Sanhedrin Nursery – Garden Blog

• Fragrant star jasmine is in full bloom right now. Plant one in a semi-shaded spot where you can enjoy its lovely perfume.

• Shear hedges now to promote lush, dense growth.

• Check young trees and fruit trees for suckers and water sprouts. Rub suckers off as they appear and cut water sprouts off apple and pear trees.

• Pepper plants should be fertilized when the first blossoms open.

• Fertilize fuchsias weekly and keep faded fuchsia blooms pinched off for continuous color all summer.

Herbs in the Landscape

Although many people think that herbs belong on the windowsill or in the vegetable garden, herbs also make fine landscaping plants. Many attractive shrubs and ground covers are herbal plants that can add beauty to the landscape while providing foliage and flowers for herbal uses.

Herbs are generally easy to grow and require less watering and attention than most other plants. Their aromatic oils make them relatively immune to insect attack, and for this same reason, deer usually leave them alone. Their fragrance in the garden is another reason to make use of them.

Some low-growing herbs make good lawn substitutes in small areas and around stepping stones. Chamomile and woolly thyme are very good in sunny areas. They can be mowed occasionally if they get taller than you want. Corsican mint, which forms a moss-like mat, in sun or partial shade emits a very strong, pleasant odor of mint when lightly brushed. It is the mint used to flavor liqueurs.

Creeping thyme, lemon thyme and silver thyme are very drought tolerant and make a mounding mat for full sun. Prostrate rosemary grows about 18 inches tall and is excellent for planting on hillsides and for draping over walls. All types of rosemary can be used for culinary purposes and are very deer resistant.

Lavenders, upright rosemary and sage are all lovely shrubs for dry sunny areas. There are many types of lavenders to choose from that grow between 18 inches and 4 feet tall. Lavender can be used as a foundation plant or to create a hedge and will still provide you with delightfully flavored flowers and leaves.

Upright rosemary can grow to 4 to 6 feet tall and makes a nice clipped hedge. Culinary sage has gray-green leaves. There are also varieties with variegated yellow and green leaves, or silver and purple leaves. They make a small mound, about 2 feet tall.

Santolina, or lavender cotton, is a gray, mounding plant that is useful for borders. Catmint has soft, gray-green foliage and lavender-blue flowers that make a showy display.

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. Artemesia ‘Powis Castle’ has finely cut, silver-gray foliage that is fragrant and it makes a fine background plant at 3 feet tall. Germander makes a low mound with small rosy-purple flowers in dense heads.

One of the largest herb plants is the Mediterranean bay laurel, Laurus nobilis. It is an evergreen shrub growing 12 feet tall in a dense, tapering cone. This shrub has the bay leaves used in cooking, and it makes a good screening plant.

Two of the most interesting flowering herbs are bee balm (also called Monarda and bergamot) and purple coneflower. Bee balm leaves make a fine tea, and purple coneflower, the familiar Echinacea of many herbal remedies, is a long-blooming perennial that can be a great addition to any garden. It is favorite of monarch butterflies and should be in every butterfly garden.

While most herbs prefer a sunny location, many will do well in part sun or shade. Sweet woodruff — used in potpourris and as a moth deterrent — is an excellent shady area ground cover that cares little about soil conditions.

Whether you want a formal herb garden or a hillside of fragrant herbs, you’ll find herbs to be useful and attractive plants for landscaping.

• Feed camellias, azaleas and rhododendrons with an acid plant food now. Remove dead flowers and mulch to keep the soil cool.

• Check roses for black spots on the leaves and treat immediately to prevent defoliation.

• When fuchsia blooms fade remove the whole flower stem to prevent it from developing seed pods which reduces continued blooming.

• Fertilize container plants every 10 to 14 days with a liquid fertilizer. Pinch off faded blossoms and they will keep blooming all summer for you.

• Red, white and blue petunias, verbena or combinations of these with lobelia, geraniums, impatiens and salvia will make a nice display for the Fourth of July.

Delicious and Healthy Herbs

Plants valued for their fragrance, flavor or medicinal and healthful qualities are often referred to generally as herbs. They cover a wide range of trees, shrubs, perennials, vines and ferns. From wild plants to garden favorites, there is a wide, wide world of herbs to choose from.

Culinary herbs are the most popular with local gardeners. They are used in all different kinds of cooking from all over the world. “Herbs” usually refers to the aromatic leafy parts. Basil is a popular, tender, annual herb. It is native to India and Asia, and is grown for its aromatic leaves which are used fresh or dried as a flavoring. Many different basils offer a wide variety of flavors including lemon basil, Thai basil and Greek basil.

Other popular culinary herbs are chives, dill, French tarragon, marjoram, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, savory and thyme. There are many different mints which, like basils, have various interesting names and flavors. Peppermint, spearmint and lemon balm are well known, but chocolate mint, apple mint, lavender mint and Corsican mint offer many different taste experiences.

Stevia is grown for its sweet leaves and used as a sweetener and sugar substitute. Lemongrass is native to India and tropical Asia and is used for its citrusy flavor in Asian cuisine.

Fragrant herbs are herbs used in bath oils, perfume and aromatherapy. Bergamot, catmint, chamomile, thyme, lavender, lemon balm, mints and sage can be used in herb sachets, to make lavender wands and for fragrant herb pillows. Fragrant rose petals can be used to make a delightful potpourri.

Herbs have been used as medicines for centuries. From the medieval French apothecaries to Chinese herbalists, plants have been used to cure illnesses and stimulate health since ancient times. Herbal remedies are made from thousands of different herbs. Some of the more common ones are chamomile, echinacea, calendula, St. John’s wort, feverfew and valerian.

Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils in massage, inhalations, baths, natural room fragrances and perfumes to maintain and improve health and vitality. Some of the more common herbs used for aromatherapy oils are basil, bergamot, chamomile, gardenia, lavender, marjoram, peppermint, rosemary and sage.

Herbs can also be very ornamental. They add various leaf colors, textures, fragrances, and flowers to the garden, making them attractive as well as useful. You can grow them in individual pots, grouped together to catch the sun, or in a special part of the garden.

A small bed of culinary herbs within easy reach of the kitchen is a popular choice. A “tea” garden could include fragrant lemon balm, chamomile, peppermint and your favorite open-faced rose for rose hips. Scented herbs are always nice near entrances and walkways where you can enjoy their lovely fragrances.

Make your garden a little more appealing with herbs for color and fragrance in the garden.