Name: Verbena - Almond Sweet Almond Verbena (Aloysia virgata) Long white spires of this intensely fragrant everbloomer will delight your senses. One of the sweetest flowers you’ll come across, this member of the Verbenaceae family is also known as the Incense Bush. Give full sun and this fast growing Argentine native will flower year-round. Aloysia virgata is an upright shrubby plant that takes well to a hard pruning, grows fast and has reported winter hardiness to Zone 8. When grown outside in a container for the summer garden, bees and butterflies will reward you with their presence. Also called sweet almond verbena (Aloysia virgata), this is the most beneficial insect-attracting plant I have ever grown. The fragrance is wonderful. LOCATION: It thrives in full sun but can adapt to partial shade. In the US, it grows from Missouri south and does particularly well in California and Texas. HABIT: Large deciduous woody shrub or perennial for full sun to light shade. Spikes of white blooms all summer. Strongly resembles Buddleia. Mostly evergreen, with fine-textured gray-green foliage. Height 10' – 15'. Spread 8' – 10'. CULTURE: Few if any disease and insect pest problems. Easy to grow in well-drained beds in most soils. It has low water and fertilization requirements. Prune between bloom cycles for dense growth. Hardiness zone 8 – 11. Prune away dead wood early spring at bud swell. Source http://www.logees.com/prodinfo.asp?number=H8096-4 http://www.dirtdoctor.com/Almond-Verbena-A-Honey-Bee-Magnet_vq2949.htm Extension programs service people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability, or national origin. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating A member of The Texas A&M University System and its statewide Agriculture Program Name: Basil - African blue Ocimum 'Dark Opal' x O. kilimandscharicum hybridized to form Ocimum 'African Blue,' an annual that Peter Borchard, owner of Companion Plants in Ohio, found growing in a seed bed adjoining his dark opal and camphor basil beds in 1982. It seems to be a cross between these two basils. The whole plant has a warm, sweet, camphor scent. It is a large, bushy, energetic plant that will grow to 3' and as wide as it is tall in a season, a stunning ornamental. New leaves are heavily brushed with purple, which fades in time to a deep bright green with purple veining. The undersides are a reddish purple. Stems are slightly hairy and suffused with violet. It produces purple blushed flower spikes. Its continuous growth and flower production creates an aura of unguarded splendor in the garden. Because African Blue Basil is sterile and never makes a seed, flower stems are longer, up to 18 inches, and bloom time is until frost. Individual flowers can be plucked from the stem or whole stem segments can be used for a dramatic addition to a culinary bouquet. Add African Blue Basil Flowers to sour cream for baked potatoes, top your favorite pasta dish with them or float them in ice trays and add to ginger ale, champagne or white wine spritzers. African Blue Basil is more suited to indoor growing than most basils. If you want to over winter the plant, either grow it through the summer in a pot and move it in before frost or grow it in the ground and take tip cuttings in early fall. These are easily started in a glass of water (change the water every day) and then transferred to a pot for the winter. Basils do not dry well, but leaves and flowers can be pureed with olive oil and frozen for winter use. Use about 3 cups leaves to 1/3 cup olive oil and store flat in small resealable bags. African Blue Basil makes a superb container plant. Source: http://www.superbherbs.net/AfricanBlueBasil.htm http://www.tastefulgarden.com/store/pc/Basil-African-Blue-2p15.htm http://www.mountainvalleygrowers.com/ocikilimanscharium.htm Extension programs service people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability, or national origin. