"Narcnh  welcome back you certainly were missed it sounds as though you live in a magical area."

kt, not sure how magical it is, when I come in from snowblowing two feet of powder and looking like Frosty the Snowman because, no matter which direction the shoot faces, Murphy's Law guarantees that the wind will blow in exactly the opposite direction.

BTW, having flown into Newark Airport on this last trip, had the chance to drive through the entire fall foliage season from New Jersey, where it was just beginning, to New Hamsphire, where it is over. Pretty cool.

narcnh

You must try: Lemon Verbena!

Luvherbz!

Horseradish  nhbabs-chimney flu
Rue - Solana  edging
Curly-leaf parsley - (superior to flat leaf) - Cady
Lovage - Bug
Dill - vtskiers
Bronze fennel - kt
Winter savory - kt
Broad-leaf parsley  (inferior to curly)  mad gal
French tarragon - nhbabs
Bee balm - Cady
cascading ornamental oregano "Origanum Libanoticum" Â idabean
Dark opal basil - vtskiers
Lemon balm - solana - chimney flu
Chives  Cady
Sage- The tri-colored variety, dwarf nasturtium  nandina
Salad Burnet  nhnarc
Rosemary  Bug
Lemon Verbena  luvherbz

Luvherbz - know less than nothing about herbs what types of food would you use lemon verbena to flavor with? Your name is in the hat.

Martie must be busy so Mad Gal itÂs your turn

Just keep in mind that lemon verbena is tender and cannot be left outside in that zone, unless you want to treat it as an annual. Since it is deciduous, I wait until mine loses its leaves (it's still outside now) and then bring it in and leave it in the basement until around March, when I bring it back into the light and it revives.

I like it just for the intense lemon arona that is released by just brushing the leaves in passing (Hint: plant it along a walkway, so it is brushed by people). I have seen recipes for using it in ice cream. Below are some uses lifted without remourse from a website:

Culinary Uses

- Sprinkle over salads or vegetables for a lemony flavor.

- Use to flavor stuffings for meat.

- Stir into herb butter or cottage cheese.

- Makes a refreshing tea in combination with mint or alone. Good served iced.

- Use liberally when on a low salt diet. Try combining with dried celery and lovage leaves.

Other Uses

- Put leaves in the vacuum cleaner to freshen the house.

- An infusion will make a nice skin freshener an toner.

- Flowers can be used in arrangements

narcnh

It's been mentioned, but since I don't see it on the list, thyme.

BTW, what is the best way to store lovage? We like it as a celery replacement, so the celery doesn't turn to mush ignored in the crisper, but tend to want it in the winter for stews. Does it freeze well?

I haven't tried freezing it, but have the same problem with it, wanting it for soups and stews- but not in July! Perhaps I will try freezing it in ice cubes, as is done with other herbs, then adding the ice cube to the pot when needed.

Narcnh, great info particularly your placement suggestion. I do however wonder what my vacuum will smell like with lemon verbena combined with dog hair hmmm.

Thanks mad gal that was idabean the trouble maker who mentioned thyme and was trying to choose two herbs in one turn. I love the Origanum Libanoticum has anyone ever bought from that site? Oh and speaking of idabean it's your turn to pick an herb.

Idabean, pick a wonderful aromatic edible wild thyme please...OK? Fond memories of Meditteranean hikes and the Alps. :-)
Oh well, pick what YOU like best.

Mad Gallica & Gardenbug -
I dry lovage leaves for winter use and then store in a glass jar. It still holds good flavor, but I don't know if it's the best way to store it, just the only way I've tried. I use it when cooking potatoes, in soups, and when steaming salmon.

I'm here, too!!! My pick is Lavandula angustifolia 'Lady'. There will be those who argue that it's hardy only to Z5, but this variety blooms from seed the first year and has been known to winter over in 4B in a semi-protected area. Makes a great hedge or edge of the garden accent. Not quite as strong fragrance as other L. angustifolia's, but for Z4 it can't be beat.

An herb garden wouldn't be an herb garden without lavender, IMHO.

