WASHINGTON GARDENER
Hardy Perennial Herbs: Three Easy Herbs For Your Garden
of the plant at any one time, then let it recover before harvesting from it again. At holiday time, you will see potted-up rosemary plants sold in grocery stores. These are often quite root-bound and will not live long in indoor conditions. Take cuttings liberally and use them for cooking and decoration, then discard the plant when it starts to decline. Try growing Rosemary in your garden today. Lavender (Lavandula sp.) Lavender is a sub-shrub that is both beautiful and useful. From making soaps and perfumes, to flavoring cocktails, lavender’s benefits are many. That wonderful scent that we are familiar with resides in the flowers. Those same flowers are a huge attrac- tion for all kinds of pollinators to visit your garden. Lavenders need full sun and good drainage. Picture them growing in their native Mediterranean region and that will give you a clue as to where to place them – specifically, on a slope or edge of a rock wall. The usual cause of death for a lavender plant is roots that
perennial plant that readily re-seeds if ever a bad winter kills it fully back. Plant it in full sun and in well-drain- ing, loamy soil. I only water it if we have not had a decent rain in weeks. Deadhead them frequently to encour- age continual blooming (I find them to be a long-lasting cut-flower). You should also occasionally weed around them and pull out new seedlings to pot them up and pass them on to other gardeners. It was named Herb of the Year in 2008 as it is edible and beneficial. Snip off the colorful ends of the flower pet- als to add a pretty accent to any salad or as a decoration on baked goods. It has a very light taste -- like a spicy, pale honey. The dried petals can be used to color broths, cheeses, and but- ter. They are a thrifty substitute for the very expensive saffron. Calendula tends to sulk in the sum- mer heat of the Mid-Atlantic, but that is just a pause in its robust routine. In my garden plot, I cannot recall any month of the year that it doesn’t have a few blooms opening up. This is a tremendous workhorse that belongs in every edible and cutting garden. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis or Salvia rosmarinus)
BY KATHY JENTZ
Rosemary is a woody perennial or “sub shrub.” Rosemary’s Latin name has been recently changed to reflect the fact that it is actually part of the sage (or salvia) family. It comes in many forms from prostrate to vertical and in foliage shades that range from blue-green to golden yellow. Rosemary ‘Arp’ is a reliably hardy variety for the Mid-Atlantic region. It can withstand our freeze-thaw-freeze winter cycles, which can often be the demise of other rosemary varieties. The key is good drainage and full sun. Don’t overwater it as it is susceptible to root rot. An ideal situation is to plant it overhanging a rock wall. Be sure to give it room as it can spread to four feet wide and high. Rosemary is drought-tolerant and deer-proof. Pollinators love it. Hon- eybees are especially attracted to the tiny blue or white flowers. There is usually no need to fertilize it, though a little fish fertilizer occasionally will not hurt. To start new plants, it is best to take cuttings as it is difficult to grow rosemary from seed. When using it in cooking, snip off young stems and leaves for the fresh- est taste. You can take up to a third
Here are a trio of herbs that are perennial, hardy, and grow in our re- gion. These three plants are rewarding and offer multiple uses from culinary to medicinal. They are also quite at- tractive and if they had only purely ornamental value, they would still be worthy of a spot in your garden.
Calendula ( Calendula officinalis ) Calendula also known as Pot Mari- gold or Poet’s Marigold is a half-hardy
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