How to Grow

Long popular in France and Italy, the leaves of arugula provide a spicy zap when added to a salad. This is the same plant sold in cellophane bags in the grocery store and usually labelled ‘baby arugula.’ However, we think … Continue reading →

In the Garden A woody, branching plant, basil is a warm-weather annual that grows very fast in 80- to 90-degree weather. Three or four pots pf plants yield plenty of fresh basil for a family of four unless you plan … Continue reading →

In the Garden Add bee balm to flower beds or an herb garden for life and color. Try it in view of a window so you won’t miss the acrobatics of hummingbirds that visit in summer. Bee balm also attracts … Continue reading →

In the Garden Plant catnip in a place where your cats can rub and roll in it without hurting adjacent plants. Some cats like catnip so much that they lie on it, roll on it, and chew it to the … Continue reading →

In the Garden Chives are members of the lily family grown for their leaves and flowers, which are equally popular in the garden and in the kitchen. Both onion and garlic chives are grown and used in a similar fashion. … Continue reading →

Cilantro needs its own space in the garden where you can harvest and then let it go to seed. It grows fast in the cool weather of spring and fall, creating a rosette of lacy leaves. When the weather gets … Continue reading →

Culantro is an herb native to Mexico, Central, and South America which has a strong, aromatic scent that fills the air when you brush up against it. This easy-to-grow herb has many culinary uses in Caribbean, Latin American, and Asian … Continue reading →

In the Garden In addition to providing aromatic seeds and foliage, dill will brighten your garden with its yellow-green flowers in spring and fall. While typical dill grows to a height of 2 to 4 feet, Fernleaf dill is more … Continue reading →

In the Garden French tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus ‘Sativa’) resembles a tall grass, medium in texture with slender leaves, but on branched stems growing 18 to 24 inches tall and semi-erect. It grows without flowers or distinctive form to set it … Continue reading →

In the Garden The countryside of southern France is legendary for its fields of lavender (Lavandula x intermedia Provence) grown for the perfume industry. In North America, lavender is a shrubby perennial grown for its flowers and fragrance, but it … Continue reading →

The green leaves of lemon balm have the scent of lemon with a hint of mint. In fact, the foliage of lemon balm looks like oversized mint. Lemon balm grows 20 to 24 inches tall and makes a nice green … Continue reading →

In the Garden Mexican tarragon (Tagetes lucida) grows all spring and summer before it produces many yellow, single marigold-like blossoms, but that is just a bonus because the main reason to grow it is for the flavored leaves. In warm … Continue reading →

In the Garden Whether you’re growing mint, spearmint, or peppermint, all are fast-growing, spreading plants, so you must give them a place to spread without getting in the way, or plant in a pot. Mint sends out runners that spread … Continue reading →

Mosquito plant carries the fragrance of citronella, not in their flowers, but from their foliage. When a leaf is rubbed on the skin, it naturally repels mosquitoes. Although it is not as effective as bottled repellents, mosquito plant works gently, … Continue reading →

In the Garden Greek oregano, an herb with a robust scent and flavor, loves to grow in pots where it can spill over an edge of a pot or low wall. However, its trailing growth also makes it a good … Continue reading →

In the Garden Parsley is a lush plant growing up to a foot high in a beautiful rosette of green foliage. Use parsley plants as companions to annuals, perennials, and herbs in beds, containers, and window boxes. Plants make a … Continue reading →

This grass is attractive to dogs and cats. They need a little grass in their diets, especially if they do not spend a lot of time outdoors where they will often chew on whatever grass is available. This grass is … Continue reading →

In the Garden Named for the uncanny pineapple scent of its foliage, pineapple sage is worth the wait. It is a seasonal treat that gives gardeners a sense of anticipation. A small plant set out in spring after the danger … Continue reading →

In the Garden Rosemary is a woody-stemmed plant with needle-like leaves that can commonly reach 3 feet in height, eventually stretching to 5 feet in warmer climates unless clipped. In Zone 8 and farther south, rosemary makes a good evergreen … Continue reading →

In the Garden Common sage takes the form of a low shrub that is often wider than it is tall. The soft gray-green foliage is great in pots or the garden. Consider planting sage in a container with rosemary, basil, … Continue reading →

In the Garden Although stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) looks like an average green plant, it is an exciting choice for the herb garden because of the natural, calorie-free sweetness found in its leaves. Appreciated by diabetics and dieters, stevia is a … Continue reading →

In the Garden Sweet marjoram, a low-growing plant native to the Mediterranean, makes a pretty summer groundcover or edging. A subtly colored plant, marjoram has thin, gray-green leaves and, in early summer, small knot-like flowers along the stem ranging in … Continue reading →

In the Garden Texas tarragon (Tagetes lucida) grows all spring and summer before it produces many yellow, single marigold-like blossoms, but that is just a bonus because the main reason to grow it is for the flavored leaves. In warm … Continue reading →

In the Garden Plant thyme in your herb garden, at the edge of a walk, along a short garden wall, or in containers. As a special garden treat, put a few along a walkway and between steps, and your footsteps … Continue reading →