Creating An Ornamental Herb Garden

Why grow herbs?

The dried herbs that come in those little glass bottles might be convenient, but chances are they aren't particularly fresh. Dry some homegrown herbs yourself and you'll immediately see the difference. Even the herbs in the fresh produce department of the grocery store may have travelled miles since they were first picked. They never taste as fresh as the herbs you pick from your own garden.

Herbs are uniquely versatile plants.They not only have culinary uses, but medicinal and decorative uses as well. With herbs, you can brew some homemade tea, season a dish, add them to salads or dry them to make fragrant wreaths. 

Herbs are also easy to grow. Some of the Mediterranean herbs can be a bit fussy about drainage, but if you get the growing conditions right, they are pretty undemanding plants.

The main inspiration for this post is the ornamental herb garden at the Agricultural Campus of Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia. 

The garden was designed by Carol Goodwin and is laid out in a formal "four-quarter" design. Two of the quadrants have a blue, mauve and pink flowers. The final quadrants are white and gold flowers. 

Starting on the top left: Chervil, Basil, Thai Basil. Bottom: Rosemary, Dill and Thyme.

 A few key Culinary Herbs:

• Rosemary, Rosmarinnus officinalis (annual or perennial depending on your zone): I like to sprinkle fresh rosemary (or dried depending on the season) on parboiled potatoes just before I roast them. Mixed with a dijon mustard and a little black pepper, rosemary is also makes a great seasoning for roast pork. Rosemary isn't hardy in my garden zone. It's slow to grow, so I like to buy a generous size plant each spring. In late summer, I harvest what's left in the garden and dry it. Rosemary likes a hot, sunny spot with excellent drainage. USDA zones: 6-10.

• Thyme, thymus vulgaris (perennial) is another Mediterranean herb that's easy to grow providing you get the growing conditions right. It likes poor, pebbly soil that has excellent drainage. Planted in fertile soil or in anything less than full sun, thyme won't be happy. Thyme can be used to season eggs, biscuits, vegetables and meat. USDA zones: 5-9.

• Sage, Salvia officinalis (perennial) is a classic herb that is used to flavour poultry, soups and stuffing. With a little protection, sage overwinters in my garden quite nicely. Each spring I simply prune the plant hard to encourage fresh growth. If your starting from scratch this spring, buy a small plant at a local nursery or garden centre. Plant it in a sunny, dry spot with good drainage. USDA zones:5-8.

• Basil, Ocimum basilicum (annual) is great paired with mozzarella and fresh tomatoes. It's also nice in summer salads and makes a delicious pesto for pasta, pizza and sandwiches. Basil likes heat, so it is best to plant it around the same time you plant tomatoes (Basil and tomatoes make great companion plants). USDA zones: 2-11.

• French Tarragon, Artemisia dracunculus (annual) is used in soups and with chicken or fish. Purchase small nursery plants in the spring and plant them in a sunny spot that is dry and well-drained. USDA zones: 4-9.

• Cilantro, Coriandrum Sativum (annual) Not everyone is a fan of cilantro, which has quite a strong flavour. It's nice in curries, in Thai noodle soup and guacamole. Cilantro likes cool weather, so sow your seeds early in the season or in the late summer/early fall (depending on your zone). Full sun to part-shade. Cilantro grows quickly and can bolt into flower, so shear off the foliage with a pair of scissors as soon as your plants are a few inches tall. If you want the spice coriander, allow the plants to flower and then harvest and dry the seeds. USDA zones: 2-11.

Herbs best grown in Containers:

There are two reasons I can think of to consider growing herbs in containers. The first is convenience. Last summer I had a pot of herbs by the back door and I found it was nice to have them close at hand when I was in a rush to get dinner ready.

1. Golden Lemon Thyme 2. Oregano 3. Sage 4. Parsley  5. French Tarragon  6. Purple Basil

7. Vietnamese Basil 8. Silver Thyme

My container planting for this year is pretty full, but it's a generous pot and I will routinely harvest from it throughout the growing season.

Oregano with Sage in behind it.

