This is my last post for tonite! Until this year Ive been digging up the basil and bringing it in over winter, but this year I brought so much other stuff in, that I donÂt really have room, so I let it freeze. IÂll decide later if I want to start more before spring. I donÂt use all that many herbs, so it doesnÂt make that much difference for me. In lieu of basil, this year I have a couple sweet potato vines I potted to bring in (in addition to a bunch of cuttings), a small piece of purple fountain grass (since itÂs SO expensive to replace every spring), a Crystal Palace lobelia that was just too pretty to leave outside, a geranium in a big pot since geraniums are usually so problem freeÂespecially compared to the white fly on basilÂthat it seemed like a good idea, a pineapple mint from the swap that I thot would be fun to sniff over winter, a datura from the swap that wonÂt make it outside, and all the houseplants I put out on the deck over summer that are always mysteriously MUCH bigger when itÂs time to bring them back in, including a cactus thatÂs almost 5' tall by nowÂin addition to the houseplants I keep inside year aroundÂand most of my windows face north! IÂm not really sure what IÂm gonna do with half this stuff, most of which is sitting around on the floor with very little lite right now! So no basil for the time being at least.

The parsley you have outside will probably be useable most of the winter. Since parsley is a biennial, it will bloom next year and then die, so I recommend starting a new one each spring, and using the old one as long as you can, and by then the new one should be growing up. It is possible to keep it from blooming by constantly cutting the buds off and by feeding it really heavily, but IÂve decided itÂs not worth the effort considering how easy parsley is to start.

I think oregano will "go away" completely over winter. If I remember right, itÂs deciduous. If you pot up a little bit of it, it should do ok in a sunny window over winter and carry you over till yours gets going outside again.

Thyme, again, if I remember right, should be evergreen, but with those tiny leaves, IÂm not sure if youÂll have very good quality in winter. It might be worth potting up a little piece if you have enough room in sunny windowsÂand all herbs will need as much direct sun as you can give them during the short days of winter. DonÂt feed them or theyÂll get really leggy with limited liteÂor at least donÂt feed them too often or too much.

I recommend you start a small pot of chives inside over winter (if you have the sunny space). That would give them a headstart, and you could put them in the ground in spring. Maybe try some garlic chives too!

YouÂre right, rosemary isnÂt hardy, so you did the right thing bringing it in. Be really careful about watering it. Leave it dry out almost all the way before watering well again. Especially with limited winter lite, it can rot quite easily.

The golden sage IÂm trying to root in water still isnÂt showing any signs of rooting, but if it does, a couple are earmarked for you at the Spring Swap (but donÂt expect door to door delivery this time!) You might try to start some of the common garden sage inside over winter too, to give it a head start for next spring. Be careful about overwatering that too if you start some.

With the plants you brought in from outside, be sure to watch them very closely for things like aphids and whitefly. If possible, I recommend filling a large bowl or potÂor the sinkÂwith soapy water (dishwashing liquid), and dipping the entire top of the plants into it and sloshing them around as much as possible. If you put the pot in a plastic bag or something and seal it, you should be able to hold the soil in fairly well. Several years ago when I brought a parsley in, there were aphids down in the tiniest little nooks and crevasses, and it was almost impossible to get rid of them. I finally cut it almost the whole way down to the crown and just kept spraying it over and over with soapy water as it started to grow back out.

If you start new basil now, keep it in a lot of sun, and keep it cut back pretty much all the time so it never gets leggy beyond salvation, you shouldnÂt need to start more laterÂit should last all winter. With basil, I recommend trying some of the different types: purple, genovese, cinnamon, and any of a couple dozen different ones. If you like to use basil, I think youÂll have fun experimenting with different ones.

On the other handÂyou could just get a Chia Herb Garden and be done with it! LOL

Goodnite,
Skybird

Boy Bonnie, I wish I had your deep windowsill. In fact, I'm challenged all around the house with places to over winter plants. While my house is nice and bright, it's hard to find a window to put anything by, as we have electric baseboard heat, and most of the units are underneath the windows.

But I did make cuttings of basil, oregano and chocolate mint. Hopefully Steve kept them watered this week while I was away! I also brought in a small rosemary that I bought this summer. It's on the kitchen counter. Can you cut this back to keep it in shape, and of a smallish size?

