• Oenothera laarckiana, or Evening Primrose, is a popular wild flower seed that looks lovely in a naturalized setting or growing along a fence line. This variety has large, 2 inch blooms of yellow that are sweetly scented and attract bees and butterflies.
• The flowers open in the late afternoon and into the evening. Evening Primrose is a liberal self-sower. If reseeding is not desired, deadhead the spent blooms before they go to seed. Grows 24 – 48 inches tall as an annual plant.
• Start Evening Primrose seed directly outdoors in either the fall or early spring. Prepare a seedbed that has had the top 2 inches loosened and is weed free. Cover lightly with 1/16 inch of soil. Keep the seed moist. With a temperature range of 65 – 70F, germination is usually in 30 days
• Space the plants 18 – 24 inches apart. Grow Primrose in full sun and in well-drained soil. Primrose usually is resistant to deer.
• Sowing Rate: Plant this wildflower seed at 3 pounds per acre. Outsidepride Seeds

Image Credit: Outsidepride Seeds

Evening Primrose (Oenothera laarckiana) is grown for its oil, which is believed to have immense medicinal properties.

Fennel

Bronze Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare ‘Purpureum’)
mage Credit: Lazy Ox Farm
Height: 36″
Perennial
Heirloom
Partially Evergreen

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
Image Credit: Botanic school of Jardin des Plantes‎, Paris
Height: 36 – 72″

“Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a flowering plant species in the carrot family.^[1][2] It is a hardy, perennial herb^[3] with yellow flowers and feathery leaves.^[4] It is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean but has become widely naturalized in many parts of the world, especially on dry soils near the sea coast and on riverbanks.

“It is a highly flavorful herb used in cooking and, along with the similar-tasting anise, is one of the primary ingredients of absinthe. Florence fennel or finocchio (UK: /fɪˈnɒkioʊ/, US: /-ˈnoʊk-/, Italian: [fiˈnɔkkjo]) is a selection with a swollen, bulb-like stem base that is used as a vegetable. …

“Fennel was prized by the ancient Greeks and Romans, who used it as medicine, food, and insect repellent. Fennel tea was believed to give courage to the warriors before battle. According to Greek mythology, Prometheus used a giant stalk of fennel to carry fire from Mount Olympus to Earth. Emperor Charlemagne required the cultivation of fennel on all imperial farms.^[24]”

“Florence fennel is one of the three main herbs used in the preparation of absinthe, an alcoholic mixture which originated as a medicinal elixir in Europe and became, by the late 19th century, a popular alcoholic drink in France and other countries.^[25] Fennel fruit is a common and traditional spice in flavored Scandinavian brännvin (a loosely defined group of distilled spirits, which include akvavit).^[26][27] Fennel is also featured in the Chinese Materia Medica for its medicinal functions.^{[28] Wikipeia}

Cuisine

“The bulb, foliage, and fruits of the fennel plant are used in many of the culinary traditions of the world. The small flowers of wild fennel (known as fennel “pollen”)^[30] are the most potent form of fennel, but also the most expensive.^[31] Dried fennel fruit is an aromatic, anise-flavored spice, brown or green when fresh, slowly turning a dull grey as the fruit ages. For cooking, green fruits are optimal.^[13] The leaves are delicately flavored and similar in shape to dill. The bulb is a crisp vegetable that can be sautéed, stewed, braised, grilled, or eaten raw. Tender young leaves are used for garnishes, as a salad, to add flavor to salads, to flavor sauces to be served with puddings, and in soups and fish sauce.^[32] Both the inflated leaf bases and the tender young shoots can be eaten like celery.^[12]

“Fennel fruits are sometimes confused with those of anise, which are similar in taste and appearance, though smaller. Fennel is also a flavoring in some natural toothpastes. The fruits are used in cookery and sweet desserts.^[32]

“Fennel leaves are used in some parts of India as leafy green vegetables either by themselves or mixed with other vegetables, cooked to be served and consumed as part of a meal. In Syria and Lebanon, the young leaves are used to make a special kind of egg omelette (along with onions and flour) called ijjeh.

