Spicing Up the Garden

Flavor, beauty and fragrance--those are the three main reasons people grow herbs.

Perhaps no other plants in recent times have experienced such a surge in popularity as herbs. Not only are they flavorful, pretty and fragrant, herbs are quite easy to grow, and no garden is required since they thrive in containers.

Culinary herbs are the most popular, however, according to Joyce Smith, a Southland herb expert. People are increasingly growing herbs for their attractive appearance and their marvelous fragrance.

Smith’s experience with herbs goes back a long time to when she helped tend the herb garden at the Huntington Library and Botanic Garden in San Marino. Her appreciation of herbs led her to replace her front lawn with an attractive collection of drought-tolerant herbs, perennials, bulbs and antique roses. And many creative recipes utilizing herbs have come from Smith’s kitchen.

In discussing culinary, ornamental and fragrant herbs, she tells about some of her favorites.

The Culinary Herbs

In Southern California, some of the culinary herbs should be planted in fall or winter and some in the spring. A few may be planted almost anytime.

Among the culinary herbs to plant now are rosemary, sweet marjoram, French, English and lemon thyme, oregano, dill, garlic, shallots, cilantro, mint, winter savory, chives, lemon balm and lemon grass.

Wait until spring to plant these: sweet basil, French tarragon, summer savory, lemon verbena and sorrel.

Smith says sage may be planted anytime in the Southland.

She notes that dill is usually planted in the spring in the coastal areas, but is best planted in the fall in the hotter inland zones.

“Beware of planting French tarragon from seed,” Smith said. She points out that French tarragon is propagated from cuttings or root divisions. Seeds often sold as French tarragon are usually seeds from Russian tarragon, which is almost worthless as a seasoning. Likewise, French and English thyme should be planted from plants as the seeds often don’t run true to form.

As to Smith’s favorite culinary herbs, she absolutely loves the sweet basils, especially the lemon and cinnamon types.

Sweet marjoram is another big favorite with Smith; she says she appreciates its unique flavor, and uses it in most of her vegetable and meat dishes.

She says that Mexican marigold (Tagetes lucida) is not well known as a culinary herb, but that the leaves and flowers have a flavor similar to French tarragon and the plants are easier to grow. In addition, Mexican marigold is quite ornamental and features pretty yellow flowers from a fall bloom.

Although many of the culinary herbs are quite pretty, a number of other herbs are grown primarily for their beauty in a landscape or a container.

Smith says almost all herbs are good candidates for a drought-tolerant landscape.

Among her favorite ornamental herbs are the creeping thymes, which she says make wonderful ground covers and lawn substitutes. They bear pretty white, pink and purple blooms.

Pineapple sage is a beautiful plant that attracts hummingbirds. It blooms in December and displays bright red flowers. The flowers, in combination with its shiny green leaves, make it a good Christmas plant. Smith says it’s also used as a culinary herb.

Borage is a very attractive plant with star-shaped, blue flowers, she says. Another pretty herb, salad burnet, is both ornamental and edible. Salad burnet is a nice, mounding plant with unusual foliage that is especially useful in borders.

Smith calls anise hyssop a striking plant with beautiful lavender flower spikes that attract bees. The upright plants grow two to three feet tall.

She is especially fond of saffron crocus, which should be planted from bulbs in the fall. The lilac flowers have red-orange stigmas that produce the saffron flavoring. It is an excellent plant for containers.

Among herbs planted for their fragrance, Smith favors the scented geraniums, English lavender and sweet violets.

The scented geraniums are grown for their fragrant leaves, which come in lemon, mint and rose fragrances, rather than for their flowers. Both scented geraniums and English lavender are excellent choices when creating potpourri.

Sweet violets provide December blooms in shades of white, pink and purple. Their sweet fragrance will permeate a yard.

According to Smith, most herbs are super easy to grow. “Actually herbs are really weeds, and they grow like weeds,” she says. Once established they require little attention.

Most herbs need full sun and a soil that drains well. Other than the mints, the majority of herbs will get along with only an occasional watering after they have become established.

Smith says that most herbs are good container plants, and that mint is best grown in a container because the plants are quite invasive.

If the soil is decent, Smith says that herbs don’t require supplemental fertilizer, except for herbs grown in containers; they should be fed with a time-release fertilizer.

A simple way to dry herbs is to air dry them on a screen, Smith says. Bricks should be placed under the screen to assure good air circulation. The screen should be located in a well-ventilated area out of direct sunlight. Place the herbs on top of the screen in a single layer.

Sidnam has written garden columns and features for The Times since 1975.