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43494 Mountain View Drive • Chantilly, VA 20152 • (703) 327-6976 • www.debaggioherbs.com This catalog lists for purchase at the greenhouse only. We do not ship plantts Copyright © 2 0 1 7 by DeBaggio L.L.C. All Rights Reserved 2 HaPPy SPRing ! Spring 2 0 1 7 Crop Schedule March thru mid-april: Lettuce Rucola Broccoli Salad greens and cole crops are usually gone by the time the warm weather crops are ready

First Crop: end of april (and no sooner) Second crop: early to mid-May: Tomatoes Peppers Eggplant Okra

Most herbs are grown for you throughout the season and will be available as ready, subject to normal seasonal ebb and flow.

Perennials will be available throughout the season.

Annuals will be ready at the appropriate planting time.

please visit our web site or call to check stock! outages and Readies will be posted on www.debaggioherbs.com

Renew YouR Catalog SubSCRiptionS ContentS With postage rates and printing costs increasing so rapidly, it annuals & perennials 24-29 is necessary to ask you to renew your free subscription to the ...... books 46 catalog and growing guide every few years so I can ...... Directions back page ...... remove those who have lost interest or moved. Fruit trees 43-44 ...... Herbs-300+ varieties 4-23 ...... The renewal process is simple: basil 4-6 ...... Check the mailing label on the back of this catalog. if your lavender 10-12 ...... subscription is about to expire, there will be a message for you 16 ...... to renew. Sage 18 ...... 21 ...... there are three ways to renew. products 45 ...... Scented geraniums 30 1) Visit our website, www.debaggioherbs.com/signup.html ...... Soaps 47 (preferred method) ...... Vegetables- 200+ varieties 32-42 2) Send your address label to me on the back of a postcard ... lettuce & salad greens 33 3) bring your address label to the greenhouse peppers ... 35 ...... tomatoes 39 ...... TiPS 3 Some tips on growing Herbs indoors in general, the rules for growing most house plants also apply to herbs indoors. if you are successful in skirting a few rules with your plants now, it is likely you can do the same with your herbs. air. Your herbs will thrive in a temperature between 65° to 70°F, about what is comfortable to you. Avoid rooms that are stuffy and have stale air. Herbs like fresh, moving air but not drafts; humidity is best around 50 percent. Soil. For your container potting mix, forget about soil. A soil-less medium of one part sphagnum peat moss and one part perlite makes a good mixture for herbs. If you prepare your own mix, add 3 to 4 tablespoons of horticultural lime per quart of mix; peat can be quite acid and the lime sweetens the mix. Stir ingredients while dry and dampen the medium before planting. Soil-less media with natural ingredients, but without soil, have been tested on herbs and found to be superior to other potting soils. For years we have used Pro-Mix BX, a commercial soil-less medium, with excellent results. water. Watering is not as tricky and mysterious as you may have been led to believe. Here are a few general rules which might improve your green thumb: • Don't let the pot sit in water and drown the 's roots. • During warm weather and rapid growth, plants are more tolerant of water. When the air is cool and light is poor, go easy with water and allow the surface of the soil to dry between watering. • Water temperature should match air temperature. • A fan moving air around and over your potted herbs will help dry the growing medium. pots. Containers come in many sizes, shapes, colors and materials. I like plastic because it is light and cheap. Plants do not dry as quickly in plastic as they do in clay pots which can be a disadvantage during winter. Don't worry about stones or broken crockery in the bottom when the pot has lots of drainage holes; the stones actually hinder drainage and are a bad idea. Pot your herbs in a container 2 inches larger than the one it is transplanted from. Don't put a small plant in a huge pot, the roots cannot use all that moisture and they are likely to rot quickly. Because plants grow at different rates, planters with several different types of herbs will need careful attention; it is sometimes better to use the planter to hold individual pots which can make individual transplanting easier. You can keep your plants smaller by leaving them in small pots, but this restriction of growth means less foliage and it can harm the plant. When roots begin to fill the pot and circle its sides, it is time to transplant. Yellowing leaves or shedding leaves sometimes indicates the plant is pot bound. light. Most herbs need 5 hours of full sun for optimum growth. Only a few herbs will grow well without direct sunlight. Don’t despair if you lack a south facing, sunny window. Herbs will often adjust to less than the best conditions. A fluorescent light garden is one way to give your herbs and other plants near perfect light conditions. Commercially available ‘Grow Lites’ can be used but are more expensive. Fluorescent tubes should be no more than 3 to 5 inches above plant tops. Use 4 cool white tubes for each 10 inches of table width. Lights can be used to supplement natural sunlight. Use a timer to provide a total (sun and fluorescent) photo period of 12- 14 hours. Food. It's better to give your herbs a little food often (every week at half strength, for instance) than a lot all at once. A slow release fertilizer like Osmocote 14-14-14 works well. If your pots are small and you like liquid fertilizers, choose a 10-10-10 or a 20-10-20 formula. Keep in mind that when you water more often, you should also feed your plants more often. Organic fertilizers such as fish emulsion are excellent for soil-less potting media. 4 HERbS : a-b Edible, aromatic, ornamental herb plants

It’s time again to celebrate herbs in the warm backyard soil of spring and re-establish the ancient link between humans and plants. To help you and your garden celebrate, we have grown the finest plants of the best herb, vegetable, and edible flower 1 varieties. Most of our herb plants are grown in a deep 2 ⁄2 inch pot. angelica. genoa green basil. . rich, loamy, and well-drained with a pH Ocimum range of 4.3 to 8.2. Height is quite variable Biennial. Light green flowers appear atop basilicum ‘Genovese Verde Migliorato’. A amongst the different forms, ranging lobed, serrated leaves in second year and basil are variety distinguished by a well rounded from10 inches to 4 feet tall. flavor without the cloying sweetness of may be cut to extend plant life. Height can available at the end of april, but reach 6-8 feet when planted in a partly more common Basil. Our most popular please, don’t plant them outdoors shaded area. variety. This is the only variety we use for until the warmth of frost free mid pesto. Clear white flowers on 6 to 8 inch Hyssop . stems. Plants are 24 to 30 inches high. Agastache May because these tender plants genovese basil. Traditional Italian foeniculum. Perennial. Neither anise nor react unfavorably to cool, damp basil. Authentic flavor and appearance. hyssop, this mint-like plant is tidy, tall, and weather. Tall and relatively slow to bolt with large, highly ornamental. Possessed of a strong amethyst basil dark green leaves about 3" long. Grows anise scent and flavor, its leaves are dried . Ocimum basilicum 24-30 inches tall. Similar in flavor to our for tea and potpourri, and can be 'Amethyst Improved'. Purple Genovese own ‘Genoa Green’. substituted for anise in baking. Although type. Nearly black, large, turned down greek basil. leaves. Plants are 16 to 20 inches tall. Ocimum basilicum sometimes referred to as “Anise mint” or anise basil. “Korean mint”, it does not spread from Ocimum basilicum ‘Karamanos’. Chris and Popi Karamanos runners. Beautiful violet tinged flower ‘Anise’. Heart-shaped green leaves have returned from Greece with seeds of this spikes are lovely dried. Bees love its a spicy anise aroma with hints of mint and variety and shared them with us. Green nectar which gives a distinctive flavor to citrus. Stems have a reddish-purple blush; leaves are small and pointed. The flavor is their honey. Delights in a shady spot flowers are light pink. Plants average 24 a combination of anise, , and where summers are hot. . The plant forms a when harvesting basil, remove the entire stem, beautiful, tight, perfect sphere asil 17 to 24 inches high. White is king of the summer rather than plucking individual leaves. this flowers. Space on 12 to 15 inch bgarden, the most popular centers. will prevent flowering and increase lime basil. annual herb in America, and Ocimum the subject of your overall yield per plant. americanum ‘Lime’. A 26 inch adulation and tall basil with a distinctly zesty festivals. It is fast- basil can tolerate severe lime aroma. Keep a plant growing, prolific, pruning during the height handy to use leaves on fish and the of the growing season. and in salads. essential Magical Michael basil. ingredient in an inches high. array of lively ararat basil. Ocimum basilicum ‘Magical Michael’. summer dishes. 2002 All-America Selection. This attractive, The basil crown is Ocimum basilicum ‘Ararat’. bushy basil has olive green leaves with found atop pesto, Striking foliage is infused with red veining and stems. Sweet type basil that rich, oily, green purple markings. Strong sweet with fruity aroma and long lasting, burgundy inflorescence. Italian paste that celebrates flavor with an anise overtone. Perfect for Mammoth basil. summer breezes and warm friendship. Not salads, pesto, tomato dishes, and as a Large, sweet, garnish. only is basil a valuable tool in the kitchen, . puckered leaves. Space 18 inches apart. several of its forms are also highly Ocimum Use in salads, sauces, and with vegetables. ornamental and dress the landscape with basilicum . A variety from Mexico with a Marseillais basil. their wondrous shapes and colors. Basil is clean spicy aroma with a hint of cinnamon. Ocimum native to tropical climes and are Green leaves are distinctly veined. Light basilicum 'Marseillais'. Dwarf, bushy plants considered annuals in our climate because lavender flowers are held on purple- with medium sized aromatic leaves. Height they are hardy to only 32ºF. Plants require stained stems. Plants may reach 3 feet to 12 inches. Minette basil. a minimum of four hours of direct sun per high. Ocimum ‘Minette’. day and should be planted in a soil that is HERbS : b aSil 5 before You Visit us I can guarantee the quality of our plants because we grow them ourselves. Demand for certain varieties is sometimes greater than I anticipated and we run out. Often there is another crop on the way. This catalog lists most of the varieties I grow, however, it is not possible to list everything. Some plants are tricky to propagate; others are too new for me to describe in any detail. if you don’t see something listed or there are plants you can’t do without, please call to check our supply before you visit.

