By JOYCE ARLEEN CORSON
Master Gardener

Joyce Arleen Corson

SYRACUSE — Herbs are grown for their flavor, aroma and in some cases they are known to keep us healthy. All parts of the herb plant are used in some way for culinary arts or home amenities depending on the species. Most often it is the leaves, and to keep healthy leaves on basil or oregano for example, you need to keep the blossoms cut off. If the blossoms are left on and the plant continues to live out its cycle as an annual, producing seed, it will then die.

In some unusual situations with spices, which are from shrubs or small trees, the flower is actually the bearer of fragrance or flavor such as clove buds or cinnamon bark. Another example where you may want to leave the flowers mature and go to seed is cilantro. The seed becomes know as coriander.

Parsley, the biannual, grows healthy leaves the first year, dies back and the second year bolts quickly to bear flowers in a white umbrella style blossom. In this case save the seeds or let them fall to the ground where they will grow again. Leaf identification will help you remember what they look like when they sprout the next spring.

If you want more show from flowers consider the following annuals that grow in most climates: Marigolds, sweet alyssum, annual vinca, not the vine, and old fashioned impatiens or the new sunpatiens. Here you have a variety of species where some will do well in sun and others do best in shade.

Rosemary

I would recommend planting a vignette of one each of the listed annual plants for our zone 5. Herbs we most often see in the produce department of the grocery store are oregano, sage and thyme perennials, basil annual, and Rosemary marginal perennial. Some newer varieties of Rosemary will winter over and can grow into a shrub. The picture of Rosemary illustrated here is from the Indian O’odham household, Arizona. You do not need to remove blossoms from Rosemary, because the leaves are the important part of this plant for flavor, aroma and garnish. Most times I bring my Rosemary inside for the winter*. Plant one each of the herbs listed along with the annual flowering plants in each vignette.

Use this vignette arrangement through out your garden, window boxes, containers or border designs, in all positions of the sun through out the day. Keep the areas moist using an adequate watering system but make sure you have good drainage. Soon you will decide, as the flowers grow and knit together, what to keep, move or add more of what’s growing well. The newly developed herb garden illustrated with Jennifer, has a drip system. She has begun her vignette with white sweet alyssum in all corners, and container grown Rosemary, lavender and green onions.
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Master Gardener Nancy Trump, Mentone

The lovely lady in this week’s article, enjoying her seasoned herb garden, is Master Gardener Nancy Trump, Mentone.

Corson is a graduate of Adams Central High School, Manchester University and Ball State University. She and her husband, Ron, were married and enjoyed many years of traveling before they settled at Lake Papakeechie to raise their family. Soon after moving to the Syracuse area, Corson joined the Syracuse/Wawasee Garden Club and then became a Kosciusko County Master Gardener in 2002, the same year she retired from teaching.

“Early on my interest in gardening came from a lineage of farmers and their wives, including three generations of generosity, giving me an enormous collection of heritage trees, shrubs and flowers. History and traveling has given me special interest in native flowers, hosta, the art of bonsai and many plants that have been naturalized.”

Individuals who wish to contact Corson for further information or questions may email her at [email protected].