I had a large rosemary that was about 3 years old that I brought from Seattle last fall. I took it out of the pot and along with a lavendar I had put it in the ground around the 1st of November. I planted them in a little garden next to the front door that's very sheltered - south and west facing walls coming together at the front door. Plus the driveway is right there - so I think of it as a big solar collector. The lavendar died, but one branch of the rosemary survived to grow this year. It will be interesting to see if it will prevail again!

I have chives, sage, parsley and oregano out in the vegetable garden. I'm not sure if the chives are still there - they were eaten by the zucchini. But I have hopes they will. This is a plant that I also dug up in Seattle, stuck in a cold, north garden when we arrived and then transplanted when the vegetable garden was done in April.

Dee, I know what you mean about bringing houseplants indoors. At the beginning of the summer I transplanted my 3 year old aloe into a larger part, and wow! We were barely able to get it though the door 2 weeks ago. I'm not sure what I will do next year. Maybe just leave it in the house permanently?

If you want to spend some times with herb info, check out Richters (linked below). They share a huge amount of herb knowledge in their InfoCentre, Q & A, Magazine Rack, etc. Of course, much of it is on their own products but since they offer practically every herb . . .

Greek oregano is probably what Dad and I have. I started it from seed years ago. His does a little better and has a little more sunshine but both make it thru zone 5 Winters. I even had quite healthy oregano plants in my zone 4 garden a long time ago. Covered them with hay during the cold weather. And no, there's not much in the way of leaves on them or the thyme during the Winter.

Chives seem to be one of the few herbs that do well in the shade. In fact, that's one of the problems with my oregano - the chives are crowding it. That and the fact that there's just too much shade in that location.

The rosemary (Rex) plants are all in the unheated greenhouse for the Winter. They will be put down on the floor and covered with a heavy quilt when outdoor temperatures fall into the midteens. (I used to put it in the basement near a West window but that doesn't work quite as well.) When I turn the heat on in March, it will really start growing but we can harvest the tips from here on out.

digitS'

Thanks for starting this thread Bonnie. I love herbs! Wish I had your deep sill too! My kitchen window sill is fairly wide but not deep at all.

I just bought some pretty little ceramic pots that were on sale and put them in the kitchen window with basil, cilantro, and oregano (right next to my son's two carnivorous plants: venus fly trap & sundew plant--that he bought with his own money :)

My Greek Oregano and Golden Oregano both made it through last winter outside in the garden and produced all summer.

Did someone say sage was a perennial or not? What about mint and lemon balm?

I am going to go out tomorrow and pick or pot up and bring inside the rest of everything else that won't survive the winter. Except the parsley which is pretty protected as I direct seeded the parsley under the green bean teepee. I'll try and extend the parsley and kale as long as possible as I use them for my green juice/smoothies.

I'm thinking of giving some of my dried herbs as gifts in small pretty jars using parsley, sage, rosemary & thyme and making labels calling it "Simon & Garfunkel Spice Rub." Tacky?

Next year I'm growing way more basil and different varieties for pesto and drying.

What do people DO that don't garden? Gardening has been such a blessing in my life :)

Charlene

"Did someone say sage was a perennial or not? What about mint and lemon balm?"

Yes, yes and yes.
And so is thyme.

And so is the variety of Rosemary I have. I don't know the name of it because it was a pass-along plant. It came from someone who swore it was winter hardy and she's right.

Thanks Cnetter--I would love to have winter hardy rosemary! I'm going to do a google search right now!

I can make cuttings next year, just like my friend Linda did for me. She's had it five years.

Or, I could take some cuttings tomorrow, root them, and have them inside. That sounds like a plan.

One that I will add to this discussion is French Tarragon. It winters beautifully in out zone 5 and I just love the flavor in salads. My sage (not sure the type) out grows its space and gets divided at least every other year. The lemon balm seems to be staying it its place better than I expected. The part shade location with lawn on one side and sweet woodruff on the other really helps keep it in check. I am afraid in full sun it would go nuts.

Hang on to your chocolate mint Aliceg8. I had some once and it made the best Mint Juleps, but it didnt over winter once (I too thought it was impossible to kill mint) and I had to replace it with regular mint. Still good, but never the same.

