and woody stems. It dies back in the fall but is one of the first to emerge in early spring, growing to about 2 feet high and wide in the summer. Hardy to zone 5 (although every reference book gives a different number), it is not a long-lived perennial and should be propagated every few years. The plant is sterile so it is propagated by division or stem cuttings. Don’t be fooled into buying tarragon seed packets. They can’t possibly be the flavorful variety, sativa. More likely they are Russian tarragon seeds, Artemisia dracunculus, which has inferior flavor but can still be grown as a plant in the garden.

Tarragon is an old culinary herb that has been used for several thousand years in the Middle East and Europe. It is one of the few culinary herbs that has no significant medicinal use. When Thomas Jefferson was in France, he enjoyed the extensive use of tarragon in French cuisine. Assuming it was propagated by seed, he searched for the seed in the colonies and was not able to find it. Eventually Bernard McMahon sent him a shipment of roots. The first time Jefferson planted tarragon at Monticello it failed but he tried again in different locations until he too found tarragon’s happy place. He then distributed the plant to colleagues. In 1809, General John Mason wrote to him and said “has flourished well in the open air and will in spring afford plenty of slips.” Mason no doubt discovered that tarragon likes plenty of air circulation.

Interestingly, the flavor of tarragon varies depending on how it is used in the kitchen which is why it is so versatile. If I pick a leaf off the plant and chew it, there is a zingy, refreshing flavor like a Peppermint Patty. It slightly numbs the tongue. If I cook with it, the flavor becomes a mellow zingy like black pepper.

Tarragon leaves are used in sauces, vinegars, fish, chicken, spring vegetables, eggs, salads, cheese, cold potato dishes, and fruit such as peaches, melon, apricots and cherries. It is the ingredient in fines herbes and béarnaise sauce. Because of its delicate flavor, it is best to use fresh leaves and to add towards the end of the cooking period so they do not become bitter and overcooked. Because the leaves do not retain their flavor when dry, many people preserve tarragon in vinegar, which also can be used as vinegar for salad dressings.

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Growing Ginger, Turmeric, and Lemongrass

Posted on March 13, 2025 | 1 comment
lemongrass

Bunch of lemongrass culms wrapped in plastic

Every year at this time, I visit a local Asian supermarket and pick up a few turmeric and ginger rhizomes and a couple of lemongrass stalks. For a few dollars, you can grow these tropical herbs for the summer. It is important to start early inside as ginger and turmeric have long growing seasons. It can take 8 to 10 months for the plants to fully develop in order to be able to harvest the rhizomes. Fortunately, they do not need the type of light structures you use to start seeds indoors.

Visit your local Asian supermarket and you will see bins of turmeric, ginger, and lemongrass. If possible, purchase organic ones but of these, I only see organic ginger in my stores.

ginger

Organic ginger rhizomes in bins

For the ginger (Zingiber officinale), pick rhizomes that are as healthy, disease free, and as plump as possible. Ginger is a rhizome, an underground swollen stem. It has eyes, like a potato, so make sure you purchase a piece with several eyes. It is best to purchase organic ginger as regular ginger may have been sprayed with a growth inhibitor. Regardless, soak the rhizomes in water for 24 hours before you plant to remove any chemicals.  Use a plastic container with drainage holes. It is best to start with a small container, just large enough for the rhizome to fit. Think of these as starter containers. Fill with potting mix (I use commercially prepared potting mix). Plant only 2 inches deep, and plant flat or horizontally.  Keep soil moist but not water-logged until you see the foliage emerge. It can take a long time, even a month, so don’t give up hope. Because the watering is a little tricky — too much and they rot, too little and they dry out, you may want to pot up one rhizome per container. That way, if one does not make it, you still have the others. These will not need light until the foliage emerges. But they will need warmth so don’t place the containers in your basement or garage.

turmeric

Turmeric rhizomes in bins

For the turmeric (Curcuma longa), plant the same way as above. I never see organic turmeric in the supermarket so I buy what there is in the bin. I also soak them in case they were sprayed with a growth retardant (it certainly cannot hurt).  Again, best to not put all your eggs in one basket, plant one per container so if one rots, you will have the others.

