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Common Herbs and Spices in Your House and Yard: Oregano

Oregano is a major player in my herb garden. To the right you can see a few varieties of thyme. Behind the thyme are feverfew plants in full bloom, St. John’s wort behind the feverfew with yellow flowers. Also purple lupins and poppies in bloom.
Raspberries in the very back along the fence.

Oregano is a staple in every herb garden. Primarily because it is so doggone easy to grow, and easy to please. It is super friendly and loves everything and everyone; a real confidence booster for first time gardeners.
* Spring came early this year? Great! Oregano will be one of your first plants to green up.
* Late spring? Don’t worry about it. Oregano will be pushing through the cold nights like a trooper.
* Lots of rain and hardly any sun? No problem. Oregano can be its own mini rain forest.
* Lots of sun and a little on the dry side? Gotcha covered. Oregano is very forgiving on either end of the spectrum. For a plant that originates in the hot areas of the Mediterranean, it is surprising how hearty an established plant can be in a typical Canadian year.

in the garden

Oregano is a hearty perennial that makes a useful ground cover in any sunny part of your garden. It may start out low, but can grow up to two feet high when mature! It has a lovely pink to lavender coloured flower (some varieties might have white flowers) so I make sure to have it in a few different spots: my herb garden of course where I keep it trimmed by harvesting, and in a couple of my flower gardens where I allow it to flower to use in bouquets and flower arrangements. Strip off the lower leaves to use fresh or dry and then enjoy the flowers in a jar of water. Because its so independent (not one of those high maintenance fair weather friends), oregano is the perfect beginner for any herb or backyard garden. If you’re much north of Edmonton, or live out in the country where your garden is open, its possible your oregano might not make it through every winter. Just be prepared for this and don’t take it personally. That’s one reason I keep it in a few DIFFERENT spots throughout my garden. I don’t want to put all my eggs in one basket, and we do live in Canada after all. I even grow some in my vegetable garden as it is a friendly and helpful companion to many other plants.

Oregano in upper right, parsley in center and sage forefront. Lupin (purple flower) upper left of center, feverfew upper far left (flowering like little white daisies). Red orache center left.

Most herbs are considered weeds (we are such name calling bigots lol), and as such they’re not particularly fussy about the soil in which they grow. Oregano is no exception. Not surprisingly then, rich loamy soil is actually not even desirable for oregano. It actually prefers sandier, lighter soil that drains well. So if you have a difficult spot in a sunny area (rock garden, along a sidewalk, or close to your kids’ sandbox) – let your oregano show you what its made of. If you’re in an apartment with a sunny side, or small condo with limited patio space, oregano will do well in a pot. If you live where I live, be prepared. A pot makes it a one season plant as it won’t survive the winter outside of the ground. Best to plant it in the ground if you have a spot available, so that it can come back, but if you don’t – no problem. Just treat it like an annual and replant it again next year. It does best in sun of course but doesn’t demand full sun. Other than that it is virtually trouble free and maintenance free. Having said all this, my garden has excellent soil and I really don’t have a poor-soil place to plant it, so it is where it is. Thankfully its pretty difficult to offend oregano.

The leaves of oregano are flat and oval and can range from fuzzy to almost smooth. Occasionally mistaken for marjoram as they belong to the same family and look very much alike. 

Oregano plants are in the mint family (and a close cousin of marjoram) so they propagate themselves through root expansion. They’re not ‘invasive‘, but they will spread if not contained. I like this fact and it keeps my oregano plentiful so that I have lots to move around and to share.

It can be started from seeds but they take a long time to germinate. Catalogs offer a wide variety of seeds, but unless you’ve got your heart set on a particular type that you can only get by seed, spend a few bucks and get a plant from your local nursery. Better yet, get a cutting or division from a friend, then you’ll know exactly what to expect and you’re more sure of its hardiness. After a few years, you can divide your own plants to spread oregano to different parts of your garden, and share with friends.

Few garden pests bother oregano, (another great attribute), in fact the strong scent of oregano repels pests, making it an excellent companion plant in your vegetable or flower garden or under fruit trees.