Love the picks so far, BTW. And may I throw in a second one since I haven't been around for a bit ;-)

Salvia elegans 'Pineapple'. Definitely tender but easily rooted. Overwintering is discouraged since it is a white fly magnet but cuttings take easily. The autumn bloom attracts hummers like nothing else, and combined with Lemon Verbena in iced tea ..... yummmmmmmm. It is also quite large and is good to use as a "base" plant.

Martie

I'm sure it's fine if annual and non hardy herbs are recommended -- as long as we wouldn't be paying "perennial" prices for them at the garden center.

Lavenders can be bought cheap in small pots, so whether they're 4b hardy or not, go for it.

Since this garden has acidic soil, I'd be very surprised if lavender overwintered. If it had my limy soil, It's a good bet. I've had Lady survive -30F. However, it doesn't do much the first year.

Nhbabs, I'll try drying lovage next summer. If it's a little less strong, that wouldn't be bad. The family thinks it's too strong anyway.

Horseradish  nhbabs-chimney flu
Rue - Solana  edging
Curly-leaf parsley - (superior to flat leaf) - Cady
Lovage - Bug
Dill - vtskiers
Bronze fennel - kt
Winter savory - kt
Broad-leaf parsley  (inferior to curly)  mad gal
French tarragon - nhbabs
Bee balm - Cady
cascading ornamental oregano "Origanum Libanoticum" Â idabean
Dark opal basil - vtskiers
Lemon balm - solana - chimney flu
Chives  Cady
Sage- The tri-colored variety, dwarf nasturtium  nandina
Salad Burnet  nhnarc
Rosemary  Bug
Lemon Verbena  luvherbz
Thyme - Mad Gal - should we make bug happy with wild thyme?
Lavandula angustifolia 'Lady' & Salvia elegans 'Pineapple' - Marty

I still have not received anything in the mail from software people but will let you know. Mad Gal I am surprised you said that about lavender and acidic soil until I ripped it out mine was too happy so I always assumed lavender liked living in acidic sand. Martie I didn't know salvia was an herb...cool.

I think Idabean is outside planting all of her fall sale items so Solana it's your turn

Oh, the sting of a black check mark! Alleviated somewhat by an invite to KT's, even if it is for a work detail ;) (read the Polly Hill thread with envy)

Carrying the herbs in vacuum cleaner idea one step further: sprinkle them on the stinky carpet, sofa where the dog sleeps, etc., let the scent permeate, then vacuum up. Of course, the rest of you are too meticulous to have this problem.

As I recall, our garden isn't especially acidic thanks to the generous amount of compost we (I) added before planting. Let's say we add enough wood ashes or lime to bring pH up to 6.5 at the beginning of the season, just dig a little extra in around the lavender.

Culinary tips:
Try pickling Nasturtium pods for a caper substitute.

If herbs are going into soup or stews anyway, it doesn't much matter if they're no longer crisp. I freeze chopped to size on a baking sheet so they don't clump, then pack in zip-locks, break off a frozen chunk as needed. It seems to retain some of the essential oils lost in drying. Have a couple gallons of frozen basil for pasta this winter, and though it turns brown, the flavor is much better than dried. (Also, a couple quarts of 'Gigante d'Italia' parsley  would have had more, but the swallowtail caterpillars had a feast).

Now that I'm caught up on comments since I last posted, time to choose an herb.

We've got all my each year must-haves but one, and that's Cilantro. Wouldn't make salsa without it. An early patch for immediate use and to save seed, with larger succession patch for canning and freezing.

solana,

Have you tried Mexican culantro or Vietnamese coriander as substitutes for cilantro? They do great overwintered in pots indoors near the window and have flavors very similar to true cilantro. I like them, because I don't have to keep resowing the annual and also can use them all winter.

narcnh

narcnh,

No, I haven't. Did some googling and an Herb forum search (nice bay tree, btw), sounds interesting.

Get the impression that Culantro (Polygonum odoratum) is the closer taste match to Coriandrum sativum, can be grown from seed, but leaves a bit coarse-textured. Thus well-suited to cooked dishes, maybe not in a fresh salsa. Vietnamese coriander (Polygonum odoratum) not so close in flavor, has a hint of lemon, more tender foliage and definitely more attractive. Your experience?

