HERBS
ALOE Aloe vera
A useful kitchen
plant, not for cooking but for treating the burns that inevitably occur. Good
for sunburn, too, and insect bites. Tender perennial.
ARNICA Arnica
chamissonis
Arnica's pretty orange
colored flowers have been used medicinally in homeopathic medicines for sprains
and bruises. Does well in full sun. Drought tolerant. 15" tall. Zone 4.
BASIL, ARARAT Ocimum
'Ararat'
Dark green foliage
marbled with purple markings. Strong, sweet flavor. Perfect for salads, pesto,
any tomato dish, and even pretty in bouquets. Very productive. 15" tall.
Tender annual.
BASIL, CARDINAL Ocimum
basilicum 'Cardinal'
NEW! Red flowers on a basil? Amazing. The
flowers are so red that at first glance it seems like a red salvia or celosia
instead of one of our favorite edibles. Use the leaves like any sweet basil,
and use the flowers in salads, too. Hummingbirds like this one. 18" tall.
Tender annual.
BASIL, HOLY Ocimum
sanctum 'Sacred'
NEW! Sacred to many religions in India, this
basil makes an excellent tea (Tulsi Tea). It has been used in Asia to reduce
stress, settle the stomach, and strengthen the heart and kidneys, and even
lower blood sugar. 18" tall. Tender annual.
BASIL, ITALIAN LARGE
LEAF Ocimum basilicum 'Italian Large Leaf'
This is the one for
the pesto lovers. Sweet, high-yielding basil. Large leaves make it easy to
harvest. Tender annual.
BASIL, PESTO PERPETUO
Ocimum basilicum 'Pesto Perpetuo'
A variegated basil!
The light green leaves have a white edge. Very attractive in containers. Good
flavor, midway between lemon and Genovese basil. A vigorous variety good to
bring inside to grow through the fall and winter. Patented, so more expensive,
but worth it. 2' tall.
BASIL, RED RUBIN
Ocimum basilicum 'Red Rubin'
Biggest leaves of any
purple basil, the color is a beautiful reddish-purple.� Tender annual.
BASIL,CINNAMON Ocimum
basilicum 'Cinnamon'
Slight overtones of
cinnamon make this basil an excellent addition to the herb garden. One of the
best for spaghetti sauce.� Tender annual
BASIL, THAI� Ocimum basilicum 'Thai Siam Queen'
The best basil to use
in Asian cooking; the warm and spicy taste is the perfect compliment to
Vietnamese and Thai dishes. It's a pretty plant, too, with glossy dark green
leaves and purple flowers. Tender annual.
BEEBALM, ROSE SCENTED
Monarda didyma 'Rose Scented'
NEW! Very fragrant! Excellent for potpourri
and tea, and beautiful in the garden with its lavender flowers and rose-scented
foliage. 2' tall. Zone 4.
CATNIP Nepeta cataria
Gray-green leaves,
white flowers; a kitty perennial favorite. Also used as a tea for colicky
babies and as an insect repellent. This member of the mint family is very
hardy. Brought by settlers in the 1800's, it has naturalized in Rye and much of
the West. Perennial. Zone 4.
CHIVES Allium
schoenoprasum
Yummy mild onion
flavor. Easy to grow. Pretty lavender flowers. Perennial.
CHIVES, GARLIC Allium
tuberosum
Sometimes called
Chinese chives, the flat leaves and definite but mild garlic flavor distinguish
it from "regular" chives. 2" tall. Pretty white flowers.
Perennial.
CILANTRO, CALYPSO
Coriandrum sativum 'Calypso'
NEW! We're growing a new variety that has been
selected for its "cut and come again" qualities. This herb can be cut
back and allowed to re-grow at least 3 times through the summer due to its
extremely low growing point. Grow in a pot on the patio, or in the garden, and
you'll have fresh cilantro when you want it! Annual.
COMFREY Symphytum
officinale
Comfrey has been used
as a healing herb since ancient times. Greeks and Romans used comfrey to stop
bleeding, treat bronchial problems, and heal broken bones. We have neighbors
who use it in a poultice for their horses. Zone 4.
CUBAN OREGANO Coleus
amboinicus
Succulent foliage
looks great in containers, baskets, etc. Used for seasoning in the caribbean;
used in Southeast Asia to treat asthma and bronchitis. Must be grown indoors in
winter.
DILL, FERNLEAF Anethum
graveolens
2010 Herb of the Year!
We are growing a variety that is slower to go to seed and very productive.
Great for mixing in green salads, or to top potato salads. Essential when
making DILL pickles. Annual.