“Many egg, fish, and other dishes employ fresh or dried fennel leaves. Florence fennel is a key ingredient in some Italian salads, or it can be braised and served as a warm side dish. It may be blanched or marinated, or cooked in risotto.

“Fennel fruits are the primary flavor component in Italian sausage. In Spain, the stems of the fennel plant are used in the preparation of pickled eggplants, berenjenas de Almagro. A herbal tea or tisane can also be made from fennel.^Wikipedia

Garlic

History of Garlic

“When most people think of the history of garlic, they likely think of the people of medieval Romania wielding garlic against suspected vampires. However, garlic was used long before the middle ages. So long before, in fact, that the actual origins of garlic (Allium sativum) are uncertain. It has been used historically in the Middle East and much of Asia to treat bronchitis, hypertension, tuberculosis, liver ailments, dysentery, colic, intestinal worms, rheumatism, diabetes, and fevers. Garlic has been used as a medicinal plant in India since the beginning of recorded history. The herb may have originated in central or southern Asia, or even southwestern Siberia. It’s known to have been used medicinally by the Sumerians, who lived in ancient Mesopotamia, and some historians believe that the Sumerians brought garlic to China, where it became a popular herbal remedy. 

Garlic is known to have been used in ancient Egypt as early as 5,000 years ago, when it was important in the diet of lower class ancient Egyptians and slaves, especially those involved in heavy labour, as garlic was meant to help keep up their strength. Builders ate mostly nutrient-poor foods, making garlic consumption absolutely vital. The herb is even mentioned in the bible as being a food missed by Jewish former slaves after they left Egypt with Moses. Garlic was also used by the ancient Egyptians as a treatment for abnormal growths, circulatory problems, and infestations of parasites. The Talmud also recommends garlic as a treatment for parasitic ailments, and to promote sexual relations between married couples.

Like their Egyptian contemporaries, the ancient Greeks associated garlic with physical strength. The herb was an important part of the Greek military diet, and may have been consumed by athletes of the first Olympics prior to competition. Garlic was also believed to have great medicinal value, and was used to combat intestinal parasites, snakebites, and rabid dog bites, as well as to regulate the menstrual cycle. The ancient Greeks also laid garlic bulbs at main crossroads as an offering to the gods. However, those individuals with garlic breath were banned from entering temples.

The ancient Romans continued the Egyptian and Greek tradition of feeding garlic to those engaged in hard work, namely soldiers and sailors. As popular as garlic was among the working people of these ancient empires, garlic was not popular with the upper classes. The herb’s pungency and its association with workers and slaves made it inappropriate food for the wealthy. Thanks to the writings of ancient Greek physician Pliny the Elder, who listed 23 medical uses for garlic, the herb was also a popular remedy in the Roman Empire, particularly for toxins and infections.

Garlic use spread from the Roman Empire throughout Europe, where it remained a popular herbal remedy through the Middle Ages. Garlic was brought from the Middle East by returning crusaders, and the herb was grown in monasteries by monks who had particular knowledge of medicinal plants. Garlic was mentioned in the writings of St, Hildegard, a twelfth-century abbess who was also a leading physician. She believed raw garlic to be a stronger medicine than cooked garlic. As well as being a food fed to labourers and scorned by the upper classes, garlic was believed by medieval Europeans to be a remedy for constipation, dropsy, animal bites, and a preventative of heat stroke. It was used in wintertime to prevent pulmonary illnesses, and was also used to combat the Black Plague. In fact, the use of garlic is credited with saving 1,000 lives from an outbreak of plague in Marseille in 1720. Garlic was also valued by the Vikings, who took large quantities with them on their voyages.

Garlic’s medical efficacy has been proven in more modern times, as well. In 1858, Louis Pasteur described garlic as being effective against even bacteria that resisted other measures. The herb proved itself as an antiseptic against cholera, typhoid fever, and diphtheria. Garlic’s use by the Russians as a battlefield antibiotic during the Second World War earned the herb the nickname “Russian penicillin.”