Found no mention of seed for the latter, though one poster recommends taking cuttings from a bunch purchased at "your local Asian grocery." Dang, I have no idea where that might be. Do you have sources you recommend for seed or plants?

Thanks for the tip,

Ana

Horseradish  nhbabs-chimney flu
Rue - Solana  edging
Curly-leaf parsley - (superior to flat leaf) - Cady
Lovage - Bug
Dill - vtskiers
Bronze fennel - kt
Winter savory - kt
Broad-leaf parsley  (inferior to curly)  mad gal
French tarragon - nhbabs
Bee balm - Cady
cascading ornamental oregano "Origanum Libanoticum" Â idabean
Dark opal basil - vtskiers
Lemon balm - solana - chimney flu
Chives  Cady
Sage- The tri-colored variety, dwarf nasturtium  nandina
Salad Burnet  nhnarc
Rosemary  Bug
Lemon Verbena  luvherbz
Thyme - Mad Gal - should we make bug happy with wild thyme?
Lavandula angustifolia 'Lady' & Salvia elegans 'Pineapple' - Marty
Cilantro-Solana

Thanks Solana & narcnh for your great info. This newbie to herbs never expected to learn so much.

nhbabs it is your turn to pick an herb.

I love lemon geraniums, preferably ones with either nice flowers or variegated leaves. They aren't hardy here, so let's put it in a nice pot that can come into the house for the winter.

Thanks nhbabs I love them too. Would I be correct to assume the leaves are used in potpourri? Is the flower edible?

Cady it is your turn to pick an herb.

Hi Ana,

Man, I have to laugh. Your ÂNice bay tree comment gave me one of those Âwhere did that come from? moments until I remembered that IÂd posted a pic of it over on the herb forum a while back. ThatÂs one of the amazing/scary things about the Net, things you typed even years ago can come back to haunt you, so be careful out there.

IÂd say culantro is, indeed, closer to cilantro than Vietnamese coriander, although they are both very good, each in its own right. VC grows like a weed, so you definitely get more leaves than you do with culantro on a plant to plant basis. Culantro leaves are tougher, but if you slice them thin, they can be used in all kinds of dishes. If youÂre going to make a pesto with them, they puree up just fine. VC likes it moist, so it needs more attention than culantro, at least with regards to watering.

I bought both of my plants from Richters http://richters.com/. Companion Plants http://companionplants.com/ and Mountain Valley Growers http://mountainvalleygrowers.com/ are also excellent sources of quality plants and seeds.

Culantro readily reseeds, if you let the plant flower and the flowers mature (the edible parts are the basal leaves, not the spiky stalk). DoesnÂt seem to affect the plant at all. Mine is cut back for the winter. If will probably set some seeds again this summer, so if you donÂt already have one by then, let me know. DonÂt know if VC can be grown from a cutting, but can try that, too, if you want.

narcnh

Anise hyssop (Agastache). Grow it as an annual in 4b, or plant one in a large (14"-16") pot and winter it in the cellar after it dies to the ground at the frost.

The leaves have an intense anise flavor, and leave a sweet taste in the mouth. When I'm in the garden, I like to pluck a leaf and pop it in my mouth to chew and refresh. The flowers bloom from mid-summer to the frost - spikes of soft purple.

And it's an utter butterfly magnet, especially monarchs.

Horseradish  nhbabs-chimney flu
Rue - Solana  edging
Curly-leaf parsley - (superior to flat leaf) - Cady
Lovage - Bug
Dill - vtskiers
Bronze fennel - kt
Winter savory - kt
Broad-leaf parsley  (inferior to curly)  mad gal
French tarragon - nhbabs
Bee balm - Cady
cascading ornamental oregano "Origanum Libanoticum" Â idabean
Dark opal basil - vtskiers
Lemon balm - solana - chimney flu
Chives  Cady
Sage- The tri-colored variety, dwarf nasturtium  nandina
Salad Burnet  nhnarc
Rosemary  Bug
Lemon Verbena  luvherbz
Thyme - Mad Gal - should we make bug happy with wild thyme?
Lavandula angustifolia 'Lady' & Salvia elegans 'Pineapple' - Marty
Cilantro-Solana
lemon geraniums - nhbabs
Anise hyssop (Agastache) - Cady

Cady I am catching on to a theme here do you have a butterfly garden??