FENNEL, BRONZE
Foeniculum vulgare 'Smokey'
Bronze-colored fennel
is as decorative as it is tasty. Leaves and seeds used in cooking, excellent
with fish. 2'-3'. Hardy perennial.
FRENCH TARRAGON
Artemisia dracunculus
Vegetatively
propagated, our tarragon has a delicious anise flavor. Perennial. Zone 4.
GOJI BERRY Lycium
barbarum
This 8 ft. tall
Chinese shrub has small purple/blue flowers & red fruits. The mildly sweet
edible fruits can be eaten fresh or dried. These fruits have the highest level
of anti-oxidants of any food plant & are extensively used in the treatment
of cancers in China. Also known as WOLFBERRY or MATRIMONY VINE (for its claim
to cure
impotence). This plant
loves the heat and does best in Pueblo and Hatchet Ranch. Zone 5.
HYSSOP Hyssopus
officinalis
Although it has been
used for cooking and medicine in the past, it's primary use today is
ornamental. The violet flowers are pretty in summer. Xeric. 2' tall.
LAVENDER, GROSSO
Lavandula x intermedia 'Grosso'
A big lavender that is
perfect for crafting and dried bouquets. 30" tall.
LAVENDER, HIDCOTE
Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote Blue'
Dark lavender flowers
bloom profusely in midsummmer. Seed grown strain. Zone 5.
LEMON BALM Melissa
officinalis
Lemon flavor makes
this great for garnishing iced drinks or salads. Has also been used medicinally
to bring down a high fever. Insignificant white flowers. 2' tall. Hardy
perennial.
LEMON VERBENA Aloysia
triphylla
Of all the lemon
scented herbs, this one has the best scent. It's also best for drying, it keeps
its scent for a long time. Makes a great tea and is also an excellent
ingredient in potpourri. Not winter hardy in Colorado. Does best if you keep it
in a pot on the patio or porch for the summer, and then bring it inside in in
September. Don't risk
taking it outside
again until May.
LICORICE GRASS Acorus
gramineus 'Licorice'
Evergreen leaves in
broad fans have a sweet licorice scent when crushed. This Asian native is great
in a water garden, ponds or bogs, as well as in a shade garden in moist soil.
Planting depth in water 1". Leaves are used in Thai cooking. Zone 5.
LOVAGE Levisticum
officinale
Celery-flavored herb
is good for soups and salads. 3'-4' tall. Will grow in part shade to full sun.
Remarkably drought tolerant. Zone 3.
MARJORAM Origanum
majorana
This sweet relative of
oregano is delicious with tomatoes, in stews and soups, beans, potatoes, and
eggs, and used to flavor vinegar. It is also a gentle antiseptic, good in baths
and tonics for the skin. Used for wreaths and bouquets, it signifies undying
love. Grow as an annual.
MINT, APPLE Mentha
rotundifolia
Fuzzy, round leaves
with light apple fragrance. Can be used to make mint apple jelly. 20"
tall. Zone 4.
MINT, BANANA Mentha
'Banana'
On a hot sunny day it
smells just like bananas. Low-growing, could be used as a ground cover. Soft
green leaves are a little fuzzy. 6"-8" tall. Zone 5.
MINT, CANDY Mentha sp.
'Candy'
Much like Chocolate
Mint, this peppermint variety is very sweet. Great for iced tea. Zone 4.
MINT, CORSICAN Mentha
requienii
Tiny, fragrant mint
for containers, indoors or out. Only hardy to zone 7, but grow it anyway for
the intense aroma and its utter cuteness. Katherine, our longtime employee,
recommends it highly. 1/2" high.
MINT, HIMALAYAN SILVER
Mentha longifolia 'Himalayan Silver Mint'
This unusual mint has
very fuzzy, long, silver leaves. The flowers are pink. It's great in bouquets,
fresh or dried. Zone 4.
MINT, MOJITO Mentha
'Mojito'
NEW! The Mojito, made with rum, sugar, lime
juice and Cuba's unique mojito mint, was a favorite drink of Ernest Hemingway
(in real life) and James Bond (in the movies.) The real Mojito can only be made
with the true mojito mint, and until this year we couldn't find it. After much
searching we�re happy to offer the�
authentic Mojito mint.� You can
use it to make a refreshing Virgin Mojito, too�ask us for the recipe when we
open in May. Zone 4.
MINT, PEPPERMINT
Mentha piperita
Long used for upset
stomachs and headaches, peppermint is a sweet favorite. Zone 4.
MINT, PINEAPPLE Mentha
suaveolens 'Variegata'
Good with asian
dishes. Nice addition to fruity desserts.�
Zone 5.
MINT, SPEARMINT Mentha
spicata
Used for mint juleps,
mint jelly, and tea. The quintessential mint. Zone 4.
