fine herbs and other
exceptional plants
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fine herbs and other
exceptional plants
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[ Return to What We Sell] [ Return to Ornamental Herbs ] Angelica
"Herb of the Angels," Angelica is best known for candied stems. It has a flavor similar to licorice, and its leaves, fresh or dried, make a wonderful tea. Angelica does best in light shade and moist soil, and definitely prefers the cooler seasons. It has beautiful foliage that can reach 5 feet in height in moderate climates. Cut back blossoms to extend life span. Back to Top
Anise Hyssop
Attractive honey plant (bees and butterflies love it!). Anise hyssop produces abundant nectar which yields a light fragrant honey. This is an easy-to-grow, hardy plant, and can reach up to 3 feet in the Southern garden. Depending on the variety, flower range from pale lavender-blue to deep rose. Leaves are anise-scented and make a delightful tea. The flowers are edible and make a wonderful garnish or seasoning. Back to Top Recipe!
Artemesia
Artemesia is a genus that includes many herbs that grown for ornamental and culinary uses. The most familiar name given a number of the ornamental varieties is Wormwood. Most are tolerant of clay soils and are hardy growers in our climate. Common WormwoodA. absinthium This variety is a wonderful accent for the back of your border. Plants can reach 3 feet in height in full sun. Its silvery-gray foliage is beautiful in the garden as well as in dried flower arrangements. It can be easily pruned into a shrub. 'Silver King' artemesiaA. 'Silver King' Also known as "Ghost Plant" has striking, lacy, silver foliage and grows to about 2 feet when flowering. This, and the lesser known 'Silver Queen,' which has more finely cut leaves, are beautiful additions to the herb garden as a key ingredient for herbal wreaths and arrangements. Heavy summer rains can mar the foliage by causing the leaves to blacken or yellow. It also has a tendency to become woody if not pruned regularly. Back to Top
Balm of Gilead
Not the balm of Gilead mentioned in the Bible...It has a strong balsam scent; both the leaves and flower buds add a nice woodsy scent to potpourris. Beautiful ornamental foliage! Back to Top Bergamot (Mondarda)
Bergamot belongs to a family of exceptionally handsome and aromatic herbs, with showy whorled flowers in various shades of red, pink, and purple. The fragrance of the common variety resembles that of the tropical tree orange, bergamot, from which it gets its name. Bergamot is also known as bee balm, for the swarms of honey bees and hummingbirds that it attracts! Back to Top
Burdock
Roots of this plant are said to have "blood purifying" properties. Also useful for skin diseases such as eczema. Recent medical evidence supports folkloric use for tumors. It is one of the four herbs in the Essiac anti-cancer formula. As always, consult a certified herbalist before attempting to use medicinal herbs. In a lightly shady garden, burdock's large leaves provide a beautiful backdrop for more delicate plants. Back to Top Butterfly Weed
This beautiful wildflower is a host plant for Monarch butterflies. It will reach about 4 feet, in a columnar shape, in a sunny border, providing color from summer to frost. It will die down to the ground at frost, but return in the spring. It may even reseed! Colors range from a lemony-gold to hot reds and oranges. Back to Top Cardoon
One of the most striking plants you can grow in your garden! This artichoke relative is a beautiful accent with its silvery, long-toothed, deeply cut leaves that can reach 3-4 feet! It does best in cooler weather, but once established, will grow all year. The first year the cardoon produces its beautiful leaves. Year two, it will produce a beautiful blue-lavender thistle-like flower. The stems are spineless and can be blanched or eaten raw. Cardoon is a traditional dipping vegetable for the Italian bagna cauda, a hot garlic and anchovy sauce. Back to Top EchinaceaPurpurea /
Perennial Digitalis (Foxglove)
‘Foxy’ Blooms the first year! An old-fashioned garden favorite, the foxglove can reach 3–4', and bears tubular flowers in shades of pink, purple, rose and white. Foxglove excels in shady, moist areas, growing a mound of gray-green leaves and sporting colorful blooms, which attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Being a true biennial, foxglove will reseed then die; only occasionally lasting more than a few years. The entire plant is poisonous, though generally not fatally. The leaves of common foxglove are the source of the cardiac stimulant digitalis. Back to Top
Patchouli
The scent of Patchouli is reminiscent of "hippies" or "Deadheads, as it was the scent of choice back in the '60s. Today it is making a comeback, and is found once again in many perfumes, scented candles, and soaps. For some, inhaling patchouli is a sedative, antidepressant, or even an aphrodisiac. The scent is earthy and spicey—a great addition to potpourris. Patchouli thrives in our moist, hot summers, though it does need shade. Given enough room, the plant can reach 3-4 feet, with large round leaves. Back to Top
Viola
Violas resemble tiny pansies, and come in an array of colors, from white, yellow, pink, purple and blue to black. They are very cold hardy here, and provide wonderful color from winter to late spring. Most varieties remain fairly compact, but some, like the Johnny-Jump-Ups, tend to move about a bit, reseeding as they go...Flowers are edible and fragrant, making them wonderful for small-scale flower arrangements, providing decoration to desserts, drinks, or salads. Alpine SummerOpen pollinated variety. Comes in a mix of bright colors. Baby LuciaLongest-blooming variety here. Wonderful mid-shade of blue with delicate yellow eyes. Great in hanging baskets or borders. Bowles BlackSelf-seeding with midnight blue/maroon/black flowers with yellow eyes. Good for edging, pots or borders. Back to Top
Violet
Sweet violets have a wonderful fragrance and provide pretty purple, pink, or white flowers to the Southern shade garden. The heart-shaped leaves are edible, and tasty when cooked like spinach. They can also be used with the flowers in salads. Candied or crystallized flowers are also a popular dessert decoration (Recipe!). Violets are small plants, never mounding more than 12" or so. They tend to creep and crawl through your garden, providing lovely accents in shady, moist soil. Back to Top
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Pete's Herbs • 5920 Chisolm Road • Johns Island, SC 29455 • 843 559-1446 • petes.5920@juno.com |