But what about vampires?? That vampires are repelled by garlic is a common aspect of the modern vampire myth, and garlic was used as a protective measure in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Vampires have existed in one form or another in European folklore for hundreds of years, especially in Eastern Europe, which is likely where our modern understanding of vampires is rooted. Though Stoker’s Dracula is, of course, fictional, Transylvania, in central Romania, is a real place, and Romanians really do use a lot of garlic—and not just in their food. According to Romanian folklore, garlic offers protection against evil spirits. Hanging rows of garlic cloves and smearing garlic on windows and doors to protect homes, and smearing the horns of cows with garlic to deter evil milk-sucking spirits are all old practices. 

Garlic arrived in the Americas with European colonists, and it remains popular as both a cooking herb and as a supplement. It contains vitamin B6, vitamin C, manganese, selenium, and fiber, as well as a compound called allicin, and other sulfur compounds. These compounds give garlic its antibiotic, antibacterial, and antifungal properties. Taken in large quantities, garlic can help prevent ailments like common colds and flu. Garlic can also aid in reducing LDL cholesterol, and in preventing blood clots and fat deposits in arteries. Garlic is also an antioxidant and an antihypertensive.

Needless to say, everyone should eat more garlic! Fresh garlic is delicious, but peeling and crushing or slicing the cloves can be tedious and time consuming. Vanillablossom granulated garlic (sourced from China) is an easy alternative, and is generally superior to the garlic powder found in most grocery stores. Granulated garlic has a coarser texture than garlic powder, which makes it less likely to clump and easier to combine with both liquids (for various dressings, sauces, and soups) and other spices (for spice rubs).

Iris

Iris Southern Blue Flag Iris – (Iris virginica var. shrevei) – 2 plants
Image Credit: American Meadows
Height: up to 36″ tall

“Alternate Names Blue flag, southern blue flag, blue iris

“Warning: The roots of Virginia iris are toxic when taken internally, without sufficient preparation.

“Uses Ethnobotanic: The Cherokee and other tribes in the southeastern United States are known to have used Virginia iris for its medicinal properties. The root was pounded into a paste that was used as a salve for skin. An infusion made from the root was used to treat ailments of the liver, and a decoction of root was used to treat “yellowish urine.” Virginia iris mayhave been one of the iris species used by the Seminole to treat “shock following alligator-bite.”

“Description
General: Iris Family (Iridaceae).
“Virginia iris is a perennial plant. The slightly fragrant flowers (4 cm long, 7 cm across) consist of 3 horizontal sepals, or “falls,” and 3 erect petals. The petals and sepals can vary in color from dark-violet to pinkish-white. The sepals have a splash of yellow to yellow-orange at the crest. Each plant has 2 to 6 flowers that bloom from April to May upon a single, erect, 3-9 dm tall stalk.

“The stalk is sometimes branched and has a slight zigzag appearance. The plant has 2 to 4 erect or arching, bright green, lance-shaped leaves that are flattened into one plane at the base. Leaves are 1 – 3 cm wide and are sometimes longer than the flower stalk. The fleshy roots (1-2 cm in diameter) are rhizomes that spread underground. Pale brown, variably shaped seeds are born in three-part fruit capsules (3-6 cm long, 1-2 cm wide).

Distribution:
“Virginia iris is common along the coastal plain from Florida to Georgia. For current distribution, please consult the Plant Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Web site.

Adaptation
“This plant grows in wet areas and sometimes in shallow water in both fresh and brackish tidal marshes. It can be found in low savannas, thin woods and open meadows as well as along the edges of swamps, rivers, and ditches.

Establishment
“Virginia iris is a sturdy plant that is easy to grow and, once established, needs very little care. They make lovely additions to the garden and are ideal for the borders of a garden pond. This is because the plants prefer moist to wet soils that are high in organic matter. The plants will grow best in mild climates where they can be grown in partial shade to full sun. The plants can be grown from seed, but are easiest to propagate through division. Seeds may be planted in the autumn, without pretreatment. To propagate by division, divide the plants either after flowering or when the new leaves just begin to appear in the spring. Cut the roots so that each piece contains a portion the feeding roots, the rhizome, and a leaf fan. Place the rhizomes very near to the surface of the soil when planting. Allow 45 to 60 cm between plants. The plants grow best if divided every three to five years to thin out the colonies that form. Pests and Potential

“Problems Snails are known to eat the leaves.