Vtskier it is your turn to dazzle us

Most plants sold as Sages are Salvia. Perennial growers like to think that Salvias are just for the wonderful flowering, but the boutique types were first hybridized for fruit fragrance.

I'm surprised that "Lady" didn't do well for you the first year, Mad Gal. Every year I start a new batch and while it they won't reach a full grown 'Hidcote' status, they do throw a bunch of bloom considering they are a first year perennial.

BTW: This year they were planted around the baby Apothecary rose I got from M.G. at a swap. How cool!! Now, one would question how lavs and roses can be planted side by side and survive -- micro-soil-amendment!!

I like the Asian coriander. For some reason I can't "get" cilantro flavor, but a Thai restaurant I frequent uses fresh coriander grown in their front window and vavavavoom!!

AND lastly for now -- The design includes a low, wide granite wall to hold several potted plants, so tenders were anticipated :-)

Martie

Katy,
You're right, I do lean toward butterfly plants. Maybe because I have a small yard and believe that everything must do double-duty! Herbs and perennials included.

This spring, I planted the "hell strip" (the parkway/sidewalk strip) with plants that would attract butterflies and moths (bees, too, it turns out, but fortunately they were interested only in nectar and not passersby). The neighbors commented on all the swallowtails, monarchs and skippers, admirals, frittilaries that came visiting because of the "salad bar" on my stretch of sidewalk.

But secretly I was hoping for hummingbirds. For some reason, I've had only one hummer in my garden that I saw.

Unless vanilla extract is an herb, me and my lazy Susan are out of ideas. Someone with more herbal experience can take my turn.

Sue

Well no great experience here, but my gardens ALWAYS have basil in them. The plain old green kind. I love it with tomatoes. Mine dies back every year, but gets huge in one season.

Oops! narcnh wrote:
"amazing/scary things about the Net, things you typed even years ago can come back to haunt you, so be careful out there"

Guess that applies to my cut-n-paste error, make that botanical name for Culantro Eryngium foetidum. Thx for links: some out-of-stock issues. Might take you up on seed next year.

KT - many plants we call Geraniums actually belong to the genus Pelargonium. Yes, flowers are edible, but more flavor in the leaves. Have made yummy, subtle, jelly infusing rose-scented leaves in apple juice. Try sprigs up-side down in a cake pan before pouring in the batter.

Cady - not an herb, suggest Tithonia to attract hummingbirds to your hell strip. Easy from seed started ~6 weeks before last frost. I've had hummers within inches of my face while weeding their beds.

Horseradish  nhbabs-chimney flu
Rue - Solana  edging
Curly-leaf parsley - (superior to flat leaf) - Cady
Lovage - Bug
Dill - vtskiers
Bronze fennel - kt
Winter savory - kt
Broad-leaf parsley  (inferior to curly)  mad gal
French tarragon - nhbabs
Bee balm - Cady
cascading ornamental oregano "Origanum Libanoticum" Â idabean
Dark opal basil - vtskiers
Lemon balm - solana - chimney flu
Chives  Cady
Sage- The tri-colored variety, dwarf nasturtium  nandina
Salad Burnet  nhnarc
Rosemary  Bug
Lemon Verbena  luvherbz
Thyme - Mad Gal - should we make bug happy with wild thyme?
Lavandula angustifolia 'Lady' & Salvia elegans 'Pineapple' - Marty
Culantro Eryngium foetidum-Solana
lemon geraniums - nhbabs
Anise hyssop (Agastache) Â Cady

Vtskier - no problem I must admit I took my name out of the hat last time around for the same reason.

Cady my biggest hummer magnet is Clerodendron trichotomum Harlequin Glorybower.