Aggressive plants are the second reason for growing herbs in containers. For example:

• Oregano, Origanum (perennial) is a Mediterranean herb that thrives in sunny, dry conditions in poor soil. It spreads quickly so it's a good one to plant in a container. The fresh and dried foliage is a key ingredient in Italian, Greek and Spanish cooking. USDA zones: 3-11.

• Mint, Mentha (perennial) is a spreader, but it's a nice herb to have for tea and flavouring summer drinks. Mint doesn't seem to be particularly hardy in my garden, so I replace it every spring with a new plant from the garden centre. Full sun. USDA zones: 5-11

• Lemon Balm, Melissa officinalis (annual) is a member of the mint family and has the same spreading habit. Fresh leaves are nice in fruit salads, in tea and on fish. Full sun, USDA zones: 8-11.

• Tansy, Tanacetum vulgare (perennial) has yellow, button-shaped flowers. Tansy spreads by creeping rhizomes and also self-seeds vigorously, so consider carefully how and where you plant it. Tansy is said to repel insects and dries well for use in fall arrangements. Part shade. USDA zones: 4-8.

Sweet Woodruff, Galium odoratum (perennial) is a great groundcover for shade, but can be a nuisance if planted in the wrong place. Sweet Woodruff can quickly colonize a good-sized area. The dried leaves and flowers have a fresh, hay scent that makes them great for potpourris. Part-shade to full shade. USDA zones 4-8.

Mediterranean Herb Garden

I keep hearing the experts recommend that you replace the soil in your container plantings every year. It makes sense that soil nutrients will get depleted over time, but what do you do with the old soil?

I remember hearing one gardening expert saying that she "throws the old soil out." I have often wondered what she means. Does she dump the soil in the garbage? Out back somewhere? 

1. Silver Thyme, thymus vulgaris 2. Rosemary 3. Lavender 4. Golden Lemon Thyme 5. Penny Violet

It's got me thinking. Why not reuse the soil?

Mediterranean herbs love poor soil! Of course you may have to improve the drainage by mixing in a little fine gravel or maybe some perlite, but the herbs like thyme, rosemary and oregano thrive in poor soil and hot, baking conditions, so why not reuse that old soil for them? Nasturtiums are another example of a plant that would also be fine with soil from last season's containers.

Bee Balm, Bergamont or Monarda

Flowering Herbs:

A herb garden can be just as colorful as a standard flower garden. Flowering herbs not only add an ornamental quality to the garden, they are often edible. Many herbal flowers have cosmetic uses as well.

Chives, Allium schoenoprasum (perennial) couldn't be easier to grow. Chives form grass-like clumps and produce round, mauve flowers in spring. The hollow leaves have a mild oniony flavour. The flowers can be eaten as well or used as a garnish. Full sun and average garden soil are fine for this plant. Chives are prolific self-seeders, so cut back the foliage hard to a few inches above the ground before the blooms set seed. The clump will look bedraggled for a week or two and then you should see nice, fresh growth. USDA zones: 3-10.

Pot Marigold, Calendula (annual) is easy to grow from seed. Calendula is sometimes known as "poor man's saffron". Fresh flower petals have a number of cosmetic uses and is nice in salads. Full sun and average garden soil. USDA zones: 3-9.

Bee Balm, Bergamont or Monarda (perennial) is native to eastern North America and has a history of being used by Native North Americans as a medicinal plant. Monarda has somewhat crazy looking mop-head flowers in shades of pink, red, white and lavender. The main reasons for growing Monarda is its aromatic foliage that smells a bit like mint. The fresh leaves can be brewed to make a nice tea. Monarda likes rich, moist soil and a sunny spot. It's also a plant that butterflies and hummingbirds adore. USDA zones: 4-9. 

Dill, Anethum graveolens (annual) is one of my favourite herbs. I love it mixed into mashed potatoes, sprinkled on salmon and used in cold summer pasta salads. Even the flowers are pretty and delicate. The seeds have a use in pickles and vinegars. Dill likes full sun and good, rich soil. It gets tall, so grow it in a spot sheltered from winds or stake it as needed. USDA zones: 2-11.