References

Bailey, L.H. & E.Z. Bailey 1976. Hortus Third: A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada. Simon and Schuster Macmillan Co., New York, New York. 1290 pp.
Chapman, A.W. 1883. Flora of the southern United States: Flowering plants and ferns. Second Edition. J. Wilson and Son, Cambridge, Massachusetts. 698 pp.
Clinton, J. 2001. Easy living native perennial wildflowers. http://www.easywildflowers.com/quality/iri.virgi.htm (12 June 2001).

Cullina, W. 2000. The New EnglandMoerman, D.E. 1998 Native American ethnobotany. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon. 927 pp.

Ottensen, C. 1995. The native plant primer. Harmony Books, New York, New York. 354 pp. Small, J.K. 1933.

Manual of southeastern flora. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. 1554 pp.

Smith, A.I. 1979. A guide to wildflowers of the Midsouth. Memphis State University Press, Memphis,

Tennessee. 281 pp Steffek, E.F. 1983. The new wild flowers and how to grow them. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon. 186 pp.

Sturtevant, W.C. 1954. The Mikasuki Seminole: medical beliefs and practices. Doctoral Dissertation, Yale University. 538 pp.

Tiner, R.W. 1993. Field guide to coastal wetland plants of the Southeastern United States. University of Massachusetts Press, Amherst, Massachusetts. 328 pp.

Prepared By: Diana L. Immel USDA, NRCS, National Plant Data Center, c/o Environmental Horticulture Department, University of California, Davis, California Species Coordinator: M. Kat Anderson USDA, NRCS, National Plant Data Center, c/o Environmental Horticulture Department, University of California, Davis, California https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/cs_irvi.pdf

Iris ‘pallida’
Image Credit: Wikipedia
from 1597
Farmed for Orris Root

“This is the iris of my childhood, and maybe yours – tall, pale lavender, tough as nails, with a Concord grape fragrance that, as Elizabeth Lawrence wrote, “fills the borders and drifts into the house.” In his monumental Herbal of 1597, Gerard called it “the great Floure de-luce of Dalmatia” and praised its tall stalks, “faire large floures,” and “exceedingly sweet” scent. Even its leaves are beautiful! Stately but down-home, it’s a quintessential iris – and somehow makes everything around it look better. (See it farmed in Italy for making perfumes and gin.” Old House Gardens

Image Credit Old House Gardens

“The grape-scented, lavender-blue iris known as I. pallida ‘Dalmatica’ has been used in perfumery and distillery since ancient times, and it’s still being farmed for that purpose today — as seen in the photo below taken in Tuscany by our good customer Debbie Hughes of Wellsville, Kansas.

“Inspired by Debbie’s photo and with some help from Google, we discovered the Sagrona vineyard, “a small family vineyard in the heart of Chianti” where I. pallida is grown amid the grapes as it has been for centuries. As you’ll see at sagrona.com, it’s not the iris flowers that are harvested but the rhizomes. Peeled by hand and dried for two to five years, the rhizomes develop a violet-like scent and fixative properties that preserve the chemical structure of other fragrances, prolonging their aroma.

Orris Root

A ton of dried rhizomes — known as orris root — yields 4½ pounds of a thick, oily, and very expensive substance known as orris butter which is still widely used in making high-end fragrances — and gin.

Iris Perfumery and Mixology

In her best-selling The Drunken Botanist, Amy Stewart explores hundreds of “plants that create the world’s great drinks,” including iris. She writes:

“The pharmacy and perfumery of Santa Maria Novella, established by Dominican friars in Florence in 1221, gained notoriety for its use of the rhizomes of iris. They were not the first — Greek and Roman writings mention it — but their perfumes, cordials, and powders contained liberal doses of this rare and precious substance.

“Orris was popular not so much for its fragrance — although it does contain a compound called irone that gives it a faint violet smell — but as a fixative, holding other fragrances or flavors in place by contributing a missing atom that would otherwise make the fragrance volatile and easily released from the solution it is suspended in.