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) is a little different in that it does not take that long to grow in order to be able to cut the stalks to use in the kitchen. I start them in March because I am buying all of my tropical herbs at the same time but you can start them later. Lemongrass is a true grass.  The foot-long stalk you purchase from the grocery store is called a culm. The entire stalk was cut to make it easier to handle so you are buying the bottom foot of the stalk with the base and maybe a rootlet at the base.  Look for culms that are as plump as possible and not dried out. No need to soak the night before, just plant in the container with drainage holes with potting mix. These also will root if they are in a container of water but make sure you change the water every few days.  One culm can grow to be a large 3- to 4-foot-tall plant so for my family of four I only need one but I buy several in case one does not root. If I start mine in March, I can probably start to cut and harvest in the summer, up until frost.

lemongrass

Lemongrass is relatively cheap

In May, when the evening temperatures are consistently warm, I transfer the plants outside. I put them on my deck in the shade first for them to adapt to the stronger sunlight (shade for them is stronger sunlight than what they received indoors). Then gradually I move them to larger containers and more sun. The lemongrass is moved to a full sun location. The turmeric and ginger can take part shade. I prefer to leave mine in containers because it is easier to harvest in the fall. They will not overwinter in the DC metro area. Fortunately, they are relatively easy to purchase every March and can make interesting gift plants as well. If you are really want to start a conversation, try growing the ginger and turmeric as houseplants!

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New Herbs to Grow in 2025

Posted on February 19, 2025 | Leave a comment

Thai Double Sky Blue butterfly pea, photo courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co./rareseeds.com

As you are making your seed list and checking it twice, consider growing new herbs this year. Every year I scour more than 20 seed/plant catalogs/websites for new introductions–something new to try in my garden. In the past, I think I was constrained by a narrow definition of herbs but the more I learn, the more my definition has expanded. Many plants could be considered herbs, including greens. 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 expand your herb gardening experience.

Finally, not all companies list new introductions. They may have them but they do not highlight or tag them, so it is difficult to ascertain. If you want to keep exploring new introductions, here is a link to more than 100 seed companies. Many will send you free catalogs!

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds always has tantalizing introductions — many of which are from other countries, so you always learn something new. Note that plants are listed in alphabetical order in the catalog — not categorized by flower, vegetable, or herb. I think they recognize the overlap or blurred distinctions between many ornamental and medicinal and/or culinary useful plants. For example, new this year is ‘Beetroot Amaranth’, an ornamental edible plant from India. The red foliage can add color to the ornamental garden and can be cooked as a green, like spinach. There also is a new white version called ‘White Beauty’ with ice white stems and green foliage.

Purple Perfume hot pepper, photo courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co./rareseeds.com

Another example is butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea) and this year Baker Creek is introducing ‘Thai Double Sky Blue’. This vine blooms stunning double-flowering pale blue flowers which can be used to color beverages, cocktails, and food such as rice.

Baker Creek has several new hot peppers which are too spicy for me, but I would grow ‘Purple Perfume’ (Cheiro Roxa) as an ornamental for its translucent purple fruit. A staple in Brazilian cooking, these plants produce many very small colorful peppers which Baker Creek says are “pretty enough for the flowerbed.”

And if you are strictly looking for herbs, try their new papalo seeds. They have two types: butterfly leaf and narrow leaf form. I have seen the broad leaf form in my area (Porophyllum ruderale var.  macrocephalum) so it is not really “new” but I have not seen the narrow leaf form. Papalo foliage commonly is used in Mexican cuisine. The flavor is supposed to be similar to cilantro but with a more pronounced flavor. However, papalo thrives in the summer while cilantro will flower and set seed when the summer begins. The narrow leaf form (Porophyllum ruderale) reminds me of willow leaves. It is a lesser-known variety of papalo, and again used like cilantro, but prefers warm weather. This plant also is known as quilquina.