This recent introduction is a small bush border in the garden. aroma that is spicy and anise. May purple Delight basil. basil that would make a nice border or pot Ocimum have a modest use with vegetables. plant. Make sure you pick a spot that has basilicum ‘Purple Delight’. This new basil Green leaves are fuzzy and strongly excellent drainage and good air circulation veined. Plants grow to 15 inches high. is similar to the original ‘Dark Opal’ before Spicy globe basil. as the tight foliage can trap moisture and seed quality declined. This new variety Ocimum ‘Spicy succumb to disease. Height to about 12 has little or no green to mar the dark Globe’. Since its introduction in 1985, this inches. Space 10 inches apart. Mrs. burns’ . purple leaves. Growth is strong and dwarf, hybrid basil with tiny leaves has Ocimum upright. Strong flavor. become a standard against which others purple Ruffles basil basilicum ‘Mrs. Burns’ Lemon’. Large . Ocimum are measured. Vigorous branching creates leaves and a strong lemon aroma basilicum ‘Purple Ruffles’. An All American remarkable leaf density. White flowers on characterize this unique lemon variety. It is Selection in 1987, this robust plant has three-inch long stems top the plant. A wonderful in salads and makes a delightful had problems holding its dark purple color. strong spicy aroma with hints of citrus and summer ice tea. Barney Burns’ mother, We try to remove all seedlings that contain mint envelopes the plant when brushed Janet, combined ground beef and finely green to maintain its proper color. Plants with the hand. Plants grow to 10 to 12 chopped lemon basil leaves to create a inches high. reach 27 inches and are 17 inches wide. Sweet Dani lemon basil grilled burger they named Barney’s Basil The aroma is sweet with cinnamon-spice . Ocimum Burger. Great for summer cookouts. Plants scents with some mint and anise. ‘Sweet Dani’. Here is a big, broad- Red and green Holy basil. may reach nearly 3 feet high and 2 feet shouldered basil that boasts big harvests wide. napoletano basil. Ocimum sanctum . Single plant has both of strongly lemon-scented foliage. The Ocimum red and green leaves and musky scent. plant quickly reaches 30 inches with basilicum . A standard variety of southern Height: 16 to 20 inches. Limited supply. leaves 2 inches long and 1 1/2 inches Rubin basil. Italy, sweetly flavorful of anise and a touch Ocimum basilicum wide. This delightful new basil is the of mint. Plants are covered with puckered breeding work of Jim Simon and Mario 'Rubin'. A European re-selection of ‘Dark green leaves that average over 5 inches Morales at Purdue University. 1998 All- Opal’ that has better red color and is more long and as wide. This basil is easily our American Selection. disease resistant. Sweet . second most popular basil (after Genoa Serata basil Ocimum . Ocimum basilicum Green). Plants reach 24 inches high. basilicum . This is the basil most often nufar basil F1. 'Serata'. Very similar to ‘Green Ruffles’. Ocimum basilicum used in Thailand. Highly scented green Ruffled leaves with good basil flavor. Great ‘Nufar’. A new Genovese type basil with leaves are loaded with a spicy anise-clove as a bouquet filler, in containers or as a good flavor and aroma. In tests it has scent. Purple stems and blossoms. About flavorful plate garnish. Try pairing it with shown good resistance to fusarium wilt, a 18 inches tall and 12 inches wide. ‘Purple Ruffles’. Some resistance to thai Magic basil. disease which has plagued growers for a fusarium is reported by the breeder of this Ocimum decade. Plants are 24 to 30 inches tall. variety. basilicum ‘Thai Magic’. Typical anise Space on 12 to 15 inch centers. Spice basil. pistou basil. Ocimum americanum flavoring of other Thai type Basil, only Ocimum sp. 'Pistou'. A milder and sweeter. ‘Spice’. This basil is commonly sold as thai Siam Queen basil small leaved, dwarf basil forms a small Indian Holy Basil ( O. sanctum ), an error by . Ocimum globe. Only reaching 6 to 8 inches tall this its American introducer repeated for basilicum ‘Siam Queen’. True variety is great for small containers or as a decades. Its green leaves produce an Thai Basil. This is a knockout as an 6 HERbS : b-C ornamental and its leaves have an Bright pink, edible flowers. Plants reach cottage garden or the middle of the border assertive anise scent, perfect for Asian about 28 inches tall. with its reddish-purple flowers forming lemon bergamot food. Siam Queen’s standout feature is its . Monarda whorls along tall spikes which rise 2 to 3 radiant purple, ball-headed inflorescence, citriodora . Annual. Also known as lemon feet above strongly aromatic basal foliage. containing many individual stems with mint, this Monarda has strongly lemon- Good for cut flowers. lavender or pink blossoms. Green leaves scented foliage which lend a delightful . are 3 1/2 inches long by 1 1/4-inch wide. accent to tea. Leaves can also be used to Borago . Annual, Plants are about 24 inches high. Space 15 flavor meat dishes and, along with the, hardy to 25°F. While you can make fritters to 20 inches apart. 1997 All American beautiful, large, lavender-pink flowers, from its flowers and use its cucumber- Selection winner. eaten in salads. Grows to about 2 feet. . Valentino basil. Raspberry wine. flavored, hirsute leaves in cold drinks like Ocimum basilicum Monarda Pimm’s Cup, borage acts as a magnet in 'Valentino'. This large lettuce-leaf type 'Raspberry Wine'. Perennial, hardy to - the garden for pollinating bees. The blue basil reaches up to 2 feet tall. 30ºF. Long Blooming variety. Flowers are flowers are also candied for cake bay a rich raspberry color. Height to 30 inches. decorating and used dried in wreaths. . . Sweet Bay or Bay Like all monarda, growth habit can be Height to 2 feet. invasive. Laurel. This is the bay of commerce and wild bergamot. burnet. the one seen growing in Europe. For our Monarda fistulosa . Sanguisorba minor . A climate, it is usually a potted plant to be This perennial produces bright lavender Frenchman would not be without ready brought indoors, but in a fortuitous site, it flowers and has highly fragrant leaves. access to burnet, the handsome may be grown outdoors with protection. Most bee balm ( Monarda didyma ) in ornamental with accordion green leaves. Fresh leaves are used with meats and cultivation today is actually of hybrid origin Its cucumber flavor is subtle, but vegetables. Once you have a bay of your and has wild bergamot as one of its unmistakable. Try it in vinegar, salad own, you will find many excuses to use it. parents. Unlike its more commonly grown dressing, or just cut up in a salad. Height Slow growing until well established. relatives, wild bergamot prefers dry soil to 30 inches in flower. Space 18 to 24 conditions. Typically grown in full sun, this inches apart. Perennial, hardy to -40°F. bee balm/Monarda/ bergamot plant will tolerate some shade. Height is Lovely in the garden. usually 3-4 feet. Flowers are edible and Jacob Kline. Monarda x media the spicy leaves can be used to make tea butterfly weed/pleurisy Root. ‘Jacob Kline’. Perennial, hardy to -25º F. or substituted for . Bright red flowers on a plant reputed to Asclepias tuberosa. Perennial, hardy to - betony/ wood betony. 20ºF. This three foot tall perennial have some mildew resistance. Stachys Marshall’s Delight. produces beautiful orange-red flowers that Monarda x officinalis. Betony was an official herb of really attract butterflies. The media ‘Marshall’s Delight’. Perennial, the apothecary, believed to have magical Asclepias (Milkweed) is the Monarch hardy to -25º F. A product of an extensive healing powers. It was grown in monastery caterpillar’s sole source of food. One of breeding program in Canada, this gardens all over Europe. Today, its the last plants to break winter dormancy, is said to have the most resistance to popularity has been surpassed by its close growing to about three feet tall by mid powdery mildew. Most species, with the relative, lamb’s ear, Stachys byzantina. summer. Unlike its swamp loving cousins, exception of M. fistulosa , have increased Betony still deserves a place in the A. tuberosa generally prefers arid soils. susceptibility to the ubiquitous fungus modern herb garden It is a marvelous Roots were used by Native American when their roots are allowed to dry out. well suited for the Plains Indians to heal lung ailments and HERbS : C 7 wounds. See also: Red Butterfly Weed perennial ground cover hardy to -40°F. flower heads before seeds develop to Asclepias curassavica in the Height 10 to 12 inches in flower. eliminate seed scattering problems. ornamental section Sometimes called English chamomile Foliage is used in a wide array of dishes because of its association with the including soups, stews, vegetables, meat, gardens and lawns of that country. Keep fish, and eggs. Catnip/Catmint. . Nepeta ssp. plants amply watered during dry summers. . Perennials, hardy to at least -40ºF. Kitty’s Mowing or frequent trimming retards Sometimes called Chinese chives. This helpless attraction to catnip (and to a flowering and encourages spreading. garlic- flavored chive develops flat, broad lesser extent, catmint) is comical and . leaves as it matures. White flowers harmless. Less well-known is the pleasant Anthriscus cerefolium . Annual, produce seed pods which can be pickled tea made from the flower heads and hardy below 20°F. Height to 2 feet (in and used like capers. leaves. The following types are available. Regular Chives Catnip. flower). Its penchant for cool weather . Allium Nepeta cataria . With its makes chervil a spring and winter herb in schoenoprasum ‘Purly’. A medium to three-foot height, this catnip is formidable. our climate. It is at its best grown in a cold heavy leafed chive with an upright, straight It shows its mint heritage with a spreading frame over winter. Summer shade will help tubular leaf. Hardy early riser in the spring. habit. It has large gray leaves and white moderate temperatures. Foliage should be Rosy flower heads in late spring may be flowers. Seeds will readily self sow. Use cut often for use, even when plants are clipped and used in decorative chive leaves to flavor meat, vegetables, and for small. Chervil is sometimes called blossom vinegar. cat toys. lemon-Scented Catnip. “gourmet ” because of its Nepeta Cilantro (). resemblance to curly parsley and the Coriandrum cataria ‘Citriodora’. Same habit as above fondness in which French cooks hold it. It sativum. Whether you call it cilantro or only with a lemon scent. is one of the of the Gallic Japanese Catmint coriander may depend on how you use it. kitchen. . Nepeta Cilantro, also dubbed “Chinese parsley”, is subsessilis . Although this clump forming cultivated for is aromatic foliage and used perennial is hardy to about -20ºF, it may Chives. A familiar perennial herb with a in Asian and Latin American dishes. be short-lived if planted in a hot, dry spot. Cilantro seeds (coriander) are used in mild onion flavor. Although the roots are The bright blue flowers bourne from baking and in a variety of vegetable and hardy to - 40ºF the tops will die down to midsummer through early autumn meat recipes. One of the most frequently the ground at the onset of cold weather. separate this from the run of the mill asked questions here at the greenhouse Plants develop into clumps which should Nepeta species. Keep lightly pruned. is, “why is cilantro so difficult to grow?”. be divided every three to four years. Cut Minimally attractive to cats. Cilantro is no more difficult to grow than Six Hills giant Catmint snippets from the plants often. Remove . Nepeta any other herb. Cilantro is a short-lived ‘Six Hills Giant’. Very vigorous ornamental annual with two growth stages: the first is reaching 3 feet tall. Beautiful blue flowers. vegetative and the second is devoted to Minimally attractive to cats. Dwarf blue Catmint flower and seed production. The . Nepeta vegetative stage lasts up to 60 days after mussinii . A lovely ornamental with blue transplanting, and is enhanced by regular flowers and small gray leaves. Height: 18 cutting of foliage every 7- 10 days during to 24 inches tall. Minimally attractive to periods of rapid growth. The appearance cats. of fine, lacy foliage indicates the beginning of the flowering stage and the production Chamomile. of coriander seed. At this point the foliage Use the flower heads in becomes very bitter. Hot summer weather tea and in a decoction as a hair rinse. causes the plant to grow faster and go to Both types of chamomile grow best when seed sooner than during cooler periods. In planted on fertile, well-drained soils in a order to have fresh cilantro all summer, site with at least 4 hours of direct sun. successive crops 2-3 weeks apart, must People allergic to ragweed should be wary be grown. Annual, hardy to 25-30°F. of ingesting any part of Roman Height to 36 inches. chamomile. german Chamomile. Matricaria Coriander, Vietnamese. Persicaria recutita. Annual about 18 to 30 inches high. Hardy to 29°F. Pinch young plants to odoratum. The flavor of his Asian herb promote branching and more flowers. Cut resembles cilantro with a hint of lemon. flowers frequently to keep plant vegetative. Plants are nearly care free and fast This is the best chamomile for tea. growing, producing a steady supply of Roman Chamomile. foliage without interruption by flowers. An excellent pot plant that can be grown Chamaemelum nobile . Low growing 8 HERbS : C-g echinacea/Coneflower indoors in a light garden. Give partial . Echinacea drought during the summer. Several shade during the heat of summer. Cut varieties are available this year. was important as a medicinal plant to the purple. stems often to encourage branching. Use American Indians. Although there may be Echinacea purpurea. Large, with fish, vegetables, soups, meats, and in a place drooping, purple-petaled flowers. Height is sauces. Tender perennial, hardy to about for 2 to 3 feet in flower. Space plants 8 inches 20°F. Height: 2 to 3 feet. apart. Curry plant. Helichrysum italicum. epazote. Chenopodium ambrosioides . Perennial hardy to 15°F. This is not the curry of commerce, a combination of Myth buster (Mexican Tea, Wormseed). Annual, herbs and , but a gray-leaved plant hardy to 32°F. Height to 24 inches. resembling rosemary or lavender and DO nOT cross Easy to grow but can become a with a strong curry aroma. The curry pollinate. There is no need to keep nuisance if it is permitted to make flavor is preserved when added seed. This is the famous after cooking or when used in chilled them seperate in the garden. Mexican herb used to flavor dishes such as deviled eggs. Pollination across genera bean dishes and also finds its way Excellent in potpourri. Small button into corn, mushroom and sized yellow flowers. Makes a delightful is very rare. Cross pollination seafood dishes. Medicinally, it was potted plant in an area with good air would only affect the once used to expel worms from children. circulation. Height to 4 feet. Fennel. offspring/seeds anyway, not Foeniculum vulgare . Dill. Anthemum graveolens . Short- lived the parent plants. A sweet, anise flavored plant, often annual, hardy to 29ºF. Dill is as much mistaken in its early growth for dill, a misunderstood as cilantro. It has two close relative. Leaves, stems, and seeds distinct growth patterns, one vegetative are used to flavor pasta, meats, fish, and and the other flowering. During early vegetable dishes. These short-lived growth, fragrant leaves are produced; perennials are hardy to -10ºF, and can echinacea in modern harvests should be frequent. Dill’s reach up to 6 feet tall. Space transplants pharmacology, the gardener finds the vegetative period lasts 40 to 60 days. 24 to 30 inches apart. Finnochio (bulbing coneflower better suited amongst other During this early period, leaves are fennel) is listed in the vegetable section. ornamental herbs such as butterfly weed, bronze Fennel produced rapidly and should be harvested . ‘Rubrum’. Bronze, garlic chives and wild bergamot. Down- often. Once the central flower stalk rises, feathery leaves give this variety an turned (reflexed) petals around a dark leaf production ends and seeds are ornamental character. Makes a dramatic bristled cone are characteristic of the produced. For continuous leaf production garnish. Growth is not as robust as green coneflowers (except Tennessee successive sowing is necessary. My varieties. coneflower which has upturned petals.) green Fennel father’s favorite way to use dill is to mince . Large, thick stems When the petals have dropped off, the leaves and mix them with boiled new remaining cone can be used in making support this tall plant with delicate green potatoes, chopped onions, vinegar, and wreaths and in other crafts. Or leave them leaves. olive oil. Leaves and seeds are used with in the garden for the finches. All other vegetables, beef, eggs, fish and in coneflowers require full sun, although they Feverfew. sauces. Tanacetum parthenium . will do nicely in part shade, and well- Short-lived perennial, hardy to -20°F. An drained soil. They will tolerate periods of old medicinal plant, revived to combat SeeDS modern headaches, as a tea. In the garden it delights the senses with beauty Renee’s Garden seeds are well-known and form. ‘Tetra White’ has all double, for their quality and selection. Renee personally small white flowers with yellow centers selects her varieties “based on great flavor, easy which dry well and can be used in culture and exceptional garden performance.” The arrangements and potpourri. Height can seed packets feature beautiful watercolor portraits vary widely ranging from 2 to 5 feet tall and have individually written descriptions, growing depending on soil fertility and sun. tips and instructions, a planting chart, harvesting information and recipe ideas. Of course, what’s inside the packet is what is most important. The seed is from Flax the top germinating, most reliable seed lots usually blue Flowered . Linum perenne. reserved for specialty growers. 1 Perennial, hardy below 0ºF. This pretty border perennial created lots of excitement 1-source: reneesgarden.com HERbS : g-l 9 among visitors last year. The long feathery or Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ or plant in front benefit from a garden that contains branches produced loads of small pale of the border. Yearly or biannual division generous amounts of manure. Space blue flowers which opened dutifully each will keep plants healthy, in check and plants 18 to 24 inches apart. morning with the sun, closing as the heat provide extra plant material. Some of the day intensifies. As with ordinary flax, varieties produce interesting fall color. All Hummingbird Mint/ giant seeds contain linseed oil and can be used are hardy to at least -10ºF. brookside geranium. Hyssop. in baking. Geranium Agastache aurantiaca 'Apricot germander. ‘Brookside’ ( Geranium pratense x clarkei Teucrium chamaedrys. ‘Kashmir Purple’ ). Vigorous 12 -18 inch Sprite'. Perennial. Hardy to 0ºF. Short, tubular, apricot colored flowers summer Semi-evergreen, hardy to -5°F. Height to tall plant with finely cut leaves and large through fall. Fragrant foliage. Height to 18” 24 inches. This fast growing, hard to find bowl shaped flowers of a deep clear blue inches. evergreen is ideal for an edging with a pale center. Cut back flowers around the herb garden. It has light violet around June when plant begins to look Hyssop. flowers in the summer. It can be kept spindly to maintain attractive mounding . Semi- character and encourage rebloom. clipped in almost any shape you desire Johnson’s blue evergreen hardy to -20°F. Height to 30 and is an excellent substitute for boxwood. . G. himalayense x inches and round. Incomparable as a In the days of Charles V, germander had G. pratense 'Johnson’s Blue'. One of the specimen plant or hedge, hyssop has numerous medicinal uses. most widely available hybrids in lovely flowers (we offer both blue and pink cultivation. Clumps of finely cut foliage varieties). It has a slightly bitter taste, good King Henry . Chenopodium provide a base for beautiful lavender-blue reminiscent of chicory. Distilled hyssop oil flowers from mid-summer to fall. brings a higher price than lavender in the Bonus-Henricus. Perennial, hardy to - phillip Vapelle. perfume trade. Leaves are used sparingly 20ºF. Virtually unknown in this country, but G. renardii in tea and salads. a popular pot herb in England where it is xplatypetalum ‘Phillip Vapelle’. Neat 15 also known as English Mercury and All inch mounds are formed by softly hairy, Jasmine, white Flowered. Good. Usually cooked like spinach, the blue-green leaves. Large bluish-purple young, green shoots and leaves can also flowers with strong dark veins and deeply Jasminum officinale . Perennial, hardy to be used in salads, soups and stews. To notched petals are produced over a long 20ºF. Also known as Common Jasmine, period. prevent this from becoming a weed Rozanne geranium. Poet’s Jasmine, and Perfume Jasmine. problem, keep the plant cut back so Geranium This vine is unlikely to reach its potential flowers and seed do not have a chance to 'Rozanne'. Perennial. Hardy to -20ºF. 30 to 40 feet height in our climate. It form. Deep green foliage plants have large 2 should be kept in a pot, staked and 1/2” violet-blue flowers which bloom from pruned to a manageable 4 to 5 feet. Very June to October. The foliage turns red in fragrant, small, white flowers are produced the fall. Height to 20” inches. summer until fall. Used in perfumes and in food flavoring (Maraschino cherries). Horehound. Marrubium vulgare . Jessamine, night blooming. Perennial, hardy to - 20ºF. Spreading, ornamental, medicinal herb that performs Cestrum nocturnum . Also called Lady of well under drought conditions. Used to the Night. Tender Perennial. Small, make horehound candy. intensely fragrant flowers open at night, close during the day. Blooms appear in . mid summer and sometimes autumn. Amoracia rusticana. Height 6 to 12 feet and as wide. Prune Perennial, hardy to -40ºF. Some people hard after flowering to keep bushy. Hardy geranium/Cranesbill may believe that a little horseradish sauce goes a long way. While that is a matter of Joe pye weed While not as magnificently floriferous or as personal taste, it is certainly true of the . Eupatorium aromatically endowed as their close horseradish plant.A small sliver of root left purpureum. Perennial, hardy to -30ºF. relatives the bedding geranium and in the ground will soon grow into a mature -scented, pink-purple flowers grow scented geranium (both more accurately plant and provide as much fresh root as in clusters on plants reaching up to 10 feet referred to as pelargoniums), these hardy the gardener can handle. Roots can be tall. Moist areas and thickets are where perennials nonetheless provide harvested at any time but flavor tends to Joe Pye Weed will reach its full potential, ornamental interest. Most prefer some be at its peak after a hard frost. Harvest although it is very adaptable . afternoon shade or a woodland-like setting the largest roots, leaving smaller ones to where they make excellent ground covers. continue the crop the following year. Roots They will do well in full sun with adequate older than 3 years tend to be rather tough soil moisture. Allow to wind through roses and are usually discarded. Plants will 10 HERbS :l avEnDER lavender when gardeners talk about hardy lavender, they often want to know plant height and flower color. those are important considerations, but the season of bloom is often overlooked. we have grouped our selection to highlight this important varietal difference. through careful selection, a gardener may have lavender blooming all summer. although grown for their fragrance and color, lavender is used sparingly in teas, to flavor meats, and in some desserts. Hardy lavender are able to withstand temperatures below 0°F. For best growth they require at least four hours of direct sun but prefer sun all day. our soils are often heavy clay and should be amended with sphagnum peat or compost. a common problem with our soils is also high acidity (low pH), a condition that may stunt or even kill lavender which require a pH of 6.4 to 8. Height will vary with the variety. in our area, plants should be spaced far enough apart to allow excellent air circulation. Do not plant lavender in an area with poor drainage, or watered by an automatic sprinkler system. lavender detests wet roots or wet foliage, especially during periods of high heat. Keep plants compact and finely shaped by pruning them each spring as new growth begins. by removing one-third to one-half the length of each stem at this time, new growth is encouraged that will also produce more flowers per plant. a 2-inch deep mulch of coarse sand or light-colored, pea-sized gravel on top of the soil underneath the plant aids growth, increases flower and essential oil production, protects against disease, and prevents winter damage. You will notice that two of the best known lavender, Although we rarely run out of lavender entirely, our selection ‘Hidcote’ and ‘Munstead’, are absent from our listing. of varieties is generally best around May 1. Occasionaly, crop failures of certain varieties occur after printing this catalog. Recent research has found that for all their ubiquity in Please call for availabiltiy. Available in 4 1/2 inch pots. catalogs and garden centers, true ‘Munstead’ and true ‘Hidcote’ are rare in america. eloquently praised for practice has been continued for so long that ‘Munstead’ their stature and flowers over the past 50 years, other may no longer exist in its originally described form. worthwhile have been virtually ignored by according to Dr. arthur o. tucker, virtually all plantsmen and garden writers. perhaps excessive plants labeled in nurseries as ‘Munstead’ should be demand for these diminutive, slow growing plants renamed ‘Compacta’, a catch-all name for seed grown prompted nurserymen to offer seed and seed-grown varieties. Many newer varieties, some selected from such plants to the unsuspecting public. lavender plants seedling variants and renamed, are more reliable in our propagated from seed vary considerably from the parent climate, offer longer periods of bloom, or are much more and exhibit a wide range of plant size and flower color in exciting as garden plants than are these two old a single generation. this careless and irresponsible standbys. HERbS :l avEnDER 11 arly blooming lavender are forms bracts on the top of the flower) that are cultivar because of its disease resistance. generally larger than the species. We call it Fat Spike because of its huge, of angustifolia and are Madrid blue. typical of the winter hardy lavender dark violet flower heads, 3 inches long e and filled with 10 circles of flowers atop grown in England. They are winter hardy ‘Madrid Blue’. AKA ‘Bee’s Bliss’. The in our climate and burst into flower in late distinctive bracts or “ears” of this variety stately 14 to 20 inch stems. The plants May or early June, but they do not usually are a nice contrasting white to the blue- form gorgeous gray mounds of foliage that flower later in the year. These stalwart, purple corollas of the main flower head. A are 20 inches high (nearly 4 feet when in decorative plants offer a wide variety of bit more dwarf than the species. bloom) and 3 feet in diameter. Plant on 30 flower color, shape and size. Although the to 48- inch centers. Note: Fat Spike is not id-season blooming varieties we offer were all introduced in the proper cultivar name, it is ‘Grosso’. I lavender have seen several mail order nurseries the 20th century, their genetic lines go are unique, back hundreds of years. offering plants under both names, as lady Mdramatic, highly ornamental different plants! Limited supplies. . Lavandula angustifolia ‘Lady’. hybrids with beautifully rounded shapes, Fred boutin lavandin. Lavandula This 1994 All America Selection winner is long, elegant stems, and substantial xintermedia 'Fred Boutin'. Unique, large a Burpee introduction, a seed-grown flower heads. To distinguish them from plants reach 20 inches in height and 30 lavender (the only one I grow from seed) other lavender, the French call them about 12 inches inches high with blue Prune lavender 1/3 to 1/2 the length of each stem in early across. flowers. Foliage Hardy produces a richly Spring to keep plants healthy and full of flowers below 0ºF. aromatic aroma. Violet pink- flowers Flowered. used in potpourri. Lavandula angustifolia 'Jean “lavandin”. They begin blooming in mid- phenomenal lavandin . Lavandula Davis'. Gray-green leaves on a 13-inch June just as the English lavender are xintermedia ‘Phenomenal’ PP24193. Silver plant, reaching 24 inches when in flower. losing their punch. Unlike L. angustifolia mounds maintain their tidy habit. Purple Buds are green; flowers pink. varieties, these are sterile hybrids, crosses Sweet Romance® flowers on long stems. Height and width to Lavandula of L. angustifolia and L. latifolia. This mixing of genes has created dazzling 30 inches. angustifolia 'kerlavangem' USPP 23,001, provence lavandin lavandins with silver-gray pointed leaves . Lavandula Can 4,906 Proven Winners® variety. that are as vibrant in winter as in summer. xintermedia ‘Provence’. This French Vigourous, compact mound topped with Their long flower stems and bright flowers hybrid produces long, elegantly pointed plump, rich violet purple flower wands that make them natural for crafting lavender gray-green leaves that create a large are perfect for cutting for fresh and dried fans, wands and swags. These lavandin globular plant. Although the name seems bouquets. Grows to 8-12 inches tall and varieties are only slightly less winter hardy to indicate otherwise, and many catalogs as wide. Short flower stems. because of their mixed genetic claim it to be, this is not one of the panish lavender backgrounds. Lavandins generally are cultivars used in the commercial oil trade. . Lavandula more tolerant of our humid summers than Vegetative plants are 18 to 20 inches tall stoechas. Spanish lavender, also lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) . and may reach 3 feet in diameter. Long sometimes called French lavender Dutch lavandin S . Lavandula 18-inch flower spikes carry clusters of or Italian lavender (see why we don’t like xi ntermedia ‘Dutch’. This may be the dark aster violet flowers. Space on 3 foot common names!), has the most unusual most widely cultivated lavender in the centers. flower of any lavender and is the earliest U.S., England, and the Netherlands. The to bloom. The species is characterized by ender lavenders French lavender growers also favor this are in an two large purple bracts which protrude like one. A beautiful globular shape, large very aromatic and esthetic category of wings from a small egg shaped bud atop a gray leaves. Flowers are dark violet and their own. Their complex beauty single stem, giving the effect of a fat t carried on stems about 20 inches long. springs from strongly scented and finely bodied butterfly. Light green, narrow Vegetative plant height: 16 inches. Bloom modeled leaves, as well as unusually foliage on a plant about 18 inches high. sometimes unreliable. Introduced shaped inflorescence in which colored Leaves are nicely perfumed. The species sometime before 1923. bracts play an important decorative role. and cultivars are hardy to about 10ºF. Fat Spike lavandin They make excellent subjects for Harsh winters may cause enough damage . Lavandula container gardens where their aroma and to prevent plants from flowering that year. xintermedia ‘Grosso’. If I could grow one summer flowers will create comment and Spanish lavender should be pruned after lavender only, ‘Grosso’ would be my first ornamental value. Bring their containers flowering in our area. choice. For form, color, and year round otto Quast. inside and their blooms and foliage will Lavandula stoechas good looks, this hybrid can’t be beat. It was discovered in the Vaucluse District of brighten winter’s dreary habits. These 'Otto Quast'. The rosy plum purple flowers France in 1972 and named after the plants are hardy to about 25°F, and may of this named cultivar have “butterfly famous lavender grower Pierre Grosso. It occasionally over winter in a warm, wings” or “rabbit ears” (actually sterile has become an important commercial protected location. 12 HERbS : l-M Fernleaf lavender . Lavandula verbena is a woody shrub that rewards . Often used as a tarragon multifida . One of the most unusual the gardener with light green, pointed substitute and sometimes sold as lavenders. At first glance this does not leaves filled with the sweet, heady tarragon in grocery stores during the appear to be a lavender at all. Finely cut essence of lemons. Use in a variety of winter months. Small yellow flowers may green leaves highlight this sprawling 24 recipes for everything from salads, fruit appear in mid to late summer. Holds up in inch high plant with multiple bright blue dishes, tea, ice cream, and potpourri. our humid summers when real tarragon flowers. The aroma is decidedly Plants are usually deciduous indoors languishes. Height to 2 feet. Use to flavor unlavender-like, almost like turpentine. during winter unless 14 hours of daylight meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, eggs, goodwin Creek grey lavender . can be provided with supplemental light. salads. Lavandula xginginsii ‘Goodwin Creek lemongrass. see oregano Grey’. This recent hybrid (L. dentata x L. . lanata) has delightful silver-green, fuzzy, east indian lemongrass. serrated leaves, a sweet odor, and dark flexuosus . Tender Perennial blue flowers. Plants can reach 24 inches (tropical). This is not the lemon grass high and as round. gray Fringed lavender found in Asian markets (West Indian . Lemongrass, C. citratus ), which can only Lavandula dentata ‘Candicans’. Identical be propagated by division, but a close to green fringed lavender except for its relative which is easily grown from seed. gray-green foliage. L. dentata grows wild Although smaller in stature than its more in southern France, Spain, Portugal, and widely known cousin, it is of no less Saudi Arabia. Excellent pot plant. Height importance in commerce. It is the source to 3 feet and as wide. Space on 2 to 3 of lemongrass oil used to flavor candy foot centers. and ice cream and is used in the cosmetic green Fringed lavender. Mint. and perfume industry. Clumping form ssp. Although long allows good yield the first year. Height to Lavandula dentata . Sometimes incorrectly associated in the American mind with cold 18 inches. Space 8-12 inches apart. Use called French lavender. Saw-toothed drinks, mints play a much more varied in Thai cooking, tea and potpourri. Limited green foliage is complemented by an and vital role in the kitchen by flavoring availability. unusual but recognizably lavender west indian lemongrass. tea, vegetables, salads, jelly, cookies and fragrance. Instead of clustering along the desserts. Mints also have a place of stem, tiny lilac petals appear around a fat, Cymbopogon citratus. Tender perennial. honor in fragrant potpourris. Small green inflorescence, topped by two light Dense clumps can grow to 3 feet wide children may have an immediate and purple bracts. Excellent pot plant. Height and 6 feet tall with 3 foot long leaves. Use adverse reaction to some mints. 2 to 3 feet in flower and as wide. Space tangy leaves and leaf bases. Lemongrass Hundreds of mints are known and they on 2 to 3 foot centers. does best at temperatures between 64ºF Sweet lavender run the gamut of intriguing flavors and . Lavandula and 100ºF and high humidity. No problem cultural requirements, all which manage to xhybrida. (L. xallardii )This hybrid is a during our summers, but may prove remain “minty”. For the home gardener cross between L. dentata and L. latifolia . challenging during the short days of the with limited space, two or three carefully Sweet lavender is fast growing, and richly dry, winter months. Keep well nourished chosen and contained species usually scented by its large, gray- green leaves, with a fertilizer high in potassium. Use in suffice. (If you lack space to let them run, many of which are toothed. It is topped Thai cooking, tea and potpourri. Available grow them in pots on a hard surface.) with a traditional lavender flower spike on mid spring Mints generally do not require more than which dark blue flowers climb. Height to 3 . 3 hours of sun a day, but they can feet and as round. Space on 3 to 4 foot Levisticum officinale . withstand constant sunshine. A constantly centers. Makes a good pot plant. Perennial, hardy to -35°F, reaching 6 feet moist, loamy soil with a pH range of 5 to 7.5 is required for best growth. All mints . its second year. With its concentrated Melissa officinalis . flavor, lovage is certain to be the spread from runners either underground or on top of the soil. Most mints grow 20 Spreading perennial, hardy to -20°F. workhorse of your kitchen garden. It dies to 30 inches tall. Space plants on 6 to 12 Height to 2 feet. The puckered, green back each winter to return each spring inch centers. Planting them together does leaves of lemon balm produce a from its roots and create lovely, but not alter their aroma or flavor, but once delightful, musky lemon fragrance. Prune coarse, ornamental foliage. The plant can they become a tangle of foliage it may be flowering stems to prevent seed formation be cut back to two feet high in summer to difficult to select the particular mint variety as scattered seeds could produce a obtain a new harvest of foliage. Use you want to use. serious weed problem in the garden. foliage sparingly in soups, stews, apple Mint. vegetables and many other dishes. Mentha xvillosa var. lemon Verbena. alopecuroides. Sometimes called woolly Aloysia triphylia. Marigold, Sweet mint to distinguish it from another mint Tender perennial hardy to about 25°F. . Tagetes lucida. called apple mint, M. suaveolens . Mature plants may reach 6 feet. Lemon Hardy to 15ºF. Also called Texas HERbS : M-O 13 banana Mint. Mentha arvensis. xpiperita var. piperita ‘Mitcham’. This is a over water. The soil should dry slightly Perennial. Hardy to -20ºF. Uniquely superior variety, slightly between waterings, but not to the point of sweeter and somewhat stronger than allowing the plant to wilt. scented leaves smell slightly of banana. Compact green Myrtle Lavender flowers sprout along upper others. Its dark green leaf with a purplish . Myrtus stems. Grow in a pot to contain spreading underside furnishes the justification for a communis var. tarentina ‘Mycrophylla’. An habit. Keep soil moist, but well-drained. nickname, Black Peppermint. It is attractive compact evergreen with small, Full sun to part shade. Use in tea, salads, sometimes called Blue Balsam Mint, and white flowers followed by purple berries. meat dishes and potpouri. Chocolate Mint. It is excellent as a tea Height to 5 feet. Wonderfully decorative Corsican Mint. and for flavoring desserts. Mentha requienii. pineapple Mint indoors and out. . Mentha Compact Variegated Myrtle Few plants hug the ground as closely as . suaveolens var. suaveolens . The small, does this mint, a Baby Tears look alike. Its Myrtus communis var. tarentina brightly variegated green and white leaves tiny, green heart shaped leaves are 'Mycrophylla Variegata'. An attractive of this Mentha species set it apart. The strongly scented of pennyroyal and evergreen with small, white flowers gardener with space or a generous strip peppermint. It is not always winter hardy followed by purple berries. Small, pointed, of street side “parking” may want to use in our area. cream and green leaves are crowded english pennyroyal. this colorful plant as an ornamental Mentha along freely branching stems. ground cover. The sweet pineapple-mint pulegium. This low growing ground cover aroma is refreshing on a hot summer day. oregano/Marjoram with tiny green leaves comes with a Has a tendency to revert to all green with heady, pungent aroma, making it a natural age. for potpourri. It is commonly an ingredient Red Stemmed applemint. in homemade flea collars for dogs or Mentha xgracilis 'Madeline Hill'. A true stuffed into animal bedding. Pennyroyal is "double" mint. Both and not recommended for internal use. Kentucky Colonel Spearmint. peppermint can be detected in this one of a kind mint. Mentha spicata ‘Kentucky Colonel’. The Silver Mint. Mentha spicata. Spaniards thought so highly of this mint Perennial. Hardy to -20ºF. Hairy-leafed that they carried it all over the world with form of spearmint with lavender flowers them in their explorations and trading. on terminal spikes. Grow in a pot to That explains why it is found around the contain spreading habit. Keep soil moist, world. The mint is so sweet it is almost Compact greek Marjoram but well-drained loam. Full sun to part . like eating candy. orange Mint shade. Use in tea, salads, meat dishes Origanum majorana ‘Nana’. Hardy to . Mentha aquatica. and potpouri. 20°F. An introduction of the National Also called water mint, eau de cologne, Arboretum’s Herb Garden, grown from lemon mint or bergamot mint after the Mountain Mint, Hairy. seed obtained in Greece. It contains the Italian bergamot, Citrus bergamia. As the marjoram aroma you expect, but the plant common name indicates, the large glossy Pycnanthemum pilosum . Herbaceous is shorter with distinctly gray leaves. Much leaves of this mint are strongly flavored of perennial, hardy to -20ºF. Bees visiting the hardier, and more disease free, than the citrus. Dried leaves are an interesting typical marjoram. flowers of this eastern U.S. native Sweet Marjoram. addition to potpourri. What a treat to find produce a mint-scented honey. Dark Origanum some of this mint in a tossed salad or in green, spear-shaped leaves on a plant majorana. A tender perennial hardy to potato salad . peppermint, Crisped . growing 3 to 6 feet tall. White to pale lilac about 30°F, marjoram is a sweet, mild Mentha flowers produce lots of fertile seed so oregano that is suitable for flavoring xpiperata ‘Crispa’. This mint first came to keep cut back before seed ripens. beans, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, my father with a whispered story of eggplant, spinach, potatoes, beef, intrigue, a “double mint” plant smuggled Myrtle. chicken, eggs, lamb, many other from France. True or not, there was no Myrtus communis. Tender comestibles. Plants are upright to about reason to smuggle it through customs; it perennial, hardy to 26ºF. When Venus 20 inches tall and 12 inches broad. has been in American herb gardens for sprung from the ocean she was wearing a golden Creeping oregano. decades with good reason. While myrtle wreath on her head. During the Origanum vulgare subsp. vulgare technically a peppermint (a virtually sterile Middle Ages, Greek Myrtle continued to ‘Aureum’. Perennial. Ground cover with hybrid of M. spicata and M. aquatica ), it be a symbol of love and was always pink to white flowers. Pretty yellow-green added to bridal bouquets. The leaves has retained the odor from its spearmint foliage. Ornamental. parent. It has decorative puckered leaves were used, as now, like Bay Laurel golden oregano. with crinkled edges that recommend it as (Laurus nobilis ). Myrtle is a terrific pot Origanum a garnish. Also nice in mint juleps and plant, although some incidental leaf drop vulgare subsp. vulgare ‘Dr. Ietswaart’. iced tea. can be expected when brought inside the Spreading ground cover with wrinkled peppermint, Mitcham. golden foliage and 12 inch flower stalks. Mentha house for the winter. Be careful not to 14 HERbS : O-P Ornamental, good for edging. tender perennial (hardy to about 20°F) When parsley over winters (or is greek Mountain oregano. with golden-green leaves and has an chilled for 30 days by temperatures below Origanum vulgare ssp. hirtum . Hardy to - aroma like no other, strong but nuanced 40ºF), it sends up tall flower spikes, 20°F. Large, dark green leaves cover the and with almost no heat when chewed. makes seed, and dies, as is the course for hairy stems of this quickly spreading plant. Upright to about 24 inches. The original other biennials. The leaves have an assertive oregano plant was brought to the U.S. from a Commercial producers, who favor flavor and, when chewed alone, make the Greek island and was distributed by the long stiff stems over flavor, grow parsley tongue tingle. White flowers appear in National Arboretum. Rigani means plants as close as 4 inches apart, but mid-summer. oregano in Greek. giving plants 10 to 12 inches, especially italian for large varieties such as ‘Giant Italian’, oregano. makes some if you want to be happy for a few hours, get drunk. if you want to be happy for a sense in the Origanum weekend, get married. if you want to be happy for a week, butcher a pig. if you home garden xmajoricum . want to be happy for all your life long, become a gardener. where a long This sterile season of use hybrid is --a legend written across note paper sent by John Koehne will provide probably a many harvests cross between Mexican oregano. from a single sweet marjoram ( O. majorana ), for flavor, Poliomintha large plant. and wild oregano ( O. vulgare ), for Curly parsley. bustamentha. Perennial, hardy to 15ºF. Petroselinum crispum hardiness. It has some of the Not a true oregano but a taste-alike, var. crispum. Biennial. For the last few characteristic sweetness of marjoram and widely used in Mexican cooking. The very years, we have offered a variety called retains much of the punch of Greek striking, long, bell-shaped lavender flowers ‘Forest Green’. Its finely curled, dark green oregano, too. This is the best all-purpose in late spring or early summer make this leaves curve in rather than out, as do all oregano. It is upright with medium green plant a welcome addition to the herb the many other varieties, making it easy to leaves and is 18 to 24 inches tall. Plants garden. clean leaves close to the ground. It is form clumps and do not spread. Kaliteri oregano. nicely flavored and decorative. Origanum onites par Cel. giant italian parsley. Apium graveolens . Biennial, Petroselinum 'Kaliteri'. This is one great oregano, as any hardy to -10ºF. A cut and come again crispum var. neapolitanum . Biennial. This Greek will confirm. The velvety gray- vegetable celery that looks and grows like is the flat-leaved parsley called green leaves contain plenty of subtleties, a curly leaf parsley. All the flavor of celery Prezzemolo gigante d’Italia in Italy. Ours is but can still pack a punch. It has a but does not form large stalks. the true Catalogna cultivar, not to be clumping habit that makes it tidy in the confused with the more ordinary flat- garden and it is a good pot plant. Slow to parsley. leaved parsley. This parsley has large, flat flower, this tender perennial is hardy to Petroselinum ssp. It is leaves that look like celery and is below 20°F. unfortunate that parsley is so often limited lebanese oregano. accompanied by the finest flavor. Stems Origanum to decorating dinner plates. Tarragon and fennel are just as good for that purpose, may be eaten like celery. Plants mature syriacum. Tender perennial. Terrific quickly and may reach 2 feet high. oregano flavor. Non-spreading, upright but hardly anybody thinks of them as plant reaches up to 2 feet tall. Also known garnishes. Try parsley with asparagus, peas, potatoes, eggs beef, and goose. Or Japanese parsley. as Biblical Hyssop, White Oregano, or Za’atar chew a leaf as a breath freshener. Hot and Spicy oregano. There is a myth about parsley that it japonica. Mitsuba, as the Japanese call it, Origanum can’t be transplanted successfully. This is not a true parsley. In appearance it vulgare 'Hot and Spicy'. Perennial, hardy idea originated in times before nurseries resembles a flat leafed Italian parsley. Its to at least 10ºF. Clump forming with sold plants in pots, and amongst mild flavor is essential to many oriental spreading habit. Strong, spicy flavor. If you gardeners who attempted to move plants dishes and it can be substituted wherever like to be able to taste your oregano, then sown directly in the garden. You should a recipe requires parsley. Unlike parsley, this is the one for you.Good culinary have no trouble transplanting potted plants Mitsuba is a hardy perennial. variety. Kent beauty oregano. with their large, healthy root structure. patchouli. Origanum Parsley plants grow quickly and they Pogostemom cablin . Frost ‘Kent Beauty’. Tender perennial. can be cut for use when they are only a sensitive perennial. It does not need Deciduous spreading plant has large, few inches high. Some summer shade will strong sunlight (it is often cultivated showy spikes with pink to purplish bracts. create a lushness unobtainable in full, commercially under rubber trees) and can Has some flavor but best used as an drying summer sun. Cut stems often and be grown easily indoors during winters. ornamental. Rigani (pot Marjoram) remove old, yellowing leaves. Provide Height to 4 feet. Tiny white flowers are . Origanum ample water to keep plants from wilting produced on spikes in late fall and winter. onites. In the past, this oregano was often and fertilize with liquid or slow release referred to as “Pot Marjoram”. It is a nutrients. HERbS : P 15 . . This including bean curd, tempura, and sushi. before our first killing frost so leaf We carry both the green and purple production is constant. Can grow up to six Japanese annual, sometimes called varieties of Perilla. feet tall. Flavor is a combination of “Beefsteak Plant” or “”, is hardy to cilantro, green pepper, cucumber, and about 30°F. Height is 2 to 3 feet. Plants citrus. Native from Texas to South are colorful and decorative. Their large papalo/ Quinquiña/ America. Use fresh leaves in beans, or leaves are deeply toothed and carry an papaloquelette. with tortillas and garlic. anise scent, creating a resemblance to Porophyllum basil for which they are often mistaken. ruderale subsp. macrocephalum. Annual. They are used in a wide variety of dishes, This cilantro substitute rarely flowers pruning Herb plants for use and Health Four types of pruning are often used on potted Fungus disease sometimes attacks low-lying herb plants (particularly rosemary and lavender) to branches and the inside of the plant where air enhance appearance and health. Some knowledge of circulation and light are poor; this is a particular each will make cultivation more successful, especially problem in humid climates or when there is an if the herbs are grown in containers. unusual amount of rain. Lower branches that have Sharp pruning shears, knives, or scissors are dead leaves on them should be removed so that air used, depending on the thickness of the stems to be can circulate under and through the plant to dry cut. dampness. A mulch of several inches of sand or pea pruning for shape . Some pruning will be gravel dries quickly and radiates drying heat into the required to keep any rosemary shapely, but the plant and is helpful to control diseases. variety’s growth habit dictates how much. Rosemary pruning for use . The most enjoyable pruning is plants can be pruned to almost any shape but the for use. Snip branch tips to use when needed; no most popular are globes and columns; the variety special method or procedure is necessary and it may sometimes lends itself to one or the other shape, but be done at any time of year. Fresh growth, rather rigorous pruning can overcome any plant’s than hard, woody stems is best. Performed shrewdly, inclinations. this pruning will shape your plant and keep it The best time to prune for shape is when the healthy. plant is in full growth (in our area this is spring and Root pruning. Pruning the roots of container- summer); this will provide the plant enough time to grown plants is a last resort; it revives and recover before the rigors of winter. Remove the reinvigorates root bound plants when larger pots are amount of stem necessary to create the shape you unavailable. Root pruning is best performed in mid- desire but try not to remove more than half the stem spring after the plant has been outside for several length. Leave some green leaves on the branch that is weeks and soft indoor winter growth has been left. removed or has stiffened. After the plant is knocked Pruning for shape is essential for rosemary grown from the pot, take a sharp knife and remove the into topiary forms. During periods of optimum bottom third of the root ball; then slice several inches growth such forms may need pruning every few from the sides. Add fresh growing medium to the weeks. When light levels are low indoors, pruning is container and return the plant, being careful to work useful to keep stems from becoming leggy. the medium around the edges of the root ball. The pruning for health. Winter damage and disease root-pruned plant is likely to show some stress in the are another reasons to prune. Dead wood caused by form of wilting at this time. A protective spray of winter cold should be removed in early spring. Cut Wilt-Pruf will help less foliage dehydration. Keep the damaged stems back to green leaves or if the stem is plant in a spot sheltered from direct sun for a week dead, remove it. before returning it to a sunny exposure. 16 ROSEMaRy Rosmarinus officinalis. Rosemary, shrouded in ancient legends and the smoke from modern barbecue grills, is a pungent, resinous, evergreen shrub native to the rocky Mediterranean cliffs. It has been savored as both culinary and medicinal elixir, making palatable roasted goat meat and restoring sexual vitality. Surely one of the essential kitchen herbs, and, in its hardier forms, a handsome landscape subject. Fresh or dried, leaves are used in meat dishes and stews, with roasted potatoes, and other vegetables--in fact, it goes with almost everything from appetizers to desserts. Plants are variously hardy; most varieties will withstand temperatures from 15 to 20ºF, a few may survive as low as -5°F (see sidebar). A minimum 4 hours of direct sun is required for optimal growth. Heavy soils should be lightened with plenty of humus to make it friable; nutrient needs are moderate. As little as 12 inches of rain annually is enough for rosemary to survive, but an inch a week will make it thrive. The pH range is wide, from 4.9 to 8.2. Depending on the variety, plants should be spaced on 3 to 8 foot centers. arp Rosemary. R. officinalis ‘Arp’. with its thick, light colored stems. It introduction, now found in nurseries Discovered in Arp, Texas, by Madalene Hill makes a bushy upright plant when pruned around the U.S. This variety began its of Hilltop Herb Farm in 1972. Medium regularly. Flowers are deep violet and multi-colored life as an atypical branch on high, open growth benefits from frequent very striking for a rosemary. Sometimes a common rosemary. The medium-sized, pruning. Fragrant, thick gray green leaves found in the trade as ‘Rex #4’, ‘Majorca’, pointed leaves dazzle the eye with their and ‘Wood’. serpentine green centers on a golden are dulled by a resinous coating. Light Dutch Mill Rosemary. blue flowers are borne in the spring when R. officinalis background. Overall, the plant radiates a winter has not been so severe that bud ‘Dutch Mill’. This variety, a selection made golden aura. It has bushy, compact growth damage has occurred. We refer to ‘Arp’ as by Barbara Remington of Forest Grove, and requires little pruning other than that Winter Hardy Rosemary, as this is Oregon, appears to have hardiness to necessitated by use. Leaves are more arguably the hardiest variety available. about -5°F. It is a well-shaped plant, refined than many other varieties, but they Hardy to about -10°F with protection. classically rotund, that glistens with light- contain a sharply pungent, resinous Mature plants are about 5 feet tall and as blue flowers each spring. Its fragrant aroma. Scattered dark blue flowers are wide. leaves are medium-green and lightly found on mature plants that reach 5 feet Collingwood ingram Rosemary. tall. Hardy to about 20°F. textured. Mature plant height is about 4 gorizia Rosemary. feet. R. officinalis R. officinalis ‘Collingwood Ingram’. This golden Rain Rosemary. tender variety has thick, deep green, R. ‘Gorizia’. The long, broad leaves of this glossy leaves that contrast dramatically officinalis ‘Joyce DeBaggio’. Our own unique rosemary extend from thick, rigidly Hardiness of Rosemary and trying almost any variety in a particular site. growing outdoors The time to take protective measures against cold is in early winter. A protective spray of Wilt-pruf will lessen the chances of Not a lot can be said for sure about rosemary hardiness. leaf dehydration from cold, sharp wind, but our winter can also One thing is certain: few of the many varieties of rosemary that bring heavy snows or ice storms which cause branches to break. exist have been given extensive hardiness tests. Five rosemary Polyethylene sheeting tied around rosemary plants gives varieties show promise to beat all but our most severe winters: branches support and provides good winter protection. Cut a ‘Arp’, ‘Hill Hardy’, ‘Salem’, ‘Nancy Howard’, and ‘Dutch Mill’. piece of poly long enough to go around the outside of the plant I must confess to constant surprises when it comes to at least once; the poly should be as wide as the plant is tall. hardiness. ‘Miss Jessopp’s Upright’, for instance, was at one Wrap this sheet--it can be clear, white, or black--around the time sold as a winter hardy variety under the name ‘Trusty’. It plant, being careful to leave the top open. Tie the poly in place worked well for some gardeners as far north as Pennsylvania, with soft string and tight enough to draw the branches up slightly but it was definitely not hardy for everybody and for every site. to give support against the weigh to snow and ice. Burying the Then again, ‘Tuscan Blue’, about which nobody has made any plant in organic mulches, a common method for protecting hardiness claims, has survived mild winters (about 10°F) here in deciduous may also help, but can foster fungus diseases pots above the ground, something that wouldn’t be expected of on evergreens such as rosemary. even the hardiest rosemary. Rosemary plants are evergreen and if spring finds them There are many factors that influence hardiness: soil without leaves, they are probably dead. It’s prudent to wait well drainage, wind, severity of cold. One of the most important may after spring’s warm weather has commenced before making a be planting before June 1 so plants have time to get firmly final judgment about your rosemary. established. Our gardens are located in a border area of hardiness for rosemary and individual locations vary so it’s worth ROSEMaRy 17 upright stems blushed with a reddish rigidity or swagger of ‘Tuscan Blue’. It kind. Height to five feet and as wide. This brown. Its leaves are fat and long, double sparkles with tightly spaced foliage that and ‘Arp’ appear to be the hardiest the size of more ordinary varieties. Light produces a good clear scent. This cultivar varieties. blue flowers, often in the summer, cluster is sometimes sold as ‘Foresteri’. Hill Hardy Rosemary. along tall, unpruned stems. While the R. officinalis aroma of the leaves is not overpowering, it ‘Madalene Hill’. Winter hardy below zero in Q & a is gentle, sweet, and a bit gingery. This most areas, this variety has superior form plant, unique in its coarse vigor, is hardy and color. Its stiff, dark green foliage is to about 15°F. Mature plants may grow to held thickly on semi upright stems and is growing Rosemary 5 feet tall and as broad. Herb Cottage Rosemary. more compact than ‘Arp’. The foliage R. aroma is soft but assertive. Plants bloom indoors officinalis ‘Herb Cottage’. This is a light blue in late fall and in spring when delightfully upright variety without the stems have not been pruned and winter is The leaves on my rosemary are Q turning brown and drying out even though I watered it regularly. growing Rosemary in Containers What is wrong?

