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Recommended Herbs for Southern Gardens
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Crop |
Planting Season |
Spacing |
Propagation |
Growth Pattern |
Culinary Use |
Part Used |
Ornamental Use |
Light Requirement |
Harvest |
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Anise (a)* |
Spring |
12" |
Seed |
1 1/2 -2' upright |
To season or garnish |
Seed |
Poor |
Full sun |
As needed. Seed when ripe |
|
Balm- Lemon (p) |
Spring |
12" |
Seed, division |
2' irregular spreading |
Imparts lemony flavor to tea & other cool drinks |
Sprigs |
Poor |
Full sun |
As needed or dried |
|
Basil (a) |
Spring |
12" |
Seed |
|
To season |
|
Garden color |
Full sun |
As needed |
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Borage (a) |
Spring |
12" |
Seed |
2'-3' upright |
Imparts cool, cucumber like flavor to summer drinks |
Flowers, seed |
Imparts color to garden |
Full sun |
Blossoms used as they open leaves as needed |
|
Camomile (p) |
Spring |
12" |
Seed, cuttings |
6'-12" creeping |
An aromatic bitter |
Flowers, leaves |
Border |
Full sun |
Flowers when mature. Dry quickly |
|
Caraway (b) |
Fall |
12" |
Seed |
21/2' upright irregular |
Seed impart aromatic flavor when cooked with food |
Seed |
Poor |
Full sun |
When ripe |
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Catnip (p) |
Spring |
6"-12 |
Seed, or division |
3'-4' Upright |
Use with Care |
Leafy tops, leaves |
Decorative when young |
sun or shade |
When mature |
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Chervil (a) |
Early spring |
12" |
Seed |
Up to 2' compact |
To season & garnish |
images |
Garden color |
Semi- shade |
As needed |
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Chives (p) |
Spring |
8" |
Seed or division |
10" in clumps |
Onion flavor |
images |
Border plants |
Full sun |
As needed |
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Costmary (p) |
Spring |
12" |
Seed, division |
4'-5' clumps |
To flavor |
leaves |
Poor |
Full sun |
As needed or dried |
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Cumin (a) |
Spring |
1/2" |
Seed |
1' Upright |
To season bread, meat, cheese, chili & curry powder |
Seed |
Poor |
Full sun |
Cut & dry plants in fall, thresh & clean seed & store in bags |
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Dill (a) |
Spring |
12" |
Seed |
2'-3' upright |
To season, especially pickles |
leaves, seed |
Garden color |
Semi- shade |
Seed- when ripe. images- as flowers open |
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Garlic (p) |
Spring |
8" |
Sets |
2' upright |
To flavor |
bulbs |
Poor |
Full sun |
Dig and dry mature bulbs |
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Ginger (p) |
Spring |
24" |
Root division |
2' upright |
Condiment |
Rhizome |
Good |
Partial Shade |
Did and dry rhizomes in the fall. |
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Hore- hound (p) |
Spring |
6"-12" |
Seed, cuttings, divisions |
3' upright |
Candy flavoring |
images, tender stems |
Gray color accent for back- ground |
Full sun |
Just before full bloom |
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Lavender (p) |
Spring |
6" |
Seed, cuttings |
1 1/2'-3' upright |
|
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Small vari- eties as border plants |
Full sun |
When first flowers open, use flowers for fragrance. |
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Mint (p) |
Spring |
6" |
Division, cuttings |
2'-3' upright |
leaves used for tea & flavoring |
images |
Poor |
Full sun |
Fresh- use anytime. Dry- cut and dry just as flowering begins. |
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Oregano (p) |
Spring |
24" |
Division |
Spreading |
Flavoring |
leaves |
Poor |
Full sun |
Cut plants and dry in sell venti- lated shade. Remove leaves when dry. |
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Parsley (b) |
Early spring |
12" |
Seed |
1 1/2' |
To season or garnish |
leaves |
Garden color, edging |
Full sun |
As needed, or dry at 150F. until crisp |
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Penny- royal (p) |
Spring |
6"-12" |
Division |
6"-12" creeping |
Oil is toxic- use with care |
images |
Ground cover (some- what weedy) |
Sun |
images as needed for medicinal teas. |
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Rose Geranium (p) |
spring |
6" |
Cuttings |
Slightly spreading to 4' high |
Adds rose flavor to jams and jellies |
images |
Pot or garden plants |
Full sun |
images anytime from mature plant. |
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Rose- mary (p) |
Fall |
24" |
Plants, cuttings, seed |
3'-6' irregular |
To season |
images |
Hedge, specimen plant |
Full sun |
As needed, or dry at 150F. |
|
Sage (p) |
Spring, fall |
18" |
Seed, cuttings |
2' and sprawling regular |
To season |
images |
Fair |
Full sun |
Cut 5" of leafy top and hang in shade to dry. |
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Sesame (a) |
Spring |
2"-5" |
Seed |
2'-3' upright |
Condiment for bakery goods, confec- tions, candies |
Seed |
Good |
Full sun |
Harvest and dry the mature seed. Store in air-tight container. |
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Summer Savory (a) |
Spring |
12" |
Seed |
18" upright |
Condiment with meats & vege- tables |
images |
Poor |
Full sun |
Cut leaves at bud- ding time & dry in airy, shaded place until crisp. |
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Sweet Fennel (a) |
Spring |
18" |
Seed |
3'-4
Upright |
Seed- condiment images- Anise like flower stems eaten like celery |
images, stems, seed |
Poor |
Full Sun |
Seed- when ripe images- as needed Stem- tneder flower stalk |
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Sweet Marjoram (p) |
Spring, fall |
12" |
Seed, cuttings |
8"-12" upright, irregular |
images- flavor Oil- Perfume |
images |
In borders |
Full sun |
As needed, or cut leafy stems at flowering time to dry. |
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Tansy, plain (p) |
Spring |
12" |
Seed, cuttings |
Upright to 4" |
Condiment use sparingly |
images, flowers |
Back- ground plant |
Full sun |
When blooms open; leaves when young. |
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Tarragon (p) |
Spring |
12" |
Root, cuttings, division |
2' irregular |
To flavor salads, etc. |
images |
Poor |
Best in partial shade |
As needed (fresh). |
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Common Thyme (p) |
Fall or spring |
12" |
Seed, cuttings, division |
6"-10" regular |
To season |
images |
Edging plant or among rocks |
Full sun |
Cut & dry leafy tops & flower clusters when first blooms open. |
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*(a) = annual (b) = biennial (p) = perennial
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