If you have not heard of Experimental Farm Network, you need to check it out. EFN is the quiet studious bookworm to party girl Baker Creek, chock full of interesting plants from other countries as well as seed saving, plant breeding, and preserving genetic diversity efforts and collaborations. There are quite a lot of new items so I am going to bullet list them here because the EFN website provides chapters of descriptions for each:

  • ‘Big Hip Apple Rose’ (Rosa villosa): They are offering seed to grow this rose, which produces very large red hips (hips are the fruit used for culinary and medicinal purposes).
  • ‘Hun Ken’ (Allium ramosum): This is a fragrant flowering garlic from China, cold hardy to zone 5.
  • ‘Iraqi Rashad’ garden cress (Lepidium sativum): Cress is a hot and spicy green, which can use as a microgreen, garnish, salad green or on soups and sandwiches. It prefers cool weather, grow like cilantro.
  • ‘Kyrgyzstani Kalmyk’ dill (Anethum graveolens): This is a flavorful heirloom dill bred for its foliage from Kalmyk (Dzungar) in Bishkek, capitol of Kyrgyzstan.
  • ‘Monhegan Post Office’ sweet cicely (Myrrhis odorata): Sweet cicely is a perennial in the carrot family known for edible leaves, seed, and roots. This one is named after an old post office on Monhegan Island, Maine (how cute is that?).
  • ‘Nga Khaw Buk’ sesame seeds (Sesamum indicum): Yes, Virginia, you too can grow sesame. This is an annual plant from Thailand.
  • ‘Togolese’ hoary basil (Ocimum americanum): Despite the botanical name this basil hails from west Africa and has a strong fruity fragrance. The word “hoary” means gray-white color but this plant has green, small, pointy leaves.
  • Clary sage, redwood strain (Salvia sclarea): This particular strain of seeds has large white lilac pink bracts surrounding light blue flowers. This is a biennial or short-lived perennial known for its medicinal properties and stunning flowers.
  • Sanshō Japanese peppercorn (Zanthoxylum piperitum): Native to Japan, this will grow to a small shrub and the leaves, flowers, and fruit are used for culinary and medicinal purposes. A primary ingredient in Chinese five spice powder, this peppercorn’s claim to fame is its ability to cause a spicy and numbing sensation when consumed.

Anil (indigo), photo courtesy of Owen Taylor, Truelove Seeds

If you are interested in herbs, you need to become familiar with True Love Seeds. In addition to their informative website, they have a podcast called Seeds and their People and they offer seeds/herbs/veggies from many countries. Check out their collections such as African diaspora, East Asian, Italian, Ark of Taste, and the Roughwood Seed Collection. They have a lot of new products, many of which would be hard to categorize as either herb or veggie so check out their website. Here are some of the new 2025 introductions:

  • Shambalileh Iranian Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum): Fenugreek is a medicinal and culinary herb, both foliage and seeds are used. This variety is from Iran.
  • Reyhan Sabz Basil (Ocimum basilicum): Also from Iran, this green basil is supposed to be milder than other basils.
  • Shevid (Persian dill) (Anethum graveolens): This Persian dill is known as Shevid in Iran.
  • Persian purple basil (Ocimum basilicum): Although not entirely purple, this basil makes a great ornamental plant. Can be used for cooking of course but think about using it for foliage color in a container.
  • Rashad Iraqi Cress (Lepidium sativum): A cress from Iraq, a spicy green.
  • Añil (Indigo) (Indigofera suffruticosa): Indigo is grown for its use as a plant dye.
  • Besobela (Ocimum): A type of holy basil from Ethiopia that is very floriferous so consider growing it for pollinators.
  • Scent leaf (Ocimum gratissimum): A type of basil from Nigeria and Ghana used for various dishes.

Johnny’s Selected Seeds and High Mowing Seeds are go to sources for downy mildew resistant basils.  Both are introducing ‘Thai Thai Prospera ® Active DMR’, an organic seed; while High Mowing Seeds also is introducing ‘Noga Prospera ® Active DMR’, organic pelleted seed. Johnny’s is introducing Everleaf lemon basil that is supposed to be slower to bolt. High Mowing Seeds is introducing two green basils: Large Leaf and Saporoso. High Mowing Seeds has expanded their herb offerings to include Thalia and Ceres Dill, Beefsteak Plant Bi-color Shiso, Rosemary, and Za’atar.

Rashad cress, photo courtesy of Owen Taylor, Truelove Seeds

Adaptive Seeds is offering organic caraway (Carum carvi) seeds called ‘Sprinter’. Caraway is an annual, about 2 feet tall, similar looking to fennel and dill. The foliage and seeds are consumed. Although caraway is a biennial herb, Sprinter has been selected for annual production.

