Bay Laurel

Also known as Sweet Bay. Bay leaves add an earthy flavor to stews, soups and sauces. You can also dry the leaves for fragrant wreathes and garlands. It is an attractive ornamental shrub as well.

Current varieties: Common

Catnip

A member of the mint family noted for its aromatic leaves, which are particularly exciting to cats. Commonly grown by cat owners for their pets, and the dried leaves are often used as a stuffing for cat playthings.

Current varieties: Common

Chamomile

A flowering herb that looks like a tiny daisy. Very fragrant giving off a gentle floral, almost apple-like aroma that is very relaxing. For this reason, and due to its many reported health benefits, chamomile is popular in herbal teas and aromatherapy.

Current varieties: Double, Roman

Chives

Related to onions and garlic with long green stems and a mild, not-too-pungent flavor. The green stems are typically chopped and used as a garnish, on baked potatoes, in soups, salads, sauces, and omelets. Can also be mixed into cream cheese or butter.

Current varieties: Giant, Staro

Fennel

A beautiful herb to have in the garden with its fern-like texture. Boasts a strong, licorice-like flavor - use leaves in salads, soups, or stews & bulbs can be sliced for use fresh use in salads or roasted to mellow the strong flavor. Fennel flowers are also edible, and make wonderful garnishes for fish, meat, potato, & tomato dishes. Fennel stems also look wonderful in fresh bouquets.

Current varieties: Common

Lavender

A fragrant, easy-care plant that thrives in sunny locations. Makes a stunning addition to borders and perennial gardens or can be used as informal hedging. Has many culinary uses and can be used for fragrant floral arrangements, sachets & potpourri.

Current varieties: Goodwin Creek, Hidcote Pink, Luxurious, Munstead, Platinum Blonde, Provence, Wings Of Night

Marjoram

A low-growing plant that makes a pretty summer ground cover 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 color from lilac to white. It grows well in the garden or in containers, and you can plant a nice kitchen window box using marjoram with parsley, basil, and summer annuals.

Current varieties: Dwarf, Golden

Mint

All types of mint (including sweet mint, spearmint, peppermint, and chocolate mint) are fast-growing, spreading plants, so give them lots of room or plant them in a pot. In the right place it makes a pretty seasonal ground cover. You can also contain mint in tight places such as between pavers of a walkway where your feet will brush against the leaves to release its fragrance.

Current varieties: Chocolate, French Peppermint, Mojito, Orange, Spearmint, Strawberry

Oregano

Has a robust scent & 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 seasonal ground cover, or it can serve as a nice edging along a path.

Current varieties: Dark Leaf, Dwarf Greek, Italian, Sicilian

Parsley

A lush, beautiful plant that is a great companion to annuals, perennials, and herbs in beds, containers, & window boxes. Curled parsley has a more ruffled appearance than flat-leafed parsley, but both are equally lush.

Current varieties: Italian, Peione

Rosemary

A perennial evergreen shrub with blue flowers that is an aromatic & distinctive herb with a sweet, resinous flavor. Ideal for a rock garden or the top of a dry stone wall. Often used for seasoning poultry, lamb, stews, and soups.

Current varieties: Arp, Barbeque, Irene (trailing), Pink

Sage

An easy to grow, wonderful culinary herb that flavors meat & bean dishes (including that Thanksgiving stuffing). It is a hardy perennial with pretty, grayish green leaves that like as good in a perennial border as they do in a vegetable garden. It grows spikes of spring flowers in different colors, including purple, blue, white, and pink. Not all sage varieties are culinary; the most popular kitchen sage is called Salvia officinalis.

Current varieties: Berggarten

Salad Burnet

Produces flowers in the summer that contrast well against the leaves, creating an attractive plant that is both beautiful & functional. Great in salads, soups & vinegars. Some say the flavor is reminiscent of walnuts, others say cucumbers. Try it - which is it? Either way, it’s delicious!

Current varieties: ‘French’, ‘Raspberry Dressing’

Thyme

Plant 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 will release its aroma. It even makes a pretty patch of small ground cover. Growing thyme provides an anchor in an herb garden in areas where it is evergreen in winter. Thyme is also perfect for containers, either alone or in combination with plants that won’t shade it out. The flowers open in spring and summer, sprinkling the plant with tiny, two-lipped blossoms attractive to bees.

Current varieties: Foxley, Lemon, Lime, Spicy Orange, Wedgewood

Basil

An herb in the mint family, it adds a burst of flavor to meals. There are different varieties available and all are grown during the warm growing season. Use it in pesto, salads, pasta, pizza, and many other dishes.

Bay Laurel

Bay leaves add an earthy flavor to stews, soups and sauces. You can also dry the leaves for fragrant wreathes and garlands. It is an attractive ornamental shrub as well.

Borage

An old fashioned plant that has cucumber-flavored leaves for tea and other beverages as well as bright starry blue flowers for decorating salads. All parts of the plant, except the roots, are flavorful and have culinary or medicinal uses. It is a unique plant for the culinary garden. It grows quickly as an annual but will colonize a corner of the garden by self-seeding and reappearing year after year.

Cat Grass

A fast-growing, tasty treat for cats.

Catnip

A member of the mint family noted for its aromatic leaves, which are particularly exciting to cats. Commonly grown by cat owners for their pets, and the dried leaves are often used as a stuffing for cat playthings.

