New blog layout!

I’ve been wanting for a while to freshen things up here, so: new theme, new header, new gallery pages, and this year I swear I’m putting up the availability list!

The greenhouse is in full swing right now– thousands of hanging baskets got planted up the last two weeks, and the bulk of my herb cuttings came in and are rooting. Good stuff! More pictures soon! (Also, probably no interview with Jennifer about succulents. She broke her hand, and I couldn’t think of anything complicated to ask! Moral: ice is bad; succulents are good & easy to care for.)

Thyme

Front row: Lavender to the left, two kinds of thyme to the right

Perennial?

Yes! All our varieties are perennial. The only one that might be problematic is the Orange thyme, as it is a weaker grower.

Sun vs Shade?

Thyme does best in full sun. They prefer some growing room and good air circulation; over-crowded plants are more susceptible to rot.

Recommended varieties for cooking?

For a good, classic green thyme, try ‘Tabor’, English, or French. Silver also has nice flavor, and extremely subtle variegation. Lemon thyme makes a delicious alternative, I’m always trying to convince people to try it.

….Try it! :D

All of our varieties are perfectly suitable for cooking, but the least useful will be the creepers: they have smaller leaves, less flavor, and don’t grow as robustly as the upright varieties. See list below for details. However, they do flower profusely; try using thyme flowers (of any kind) as a colorful addition to salads, dressings, and other dishes.

Variegated lemon has splashy golden color and strong lemony flavor

Recommended as ornamentals?

Any of the creeping or variegated varieties (see list below for specifics) can dress up your garden. Flowers attract bees and butterflies.

‘Creeping Red’ is a top seller, and I’m adamant that ‘Snowdrift’ should be as well- it has brighter green leaves, forms a dense mat, and has white flowers.

‘Doone Valley’ is not a creeper, but does stay low-growing. Forms neat little cushions.

And as always, variegated leaves can add interesting splashes of white or gold to brighten up monotonous green plantings:

From left to right: 'Doone Valley', 'Foxley', 'Silver King', Variegated Lemon

Descriptions of all varieties:

Of all the herbs we carry, thyme is probably the most diverse! There are so many different habits, flavors, and colors, both of leaves and flowers.

Upright vs creeping: Some thymes grow more upright; these will eventually form mounds up to two feet wide and 12-20 inches high.

Creeping thymes can make gorgeous groundcovers– they stay low, typically less than two inches high when flowering, and grow sideways. Wherever their stems touch the ground they put out roots, and they can form mats several feet wide. Try planting different creeping varieties together so that the flowers intermix into a colorful carpet. I have them in my garden as a border that transitions from ground level to taller plantings, which is lovely. They also look great trailing over rocks walls, and can fill in spaces in paths or between stepping stones.

Wooly thyme; it's steadily spreading across the mulch. Softens hard edges, good filler.

‘Archer’s Gold’:  Golden-green leaves, upright habit.

Compact:  Upright, green. Classic thyme flavor.

‘Creeping Red’: Creeping habit with bright green leaves and beautiful pinkish-purple flowers. Spectacular color, and our best-selling creeper.

'Creeping Red' trailing over a low rock wall

‘Doone Valley’: Low-growing thyme; doesn’t creep or spread but forms low cushions. Green leaves are splashed with brilliant gold and are lemon scented. I haven’t seen it flower. Absolutely stunning variety, one of my favorites.

'Doone Valley'

English: Upright, green. Very similar in appearance to French, but a better growe. Classic thyme flavor.

‘Foxley’:  Terrific white and green variegation, with a classic thyme flavor. Upright, but more open and sprawling.

'Foxley'~ nice shape, striking variegated leaves

French: Upright, green. Very similar in appearance to English. Classic thyme flavor.

Lemon:  Green leaves and upright habit, with white flowers. Terrific lemon scent and flavor!

Variegated lemon:  Green and white variegated leaves, with a golden tinge to newer leaves. Upright, and just as lemony as the plain green kind. One of my favorite varieties!

Variegated Lemon and 'Tabor'

Orange (‘Fragrantissimus’): Grey-green leaves, somewhat leggy upright growth and distinctly orangey flavor. Weaker grower.