Another edible ornamental is organic celosia, Sokoyokoto or Lagos Spinach (Celosia argentea var. spicata). This leafy green is from Africa, similar to callaloo greens. It is a warm season annual with green foliage splashed with red. The flowers are ruby pink spikes, perfect for arrangements.

Organic Forest Green Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) is a curly parsley, but it does not have a tight curl. The flavor is less bold than flat leaf parsley and can be used to garnish or add flavor in cooking. Although people don’t associate parsley with an ornamental garden, it makes a lovely green accent.

Scent leaf, photo courtesy of Owen Taylor, Truelove Seeds

Known for their works of art seed packets, Hudson Valley Seeds is now offering organic Resina calendula (Calendula officinalis) which is the best strain for making herbal salves. Not really new but Hudson is making it available in one of their art packs, which makes it an elegant gift. They also are selling lemon mint bergamot, Monarda citriodora, for the first time in 2025 but this one is not available as an art pack. This annual is not “new” but nice to know that Hudson Valley Seed offers it so you can include it when you order their other seeds.

If you are interested in dying fabrics with natural dyes, try their 1-2-3 indigo dye kit using organic indigo. They provide indigo seeds; you supply the fabric of your choice. They sell the Japanese indigo seeds separately, which is one of the oldest plant textile dyes. This one is available as an art pack.

Park Seed has a Sow Effortless Seed Collection where you just sow, water, and grow plants from paper discs, mats, and tapes embedded with seeds. The theory is you just lay down the paper, water, and magic! The advantage is that the seeds are “pre-spaced” or spaced correctly but also if you have dexterity issues with small seeds, this could make life easier. They have these available in several herbs, flowers, and veggies.

Park is introducing the new Bonsai Basil from the Kitchen Minis ™ Collection. These are Greek basil seeds (Ocimum basilicum) which produce a fine leaved, compact plant about 6 to 12 inches tall — perfect for containers.

Another Park introduction is purple ball basil which has very dark red purple foliage. A great container plant, purple ball basil grows to be a 10-to-12-inch ball shape that can either be used as an ornamental or harvested for use in the kitchen.

Coarse besobela, photo courtesy of Owen Taylor, Truelove Seeds

Territorial Seed has a wide variety of herbs, flowers, veggies, berries, and fruits. The nice thing about this company is their extensive inventory, free catalog, and for many, they sell both plants and seed. If you cannot find a particular herb in your area or would rather have the plant than sow seed, they sell many herb plants. New to their inventory is the ashwagandha plant (Withania somnifera) which is a medicinal herb used to alleviate stress and anxiety. They also are offering yerba buena (Satureja douglasii), a plant harvested for tea. Like Park Seed, Territorial Seed is offering the new Bonsai Basil but their sizes include a smaller package of fewer seed, for those who do not need a large quantity.

These are just a few selections for you to increase your herbal gardening palette. Good luck and happy gardening!

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Color Your Cocktail with Butterfly Pea

Posted on December 22, 2024 | 1 comment

Often seen in cocktails on social media, butterfly pea plants (Clitoria ternatea) are vines that bloom beautiful pea-like flowers, about 2 inches wide. Typically, flowers are cobalt blue with a yellow inner strip. A member of the legume family (Fabaceae), the green leaves are similar to Kentucky coffee trees.

The flowers are also available in white,  lavender, and a pale light blue, single or double flower, but the cobalt blue is well-known in Asian countries. The flowers are dried and sold in bags, or in powdered form, or as an extract. A tea is made with the flowers, which can be brewed alone or with other herbs such as lemongrass, ginger, and mint.

When brewed with boiling water the tea is blue and can be drunk like an herbal tea. However, when an acid is added, such as lemon juice, the tea turns purple. When an alkaline liquid such as roselle tea is added, the tea turns red. Butterfly pea tea acts like a litmus strip, the color of the drink changes with the pH of what it is mixed with. This does not affect the taste but has transformed butterfly tea into a novelty cocktail drink. You will find lots of cocktail drinks made with the flowers on the internet. The blue flowers also are used to dye food such as custards, puddings, rice dishes, and sticky rice.

Butterfly pea is native to Africa. Here in Virginia it is grown as an annual which grows rapidly in the summer up a trellis or obelisk. As a member of the pea family, the plant fixates nitrogen, which is good for the soil. The vine can take full sun to light shade and is drought tolerant.