Containers are likely to be home to many of the in your collection The short answer is that the plant because so many varieties are not winter hardy. Fortunately, rosemary performs well in a has been over watered and the pots. If you must bring your rosemary inside during winter, grow it in containers year- roots have rotted. During the short, often round rather than dig a plant from the garden and pot it for indoors. sunless days of late fall thru early spring, Pots made of clay or plastic are appropriate; the choice of which material depends on plants in general just do not require the the season. Clay’s porosity permits more rapid drying of the growing medium in the same amount of water as they did in the pot. This choice may have an advantage during low-light periods when successful summer. Watering your herbs by a set watering becomes difficult. However, plastic’s ability to prevent rapid moisture loss is schedule is the surest way to kill them. an asset in hot, sunny weather. Allow your esthetic sensibilities to make the final Read the section on growing rosemary in choice. containers for more information. Almost any disease-free growing medium with a good supply of perlite or similar aggregate is suitable. My own favorite is a standard commercial mix called Pro-Mix; it When should I bring my potted is often available at garden centers. This mix contains perlite, vermiculite, peat moss, Q rosemary in for the winter? lime and a small amount of fertilizer. If you mix your own, add equal parts of sphagnum peat and perlite and a tablespoon of lime for each quart of mix. Time-release fertilizers To avoid double shocking your work well with this type of medium or you may choose to use a liquid nutrient solution. a plant, it should be brought in when Either way, use a formula that is similar to 20-20-20 or 20-10-20. Apply liquid fertilizers the outside temperature is beginning to after every five to ten times you water. Rosemary does best in full sun so try to put approach the temperature inside your your plants in the sunniest window you have or in a spot outside flooded with direct house. This is not the time to repot into a sunlight. larger pot. A plant with well-developed Rosemary plants are particular about how they are watered. More plants are lost roots will be better able to get rid of from over watering than from under watering. When grown indoors or during the short, excess water. (See above) sunless days of winter, allow plants to dry nearly to the point where they wilt. However, if you permit the plant to stay in a wilted, droopy condition for too long it will not revive Shortly after I brought my when watered. Q rosemary indoors it began to Here are some warning signs for which to watch: turn white. What happened? • Yellowing leaves at the base of the plant often mean the rosemary is root bound. If the condition is allowed to continue the yellow leaves drop, the plant’s growth What you see is powdery mildew. slows and eventually most of the leaves are shed before it dies. Check the root a Although it is natural and may fit ball when you notice yellowing leaves. If the root ball is covered with tightly the holiday season, powdery mildew left circling roots, it should be repotted to a container three or four inches larger. untreated may eventually kill your entire • During winter do not water on heavily overcast days, unless the plant will wilt plant. Detected early, powdery mildew otherwise. Watering at such times could cause the plant to die within a few days can be effectively controlled by spraying from its inability to get rid of the water that is filling the tiny air pockets in the the entire plant with a solution of 1 growing medium. tablespoon baking soda dissolved in 1 • When leaf-tips or whole leaves turn brown and fall off, the plant is suffocating from quart of water. A second application the too much water. Hold off on watering immediately. Leaves do not turn brown and following day may be necessary. If the fall off because of too bright sun or too little water; lack of humidity does not cause problem still persists, you may need to this condition, either. use garden sulfur or all season • There is no need to mist rosemary plants. In fact, too much humidity may cause horticultural oil, both available for sale at fungal diseases. the greenhouse. 18 ROSEMaRy Miss Jessopp’s upright pink-flowered Majorca mistakenly sold as Seven Seas. Medium, Rosemary. Rosemary. R. officinalis ‘Miss Jessopp’s R. officinalis ‘Majorca Pink’. gray green leaves with nice polish are Upright’. Delicate, dark green leaves are Tender perennial. Although it has flowers placed thickly on the strong stems for a pointed and thin with a pleasant, fresh something less than pink (technically they nice, bushy appearance. Somewhat aroma. growth is open and upright on are described as amethyst violet), it is a smoky, pungent aroma. Light blue flowers. fairly thin stems. The plant was introduced delightful counter to the traditional This variety was raised by Norman by E.A. Bowles in England and named rosemary blue. The plant has stiff, upright Hadden at West Porlock, Somerset, England after Euphemia Jessopp. Light blue stems along which small, dull green tuscan blue Rosemary. flowers. Tender. leaves loosely cluster. The fragrance is R. Mrs. Howard’s Creeping clean and slightly fruity. officinalis ‘Tuscan Blue’. Strongly upright Rosemary. prostrate Rosemary. with thick stems, this rosemary can reach R. officinalis ‘Mrs. Howard’s R. officinalis ‘Prostratus’. In its native habitat, a heights of 7 feet or more where it can Creeping’. The large, wide, medium-green grow unencumbered by winter winds. Its leaves on thick trailing stems, and its rosemary like this would twine around rocks, its long, thin stems with their bright columnar shape is noble, while its taller stature separate this variety from the uniquely wide and stubby leaves shine well-known ‘Prostratus’. Light blue blue flowers, would dangle over a precipice and delight your eye. As an with a mild, fresh scent. It is hardy to at blossoms are produced several times least 15°F and some enthusiasts insist it during the year. The aroma is more ornamental ‘Prostratus’ has few equals, and its multiple blooming cycles add is hardy for them in our climate, although traditional than other creeping varieties. it never has been for us. Hardy to about 20°F. and may grow 1-2 infectious charm to hanging baskets, in white-flowered Rosemary. R. feet tall and infinitely wide. which it excels. Height to 10 inches; Mrs. Reed’s Dark blue winter hardy to 20°F. officinalis ‘Nancy Howard’. Unique white Salem Rosemary. Rosemary. R. officinalis flowers cover the stems of this semi- R. officinalis ‘Mrs. Reed’s ‘Salem’. This rosemary variety is hardy upright plant in late summer and fall (even Dark Blue’. Its bushy growth habit and through most of our winters but not as occasionally in spring). Large, deep dark green foliage make this variety one tough as ‘Arp’ or ‘Hill Hardy’. Its strong green leaves contrast with its stiff, almost of the most attractive of all rosemary resinous aroma, upright growth, and dark white stems. Plants carry a pleasant plants. Dark blue flowers are carried on blue flowers are reminiscent of common rosemary aroma. As a garden showpiece, year-old wood. The dark green leaves are rosemary. Height four to five feet. this rosemary has few equals. A mature a kitchen favorite. This fast growing Severn Sea Rosemary specimen may reach five to six feet in . R. tender perennial is hardy to about 15°F height and diameter. Hardy to below 0°F. and grows 5 to 6 feet tall and as wide. officinalis ‘Severn Sea’. Sometimes Ranking Rosemary varieties for Use

Although many gardeners think of rosemary as a single deepest blues, whites, and pinks. There are differences, also, plant, there are numerous named varieties- more than three in seasonal flowering. Frequent pruning for use often leads to dozen and growing. Many of the differences between these plants barren of flowers. Climate and day length play important varieties rest on subtleties that sometimes escape the untrained roles in when rosemary blooms as well. Little research has eye or nose, but they are important and are worth cataloging. been done on what triggers rosemary flowers. Not much can The typical growth trait of rosemary is unintentionally be said for certain about what makes a rosemary bloom except sprawling, often wildly windswept and twisted. Horticulturally, it that some plants can be counted on to bloom regularly while is tagged as semi-upright. Yet, there are varieties that are quite others need some stress and woodiness to their stems before procumbent (‘Prostratus’ and ‘Mrs. Howard’s Creeping’) and bursting forth. others that are rigidly upright on thick stems (‘Gorizia’ and The plant’s aroma, the most important characteristic when it ‘Tuscan Blue’). Other varieties are open with leaves spaced far comes to using the leaves in the kitchen, almost defies apart on their stems (‘Lottie DeBaggio’ and Miss Jessopp’s categorization. The depth and subtlety of the fragrances of Upright’). Still others are compact with crammed leaves (‘Herb rosemary varieties are difficult to describe. Cottage’ and ‘Blue Boy’). Yet others have large, flat leaves that Some are robust and nose clearing ('Joyce DeBaggio' and hardly resemble the typical rosemary (‘Gorizia’). 'Arp'), while others are mild and filled with subtle, flowery, spicy Leaf color and aroma differ among varieties, as well. Most undertones ('Tuscan Blue' and 'Gorizia'). In the kitchen, these rosemary leaves are green (‘Joyce DeBaggio’ sports variegated aromatic differences may alter how much of a particular green and gold leaves), but even amongst the green there is rosemary will be used. More subtle varieties may be much variation in hue. appropriate for use with vegetables, while the more assertive Little attention has been paid to rosemary’s ornamental types can stand up to a beef roast. qualities in our area because so few varieties are winter hardy. The combination of shape, color, and aroma make each Flower color is a major ornamental difference. Small blossoms variety enchanting and worth possessing. cluster along stems, but the colors range from the lightest to HERbS : R-S 19 Rue. . Perennial. Grow this plant in the herb garden for its ornamental value only. This beautiful semi- evergreen grows to about 2 feet tall and has blue-green leaves with greenish- yellow flowers. Wash hands thoroughly after contact or use gloves while handling. Warning: Contact with foliage followed by exposure to sun may cause rash. Should not be taken internally. Sage Salvia ssp. although sages vary in height from a foot to five or six feet, even the smallest specimen adds dimension and texture to the herb garden, as well as color and mystery. while their landscape potential is important, it is in the kitchen that their culinary value is burnished. nearly everyone knows the unexciting power of sage over poultry. instead of the cliche, try sage to flavor cornbread, polenta, tomatoes, peas, liver, pork, rabbit--even eggs. and try a little minced pineapple sage in a salad or fruit cup. You will discover a new sage, one of the most versatile herbs in your garden, as well as the pantry. Sage is cultivated best on a site that has at least 4 hours of full, bright sun and boasts soil that is fertile, loose, and well-drained; a pH range of 4.9 to 8.2 is welcome. as spring beckons, remove the top half of each branch to encourage new growth from the base of the plant as well as from its branches. lower leaves on sages, especially those closest to the ground and inside the plant, often die during summer. when dead leaves are noticed remove them at once. plants may be trimmed to encourage open dense foliage to dry in air circulation. using organic mulch under the foliage is not recommended. use sand instead.

