Hi! I live in US6, SWPA. I grow perennially, easily: SUN: oregano, thyme, marshmallow, elecampagne, roses of all sorts, lavenders, st. johnswort, joe pye, yarrows, lily of the valley, marjoram, strawberries, currants, orange butterfly weed, mints of all sorts, valerian, schizandra, chaste tree, sorrel, mullein, violets, honeysuckles, burdocks, dandelions, docks, plantains, horseradish, tansy, rue, poke, coneflower, bergamot, feverfew & the ever ubiquitous Japanese knotweed... SHADE: witch hazel, lenten roses, sweet woodruff, lungwort, foxgloves, lady's mantel, black & blue cohoshes & locals including canadian ginger, mayapple & trilium (both popping up now). Annually, in raised beds or patio pots I grow calendula, sages, rosemary, tarragon, chia, gotu kola, geraniums... I could not get rid of the skullcap--had it for years-- full sun--until I overseeded heavily with larkspur & I think that just finally shaded it out. Things that in the southern US would require afternoon shade don't up here unless it's been a long, dry stretch. My soil runs the gamut from boggy to retaining wall clay; my light full shade to full sun. I do this on a standard city-sized lot--25 x 100', with an E-W exposure & an additional 4' x 25' retaining wall beside the driveway on the other side of the house & still have enough grass to play a game--albeit confined--of guerrilla bocci. My suggestion to anyone who wants to set up an herb garden is to decide what you want & why you want it, then network with herbalists & other gardeners & experiment with your land & soil types & go to every garden club plant sale or swap you can find-- people grow the most amazing things.... Even tho' I come from a long line of sustainable city & country gardeners I read books, consult with neighbors, call the cooperative extension for the most simple-assed questions imaginable. And, while some things in my garden have been passed down, literally, through generations & carted from house to house with us-- and while I have spent a considerable amount of money over a considerable number of years on plants-- the majority of my existing, long-term plantings have come from local sources: the aforementioned garden club sales, friendly neighbors and-- I am not ashamed to admit, since my neighborhood has experienced somewhat of an urban decline over the past few decades-- a fair amount of abandoned property plant-poachings & rose rescues. Every year this time of year I stare at different bits of green popping up and go, "What the h*ll is that?" & tell myself to be patient because in another few days I'll either remember what I put there or somebody will have unwittingly stepped on it or possibly eaten it. Last year Neighbor Joe got a new roof & fixed his gutters & the sweet woodruff under his foundation-grown mulberry all but dried up, though it's going strong about 10' away. This year some of the strawberries also migrated about 15 feet completely around a couple of shrubs towards the north-- they'll probably make Canada in another couple hundred years... & I have no idea where the st. johnswort will show up, but it always does. So trust the garden, as well, to tell you what it needs. And enjoy the adventure.

I've cut back a little on what I'm growing this year. I'm growing dill, chives (regular and garlic), Italian and Greek oregano, LOTS of rosemary, basil, Pesto Perpetuo Basil (variegated, non-flowering), cilantro, lemon balm, spearmint, peppermint, lime mint, Kentucky Colonel mint, lemon grass, strawberries (plants coming back from last year). Decided not to plant parsley because it's always in the grocery store and is fresh, cheap and abundant. Just mostly stuff I learned that I cooked with a lot last year. Something entirely new for me.....I am growing four lemon trees this year. Three are about 2 feet tall, two Meyer and one Eureka. The other one is Sambo (sweet), and it's about 5 feet tall. I am SO glad the temperatures have stabilized around here. I planted seedlings a little early (first week in April) and the temps went down the freezing a week ago. But they were all hauled inside for about 5 nights in a row (whew! What a workout!). They are all doing well.

Sorry for the late reply, HU-243901113. I don't regularly fertilize my Jiaogulan plants, but do occasionally water them with some 'Foliage Pro' in the water, which is what I water my citrus trees with. My first year growing them I kept them in a near total shady spot, and they grew very slowly. When I moved them to a sunnier spot they grew much faster, but too much sun wilted them badly. I now keep mine in a spot were they get the morning sun, and afternoon shade when the day is hotter. They have thrived in that spot. I started/grew Jiaogulan plants last winter in a SunBlaster Grow Light Garden kit I got off Amazon, and it worked OK. I also have put them in a window where they grow, but not as fast as when outdoors. Most of the Jiaogulan roots in the pictures above died this past winter (I should have moved them to a more protected area when the prolong super cold temps came), but they produced a lot of berries last year which I harvested for seed (berries are not edible by the way). Those seeds germinated and I now have replacement plants just as good as the ones above. When they sprouted, the vines had 3 leafs, but now they have matured into 5 leaf Jiaogulan plants. I don't think I'd be willing to sell any of my plants. I got my starter plants from Joe Hollis of Mountain Gardens Herbs, and highly recommend purchasing plants from him. I have purchased plants elsewhere. Not all Jiaogulan plants taste them same, some are bitter, some sweeter, some have no flavor at all. The bare root plants I got from Hollis were most vigorous and had a pleasant taste. I use mostly the leaves for tea, as most of the beneficial properties in Jiaogulan are concentrated in the leaves, from what I have read. I don't *think* the roots or flowers are edible (haven't confirmed they are), but I have read in Jiaogulan resource books that the berries should not be consumed. . Good luck!

reminds me of bee balm ... some of which smell like earl grey tea ... but thats just a WAG .... ken https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5924454/mystery-herb-growing#n=0 https://duckduckgo.com/?q=bee+balm+leaves&t=ffcm&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images