OREGANO Origanum
vulgare humulis
A smaller more compact
oregano with deep purple flowers. Great in the rock garden or the front of the
herb garden.� Zone 5.
OREGANO, GREEK
Origanum heracleoticum
Great culinary
oregano. This is the true Greek Oregano, seed originally from the mountains of
Greece. White flowers. Like many herbs it prefers a dry, even rocky, soil
similar to its native Mediterranean home. Zone 5.
OREGANO, TURKISH
Origanum tyttanthum
This oregano is one of
the very best flavored oreganos for cooking. Sadly, it's not so easy to
propagate. Someday we'll have enough of this plant to feature it in the
newsletter and then everyone will know how tasty it is. Pale pink or white
flowers. 18" tall. Zone 5.
PARSLEY, ITALIAN
Petroselinum neapolitanum 'Giant of Italy'
NEW! This Italian parsley selection is the
best for flavor and productivity. Upright habit. 15" tall. Zone 4.
ROSEMARY, BENEDEN BLUE
Rosmarinus officinalis 'Beneden Blue'
Very fine leaves and
dark blue flowers make this one of the most attractive rosemary plants for the
garden; good flavor for cooking, too. Full sun; drought tolerant. Zone 7.
ROSEMARY, BLUE SPIRES
Rosmarinus officinalis 'Blue Spires'
Nice blue flowers. It
produces lots of strong stems for cooking. Zone 7.
ROSEMARY, SPICE ISLAND
Rosmarinus officinalis 'Spice Island'
This is one of the
most flavorful rosemary plants you can grow. It produces lots of strong stems
for cooking. Bright green foliage and a very upright habit. Blue flowers. Makes
a nice winter houseplant. Zone 8.
ROSEMARY, TUSCAN BLUE
Rosmarinus officinalis 'Tuscan Blue'
Bushy and upright
form, with deep blue flowers and large leaves. Favorite of chefs. Hardy to zone
8.
SAGE Salvia
officinalis 'Sage of Bath'
Silvery-green foliage
and pretty pink flowers make this edible sage a delight in the herb garden.
Zone 5.
SAGE, DWARF Salvia
officinalis 'Nana'
Dwarf culinary sage.
Small leaves and lavender blue flowers. Some say it survives the winter better
than other cooking sages. Zone 5.
SAGE, GOLDEN Salvia officinalis
'Icterina'
This one is one of the
hardiest of the cooking sages, and looks great as an ornamental, too.
SAGE, PINEAPPLE Salvia
elegans
Excellent pineapple
fragrance. Showy red flowers attract hummingbirds. Not winter hardy but can be
enjoyed indoors through the winter in a sunroom or greenhouse.
SCENTED GERANIUM
Pelargonium 'Attar of Roses'
The fragrance is
strong, but very appealing. I've used stems of this in bouquets with roses to
give the bouqets more fragrance. The edible flowers on Attar of Roses are pink
with tiny purple purple stripes on the top petals. 2' tall. Tender perennial.
Makes a good houseplant in winter.
SCENTED GERANIUM,
COCONUT Pelargonium parviflorum 'Coconut'
Believe it or not, a
scented geranium that self-sows! Good for baskets or even in a rocky berm.
SCENTED GERANIUM, LIME
Pelargonium nervosum 'Lime'
This one is one of my
favorites. Excellent lime scent, and small, dark green leaves. Magenta flowers
off and on through the winter, if you keep it as a house plant.
SCENTED GERANIUM, OLD
FASHIONED ROSE Pelargonium 'Old Fashioned Rose�
Lovely rose fragrance,
if planted in the garden this plant will get big enough to cut branches for
bouquets. I wouldn't be without it.
SCENTED GERANIUM,
PRINCE RUPERT Pelargonium crispum 'Prince Rupert'
Small variegated
leaves with strong lemon scent. One of the nicest of the scented geraniums.
THYME, ENGLISH Thymus
vulgaris (ENGLISH)
This is the classic
thyme; great used fresh or dried. A tidy well-branched shrubby plant that does
best in full sun and scoffs at poor soil and scant watering. 6" to
12". Zone 4.
THYME, ROSE PETAL
Thymus 'Rose Petal'
NEW! An excellent
groundcover that emit a scent much like the scent of rose geranium when walked
on. Spreads
well and looks great
in a rock garden or between flagstones. 4" tall. Zone 5.
THYME, VARIEGATED
LEMON Thymus x citriodorus 'Aureus' (upright)
Variegated, gold and
green, 12" shrub smells as good as it looks. Essential to flavor fish and
chicken dishes.
Zone 5.