Solana  many years ago I tasted rose flavored jelly and wondered how it was made. Could you explain further about the cake.

Nandina it is your turn to choose an herb.

Cady, my hummingbird magnets are the tender salvias. Every year I plant Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue' all over the garden. It's fairly cheap at the local bedding plant greenhouses. This season both Black and Blue and Salvia coccinea reseeded for me so I had plants popping up everywhere. Since I've been growing this stuff reliably I've had hummers as late as October 1st. Early frosts don't bother it.

Sue

Kt - I don't use the lemon geranium for anything except to remind me of a couple of friends from my childhood who always grew scented geraniums and for brushing against to release that lovely smell. The last two years I overwintered the plants in my classroom, and the kids loved to rub a leaf!

Cady - My two humming bird magnets are scarlet runner beans and (believe it or not) heuchera.

Thanks for all the hummer-attracting plant tips, guys! It's strange, the only time I had a hummer visit was when the only hummer-friendly plants I had were hostas. Now I have bee balm, heuchera, crocosmia and other supposedly hummer-friendly stuff, and they snub me!

I'll try the salvias, Tithonia, Clerodendron and runner beans (I have the perfect fence for those) and see if I can tempt those fussy beauties.

Geranium (Pelargonium) scented cake:

Make your favorite pound cake (moist cakes work better than fluffy ones). After greasing & flour-or-sugaring the pan, place leaves of scented Geranium individually stem-up on bottom of pan(s) leaving perhaps 3/4 to 1 inch between leaves. Spoon in a layer of batter so they don't get all clumped together, then pour remainder. Bake as usual. After inverting the cake, remove leaves before serving. This might be the place to garnish with the flowers.

You can also infuse bruised leaves in milk for custards, rice pudding, etc.

A light bulb moment: might try that in whipping cream to serve with the cake.

nhbabs I like the idea of planting it where it will be brushed I think I will try some in the garden where the dog insists on taking a short cut...maybe the sweet scent will lower my blood pressure.
solana I am going to give the cake and of course the whip cream a try thanks.

Nandina must be busy Mad Gal it's your turn.

Whoops! Sorry, did not realize it is my turn. We have been on the back roads of Georgia travelling on business. The cotton fields, which are just being harvested, stretch as far as the eye can see. Note to runktrun...this Yankee, now transplanted to the south, has a solid northern gardening history going back several generations.

Have any of you grown garlic chives (Allium tuberosum)? They will survive zone 4. A few snippets of leaves or flowers added to salads impart a gentle garlic flavor. Best to deadhead them as they are rampant seeders, but an herb worthy of growing.

I love garlic chives...even if only to look at! But I do love garlic too.
Can we add basil to the list? Plain green?

Re: allium tuberosum.
I was given 5 or 7 bulbs in 2000 or 2001 and being not warned about their invasive tendencies let them seed the very first season.
OMG, five years later they still popping up in all kind of places all over the garden.
Beware, they are more invasive than dandelions and ornithogalum umbellatum combined !!!

Mad gal must be busy and guess whose name I pulled from the hatÂBugÂnow I wonder what she is going to choose? Would it help if we put the chives in a chimney flu?

Welllllll, I was reading up on Greek oregano, which I grow, a gift from a deceased gardening friend. It appears that basil can be used as a substitute for the Greek herb. I consider them distinct though.

So this time I'll vote for the basil, simply because I use it more often in the kitchen. This site is very nice I think!
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1644.html

Here is a link that might be useful: Greek Oregano

OK, I give up! ;>) The basil can be in the herb garden here, but I'll still put it in my nonvirtual veggie garden at home.

nhbabs - I, too, harvest scads of basil for pesto, freezing, etc. How 'bout we grow some of the specialty types - opal, anise, cinnamon, lemon as well as cute 'Spicy Bush' in the herb garden, leave production quantities in veggie-ville.

btw, Gilbert & Son Block in Laconia, NH, sells flue tiles.

bug, very informative link thanks.
nhbabs, we will just have to make sure that bug makes you up an extra large container of pesto.
solana the question is does Gilbert & Son sell virtual flue tiles?
luvherbs it's your turn

I am thinking that luvsherbs must be busy so Martie it is your turn. Would some of the more herb experienced gardeners amongst us like to voice an opinion on how much more room we might have? I still havn't heard from the software designers I must admit I am feeling a little disappointed but google has a new design software for free that I may play with over the next week or two I let you know what this nontechie comes up with.

