By The Garden Commando

Having discussed the "four favourites", in A Simple Herb Garden I think we should include a few more simple herbs to our little herb patch. 

Basil (Ocimum basilicum ) - Sweet Basil seen below 
(Ocimum minimum - Bush Basil) has smaller leaves and a more peppery aroma.

Basil is a wonderful, strongly flavoured, annual herb which comes in various sizes and leaf types. Pasta dishes and salads are just not the same without a touch of Basil. Unfortunately, it does not appreciate northern climates, so we can only enjoy it once danger of frost is past. If you
are not used to the flavour, use it with discretion at first. 

There is one type in particular that I like: Bush Basil. It grows into a low, compact, tight globe, and looks like a small shrub. This makes a both a useful herb and an interesting accent to the garden. There is one Bush Basil with deep reddish-mauve leaves. It is called Dark Opal. This plant could be grown as an edging for a large bed, or as a centerpiece, or as an accent plant. 

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Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)
Most everybody is familiar with Chives.  This perennial plant is of the Onion family and can either be grown indoors, in a sunny window, or outdoors.  It grows into a neat grassy looking clump in a sunny spot (gets a bit straggly in shady areas), and attains a height of about 8 -12 inches. We use them in salads, as garnishes, in soups and in devilled eggs. 

Although most people grow Chives for culinary use, I like them in the garden as a long flowering ornamental. Their hybrid brothers are sold in expensive catalogues and have titles like "Flowering Drumstick" or "Pink Debut", but though they are tempting, I still think that the mass of mauvey-pink flowers produced by ordinary Chives are quite lovely. 

Garlic Chives produce clusters of white flowers toward the end of August which continue on until September-October. 

Chives have one shortcoming - as the flowers fade, so the seeds mature and fall, and fall, and fall... This means that in a short period you may find that you have more Chives than you bargained for. This small crime aside, they are a lovely addition to your herb garden and to your perennial border. They are easily pulled out when they do wander, and there are always friends and neighbours who will gladly accept throw-aways. 

Dill (Anethum graveolens)
Dill is an annual herb with attractive, finely cut, bluish-green foliage. It grows to roughly 2 feet tall and produces rich yellow flowers, which are a bonus in my opinion. Most people will be familiar with Dill as a favourite spice for flavouring pickles. In cooking it can be added to
chopped eggs, to  bread, to cheese spreads and over fish.  Dill has other uses however, including being used as a calmative. A tonic is made from the seeds and is given to  people against hiccups, and also to induce sleep. In the garden, providing you have some room, it makes a nice leafy plant for the back or center. 

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
Fennel is a tall, perennial herb, with feathery, delicate foliage. It resembles Dill in its looks, but the flavour is completely different. The whole plant is aromatic, and the seeds, when  chewed have a slightly sweet taste with a hint of Anise. If you have a sunny spot where there is a fence or a wall you would like to hide, Fennel would make a nice screen. It grows to 5 feet in height, so is definitely not for the smaller garden. 

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
This is a perennial herb that can be grown in a woodland setting, as a trimmed edging or as a casual clump in your herb garden. It has small white flowers and grows to 1 -2 feet  (if  untrimmed).  Lemon Balm prefers a rich moist soil (like Mint), but seems to be very tolerant
of most conditions. I have had a huge clump in my garden for the past 10 years, and it receives about 1 hour of direct sun during the day, with the balance of the light being filtered through the shade of an Apple tree. As a cooking herb,  it can be added finely minced, to fish and chicken dishes.  Picked fresh and dried it can be tied in muslin bags and hung in the
linen closet for a fresh, tangy smell. Lemon Balm also makes soothing tea after a hard day in the garden. 

Marjoram (Origanum spp)
Sweet Marjoram (an annual) supposedly has the best flavour for cooking, but I want to tell you about the perennial version - Pot Marjoram AKA Greek Oregano (Origanum onites). The flavour is strong, but is pleasant and adds zest to most soups, stews or salads. Pot Marjoram is a low growing spreader that will quickly take over if allowed, but is easy to pull up. It produces masses of  rose pink flowers in late summer and continues in bloom for three or four weeks, and makes a great cut flower. This plant is great for that annoying spot where nothing seems to work. 

Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)

Nasturtium is a brightly coloured, enthusiastic annual that we most commonly associate with summer flower beds. The pale green, almost circular leaves are showy and the large, delicately scented flowers that cover it profusely from mid summer 'til first killing frost - are a delight both the eye and to the palate. Though I normally have no patience with annuals, Nasturtiums are a plant that I greatly prize. They grow - in fact thrive - in the worst soil conditions. They are tolerant of neglect and drought and they fill in 'trouble' areas, such as ugly fences or bare slopes for a very low cost. 

Additionally, they are edible. You can add the leaves to salads. They have a strongly peppery
flavour, somewhat like Watercress. The flowers are also edible, and can be used to make an
attractive presentation for salads and desserts. 
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Savory (Satureia spp.)
Summer Savory (Satureia hortensis) is an annual herb with attractive, pale blue flowers.  It
grows to about 9 - 12 inches in height and has a bushy growth habit. (There is a perennial
savory also, and it is called Winter Savory (Satureia montana). According to some cooks, it does not have quite as delicate a flavour as Summer Savory). Savory is delicious added to meat and fish dishes.  It is easy to grow and is reputedly good for pot or windowsill culture.
It could be used as an edging, or as an accent plant. 

Tarragon (Artemisia spp.)
Tarragon is a somewhat tender perennial that will grow to 2 - 3 feet height if allowed. The
flowers are small and insignificant, but the plant it self is quite attractive where you have a
bare spot. If you begin to snip it when it is small you can train it to grow into a compact
edging our small bush. Naturally, you will be familiar with its uses as a cooking herb, in a
wide variety of dishes, and to add to vinegar as a flavouring. French Tarragon (Artemisia
dracunculus) is the most flavourful, and is the most sought after type. 

Watercress (Nasturtium officinale)
Watercress is a perennial, water loving plant. One book actually refers to it as an aquatic
plant, and I have successfully grown it in my pond for several years. Although it was my understanding that this plant is hardy to zone 5, I have not been successful in bringing it through the winter, however, and have always had to bring pieces in to re-propagate. If you have a semi shaded, moist location Watercress makes a pretty ground cover as well as a piquant and delicious herb. You can add it to salads, eggs dishes, as a garnish or make soup with it. (Watercress was used to ward off scurvy in the old days.) 
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