Many use oregano oil as a natural insect repellent, and even as bug spray for your household plants! Simply add a few drops to a spray bottle with water, and spray your plants with it. You will keep aphids away.

in the kitchen

Oregano is a MUST-HAVE in any kitchen garden, probably the herb I use the most during the cold months, as it is so wonderful in soups, meat stews, pasta sauces, chicken dishes, dressings, and roasted vegetable dishes (especially those with a Mediterranean flavour. One of my favourite ways to use it in the summer months is with a few other herbs on vegetables roasted over the barbeque with a little bit of olive oil. Did you know that climate, soil, and moisture can cause variation in the flavour? That means that your oregano can be quite unique to YOU.

As with most herbs, oregano leaves taste best before the plant flowers. In my herb garden I pinch the flowers to keep the plants bushy and prevent it from bolting to seed. In my flower garden, I allow them to flower and then cut to use in the house in flower arrangements. Either way, cutting the flower off keeps the plant vibrant.

To harvest (anytime after the plants are close to 6 inches), simply clip with some kitchen scissors or clippers. I cut the stem right to the ground to encourage more stems from the base and keep the plant looking plump. I pick the bigger, older stems that are a little more ‘woody’. Swish lightly in clean water to wash and shake excess water off in the sink. Let sit to let the wetness dry off, and when no longer damp, strip the leaves from the top by holding the top and sliding your finger the thumb down the stem.

Oregano and Thyme. Very good friends.

Conveniently, harvesting = pruning. Most woody, perennial herbs don’t require pruning to grow. They’re fine left to their own devices and given the right growing conditions, in fact many will become shrubs or carpets of ground cover. But in a well kept garden, pruning will improve the look and strength of the plants, and the whole idea in a home garden is to USE the herbs anyway right? Pruning also encourages new growth which will have the best flavour. Having said this, the flowers of the oregano plant attract bees and other friendly pollinators which is very desirable in any garden, so allowing some flowers to stay on the plant is a good thing. There simply is no bad way to grow oregano. It is going to like you and help you no matter what you do or don’t do regarding it. Wouldn’t we all like to have friends this loyal and forgiving?

Using it fresh in salads, and many other dishes, using it dry during the winter, and even making into a tea – which is quite tasty bytheway. I sometimes use it in my pesto to supplement basil if I’m a little low on basil. When you know something is super nutritious as well as delicious, your incentive to use them MORE is enhanced.

However you use it, just make sure you do!

oregano is good for you

More than just a culinary herb to use in the kitchen, oregano is rich in antioxidants, boasting one of the biggest antioxidant ratings. Keep in mind of course that we don’t eat handfuls of oregano like we eat handfuls of berries, but just knowing that should make us want to include them as much as possible in our diet. Rich in Vitamin K, (a lesser known but important nutrient), it is helpful in preventing heart disease and building strong bones.

a veritable bouquet of herbs! Clockwise from 11:00 and 12:00 is Feverfew in full flower,
1:00 is Red Orache (more green than red here),
3:00 is Orache, 4:00, 5:00 and 7:00 is Mint, 6:00 is Feverfew and dead center is Oregano

Oregano is well known to strengthen our immune system, so make sure you have plenty on hand for flu and cold season. Because it has powerful antibacterial and anti-fungal properties oregano oil is very popular. It has a remarkable ability to fight bacteria and studies indicate that it’s antimicrobial quality is not diminished by heating. For those who suffer from arthritis and other inflammatory conditions, it is helpful to know that oregano contains a substance known as beta-caryophyllin, which inhibits inflammation, so we can add anti-inflammatory to the list of favourite ‘antis“.

Oregano has earned its honoured place in my garden, and I love that the flowers attract bees which are welcome guests. I highly recommend it in your herb, flower, or vegetable garden.  A single plant can yield you enough to use fresh during the summer and enough to dry for the rest of the year.

I’d love to hear your Oregano story. 
How do you grow it and where? 
What are your favourite ways to use it? 
Any tips for the rest of us?

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

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CHIVES your garden’s best neighbour

CHIVES are one of the first plants in your garden to come up – even before the garden has dried out, and well before the cold is over, their bright, cheery green spears say “spring is around the corner” – the words I wait months to hear.  They are the easiest herb to grow and are a valuable addition to every summer kitchen.  They are low maintenance and high yield – my favourite combination. 