Horseradish  nhbabs-chimney flu
Rue - Solana  edging
Curly-leaf parsley - (superior to flat leaf) - Cady
Lovage - Bug
Dill - vtskiers
Bronze fennel - kt
Winter savory - kt
Broad-leaf parsley  (inferior to curly)  mad gal
French tarragon - nhbabs
Bee balm - Cady
cascading ornamental oregano "Origanum Libanoticum" Â idabean
Dark opal basil - vtskiers
Lemon balm - solana - chimney flu
Chives  Cady
Sage- The tri-colored variety, dwarf nasturtium  nandina
Salad Burnet  nhnarc
Rosemary  Bug
Lemon Verbena  luvherbz
Thyme - Mad Gal - should we make bug happy with wild thyme?
Lavandula angustifolia 'Lady' & Salvia elegans 'Pineapple' - Marty
Culantro Eryngium foetidum-Solana
lemon geraniums - nhbabs
Anise hyssop (Agastache) Â Cady
garlic chives (Allium tuberosum)- Nandina
basil-Bug

Hello, hello. Short and sweet from me today. For an herb garden our size, we're close to capacity, but there's always room for a few more.

My choice is Mentha cordifolia "Kentucky Colonel." In Z4b it will behave quite well if given more sun than shade, but a flue would probably be a good idea, anyway. This all-purpose Spearmint is a wonderful deep green that doesn't get knocked over easily. If you're going to have just one mint in a garden in the ground, this one is it, IMHO.

Martie

Horseradish  nhbabs-chimney flu
Rue - Solana  edging
Curly-leaf parsley - (superior to flat leaf) - Cady
Lovage - Bug
Dill - vtskiers
Bronze fennel - kt
Winter savory - kt
Broad-leaf parsley  (inferior to curly)  mad gal
French tarragon - nhbabs
Bee balm - Cady
cascading ornamental oregano "Origanum Libanoticum" Â idabean
Dark opal basil - vtskiers
Lemon balm - solana - chimney flu
Chives  Cady
Sage- The tri-colored variety, dwarf nasturtium  nandina
Salad Burnet  nhnarc
Rosemary  Bug
Lemon Verbena  luvherbz
Thyme - Mad Gal - should we make bug happy with wild thyme?
Lavandula angustifolia 'Lady' & Salvia elegans 'Pineapple' - Marty
Culantro Eryngium foetidum-Solana
lemon geraniums - nhbabs
Anise hyssop (Agastache) Â Cady
garlic chives (Allium tuberosum)- Nandina
basil-Bug
Mentha cordifolia "Kentucky Colonel."

I like the leaf the size of the Colonel...so named after mint juleps I presume.

nhnarch it is your turn to dazzle us.

Got back yesterday from a week-long road trip to, of all places, Stoughton, MA. How all of you in the more urban parts of New England deal with the traffic is beyond me. Rt. 24 from Brockton to Stoughton (all of two exits for me) was a nightmare every day. Having transplanted up here from New Jersey almost 12 years ago (in part, because I was fed up with all the congestion), I am woefully out of practice dealing with the insanity of morning and evening rush hours. Driving north on 93 into Boston and that stupid tunnel, even in mid-day, was another Âinteresting experience.

Anyway, my next recommendation is Roman chamomile. It is hardy with interesting folige, has pretty flowers that can be harvested for the famous tea (though not as many as the annual, German chamomile) and, best of all, it can be used in the walkway between stepping stones or bricks, where it will give off the wonderful aroma of Granny Smith apples, whenever it is stepped on.