‘Pink Chintz’:  Creeping thyme with slightly fuzzy, muted green leaves and light pink flowers.

Silver:  Silvery green leaves with very slim, barely noticeable white edges. Upright, good thymey flavor.

‘Silver King’: Green and white variegated leaves. Upright.

‘Snowdrift’:  Creeping, with brighter yellow-green leaves and white flowers. Forms a very dense mat.

'Snowdrift', next to Golden oregano

‘Tabor’:  Large, flavorful green leaves. Upright, but with a greater tendency to sprawl– very open-looking plant, compared to the tighter shapes of English, French, etc.

Wooly thyme: We don’t have any available right now, due to some terrible oversight when ordering cuttings. I’ve taken cuttings from my own plants, but they won’t be ready for a few more weeks (and there won’t be too many available). Wooly thyme is another creeper, with very soft, fuzzy leaves. The texture is lovely, and is my personal favorite of the creepers for that reason. Sporadic pale pink flowers later in summer.

Wooly thyme, and flowering creeping thyme

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To see all 2010 plants, check the Complete List of Varieties.

Cooking Medley mixed planter

This planter has been a long-standing favorite among customers! It’s chock full of cooking herbs, and the flavors are well-suited to Italian and French cooking.

Contents:

Thyme: either ‘Tabor’ or English

Sage: ‘Grower’s Friend’

Oregano: Greek

Rosemary: either Prostrate, ‘Taurentius’, or ‘Tuscan Blue’

French Tarragon

Chives

Care:

This planter is relatively small, but contains a lot of plants; water daily so that nobody dries up!

All the plants in this planter require sun. It’s been very popular as a windowsill garden, and would work equally well on a wide railing or on a patio table. Keep it somewhere handy, so that you can harvest it easily for use in the kitchen. Using it is actually better for the plants– trimming off topmost leaves and stems will encourage growth further down the stem (ie more branches), increasing the amount you’ll be able to use!

Using the herbs in this planter:

Most recipes will tell you what herbs are needed. However, if you’re freestyling or just looking to spice up a bland dish, here are some hints on matching flavors.

Oregano is great on pizzas and combines well with tomatoes, olives, onions, and garlic. Pair with basil for a simple but effective seasoning blend. Oregano’s flavor changes as it dries, and it is typically used dried instead of fresh.

Rosemary is superb for flavoring meats and works well in soup or stew. Add to stuffing. Bake into bread. Infuse in oil or vinegar for a flavorful dressing or sauce base. Add flowers to salad. Drink as tea.

Thyme can be used to flavor fish, meats, stuffings, cooked vegetables, and soups/stews. Infuse in oil or vinegar. It’s an ingredient in classic spice blends like bouquet garni and herbes de Provence. Thyme has a somewhat similar flavor to oregano; use it instead of oregano on pizza for a subtly different taste.

Sage is another great herb for flavoring meats, especially pork. Also good for stuffing, soup/stew, for flavoring cheese, and absolutely delicious as tea.

Tarragon goes well with chicken and egg dishes, can be used in dressings in sauces (such as Béarnaise and tartar), and infused in oil or vinegar. Try in omelettes and potato salad. The flavor is quite strong even though the leaves are small– use sparingly, and add more to taste if needed.

Chives are incredibly versatile. They complement potatoes and eggs; add to baked potatoes, potato salad, omelettes. Good for flavoring butters and cheeses. Chop finely and use as a garnish. Mix with sour cream for a simple but tasty dip. Try substituting for garlic or onions if you want a milder flavor or a bit of color. Flowers can be used whole or in pieces atop salads and other dishes (and they’re a delicate purple, great for making a tasty dish pretty as well). Best used fresh; a better alternative to drying is to chop finely and freeze.

*Use fresh or dried, although if using dried you will need to use more. Why? In most cases some of the oils that are responsible for flavor will evaporate during the drying process, resulting in decreased flavor.

*When adding herbs to hot dishes, you’ll get better flavor by adding them towards the end of cooking than at the beginning. Adding them at the beginning gives those oils more time to dissipate.

Some great recipes: AllRecipes.com> Herbs