berggarten Sage . small-leaved sage is excellent where Bright red flower spikes are the plant’s ‘Berggarten’. This pleasantly mounded, space is at a premium, either in the contribution to fall color. Mature plants compact sage has unusual rounded garden or in pots on a patio or balcony. may grow 4 to 5 feet high and are 20 to 30 leaves and is of high ornamental value Flavorful and good in a wide range of inches in diameter. It is hardy to about recipes. Mature plants are about 12 inches 20°F. Space on 30-inch centers. with a superb fragrance. It was introduced purple Sage to the U.S. by Allen Bush at his late, high and 18 inches in diameter. Hardy to . S. officinalis lamented Holbrook Farm in North below 0°F when planted in the ground. ‘Purpurascens’. An abundance of striking Space on 15 to 20 inch centers. Carolina. It came from the collection of the golden Variegated Sage purple foliage sets this sage apart, making famous Royal Gardens of Herrenhausen, . S. it a must for the ornamental herb garden. Hanover, Germany. It produces infrequent officinalis ‘Icterina’. Frequently listed in While it is a heavy producer of foliage, it flowers. Expect growth to top at about 16 books and catalogs as ‘Aurea’ which is rarely flowers. It is serviceable in the inches and up to 24 inches wide. Space another cultivar characterized by lime kitchen and especially handy as a garnish. on 20 to 24-inch centers. It is hardy well green leaves. ‘Icterina’ is a dazzling Hardy to somewhere between 10°F and below 0°F. shrublet with light green leaves marked 0°F, it grows 18 inches tall and about 2 Common Sage with gold margins that rarely flowers. feet in diameter. . S. officinalis . Sage tricolor Sage. is neither as common nor as simple as Serviceable in the kitchen. About 18 S. officinalis ‘Tricolor’. many of us thought. This is the well- inches tall and 2 feet wide, this variety is This is another colorful variegated sage, known, blue-flowered garden sage, a not reliably winter hardy but will withstand unusual for its three colors-white, green, centuries old stalwart of the herb garden. temperatures down to 10°F. Space on 24- and purple all on the same leaf. It can be inch centers. Gray-green pointed leaves have a pineapple Sage. used in cooking, but it is essentially a wonderful aroma, perfect for cooking. S. elegans decorative plant. Mature plants are about Plants reach 30 to 36 inches high and 24 ‘Scarlet Pineapple’. The light green leaves 18 inches high and 24 inches in diameter. to 30 inches wide, and should be spaced of this sage have a strong pineapple Space on 24 to 30-inch centers. Hardy to on 24 to 36-inch centers. They are hardy aroma, making it an intriguing novelty. The about 10° F. white Sage. to -20°F. leaves are commonly used in salads and Dwarf Sage S. apiana . Also called . S. officinalis ‘Nana’. fruit cups, and a delightful flavored butter bee sage. The silver leaves release a With a short, compact growth habit, this is made by mixing in minced foliage. distinctive aroma during the heat of 20 HERbS : S-T . summer that is difficult to describe. It is not Rumex acetosa. Described by capability of most gardeners. Use of the decidedly sweet or musky, but something plant as a sweetener is limited to tea or gourmets as having a “refreshing acidity”, in between. Native Americans burned other beverages and some baking recipes. this pot herb enhances a variety of meat, smudge sticks made from this sage. powder is available in health food fish, poultry, egg, and vegetable dishes. stores and is now found in commercial Very large green leaves are produced by Santolina. sweeteners. Santolina ssp. Santolina is the plant and harvested to be eaten fresh sometimes called lavender cotton. It is one or cooked. Sorrel is best known for its use Sweet annie. of a class of small shrubs used to edge in a creamy French soup that is pleasingly Artemisia annua . herb gardens and from which knot habit forming. Its long, broad arrow Annual, hardy to 30°F. This large annual gardens are made. Historically, santolina shaped leaves are also tasty chopped and may grow four to five feet high. Its foliage was used medicinally and as a moth mixed with salad greens. It is often the is overpoweringly aromatic and is used to repellent. Mature plants with their dainty, first perennial herb to break the spring soil, form the base of herb wreaths. Indoors, yellow flowers may reach 2 feet tall and as early as mid February. As summer Sweet Annie’s fragrance perfumes the may be as wide, if plants are not pruned approaches, flower stalks emerge and house for months. Care should be taken regularly. Plants should be pruned hard in foliage production declines. By removing not to let the plant’s small yellow flowers the spring. Plants need excellent drainage the flower stems, and with ample water make seed or its progeny may become and air circulation. Santolina can also be and fertilizer, plants will produce leaves weed problems. Height to 10 feet. used in tussie mussies and in potpourri. until late fall. Sorrel does not spread but it gray Santolina . S. clumps and may be divided every three or tarragon, French. Artemisia chamaecyparissus. Often paired with four years to renew the bed. Site a sorrel germander’s deep green foliage, creating bed where plants will receive at least 3 dracunculus ‘Sativa’. French tarragon is a a stunning contrast. hours of full sun with a pH around 6.0; kitchen legend and an epicure’s delight. green Santolina. The anise-flavored, narrow, green leaves S. pinnata. Green moderately fertile, well-drained soil is essential. Plants in their vegetative stage are good used fresh in salads or with foliage contrasts well with the gray form. are about 12 inches tall; flower stems may spinach; the leaves are also chopped and Savory. reach 3 feet. Clumps are usually not more cooked in sauces and with fish and spp. Known as the than 10 inches in diameter. chicken. For many, tarragon made vinegar bean herb because of the way in which it palatable. Plants with true flavor can be Red-Veined Sorrel. dresses up the common legume. Savory Rumex grown only from cuttings and crown may be substituted for sage in poultry and divisions; seeds produce an inferior plant, sanguineus. Unusual, purple-veined, oregano in most things. Both the annual vigorous but flavorless. Tarragon is a plant green leaves make a statement in the and perennial savories are commonly that thrives on dryness (its native habitat border, and it is edible too. Grows up to 3 mistaken for oregano. Dried and receives about a foot of rain a year) and feet tall in full sun to partial shade. Tender powdered, it may be mixed with cracker its cultivation is not difficult, but it is not a young leaves can be used in salads. crumbs and flour to bread fish, especially plant that flourishes on neglect in our wet, trout. Savories perform well when planted Southernwood humid climate. The best site for tarragon is in full sun for at least 4 hours, where the . Artemisia abrotanum. in full sun all day, although 4 hours will do soil is fertile and well-drained, and the pH With a history of medicinal and other uses, in a pinch. Soil should be fertile and well- ranges from 5.6 to 8. this aromatic, ornamental Artemisia has drained with a pH between 4.5 and 8. winter Savory. S. montana . The feathery foliage and a lemony aroma. It Keeping your tarragon dry will provide perennial of our culinary duo, is low was one of the colonial “strewing” herbs many years of pleasure from the plant. growing when kept pruned, otherwise it that scented rustic cabins and courtrooms Here are five ways to foster dryness: may grow to 18 to 24 inches tall and when walked upon. It was also a favorite prune foliage often so air can circulate nearly as wide. Its small, green, lance- in Victorian gardens. Today southernwood through the leaves; mulch with sand; allow shaped leaves are glossy and aromatic. is a substantial ornamental, widely plenty of space between tarragon and The plant can become woody and adapted to making wreaths and dried everything else; don’t water in a way that sprawling if left unpruned; it is wise to start arrangements. Hardy to -20°F. Plants may wets foliage; remove any dying or dead the spring by removing the top one-third to reach 3 to 4 feet and are about 3 feet in foliage immediately. A mature tarragon one-half of each stem to encourage new diameter. might reach 18 inches tall in a garden where it grew for its ragged beauty instead growth and keep the plant from sprawling. Stevia. This semi-evergreen is hardy to -10°F. . Tender of culinary desirability. A good crown can Summer Savory. be as much as a foot wide. Space plants S. hortensis. A perennial. Slender upright plant with sweet for the future, not the present; 18 to 24- bushy annual that grows best with regular leaves, hundreds of times sweeter than inch centers are about right, although you use. Cutting stems frequently during the sugar, with no calories. It can be used as may think it is a bit far apart after you summer will keep the plant vegetative and an alternative sweetener for diabetics, have just transplanted a plant from a 2 useful. although, making a powdered sugar 1/2-inch pot. Plants are hardy to -20°F. substitute from the leaves requires technology that is well beyond the HERbS : T HyME 21 Thyme ne of the most famous of the French herbs and indispensable in the kitchen. its sweet, Owarm, spicy flavor complements a variety of meats, soups, stews, vegetables, breads, and desserts. as a small landscape specimen in the perennial border, it adds interest and, in variegated forms, pleasing color. it makes an acceptable low hedge for either formal or informal uses and its soft pastel flowers herald the warmth of spring. Most thyme varieties are hardy to -20°. a full day of sun is desirable, but plants require at least 4 hours of sun for growth and health. a fertile, well-drained loam with a pH range between 4.5 and 8 should produce healthy plants. although there is no sight as pleasant as a thick thyme plant taking over a small part of the garden, especially where it may be rocky, our humid climate often tests the disease resistance of the species. it is wise to remove dead stems and cut back upright plants where they meet the soil in a spring pruning that invigorates the vegetation and helps to reduce future disease problems. Culinary Thyme

english thyme. FRenCH VaRietieS spring with small lilac blossoms. It grows Thymus ‘Broad- 12 to 16 inches tall. What we call French thyme is much more orange balsam thyme. leaf English’. Thanks to the ground complex than we ever realized, according Thymus breaking work of Harriet Flannery Phillips, to the latest research. The name is more vulgaris ‘Orange Balsam’. The narrow, we know a lot more about thyme than we an umbrella under which reside a number sharply pointed dark green leaves pack a did before she completed her study of the of thyme varieties with distinct wallop with an intense aroma of balsam genus Thymus in 1982. What we called characteristics. One trait they all share is and oranges. Plants are dense, about 12 English Thyme may have been one of the leaf-margins that curl under. In recent inches high and 15 inches wide. Plant on biggest surprises: it is unable to reproduce 12 to 15 inch centers. itself from seed because it is a single sex, years, we have made an effort to provençal thyme. distinguish some of the subtleties of Thymus vulgaris (female) and seedling offspring would aroma and shape that seem valuable and ‘Provençal’. Tom DeBaggio selected this have to be hybrids. This is the true English separate them from the generic for you to variety for its strong aroma. It has a thyme which makes those soft, round 12 enjoy for their unique beauty and aroma. woody, upright growth habit, becoming inch high mounds. It is softly aromatic and narrow-leaf French thyme . somewhat gnarled after several years. winter hardy with delicate spring blooms. It can be reproduced only from cuttings. An Thymus vulgaris ‘Narrow-leaf French’. Leaves are tiny, gray-green arrowheads, easy way to distinguish English thyme is (German Winter, Common, Garden). We held throughout the year. Mature plants to look at the leaves. The leaf-margins of have often grown this variety from seed, are 12 to 16 inches tall and may spread to this thyme are flat, without the slightest but notice from time to time differences in 24 to 36 inches if left unpruned. I have curl. aroma and leaf shape. We selected a had trouble propagating Provençal for golden lemon thyme. plant with aroma and upright stature and the last few years. Therefore, supplies Thymus x now propagate it from cuttings to assure are limited. citriodorus ‘Aureus’. A variegated form of uniformity. It has medium-sized leaves and lemon thyme with golden-edged leaves, it an aroma without harshness. It flowers in is colorful and surprisingly fragrant of 22 THyME lemons. The variegation is less skin with lemon thyme turns a simple mark on each leaf that looks like a pronounced during the hot, sunny days of roasted bird into a gourmet treat. Semi- Wedgewood china pattern, increasing its summer. Space on 18 to 24-inch centers. upright plants are about 12 inches tall. ornamental value. This variety is a green lemon thyme wedgewood english thyme . Thymus x . discovery of Cyrus Hyde at Well-Sweep citriodorus. This rapidly growing thyme has Thymus ‘Wedgewood English’. This is Herb Farm in New Jersey. Space 18 to 24 deep green leaves imbued with a sweet much the same as flat-leafed English inches. lemony fragrance. Rubbing a chicken’s thyme, except for a small, light-colored Ornamental Thyme

These varieties have limited use in the kitchen, but provide interest in the garden with unusual growth habit, scent or flower color. upRigHt VaRietieS many years. They creep not in the way of experience some winter kill. A mounding, pinewood thyme. mints, via stolons, but because their prostrate variety with golden variegation Thymus stems root as they lie on the earth’s appearing in the early spring and fall, ‘Pinewood’. Formerly, Lavender Thyme. surface. disappearing in mid-summer. Lemon Perennial. This semi-upright variety forms archer’s gold thyme. Thymus scented, with rose-pink flowers. a dense green mat. Makes good low elfin thyme. 'Archer’s Gold'. Only 2 1/2 inches tall, this Thymus praecox border plant. Height to 4-6 inches. Space vigorous dense creeper has lovely green- subsp. britannicus 'Elfin'. Perennial, hardy 8 inches apart. Silver thyme. gold leaves that will leave you breathless to about 0ºF. Lovely creeping habit Thymus ‘Argenteus’. as they tumble over the edge of a hanging forming a tight mound. Magenta flowers. The leaves of this time have a unique basket. Excellent between pavers on a Height 2 to 3 inches. Good groundcover silver glow created by gray-green leaves walkway. for a sunny, well drained area between edged with silver, a wonderful contrast Creeping (Mother of thyme). stepping stones. Will take light foot traffic. with the traditional green leaves in the Edible but better suited as an ornamental. thyme bed. It forms an aromatic mound. A Thymus pulegioides. Usually sold Spicy orange thyme . Thymus . border edged with this thyme will prove erroneously as T. serpyllum (which is Perennial. Hardy to about 10º F. Low, eye-catching. virtually unknown in this country, despite its ubiquity in herb catalogs). With its spreading mound with slightly hairy leaves CReeping anD medium-size, bright green leaves and and pungent orange scent. Height to 4 inches but usually stays lower. Tough to MounDing tHYMe colorful pink flowers, this vigorous procumbent thyme will charm the bees keep going through the summer without good drainage and a nice dry spot. Most creeping offer little in the way and your heart. Broadly spreading mounds transparent Yellow thyme. of aroma; of course it is there albeit subtle. usually reach a maximum height of 6 inches. Thymus ‘Clear Gold’. (Golden Dwarf Their charm is in the way they hug the Crimson thyme earth and spread a subtle rug of many . Thymus praecox thyme or Creeping Golden thyme). textures and colors. Creeping thymes and subsp. britannicus 'Coccineus'. Perennial. Perennial, hardy to 0ºF. Low, spreading hanging baskets have an affinity for each Hardy to -25ºF. Striking red-purple flowers mound with slightly hairy golden leaves. other that an artist would admire. A mulch on a low creeping plant. Height to 4 During mid summer, leaves are more of a pale-green. Height to 6 inches. of sand or small stones 1 inch deep inches. Blooms early summer. white Flowered Creeping spread across the prepared soil will warm Doone Valley thyme. Thymus thyme. the roots and help dry the dense foliage of ‘Doone Valley’. Perennial, hardy to 0ºF, Thymus praecox subsp. these beauties, extending their lives for although the central crown may britannicus 'Albus'. Perennial. Hardy to - 25ºF. White flowers appear in early summer. A low creeping plant growing to 3 gift Certificates inches tall. Good for between pavers and stepping stones. Like all thymes, requires excellent drainage and full sun. always in style and make perfect woolly thyme. Thymus praecox gifts for green-thumbed family subsp. britannicus ‘Lanuginosus’. Perennial, hardy to -20ºF. The fuzzy gray and friends. leaves of the dainty creeper provide its common name “Woolly”. It makes a soft Available in any amount. and huggable ground cover. Height to 2 inches. Perfect for growing over a stone Purchase on-line or in-store wall. HERbS : W 23 woodruff, Sweet . . Debaggio Herbs t-Shirts and Hats Hardy to -35°F. Woodruff’s practical application as a quickly spreading ground cover for shady locations, hides its former life as a sexual stimulant used in aphrodisiacs. Today its stiff green leaves, held aloft in whorls, are most often found flavoring May wine, tea, and scenting Hats $19.99 each (colors: Charcoal, Green, Khaki Green) potpourri. Its leaves’ distinctive aroma deepens when dried. Plants reach 8 to 12 inches when flowering in May..

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Hardening Off: Wise Transplanting Ensures Health and bountiful Harvest

Your plants have been carefully grown in my O’ Water is an excellent choice) are effective. These greenhouses and selected for form and vigor. Before may be purchased commercially, but effective, home- you transplant them to the garden they should be made devices can be constructed from old plastic conditioned to ready them for outdoor survival by a milk containers or styrofoam cups with the bottoms process horticulturists call ‘hardening off”. When you removed. bring your plants home, place them outside in a Although no special equipment is necessary to partly sunny spot (direct sun can sometimes burn harden off your plants, a cold frame will be helpful. A tender plant tissue) protected from wind. Bring the cold frame is nothing more than a protective plants inside at night and then put them outside the structure with a glass or plastic top that will open and next day if temperatures are expected to remain shut. Sides may be of wood, masonry, straw, above 40ºF. After four to seven days of this regimen, bundled newspapers, or poly sheeting stapled to a the plants should be hardened enough to transplant wooden frame. The cold frame top is usually slanted outside. so that it will catch the sun and drain rain water away Less water should be given to the plants during from the structure. Cold frames should face south. this treatment, but care should be taken to keep the The cold frame protects young seedlings and plants from wilting. A weak solution of liquid fertilizer, transplants from the ravages of spring wind and applied to the plant at the time of transplanting, will unsettled cold weather. Seedlings are hardened off also help get it off to a good start. for a week or two in such a structure to stiffen their Early transplanting calls for vigilance by the stems and adjust them to temperature fluctuations gardener and attention to weather forecast. Danger that did not exist indoors on your window sill, under of freezes should bring protective measures to the your grow lights, or inside the greenhouse, where young transplants in the form of covers. Aside from conditions are ideal and encourage soft growth. poly spun row covers (like Reemay), hot caps (Wall 24 ORnaMEnTalS angelonia. Angelonia angustifolia. Tender perennial. Also called summer snapdragon. These vigorous, heat tolerant plants are a “must have” for the summer garden. Carefree plants bloom all summer. Good for cut flowers. ‘Angelface Blue', 'Angelface Wedgewood Blue', ‘Perfectly Pink’ agastache 'Tutti Frutti'. Perennial. Hardy to -30ºF. This plant has fragrant gray-green foliage. Flowers spikes are lavender-pink, and 12” inches long. May Angelonia Wedgewood Blue * Cape Daisy be a short lived perennial in our area. Osteospermum Bright Lights™ Yellow * Height 24” inches tall. alyssum Lobularia hybrid . Snow princess® represents a unique breakthrough in the genus for heat tolerance and extended season performance. This sterile Lobularia is extremely vigorous, and because it puts no energy into setting seed it has an incredibly long bloom time. Creates a Calibrachoa great hanging basket or window box and Superbells® * is a perfect filler in combinations or in the garden. Very fragrant! Frosty Knight® similar to above but with creamy variegated leaves, not quite as vigorous. blushing princess . Similar to ‘Snow Princess’, but flowers have lavender Supertunia® Limoncello* tinged flowers that intesify during cooler night temperatures. bacopa . Sutera cordata. Vigorous Calibrachoa Superbells® Grape Punch * grower with white blooms all season. Low growing, trailing habit make this ideal for baskets. Deadheading Not Necessary. Snowstorm® Snow globe® with white flowers. Snowstorm® blue bubbles® with light blue flowers baptisia/wild indigo . Baptisia spp. Perennial. Hardy to -40º. This incredible native plant is a “must have”. Plants take two or three years to reach their full potential so don’t be fooled by the fragile, somewhat spindly appearance of Calibrachoa young potted plants. Baptisia are long- Superbells® Grape Punch * Bacopa Snowstorm® Snow Globe® lived. Once established, you will be amazed at how quickly they re-grow in the spring after dying completely to the ground * Photos courtesy of Proven Winners each winter. You can almost watch them www.provenwinners.com grow! Spikes of lupine-like flowers begin to ORnaMEnTalS 25 appear in mid spring before the plant reaches its full height and continue to develop as the plant stretches its legs. Baptisia has a very deep tap root, giving it the ability to survive long dry periods and making it a challenge to move once it is established. Grow in full sun. baptisia australis. The straight species. Indigo blue flowers above silver- green foliage. Height 3 to 5 feet with similar spread. butterfly weed, Red Flowered. Superbena Royal Cherryburst*

Asclepias curassavica. Also known as Blood Flower. Tender perennial, hardy to Salvia ‘Otahal’ about 32ºF. This 3 foot tall milkweed produces orange and red flowers all summer; elongated seed pods in the fall. Milkweed is the only food for the Monarch caterpillar. Calendula. Calendula officinalis. This hardy annual produces large, edible, blossoms with both light and dark centers. Supertunia® Vista Bubblegum * Dead heading will help extend the already long booming period and prevent unwanted seedlings. All varieties tolerate part shade. And reach a height of about Regal Geranium ‘Aristo Pink’ 24”. Resina’. ‘ Yellow flowers with light centers have high resin content. ‘Deja Vu’. Large blossoms in a mix of pink, orange, yellow, cream; some with contrasting lower petals and darker tips. Calibrachoa

Hardy to 15ºF. Grow as an annual. These “Miniature Petunias” are terrific in pots and in the landscape. Mounding to spreading habit depending on the variety. Lobelia Techno Heat Upright Dark Blue Superbells® Series. Supertunia® Performs well Pretty Much Picasso® * in a pot or in the garden. Low maintenance, long blooming and heat tolerant. Available varieties: Evening Star Hollywood Star Cherry Red Cherry Star Dreamsicle Grape Punch Lemon Slice Punch Saffron Yellow Chifon

