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Florida Gardening

Suggest some ornamental herbs

15 years ago

I'm going to make an herb garden, but the only place I have to make it right now is the front yard. What are some herbs that have pretty flowers, or are ornamental?

I was thinking about purple basil, but I've never been able to get it to grow well.

What are some that have pretty blooms?

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Comments (9)

manature
15 years ago
African blue basil. It is tough, tough, tough. It's a perennial, can be cut way back if it gets too leggy, tastes quite good, and bees adore it. It gets lavender bloom spikes, which it carries all year long, nearly, in extreme heat, too, when most herbs fail. It smells wonderful, and roots easily from cuttings. I can't think of anything bad to say about it.

I will never be without it in my garden.

Marcia
tclynx
15 years ago
Rosemary makes a nice ornamental shrub. And in cooler weather if the location is shady parsley is a nice ornamental green leafy thing. I'm not sure what herbs I would grow for their ornamental flowers though. Perhaps nasturtium thought it is more of an edible flowering annual plant. Purslain can be pretty thought many people think of it as a weed, it is edible, actually very high in Omega 3 fatty acids.

Grow whatever you like. If you like the plant, it will be ornamental to you, who cares what other people think.

Here is a link that might be useful: TCLynx
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minibim
15 years ago
I'll second the blue basil.

I don't really grow herbs per se. I grow rosemary cause I like the smell and parsley for the swallowtails. The basil was recommended to me as a tough drought tolerant ornamental that just so happens to be edible if you chose. It's planted in a bad, sandy, sunny area of my yard and doesn't complain in the least. It makes a nice bush about 2 feet tall.

The rosemary is pretty tough too.
corar4gw
15 years ago
I love the Globe basil as a little well mannered hedge. It's blooms aren't showy, but then I never allowed mine to bloom/bolt and harvested carefully to maintain it's naturally round shape. I've also seen mint used as a little (12" high) hedge. I had to taste a leaf before I could believe my eyes. This was in the city (Philly) at a Holiday Inn and I'm sure their grounds keeper got lots of good laughs on people like me who think all mints are crawlers and untameable. cora
regine_Z 10 Fl gw
15 years ago
Tarragon has a pretty yellow flower that you can actually eat.
I like Rosemary as an herb and have grown it into a bush. I remember when we were in Bermuda, Rosemary bushes were growing in front of our hotel and the smell was divine!

Regina

Here is a link that might be useful: Tarragon
junkyardgirl
Original Author
15 years ago
O.K., I remember the cascading herb now, it was feverfew. Beautiful tiny daisylike flowers.
tony_k_orlando
15 years ago
Greek Columnar Basil.

Going to Ricky's? I will have some.
jnemeth636
15 years ago
Cuban oregano is a pretty plant, variegated coloring, makes a nice sprawling groundcover and you can't kill it.
solstice98
15 years ago
I'll second the Greek Basil and Cuban Oregano. Very pretty.
Plant some Thai Basil, not so much for the pretty part as because once you start cooking with it you'll always want it around!

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