Click Here
For Basil
2 1/2 inch pots $2.50 each
- 39 varieties available
- excellent starter plants
- perennials and annuals
- Everything is edible
Anise Hyssop
Anise
Hyssop grows as a summer perennial and thrives in full sun to partial
shade. Plant in fertile well-drained soil. Anise Hyssop has a sweet
licorice scent that attracts beneficial bees butterflies and birds
while also being deer resistant. Due to this flowers fragrant purple
to lavender blooms and a height of 36 inches it makes wonder dried
floral arrangements. It is also the perfect aromatic flower for
flower gardens herb gardens wildflower areas perennial borders
planters or as a container plant. It's edible, and makes a great herb tea.
Bronze
Fennel
Bronze
Fennel has a sweet licorice flavor. It can be used in place of Green
Fennel in any recipe, and the soft wispy leaves with their unique
bronze color add a lot of visual interest in the flower or herb
garden. With a height of four feet and a breadth almost as great, its
wide spreading grace also makes it the perfect back of the border
plant. By the end of the summer it will put up tall spikes that will
be endowed with little yellow button flowers. If left on the plant,
these will turn brown and make fennel seeds. If these spikes are cut
back to the ground the plant will stay looking better longer.
Chamomile
Chamomile
is one of the most ancient medicinal herbs known to mankind. The
dried flowers of chamomile contain many terpenoids and flavonoids
contributing to its medicinal properties.
Used
in everything from cosmetics to aromatherapy to beverages, calming
chamomile has been around for ages, dating back thousands of years,
at least to ancient Egyptian times. The daisy-like flowering plant
comes from the Asteraceae family of plants (which also includes
sunflowers, Echinacea and marigold) and is most famously known as a
relaxing herb.Even Peter Rabbit’s mother used the herb, sending the
mischievous young bunny to bed with a cup of chamomile tea when he
returns home after narrowly escaping from Mr. McGregor’s garden.
Catnip (edible)
Catnip
can be used to make a great tea for humans.
Cats,
from our domestic companions to lions and tigers, are exquisitely
susceptible to a volatile oil found in the stems and leaves of the
catnip plant.
When
cats smell catnip they exhibit several behaviors common to queens in
season (females in heat): They may rub their heads and body on the
herb or jump, roll around, vocalize and salivate. This response lasts
for about 10 minutes, after which the cat becomes temporarily immune
to catnip's effects for roughly 30 minutes. Response to catnip is
hereditary; about 70 to 80 percent of cats exhibit this behavior in
the plant's presence. In addition, catnip does not affect kittens
until they are about six months old and begin to reach sexual
maturity.
Cutting
Celery
This
celery is cut from the outside stems , leaving the center growing. It
will produce all summer until freeze.
A
seasoning Celery that does not produce an enlarged stalk, Cutting Celery is
even more aromatic and flavorful than regular celery. Cutting
Celery
grows
about 18" tall, looks like flat-leafed Parsley and is packed
with big Celery flavor. Cutting Celery is a bit finicky to get
started but once transplanted into the garden, it is relatively easy.
Cutting
Celery's
leaves and hollow stalks are used to flavor soups and stews. It may
also be dried by hanging upside down in a well-ventilated area. Cutting Celery is
best raised as transplants 10 to 12 weeks before transplanting
outside.
Cilantro
This
herb has a very distinct taste that is best described as a
fresh-green spice, and it is a perfect addition for indoor gardens.
Cilantro resembles flat parsley in its appearance and is sometimes
called Chinese parsley. With its refreshing, cooling taste, it is
easy to see why cilantro is used with the spicy dishes so common to
Latin cuisine. This is a plant that can be in either sun or shade, so
it's very easy to place in the garden. Cilantro is a common
ingredient in Latin and Indian cuisines. The fresh leaves can be
rinsed, patted dry, and chopped before adding them to a variety of
dishes. Cook them in or use them as a spicy, fresh garnish for
complex flavor such as tacos.
Chives
are a perennial member of the onion family that sport beautiful
edible flowers. Chives consist of clumps of small, slender bulbs that
produce thin, tubular, blue-green leaves reaching 10-15 inches in
height. The edible, flavorful flowers may be white, pink, purple, or
red, depending on variety. Chives are considered a cool-season crop,
which means that they grow best in the spring and fall. The harsher
temperatures of summer usually cause them to go dormant until cool
weather arrives again. Chives grow best in full sun, though they will
tolerate light shade. Minimal care is needed for fully-grown,
established plants. Begin harvesting chive leaves about 30 days after
you transplant. Use chives when they’re fresh or frozen (freeze the
leaves in an airtight bag). Dried chives lose their flavor. In the
garden, plant chives next to carrots and tomatoes, but avoid planting
near beans and peas.
Garlic
Chives
Garlic
Chives are perennial in all but the coldest climates. An excellent
low maintenance crop offering loads of flavor for almost no work. The
young leaves and flower buds have a delicate chive-like flavor with
sweet, roasted garlic overtones. Also known as Chinese Chives or
Chinese Leeks. Very long-lived and easy to grow, they produce
white-flowered seed heads. Often times thriving for a decade or more
in one spot. They have great ornamental appeal along with lots of
harvests of delicious leaves. Although it is a member of the onion
and garlic family, garlic chives has more of a milder, roasted garlic
flavor than onion. These larger and more robust plants are more
suited to use as a vegetable than strictly herb. The lovely white
star-shaped flower heads bloom from late summer to early fall and are
fabulously attractive to bees, butterflies and many other
pollinators. Perfect for use in uncooked dishes where raw regular
garlic might be overwhelming or too spicy. Also used in many dishes
from dips to steaks. The florets also make striking garnishes in
salads and soups.
Dill
Growing
dill is easy and is one of the herbs beginners start with. It is nice
to have it at arm’s length when cooking as adding freshness to
different dishes is quite important. Dill is a great herb for soups,
dips, pickles, fish, dilly beans, and stews. The plant produces a
large number of leaves over a long harvest window. It is excellent
for urban gardeners and home growers, and for planting in containers.
Even growing some in balcony herb gardens is popular. The plant is
easy to sow and easy to take care of.Dill
is exceptionally attractive to beneficial insects like parasitoid
wasps and ladybird beetles. The more you can plant, the better your
natural pest control will be.
Epazote-Mexican
Pronounced
“ep-ah-ZOH-tay,” this plant is native from southern Mexico to
northern South America, and now grows wild in all but a few northern
states. The most widely known use for epazote is to cook it with a
pot of beans. It not only gives black beans a special little zing of
flavor, but it also helps break down hard-to-digest vegetable
proteins and renders beans less gas-producing. If you find yourself
with too much epazote, pick some after the dew has dried on a sunny
morning and dry it in the shade in a hot, breezy place. A dehydrator
at its lowest setting is good, but even better is a hot garage in
summer. You can’t use the as it’s too hot and you’ll cook out
all the aroma.
Lemon
Balm
Lemon
Balm is a refreshingly humble member of the Mint family, which means
like its spicier cousins, it is a vigorous grower. Easy to grow and
maintain, you can prune Lemon Balm into beautiful mounds in the fall
for lovely spring shapes. Lemon Balm has been used for centuries by
bee keepers to encourage a higher return of bees to their homes by
crushing and sprinkling it on their hives. It was believed that the
lemony aroma would help attract and direct them to the correct hive.
A lovely citrusy culinary herb, Lemon Balm adds a wonderful zest to
salads, fish, drinks and more! Try lining your cake pans to infuse
your desserts with natural lemon flavor, or by making a Lemon Balm
marinade for your next steak. By using this flavorful herb, you're
cutting down on the amount of sugars used to artificially produce the
same taste, and infusing your food instead with nutritious natural
lemony flavor.
Lemon
Grass
For
gardeners looking to get the most bang out of their real estate buck,
edible landscaping fills two desires: increasing curb appeal, while
also getting tasty fresh herbs for the kitchen. Some plants billed as
ornamental edibles are questionable in either their beauty or their
deliciousness, but few plants marry looks and tastiness the way
lemongrass does. A fast-growing ornamental grass, lemongrass is as
handsome waving in the summer breeze as it is appetizing in your
soups, stir-fries, and teas. In its native habitat, lemongrass grows
in full sun, even in hot climates. At least six hours of direct sun
per day. Although the green leafy portions are too tough to eat, you
can snip them for tea or steep in broth. The juicy stalks are edible
when mashed or minced, adding a fragrant lemon note to dishes. Use a
hand trowel to remove individual stalks, roots and all, from the
clump. Remove the tough outer leaves and prepare the tender white
stalks by chopping, or freeze whole stalk pieces for later use.
Lavender
English
Often
associated with the famous purple fields of Providence, English
lavender is not native to England but to the Mediterranean. Ideal for
gardens borders, cooking and a potpourri, this lavender also produces
the best oils.delightfully fragrant when brushed against or crushed,
English lavender is celebrated for its wispy inflorescence that
adorned the tip of each upright stem creating lovely drifts of cool
colors that's way in the summer breeze. Flowering typically occurs in
the early to mid summer and tends to last 3 to 4 weeks. Lavender
usually blooms once, but may enjoy a weak second flush after pruning.
Equally attractive is the summer foliage of gray day screen to Green
Day purple, narrow leaves, which turned to grade – bronze in the
winter. It is aromatic when brushed against or crushed. This is also
known as the queen of herbs for urban gardens.
Nasturium
Nasturtiums
are grown in the flower garden for their array of bright colors. They
are grown in the herb garden for their distinctly peppery flavor. All
parts of the nasturtium are edible—the leaves, the flowers, and the
seeds. The flavor of nasturtiums is similar to watercress. Nasturtium
has broad, open, funnel-shaped five-petal flowers about 1½ to 2
inches across in colors from cream to brilliant reds, oranges,
yellows, and bicolor combinations. There are single and double flower
forms. Nasturtium has round, long-stemmed, shield-shaped, bright
green leaves with wavy or slightly lobed margins; leaves can grow
from 1 to 6 inches across. Long stalks are attached to the center of
the leaves. Plant nasturtiums with vegetables, strawberries, parsley,
and sunflowers. Nasturtiums are said to repel white flies, cabbage
pests, and squash bugs. Nasturtium flowers attract hummingbirds.
Oregano
is a strong-flavored herb sometimes called wild marjoram (it is
closely related to sweet marjoram). Oregano leaves are used fresh or
dried to flavor many cooked foods including tomatoes, sauces, salad
dressings, and marinades for grilled meats. The flavor of oregano is
pungent, spicy, and sometimes bitter. Oregano is often used in
Spanish Spanish and Italian cooking. Oregano should not be confused
with marjoram, also called sweet marjoram. Marjoram is a subspecies
of oregano. Marjoram is delicate flavored when compared to oregano.
It has a sweet, floral fragrance. While oregano is used early in the
cooking process, marjoram is best added at the end of cooking.
Oregano
and marjoram are members of the mint family. Marjoram being a
subspecies of oregano, the plants are nearly indistinguishable in
appearance, but there are differences.
Oregano-Greek
There
is much confusion concerning the difference between oregano and
marjoram. To many, oregano is more of a flavor than any one
individual plant. However, if you want to plant “true” oregano,
Greek oregano is the one to plant. Oregano is a loose, open plant
growing from six inches to two feet tall with gray-green leaves and
small purple or white flowers. Common marjoram, often sold as wild
oregano, is a hardy rampant growing perennial. It is more of an
ornamental herb as it is considered to be inferior for use as a
culinary herb. Remove the stem tips leaving 4-6 pairs of leaves on
the plant in order for it to produce side shoots for additional
harvesting. This will also help to make the plant become bushier and
more compact.
Parsley-forest
green
Finely
cut, deeply crinkled and curled dark green leaves that do not fade
yellow in summer. Vigorous growing 12" plants. Parsley is a
hardy, biennial that is grown and treated like an annual. It is the
most widely grown herb for both garnish and flavoring. Use
it fresh or dried for flavoring savory dishes. The attractive,
compact plants do well in containers or in the garden and overwinter
in most places. Flavorful leaves and roots for garnish and cooking.