Johnny Jump Up Supertunia® Royal Velvet® * Viola tricolor ‘Helen Mount’ 26 ORnaMEnTalS Cape Daisy. Osteospermum. Tender varieties are perennials, hardy to -15ºF, to 12 inches wide. and very fragrant. Grow them in full sun. perennial. Terrific early season plant Mowing after flowering will encourage geraniums, Regal/ Martha grown as an annual in our area. Produces new, stockier growth. Use flowers in continuous daisy-like flowers. Relatively washington potpourri, beverages, or as a garnish. Pelargonium new introduction. Mounding habit is good 'First love' for hanging baskets. Performs well in early . Beautiful green mounds domesticum . Tender Perennial. Regals summer but peters out a bit during the all season long. In late spring/early prefer cool temperatures and bloom best hottest part of the summer only to rebound summer, plants produce intensely when under some water stress. Be careful and provide great early fall color. Available fragrance flowers that start out white and not to allow plants to become variety:’Bright Lights Yellow’ change to pink. Deadhead to prolong waterlogged. Can be wintered indoors in a bloom period. cool, well-lighted area. Colors offered: Chocolate Daisy. 'Candy Flowers Violet', ‘aristo pink’, Berlanderia lyrata. Dichondra. ‘aristo black’, ’aristo white with 'Silver Falls'. Tender Perennial, hardy to 10ºF. U. S. Native. eye'. Small, yellow, sunflower-like flowers have Perennial. Hardy to 20ºF. This soft silvery- a maroon-orange center. New flowers green foliage plant is the perfect accent for all your planters and hanging baskets. gaura. smell strongly of chocolate! Likes a dry Gaura lindheimeri. Perennial. Dichondra needs full sun and well-drained spot in full sun. Butterflies like this one Hardy to 0ºF. Gaura tends to be short- too. soil. Height 3” inches tall, cascading 3’ to 6’ feet long!! lived in our area. Like all tap-rooted plants, Coleus. Gaura should be sited carefully as it is Solenostemon scutellarioides. euphorbia, Diamond difficult to relocate once established. These ornamental, tender perennials do Delight®. Flowers, appearing in May and lasting well in full sun or partial shade. This year Euphorbia . Annual, hardy until October, look almost like small the number of varieties of this under to 40ºF. Terrific ornamental for landscape butterflies dancing above the narrow green foliage. Height to 3’ feet. appreciated garden stalwart includes or container. Snow white blooms are held 'whirling butterflies'. intriguingly named cultivars such as: ‘Inky above mounds of green all season long, White Fingers’, ‘Pineapple Splash’, ‘Kiwi flowers. from planting to frost. Height to 18 inches. ‘Siskiyou pink'. Fern’,’Defiance’, ‘Beauty of Lyon’ and Full sun to part shade. Heat and drought Spikes of pink more. tolerant, deer resistant, and self cleaning. blooms. Dahlia, bishop’s Children. Foxglove. Heliotrope. Heliotropium arborescens . Dahlia pinnata ‘Bishop’s Children’. These clump forming, biennials/ short- Tender perennial. The unbelievable sweet Perennial, hardy to 10ºF. Almost black lived perennials will make a welcome entry scent produced by the fully open flowers foliage really sets off the 3 to 4 inch, single to the ornamental garden. Plant in a partly can easily overpower an entire room, and semi-double, peony- flowered blooms. shaded area at least one foot apart and greenhouse or garden. Good container Flowers are single or double bi-color, red, provide moderately moist soil. Most plant. orange, yellow, pink, or purple. foxglove reseed readily and therefore ‘Marine’. Descendent of classic ‘Bishop of Llandaff’. should be dead headed to avoid unwanted This fragrant pot plant After the first frost of the season, cut the seedlings later. Please don’t put this in produces blue flower clusters that rise stems about six inches from the ground. your garden if there is even a remote from large green-purple leaves. Richly Dig up the tubers and gently brush off the fragrant of spice and vanilla. chance that somebody, especially a white flowered. clinging soil. Allow them to dry in a frost child, may eat any part of this plant. All Extremely fragrant free area and then place in a container parts of foxglove are toxic. white flowering heliotrope. Spanish Foxglove and cover with dry sand, vermiculite, or . Digitalis thapsi. peat moss for winter storage. Many books Perennial, hardy to 0ºF. Similar to common Hollyhock recommend that a fungicide be applied to . Alcea rosea. The following foxglove. Lovely rose pink flowers the tubers before storing them. produced in the early spring. Up to 2 feet varieties available this year will produce Periodically check and cut out any rotten flowers next year. tall, 12 inches wide. black Hollyhock. spots or discard tubers that are soft and Alcea rosea mushy. Fuchsia. Tender perennial, hardy to ‘Nigra’. Biennial or short-lived perennial. Very dark purple, single flowers appear Dianthus / pinks. about 20ºF. Grow in a sheltered, partly Dianthus ssp. black. Flowers appear the second year on shady spot. The ancient Greeks called pinks dios 'pink Marshmallow'. 6 foot tall spikes. I have found that they anthos (Zeus’ flower). The more modern Medium need some type of support while flowering name, “pinks”, refers to the serrated edges sized, double, soft pink and white flowers to keep them from toppling after a hard from late spring until frost. Trailing in habit, rain. of the flower, as if “pinked” with shears, Chater’s Double Mix. not as a description of the color. Most this variety grows to 12 inches tall and up Old- ORnaMEnTalS 27 available after mid april. fashioned, frilly, double, apricot colored blooms appear the second year. Marigold, Signet. ‘alaska Mixed’. Tagetes tenuifolia . Creamy white and green foliage provides an unusual Hollyhock Mallow. Petite flowers smother small mounds of Malva background for red or orange flowers. lacy, citrus-scented foliage. Height to 10”. ‘apricot trifle’ sylvestris. ‘Zebrina’. ‘Tangerine Gem’ has orange flowers. . This English variety Biennial, short-lived ‘Lemon Gem’ has yellow flowers. has frilly blooms of apricot salmon, perennial, hardy to below 0ºF. Flowers are ‘Red Gem’ has red flowers. seemingly semi-double, which contrasts mauve with deep-purple stripes or veins. Edible flowers . with its dark green foliage. Plants are 10 inches tall. Grows to about 3 feet tall. ‘black Velvet Mexican petunia. ’. Deep, red-black Ruellia brittania lobelia, annual. techno® flowers on a compact mounding plant. 'Purple Showers'. Tender Perennial. Hardy 'Caribbean Crush'. Heat Series. Pink-orange Excellent for landscape, to 25ºF. Plants have dark green flowers. mixed containers, and hanging baskets. lanceolate foliage with purple flowers that ‘empress of india’. Cascading Good heat tolerance. Available in white, are very similar to a petunia. Blooms from light blue or dark blue flowered. July until Frost. A wonderful plant to use in clumps of single dark scarlet flowers on 10 inch tall plants. mass plantings. Height to 3’ feet tall. ‘Jewel Mix’. lobelia, perennial. This is a special color All parts of Mexican Sunflower. Tithonia mix, containing plants that may have these U.S. natives are poisonous if rotundifolia ‘Fiesta del Sol’. Annual. 2000 yellow, red, orange, pink, rose, and bi- ingested. Both prefer moist locations and colored flowers. Plants are 12 inches tall. tolerate part to full shade. These short- All-America Select winner. Compact plant Milkmaid’. ‘ Creamy, light yellow lived perennials may reseed. produces beautiful, orange, daisy-like lobelia, Cardinal. blooms nearly smother the foliage on this Lobelia flowers. Unlike previous varieties of Mexican Sunflower, this variety grows to 12 inch tall plant. cardinalis. This moisture-loving, shade- ‘Strawberries and Cream’. less than 3 feet tall. Plant in full sun and This tolerant plant has brilliant red spikes that poor soil as excessive nitrogen produces bloom July-September. Height 3’-4’ feet variety has stunning bi-colored blooms few flowers, lots of leaves. tall. that offer a rich, peachy cream base lobelia siphilitica. bushed with four large strawberry Blue flowers in nasturtium blotches. Plants are 9 to 12 inches tall. late summer. Height to 3 feet. Once used . Tropaelolum majus. ‘Strawberry ice’ . A showcase of to treat venereal disease. These annuals are grown for their splendor and use in the kitchen. Both the bright butter-colored blossoms with Marigold, French leaves and flowers are eaten. Nasturtiums maroon blotches and held above gray- little Hero Series. do very well in soil that has poor fertility, in green foliage. Plants are uniform and Plants stay compact (9 inches tall). fact high levels of nitrogen will produce ‘whirlybird Mix’. dwarf even in hot weather. 6 to 8 inch tall lots of foliage at the expense of flowers. This mixture plants provide large 2 inch flowers. Three Some dappled shade during the middle of contains plants with semi-double blooms colors available: Flame, with red and the day may also be beneficial, as plants that may be rose, orange, gold, or orange bi-color flowers, Orange, and can suffer leaf burn in the most intense mahogany. Flowers stand above the 6 Yellow. sunlight. These fast growers are frost inch tall plants. sensitive. nemesia OUCH OF REECE opal innocence T g Sweetly scented You can go out to eat anytime, and there are lots of places flowers all season. Good for early spring to buy some grub. For me there is no place as special as planting. The Greek Taverna. My friends Chris and Poppi petunia. Karamanos who own the place have the optimism of the Tender perennials, hardy to Greek sunshine and perfectionist tastes, a combination 30ºF. Petunias are heavy feeders and that has created an elegant white-washed dining room need lots of sun and plenty of water to and properly prepared food. keep going all summer long until frost. Supertunia® pretty Much 6828-C Old Dominion Drive, McLean picasso® Open 7 days a week (703-556-0788). Unique flowers sporting violet It’s a good idea to call for reservations because the McLean Knife purple flowers edged in lime green. This and Fork Society has discovered this fantastic place and they’re packing vigorous plants is great for mixing in it for lunch and dinner. combination with other vigorous plants. Self cleaning. 28 ORnaMEnTalS Supertunia® priscilla®. “Furman’s Red’. Petunia matures into a 12 inch mound, and Crimson to scarlet 'Kerprilcomp'. Semi-double, fragrant produces blue-purple flowers until frost. red flowers on a two foot tall plant. ‘Maraschino’ flowers with purple veins, blooms all phlox, woodland. (S. grahami i season. As with all petunias, needs Phlox divaricata xmicrophylla ). Velvety-red flowers. Heavy frequent fertilizing for best performance. var laphamii . Also called Wild Sweet bloomer in spring and fall, flowering slows Attractive to butterflies, birds, and William. Native from Canada to the South during summer, hummingbirds. Heat tolerant. Self- ‘Hot lips’ Central U.S., this low growing, spreading, (S. microphylla) . White cleaning. Supertunia® Royal Velvet. woodland perennial is hardy to -30ºF. flowers with red lip. Flowers emerging Fragrant, flowers in early spring. Perfect when night temperatures are warm may Fragrant, deep, dark purple-blue, velvety for the front of a shady border. be all red. ‘blue Moon’ bluebeard Sage. flowers all summer. Good trailing habit -blue flowers. Salvia viridis . The ideal for hanging baskets. Up to 4 foot ‘May breeze’ colorful bracts of this annual sage, in spread. Height: 6 to 10 inches. -white flowers. Supertunia® Vista bubblegum®. shades of blue, pink, and cream, show up Russian Sage. particularly well when planted in front of Perovskia atriplicifolia. Vigorous, mounding/cascading habit with Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’. A second pink flowers. 16 to 24 inches tall with a 2 This deciduous, hardy perennial explodes blooming may be encouraged if pruned foot spread. Good disease resistance, with violet-blue flowers in summer and soon after the initial, late summer self-cleaning. lasts well in to late fall. Prune to 3 or 4 flowering. Supertunia® white. branches close to the ground in early gentian Sage . Salvia patens . This Supertunia® Vista Fuchsia. spring, just as buds begin to swell along herbaceous perennial is hardy to about Supertunia® Vista Silverberry. the bare stems. 15ºF and requires some dappled shade. Supertunia® limoncello. ornamental Salvia/ Sage Large blue flowers produced during early Supertunia® Mini Silver summer for about a month are simply Supertunia® black Cherry With so many species and cultivars outstanding. Makes a wonderful companion for dark red roses. Supertunia® latte in my collection, I cannot list or Sierra San antonio Sage. Salvia Surfinia® Sky blue. propagate large quantities of all. Including the culinary sages, I usually xjamensis 'Sierra San Antonio'. Tender have about 50 cultivars in production. perennial, hardy to about 20ºF. In 1988, a andean Sage. phlox, Creeping. Salvia discolor . group of naturally occurring hybrids was Phlox subulata. Tender perennial. The leaves of this rare discovered near the Mexican town of Perennial, hardy to -40ºF. Evergreen plant are white underneath, green on top Jame. This selection with peach and reaching 6 inches tall and spreading up to and sparsely held along white, hairy cream bicolored flowers will bloom all 3 feet. Great for colorful ground cover, stems. Black flowers erupt from summer long if kept lightly pruned. Height especially to spill over a rock wall. inflorescences atop sticky stems. The is 18 to 24 inches. Will tolerate light Available in two colors: ‘Emerald Blue’ and shade. plant may attain a height of up to three Mealy Sage. ‘Emerald Pink’. feet. However, flowering stems become Salvia farinacea . droopy and may need support. This is one Perennial, hardy to 25ºF. The common phlox, intensia® blueberry . of my favorite plants. An ideal specimen or name, Mealy or Mealy Cup Sage, refers collector’s plant. Supplies are limited. to the mealy dusting on the inflorescence Annual. Heat tolerant North American anise-Scented Sage, black and (farinacea means flour). Lots of colorful Native. Attractive to butterflies. Plant blue . Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue'. spikes are produced from May to frost. Makes a good container plant, growing to Perennial, hardy to about 20ºF. AKA only 18 inches. Grow in full sun or part KipoS botanicals™ Hummingbird Sage. Violet-blue flowers shade. erupt from dark calyces in late spring. Herbal Skincare ‘Victoria Blue’ with blue flowers,, Grows 2 to 3 feet tall in full sun or part Mexican bush Sage. shade. Drought tolerant. Ornamental. Salvia autumn Sage leucantha. Tender perennial growing to 5 Sharing the garden’s . Salvia greggii feet tall. During late summer, the bush is beauty & power with Flowers appear, not in the fall as the covered with soft, velvety, purple and all natural, handcrafted common name indicates, but from early white flowers. Ornamental. Also available herbal salves, balms & spring to frost. Although generally in an all purple-flowered version called more. considered tender in our area, the red ‘Midnight’ and a dwarf version: ’Santa flowering varieties appear to be slightly Barbara’. hardier than the species and survive all otahal Sage. Arlington, Virginia 22207 but the most severe winters. Native to Salvia ‘Otahal’. www.kiposbotanicals.com mountainous regions of Mexico and Perennial, hardy to at least 10ºF. RARE! Arizona. An apparent hybrid between S. farinacea and S. reptans or S.azurea. Grey-green ORnaMEnTalS 29 foliage is a perfect backdrop for the frost hardy plants are usually grown as Castle'. Perennial, hardy to 0ºF. This flowers. Prominent silver-white calyces annuals in our area. Many are perennial, vigorous English hybrid forms a dense, and blue-violet corollas create amazing bi- but suffer so in our hot summers that they three foot tall, mound of lacy silver foliage. color flower spikes. Plants grow to about 2 virtually disappear from the garden. New Prune hard in spring to keep well- feet tall. Hummingbirds seem to like it as plants, born from scattered, self-sown branched and bushy. Space 2 feet apart. well. seed, pop up in unexpected places all Semi-evergreen. One of my favorite texas Sage. Salvia coccineus. over the yard and garden the following ornamental plants. spring. Although usually enjoyed as a Annual. Heat loving sage that blooms until Zinnia. frost. Height to 2 feet and as wide. colorful accent in the garden, the edible flowers are used in salads and as a benary’s giant Mix. 'Coral Nymph' . Brilliant salmon- Zinnia coral and white bi-color flowers . garnish on top of desserts. viola tricolor elegans. Annual. Fully double, 4-6 inch 'Snow Nymph' . All white flowers. ‘Helen Mount’. The diameter, dahlia-like blooms on sturdy ‘Lady in Red’ . Red flowers true Johnny Jump-up. Flowers are yellow, woodland Sage. stems. Excellent cut flower with good vase blue, and violet. Salvia xsylvestris. life. Low susceptibility to powdery mildew. Perennial. Hardy to -30ºF. Nice accent in Height to 50 inches. white almond bush. ‘State Fair Mix’. the front of the border or planted en Aloysia Zinnia elegans . masse. Intial blooms last about three virgata . Tender Perennial. Hardy to 20ºF. Old-fashioned, single and double blooms weeks. Most varieties need to be dead This fast growing relative of lemon span the color range between scarlet, headed to encourage a second flush of verbena has highly fragrant flowers in late rose, salmon, orange, yellow and white. blooms. spring lasting until frost. Also available: Short Stuff Hybrid Mix, ‘Caradonna’ Blue-violet flowers. 18 'Swizzle Scarlet And Yellow', and inch spires above 12 inch tall plants. wormwood. Artemisia x 'Powis 'Swizzle Cherry And Ivory'. ‘Blue Hill’ . Light blue flowers. Often reblooms without deadheading. ‘Rosenwein’. Rose pink spires rise 12 inches above a compact rosette. ‘Snow Hill’. White flowers on 10 inch proven winners. tall spires. Each year the folks at Proven Snapdragon. Winners® test hundreds of new plant introductions at Rocket Mix. Long, strong spikes of university field trials throughout beautifully colored blooms. Colors include the country. Less than 5 percent red, white, pink, yellow and rose. Staking become Proven Winners®. To pass muster, plants must thrive in a range of may be necessary in windy areas. Makes conditions, and have exceptional color, habit, and disease resistance. In short an excellent cut flower. they choose the best of the best. Here are a few of the standouts we are growing for you this year. Sunpatiens®. New varieties are marked with *. Impatiens hawkeri 'SAKIMP005' Robust, sun–loving, heat– PROVEN WINNERS/ PROVEN SELECTIONS loving impatiens that thrive in full sun or part shade and deliver continuous color from spring through frost. These low- Angelonia ‘Angelface Blue’ Supertunia® Pretty Much Picasso maintenance plants flourish almost Angelonia ‘Angelface Wedgewood Blue’ Supertunia® Priscilla anywhere. Angelonia 'Perfectly Pink'. Supertunia® Vista Bubblegum 'Spreading Salmon'. Bacopa Snowstorm® Snow Globe Supertunia® Limoncello 'Spreading Carmine Red' . Helichrysum ‘Petite Licorice’ Supertunia® White Verbena, annual. Lantana 'Luscious Citrus Blend'. Supertunia® Vista Fuchsia. Superbena® Series. Lobularia 'Frosty Knight' Supertunia® Vista Silverberry Broad leaf, Lobularia 'Snow Princess' Surfinia® Sky Blue upright, spreading plants have good Lobularia 'Blushing Princess' Verbena Superbena® Dark Blue mildew resistance. Larger flowers than Osteospurmum 'Bright Lights Yellow' Verbena Superbena® Purple other varieties. Available in Royale Superbells® Cherry Star Verbena Superbena® Royale Iced Cherry Silverdust, Royale Iced Cherry, Royale Superbells® Evening Star Verbena Superbena® Royale Cherry Burst Cherry Burst, Royale Red, Royale Plum Superbells® Hollywood Star Verbena Superbena® Royale Plum Wine Wine, Purple, and Dark Blue. Supertunia® Latte Verbena Superbena® Royale Red Viola/Johnny Jump-up. These 30 SCEnTED gERaniUMS Scented leaf geraniums Have Many Uses . no table in the greenhouse creates more excitement than the one that contains scented-leaf geraniums. these pelargoniums with leaves that have the aroma of lemons, apples, roses, oranges, even coconuts also give rise to many questions and the most common query is: "How'd they get that way?" well, they grew that way naturally; nobody injected them with scent. these lovely plants, many of which are native to africa, are blessed with the same ability as aromatic herbs to manufacture chemicals in their leaves that have evocative scents. over the years breeders have done their part to mix things up gloriously and present us with living potpourri that is just waiting for a hand to brush the leaves to release the unique fragrance of each plant. Scented-leaf geraniums can be grown in good, well- drained, moderately fertile garden soil, or in containers with a soil-less growing medium; the optimum pH is between 5 and 7. Scented geraniums grow rapidly and lushly and most of them are considerably larger and less floriferous than their more petite cousins, the bedding geraniums that are commonly seen. they are cold hardy to 30ºF and may be grown indoors through the winter. at least three hours of sun after 10 a.m. is sufficient for good growth, but full sun all day is best. pruning stems encourages branching and controls plant height. leaves are used in potpourri, jellies, salads, baking, and in tea.

apple . Pelargonium odoratissimum . plant. Lavender flowers. Good container Cedar scented foliage. Unusually large, This geranium’s rounded leaves hold a plant. Prune to shape this somewhat pink flowers with upper petals marked scent that evokes a rich apple cider on a sprawling variety. Does not repel insects! maroon. Clorinda Frensham lemon. warm fall day. A unique growth habit . Pelargonium ‘Clorinda’. Pelargonium creates 12 inch high growth with most of This is the best flowering scented 'Frensham Lemon'. The small, maple- the leaves rising from a central crown. geranium, and what a show it puts on with shaped leaves have an intense lemon Eventually, long nearly horizontal flower its large, orange-flushed cerise blooms. scent when stroked. Delightful pink flowers stems appear carrying small clusters of Leaves are eucalyptus-scented. Vigorous on a 2 foot high plant. lady Mary. small white flowers. Excellent hanging plants. Pelargonium 'Lady basket plant. Coconut. Pelargonium parviflorum . Mary'. Upright, compact growth habit. Apricot. Pelargonium. Tender perennial. It's amazing to find a geranium with Dark green serrated leaves have a Bright crimson flowers on an upright plant coconut-scented leaves. In appearance, distinctive strawberry scent. Pink flowers. with dark green leaves. Slight apricot lavender lad it's a bit like Apple, but with darker green . Pelargonium scent. Use in potpourri, jellies, and tea. leaves. At a bit over 1 foot high, this is a attar of Roses. ‘Lavender Lad’. Lavender flowers atop Pelargonium perfect plant for pots and hanging baskets. small, trailing, moss-green leaves. capitatum 'Attar of Roses'. This is an The plant is accented with tiny, but lemon Meringue. Pelargonium essential variety for any collection; the frequent magenta flowers. Cody's . ‘Lemon Meringue’. This may be a sport of essence of rose-scented geraniums. Pelargonium ‘Mabel Grey’. Nice, sharp lemon scent on Vigorous upright plants to 2 or more feet in fragrans . This gray, soft-leaved plant has an upright plant that grows well in a a single season. Orchid-colored flowers. always been a favorite of mine because of Cinnamon container. . Pelargonium its strong nutmeg fragrance. Strong stems lime . Pelargonium nervosum . ‘Limoneum’. Tender perennial. Small saw rise from a rosette to form a bushy toothed leaves have a sweet lemon specimen a little over a foot high that is Strong, upright stems hold small, toothed, fragrance with a cinnamon undertone. excellent for pots and hanging baskets. green, lime-scented leaves. Compact plant Deep rose purple flowers. Small white blooms appear often is excellent for containers. Flowers are Citronella darkly marked lavender. . Pelargonium ‘Citronella’. throughout the summer. Mabel grey. Large citrus-scented leaves on a robust Copthorne. Pelargonium ‘Copthorne’. Pelargonium citronellum ‘Mabel Grey’. An amazing SCEnTED gERaniUMS 31

Skeleton Rose. Variegated prince Rupert. lemon aroma; possibly the most fragrant Pelargonium radens Tightly of any scented-leafed geranium. Upright ‘Dr. Livingston’. Rose scented. Large, but ruffled leaves edged in cream and white, growth to nearly four feet. Keep plants minimalist green leaves that are reduced with a light lemon scent. Compact and pruned to encourage branching and to to a skeleton have a heavenly rose scent. slow growing control height. A perfect variety to train to Velvet Rose. Robust grower reaches nearly 3 feet in a Pelargonium a single stem topiary. single summer. Purple-spotted lavender graveolens ‘Velvet Rose’. Fuzzy, deeply Mint Peacock. Pelargonium 'Mint flowers. Peacock'. Tender perennial. Light-green Strawberry. notched leaves are rose scented. Height Pelargonium x to 3 feet. A real knockout! foliage splashed with creamy accents has scarboroviae . Small leafed, compact plant a mint fragrance. Use in potpourri, jellies, with strawberry scent. Slight trailing habit. and tea. old Fashioned Rose. Pelargonium graveolens ‘Old Fashioned Rose’. An old standard with a fine rose scent. If you’re going to cook with any geranium, this is tips on growing Scented the one with which to start. Excellent in potpourri. Height to 3 feet. Purple veined pelargoniums indoors orchid flowers. orange-Scented. Pelargonium ssp . Scented pelargoniums adapt quite well to indoor Compact, small leafed plant with free- blooming pale orchid flowers. Quite showy. conditions. The acclimatization period, however, can Peach. Pelargonium crispum 'Variegatum'. cause concern for “newbies”. Plants purchased at the Peach, aka gooseberry, is a compact geranium with small crisped, green and greenhouse are accustomed to full sun, all day long. This cream leaves with a light peach scent. is difficult to replicate on even the sunniest windowsill. Excellent pot plant. Flowers are small and lavender colored. The leaves at the bottom or interior of the plant often peppermint Rose. Pelargonium begin turning yellow shortly after being brought into the graveolens ‘Peppermint Rose’. An old comparatively gloomy interior of the winter home. This favorite that is a must for any collection. Unique minty-rose fragrance makes it a reaction is entirely normal, although some varieties are great cooking geranium. Deeply cut affected more than others. Yellow foliage should be leaves. Height to 3 feet. Lavender flowers. peppermint tom removed as soon as possible so that new leaves can . Pelargonium tomentosum. Large fuzzy leaves have a quickly begin growing to fill in thin areas. Do not respond well-formed peppermint aroma. One of the to yellow leaves by watering. This is the surest way to kill few scented geraniums that does best in shade. Its prostrate habit make it good your plant. In fact, do not water your plant until the soil is basket plant as well as an annual ground dry. cover. Purple-veined flowers. Pineapple. Pelargonium. Tender perennial. Poor light will also cause scented pelargoniums to Slight pineapple scent; heart-shaped, dark stretch or become “leggy”. Prune leggy stems before they green leaves. pretty polly. pelargonium 'pretty get too long (about 3 inches). This will also stimulate new polly'. tender perennial. pungent, branches and leaves to begin growing and filling out the some might say, almond scent with plant. Although not necessary to successfully grow showy pink flowers. scented pelargoniums indoors, lights can be used to Rober’s lemon Rose. Pelargonium reduce stretching and the severity of leaf yellowing. Mount ‘Rober’s Lemon Rose’. The scalloped leaves of this variety resemble tomato or hang cool-white florescent lights no more than 4 inches leaves but their scent is sweet lemon-rose. above the plant and leave them on for 14 hours a day. If Ultimate height to three feet. Pruning will you don’t have a light bench, put the plants in the keep height manageable and encourage branching. Brush-marked lavender sunniest window in the house. flowers. 32 vEgETablES he strength of the vegetable garden is its ability to yield the freshest produce from superior varieties that are unobtainable in greens and broccoli. Buds are harvested as they appear, just before tthe supermarket. That philosophy carries over into what i select flowering. to offer you. The way my plants are grown also offers you benefits. all broccoli, Romanesco Minaret. vegetable plants are sold in individual pots to permit you to select just the number you need when you need them. Plants in individual pots 75 days. Unlike regular broccoli (some classify this as a cauliflower), this Italian tend to be more vigorous, grow faster, and produce a larger harvest. For variety produces minaret shaped heads. you this means better vegetables sooner. Provide fertile conditions and irrigation for best crop. artichoke. dies back naturally. Cardoon. Cynara cardunculus . green globe Cynara scolymus beet, bull's blood. Perennial. Hardy to 0º F. The size and ‘Imperial Star’. 85 days. This is the first 21 days for baby labor required to harvest the fleshy, inner artichoke developed for the home leaf, 44 days for root. Deep burgundy leaf-stalks have resigned the cardoon to gardener. Easy to grow, typically colored leaves provide color to salad mix. obscurity relative to its smaller, and better producing 6 to 8 mature edible buds. Allow Roots show striped rings when sliced. known cousin, the artichoke. Gardeners plenty of space for each plant as a single broccoli, green Magic with lots of space will better appreciate the specimen may reach 3 to 4 feet tall. (F1). 59 statuesque nature of the cardoon and may want to treat it as a dramatic centerpiece asparagus, Jersey Knight days. High quality plants produce in hot Ready and cold weather. Dark green, foliage instead of a vegetable. The blanched inner leaf-stalks and the base of the stalk can for moderate harvest second spring after provides protection for the plant’s fine be used in soups stews and salads. planting. Maintain plants with rich compost beaded heads. Slender, smooth stems. Blanching should be done on a dry day or aged manure applied every fall or early broccoli Raab. when any trapped moisture has spring. Soil pH should be maintained to at 32 days. Traditional evaporated from the center of the plant. least 7.0. Do not cut fern-like foliage until it Italian specialty combines the flavor of Bundle the stems/leaf-stalks together and

