If you think of herbs as wild plants, think again. Herbs have undergone centuries of selection and although less formal and showy than common garden flowers, have a presence all their own. Incorporated into the garden or landscape design and given modest attention and grooming, they can be among the most beautiful plants in the garden. If you want to incorporate herbs in the landscape, start with a basic book such as Ortho’s All About Herbs.

More than just an attractive feature in the garden, herbs have multiple uses as seasonings, teas and tisanes, garnishes, fragrances, dyes, cosmetics, and medicines. Many of the herbs grown today as ornamentals were valued originally for medicinal or ritual uses and are cloaked in folklore and superstition. Additionally, most herbs attract both pollinating and predatory beneficial insects into the yard which play an important role in integrated pest management.

Herbs can be utilized in garden design by treating them as you would other annuals, perennials and shrubs; that is, sort them by height and spread, perennial or evergreen, time of flower, if desired, and longevity (e.g. annual or perennial). Herbs also make excellent container plants, an important feature if garden space is restricted or if plants need to be portable. Make sure you water more frequently in containers as they dry out faster.

Many herbs are actually small perennial shrubs which do well in containers. Among these are: oregano, rosemary, thyme and marjoram. These should be planted in one or two gallon containers with Gardener’s Gold potting soil. Fertilize container herbs monthly, water as needed and place on the hottest place of your patio to produce the most intense flavor. Trim to shape as needed and save the trimmings by freezing in a zip-lock bag or drying in the oven.

Plant your herbs in areas that receive 4 to 6 hours of sun. Morning sun is better for annual herbs that are grown for culinary purposes. If annual herbs get too much afternoon sun, they bloom and go to seed quicker. This prevents production of useable foliage. Most perennial herbs can grow in morning or afternoon sun. Perennial herbs such as oregano or thyme produce more compact and strongly scented foliage if they receive strong afternoon sun.

Use potting soil, such as Gardener’s Gold, for potted plants or add Bumper Crop with your native soil as a 50/50 mix for planting perennial herbs in the ground. For annual herbs, use Bumper Crop or Paydirt. Use Master Nursery Master Start when planting perennial herbs. During the growing season you should feed your herbs with Master Nursery Formula 49 or if you prefer organics, use Nurseryman’s Bumper Crop Booster or Dr. Earth Tomato, Vegetable & Herb Fertilizer. Herbs should not be over watered. If the soil contains sufficient organic matter, keep it moist to a depth of at least 6 inches.

If insect problems develop, use Master Nursery Tomato & Vegetable Spray to control a wide range of insects with continued use. It is derived from botanical pyrethrins, so is safe to use on edible herbs. If mildew occurs, use Safer Garden Fungicide, a sulphur-based product which controls powdery mildew, black spot, leaf spot, and rust.

For more information see our Information Sheet on Herbs.

Bougainvilleas are drought resistant, free from pests and disease, romantic, glowingly colorful, and easy to grow- but not easy to plant or get started. Use them as large ground covers on banks and have them pouring over walls, roofs, fences, and arbors. Here is the best way to plant them.

-Choose plants with the color, eventual size, and growth habits you desire in mind. Some are vines and some are shrubs. Some are more vigorous than others. Five gallon sizes make a faster start in the ground than 1 gallons.

-Choose a spot in full sun, preferably where the root run - the area where the roots grow- is also hit by full sun. (In the desert and hot interior valleys bougainvilleas will bloom in light shade.)

-Dig a hole twice as wide as the container and the same depth as the container. Loosen the soil in the bottom of the hole, and work in 2 or 3 cupfuls of bone meal. (If the soil is heavy also work in gypsum.) Cover this with enough soil that, when you set in the plant, the top of the root ball will be level with the surrounding ground. Add slow-release fertilizer tablets, according to package directions, around the bottom of the hole.

-Bougainvilleas are fragile when young and often killed when they are planted because their roots and crown are broken. Turn the plant on its side. With sharp pruning shears, cut around the bottom of the container and look to see if it is well-rooted. If it is, slip the plant out sideways by pushing from the bottom. Lower it carefully into the hole while supporting the roots with your hands. Backfill with native soil.

- If the plant is not well rooted, slit the sides of the container from the bottom up in several places, then tape it back together with masking tape. Lower the plant into the hole with the taped container holding the roots in place. Loosen the tape and slide the bottom out. Slip out the cut pieces from the sides as you backfill the hole with native soil.

-Press the soil down around the plant with your hands (not too hard). The top of the root ball should be even with the surrounding ground.

-Make a watering basin, and water deeply right away. Then in fast-draining soils, for three days water once a day; for the next two weeks water three times a week; and for the following month water twice a week. Thereafter, for the first three years, water once a week. In clay soils you should water enough to keep the root ball damp but not soggy for the first three weeks to four weeks. Thereafter water deeply after the ground dries out. Bougainvilleas are drought resistant not because they don't need water but because their roots go deeply into the ground until they find an underground water source. When young they take all the water they can get, as long as drainage is adequate. Feed them once a month each year between April and August.

-After three to five years you can stop fertilizing in summer, stop watering in winter, and reduce the frequency of summer watering to once a month or every six weeks- or perhaps never, depending on placement and variety. (Container-grown vines will always need regular fertilizer and water.)

Position at Wegman's: Office Manager

Hobbies: Finishing my MBA at Notre Dame de Namur

Favorite food: Pasta

Favorite plant or flower: Brunfelsia

Favorite garden center product: Master Start