I grow cilantro all winter long, and it will do fine on the south side of the house, right up against the foundation, but ya gotta remember to water it.

A comment on French Tarragon - if it tastes good with hot pepper, it tastes good with Tarragon, and will taste even better with hot pepper and tarragon.

I hadn't realized that French tarragon is hardy in Z5 until I read about that this Autumn. It's in pots and in with the rosemary and lemon verbena in the greenhouse.

The lemon balm is in a fairly sunny spot in the yard and the lawn mower is required to keep it out of the lawn. I put more lemon balm in the veggie garden this year. Since it needs to be dug up and moved out of the way of the rototiller in the Spring-time, maybe it will stay under control. I got to say that I'm not really fond of it. The taste is too much like the smell of Lemon Pledge, IMO.

This moving out of the way of the tiller will also be true for the tea herbs (bee balm, Korean mint, sweet fennel). Don't know how this is going to work, moving them every year. I hope it wasn't a mistake but I'm a person with low tolerance for perennials because of the encroachment of weeds like quack grass & bindweed.

The chocolate mint from last year was planted against a board fence. It gets sun until noon and is protected by the fence from wind & cold - survived the Winter '06/'07 fine.

Has anyone grown sweet marjoram?

digitS'

Oh, and the nicest cilantro in my garden comes from self-sown plants that survive the Winter. Planting it in early Spring works but the 2nd-year plants are always much more robust and productive.

d'S'

Chocolate Mint has been growing contained in a whiskey barrel since sometime in the eighties. It also freezes solid in ice in the ponds. I really didn't think you could kill it.

Anyone else finding French tarragon somewhat invasive?

French tarragon invasive? Mine is now 7 or so years old, and remains the same clump I planted, the root crown maybe 15" across. Now the branches do tend to flop, and if I get around to it, I'll get some started elsewhere. I really like to nibble on it early in the spring when, I think, its at its best. It also works, when the worst of the summer heat is over, to whack it back - there will be some new tender shoots coming up.

Steve, I grew French Tarragon in pots for several years, and it does much better in the ground.

I LOVE French Tarragon!!! It's probably one of my favorite herbs and I love to serve it because not many people seem to use it much. I like it on Chicken & Tuna salad as well as salads and grilled fish. Mine grows in a clump and does not seem to be invasive.

I like to add lemon balm to iced drinks. Iced tea w/Pledge ha! Steve, you know that now I'm going to forever think of pledge when I add to my drinks!

Cnetter- I would love to have a winter-dormant rosemary cutting! I wouldn't want you to go to the hassle of babying it all winter until the spring swap though. Maybe just do a cutting right before the swap?

Charlene

I'm hoping that my chocolate mint is Superman strong! I got back from a week of visiting family, and my sweetheart did his best to take care of the dogs and plants and house. But it kind of overwhelms him at some point and it's always a crapshoot as to what I'll find when I get back.

This time, I spoke to him midweek and reminded him to water the herbs on the kitchen windowsill. Well, it looks like he watered those in soil (as they are still damp), but the mint and oregano cuttings were bone dry. The leaves had shriveled up quite badly. I replenished the water, and am hoping that since there were already pretty good root systems going that they may pop back.

The other thing he neglected was any outdoor watering. A few things suffered, one of them the chocolate mint in a pot! So I can't get more cuttings as it looks like a goner too.

I've always grown my mint in a pot (partly to have the scent close at hand) and because I've read it can really get invasive. But it sounds from the mentions above, that I could be brave and put it in the ground.

I've had my french tarragon for quite a while. It might be older than the kids. But in the last few years it's really started to spread out from the base to about five feet and I found if I don't deadhead it, it'll reseed in neighboring plants.
While it was labeled french when I got it at a DBG sale, maybe it's russian instead. It looks and smells like french tarragon though.

If it forms seeds, it isn't French Tarragon, which is only propagated by cuttings. You may well have the Russian. It's kinda hard to find, or at least it was because the French didn't want everybody else growing it and prohibited the export for awhile, but that may have been an excuse to charge so much for a start.

