Herb Plants
Herb plants are underrated as potential design elements for your landscaping. Many homeowners know about their medicinal or culinary uses, but few consider the potential for design with herb plants. Discover how herb plants can be useful in beds, borders, rock gardens, knot gardens, hedges, dry walls, and container gardens.
Sweet Woodruff Herb Plants
Sweet woodruff herb plants have a wonderful aromatic quality. Traditionally, sweet woodruff herbs have had culinary and medicinal uses, as well.
Sweet woodruff herb plants have a wonderful aromatic quality. Traditionally, sweet woodruff herbs have had culinary and medicinal uses, as well.
Creeping Thyme Herb Plants
Wooly creeping thyme herb plants (and similar varieties) are useful in the landscape, serving as ground covers between stepping stones. Besides woolly creeping thyme, there are many other useful herb plants, included those with flavors such as caraway, lemon and spicy orange.
Wooly creeping thyme herb plants (and similar varieties) are useful in the landscape, serving as ground covers between stepping stones. Besides woolly creeping thyme, there are many other useful herb plants, included those with flavors such as caraway, lemon and spicy orange.
Catnip Herb Plants
Catnip herb plants (Nepeta cataria), or "catmint" (chiefly British), are a must if one goal of your landscaping is to achieve a cat-friendly yard. Nepeta mussinii is preferred if you are more interested in aesthetics than in pleasing puss.
Catnip herb plants (Nepeta cataria), or "catmint" (chiefly British), are a must if one goal of your landscaping is to achieve a cat-friendly yard. Nepeta mussinii is preferred if you are more interested in aesthetics than in pleasing puss.
Growing Herb Plants for Fragrance -- English Lavender Flower
Landscape design options with lavender include use in rock gardens, border plantings and cottage gardens. If your plan calls for a decorative border, lavender’s height makes it suitable for inclusion in the middle row, with shorter annuals in front and taller shrubs in back. When summer's over, you can harvest lavender for sachets and aromatherapy, enjoying its classic fragrance indoors.
Landscape design options with lavender include use in rock gardens, border plantings and cottage gardens. If your plan calls for a decorative border, lavender’s height makes it suitable for inclusion in the middle row, with shorter annuals in front and taller shrubs in back. When summer's over, you can harvest lavender for sachets and aromatherapy, enjoying its classic fragrance indoors.
Yarrow Herb Plants
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) has a feathery foliage and flattened flower heads. Yarrow is often grown for aesthetic purposes, in border plantings with flowers or in rock gardens. But yarrow is also a medicinal herb plant.
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) has a feathery foliage and flattened flower heads. Yarrow is often grown for aesthetic purposes, in border plantings with flowers or in rock gardens. But yarrow is also a medicinal herb plant.
Dead Nettles
Dead nettles display an attractive silvery foliage and bear white blooms. They're a good choice for dry shade gardens. But traditionally, they were also considered herb plants, used to staunch blood.
Dead nettles display an attractive silvery foliage and bear white blooms. They're a good choice for dry shade gardens. But traditionally, they were also considered herb plants, used to staunch blood.
Herb Plants in Landscape Design: Oregano
The uses for herb plants aren't restricted to the culinary and the medicinal. Herb plants can also play a role in landscape design. Marie Iannotti, About's Gardening Guide, suggests oregano can be used as an edging plant, ground cover and rock-garden plant.
The uses for herb plants aren't restricted to the culinary and the medicinal. Herb plants can also play a role in landscape design. Marie Iannotti, About's Gardening Guide, suggests oregano can be used as an edging plant, ground cover and rock-garden plant.
Sage -- These Herb Plants Are for More Than Stuffing
We can't help but think of Thanksgiving when mention is made of the herb plant, sage. But as About's Gardening Guide observes, they can also be useful in landscape design. "While a sage plant is in its prime, it makes an attractive addition to both herb gardens and ornamental borders. The purple, golden and tri-color varieties work especially well as edgers...."
We can't help but think of Thanksgiving when mention is made of the herb plant, sage. But as About's Gardening Guide observes, they can also be useful in landscape design. "While a sage plant is in its prime, it makes an attractive addition to both herb gardens and ornamental borders. The purple, golden and tri-color varieties work especially well as edgers...."
Growing Herb Plants for Mediterranean Gardens -- Rosemary
"Rosemary" derives from the Latin for "dew of the sea," an elegant name for an elegant plant. In her article on growing rosemary, Marie Iannotti, About's Gardening Guide, refers to rosemary as "a triple threat herb": ornamental, fragrant and delicious.
"Rosemary" derives from the Latin for "dew of the sea," an elegant name for an elegant plant. In her article on growing rosemary, Marie Iannotti, About's Gardening Guide, refers to rosemary as "a triple threat herb": ornamental, fragrant and delicious.
5 Best Herb Plants for Container Gardens
Why grow herb plants in container gardens? Amy Jeanroy, About's Guide to Herb Gardens, says that you have more control when growing herb plants in container gardens, rather than in the ground. "You can easily move the containers towards a warmer area if needed and back into the shade if the season gets too hot." Read the rest of her tips on growing herb plants in container gardens here.
Why grow herb plants in container gardens? Amy Jeanroy, About's Guide to Herb Gardens, says that you have more control when growing herb plants in container gardens, rather than in the ground. "You can easily move the containers towards a warmer area if needed and back into the shade if the season gets too hot." Read the rest of her tips on growing herb plants in container gardens here.