Country Bumpkin narcnh

Fellow Country Bumpkin,
I drove to Boston myself this week with a long time friend and between spurts of uncontrollable laughter we confessed and discovered that both us were city phobics to such a great extent that we trained our children to not speak as well as insisted all music be turned off once we were on the highway approaching the city. This silence would of course offer the driver the necessary edge to survive the insanity.
I am thinking that scent is an important element it your gardens. I googled Roman chamomile and really like the flower..any bad habits I might what to know about?

I am thinking that this might be a good place to stop work on the herb garden. I will be taking a hiatus from GW for the next week as I have twelve house guests arriving for the Thanksgiving holiday beginning on Monday and it is imperative that I start cleaning and organizing to such an extent that I fool everyone into believing I live like that all the time. Thank goodness the garden has been put to bed otherwise I would have to add shovel pruning of all garden failures to the list. If you all think we should add a few more herbs we can pick up after next weekend or I would be happy to email anyone a list of current players.
Happy Turkey Day Everyone kt

The herb garden might be full now. Is anyone keeping track of the space used by the plants we're happily selecting? After Thanksgiving, maybe we can sum up the herb beds and set out for the next garden!

Have a fun holiday, kt - and all - You know that after, you'll be happy to go back to the monitor with your steaming mug of coffee and hunk of leftover pie, and see what your fellow New England forum people are up to.

kt,

Glad to hear I'm not alone in my driving aversions.

Yah know, ya can learn something about yourself every day. I never really thought about it, but scent _is_ important in my gardens. Maybe that's why I grow so many herbs? As for Roman chamomile, I think that in warmer climates it could be invasive. Mine usually dies back every year (although it stays green well into the winter) and comes up from the roots and a few seedlings around the mother plant. It has never spread out in to the rest of the garden. I kind of wish it would, because it would be a nice groundcover under the roses. The leaves themselves look very light and feathery. Hey, maybe I should buy some more.....

I agree that the herb garden is rather full, even with some plants in pots on the wall and others in the walkway. But, I tell ya, working in that garden on a summer morning will be real multi-sensory pleasure.

kt, if your design software is a no-show, I can take a crack at mapping out an herb garden in Excel based on these elements. I also have a house design package that I used for the additions this year. It has a garden function that I haven't used. It doesn't look to be optimized for curved/circular gardens, since it is primarily for foundation plantings, but I can give it a try over the holiday and see if I can produce something useful.

Like you, I have my entire family coming up for our traditional New England Thanksgiving. My 82-year old parents, sister, brother-in-law, six kidlings from three to 18 and their dog, will be invading on Wednesday. On Sunday, when they all leave, I also have to head down to Newark Airport to fly to Brazil for a week long business trip. Yes, I plan to sleep for the entire flight down.

So, if I disappear from the forum again for a few days, ya'll know why. Just in case anyone drops out before me to prepare for a similar invasion (that means you, kt), have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

narcnh (who snuck outside in his jammies while typing this just to crush and smell some Roman chamomile)

Narcnh,
That is some schedule coming up. Fun and interesting but hectic. Hang in there.

And, the Roadtrip to Narcnh's MUST happen in 2007. The image of a grown man in his jammies, traipsing through his herbs and sniffing camomile is too compelling. Envision an entire troupe of GardenWeb garden fanatics with their sleeping bags and jammies, joining you for a late-night herb garden tour?

Agree we've pretty much filled our herb garden. Whatever space remains I suggest we leave to tuck in those last-minute finds at a swap or sale, room to try a few new things each year.

Recognize my bumpkin self in all your descriptions of navigating traffic: learned to drive in early 1970s California. Highway to Santa Cruz beach was 3-laned, one each way with a 'suicide lane' for passing in the middle,often drove 12-lane LA freeways without a second thought. Upon moving to VT a few years later, frequent business trips to Boston, I learned the meaning of 'white-knuckle driving'. Even NYC was a piece of cake in comparison: they may not heed lanes, but it's obvious where they're going. I now make a point of avoiding Boston and the Springfield, MA, to Hartford, CT, corridor during peak traffic.

Wishing you all peaceful travels this holiday. Among things I'll be giving thanks for is this community of friends who share common interests.

Ana