I heard recently that one can propagate the sprigs in the herb packets from the grocery store by soaking them in a glass of water.

French Tarragon has a huge, heavy, almost solid root mass, and is light sensitive - it starts to die back about now, and there is no way to keep it going without artificial light. It starts shooting in the spring, maybe mid-March.

Now I feel even less guilty about obliterating this obnoxious invasive huge tarragon.

Sorry Charlene about the lemon balm notion. You know, taste is subjective and as the subject of the taste test, I like lemon verbena!

It has helped enormously to learn that I can keep these herbs on the floor of the greenhouse and just throw a blanket over them when the temperature goes down too low. The basement just does not get enuf light to keep 'em healthy for so many months. However, I have a friend who does no more than piles his rosemary (Arp) together in their big pots, puts a frame over the top of them and drapes plastic film over that.

I realize that Arp is supposedly more hardy than the other rosemaries (altho' I'm not believing that 100%) and is likely to be hardier than lemon verbena as well. Still, a well positioned little structure, protected and all that, could be very serviceable in the yard.

After all, that's exactly what my greenhouse amounts to until I turn the heat on in March - "a well positioned little structure, protected and all that . . ."

digitS'

Oh how I love lemon verbena. A little honey and hot water....to die for. Just never get it to over winter. Just like the stevia. So expensive to purchase for just one summer. I do try to bring them in but my gardening skills, or lack there of, really shows.

Sweet marjoram hugh Steve...the only way I use it is a concoction of my essential oils for cartilage repair. 9 drops lemongrass, 10 drops marjoram and 12 drops wintergreen. After we hung 68 sheets of drywall, I taped, textured and then faux painted it, I could not even comb my hair till I found this recipe. Six months latter I have 100% range of motion and feel good as new.

Tricolor sage survived last winter buried under a pile of leaves. I just had to cut it back in the spring and it started right up again.

Marjoram and Lemon Pledge (I mean balm) grew like crazy and did fine over the winter with their blanket of leaves and snow. I split the lemon balm because it was getting so huge and now both are the same foot or so high and about the same across.

The Greek oregano I have in a planter box with the sage and came back again.

Lemon thyme and winter savory both survived. Of course I'm lazy with the cleanup of leaves (there is no way to keep on top of it with the number of trees in the neighborhood) so I just let them all blow over the plants and then get buried with the snow.

Burnett I only planted this year so don't know yet whether it will survive. It's still bright green so that's a good sign. I have been cutting it and freezing the leaves packed in water in ice cube trays. I love that cucumber flavor in salads, yogurt sauces for middle eastern foods, and mixed with cream cheese for cucumber sandwiches.

Meadow Rue (not a culinary herb, but I think is a medicinal) I only grow for its fun blue-green color. It has a funky smell and supposedly cats don't like the smell (I know when my cat comes outside she avoids the side of the steps with the rue). It survived the winter and I cut it back to almost nothing in the spring. Now its a couple of feet tall and wide. It had cute little yellow flower clusters (looked like little square boxes). I might cut it before the snows and put it where the stray cats keep coming and digging in the yard to see if they will avoid those areas.

I have Korean mint, spearmint, peppermint and another one i can't remember (i think it's a golden mint) in pots in the yard and those come back every year.

All of four kinds of basil I planted did not survive this year at all, and the estevia did not survive my daughter. She kept picking off the leaves to chew on.

That's all I know about the herbs I grow. I can't bring anything inside because the cats will either eat the plant, dig up the plant or knock it over, so with me it's a "cover it up and see if it survives".

What to do with angelica (Angelica archangelica)?
I keep forgetting I have this herb because I use it as an ornamental. It's hardy here, but naturally dies off when it goes to seed it's second or third year, at which point babies pop up here and there.

I can find recipes for candying it, but that's about it.

We should mention a few herbs we don't like, maybe? I'm not sure if I really dislike any but lots of folks don't care for cilantro and I can't quite understand that. They claim it tastes like soap. I find it stimulates my appetite - in that I want to eat whatever it's on.

Basil, I love the fragrance but carefully avoid the sprigs DW puts in the spaghetti sauce out of fear that I'll actually eat one. Pesto is okay mixed almost to nonexistence in pasta.