Fennel with the blue flowers of Love-in-the-Mist, Nigella in the foreground.

Fennel, Foeniculum vulgare (perennial) resembles dill in appearance and has fine feathery foliage and floral umbels. The bulbs, stalks and seeds are all edible. Full sun. USDA zones: 7-10.

German Chamomile, Matricaria recutita (annual) is another herb that's easy to grow from seed. German chamomile grows about two feet tall, and when dried, the flower petals make a soothing tea that promotes sleep and soothes an upset stomach. As well as tea, chamomile has cosmetic and culinary uses. A word of warning: German chamomile reseeds itself readily. Full sun. USDA zones: 3-10.

Betony, Stachys officinalis (perennial) forms a low mound of green leaves and has mauve or pink flower spikes mid-summer. The uses for this plant are both culinary and medicinal. This is one flowering herb that will tolerate part-shade. USDA zones 4-8.

Lavender, Lavandula (perennial) Good drainage is absolutely essential when growing lavender. Cold won't do them in, but wet and soggy ground in winter will cause them to parish. If you have clay soil, amend it with sand and small pebbles to increase the drainage. Another enemy of lavender is the wind. Plant lavender in a sheltered, sunny spot, where they are protected from harsh winter winds. Full sun. USDA zones: 4-8.

Notes on extending the seasons of bloom:

Incorporating a range of flowering plants should insure your herb garden has color all season long.

Spring Flowering Herbs:

Chives- mauve flowers
Foxglove-magenta-pink, white or peach flowers
Sweet Woodruff-white flowers

Summer Flowering:

Echinacea- pink, magenta,yellow, orange and orange-red flowers
Nigella- blue flowers and lovely ferny foliage.
Thyme- tiny pink, mauve or white flowers
Nasturtium- a range of colors including yellow, orange and red
Monarda, Bergamont- pink, white, lavender, purple, red and maroon flowers
Calendula- yellow and orange
Camomile- white daisy-like flowers with a yellow centre
Geranium- a range of colors including pink, white, mauve and magenta
Lavender- white, purple and dark purple flowers
Sage- blue flowers

Rosemary- small pale-blue flowers

Late Summer/Fall

Anise Hyssop, Agastache foeniculum-blue flowers

Calendula– yellow and orange flowers

Garlic Chives– white flowers mid-to-late summer

Marigold flowers can be used as a dye.

Love-in-the-Mist, Niegella

Planting a herb garden provides you with something that is as beautiful as it is practical. I hope this post encourages you to try growing your own herb garden this spring.

Walking on Eggshells; Fun with Spent Shells in the Garden, Kitchen, and Craft Studio

Photo by Signe Langford

By Signe Langford

The old adage is true; you do have to break a few eggs to make an omelette. But if you break the eggs carefully, there are a few fun things you can do with the shells too!

Okay, most of us gardeners already know the value of saving eggshells for the garden. They’re made of calcium – which plants need to thrive – and when crumbled up, they’ve got sharp edges that wreak havoc on those tender-bodied-but-tenacious snails and slugs. Shell shards are especially helpful all around the base of delicious hostas! Dig them into the soil around tomato plants to help stave off blossom end rot, too.

In the kitchen and craft studio, eggshells can enjoy a decorative and functional second life as mosaics, jewellery, candles, seedling pots, and even tiny serving dishes! For the last three crafts – candles, seedling pots, and dishes – the key is making a clean break. Thankfully, there’s a tool for that: it’s called an “egg topper” and there are a few on the market. I’ve only used this one from Swissmar, and I’ve found it works well, but only on cooked eggs; the shell needs the inner support of cooked white for a clean cut. Once you’ve mastered topping eggs, you’ll have some perfect specimens for playing with.

Photo by Signe Langford

Start Seedlings: Simply fill each eggshell with soil, plant the seeds, water, top up with a little more soil, and set them where you usually start seedlings – somewhere warm and sunny. Save the egg carton to hold them in, and set the egg carton on a plastic tray or pan, as they will leak. I have a couple of ceramic egg holders that look great on the windowsill!