I have not seen the plant sold at local garden centers but you can order seeds online. It is relatively easy to grow from seed and once you have a mature plant, you can let some flowers go to seed to save the seed pods. Save the pods and split open when dried to reveal the seeds. Save the seeds to grow next year.

Here are a few online seed companies: Eden Brothers, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds,  Park Seed, Strictly Medicinal Seeds, and Hudson Valley Seed Company. Include the butterfly pea with your 2025 seed order and try growing magical flowers!

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Grow Your Own Thanksgiving Herbs

Posted on November 17, 2024 | 3 comments

As I prepare for Thanksgiving this year, I can’t help but think of the Simon and Garfunkel song “Scarborough Fair.” I grow parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme in my zone 7, Virginia garden. The day before Thanksgiving, I can walk outside and harvest these herbs for my holiday meal. These are very easy to grow here and blend well into the typical suburban landscape. All of these with the exception of parsley are perennial shrubs that will remain in the garden year round.

Parsley

The curly type is best used as a garnish and the flat leaf type has better flavor, thus is used in cooking. I grow the flat leaf, also called Italian parsley. We use it in stuffing but I also like the contrast of green against white, mashed potatoes. Parsley also is great for turkey leftover dishes such as turkey soup.parsley

Here in Virginia, parsley can stay green above ground all winter long, especially if it is a mild winter (I took this photo in January). I always use fresh parsley as it does not dry well. Parsley is a biennial plant, which means it has a 2-year life cycle. The first year you will see foliage. The second year it will come back and although you will still see foliage, you will also see flowers and seedheads.  You can purchase parsley plants from the local nursery in the spring or you can grow it from seed. It is more economical to have a parsley bed in the garden where you scatter seeds every year. Parsley likes organic matter, moisture, and morning sun or dappled sun. To harvest the leaves, cut outer, older leaves at the base with scissors (don’t pull), leaving the core or inner, younger leaves.

Sage

Sage leaves can be used fresh or dried. I use it dry in the stuffing and biscuits and I use the fresh leaves as a garnish. Place a ring of green sage leaves on a pumpkin pie, after you have taken it out of the oven. Or create butter pats by piping soft butter (in a bag) on to clean, dry leaves on a tray. Put the tray in the fridge to harden the butter and then put the butter pats on baked potatoes.

 

Sage is a small drought resistant shrub that remains above ground all year long in my garden. In the summer, it blooms small, purple flowers that attract beneficial pollinators. I use both the leaves as well as the flower spikes for flower arrangements. Leaves can be solid green, variegated with cream or yellow, gray, gray/green, blue/gray, purple, or tricolor (pink, green, and white leaves). No matter what the color, all the leaves are edible. You can pick leaves when you need them without altering the shape or you can take a branch from the back and strip and dry the leaves for the kitchen, including making tea. Sage plants prefer full sun and well-drained soil on the dryer side. For best flavor, grow Salvia officinalis. This is not a plant you would grow from seed, it is better to purchase a small plant in the spring and plant it in the garden.

Rosemary

Rosemary can be used fresh or dried, it dries well. I use dried rosemary in the stuffing and biscuits but I cut fresh branches for the turkey platter. I either put slices of turkey directly on the branches or place the branches on the side as a decoration. Recently I have seen a lot of holiday cocktails with small rosemary branches on Instagram — I am sure you will find more ideas on social media.

Rosemary grows well in my garden because my plants are in full sun in a well-drained, terraced site. The woody shrubs remain above ground in the winter and tend to bloom when you would least expect it. My shrubs have been covered in small purple/blue flowers in December but also in the spring when the azaleas are blooming. The flowers are edible and are great as a garnish.

There are many different types of rosemary; some more cold tolerant than others; some prostrate and some are upright. If you have had trouble growing rosemary in the past, try these cold-tolerant types: ‘Arp’, ‘Hill Hardy’, ‘Salem’, ‘Nancy Howard’, and ‘Dutch Mill’. Once established, rosemary is drought and deer resistant.