Basil has a licorice smell, which I like, and certainly am a fan of licorice candies and root beer. Here I'm interested in all these licorice-flavored herbs for tea but thinking of putting basil in a tea almost . . . well, it doesn't even sound good to me.

And, I grow LOTS of basil and lots of basil varieties because the farmers' market customers love it! Enjoy harvesting it . . .

digitS'

Is that the Thai Basil that smells like licorice? It's really good in rice, stir fry, steamed veggies. I agree with the cilantro, have to have that since we make and can salsa all summer long. Unfortunately it doesn't stay canned long since we will eat salsa with almost anything. Egyptian rice with cilantro is a really good combination too.

My favorite part of gardening is the way the plants make your hands smell, especially herbs and the smell of tomato vines...ahhhh...Aromatherapy.

Tomato vines smell like Summer to me and have since I was a small child.

Yes, I grow Thai basil too - a truly beautiful plant. And, it is wonderful to have a few sprigs amongst the bean sprouts (& cilantro) in a bowl of noodle soup, Vietnamese style. I just have to get the basil out of the way before I actually eat the noodles.

Realized that I don't actually have lots of varieties but basil seems so exotic to me that having 4 or 5 seems like a lot. Have grown Ararat basil the last few years. It is more of an ornamental than a culinary plant - very pretty as a filler in a bouquet - smells nice too.

I should try an angelica. Have a feeling I'd really appreciate something with a name like that which could be enjoyed as an ornamental AND a candy.

I think I'm a little delirious what with all these thoughts of fragrances and flavors . . . Maybe I'll have a cup of chamomile tea and then toddle off to bed.

Steve's digits had to compose this since Steve's brain was elsewhere

Dafygardenut, I didn't know Marjoram was perennial. I pulled mine out, when the basil got killed off by frost, because I thought it was an annual too. Guess I'll leave it next time. I don't have any leaves to cover things with, and we don't have much snow cover over the winter either, so that may make a difference.

Okay, I have a confession to make ... I really don't have much of a green thumb when it comes to herbs. In addition to not being able to keep the sage or chives alive this year, I also killed a spearmint, a peppermint, and a lemon balm. All three plants started to turn brown beginning with the leaves at the top of a stem, and then it would work its way down, then another stem would start doing it, until there was nothing left. Maybe it was an unseen bug population, or some contagious wilt, but nothing I tried would stop it, and I'm not crazy about using chemicals on herbs anyway.

At least I have success with the ones most important for everyday cooking - basil, oregano, and parsley. The others I will try again in the spring, and I would love any suggestions you guys have on keeping them alive next time. What can you use for bug infestations on herbs?

Hey, I'm just thankful that I have a better track record with my perennials, LOL!

Bonnie

Bonnie, I had that problem with every basil I planted this year and the Estevia I tried, but I have no idea why, so I'll echo your query on that one.

The squirrels apparently sowed my parsley. The little pot with the seeds got dug into and knocked over last year so I didn't bother replanting it. Then this year I had a huge parsley plant grow in the spot the dirt landed in. Luckily it grew in my herb bed and not in the middle of the lawn. I'm glad to know it will come back next year.

I don't do anything to the herbs except give them a light drink water almost every day since the soil dries out so fast here. I sprinkle a generic 10-10-10 fertilizer when I start seeing new growth in the spring and when I remember again in late summer.

Garlic chives I ignored and they keep coming back every year. I planted it three years ago in a planter box when we lived in an apartment. The planter box got stuck in a corner of the backyard when we moved into our house and forgotten about because I couldn't think of what to put in it. Next thing I knew the chives were back.

Like I said before, I'm a lazy gardener. I can't keep track of which herbs are perennial and found out by leaving them alone to do their thing. If they die and don't come back I guess they weren't perennials. I'm trying to plan better and keep better track for next year.

At least I make up in enthusiasm what I lack in green thumbs :)

Jen

What a nice thread. I love herbs too!
I have a french tarragon that has been in the ground maybe 8-10 yrs. I divided it this fall for the first time because I had to get it out of the way for some landscaping work. French is supposed to have better flavor than the russian variety. It is great baked into fresh bread.