When it’s time to transplant into the garden bed or pots, no need to take the delicate seedling out of its first home; just dig a hole big enough to accommodate the shell and all. I like to tap the bottom on a rock or something hard enough to crack the shell; that makes it easier for the roots to bust through. Tomatoes love getting started this way; that extra dose of calcium right from the get-go is just what the doctor ordered.

From the book Happy Hens & Fresh Eggs: Keeping Chickens in the Kitchen Garden – with 100 Recipes, ©2015, by Signe Langford, Photography by Donna Griffith. Published by Douglas & McIntyre. Reprinted with permission of the publisher.

Candles: If you’ve never made candles before, you’ll want to watch a tutorial on YouTube or take a class, and you’ll need to buy a few supplies, but it’s really very simple. I made mine with pure beeswax – the aroma is wonderful, they’re the healthiest and cleanest for burning, and when it’s dead, it’s still fine to add to the garden. So, stand the eggshells up – again, use the handy-dandy egg carton – add the wick, and gently pour in the melted wax, let cool, then trim off any excess wick. That’s all there is to it!

From the book Happy Hens & Fresh Eggs: Keeping Chickens in the Kitchen Garden – with 100 Recipes, ©2015, by Signe Langford, Photography by Donna Griffith. Published by Douglas & McIntyre. Reprinted with permission of the publisher.

Serving Dishes: Gorgeous little eggshell cups look amazing on the table filled with custard, fancy truffled scrambled eggs topped with a pinch of caviar, or even lined with chocolate and filled with mousse. Mother’s Day brunch will never be the same!

Here’s how you do it: invest in an egg topper or another sharp eggshell-cutting tool specifically designed to cleanly slice the tops off boiled eggs. As mentioned earlier, I have one from Swissmar that does the job. It works well with boiled eggs, either soft or hard, but with raw eggs, it tends to shatter the shell. once you’ve got a nice clean-cut edge, you’ll need to wash out the shell until it’s squeaky clean. Do this under just-warm, gently running water. If you use hot water, you’ll cook any remaining egg right onto the shell. As you wipe inside the shell with a finger – very carefully – look for a tear or lifted bit of the inner membrane; you’ll need to peel this out. But don’t worry, once you find a loose bit, it comes out super-easily. Once the membrane is out, give the shells one last rinse and set upside down on a cooling rack to dry thoroughly. Always prepare more eggshells than you need, in case of breakage.

Here’s my Recipe for Teeny Tiny Lemon Meringues en Coquille d’Oeuf. This dessert is about as sweet and adorable as a fluffy baby chick, and absolutely perfect for brunch.

About the author:

Signe Langford is a restaurant-chef-turned-writer who tells award-winning stories and creates delicious recipes. She is a frequent contributor to the Globe and Mail, National Post, Toronto Life, Canadian Living and Garden Making magazines. In 2105, Signe published her first book Happy Hens & Fresh Eggs; Keeping Chickens in the Kitchen Garden- with 100 Recipes. 

Raised in the town of Hudson, Quebec Signe grew up surrounded by an ever changing menagerie of critters, both wild and domestic, and her special affection for all feathered creatures has never flagged. At present, she shares a downtown Toronto Victorian with a tiny flock of laying hens. For more stories and recipes please visit www.signelangford.com

Photographer Donna Griffith is based in Toronto. She has taken photographs of food and drink, homes and gardens for a number of publications and books.

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The Craziest Garden Ornaments for Spring 2017

So we made our first foray to my favourite local nursery a week or so ago, and some of this year's collection of garden ornaments were literally out of this world!

Silver alien anyone?

And how about this giant squirrel? 

We put Piper in the picture so you could get a proper sense of scale.  Poor Piper was not impressed. The dog who routinely chases squirrels down the length of our backyard fence was afraid–very afraid!

I am so done with winter! Sorry Mr. Penguin, even your discounted price won't tempt me!

