I grew my Greek Oregano from seed, two years ago. Once it had grown to a reasonable size I potted-up the small seedlings and they soon grew into sizeable plants. I now have plenty of them, which is good because Oregano looks good, tastes good and is very attractive to bees. The flowers are only just opening on this one, and I expect them to look even better in a week or so.
My Chives finished flowering a couple of weeks ago, and I then cut them down to about 2 or 3 inches tall, in order to promote re-growth - which it certainly has. In the current wet conditions, the Chives are growing very rapidly, and I'm sure they will produce a second flush of flowers in a few weeks.
I cut three of my four pots, but left one, so that we still have a few Chives we can use while the other pots are re-establishing. I just removed the flower-stalks, which are tough and unpleasant to eat.
The Winter Savory is healthy and vigorous too. This is another one that I grew from seed, since you seldom see it on sale except as seeds. I use it sometimes for flavouring Broad Bean dishes. In times gone by this herb was often called "The Broad Bean Herb" because the two go so well together.
In amongst the Runner Beans, between each pair of canes, I have put a little clump of Parsley.
I'd love to have enough Parsley to use it in huge quantities (in "vegetable quantities", as Jane says) and maybe make it into Green Dragonette's Grandma's Magic Parsley Sauce, but despite my best efforts I always seem to be struggling to produce viable quantities of the stuff!
I've been potting on parsley today and need to give the chives on the plot a haircut. Never thought of Greek Oregano as a perennial - do you leave it outside all year.
ReplyDeleteSue; I have kept the potted Greek Oregano under a coldframe in the Winter, not indoors, and it seems fine. Not sure whether the ones I have put in the open ground will survive, but I expect so. It's usually much milder here in the South, you know!
DeleteMy oregano has never survived, even though we put it in the greenhouse each winter. I have however kept my two tarragon pots alive for the past 3 winters by popping them in the greenhouse. Have you tried sowing & growing the flat leaf parsley? I have far better success with that than the curly stuff. I too have a small curly headed clump, i have never been able to grow that variety.
ReplyDeletehi mark, my oregano seems to have a much smaller leaf - and i have never seen it flower although it has been in for a few years. just the common old aust variety- whatever that is- ? my curly parsley plant is about the only plant that looked ok through the hot, blazing afternoon sun last summer, and is still looking good through winter but i also have apot much more sheltered hardly any sun that is ok. so mine seems to tolerate both extremes. flat leaf parley goes mad over here but i dont like it as much seems to have a much stronger taste.robyne
ReplyDeleteWell, my gigante parsley did not turnout to be large at all this year. I believe I bought that seed from eBay which was apparently my mistake. I do have a little pot of "regular" parsley but that is all I got this year.
ReplyDeleteI need to get some winter savoury - I've never tried it and I do like the idea of something that goes well with broad beans.
ReplyDeleteParsely grows so slowly for me, and never over-winters. On the other hand the oregano survives over winter with no problem.
ReplyDeleteMy Oregano overwinters outside in the herb garden just fine - which is strange when you think it is a Mediterranean plant. This year I let my parsely go to seed and now I have hundreds of parsley plants springing up all over.
ReplyDeleteHi Mark,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the shout-out for my Grandmother’s Parsley Sauce! Parsley is growing well here and ready for another cropping in a couple of days so more great parsley sauce to come!!