Tom Wajda
Adams County Master Gardener
Herbs come in all
shapes, sizes, and colors so it is not
surprising that they are increasingly
popular as landscape plants. For
example, lavender (the 1999 Herb of the
Year) can be used as a foundation plant
or to create a hedge and will still
provide you with delightfully flavored
flowers and leaves. Different varieties
of thyme can be planted as part of a
rock garden, as low border, or between
bricks or flagstones in a walkway.
Another strong point for herbs is that
their strong flavors mean that deer are
not interested in most of them.
Foliage is one of the
most interesting aspects of herbs for
landscaping. Several members of the
artemesia family are particularly
striking with their silver or gray
leaves. Wormwood (Artemesia absintha)
is a hardy perennial that grows 3-4 feet
high. Although it dies back in the
winter, it nonetheless is a showy summer
anchor against a wall. Silver brocade (A.
stellariana) has a bright silver
leaf. It is very low growing and can be
used at the front of a bed or in a rock
garden. Powis Castle artemesia and the
various southernwoods provide lovely
mounded or vertical shapes. Horehound,
silver mint, sage, and silver thyme (all
perennials) provide a variety heights
and shapes with silver foliage.
Purple or reddish
herbs include opal basil, purple sage,
bronze fennel, and lyre leaf sage. Opal
basil is particularly attractive when
planted in a bed. A bed of 5-15 opal
basils is both striking to look at and a
great source of flavor for the dining
room table. Different types of basils
can be alternated along a sidewalk to
provide a colorful and tasty approach to
your door.
Flowering Herbs
Two of the most
interesting flowering herbs are bee balm
(also called monarda and bergamot) and
purple coneflower. Bee balm, a hardy
perennial, comes in eight or ten
varieties ranging from dark red (a
favorite of hummingbirds) to white.
Avoid the Cambridge Scarlet variety
which is prone to powdery mildew.
Instead, for a dark red color choose
Garden View Scarlet. Bee balm leaves
make a superb tea. (An interesting
historical footnote is that this
"Oswego tea" was a staple in
Colonial American kitchens especially
after the Boston Tea Party.)
Purple coneflower
(the echinacea of many herbal
remedies) is a superb long-blooming
perennial that can be a great addition
to any garden. It is great favorite of
monarch butterflies and should be in
every butterfly garden. Other herbs with
interesting flowers or textures include
chives, sage, scented geraniums, anise
hyssop, yarrow, and oregano.
Herbs for Shady Areas
While most herbs
prefer a sunny location, many will do
well in part sun or shade. Sweet
woodruff -- used in potpourris and to
flavor May wine -- is an excellent shady
area ground cover that cares little
about soil conditions. (We have a nice
patch growing under two maples on the
north side of a building where the
ground is too full of roots and rocks to
mow). Angelica and lovage, two five-foot
tall culinary herbs, both do well in
shade as does lady’s mantle, the blue
flowering borage, and mint. Sweet Cicely
and lemon balm are two more excellent
plants for shady areas. (With its strong
lemon flavor, lemon balm is considered
the best herbal mosquito repellent.)
Brick or flagstone
patios and sidewalks are ideal places to
plant low growing creeping thymes
including elfin thyme, thyme minus, and
woolly mother-of thyme. (Birds love to
use all of these, especially the woolly
mother-of-thyme, to line their nests.)
Roman chamomile is another herb for
these areas. When walked on, these herbs
all give off a delightful fragrance and
may help in warding off mosquitoes. They
are short enough and hardy enough to be
mowed regularly.
Container Gardening
with Herbs
Large and small herb
planters are attractive additions to
your porch, deck, or patio. Creeping
rosemary and creeping lemon thyme can be
used in hanging baskets and will provide
a handy source of two great culinary
herbs. Bay, lemon verbena, and upright
rosemary grow well in larger pots. They
all like the sun but will also do well
in partially shaded areas. Combinations
of thyme, rosemary, basil, parsley, and
many other herbs do well in window boxes
or other containers. Remember to water
them every day or two and to fertilize
them twice a month. Keep in mind that
herbs do not like "wet feet"
and should not be allowed to stand in
water.
Read other articles on growing herbs or vegetables
Read other gardening Articles by Tom Wajda