My bronze fennel is also hardy. It's only 3 yrs old and I'm sure glad I planted it. It's also got that nice anise flavor and is so ornamental. It also reseeds.

I have a garden sage that is probably 10yrs old. It has always been hardy. I have it planted in a protected bed on the south side of the house, next to entry steps. I use it mostly as an ornamental because if I harvest and dry it one year it lasts a long time. It is also nice in potpouri.

My mints I set into pots with the bottom cut out to control spread. I have chocolate, banana, apple, and orange mints. Wonderful addition to fresh breads.

Basils I usually grow only once every several years because I harvest & dry them at the peak of flavor (just before flowers open) and that gives me more than enough for many years. I make a lot of spagetti sauce with my fresh tomatoes so use it frequently. Cinnamon basil is really nice in an apricot sauce for deserts or salad dressing.

Dill and cilantro I let re-seed in the veggie garden so have not planted a new one in 4-5 yrs. Glad to read some of you keep cilantro over the winter under the eaves. I have a lot that reseeded in the veggie garden in late fall this year and I potted some of it for trades that did not materialize. I'll try it under the eaves

Garlic chives have reseeded themselves around anywhere that I've put compost that had old seed heads in it. I just let them go where they want since they make a nice ornamental-blooming in that part of the year where many other plants are lacking.

I've enjoyed Anise Hyssop as a biennial here that reseeds itself but lost my last plants when I neglected their bed the year my twins were born. Installed a sprinkler system this year so maybe I won't have that problem again.

A native catnip that I gathered along the railroad lines about 10 yrs ago has spread itself through reseeding. I'm always trying to find new takers for that one. I have two large plants that came up in my veggies this year. It has medicinal properties- helps with cold symptoms.

Greek oregano has likewise spread through reseeding and it does remain perennial so I've found adoptees for that over the years too.

I've never had lemon balm last through the winter so always thought it was annual here. Good to read that some of you have had it keep over. I like to use it in potpouri as well as in home baked breads.

My thymes have always died out but usually make a few years each. It might also be the issue with the watering.

I love lemon verbena and pineapple sage but havent' grown them in a few yrs because I dont' have any windowsills and have always had trouble with spidermites, white fly, and aphids if I try to winter outdoor plants in the house. So I gave up on that a few yrs ago. Plus my landscaping project has been underway for the past 4 yrs so I didn't want to buy many new plants until the beds were prepared and water system working. However I have also since discovered those crystals that you put in the potting soil to keep the moisture even (SoilMoist?) and I bet that would help with over-wintering because part of the issue with the bugs is that the plants get stressed because I can't keep them watered well enough.

I love to grow my herbs throughout the landscape as many are ornamental as well as flavorful.

Debra

I just have to add, that I'm really glad I brought my little rosemary into the kitchen. It's too big for the windowsill, so I have it on the counter and everytime I move it or even touch the soil to check for dryness the kitchen is perfumed with that wonderful scent!

Now if only my little dried out chocolate mint cutting would revive. It's not looking good, although the basil seems to be perking up. Go figure - I would have thought the mint would be tougher.

SO much info - WOW! A friend clued me about Fr. Tarragon being invasive so it's in a BIG planter w/ a bunch of other herbs and odds & ends. All else died last winter; the tarragon thrives. If the Spring Swap happens I can bring beaucoup cuttings for those who want.

Isn't (Flat-leafed) parsley a biennial? - it worked that way for us. Oregano is hardy & perennial; we dry it a couple of times a year. We also have LOTS of seed from chives and (a few less) garlic chives. If you want some, send me a SASE; or I will bring plantlets to the hoped for Spring Swap.

Basil comes and goes on the winter windowsill; we have have good success w/ lime basil in the garden which is Wonderful on grilled fish. A sprig also works nicely as decor for your fave tropical beverage! Even iced tea..

My daughter in Ft. C. has a 3 yr. old Lavender sage that she uses in making eye masks and potpouri. Very hardy..

We also have a v-large Munstead lavender that has re-seeded itself nicely; hope to have babies for sale or give-away. Also have a Provencal Lavender that produces most excellent aromatical flowers.

Since I brought up the subject of marjoram, I'll say a little more about it. This is the first year that I've grown it and it seems like an odd little plant to me. It looks a lot like its relative oregano but hasn't really behaved like it.