Jurassic Park is not a common theme for most Canadian gardens, but then maybe I have just missed all the fine examples.

What's the best thing to do if you see a Raptor in a garden? Pray it doesn't see you!

What the heck is this creature? Is it a rabbit or maybe a deer? And get a load of the cross-eyed gnome in the crazy leopard print. The gnome in blue is just rolling his eyes.

A bear-hug of a seat anyone?

When this statue caught a glimpse of it's $400 price tag in a mirror. It started screaming 

and hasn't stopped!

And if space aliens, reptiles and furry critters aren't your kind of thing, maybe you prefer a little 

love in the garden? Myself, I'm blushing!

All these garden ornaments and many more can be found at Humber Nursery in Brampton.

Epimediums for Dry Shade

Dry shade can be a challenge. Plants not only have to cope with a lack of sunlight, they have to deal with a shortage of moisture as well.

Once established, Epimedium is a groundcover that is quite happy in dry shade. The delicate almost orchid-like flowers give Epimedium one of its common names: Bishop's hat. More frequently it's known as Barrenwort. Species Epimediums can be found in a wide area that stretches from the eastern Mediterranean to temperate East Asia where it can most often can be found growing in shady woodlands or rocky mountain valleys.

Hostas make nice companion plants. In this picture, the Epimedium's foliage 
has turned green in summer. The display garden at Gardens Plus.

Although the flowers are charming they are so tiny, they're insignificant. The main reason for growing Epimediums is their foliage. Epimediums have elongated, heart-shaped leaves on thin, wiry stems. They are a clump-forming perennial that spreads quite slowly by means of underground rhizomes. Depending on the species, the compact foliage can be either evergreen or deciduous.

Epimediums are slow to grow and may take a couple of years to reach their mature size. They're long-lived and make a nice tidy goundcover, well worth the wait.

Plant Epimediums in rich, well-drained soil in shade or part-shade. Newly planted Epimediums require regular watering, but they are quite drought tolerant once established. They bloom in the spring, so the best time to move or divide them is autumn.

A Epimedium blooming in my garden.

Epimedium with a hellebore with charcoal-colored flowers. Toronto Botanical Gardens.

Here are a few cultivars to watch for:

Epimedium x versicolor 'Sulphureum' has dark green leaves accented with red. Soft yellow and cream flowers appear in mid to late spring. To make the tiny flowers more visible prune the previous season's foliage to the ground in late winter/early spring. New foliage will follow the flowers. Drought tolerant once established. Divide in the fall. Height: 20-30 cm (8-12 inches), Spread: 30-45 cm (12-18 inches). USDA zones: 4-9.

Epimedium x youngianum 'Roseum' has soft lavender-rose flowers in mid-spring. The foliage is tinged with red in spring, becomes green in summer and turns bronze in late fall. Drought tolerant once established. Divide in the fall. Height: 20-30 cm (8-12 inches), Spread: 30-45 cm (12-18 inches). USDA zones: 4-9.

Epimedium youngianum 'Niveum' blooms a little later than most Epimediums and has white flowers in mid-spring. The foliage is tinged with red in spring, becomes green in summer and turns bronze in late fall. Unlike some species of Epimedium the foliage of this hybrid is not evergreen. This plant likes rich, well-drained soil. Height: 20-30 cm (8-12 inches), Spread: 30-45 cm (12-18 inches). USDA zones: 4-9.

Plant type: Perennial

Height & Spread: low, slow spreading groundcover

Flowers are small and somewhat insignificant

Bloom period: Early spring

Leaf color is why you should grow this plant!

Light: Part-shade to full shade

Growing Conditions: rich, loamy, well-drained soil (but will tolerate dry shade)

Water requirements: average to moist well-drained soil is prefered

Companion Plants: hellebore, spring bulbs

Divide: after flowering or in autumn

USDA Zones: 4-9



More information and Links:

A Plant Lover's Guide to Epimediums by nursery owner Sally Gregson features information on 126 varieties of Epimedium. The book also includes tips on how to incorporate Epimediums into your garden.