Cucumbers, Squash and Zucchini productive. love the heat. Along with okra, 'Yellow Crookneck' these should be the last to be planted in the garden. They all will suffer when air . 58 Days. temperatures drop below 60ºF. The soil should also be warm. Once temperatures Plants produce fruit with buttery flavor and are in the mid to upper 70’s, they grow very fast. When trasplanting, ensure that firm texture. Large plants are late to begin the roots are not cdisturbed. Cucumbers and vining Zuchini will need a trellis to bearing, but then yield consistently over a long picking period. climb and keep fruit off the ground and straight. Bush Squash and Zucchini rarely Yellow patty pan. need any support. Keep these summer lovers well-watered and fertilized. Due to 'Sunburst F1'. 52 plants will not be available their temperatures requirements and rapid qrowth, days. 1985 All-America Selections winner. until early May . Prolific producer of tender, rounded squash with a scalloped profile. Vigorous Cucumbers. different. plant. Cucumis sativa tasty green. Zucchini. 'black beauty' amiga F1 Plants do well in our . 55 days. . Prolific, disease resistant hot, humid area and has strong tolerance Dwarf, bushy vines produce cylindrical, plants. Dark-green fruit is dark green, to Mosaic Virus. Slim fruits are 10 inches long, smooth, dark-green fruit with seedless, and spineless. long by 2 in diameter with dark green skin greenish white flesh. Pick at 6” long. Zucchini. 'Cocozelle'. Diva and small white spines. Bitter-free and 42-56 days. . 2002 AAS winner. Diva burpless. Very prolific. Bush type. Long, cylindrical fruit is dark produces distinctly tender, crisp, sweet, green with light green stripes. bitter-free, and seedless fruit. Foliage is Squash/Zucchini Zucchini, ‘Costata Romanesco'. not as attractive to cucumber beetles as Cucurbita pepo 52 days to harvest. A traditional Italian some varieties. Best when harvested at 5- Most varieties need plenty of space (2 heirloom. This distinctive zucchini is 7 inch length. Intermediate resistance to to 3 feet) and plenty of water and fertilizer medium gray-green, with pale green cucumber vein yellowing virus, downy during the growing season. Do not disturb flecks and prominent ribs. Big, large- mildew, and powdery mildew. roots when transplanting. Striped armenian 'prolific Straightneck'. leafed, trailing vines produce only half the . Also known as 50 days. yield of hybrids, but much have a flavor, 1938 AAS Winner. Uniform lemon-yellow, Painted Serpent. Unusual, slightly fuzzy, nutty, and delicious, raw or cooked. Also a club-shaped fruit. Firm flesh is of excellent "S"-shaped fruits are slightly ridged with good producer of heavy male blossom quality. Harvest when 3 to 7 inches long. alternating dark and light green stripes. buds for cooking. Harvest from 8-18". Delicious and Plants are vigorous, hardy, and vEgETablES 33 wrap twine around the plant from the not allow soil to dry out. Keep well Partially self-blanching, further blanching bottom to approximately 12 inches from watered and fertilized throughout the can be achieved by placing a paper plate the top of the plant. Wrap the bundled growing season. Use in soups and stews. on top of the heart. While it is heat stalks with cardboard and leave alone for Leaves may be cut during the summer to tolerant, shade is needed to produce about 4 weeks. Harvest by cutting the flavor salads. sweet leaves through the summer. Use entire plant off at ground level. individual leaves or cut the head as with endive. endive, and allow it to regrow. Celeriac. 35 days to harvest. Refined, 100 days. Sometimes called curly green leaves are produced in Finocchio. root celery, this European specialty has a abundance on this heat tolerant plant. Foeniculum vulgare 'Zefa strong celery flavor in its leaves and Take a few leaves or cut the head 3 Fino'. Annual bulbing fennel produces bulbous root. Planted in the spring after inches above the soil and watch it regrow. remarkably thick, rounded, heavy bulbs temperatures have settled (10 days below with a refreshing anise flavor. Grow in escarole. 55º F will cause the plants to bolt), 48 days. This broad-leaved loose, fertile soil (slow release nutrient celeriac bulbs weighing as much as a pellets work well). When bulbs begins plant has a light-colored, open heart. pound will be ready for a fall harvest. Do swelling, pull soil over it to keep it white. ggplant . This is one of the last of the spring crops to plant. Eggplants grow best Harvest before flower stalks form. when temperatures are settled and nights are in the 60’s with afternoons as high italian Dandelion/Chicory. eas 95°F. They are so sensitive that temperatures in the 40s are likely to set back 40 plant growth and may permanently retard fruit production. A minimum of 4 hours of days. In Italy this plant goes under several direct sun is necessary. pH range 5.5 to 6.8. Space on 3 foot centers. Staking may be names: ‘Cicoria Asparagio’, ‘Puntarella’, necessary. Row covers are helpful to warm plants and protect against insects. Flea and ‘Cicoria Catalogna’. Leaves are dark beetles which eat tiny holes in eggplant leaves can be controlled with pyrethrum. green, deeply cut, and have thick white ribs. It has a palate cleaning, slightly Plants are available after mid April. reach only 2 ounces Perfect for single black beauty astringent character and is useful with . 80 days. Heirloom. seving.Tastes best when fruits are mixed greens or steamed with a little olive Large, glossy fruit. Traditional shape. harvested young. Plants are bushy but oil and raisins. Harvest greens when they Casper (Dourga) white. not quite as tall as regular eggplant. 70 days. orient express. are small or allow them to grow their full Large white fruits that measure up to 7 58 days. 18 inches high. It is cut and come again inches long and 2 inches in diameter are Attractive, slender 8-10" glossy black with this slow to bolt variety. Green and produced on medium-sized plants. A fruits in the long Oriental style. Tender, Red Rib types available. French gourmet variety with a mild flavor. delicately flavored, and quick cooking. Fairy tale. thai green. Kale. 50 days. Elongated 75 days. If you’ve Kale is one of the first vegetables been looking for an eggplant to use in purple fruit with white stripes. Best when to plant in the spring and one of the last in Thai cuisine, you must grow Thai Green. picked at 4 inches long. Dwarf plants are the fall, since its sweet flavor is Slender, light-green, 12 inch long fruit good for containers. heightened by frost and cool weather. It is Fengyuan purple. has skin so tender that peeling is not 65 days. Asian a vegetable to cook or have fresh in necessary. The white fleshed interior is type. Foot-long purple fruit. Thin skin salads. Harvests can begin when plants also tender with a mild pleasant flavor. makes pealing unnecessary. Non-bitter ping tung long are small, as soon as 30 days after flesh. . 65 days. Named transplanting. Harvesting encourages ichiban. 60 days. Oriental variety after its town of origin in Taiwan, this branching as the kale grows for slender violet-purple eggplant reaches at with slender 12-inch long, purple fruits. successive harvests. Cook it with olive oil, least 12 inches long and has an excellent One of our most popular varieties due to garlic, and a little white wine. mild flavor and tender white flesh. Red Russian. its outstanding flavor. The name ‘Ichiban’ 60 days to full Produces continuous, large harvests means number 1 in Japanese. Plants maturity. Red Russian has tender flat, even in summer heat and humidity. Great reach 36 inches tall. deep gray-green leaves with purple veins. for slicing and using in Oriental or other italian pink bicolor. Stems are also purple. 75 days to cuisine. toscano. turkish orange. 65 days to full maturity. first ripe fruit. Round, 8 inch fruit matures 85-90 days. Dark green blistered leaves. Heat and rosy pink with faint streaks of cream. Unique, brilliant orange fruits are great Kermit. cold tolerant. 60 days to harvest. for stuffing. The tennis ball sized fruits Siberian. 50 days to harvest. Tender, Compact, plant produces lots of small, are best eaten when slightly orange with blue-green, curly leaves with a mildly round green and white fruits. green striping. Once fruits turn red the little Fingers. skins will be bitter. sweet flavor. Vigorous, high yielding 68 days. Dark Vittoria. plants. 60 days. Thick, deep purple fruit can be picked when about 2 inches long. Good plant for containers. purple, elongated, 2.5 inches in diameter Kohlrabi. ophelia. by 9 inches long fruit highlight this Italian 31 days to harvest. Crisp, 55 Days. Mini oval fruits hybrid. Productive over a long season. apple-like flesh is perfect for salads or 34 vEgETablES Mizuna. light cooking. Best growth during mild or Unique Japanese mustard regrow until summer’s heat becomes too cool weather. much for plants to tolerate. green. Mild-flavored, pencil-thin stalks with Chioggia Red leeks. deeply cut, fringed leaves. Very . 60 days. Chioggia 100 days. Extra cold hardy with 7 productive. Red has a round head tightly packed with to 8-inch edible stems and 2 inches thick. colorful red and white leaves. Early spring Mustard greens, Red giant. through summer crop. These elongated, mild onions need a long treviso Red. growing season and soft, rich soil that has 60 to 65 days. Treviso Medium-green leaves with purple-red been deeply dug. A steady supply of water Red is an upright plant with a romaine-like veins. Mild flavor for light cooking and during dry summer periods is essential. head stuffed with red and white leaves. salads. Plants mature 12 to 14 inches tall Our seedlings are grown in small pots Good for year-round production. with 1 inch wide succulent stems. and must be separated before planting. Rhubarb, Red Slip the mass of plants out of their okra. . Perennial, hardy to container and dunk them in a pail of water Clemson Spineless. -40ºF. Harvest lightly second year. After and swish them around to loosen the soil. 60 days. Light third year, remove up to 1/2 to 2/3 of They are then easy to separate. Plant in a green pods have from 5 to 8 points. The leaves. Harvest for 8 to 10 weeks then wide, 4 to 5-inch deep trench. As the leeks standard variety in the south. Cream- allow plant to grow unmolested. Remove grow, gradually fill the trench, eventually colored flowers are also edible and may all flower stalks immediately. Leaf blades mounding soil around them. The part of be stuffed or used as garnish. An are poisonous. Only stalks are edible. the leek that is underground produces the attractive ornamental, good in containers. 'Valentine'. Red stalks. tender, long, white edible stem. Leeks are ‘Victoria’. Green stalks. a wonderful crop for fall and winter and pac Choi. This very tender Pac Choi bring a special flavor to soups and stews. Rucola/arugula. They will winter over in our area, but has a hearty, wild plant-like quality. Thick, 40 days. An Italian should be harvested before weather glossy leaves and flattened, pale green, green sometimes called rocket or arugola, warms. crisp stems. it possesses a peppery, smoky taste that will enliven any salad. It is especially good Mache. Radicchio. 50 days. Called “lamb’s lettuce” An Italian vegetable of on a cheese sandwich. Like other greens, its flavor is best in cooler weather, and will and “corn salad”, this salad green is a large gastronomic wealth that is gaining often become bitter when summer turns gourmet treat. Small compact heads filled popularity in the U.S. This colorful chicory on the heat. Frequent harvests provide with tiny leaves are formed and may be is eaten raw in salads and is sometimes more leaves. Plants will self-seed. cut to regrow, or the plants may be pulled cooked with olive oil and raisins, a method Shungiku (edible and eaten. Self-seeds and germinates in that sweetens its bitter taste. In my garden, I cut this colorful plant often and Chrysanthemum). winter. Makes a flavorful don’t let it form a head. Radicchio will

ettuce and sweet leaves. is the spring garden’s great treasure. It flourishes in cool weather, loma. especially when temperatures are between 45°F and 75°F. A site with rich, 36 days. Three words lloose soil and a minimum of 4 hours of direct sun is needed. Eight to 12 inch describe this lettuce: frilly, compact, and spacing is usually adequate. Grow greens fast and lush with plenty of manure and crisp. It is tender and crunchy with a mild side-dressings of liquid fertilizer. Don’t stint on the water when it is dry. Pick leaves flavor, and resists tip burn and bolting. It when you want them; there is no need to wait for heads to form, in fact the leaves are starts out resembling a leaf lettuce and matures to a heavy, compact bunch. tastiest when they are young. Red Saladbowl. Harvest plantswhen they are about 4 to 6 inches tall by cutting the entire plant to 41 days. This wine about one inch above the soil level. Expect 4 or 5 harvests from each plant this way. red version of Saladbowl is radiantly Extend the lettuce season by using some shade-cloth over your plants. The burgundy with deeply lobed leaves. Its number of days following each variety indicates the approximate length of time from color is most spectacular in cool weather. Saladbowl. transplant to full maturity during mild weather. Available through mid-April. 39 days. An All America buttercrunch. Freckles. Winner, this oakleaf variety produces 38 days. This dark 41 days. Red romaine delicate lime green rosettes. It is heat green bibb type lettuce is crisp and type. Green leaves freckled with red spots tolerant and resists bolting. flavorful. Leaves are produced in a tightly which darken with maturity. Simpson elite. galactic. 43 days. An extra bunched, 6 inch rosette. Plants have 48 days. Broad, frilly, red some heat tolerance and are slow to bolt. slow-bolting lettuce with a fine flavor. Carmona. leaf lettuce. Specifically bred for baby leaf Ruffled, pale green leaves. 40 days. A distinctive, harvest; full heads are relatively small and Vulcan. 52 days. Ruffled, slightly brilliant, red butterhead lettuce that will lightweight. green Forest. frilly leaves are brilliantly colored, an apple enliven any salad. It has good disease 56 days. Green and heat tolerance. red over green. Produces a large, full romaine type. Smooth ribbed, thick, crispy head that stays open. vEgETablES 35 addition to salads, vegetables, pickles, runnerless. Fruit is produced from June growth is achieved with a temperature and sushi. Harvest when plants are 4 to 8 until frost. They are best enjoyed right off range between 45°F and 75°F. Exposure inches tall. Unharvested plants will have the vine, since they do not store well. to even a light frost will cause the plant to small orange yellow chrysanthemum Crowns may be divided every three years bolt. ‘Fordhook giant’ flowers. to produce additional plants. When has medium- transplanting, be sure the crown of the Strawberry, alpine. green, crinkled leaves with white veins and plant is above soil level. broad white stems. The small, ‘bright lights’ conical, deep red berries have delicate, Swiss Chard. is a mix of colored soft flesh that is perfume-sweet when fully 22-25 days baby. 50-55 stems, including red, yellow, pink, white, ripe. These modern offspring of fraises days full size. Sometimes called Perpetual and purple, with green or bronze leaves. ‘Ruby Red’. des bois bear the royal breeding of the Spinach. Swiss chard is a large, crisp- Apple red stems with originals; they are refined, well-mannered, leaved green vegetable with succulent dark green, red-veined leaves. everbearing plants that are compact and stems ideal to use fresh or cooked. Best PEPPERS

early a s popular as the tomato in home gardens, peppers should not be transplanted to the garden as early. nPepper transplants may be placed in the garden after night temperatures are reliably 50°F or above; plants subjected to cold nights often become stunted, reducing pepper production. A temperature range of 60°F to 80°F provides the best growth and fruiting. Site plants in full sun (minimum 4 hours) and in soil with a pH range of 5.5 to 6.8. Space 2 to 3 feet apart. Support is usually needed to prevent fruit laden plants from toppling under their own weight or in a strong wind. Notations in our listing about the number of days indicate approximate time from transplanting to first harvest. Green peppers are immature fruits that ripen in an array of colors, but most commonly red or yellow. Plants are typically available about the third week in April. Visit www.debaggioherbs.com to view availability. Peppers are quite sensitive to cold. Growth may be stunted and/or yields may suffer if planted too early. Chiles