Use fresh or dried in a variety of dishes. A bitter, aromatic, and
diuretic herb that stimulates the digestive process. One of the most
nutritious herbs, Parsley is packed with vitamins and minerals like
calcium, vitamin C and potassium.
How
Does Forest Green And Italian Parsley Differ
Oftentimes
recipes will specify the use of flat-leaf (Italian) or curly with
ruffled leaves (forest green) parsley. Can you substitute curly
leaves for flat, and vice versa? What’s the difference beyond
appearance? Used to perk up dishes with its fresh green flavor and
color, parsley can be much more than a garnish. The two main
cultivars of this herb are curly parsley with ruffled leaves and
Italian parsley with flat leaves. In general, flat-leaf parsley has a
more robust flavor, while the curly variety is associated with
decoration. Some claim that curly-leaf parsley has no flavor or,
conversely, that it tastes bitter.
Parsley
Italian
Italian
parsley is a leafy herb that grows small in stature, around one foot
tall and about the same around. The multi-branched Italian parsley
has bright green stems that are tender when young and grow woody as
the plant matures. The leaves are triangular, flat, and deeply
toothed, divided into three sections with multiple leaves growing
along the tops of the stems. The flat-leafed variety is hardier than
the curly variety and it has a stronger aroma and flavor that is
slightly less bitter. The flavor is often described as fresh and
green, with hints of citrus, clove and nutmeg and an earthy taste. In
its 2nd year, Italian parsley will flower, with circular bunches of
small white flowers atop thin stems.
Rosemary
Rosemary is commonly used in the kitchen as a flavoring. The spicy, aromatic leaves can be used fresh or dried in many dishes flavoring beef, veal, pork, lamb, stuffings, soups, sauces, and salad dressings. Rosemary is a woody, evergreen perennial herb that can be grown as an annual. Rosemary grows best in warmer climates; it is a Mediterranean region native. In cold winter regions, grow rosemary indoors as a potted annual. Rosemary grows as a shrub and can vary in growth habit from low-growing, rounded and spreading to stiff and upright to 6 feet tall. Rosemary stems become woody and rugged-looking with age. Branches tend to sweep outward and upward.
Rue
Rue,
common Rue or herb-of-grace, is a species of Ruta grown as an
ornamental plant and herb. It is native to the Balkan Peninsula. It
is now grown throughout the world in gardens, especially for its
bluish leaves, and sometimes for its tolerance of hot and dry soil
conditions. It is also cultivated as a medicinal herb, as a
condiment, and to a lesser extent as an insect repellent. Today it is
largely unknown to the general public and most chefs, and unavailable
in grocery stores. It is a component of berbere, the characteristic
Ethiopian spice mixture, and as such is encountered in Ethiopian
cuisine. Also in Ethiopia, fresh rue is dipped in coffee before
drinking it.
Sage
Sage
is an herbaceous perennial herb that is easy to grow in most sunny
gardens. In the kitchen, sage has an aggressive pungent aroma and
flavor which is often described as camphor-like and musty. Sage is
commonly used in dishes containing pork, cheese, and beans, and it
can be blended with cheese or cottage cheese to make a sandwich
spread. Getting sage started in the garden or indoors in a pot is
easy. Sage is a hardy rounded perennial shrub–often woody–that
can grow 12 to about 24 inches tall and sometimes as large as 36
inches tall and wide. Grow sage with chives and calendula, also with
cabbage, carrots, strawberries, and tomatoes. Sage is said to deter
cabbage-family pests such as imported cabbage worms and root maggot
flies. Flowers attract bees and other beneficial insects to the
garden.