“None of this chemistry was understood at first. Perfumers and distillers would also not have understood why the rhizomes had to dry for two to three years before they become effective as a fixative. We now know that it takes that long for a slow oxidation process to occur, bringing about the chemical change that causes irone to form from other organic compounds present in the rhizome.

“Only about 173 acres of orris are cultivated worldwide. Most of the orris is either I. pallida ‘Dalmatica’, grown in Italy, or . . . I. germanica var. Florentina, grown in Morocco, China, and India. I. germanica ‘Albicans’ is also used in orris production.

“To extract the orris, the rhizome must first be pulverized and steam-distilled to produce a waxy substance called orris butter, or beurre d’iris. Then alcohol is used to extract an absolute, which is a perfumer’s term for a stronger version of an essential oil.

“Orris is found in nearly every gin and in many other spirits. Its popularity in perfume is due to the fact that it not only holds the fragrance in place but clings to the skin as well. It also happens to be a very common allergen, which explains why allergy sufferers might be sensitive to cosmetics and other fragrances — as well as gin.”

Orris Root in Your Garden

“Gardeners have many other reasons to grow this great old iris. “Among its sterling qualities,” writes Sydney Edison in A Patchwork Garden, “are a tenacious resistance to borers, stems strong enough to support the medium-sized blossoms, and superb gray-green foliage that is an asset in the garden instead of an eyesore. . . . A wild species found originally in Dalmatia [roughly the former Yugoslavia], Iris pallida appears somewhere in the family tree of most modern cultivars but it has none of their faults. . . . I prefer this lovely, deliciously scented hand-me-down to all other tall bearded irises.” Old House Gardens

Iris Germanica (Iris ‘florentina)
Image Credit: Old House Gardens
Height: 32 – 34″

“The identity of the plant first described by Carl Linnaeus as Iris florentina remains unclear, as of December 2021. In horticulture, it has been treated as a white-flowered variant of Iris × germanica, under names such as Iris germanica nothovar. florentina, Iris × germanica var. florentina and Iris × germanica ‘Florentina’. Iris florentina has also been treated as the correct name for the true species also known as Iris albicans Lange.

“It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions almost worldwide and is a rhizomatous perennial from southern Europe, mainly Italy (including the city of Florence) and France. It has a thick violet-scented rhizome, sword-like green or grey-green semi-evergreen leaves, a tall branched stem, and many flowers that are white and tinged or flushed with blue, pale blue, or lavender in spring or summer, and a white and yellow beard. It is also grown to produce orris-root, a scented substance used in perfumes, soaps, tooth cleanser, and clothes washing powder. Medicinally it was used as an expectorant and decongestant. It is made from the rhizomes of Iris florentina, Iris germanica and Iris pallida. The flower is commonly attributed with the fleur-de-lis.” Old House Gardens

Taxonomy

It has the common names of ‘Florentine Iris’,^[1][6][11] ‘Florentine Flag’ (in the US),^[10] ‘Glaive lily’,^[1][7] ‘White German Iris’,^[8] and ‘White Flower De Luce’,^[18]

“It is sometimes known as orris root, which also comes from the rhizomes of Iris germanica and Iris pallida.^[18]

“The French call it commonly as ‘la flambe blanche’ (the white torch of the garden).^{[16] : 20 [35]}

“It is known in Malta as ‘Fjurduliz abjad’,^[27] in Danish as ‘violrod’, in France as ‘Iris de florence’, in German as ‘florentinsche schwertlilie’, in Spanish (and Portuguese) as ‘lirio blanco’ or ‘lirio de Florencia’.^[36]

“The Latin specific epithet florentina refers to a ‘Latinised’ word meaning ‘from Florence’.^{[6][16]: 22 [37]}

“It was first collected Italy, and the n introduced to N. Europe in about 1500.^[38][39] It has been cultivated for centuries in Europe.^{[8] Wikipedia}

It was first published and described by Carl Linnaeus, in Systema Naturae Edition 10, Issue2 on page863 on 7 June 1759, as Iris florentina.^[40][41] It was thought to be similar to Iris germanica, but with white flowers.^[23]

In 1796, Iris officinalis Salisb. was published by Salisb in Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton Vol.43.^[42] But this was later classed as Iris florentina.