Thyme

Thyme also is used fresh or dried — it dries well. I use dried thyme in the stuffing, biscuits, potato dishes, and green beans. Because the leaves are small, I sprinkle a confetti of fresh leaves on appetizers, corn chowder, and tomato soup.thyme

Thyme can be grown as a groundcover, small shrub, edging, or topiary or used in a rock garden. It is a drought-tolerant, low-maintenance, full sun, woody shrub that prefers well-drained soil. In my garden, my English thyme serves as a groundcover to prevent erosion on a slope. It has spread to cover the soil, thus preventing any weeds. It remains above ground in the winter and blooms in the spring/summer, attracting bees. Again, this is not something you want to start from seed. Purchase a small plant in the spring and plant in your garden bed or take a cutting or division from your neighbor’s plant.

Growing herbs is very easy. To be able to harvest your own herbs for next Thanksgiving, consider buying these plants in the spring at your local nursery.

Are you going to Scarborough Fair?

Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;

Remember me to the one who lives there,

For once she was a true love of mine.

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Monarda: Natives, Herbs, Beautiful Flowers and Pollinator Magnets

Posted on August 16, 2024 | Leave a comment

Monarda punctata

I have been on a Monarda kick lately. To me they have many facets: medicinal and culinary herb, pretty color, unusual flower structure, native plant, pollinator friendly, hummingbird favorite, etc., etc., etc. There are 17 species and two of the species, M. didyma and M. fistulosa, have been bred to produce many cultivars for the market. Usually, Monarda prefers moist soil in full sun to partial shade. Most are perennials that spread by rhizomes and can be “assertive” if given optimal conditions. M. didyma is more thuggish than the others.

Monarda didyma

Of all the species, M. didyma is most favored by hummingbirds because of the red, tubular flowers that are arranged in a whorl within a singular inflorescence. This plant was used by Native Americans for culinary and medicinal qualities. In fact, its common name, bee balm, comes from the practice of rubbing the foliage on the skin to alleviate the pain of bee stings. The foliage also can be used to make tea, hence its other common name, Oswego tea. In the 18th century, John Bartram, Philadelphia’s famed botanist, collected the seed in Oswego, New York. The leaves can either flavor a black tea or used as a substitute for traditional English tea, hence its popularity after the Boston tea party. I like using the red flowers to add color to a fruit salad.

Monarda fistulosa

I also planted M. fistulosa and it has thrived and multiplied. The inflorescence is similar to M. didyma but the tubular flowers are purple. My stand is about 3 feet tall. When it bloomed in early summer it provided a nice mass of purple color. This was not a hummingbird magnet, but butterflies liked it and the bees swarmed around the flowers. When the petals eventually fell off, the seed heads remained all summer long to the point that it looked like a different shrub altogether. M. fistulosa is called wild bergamot because its fragrance is similar to true bergamot (Citrus aurantium var. bergamia). Again, the leaves can be used to make tea or flavor a black tea plus the flowers are edible.

I purchased M. punctata (dotted bee balm) for its unique flower structure. The flower heads, which are more of a bleached green color, are stacked on top of each other, reminding me of the Dr. Seuss children’s books. This species is supposed to be resistant to powdery mildew. Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that creates a white/gray powdery coating on the foliage in summer and early fall. This does not kill the plants but makes them unsightly and of course it makes it impossible to harvest the leaves for tea.

Monarda bradburiana seedheads (in August)

Last year, I bought M. bradburiana (eastern bee balm) at a plant sale, simply because it was a monarda I had not heard of before. This year it bloomed small flowers and the entire plant remained compact, less than 2 feet tall. The seed heads have stayed on all summer long. It has tolerated this hot summer very well with no signs of powdery mildew.

Early in the spring this year, I purchased two small plants of Monarda austroappalachiana. These are Tennessee natives and are supposed to be white flowered, resistant to powdery mildew, and less than 2 feet tall. The plants have survived but not thrived during this very hot summer so it may be a year or two before I can enjoy their full glory.

Next year I will grow Monarda citriodora (lemon bergamot), which, unlike the others in this article, is an annual. It has stacked purple flower heads and is supposed to be resistant to powdery mildew. I have read that the scent is not really lemon but more like camphor. The leaves can be used for tea and the flowers can be used for dried floral arrangements.

Of course, there are many cultivars of M. didyma at the nurseries, including compact types.  As fall approaches, you may find monarda plants on sale as many garden centers need to move their inventory of perennials. Add these to your garden for their multiple uses!

Monarda citriodora

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