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating A member of The Texas A&M University System and its statewide Agriculture Program. Name: Basil - Cinnamon Ocimum basilicum ‘Cinnamon’ This variety grows eighteen to thirty inches tall and twelve to eighteen inches wide. The cinnamon scented leaves grow up to two inches long. The stems are purple with small purple flowers that are in bloom in the summer. Along with adding an interesting flavor to recipes that call for basil, it can be used in gardens as a companion plant to repel insect pests. Plant in well drained soil under full sun Highly fragrant light lavender flowers on an 18cm dark purple stem. Flowers last two weeks if water is changed daily. It contains cinnamate, the same chemical that gives cinnamon its flavor, and has the strongest scent of cinnamon. Growing Tips: Enjoys reasonably moist conditions. Some garden pests don’t like the smell of it, so gardeners grow it just to keep bugs out of their gardens. Use: For peak flavor pick and add just prior to serving meal. Pick the leaves and use them in cooking or put them in bottles of olive oil to make cinnamon-flavored oil. The oil would be good to use for frying apples or bananas. You can add this herb to your apple pie fillings, and it tastes great added to an apple sauce or raisin sauce for pork or ham. You can also freeze the leaves in an ice cube tray with water. Then pop them out after they freeze and store them in a plastic bag in the freezer. Drop these herb cubes into soups or sauces to add basil flavor. Cinnamon Basil can be used to make a refreshing tea. Harvest: Regularly, the more you harvest the more it will produce. If kept warm and harvested often you may even get 10 months worth of Basil leaves. Source: http://www.renaissanceherbs.com.au/store/show/BASIL-CINNAMON http://www.victoryseeds.com/ocimum_gratissimum_cinnamon.html Extension programs service people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability, or national origin. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating A member of The Texas A&M University System and its statewide Agriculture Program. Name: Basil - Holy Ocimum Sanctum The leaves of holy basil are grey-green in color, coarse to the touch, and have rigged edges. Basil leaves are deep green and tend to be smooth with smooth edges. Both plants can grow more than two-feet tall and two-feet wide. The flower of the basil plant is generally white while the flower of holy basil is lavender in color. Holy basil can also have different color stems, usually white or red. Holy basil has a sweet fragrance, and basil has a spicy aroma. Holy basil and basil tends to have sharp flavors when raw, which is similar to other varieties of greens. Basil varieties all have strong flavor and aroma, and leaves will bruise and emit scent easily. Since basil's flavor can be overpowering, use it sparingly until you are sure you like the taste of it. Holy basil and basil can be cooked or served raw in similar styles. Grind up raw basil in a food processor with pine nuts, garlic and olive oil to make homemade pesto sauce for pasta. Add torn leaves to a soup, stir fry or casserole to add a strong fragrance and fresh, herbal flavor. Also, you can rip the leaves and sprinkle over a side salad, grilled chicken breast, spaghetti or steak to add a sharp, herbal flavor. Holy basil is also commonly used in Thai dishes. Source: http://www.ehow.com/info_8405678_difference-between-basil-holy-basil.html Extension programs service people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability, or national origin. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating A member of The Texas A&M University System and its statewide Agriculture Program. Name: Basil – Mrs Burns Ocimum basilicum citriodorum Loves hot, dry summers. A Legendary Heirloom from New Mexico 60 days. Mrs. Burns' Lemon Basil is nothing short of an idol among fine chefs and gardeners alike! This heirloom was discovered in New Mexico, and it is absolutely the best lemon basil available anywhere, with larger leaves and a much more intense, citrusy, mouth-puckering flavor! This heat-loving plant sets 2 1/2-inch leaves of dark green on plants 18 to 24 inches tall and 12 to 24 inches wide. A great choice for containers as well as the herb or vegetable garden, it is aromatic and very pest and disease resistant. Strongly recommended for anyone who values strong fragrance and flavor. Pinch the central stem of the plant back several times during growth to encourage the production of side shoots. Lean soils in a sunny location will produce more flavorful oils, but it will tolerate partial sun. Be sure to grow some on a sunny indoor windowsill for fresh herbs just steps away from your cooking. It's also a bit more heat tolerant than Sweet Basil, a plus for gardens in the South. It produces small terminal racemes of pink flowers, but you'll want to keep them pinched back to promote dense, bushy growth and focus the plant's energy on producing aromatic oil instead of flowers .