I bought the seed from Richters and they list it as hardy to zone 9. Colorado State U. says zone 7. I have the little plants now in the soil on the floor of the greenhouse and will move them outdoors at the very 1st opportunity next Spring.

I don't know whether this will work since I've not done this before. However, I still haven't tried marjoram in the kitchen - so, I guess, I'm not out anything but the price of the packet of seeds if this approach kills 'em.

If it is any excuse for not utilizing the herb - the plants flowered very early this Summer and went to seed.

digitS'

I know Marjoram can be substituted for Mexican Oregano and we usually use it in shredded beef for tacos, chicken dishes, stews, pot roasts and in salsa. I don't know the flavor differences between Greek Oregano and Mexican Oregano since I haven't grown the Mexican variety. I would think you can use Marjoram in any dish you would normally use any Oregano in.

Jen, I had thought of getting back to making sausage - something I tried about 15 years ago with limited success. I have all these sweet fennel plants and these sweet marjoram plants . . . then, the fennel bloomed like crazy but didn't have enuf time to mature seed. On the other hand, the marjoram rushed to bloom before it had made any size. Since I'm supposed to use the foliage from marjoram and the seed from fennel - they got it backwards.

Given some time for reflection, I'm of 2 minds with regards to the sausage-making anyway. I just have to keep the weight off and sausage isn't exactly anyone's choice as a health food.

Good to know that I can use the marjoram for some other purposes. It has a nice fragrance. Maybe the marjoram will give the basil some competition for use in tomato sauces. Lots of Winter stews around here, as well.

d'S'

I did find a good website on herbs (culinary and medicinal) when I was looking for herbal steam decongestants. Since everyone here gets congested this time of year and we've been boiling water on the stove to increase the humidity in the house, I figured we could kill two birds with one stone. Cloves, anise and cardomon (I know - these are spices not herbs) make the house smell good and help loosen congestion in case anyone is interested.

Marjoram: harvest the leaves as soon as blooming begins. They dry easily and can be frozen, but some people believe that drying the leaves actually improves the flavor, making it sweeter and more aromatic. Its flavor when fresh is closer to that of oregano.

Harvest oregano leaves as plants begin to bloom.

Marjoram is great in tomato dishes, and with meats, onions, brussel sprouts, or mushrooms.

Oregano is good with potato salad, fowl stuffing, peas, soups, scrambled eggs, omelets, tomato dishes, meats, beans, deviled eggs, spaghetti, chili, hamburgers and pizza. It is essential to Italian, Spanish, and Mexican dishes, and combines well with basil.

Digit, since you were growing chamomile for tea you can probably answer my question. I had a long stem that got knocked over so I cut it off and hung it in the garage to dry. Then I read that you only want the flowers for tea not the leaves. Can you use the leaves for tea instead of the flowers or in addition to the flowers? I've never thought of growing herbs for tea, I usually just dry them during the summer to use in winter cooking.

No Jen, I've grown chamomile years ago but not lately.

For tea, I've got:
catnip
lemon verbena
anise hyssop
Korean mint
sweet fennel
wild bergamot

My experience with chamomile was that it was not very productive, perhaps especially since it wasn't growing in very good soil. The plants were small and so the flowers were few. German chamomile is an annual and I relied on it to reseed, which it did with fewer and fewer plants each year. So, I buy the herb.

I imagine that it may not be a very good choice to use the foliage but don't really know. Apparently, the sweet fennel seed is for use as a tea. I tried the leaves from early Summer on and while it was very young, the flavor was pleasant. As it grew older and began to flower, the leaves became more and more bitter. The wild bergamot never tasted good at all but the plants stayed small this year (their first) and never bloomed. The flowers on this plant are also what are supposed to be used. If they don't have better flavor than the leaves - these plants are goin' to get tossed.

May as well brew a cup of somethin' right now . . .

digitS'

Speaking of tea, I stumbled across this outfit this past summer, and took a chance on their organic iced tea. That was outstanding, and I've since tried some of the others they have, which have also proven to be excellent.

They do have a great catalog as well. Just passing this along, as there is nothing better, on a cold snowy day, than to sip tea and browse garden catalogs.