No matter how much of a novice gardener you might be, CHIVES make every gardener look good.  They are nature’s confidence builder.  Simple to grow, drought and cold resistant, will tolerate too much rain, they thrive on neglect, and are very forgiving.  They love sun, but will tolerate partial shade like the good sports they are.  As perennials they grow back every spring.  When other plants let you down, you can always count on CHIVES. 

CHIVES have a light onion flavour, and their brilliant green hollow, grass-like leaves are are the perfect addition to salads, soups, sandwiches, baked potatoes, almost anything that calls for a mild onion flavour.  Although its usually the leaves we eat, the entire plant is edible.  That’s right, even the blossoms and the roots.  Try adding the blossoms as garnish on the plate.  Better yet, eat the blossom with your potato salad.  The black seed which are hidden inside the ripe blossom have a wonderful peppery-oniony taste to sprinkle over top scrambled eggs, potato salad …. the sky’s the limit. 

It is a well accepted garden fact that bees are attracted to the colour purple, so the vibrant purple blossoms of CHIVES is the perfect garden attraction for pollinators. I have my biggest chive plant as a centerpiece in my herb garden, but I also have it in a few other spots throughout the garden among perennial flowers and vegetables.  Grow them in your vegetable garden as a friendly companion. They are great neighbours.

I cut the purple flowers throughout the season to add them to summer bouquets.  My house is full of fresh bouquets from May through October.  Chives are often in them. 

Hint: the black seeds are IN the flower heads.  If you don’t pick them, they’ll ripen – going to seed and drop to the ground. You will get a hundred little baby chives next year – which is alright as you can dig them up to eat the onion like bulbs.  You will also have some to transplant to other areas, and plenty to give to friends.  Cutting the flowers keeps the population under control. 

Growing:

You can start CHIVES from seed, but why would you?  Yes, they’re easy to start indoors in the spring for later planting, but how many plants do you want anyway?  Or you can simply take a ripe flower head from a friend and sprinkle the seed in your summer or fall garden to start themselves next spring.  That’s the way nature does it. 

The most common way is to simply get a division from a friendly neighbour.  Gently loosen the soil around the clump and pull away a smaller clump from the main plant.. The smaller cluster should have at least five to ten bulbs. Transplant this smaller plant into your desired location, or into pots to give away.  Where I live they can’t be overwintered in pots, but you can try bringing them indoors.  If you have a nice sunny window – you can use them all winter long.

Although they’ll grow in almost any soil conditions, CHIVES prefer good fertile well drained garden soil.  As a special treat, work compost into the soil of new plants, or into the top soil around existing plants.  They love the sun and will reward you abundantly if they get lots of it, but if sun is at a premium in your garden, partial shade is alright too. 

Companion Gardening:

CHIVES are your garden’s Best neighbours.  Plant them in your vegetable garden as your first line of defense (along with Marigolds). They repel carrot flies, aphids and cabbage worms (my mortal enemy).  I sprinkle seed among my garden vegetables and let them grow at will.  If there’s a spot I don’t want them for some reason, I’ll pull those up.  Its not like you’re gonna run outta seed when nature keeps you abundantly supplied in those gorgeous round blossoms. 

CHIVES don’t have much for natural enemies.  They say aphids can be a problem sometimes, but I guess I’ve been lucky as its never been a problem for me.  Their strong onion scent seems to deter pests.  In a strawberry bed, their scent screens the sweet smell of the berries, deterring slugs and other pest that are attracted to the sweetness.  Chives adds potassium and calcium to your soil through their dropped leaves, so let them grow, mature and die in your strawberry patch or vegetable garden.  Add any discards to your compost pile, or better yet, leave them as mulch around the plants. Another benefit of growing chives in the strawberry bed is the mulch.

Remember that their purple flowers attract bees which is what you want more of in your strawberry and vegetable gardens.  Pollinators of all kinds will be drawn by the purple flowers. Plant CHIVES among your other herbs, flowers, and among your vegetables especially your tomatoes, carrots and strawberries (yeah I know strawberries are not vegetables). 

Chives in the Kitchen:

I cut a handful of CHIVES with a kitchen knife to bring into the kitchen just before I’m gonna put them on the table.  Actually ‘I’ rarely do.  LOL
Usually, just as I’m putting the final touches on dinner, I ask one of my kids or grandkids to go cut a handful of chives.  Simply grab a handful and cut one or two inches above the soil.  In the kitchen, pull the hard flower stems (put them in water as a cut flower) and brown leaves out and then either chop on a cutting board, or cut with scissors into little pieces about 1/2 centimeter long.  Sprinkle over your mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables, omelettes, salads, potato salad, stir fries, … limitless potential for use in your favourite dishes.