In 1910, William Rickatson Dykes in The Gardeners’ Chronicle of September 17, 1910,^[23] felt that Iris florentina was not a wild species but had hybrid origin,^[15] or form of Iris germanica.^[19]: 121

In his book, ‘The Iris’ in 1981, Brian Mathew, re-classified the iris as Iris germanica ‘Florentina’.^[23][25][39]

This later became Iris germanica nothovar. florentina.

It was verified by United States Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural Research Service on 19 October 1994, then updated on 12 September 2005, as Iris germanica L. nothovar. florentina Dykes.^[41]

It is listed in the Encyclopedia of Life as Iris germanica var. florentina.^[43]

Iris florentina is an accepted name by the RHS,^[1] it was given the Award of Garden Merit in 1994.^{[4][6][7]Wikipedia}

Iris albican

“Iris albicans, also known as the cemetery iris, white cemetery iris, or the white flag iris, is a species of iris which was planted on graves in Muslim regions and grows in many countries throughout the Middle East and northern Africa. It was later introduced to Spain, and then other European countries.^[2] It is a natural hybrid.

Iris albicans
Image Credit Plant Identifier
Height: 16 – 20″

“Iris albicans has been cultivated since ancient times and may be the oldest iris in cultivation. Collected by Lange in 1860, it has been in cultivation since at least 1400 BC. Originating from Yemen and Saudi Arabia, it appears in a wall painting of the Botanical Garden of Tuthmosis III in the Temple of Amun at Karnak in ancient Thebes dated around 1426 BC.” Wikipedia

Mallow

Hardy Hibiscus ‘Midnight Marvel’ (Hibiscus moscheutos)
Image Credit: Brecks
Height: 4′

Hardy Hibiscus ‘Summer Carnival; (Hibiscus moscheutos)
Jacki Kellum Garden
Height: 36″ – 48″

Hardy Hibiscus ‘Summer Carnival (Hibiscus moscheutos)
Jacki Kellum Garden

Hardy Hibiscus ‘Summer Carnival Foliage; (Hibiscus moscheutos)
Jacki Kellum Garden

Swamp rose mallow  (Hibiscus moscheutos)
Image Credit: Rare Roots

• Height at Maturity: 84 inches
• Width at Maturity: 48 inches

“This tropical-looking beauty may surprise you: it’s actually native to southern and eastern North America. Commonly called Swamp Mallow or Rose Mallow, Hibiscus moscheutos blooms 5″ soft pink to white flowers from July to September. It doesn’t fade even on the hottest summer days.

“While Hibiscus moscheutos Swamp Mallow is happy in normal garden conditions, it is great for boggy and wet soil like the swamps and watersides where it originates. It prefers full sun and will not bloom if it gets too much shade.” Rare Roots

Mint

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
Image Credit: Burpee
Height: 24″
Perennial
Heirloom

“Lemon balm is valued as a culinary, cosmetic and medicinal herb. Use fresh sprigs to top drinks and as garnishes on salads and main dishes. The fresh or dried leaves make a great cold or hot tea, and the dried leaves can be used pot-pourris. Traditionally valued as a medicinal herb, lemon balm has mild sedative properties. Lemon balm is easy to grow from seed sown in the spring or early fall.” Burpee

Mentha suaveolens ‘Pineapple’
Image Credit: Burpee
Height: 12 – 24″

Mountain mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum)
Image Credit: Prairies Nursery
Height: 36″

Onion

”

• In the South, summer days don’t vary as much in length from winter ones. This region includes zone 7 and warmer. If you garden in this area, grow short-day onions. Bonnie’s Plants

Types of Onions

“Short-day onions

• Form bulbs with 10 to 12 hours of daylight
• Need mild winter climate (zone 7 or warmer)
• Planted in fall, mature in late spring
• Can be grown in the North, but bulbs don’t get as large
• Matures in 110 days in the South with fall planting, 75 days in the North with spring planting
• Examples: Georgia Sweet, Sweet Red, Texas Super Sweet, Texas Sweet White
  Bonnie’s Plants

Georgia Sweet Onion ‘Yellow Granex’ (Allium cepa)

Image Credit: Burpee
Height: 24″
Spread: 8″

Plant 5″ Apart

“This is the exceptionally sweet, mild onion made famous in Vidalia, Georgia, and Maui, Hawaii. Good for rings, baking, salads, and sauces, and it stores well too.” Burpee

Sweet Red Onion
Image Credit:ohhmygoodness.com
Height: 24″

Passion Flower

Passion Flower
Image Credit: Fast Growing Trees
Height: 20′ Vine

• Beautiful, climbing plant with incredible purple flowers
• Vigorous grower achieving 20 feet of annual growth
• Gorgeous purple fruit with refreshing tart flavor
• Versatile plant makes an excellent fence screen

Discover your Passion with this incredible Plant
“Climbing to heights of 20 feet each year, the fast growing Passion Fruit plant features a variety of benefits that continue to make it a favorite among enthusiasts. Combining beauty with a unique looking and delicious fruit, the Passion Fruit plant climbs quickly along trellises or fencing. The leathery leaves cover the plant in a glossy green that makes a very good screen. Named for its fragrant, purplish flowers said to resemble the crown of thorns, the incredible blooms are so visually appealing, they resemble the ornate images in a kaleidoscope. Add to that the wonder of the fruit itself. As it makes its transition from green to purple, the Passion Fruit’s perfectly round form takes on an almost copper hue. When it ripens, the deep purple color enhances the green leaves for a spectacular show for all to admire.

Passion Fruit Looks and Tastes Like No Other
“Chances are, if you roam your neighborhood market in search of a Passion Fruit you’ll come out disappointed. Now, with the ability to grow this rare gem in your own garden, you’ll be able to appreciate a fruit that includes all the wonderful flavors of some of the most satisfying fruit in the world. Combining hints of guava, papaya, pineapple, mango and citrus, the Passion Fruit is one of the most aromatic and flavorful fruits imaginable. With some varieties growing as large as grapefruits, the inner pulp is as unique looking as it tastes. Refreshing and slightly tart at first, the fruit becomes sweeter, exhibiting more of the complex flavors as it ripens. Although it’s perfect for eating fresh off the vine, many fans create their own Passion Fruit dressings, desserts, fresh fruit juices and even culinary classics. All you have to do is hand-pollinate your vine and watch the delicious possibilities emerge!” Fast Growing Trees

Rattlesnake Master

Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium)
Image Credit: High Country Gardens
Height: 36″ – 48″

Sage

Berggarten Sage (Salvia officinalis ‘Berggarten’)
Image Credit: Lazy Ox Farm
Height: 24″
Perennial
Evergreen

Thyme

English Creeping Thyme Thymus serpyllum
Image Credit: Breoudo
Height: 2 – 3″
Perennial
Heirloom

English Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
Image Credit: The Monticello Shop
Height:  12″
Perennial
Heirloom
Evergreen

“Hardy evergreen, low growing herb
Description:  Bright purple to white flowers, borne in the leaf axils; cover the plant in late spring; aromatic foliage
Habit:  Spreading, mat-forming plant grows to 1 foot high and 3 feet or more wide
Culture:  Prefers full sun and well-drained garden loam
Hardiness:  USDA Zones 5 through 9
Attributes:  Attracts bees and butterflies, Fragrant foliage, Edible, Drought tolerant, Deer resistant
Jefferson Documented

Thyme has been grown in gardens since at least the time of the Assyrians, who recommended it for those suffering from nightmares or falling sickness.  It was cultivated in early American gardens and Thomas Jefferson included Thyme in a 1794 list of “Objects for the Garden”.  In February 1820 his neighbor George Divers of Farmington sent Thyme to Jefferson, at his request.  Although it is thought of as a perennial, Garden Thyme is a dwarf shrub, most often used as a culinary herb.  Its flowers, borne in profusion, are attractive to bees and other pollinators.” The Monticello Shop