Essential for so many popular Asian and Southwestern dishes, these peppers can be dried or frozen for keeping through winter. aji Dulce. Cayenne. 90 days. Looks like a cousin the habañero. Pungency can vary 75 days. Slender, long considerably from year to year depending small habañero or scotch bonnet but fruits are about 6 inches long and an inch on climate conditions. without the scorching heat. Retains the big Chile in diameter, maturing red and very hot. aroma and taste typical of its C. chinense . 68 days. Gigantic yields Our Cayenne is very productive and good (habañero) brethren. Ripens red. Mildly of chiles in the mild Anaheim class. Huge for drying. Cherry bomb. hot. 4 oz fruits reach 8 to 10 inches long and alma . 65 days. Round to have thick flesh and mature red. 70-80 days. Ripens black pearl top-shaped fruits are very hot and about 2 from cream-white to orange to red. Thick . 110-125 days. 2006 inches in diameter. Hybrid plants are walled, cherry-type fruit. Excellent for AAS Winner! This unique variety looks productive and tall. Fruit is easy to pick. drying and grinding. marvelous in mixed containers and is the Nice fresh and good for pickling. anaheim. Chile de arbol. 68 days. A California type perfect backdrop in garden beds. Bushy, 80 days. A chile that is mildly hot with fruits about 7 upright plants have a well-branched habit, Cayenne type of pepper with pointed inches long and about 2 inches in producing shiny black fruits that are very pods, 2 to 3 inches long and 3/8 inches diameter. hot. Fruits eventually mature dark red with wide. Thin flesh makes these ideal for balloon. 100 days. Very distinctively a rounded, slightly pointed shape. drying and grinding into powder. Vigorous, with a high tolerance to heat Chiltepin. shaped fruits look as though they were 90 days. Don’t let the and humidity. squashed. The center holds the seeds bolivian Rainbow small size fool you. The pea sized fruit is and all the fire while the wings (3 or 4 per . 80 days. A extremely hot in both its purple and fruit) remain sweet. beautiful ornamental pepper with purple mature red phase. A bird’s eye type hot bhut Jalokia . AKA Ghost Pepper. foliage and flowers,bearing a profusion of pepper. fruit in a rainbow of colors on 2 to 3 ft. tall Fatalii. This chile from India is one of the hottest 80 days. Originally from plants. Very hot peppers are edible, but pepper in the world. A fruit in 2007 Africa, these wrinkled, yellow fruit, with a are mainly grown for their striking measured over 1,000,000 Scoville units citrus like flavor, rival the habañero for appearance. making it more than twice as hot as its intense heat. Loads of 2 to 3 inch tapered PEPPERS 36 Hot, Hot, Hot chiles are produced on plants reaching 3 hot. More productive than regular to 4 feet tall. habañero. Fruits change from lime green Fish. Several factors play a large role in 75 days. Used to season fish through shades of orange to scarlet red as determining pungency or “heat” of a they ripen. and shellfish in the Baltimore and Hungarian Yellow wax. particular pepper. Aside from genetics, Philadelphia African American 67 days. environment plays a major role in communities during the 1930’s and Spicy and fairly hot fruits 6 to 8 inches determining chile pungency. The same 1940’s. The small one to two inch long long and 1 inch in diameter are produced. variety can vary wildly from year to year fruits are not only very hot but are Yellow peppers turn red at maturity. or even plant to plant. According to Dave indian Jwala. variegated, as are the plants that bear Very hot! Jwala Dewitt, author of The Chile Pepper them. While the peppers eventually turn means volcano. The most popular chile Encyclopedia, “soil, fertilizer, and stress orange-red the plants retain their used in India. Also called Indian Finger from over or under watering; excessive ornamental creamy white stripes. summer heat, winds, and solar radiation; Fooled You Hot. Slender, 4 inch long, wrinkled fruit . 65 Days. Ripens red.A ripens red. Plants are very productive excess or lack of humidity; as well as italian Roaster. full flavored Jalapeño with no heat! Perfect 70 days. Mildly hot, ambient insecticides and air pollution” can all increase the pungency level of for mild salsas. Fruit are 3 inches long narrow fruits reach up to 8 inches in length fruits. This was proven to me by accident with thick walls. and ripen red. Thin walled and good for garden Salsa. when Susan Belsinger grew one of my 73 days. Medium hot salads or grilling. Good, spicy flavor. Jalapeño. white habañero peppers in her Maryland pepper developed for salsa. Fruits are 1 65 days. This familiar hot garden while I tested one of its brethren by 8 inches. Disease resistant hybrid. giant thai Hot. pepper, a regular work horse, producing in my own. She reported that her harvest 42 days. Fruits are very hot, small, green chiles that mature yielded fruits that were hot but nothing twice the size of regular Thai hot peppers. red. Plants 3 feet high are loaded with she couldn’t handle. Upon trying a small Developed by R.E. Bernstrom of fruit. Jaloro. piece of one from my garden she Richmond, Ky. Green fruit matures red. 70 days. Virus resistant. This declared, with watery eyes, that they Fruits are about 1 inch long, and shaped is the first yellow jalapeño, the handiwork were much hotter than hers. like a top. golden Cayenne. of the Texas Agricultural Extension Attempting to rate and compare heat 70 days to first service. Fruits ripen orange and then red. levels is therefore difficult at best and at fruit. Long, curved, slender peppers Plants are compact. lemon Drop. worst a little silly. But for comparison’s mature yellow. Very hot. Habanero. 100 days. Intensely sake I have put together the following 95 days. Habanero has a hot, conical fruit with a citrus flavor. Ripens chart. As pointed out, your results will reputation as one of the hottest of the hot yellow. Needs long season to develop. 1/2 vary. From high to low pungency: peppers, 1000 times hotter than the inch X 2 1/2 inch long fruits are bright TRINIDAD SCORPION common Jalapeño. A native of the torrid yellow and slightly crinkled. Peruvian BHUT JOLOKIA/GHOST PEPPER Yucatan peninsula, it has become a badge pepper. RED HABAñERO Mexibell. of pepper courage. We offer four 70 days. This is an WHITE HABAñERO Habañero varieties: improvement on the Mexibell Hybrid, an CHILTEPIN Chocolate Habanero . 85 days. ALL-AMERICA SELECTIONS winner in THAI HOT Intensely hot, chocolate colored fruit same 1988. Large, bell shaped peppers are fiery SUPER CHILE HYBRID size as regular habanero. hot and wonderful for adding lots of heat CAYENNE Orange Habanero , is the to cooked dishes. Peppers are green, but TABASCO CHERRY BOMB traditional pepper we have carried for turn red upon maturity. Mirasol. SERRANO several years, and plenty hot with a 100 days. Medium hot. Thin Scoville rating between 100,000 and GARDEN SALSA skinned, 3 to 5 inch conical red fruit have 350,000 units. JALAPEñO a hint of fruitiness. BIG JIM Red Habanero has supreme heat; Mucho nacho Hybrid. 75 days. If MEXIBELL one of its brethren tested 577,000 Scoville you ever wished jalapeños were bigger, HUNGARIAN HOT WAX units, the hottest in the world, according to then this is for you. These jumbos are also POBLANO/ANCHO Chile Pepper magazine. hotter than the standard jalepeño. The 4 ANAHEIM White Habanero. The small inch long peppers ripen red at full maturity. PASILLA BAJIO white pod is smaller than either the red or numex big Jim. 80 days. Large PIMIENTO orange types but don’t let the size fool PEPPERONCINI medium hot peppers, 12 inches long and you, the heat can be blistering! Ours were SWEET PEPPER so hot that just a splinter sized piece was up to 4 oz. Anaheim type. Good for Chiles almost too much to handle. Relleños. has fruit in all four color states at the same Hot paper lantern. numex twilight. 70 days lime 120 days. An time. Very striking and great for ornamental piquin-type chili with green containers. green/90 days red ripe. Habañero type padron with larger, slightly elongated pods. Very leaves and purple fruit that ripens to . 60 days. Tapas pepper. For yellow, orange, and then red. This variety mostly mild fruit, pick when about 1 inch PEPPERS 37 Robustini long. If allowed to reach full mature size of All-America Selection. Semi-compact pepperoncini. 2 to 3 inches long, all fruit will be spicy 62 plant bears very hot, 2 1/2 inch long hot! In Spain, these peppers are served days. Hybrid. Thin- fruits. Peppers ripen from green to sautéed in olive oil with a little sea , walled 2-3 inch long orange to red. This is a good variety and eaten as tapas (appetizer). to grow in a container year-round. pasilla bajio. fruits with slightly tabasco. 78 days. Chile Negro lobed tips. Harvest 90 to 100 days. This or chilaca. Sturdy plants produce very and pickle in white exceptionally hot pepper produces mild, 8 to 10 inch long, fruity tasting vinegar when fruits small, slender yellow-green fruits that peppers with just a little zing. Usually used reach light yellowish mature red. Plants are vigorous and in the dry or powdered form when making green. Pickled high-yielding. These will bring tears to sauce. Allow pods to dry on the plant your eyes. peppers are ready thai Hot. before picking. in 1 to 6 months. 65 days. Short plants pequin. Rooster Spur. 120 days. From northern produce small, pointed, 1 inch long New Mexico. Small, oblong, very hot fruit Short, bushy, small- green peppers that mature red. One are produced on this four foot tall plant. leafed birdsnest of the hottest of the hot peppers and Good for drying. decorative, too. peter pepper. plant with dozens of tri-color Variegated. 90 days. This ornery firey, fingernail sized The old heirloom is grown as much to shock fruit. variegated foliage, exhibiting shades of Royal black the prudish as for its culinary value! Pods . 90 days. Very hot. white, green and purple, really makes this are 4 to 6’’ long, blunt-ended, and mature Compact, 2 foot tall plants with black plant stand out. Purple stems and blooms to a deep red - excellent for . stems and foliage. Small, oblong, pointed, add to the charm. Fruits are hot and turn Dense plants, 20-30” tall. Limited supply. from deep purple to bright red at maturity. poblano/ancho. jet black fruit. Serrano. Thought to have originated in the rain 68 days. This 60 days. Peppers twice the forests of Central America. medium-hot chile is known in Mexico as size of traditional Serrano with prolific fruit trinidad Scorpion . 110 days. Poblano when used fresh and as Ancho set. Green fruit matures red. Disease when dried. These heart-shaped peppers resistant. Habañero type pepper from Trinidad & are about 2 inches in diameter and up to 4 Spanish Spice Hybrid. Tobago. One of the world’s hottest chiles. 68 days to inches long. They are dark green and Fruit ripens from the top down, creating a mature to a mahogany color. Plants can fruit. Technically a hot pepper, although tricolor effect (Orange, yellow and green), be tall and rangy. the dark green, elongated fruits are neither before eventually turning completely red. purple Jalapeño. spicy nor sweet. Good for grilling or frying. 75 days. Larger Pods are mushroom shaped with the AKA Italico than regular jalapeño but as hot. Fruit Super Chile Hybrid. bottom coming to a point, resembling a stays purple before finally turning red. 75 days. 1988 scorpion’s tail. Sweet peppers antohi Romanian. 53 days. green; 87 days to chocolate. Four-lobed, to red and has excellent sweet flavor.AKA medium-large sweet bell variety. Plants King Arthur. Romanians typically fry this heirloom giant aconcagua pepper in a hot skillet in order to fully are disease resistant and provide prolific . 75 day. A pepper experience the sweet, full flavor. Plants yields. The rich mahogany color on mature with flavor as sweet as apples. Oblong fruits turns green when cooked. produce lots of yellow 4” tapered fruits that Corno di toro. fruit grow up to a huge 12 inches long eventually ripen red. 68 days. Italian bull’s (ours didn’t get quite so large) and is big bertha. 70 days. A giant in the horn. Delicious in salads but more often produced in great abundance. Delicious in sweet pepper pantheon, this hybrid has grilled or sautéed. Long, 8-10 inch, salads, stuffed, stir-fried or roasted and fruits as large as 7 inches long and 4 curved, green fruit. We have two varieties; peeled. Can be enjoyed at the light green one ripens brilliant red, the other, yellow. stage, but is sweetest when fully ripened inches in diameter. Young green peppers Cubanelle. to red. mature red on plants that are easily 3 feet 68 days to first lime- gourmet. high. Fruit is mostly 4 lobed, making it green fruit. Large, smoothly tapered with 65 Days. Large, blocky good for stuffing. slightly blunt ends. Matures red fruits ripen orange. Strong plants produce blushing beauty. early Sunsation abundant colorful peppers. 72 days. Hybrid. . 70 days to first islander. All-America Selection winner for 2000. green fruit, 84 days to yellow. Big, blocky 56 days to first green fruit. Blocky 4” fruit ripen ivory to gold to orange bell pepper reach about 4 1/2 inches long Medium sized bell ripens green to violet; to red. and nearly as wide. Fruit is smooth and yellow; orange, then to dark red. California wonder. italia. 75 days. Bell- consistently well shaped. Extra sweet 55 days to green; 75 to red. when fully yellow.. type. Blocky, 4 inch green fruits with thick Fat ‘n’ Sassy Hybrid. Eight inch long fruit resembles a bull’s walls ripen red. 65 days. horn. Chocolate beauty italian Fryer. . 67 days to Large, heavy, blocky, fruit matures green 60 days. This slender, PEPPERS 38 Tomato Tone tapered pepper is from Naples where it is fruit.Starts light green,then yellow, Formulated just for peppers, used for frying and for pickling. Peppers orange, and finally red. Compact plant. Sweet Cayenne. tomatoes, and eggplant. are green, about 3 to 4 inches long, and 75 days. Cayenne mature red. Imported Italian seed. Helps dramatically increase yields. la Rouge Royale. shaped fruits up to 12 inches long ripen 75 days. Tall red but stay sweet. tomatillo Sweet pickle . A unique plant with papery plants produce brilliant red, bell-shaped . 75 days. Red, orange, husks, this Mexican native is fruits up to 8 inches long. yellow, and purple fruit at the same time. Marconi. indispensable in south-of-the-border and 65 days. A large, long, Two inch long, chunky fruit grow upward. Southwestern cooking, especially for tapered Italian pepper, 6 to 9 inches long Compact plants. Sweet Sunrise F1. authentic salsa. Grown like tomatoes, and 3 to 4 inches wide at the stem end. 65 days to plants are large and branches may be tip- Shiny deep green color with thick walls. green, 85 days to yellow ripe fruit. pruned to control growth and encourage Both red and yellow versions are Medium-large, 3 and 4-lobed fruits are branching. Papery husks on these available. Excellent pepper for grilling. Miniature bell. blocky to slightly elongated. The flavor is varieties are easily removed and the fruits 90 days. Short, both fruity and sweet. Sweet Sunrise is a are of high quality and firm, not pithy. stocky plants produce loads 2” fruits. sturdy, medium-sized plant with good leaf Harvest when papery, green husk loosens. Great for stuffing! Red, yellow, and cover to help reduce sun scald. purple. tequila Hybrid. 65 days. Deep purple skin chocolate varieties available 72 days. This pimiento elite Hybrid and flesh. Very decorative. Keep . 85 days. beautiful amethyst pepper from Holland harvested fruits in the light to intensify the Prolific plants produce 3-1/2 inch oval produces early fruit that is a blocky 4 1/2 skin pigmentation. fruits ripening green to red. inches deep and 4 inches across. Peppers toma Verde purple beauty. . 60 days. Large fruits 70 days. Medium- begin as lavender, eventually turning red. ripen to a pale green-yellow. sized dark purple fruit is produced on compact plants. Fruits are thick walled and Supporting Tomatoes and Peppers blocky. Roumanian Rainbow. 60 days to Supporting tomato plants helps from poles to cages. My cages are first white fruit. Colorful bell matures orange, then red. control disease and makes it easier an improvement on my Shishito . 60 days to green, 80 days to harvest the fruit. The support grandfather’s. I use re-mesh, but cut to red. Thin-walled fruit are heavily systems I have seen for sale at it into panels in order to form a wrinkled; 3 1/2 to 4 inches long. Popular in garden centers are generally triangle lashed together with zip ties. Japan where its thin walls make it laughably short; a contraption three This style allows me to fold and store particularly suitable for tempura. Also very feet high and a foot around is not the supports at season’s end. good in stir fries or sautés. In Asia, fruits going to provide much support for a My father started out with stakes are cooked when green but they also may six-foot plant three feet in diameter. made of stout pieces of wood, but be used red. Thinly sliced, the red fruits We offer several types of tomato found they could be snapped easily are excellent in salads or cole slaw. Large, cages, in addition to peper cages. when a strong, wet wind blew upright plants produce good yields over an Our tomato cages are suitably sized against a mature plant. He used 1/2- extended harvest period. Socrates X3R. for indeterminate and determinate inch diameter by 10 foot long metal, 68 days. Four-lobed plants. They are well made and electrical conduit for a number of blocky bell peppers become very large, at least 4 inches long and wide, with thick sturdy, some even fold up for easier years and found it worked well for walls and delicious taste. Wonderful for storage and should last for many tomatoes as well as eggplant. I eating fresh, cooking, or making into years. usually cut the conduit into 8 foot stuffed peppers. Fruit turns from green to Making your own cages can be lengths. It’s light and easily pushed red and is sweet at all stages. Vigorous, an affordable, albeit, time consuming into garden soil, and is easily stored. tall plants are resistant to 3 races of alternative. My grandfather favored The metal conduit lasts for years Bacterial Spot and Potato Y Virus. Super Heavyweight Hybrid. large home designed tomato cages with virtually no maintenance. 77 made from concrete reinforcing wire To tie the stems of tomatoes and days. Huge, bell-type, ripens green to (re-mesh). The cages were 6 feet eggplants to the conduit, use plastic gold. Huge thick walled sweet and high and nearly three feet in stretch ties (available for sale at the crunchy. Competition sized fruit. Super Sweet Cherry. diameter and provided support for nursery). Old pantyhose or cheese 75 days to lush growth and heavy yields. The cloth work well also. Avoid using first fruit. Extra large cherry type, 1-3/4 cages had some drawbacks, twine or string as they have a inch round peppers mature red. Good for pickling and stuffing. however; they were heavy, hard to tendancy to dig into the soft, supple Sweet banana . 72 days. Profuse move, and they took up a lot of stems of the plants. harvests of 5 1/2 to 6 inch long, tapered storage space. I recently switched TOMaTOES 39 For many gardeners, tomatoes are the essential crop in the kitchen garden, the summer fruit eaten fresh that justifies spring’s earthy labors. The vast array of tomato varieties is a clear signal of their popularity and ease of cultivation. t Tomatoes require well-drained, loose soil of moderate fertility. Warm soil is also critical to getting transplants off to a quick start. To warm cold soil, lay black plastic over the tomato bed two weeks before the o intended planting date. Remove it at planting time or slit it to accommodate the transplants. Space plants 4 to 6 feet apart, a distance that should help keep foliage dry and lessen the impact of water-borne diseases that turn green tomato leaves yellow and then brown. Transplant seedlings 2 to 6 inches deeper than they were growing M in their pots, either by putting them straight in the hole or in a shallow, long trench on their sides. Provide plant support at the time of transplanting. Side dress with nutrients after the first fruits appear. The best temperatures for tomato growth are between 65°F and 80°F. A site with a minimum of 4 hours of a direct sun is essential to harvest fruit. Plants that grow lushly, but provide no fruit often do not receive enough sun. t The initials after the tomato name indicate the types of disease resistance. The number of days is an estimated time to the first harvest. The terms “determinate” and “indeterminate” indicate the length of the fruit- bearing season and vine size. Indeterminate vines, often robust and in need of pruning, produce over the entire o season; determinate vines, frequently short and well-behaved, produce most of their bounty all at once, making them quite useful when canning tomatoes.

e Tomato plants are typically available beginning in mid to late April. Visit www.debaggioherbs.com to view availability. Planting is generally best done after Mother’s Day inside the beltway and as S late as Memorial Day in the colder suburbs.

large Fruited Varieties includes hybrid and heirloom varieties

abe lincoln . Indeterminate. 87 light green skins at maturity and just a hint in hot weather, and fruit days. Beautiful dark red fruits, sweet, solid of yellow. Flesh is green blushed with pink, seems to set well even in the heat. Interior and meaty. Fruits are smooth, free from meaty, and flavorful. Pick by feel , not is a deep, reddish-green color. Prone to look, when soft to the touch, they are cracking, but a very heavy producer. cracks and seams, and - although large - black tula. ready. ripen all the way through. Ideal for aussie. 80 days. Indeterminate. ketchup, juice or slicing. Sturdy plants, 85 days. Australian heirloom. Russian heirloom. Reddish-brown frequently have bronzy-green foliage. Large quantities of up to one pound, red beefsteak. Sweet fruit, smooth texture. amish paste. boxcar willie. fruit borne on indeterminate plants. 85 days. better boy VFn. 80 days. Indeterminate heirloom. Large, oblong, ox 75 days. Indeterminate. Prolific yields of smooth, heart shaped fruit is very sweet. Rated Indeterminate. Our most popular large, reddish-orange fruits averaging a large 10 highly in taste tests. round, red tomato. Better boy maintains to 16 oz.! With an old-fashioned flavor arkansas traveler. 85 days. good fruit production and has disease you'll remember from childhood, these resistance. high-yielding, multi-use tomatoes will last Indeterminate heirloom. Flavorful pink big beef VFFntaSt. fruits in the 6 to 8 ounce range are 75 days. throughout the season and are ideal for produced in abundance on a plant known Indeterminate. All-American Winner Big canning, freezing, or for home-cooked for its ability to withstand hot weather. Beef has globe-shaped flavorful red fruit meals. Crack-free and disease resistant. aunt ginny’s purple. brandywine. 75 days. on a plant that has high tolerance for 90 days. adverse growing condition. Indeterminate. An heirloom Amish variety Indeterminate heirloom. This beefsteak big brandy variety is considered by many experts to . 75 days. Indeterminate. from 1885, Brandywine is considered by be superior to Brandywine in flavor. Deep Brandywine hybrid produces pink, 12 to 16 many to be the finest-flavored large pink fruits up to 16 ounces are produced. oz fruit. Higher yield than its parent. tomato ever offered. Fruits, though not aunt Ruby’s german green. black Krim. 80 75-90 days. abundant, are as large as 1.5 pounds with a full, sweet tomato flavor. days. Indeterminate. Heirloom green Indeterminate, Heirloom from the Black brandywine, black. beefsteak with a deliciously sweet flavor Sea of Russia. Large, 10 to 12 oz., dark 80 days. that's enhanced by a spicy undertone. brown-red tomatoes are richly flavored Indeterminate. This black version of Globe-shaped large fruits are smooth with with just a hint of saltiness. Color is darker Brandywine has fruit with the same luscious flavor of Pink Brandywine 40 TOMaTOES italian Heirloom combined with the richness of black tomato can only be perfectly formed and . Indeterminate. tomato taste. Same flattened beefsteak red, this one will change your mind. 70-80 days. Heirloom from Italy. Plants are shape and size as Brandywine, but this Winner of our summer 1999 taste test. Copia. loaded with red fruits weighing over a fruit is more like the color of deep 85 days. pound. Excellent full tomato flavor. Ideal mahogany. Tomatoes are 12 to Indeterminate. These for slicing and canning‚ very little waste 16 ounces and grow on beautiful tomatoes and easy to peel vigorous plants. Kellogg’s breakfast. brandywine, are a stunning 80-85 days. combination of Red. Indeterminate. Heirloom. Lovely, pale- 80 days. fine-lined orange fruits are solid and meaty Indeterminate. This golden yellow throughout, packed with mild, superb- is a version of and red tasting flesh. A long-season producer of Brandywine that stripes. Their large, beefsteak-type fruits, up to 16 oz., offers red fruit with gold flesh is with solid centers that have just a few luscious old-time, streaked seeds at the edges. Very desirable! Kewalo. red tomato flavor. with red and 78 days. Determinate. From is juicy, Plants have the University of Hawaii, bred for the flavorful, and regularly-shaped tropics. Round red fruit on plants resistant sweet. Fruits leaves and are to bacterial wilt and nematodes. weigh about one legend. extremely productive, 68 days. Determinate. This bearing long harvests of these pound each. Dr. wyche’s Yellow. early variety sets large fruit that are glossy 10 to 16 oz. fruit. brandywine, Yellow. red and round. Flavor is a balance of 80 days. Indeterminate. Heirloom. Fruit is 78 days. sugars and acids. Strong resistance unblemished and smooth, golden-yellow Indeterminate. This rich tasting old-timer against the late blight fungus, a problem varying from 10 ounces to 1 lb. The produces memorable orange fruit that is that has thwarted many a tomato shape is slightly flattened and the interior over 10 oz. gardener. It sets fruit well under cool bush goliath. is meaty and flavorful with few seeds. Very 68 days. temperatures, and contains few seeds. productive. Marmande VF. Indeterminate. This tomato was created Florida 91 VFF. 67 days. for gardeners with limited space, 72 days. Indeterminate. French Heirloom. Flavorful especially those who grow tomatoes in Determinate. Extra large, uniform fruit are favorite, popular throughout Europe. containers. Attractive, compact plants only produced on disease resistant vines. As Prolific producer of large, firm, scarlet red, 40 inches tall, produce 3-4 inch fruits the name implies, these plants are reputed round, lobed fruits. Shoulders are slightly packed with sweet tomato flavor. to do well in high heat and humidity and ribbed. Carbon. 80 days. Indeterminate. are resistant to two of our most prevalent Moreton Hybrid F1 tomato diseases; alternaria and gray spot. . 70 days. Medium to large, 8 to 12 oz, dark, german giant. purplish-brown fruit with brick red interior. 77 days. Indeterminate. Rutgers University has This is one of the darkest of the “black” Indeterminate. Heirloom. Huge, deep pink, reintroduced this old time favorite. Fruit tomatoes and widley considered one of sweet fruit. are large, meaty and delicious. Verticilium giant belgium Resistant plants. the best tasting. Rich yet sweet flavor. . Indeterminate. 90 Mortgage lifter VFn. Caspian pink. 82 days. 80 days. days to harvest. Huge, dark pink fruit is so sweet it can be made into wine. Indeterminate. Special strain still retains Indeterminate. Originally grown in Russia goliath VFFntaSt extra-large (2 pounds or more) fruits, but in the area between the Caspian and . 65 days. Indeterminate. Tall, vigorous plants yield is smoother and more uniform. Better Black Seas, this heirloom variety beat disease resistance, too. Brandywine in California taste tests for beautiful, blemish free red fruits in the 10 Mr. Stripey. 80 days. Indeterminate. three straight years. Large, 10-12 ounce to 15 oz. range. Gives Brandywine a run fruits. for the money as the best tasting tomato Ridged-shouldered, large fruits, yellow Cherokee green with pinkish-red stripes. Quite mild, low . Indeterminate. 72 of all time. Hawaiian pineapple. acid, with few seeds. Virginia favorite. days. A selection of Cherokee Purple, 90-95 days. omar’s lebanese . 80 days produces green tomatoes. The medium- Indeterminate. Large beefsteak fruits ripen sized, 8+ oz., green fruits acquire some golden-orange and have a pineapple-like Indeterminate. A meaty, rich, sweet tomato flavor when perfectly ripe. Vines produce from Lebanon. The luscious pink fruits yellowish-orange color on the blossom end 1 2 when ripe. Lots of bold, acidic, complex lots of 1 to 1 ⁄ lb. fruits. This was a average between 1 and 2 pounds. tomato flavor. pleasant surprise at our taste trials several Cherokee purple. years ago, scoring in the top five. 80 days. italian giant beefsteak. Indeterminate heirloom. Thin-skinned with 85 days to soft flesh, fruit is sweet and rich flavored. first ripe fruit. Indeterminate. Plant Very unusually colored, rose-purple fruit produces lots of flattened fruits reaching has a deep red interior. If you think a good 16 oz. TOMaTOES 41 park’s whopper VF1F2nt . 65 flavor combined with excellent fruit quality, specialty of this variety and its reliability is days. Indeterminate. This fine tasting reliability and production. The Ramapo attested to by the number of county fair tomato, produces large yields of fruit disappeared as seed companies began blue ribbons presented to it over the throughout the summer and is earlier than favoring varieties that produced higher years. It may win some accolades at your other large-fruited varieties. It is crack and yields and firmer fruit for commercial table, too. This is the kind of tomato that disease resistant . growers. In 2008, the genuine Ramapo F1 covers an entire piece of bread with a persimmon. hybrid seed was reintroduced. single slice. 80 days. Indeterminate Rose. tangerine. heirloom. Large, good flavored, golden- 78 days. Indeterminate. This is 85 days. Indeterminate. orange fruits weighing in at 1 to 2 pounds. an heirloom with taste rivaling Brandywine. Heirloom. Heavy producer of large, deep Highly rated in taste tests. Smooth, large, meaty fruits are produced. yellow-orange fruit. pineapple. Rutgers VFaSt. white Queen. 85 days. Indeterminate. 75 days. 85 days. This heirloom variety produces large Determinate. Thick-walled, 7 oz., bright Indeterminate. Heirloom variety. bicolored, yellow fruit that is streaked with red fruits ripen evenly inside out. An old Beefsteak-type fruit weights 8 to 12 time favorite that is well suited for canning. ounces, and is smooth except for ribbed red both inside and out. Strong vines Sioux. produce an abundant crop of rich, fruity 70 days. Indeterminate. shoulders. Some fruit have a pink blush or and sweet tomatoes. One of my favorites. Sweet, tangy, 6 oz. fruits set well in hot streaks on their blossom ends and all prudens purple . 75 days. weather. ripen to a pale creamy yellow with no Sunny goliath Hybrid VFn. cracking. Tomatoes are juicy and sweet Indeterminate. Large pink fruits up to 1 70 with a well-balanced flavor. pound are produced on potato-leaved Days. Indeterminate. Sunshine yellow fruit Yellow giant belgium (goldie) . vines. Delicious flavor with surprising ripen to brilliant gold and are edible at 90 days. Indeterminate. 150 years ago this production. Very highly rated in taste tests. either stage. Low acid, sweet and juicy Ramapo F1 heirloom variety was selected for its giant . 75 days. Indeterminate. tomatoes are typically 7 to 8 oz. Supersteak VFn. sized, golden yellow fruit and mild flavor. First developed at Rutgers in 1968, the 80 days. Ramapo F1 hybrid tomato became a Indeterminate. Very large red fruits are the gardener's favorite due to its wonderful Small Fruit / Cherry/ grape tomatoes. black Cherry. grapette Hybrid F 65 days. . 75 days. Indeterminate plants produce easy to pick, Indeterminate. Large clusters of grape small, round, black cherry fruit. sized, thin skinned, sweet, red fruit. black plum. green grape. 82 days. Indeterminate. 70 days. Determinate. tender, smooth fruit has is rich and full- Small, oval, mahogany fruits are sweet Short compact plants produce lots of 3/4 flavored with a sweetness that has few and tasty. to 1 inch yellow-green fruit. brandysweet plum Husky Cherry Red VF. rivals. Red fruits are about 3/4-inch in . Indeterminate. 65 days. diameter. old ivory egg. 75 days. This variety that has Brandywine Indeterminate. Compact plants about 5 80 days. crossed with a cherry tomato is a winning feet tall and produce flavorful red fruits Indeterminate heirloom. Here’s a tomato combination with delicious, sweet taste. that are 1 inch in diameter. This is a space that will turn some heads. Egg- shaped, Slightly elongated pink cherries appear in saver that is also excellent for containers. pale, ivory fruit turn creamy yellow when abundance on potato-leaved plants. Five Star grape F1 tomatoes a dark purple. Good flavor. ripe. . 62 days. Juliet Hybrid. pink ping pong. 60 days. 75 days. Indeterminate. Excellent, sweet flavor and Indeterminate. 1999 All America Indeterminate. Productive vines bear juicy, firm, meaty texture with few seeds and Selections winner. Elongated cherry delicious, ping pong ball sized, pink fruit. little juice. Healthy plants bear high yields tomatoes weighing 1 oz. are produced in Red grape. 60 day. Indeterminate of bright red crack resistant grape grape-like clusters. Expect high yields of vines produce loads of firm meaty, sweet tomatoes. crack resistant fruit. Tolerant to late blight Flammée fruits. Clusters have up to 20 tomatoes . 85 days. Indeterminate. and leaf spot. . lime-green Salad. each. Good shelf and vine life Heirloom. AKA Juane Flammée. Small, 2 68 days. Red pear VF. to 3 oz, sweet fruit has bright orange skin Determinate. Diminutive plants produce 70 days. with red interior. Thick walls remain tender loads of small 3 to 5 oz., lime-green Indeterminate. Pear-shaped tomatoes and flavorful. High yielding variety. Great tomatoes that ripen further to amber. Fruit have a long history in the garden. Their salad type. unique shape, coupled with their small golden Sweet Hybrid (F1). is chartreuse inside and full of juice and 60 good, tangy flavor that is somewhat spicy. size, create a tomato that kids and adults days. Indeterminate. Yellow grape type Good plant for containers. love to eat out of hand or in salads. Matt’s wild Cherry. Red Robin. produces long trusses of firm, bite size 60 days. 55 days. Determinate. fruit. Indeterminate. This tomato from Mexico Dwarf plants are 8 to 12 inches high, has produced a chorus of praise. The perfect for hanging baskets or a six-inch 42 TOMaTOES