Sweetie
Annie is a plant with small yellow flowers. It contains flavonoids,
essential oils, and artemisinin, which is a compound that many people
think has health benefits. Other names for this plant include sweet
Annie, sweet wormwood, and qinghao. It’s native to China and has
been used in traditional Chinese medicine for many years. More
research is necessary to determine if sweet Annie is a useful
treatment for cancer. Scientists continue to research sweet Annie’s
effect on cancer cells. According to an article published in Trends
in Pharmacological Sciences Trusted Source, “artemisinin” may be
useful for treating leukemia and cancers of the colon, breast, lung
and pancreas. It
may also slow the growth of ovarian cancer cells and treat colorectal
cancer. Artemisinin is generally considered safe. It probably causes
fewer side effects than many other cancer treatments. Sweet Annie
contains artemisinin, which is a compound in antimalarial drugs.
Scented
Geranium
Their
scent comes from their leaves, not the perfume of the flowers.
Scented geraniums have glands at the base of their leaf hairs, where
the scent is formed. Crushing the leaves releases the oil and the
scent. Gardeners enjoy growing them, both indoors and out. Leaves are
thick and hairy. Each flower has five petals, two larger upper
petals, and three smaller lower petals. When grown indoors, scented
geraniums will need bright light. They may get leggy indoors and in
too much shade. If that happens, you can prune lightly, to create a
bushier plant. As with herbs and other plants grown for their
essential oils, rich soil can lessen the strength of the fragrance.
Scented geraniums will tolerate most soil pH, but a slightly acidic
pH of about 6.0/6.8 is ideal.
Thyme
You
can learn to grow thyme in a matter of minutes. Thyme is one of the
most commonly used culinary herbs. It’s subtle aroma and flavor
adds complexity to many dishes. Thyme is used in cooking to add
flavor to vegetables, meat, poultry and fish dishes, soups, and cream
sauces. Thyme is often used with tomatoes and dishes with tomato
sauce, as well as with eggplant, onions, and green beans.
Lemon-scented thyme enhances the flavor of fish, chicken, and veal.
Thyme is said to benefit all cabbage family plants, eggplant,
potatoes, strawberries, and tomatoes. Plant thyme with hyssop,
garlic, chives, and rosemary. The fragrance of thyme is said to repel
pest insects and mask the smell of plants that attract pest insects.
Mint
Mint
is one of the most popular herbs. There are many mints for the
gardener and cook to choose from: spearmint, peppermint, apple mint,
pennyroyal, lemon mint, pineapple mint, and ginger mint to name a
few. Cooks prefer spearmint for most savory dishes; it’s less
overpowering than other mints such as peppermint which is very strong
flavored with a strong menthol aroma. Mint leaves are used in teas,
cold drinks, salads, and vegetables, and, of course, mint is a
favorite served with peas and lamb. Plant mint with asparagus,
carrots, celery, cucumbers, onions, parsley, peppers, and tomatoes.
The sharp fragrance of mint repels insect pests; the flowers attract
beneficial insects. Mint is said to improve the vigor and flavor of
cabbage and tomatoes.
Chocolate Peppermint
Chocolate
mint, a close relative to ordinary peppermint, has a complicated
lineage involving forms of peppermint. It is derived from a cross
between Watermint and Spearmint, from which a particular form, Orange
mint was selected for development. The 'Chocolate' cultivar has the
aroma of chocolate, but the taste in foods more closely resembles the
orange citrus flavor of the citrata form of mint. In cooking,
chocolate can be used for flavoring desserts and drinks. The rounded,
lance-shaped leaves are a darker green than other forms of mint.
Spearmint
Spearmint,
also known as garden mint, common mint, lamb mint and mackerel mint,
is a species of mint, native to Europe and southern temperate Asia,
extending from Ireland in the west to southern China in the east. It
is naturalized in many other temperate parts of the world, including
northern and southern Africa, North America and South America. It is
used as a flavoring in food and herbal teas. The aromatic oil,
called oil of spearmint, is also used as a flavoring and sometimes
as a scent. Spearmint produces flowers in slender spikes, each flower
pink or white in color. Spearmint contains vitamins, antioxidants,
and vital nutrients. Its aroma is very similar to that of peppermint.
It contains less menthol than peppermint. It has a sweeter taste than
peppermint. Spearmint may help to relieve symptoms of digestive
problems, by relaxing the stomach muscles, reducing symptoms of
nausea, and other digestive problems.