Once in awhile – if you’re not using them often enough, the plant gets too big and straggly with too many flowers going to seed.  If that happens – when that happens, take a serrated kitchen knife and cut the whole thing down about two inches from the ground.  Relax.  It will grow back and give you another chance to stay on top of it.  A good reason to have more than one plant. Sometimes your plant simply needs a little haircut. A gentle trim will do. Just to keep things tidy.

GARLIC CHIVES

Also known as Chinese leeks, garlic chives grow in the same areas of the garden as regular chives, and most of the information is completely transferable.  The leaves are a little larger, longer and flat.  The flowers are bigger than chive flowers, but more flat than globular.  They attract pollinators and other beneficial insects.  Full sun is best. 

As with chives, the entire plant is edible, the roots are especially ‘garlicky’.  The flavour has a distinct garlic overtone to the ‘oniony’ taste you’re already familiar with in chives.   Use when you want that extra punch that garlic offers, like in soups, sauces, omelettes, and in all Asian dishes. 

I’d love to hear all about your CHIVE story.
How do you grow them and where?
What are your favourite ways to use them?
Any tips for the rest of us?

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

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Feverfew – the garden herb you should know

FEVERFEW is a biannual herb that grows very prolifically in our region – Edmonton, Alberta.  Bushy, ferny even. Drought resistant, will grow well in full or diffused sun. Very hardy.

By the end of June, you’ll get profuse amounts of compact little gorgeous daisy like flowers that are perfect for fresh bouquets in the kitchen. Don’t pick them all though because it self seeds. I always have dozens growing throughout my garden so I am in no danger (anymore) of not having some come back next year – no matter how many I cut for bouquets.

 

Using FEVERFEW 

Feverfew leaves are used to treat migraines and lesser headaches. You simply pick the leaves and eat them in which ever way you find most suitable. They can be chopped up and put in salad or a sandwich.  They have a bitter taste so best to disguise them by eating with something else. They say that a few leaves daily is sufficient as a preventative.  

I got my first plants from my mother in law more than 20 years ago. She made a point to eat a few fresh leaves every day and was convinced it helped manage her migraines.  That is what interested me initially in Feverfew, and I subsequently did quite a bit of reading about it over the years.  I noted when I worked in a health food store that many people purchased feverfew for headaches and they swore it made all the difference.  It is not a pain killer.  It is a ‘preventative’.  When asking many customers how it helped them, they would universally tell me that by taking a small amount every single day, their migraines were less frequent and much more manageable when they did come.  That sounded pretty wonderful to me.  There is also compelling evidence that feverfew is helpful for menstrual cramps. 

Personally, I am not prone to headaches.  Good thing, because I have a very low tolerance for them.  Lucky me I haven’t had a headache in years and I have never had a migraine in my life, but I like the idea of growing an herb that has so much respect medicinally.  Since I have some members of my family who are prone to migraines I decided years ago that I would always have some in my garden.  If you are not able to grow your own feverfew, you can buy it in your favourite health food store, or if you grow it, but want some during the winter, dry it and either make it into a tea (with some pleasant tasting mint because it doesn’t have a great taste itself), or powder it and put into capsules to swallow.  Be smart about quantity.  One should do it.  

The ferny bushy plant flowers pretty much all summer long!  Because it is a biennial – meaning it grows for only two years, going to seed the second year in late summer, I allow some flowers to ‘ripen’ and go to seed.   I then take the seed and sprinkle them generously throughout my flower garden and herb garden.  They come up profusely and I simply pull what I don’t want.  After all, a weed is only “a plant growing where it doesn’t belong“.   If you don’t let the plant go to seed, or then sprinkle the seeds around, you may find yourself with none the next year as I did.   A mistake I only made once. 

It deserves an honoured place in my garden, and it is a pleasant bonus for me that the flowers are so pretty.  I highly recommend growing feverfew in your herb or flower garden.  At the very least, it will be a pretty little flower.  And if you’re prone to migraines it has the potential to become your best friend.  

Total Win / Win 

I’d love to hear your experience with Feverfew. 

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle