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About Hardy Shrub Roses
About Heathers
About Flowering Crabs
wildlife habitat
Annuals Biennials Perennials
Culinary Herbs
The Healing Herbs
The Fragrant Herbs
Shakespearean and Bible Herbs
Do you Really Need A Tiller
Insect Attack
Flowers for Cutting
Pruning Pointers
Houseplants Clean the Air
Recipes Fresh from the Garden
The Gold Plated Gardener
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| The Fragrant Herbs |
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| What might I plant in my herb garden? A common question--with so many possible answers that no single article could treat them all. Much depends on the grower’s personal preferences. In addition to the culinary collection that most gardenersbegin with, a popular theme is the fragrance garden. “Fragrance” is broad in scope, since so many herbs are. What you personally choose to cultivate for purely sensual impact in the actual garden may be expanded to include plants for potpourri, sachets or dream pillows as well. At the top of the fragrance list--because they have so many uses--are the lemon-scented herbs: lemon balm, lemon thyme, lemon verbena, lemon grass, lemon basil. All have culinary uses, and most make a wonderful tea or complement to chicken and fish. The first two are hard-as-nails perennials. Lemon verbena must be wintered indoors; it will drop its leaves because it’s deciduous, but don’t despair--keep it lightly moist and it will soon leaf out again. Lemon grass is a Southeast Asian herb and must be brought inside before the first killing frost or replaced the following season. Lemon basil, like all basils, is a tender annual with a strong lemon scent and flavor. It’s hard to find a more assertive scent than anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum). Even the tiniest seedlings, when rubbed or brushed against, give off a whopping licorice aroma. What’s more, since this plant grows to 3’ x 3’ and is topped by long-lasting purple spikes in August, it qualifies as an ornamental as well. Not only is it perennial, but if allowed to go to seed, will shed dozens of seedlings next spring. Beware! Any of the southernwoods are strongly fragrant, but sniff before you plant. Tangerine southernwood (Artemesia abrotanum var.) has a lovely scent; camphor southernwood is more astringent and better suited to repel moths than to go into the potpourri bowl. Mints are fragrant but, as I’ve said repeatedly, are a threat to the well-ordered herb garden. An underappreciated herb with a delicious scent is costmary (Tanacetum balsamita)--its other common name, “Bible leaf,” derives from the Puritans’ habit of marking their place in their prayer book with one of its large leaves. One sniff would arrest any tendency to doze off during a tedious sermon. If your garden includes paths of brick or stepping stones, some of the miniature thymes (Minus thyme) or mints (Corsican mint) can be tucked between the pavers. As long as you aren’t entertaining a class of 7th graders, they will survive occasional feet brushing over them and will release a wonderful scent as you pass. Let’s take a brief look at fragrant annuals. Since an herb is defined as “any of the useful plants”, surely some of these additions make “scents” in the herb garden. I like the old-fashioned flowering tobacco (Nicotiana alata) for the lovely perfume it gives off in the evening. With its tall (3-4’) habit and towering white flower spikes, it might need staking in breezy locations, but the reward is well worth the effort. Another annual worth including is Heliotrope ‘Heavenly Fragrance’. It adapts well to a basket where, hung at nose level, it can be enjoyed every time you pass by. It calls for frequent watering, but the payback is that it can easily be wintered indoors and enjoyed for a second season next summer. And let’s not forget the scented geraniums. They come in such an array of fragrances that it’s a sensual quandary trying to choose just two or three. If you wish to prolong the sweet smell of roses, try growing some of the rose-scented geraniums: Attar of Roses, Gray Lady Rose, Snowflake Rose. Wonderful in potpourri! If you have the space, they can be potted up and brought in for the winter before the first killing frost. You may wish to cut them back, as most will reach awesome proportions in a single growing season. No fragrance garden list would be complete without the lavenders. ‘Munstead’ is the showiest, “Hidcote’ more aromatic, but ‘Lady’ tops them all for pure overwhelming lavender fragrance--even the foliage is highly scented. Lavenders are generally rated as hardy only to Zone 5, but I grow them successfully without winter protection in my Zone 4 garden. Note that they prefer sweet soil; an application of lime will help them along. Doubtless I’ve missed a few; Mugwort (Artemesia vulgaris), though not particularly aromatic, comes to mind as an essential ingredient of dream pillows. I would enjoy hearing from readers who have other fragrances to add to the list. Does it have to be a herb to be included in the fragrance garden? Of course not! Remember: the only rule in gardening is “please yourself”! |
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