Chamomile

A flowering herb that looks like a tiny daisy. Very fragrant giving off a gentle floral, almost apple-like aroma that is very relaxing. For this reason, and due to its many reported health benefits, chamomile is popular in herbal teas and aromatherapy.

Chives

Related to onions and garlic with long green stems and a mild, not-too-pungent flavor. The green stems are typically chopped and used as a garnish, on baked potatoes, in soups, salads, sauces, and omelets. Can also be mixed into cream cheese or butter.

Cilantro

Looks similar to 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. Its seeds are known as coriander.

Coriander

Seeds from a cilantro plant that are usually dried and used in a variety of cooking ways. A perfect addition for indoor and kitchen gardens.

Dill

A must for every herb garden! The fine, ferny texture of dill foliage adds a wonderful, airy feel whether growing among garden flowers or in the herb garden. Leaves and crushed seeds can be used to flavor bread, butter, sour cream, fish, meats, vegetables and pickled foods.

Fennel

A beautiful herb to have in the garden with its fern-like texture. Boasts a strong, licorice-like flavor - use leaves in salads, soups, or stews & bulbs can be sliced for use fresh use in salads or roasted to mellow the strong flavor. Fennel flowers are also edible, and make wonderful garnishes for fish, meat, potato, & tomato dishes. Fennel stems also look wonderful in fresh bouquets.

Lavender

A fragrant, easy-care plant that thrives in sunny locations. Makes a stunning addition to borders and perennial gardens or can be used as informal hedging. Has many culinary uses and can be used for fragrant floral arrangements, sachets & potpourri.

Lemon Balm

Its green leaves have the scent of lemon with a hint of mint — no surprise since it is part of the mint family. Looks best when it is cut back periodically, so plan on using lots of fresh, flavor-filled leaves to brew tea, flavor fruit or salads, and to season fish. Be sure to include stems in bouquets of summer flowers.

Lemon Grass

A tropical herb packed with strong citrus flavor. Its lemon taste is prized in Asian cooking, as well as in teas, sauces, and soups. Its appearance rivals that of many ornamental grasses and can easily fulfill a similar role in the landscape.

Lemon Verbena

Has a sweet lemon flavor that’s refreshing in tea or desserts and useful for seasoning meat dishes. Leaves release their refreshing fragrance each time they’re touched, making this herb a good choice for planting near outdoor living areas or paths, where you can enjoy its lemony scent.

Marjoram

A low-growing plant that 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 color from lilac to white. It grows well in the garden or in containers, and you can plant a nice kitchen window box using marjoram with parsley, basil, and summer annuals.

Mint

All types of mint (including sweet mint, spearmint, peppermint, and chocolate mint) are fast-growing, spreading plants, so give them lots of room or plant them in a pot. In the right place it makes a pretty seasonal ground cover. You can also contain mint in tight places such as between pavers of a walkway where your feet will brush against the leaves to release its fragrance.

Oregano

Has a robust scent & 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 seasonal ground cover, or it can serve as a nice edging along a path.

Parsley

A lush, beautiful plant that is a great companion to annuals, perennials, and herbs in beds, containers, & window boxes. Curled parsley has a more ruffled appearance than flat-leafed parsley, but both are equally lush.

Prunella

Commonly known as the self heal herb, it has been used medicinally for centuries. The entire plant is edible & can be used both internally & externally to treat a number of health complaints & wounds - its most common use is for cold sores. Blooms from June through August with lavender or white flowers. Usually cut during summer flowering & used (fresh or dried) in making herbal tinctures, infusions, and ointments.

Rosemary

A perennial evergreen shrub with blue flowers that is an aromatic & distinctive herb with a sweet, resinous flavor. Ideal for a rock garden or the top of a dry stone wall. Often used for seasoning poultry, lamb, stews, and soups.

Sage

An easy to grow, wonderful culinary herb that flavors meat & bean dishes (including that Thanksgiving stuffing). It is a hardy perennial with pretty, grayish green leaves that like as good in a perennial border as they do in a vegetable garden. It grows spikes of spring flowers in different colors, including purple, blue, white, and pink. Not all sage varieties are culinary; the most popular kitchen sage is called Salvia officinalis.

Salad Burnet

Produces flowers in the summer that contrast well against the leaves, creating an attractive plant that is both beautiful & functional. Great in salads, soups & vinegars. Some say the flavor is reminiscent of walnuts, others say cucumbers. Try it - which is it? Either way, it’s delicious!

Sorrel

A tangy, lemony flavored plant. The youngest leaves have a slightly more acidic taste, but you can use mature leaves steamed or sautéed like spinach. The herb is widely used in French cuisine.

Stevia

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 tender perennial that loves the warm sun.

Tarragon

An herb with long, light green leaves & tiny greenish or yellowish white flowers. For cooking, use French tarragon. Russian tarragon can easily be mistaken for French, but Russian tarragon is coarser and less flavorful than French tarragon.

Thyme

Plant 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 will release its aroma. It even makes a pretty patch of small ground cover. Growing thyme provides an anchor in an herb garden in areas where it is evergreen in winter. Thyme is also perfect for containers, either alone or in combination with plants that won’t shade it out. The flowers open in spring and summer, sprinkling the plant with tiny, two-lipped blossoms attractive to bees.