produced in clusters. It is a favorite of children and adults. blossom end Rot Sweet baby girl. 65 days. Compact, vigorous plants produce sweet, The dark soft spot that appears on the end of a tomato (to a lesser flavorful cherry sized, red fruit until frost. degree eggplant or pepper) opposite the stem, ruining the fruit, is an annual Indeterminate plants are compact and more manageable than other cherry types problem that frustrates many gardeners. The condition is not caused by a Sweet Chelsea. disease but a calcium deficiency that weakens the cell walls of tomatoes. 64 days. The most common causes of this malady are uneven periods of soil Indeterminate. The 1 to 1 1/2-inch red moisture (which can also cause cracking) and improper soil pH. Both fruits are carried in clusters on this plant. interfere with the plant’s ability to properly transport calcium to the fruit. Excellent fruit set and flavor is very sweet. Plants grow five to six feet tall. Overly wet soil is difficult to prevent in our unpredictable climate, but raised tommy toe. beds will allow excess water to drain. Conservation of soil moisture during 70 days. Indeterminate. dry spells is relatively easy through mulching and drip irrigating (overhead Very prolific producer of flavorful small fruit. This variety is frequently rated highly irrigation can foster bacterial and fungal diseases of the foliage). Check in taste tastes throughout the country. beneath the mulch one or twice a week and irrigate if necessary. white Cherry. 59 days. Compact If the soil is too acidic, the plant will not be able to efficiently use calcium indeterminate. Pale, yellow fruit have good or other nutrients already in the soil. Lime, a chief source of calcium, is used and mild taste. to raise the pH (your local extension agent can help with soil samples and Yellow pear VF. 70 days. recommendations on the amount needed to achieve the target pH of 7). A Indeterminate. Pear-shaped tomatoes fertilizer which obtains its nitrogen from calcium carbonate rather than acid- have a long history in the garden. Their forming ammonium is also recommended. unique shape, coupled with their small Sun Sugar Ft. size, create a tomato that kids and adults pot. Sweet-flavored fruits are 1 1/2 inches 62 days. love to eat out of hand or in salads. in diameter. Indeterminate. Small, orange, fruit has thin Yellow ping pong. Sun gold. 75 days. skin and some crack resistance. Almost as 57 days. Indeterminate. Indeterminate. Yellow, juicy tomatoes sweet as a cube of sugar. Great for kids of Cascading trusses are covered with about the size of a ping-pong ball are born all ages. luscious bite-sized golden fruit. English Sweet 100 VF. in clusters. Deliciously sweet, juicy gardeners voted this early, heavy cropper 65 days. tomatoes with a refreshing lemon-like the sweetest tomato ever. This has quickly Indeterminate. Sweet 100 remains one of finish. become one of our most popular sellers. our favorite cherry tomatoes; its flavor is incomparable. One inch fruits are

paste/Cooking tomatoes

These varieties have been selected for principe borghese. 75 days. type fruit are 4 to 6 inches long. Meaty their thick, meaty interiors, small Determinate heirloom. This plum-shaped and flavorful with brilliant yellow skin and seed cavities, and they have sufficient white flesh. Italian tomato is favored for drying, sauce. San Marzano. flavor to be eaten fresh or cooked into But it is also tasty to eat out of hand. 80 days. paste and sauces. Meaty fruits have little juice and few Indeterminate. This old favorite is more seeds. rectangular in shape and larger than golden Roma ii la Roma Hybrid VF. VF. 70 days. 62 days. Roma. A favorite with many of my Italian Determinate. Hybrid. Aka Golden Milano. Determinate. Very productive Roma type. customers because of its meaty interior. Imported seed. Roma type with excellent tast. Mild, non Slightly larger fruit than regular Roma Sausage. acidic. Makes great salsa, good for type. 78 days. Indeterminate. canning. Roma VF Health Kick Hybrid VFFaSt. . 75 days. Determinate. These are big-up to 6 inches long. They 72 Fruits are plum-shaped and 2 to 3 inches are meaty and perfect to mix with canning tomatoes. Prolific. days. Determinate, to 4 feet tall. Plum long. A well-known, reliable variety for Super italian paste. shaped, 4 oz. fruit are great tasting and cooking and canning. 73 days. Roman Candle plentiful. Extra high levels of lycopene give . 80 days. Indeterminate heirloom. Six-inch long fruit this variety its name. Indeterminate. Elongated, yellow, paste- has lots of meat, little juice, few seeds. TOMaTOES 43 tomatoes with Medium Sized Fruit black Zebra. 75 days. tomatoes. The rich, red, globular fruits of Medium sized, fruits have good full flavor. Early Girl are in the 4 to 6 oz. range. Good for sandwiches and salads. Better Indeterminate. Vigorous plants produce 3 evergreen. (emerald evergreen to 4 oz. deep burgundy fruit with green ) tasting and more disease resistant than Early Girl. stripes. Rich complex flavor typical of 72 days. Indeterminate. Stays green when Red Zebra. black tomatoes. A cross between a black ripe! Mild, delicious flavor and medium to 85 days. tomato and ‘Green Zebra’. A unique and large size make these solid fruit good for Indeterminate.Fruits are dark red inside, stunning variety. slicing and very enjoyable to eat. Pick and fire engine red outside with golden bush early girl. 54 days to fruit. when shoulders develop a light yellow streaks. Produces large crops of 3 inch caste. round fruit. One of the best tasting striped Compact determinate. High yielding plant green Zebra. 72 days to first green tomatoes. with medium sized fruit. Good for patio Hybrid VaSt. container. fruit. Indeterminate. Pick fruit when it 70 days. Celebrity F1 VFFnt begins to show a yellow blush. . 70 days. Japanese black trifele. Determinate. Good producer of medium 74 days. sized, flavorful, red fruit. Compact plant is Determinate. This All-America Selection Heirloom. Indeterminate. Heavy producer good for containers. award winner has vigorous vines that thessaloniki. of 3 to 5 ounce, pear-shaped fruits that produce flavorful 3 1/2-inch fruit under a 68 days. are free of blemishes and cracks. Color wide range of growing conditions. Indeterminate. This Greek variety Costoluto genovese. ranges from intense black to dark gray 75 days. produces beautifully smooth, crack- blushed with magenta. As delicious as it resistant, red fruits 3 to 4 inches in Indeterminate. This old Italian variety has is unique. Excellent for canning. Harvest diameter. Fruits are juicy and flavorful. a good tomato flavor. It produces light red while shoulders are still green. Yellow Stuffer. medium-sized fruit with an unforgettable lemon boy VFn. 80 days. 72 days. flattened shaped that is strongly ribbed. Indeterminate. Blocky, 6oz. yellow tomato Indeterminate. This hybrid produces This is a tomato that Europeans love to shaped like a pepper. Perfect for stuffing. round, bright yellow fruit that adds color Zapotec pink Ribbed eat at the green shoulder stage; the flavor . 80 days. and flavor to salads. Average fruit is 6 to 8 is unique. Highly rated in taste tests. early girl. ounces and out yields other golden Indeterminate. Heirloom variety from the 52 days. Indeterminate. tomatoes. Zapotec indians of Mexico. Sweet, mild, This extremely early variety produces a new girl unusual fruits are triangular in shape and . 62 days. Indeterminate. large crop of medium-sized, red-fruited pleated.

FRUiT

blaCKbeRRieS unparalleled production of up to 30 orange, and red foliage. Matures at 5 to Thornless! Remove old canes on the pounds per plant, outstanding vigor and 12 feet. Zones 4-8. Fall. Plants bear fruit on the following cold hardiness. Fruit is glossy, black and large, with excellent flavor. Self-fertile plant year’s new growth. is a trailing variety, so should be trellised. CuRRant apache Zone 4-8. ‘Red lake’ has large, tasty fruit with produces clusters of good eating and keeping characteristics. elDeRbeRRY large, red berries that possess a mild Upright plant, growing 4 to 5 feet in height. flavor. Hardy and vigorous, it is considered arapaho has large, glossy conical Sambucus canadensis by many to be the best red currant variety. shaped fruit which are quite firm. Self- Elderberry is a multi-stemmed shrub. This glossy, green-leafed plant is suitable supporting 6-8’ upright canes establish In spring, tiny, star-shaped, white flowers for hedging and is highly ornamental. Mid fruits quickly. A vigorous, disease resistant, are arranged in showy sprays up to 10- to late season fruit. Matures 3 to 5 feet. early-season variety. Zone 5-8. Self-fertile. inches across, nearly covering the plant. Chester In summer, it bears shiny, purple-black is a highly productive Consort. fruits used to make elderberry wine and A product ive and self-fertile thornless variety. Large, high-quality fruit when cooked, made into pies and jams. variety. Ripens late season. Black are firm and keep well. Late Season. The berries are very high in vitamin C and medium-sized fruits have a strong flavor. Zones 4-8.. triple Crown are a great source of vitamins A and B, as Wonderful in jellies, jams and sauces. is an early-season antioxidants. Elderberry finishes the show Leaves turn bright orange, yellow or red in variety. Its large crops of fruit with with a colorful autumn display of yellow, the fall. 44 FRUiT FigS RaSpbeRRieS Self-pollinating. These plants are not Remove old canes on the Fall. cold hardy beyond zones 7-10, but are Plants bear fruit on the following year’s new growth. often grown in zones 4-7 with adequate spring crop, larger fall crop) red variety care and winter protection. Figs generally Red Fruit which continues bearing through the fall. need moderate moisture and nutrition. Caroline Self-fertile and root rot resistant, the fruit Choose a fertilzer low in nitrogen and is an everbearing variety is high-quality, firm and excellent in flavor. producing large berries with a super- Zones 4-8. high in calcium and phosporous. Fruit strong raspberry flavor beginning two golden Fruit production and quality will suffer if plant weeks earlier than Heritage. anne is subjected to drought stress. Heritage are everbearing like Heritage is an ever-bearing (small brown turkey. but produce golden yellow berries. Also know as the English Brown Turkey, Black Spanish or Texas Ever-bearing. Most common, bluebeRRieS temperate variety. This mid-season variety has medium to large, sweet fruit with Add peat moss to the planting hole to help lower the pH. Use a fertilizer brown-violet skin and pink flesh. Chicago Hardy. formulated for acid-loving plants to help keep pH As the name in the desired range of 4.5 to 5.5. implies, this is one of the most prolific figs DwaRF bluebeRRieS Chandler to grow in cold areas of the northern U.S. produces the world’s largest The fall fruits are born on the new canes top Hat. Vaccinium angustifolium. blueberry. The long ripening season that grow during the summer. A plant with provides fresh fruit for up to six weeks. Loved for its small, sweet fruit and four new stems can produce up to 150 Foliage turns burgundy and orange in fall. exceptionally hardy growth. An early- purplish-brown figs of excellent flavor. Matures 5-7 feet. Zones 6-10. season, native species that spreads by Duke italian Honey. roots to provide a 12-18” colorful shrub. is the most outstanding early- Also known as This drought-resistant, trouble-free plant season variety in terms of fruit quality and Lattarula. Light green/yellow fruits ripen grows well almost anywhere with care. taste. It reaches 5-6’ tall and produces earlier than other varieties. Dwarf tree is Often used in mass plantings or for uniquely tasty, large, firm fruit with a good for growing in a pot. notable crisp texture. black Spanish. restorations projects. Self-Pollinating . blue Crop Large, dark purple is perhaps the most to mahogany colored fruit with red center. SoutHeRn HigHbuSH widely planted variety in the U.S. A true Very sweet. garden performer, it consistently o'neal is considered by many to produces quantities of large, firm, sweet gooSebeRRY fruit. Matures 4-6 feet. Mid season. offer the best flavor of all Southern blue Ray ‘Houghton’ Highbush blueberries. This self-fertile is a hardy, upright, early bears small, roundish- bush bears attractive, large, very sweet to mid-season variety with large, tasty oval, light green-shaded red berries with fruit, followed by orange and wine colored fruit in exceptionally tight clusters. A juicy flesh. Wonderful for canning and fall foliage and red stems. Berry quality production leader, with a very long fruiting wine-making. does not deteriorate under high season, this classic variety will endure - temperatures. Matures 4-6 feet. Hardy to 40ºF temperatures. Jersey, zone 5. an original 1928 late-season SeRViCebeRRY noRtHeRn HigHbuSH cross, remains popular because of its Amelanchier canadensis vigorous growth and large, dependable This handsome, hardy shrub has bluebeRRieS crops of small to medium sized sweet outstanding blue-green foliage, delicate 2- Plants will produce nearly twice as fruit. Long a favorite of growers in zones inch flower clusters, and brilliant red and much fruit when allowed to cross 4-7, it reaches 6-8’ with a very dense yellow fall color. The pea-sized purple upright habit and attractive foliage. pollinate with another highbush Compact Hedge fruits look and taste like a blueberry. They were important as a food source for the blueberry plant regardless of season. patriot is a popular early-season Native american tribes. Today the berries Standard Hedge are used in pies and preserves. Matures 6 varieties reach 5- variety and is hardy to -40ºF. This to 10 feet. Zones 3-8. 6’ or higher, while producing large crops rounded, compact bush has dense, of tasty fruit which last for two months glossy foliage. Height to 4 feet. Medium when several varieties are grown. sized fruit. PRODUCTS 45 below are some of our favorite products available here at the nursery. this is just a small sample of what we have to offer. we have a great selection of organic fertilizers and pest and disease control products. atlaS® gloves. liquid ant baits nitrile touch. These lightweight, palm This is the only ant product I use in my house dipped gloves feature seamless nylon liners that because it really works. The bait station is allow exceptional breath-ability and all-day convenient and easy to use. Place a station comfort. The thin polyurethane palm coating in the ant’s travel path. Each box contains 6 offers tremendous dexterity and breath-ability, bait stations. while the nitrile palm coating fits like a second skin and has the strength needed for aggressive pro-mix growing Medium projects. Available in S, M, L. Colors: Pink, Teal, This is the only stuff we Blue, Mango, Green, and Black have used for years for both seeding and potting. Used by Magid gloves professional growers throughout North America. The perfect balance of drainage and moisture retention makes this mix ideal bamboo Collection. With a 100% for growing herbs, vegetables, or anything else. When growing in pots it is vital that you provide your plants with supplemental bamboo shell, this glove is lighter, cooler nourishment (fertilizer). The 3.8 cubic feet compressed bale is the and more absorbent than cotton gloves. most economical size for when you've really got a lot of potting to Foam nitrile coated palm provides great do. It is early 3 times as much as the 2.8 cu. ft. loose fill bag grip, increased abrasion and puncture once properly "fluffed". resistance. Bamboo fiber contains a unique antibacterial agent that helps to reduce bacteria that thrive on clothing and cause earthbox unpleasant odors, even after multiple washings. The patented EarthBox was developed by commercial tomato Cages farmers and proven in the lab Most tomato cages you find are woefully undersized for all and on the farm.The but small, patio type tomatoes. We offer small cages as support maintenance-free, award- for peppers and eggplant. Full sized cages for tomatoes, winning, high-tech growing including some that fold up nice and flat at the end of the system controls soil season are what we offer. More traditional, round cages are conditions, eliminates also available and come in plain galvanized, red, green, yellow, guesswork and more than or blue. doubles the yield of a conventional garden-with less Containers fertilizer, less water and virtually no effort. We offer a large selection of planting containers from 4” to Full Kit 24” diameter. Many styles, fancy to utilitarian, are available. Grow Includes: 1 EarthBox® container, 1 aeration screen, your favorite herbs, annuals, perennials, and vegetables. 1 water fill tube, 2 reversible Mulch Covers, 4 casters, 2.0 cu. ft. bag of potting mix, 16 oz. bag of 7-7-7 fertilizer, 16 oz. bag of espoma Fertilizers and ammendments dolomite, and instruction sheet. All plastic components are durable, food-safe, and UV stabilized. Container holds 2.0 cu. ft. Tomato Tone, Plant Tone, Flower Tone, Garden Tone, Bat Guano, of potting mix, and reservoir holds 3 gallons of water, Product Blood Meal and more. Plant food for whatever you grow. dimensions: 29"L x 14"W x 11"H. Integrated caster sockets. Also insect Control available in Green. One-Year Manufacturer’s Warranty. Staking System Kit bonide all Seasons oil . Includes aluminum tubes and plastic connectors to create a trellis connected to your earthbox. Total Highly refined superior paraffinic oil kills insects by smothering height when assembled is 61 inches. Also available in Green. organic Replant Kit. them - pesticide free. Use as a dormant oil through growing Includes: 16 oz. bag of organic 8-3-5 season. Spray to control overwintering eggs of red spiders, scale fertilizer, 16 oz. bag of dolomite, 2 reversible Mulch Covers, and insects, aphids, bud moths, leaf roller, red bug, codling moth, easy instructions. blister mites, galls, whitefly, mealy bugs and other insects. Highly Replacement Mulch Covers recommended for use on fruit trees, shade trees, shrubs, .Stops weeds and conserves ornamentals, roses and vegetables. Safe and pleasant to use. water. No need for herbicides. Protects from rain or drought. Two Will not stain. Temperature tolerant to 90 degrees. sided for any climate. Good for an entire growing season. Sold per cover. 46 bOOkS the encyclopedia the Culinary Herbal: growing of Herbs and preserving 97 Flavorful by tom Debaggio Herbs and arthur o. by Susan belsinger and tucker arthur o. tucker.

For most of a Photographs by Shawn Linehan decade, Art Tucker, one of the world’s leading Good cooks know that nothing beats herb botanists, and Tom fresh-clipped herbs. The gorgeously DeBaggio, founder of photographed Culinary Herbal, by herb DeBaggio Herbs, spent experts Susan Belsinger and Arthur O. long hours compiling Tucker, highlights 97 delicious varieties— data from the world’s like black , , lemon balm, and —that you’ll best herb researchers. Their goal was to bring herb want to grow, whether you’re a gardener who loves to cook and the cultivation up to date and demystify 400 years of cook who loves to garden. misinformation. Learn which herbs offer the most flavor, how to grow them at home, This updated version of the award winning, and how to put them to use. Additional information includes step-by-step previous edition, The Big Book of Herbs (Interweave instructions for harvesting, preserving, and storing, along with Press), is the result of their efforts. Written with verve 288 page hardcover. 199 color photos. $27.50. techniques and detail, this updated, hard bound contains trustworthy advice arranged in two large sections. The first offers an enlightened overview of herbs and how to when it gets Dark: an grow them. The second portion is an alphabetized list enlightened Reflection on life with in-depth data for growing and using hundreds of herb varieties. with alzheimer’s. 604 page hardcover. $39.95. by thomas Debaggio. growing Herbs from Seed, My father’s last tome and follow up to Losing My Mind takes the reader through the Cutting and Root. turbulent 60’s into today. A journey through by thomas the past and present as told by a man living with a disease that destroys old memories Debaggio and makes new ones nearly impossible but all the more precious for his loved ones. Growing plants 226 page hardcover. $24.00 each. from seeds is wondrous, but the real magic of the garden is the creation of losing My Mind: an new plants from pieces of stem and root. Tom’s intimate look at life with book contains advice alzheimer’s and special methods to make this sorcery easier by thomas Debaggio and more successful. Accompanying these propagation strategies are charts packed with information to help To tell the story of the disease that you schedule seed sowing so plants will be ready to haunted him was quick and easy. He sat transplant outdoors at the proper time. The book is filled every day in a chair and typed, describing with propagation techniques and strategies Tom daily stumbles and shaking night awakenings, developed over 20 years as a commercial herb grower, trying to understand the way Alzheimer’s including transplanting and growing methods. The last acted. Anger and bewilderment exploded as chapter is devoted to the special care of yearling herbs. the words poured out day by day. A literary The book was the recipient of the Benjamin Franklin agent was enlisted and he quickly found a award, presented by the Publisher’s Marketing publisher, in this case one of America’s finest, Association to the best garden book of 1995 for The Free Press, a branch of the well known excellence in editorial content and design. 256 103 page revised edition $16.95 New York house of Simon & Schuster. page hardcover. $24.00 each . bOOkS 47 not Just Desserts: Sweet Herbal the Creative Herbal Recipes Home Susan belsinger. Susan belsinger and tina Although this book contains mostly recipes for Marie wilcox. desserts, it is called not just desserts because The creative herbal home is a the recipes are much more than that. These guide for both the beginner just sweet herbal recipes are simple, homey introduced to herbs and to the desserts-some traditional, others innovative--all more experienced home of them are made delicious because of the herbalist. It contains basic and addition of herbs. detailed information about using These recipes will inspire you to experiment common household ingredients and add more herbs to your cooking. Think of combined with herbs & this as one big sweet herbal adventure. Once essential oils to make an array you have tasted some of these recipes you will agree that these are not of herbal products for the home. just desserts! 216 pages with 40 black & white photographs 156 pages with over 70 delicious, mouthwatering recipes and 40 $17.95 black & white photographs. $14.95 HERbal SOaPS

Traditional soap-making involves triple-milling the ingredients, a process of removing impurities over the course of several days, thereby lépi de Provence eliminating the need for preservatives. The result is a pure, creamy, triple-milled long-lasting, non-alkaline bar soap. Good skin depends in no small part on good soap. Very often, Shea butter Soaps changing to a high-quality, triple-milled soap will clear skin problems, exquisitely packaged. imported from France. such as dryness, irritation, and blemishes. This is acheived by helping to restore the PH balance thrown off by the alkalinity in commercial soaps. And what works for facial skin holds true for the rest of your body--- a good bar of soap to cleanse and a loofah, bath puff or clean terry wash cloth to exfoliate dead skin cells encourages growth of new skin. Lépi de Provence soaps are rich in 100% shea butter, nature's amazing all-in- one skin conditioner, moisturizer, and sun screen. Let the dream of Provence infuse your daily routine. Each fragrance has been designed by the finest perfumers of Grasse, near France’s southern coast. Their triple milled shea butter soap is creamy and long lasting. Treat yourself or someone you love to this rich, yet affordable luxury. liquid Soaps. Enjoy all the quality that you've come to expect triple-Milled Shea butter bar Soaps are available in the following from the Lépi de Provence product line in the fragrances: convenience of a liquid soap. They are Blue Lotus Jasmine & Honeysuckle Sage Vanilla naturally mild with the moisturizing benefits of Shea Butter. An elegant accent to your Cassis & Pear Lavender Flower Sea Mist kitchen or bath. This long lasting soap comes Cedar & Sandalwood Lychee Rose Strawberry Tomato Vine in an oversized 16.9 oz. pump bottle. in the Cucumber Mint-leaf Lemongrass Vanilla Oatmilk following great scents: Blue Lavender, Lemon Orange Linden Verbena Flower Verbena, Green Tea, Citrus & Bergmot, Ocean Green Tea Ocean & Seaweed White Musk Seagrass, Cotton Flower, Jasmine & Grapefruit Olive & Lavender & Papaya Honeysuckle, and Dune & Seagrass.. 6.9 Fl. oz. $15.99 each 7 oz/200 g. $6.29 each bar. Debaggio Herbs virginia Cooperative Presorted Standard 43494 Mountain View Drive U.S. Postage Paid Extension Chantilly, VA 20152 Dulles, VA 20101 Permit No. 163 Contact your local agent for information on testing your soil. They can tell you specifically what and how much to add to you soil so you can grow the best herbs and vegetables possible.

ARLINGTON ...... (703) 228-6400 FAIRFAX ...... (703) 324-5369 FAUQUIER ...... (540) 341-7930 LOUDOUN ...... (703) 777-0373 Postmaster: Please deliver to current resident if not PRINCE WILLIAM (703) 792-6285 forwardable

Need to renew your subsciption? Visit us at www.debaggioherbs.com. See page 2 for details. DiRECTiOnS TO THE gREEnHOUSE From the beltway : Take Route 66 West. You have two exit options from Route 66 westbound. Take the Route 50 exit towards Winchester (West) or take the Route 28 exit towards Dulles (North) then exit onto Route 50 West. Either way, you will end up on Route 50 westbound and should follow the next directions. From the intersection of Route 28 and Route 50 : Continue westbound on Route 50 1 for 3 ⁄2 miles. Turn left at the Sheetz gas station onto Poland Road (Rte 742). Go south 1 on Poland Road for ⁄2 mile and turn right onto Mountain View Drive. You’ll see our sign at the second driveway; turn right into the parking lot. From leesburg : Take Evergreen Mill Road (Rte 621) until it ends at Route 606 and turn right. You’ll only travel one or two miles before coming to a traffic light at Route 50. Turn left at the light, pass the housing development called South Riding and make the next right turn onto Poland Road (Rte. 742). Go south on Poland 1 Road for ⁄2 mile and turn right onto Mountain View Drive. You’ll see our sign at the second driveway; turn right into the parking lot.