Herbs gone wild

My husband is the cook. I used to think I could cook before I met him, but now I'm resolved to other talents. He uses lots of fresh herbs.

I started growing culinary herbs, but my excitement for herbs has grown to include many other types. Herbs are easy to grow because they like the heat, poor soil and little water. Perfect for a busy gardner in drought conditions!

I tend to favor perennial herbs since they come back every year. In our current herb garden, I intentionally layered and placed the herbs balancing perennials and annuals so that it wouldn't look bare or lopsided in the winter.

Here's what I have planted so far (I'm running out of room, so this is probably it for awhile):

Perennials

• Germander
• Oregano (aka "Pot Marjoram")
• St. Johns Wort - This herb has a great pink, green and white color and is about 18" tall and whispy. It also has tiny yellow blooms in mid summer.
• Tansy
• Pineapple Mint - A gift from my friend Susan. This mint doesn't seem to be as invasive as others and the variagated foliage is great.
• Lemon Balm - I love it, but its coming up everwhere!
• Bay - A slow grower, but its evergreen shiny leaves are a nice constrast in the garden.
• Rosemary - A kitchen classic, however mine looks pretty pitiful right now.
• Sage
• Thyme
• Pineapple Sage - This herb has delicate red blooms in the Fall: I can't wait!
• Chives
• Licorice
• Lavender

Annuals

• Basil
• Cilantro (aka "Coriander") - I know it won't last, but I couldn't resist
• Parsley - Actually a biennial that will die after it blooms during its second year.
• Dill

I've got some specific herb recipes that I'll post later, but here are a few I found on the Herb Society of Wake County Web site.