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Atlanta herb gardens

thickasabrick's picture

Atlanta herb gardens (post #12790)

thickasabrick on Mon, 02/27/2006 - 21:49
in

I'm putting in a new and rather large herb garden this spring at my home in the  'burbs of north Atlanta (Zone 7?).


I've got several rosemarys at various points in my yards, but I don't remember (or even know) which ones grow into big, hardy perennials. Please recommend some varietys that are large and perennial in my area.


I'm also looking for recommendations on other herbs. Obviously, I'm growing the stuff I cook with - the oreganoes, parsleys, thyme etc - but for both looks and food, what else would the experts here recommend for my area.


Thanks for your help.


Jay

-A +A
Wolvie's picture

(post #12790, reply #1 of 4)

by Wolvie in reply to thickasabrick [original] on Tue, 03/07/2006 - 13:19

I don't garden in Atlanta, so I looked for a bit of input via search engines.


Looks like you can grow most anything, which is good.


This is a site of a nursery in Atlanta, not sure how good it is, that has some info on herb gardening in your area:


http://www.pikenursery.com/stories_php_loc_03_07_00.html


I personally love growing purple basils, perilla (green and purple), borage, and bronze fennel as background plants, which can have culinary uses as well.


Lemon basil and lime basil are knockout in salads, etc. So many to choose from - and all of them worthy.


I'll have to let someone else help you regarding rosemary - I know some of the folks here have the nice hardy ones, but I don't.


Above all - experiment - and have fun!


 No mans error becomes his own Law; nor obliges him to persist in it


THOMAS HOBBES, Leviathan, part 2, p. 237 (1950).

 

Karen's picture

(post #12790, reply #2 of 4)

by Karen in reply to thickasabrick [original] on Tue, 03/07/2006 - 19:10

My rosemary, just some unlabeled variety from a local nursery, has wintered in zone 7a for the past 8 years. It's getting a little woody in the center and I'll probably prune it pretty severely this year, but it's currently about three feet tall and four feet wide. 'Arp' is one traditionally hardy (relatively) cultivar, but if you want more choices check out Lazy S's Farm Nursery in Virginia. They list a huge number of zone 7 hardy selections. If you can give it some protection from the wind you should do just fine. http://www.lazyssfarm.com/Plants/Perennials/R_files/R.htm

North Carolina - zone 7

North Carolina - zone 7

Celeste's picture

(post #12790, reply #3 of 4)

by Celeste in reply to thickasabrick [original] on Wed, 03/08/2006 - 04:10

Consider growing lemon grass.  It is an extremely attractive plant and tastes terrific in Thai and Chinese cooking.  It looks terrific with red basil and tricolored sage.  I don't know if it would be hardy for you; I have to dig it up each Fall:



I also grow a lot of cilantro...so terrific fresh in Mexican and Chinese cooking.  It is an annual but reseeds itself very nicely.  Once it goes to seed, you can gather the seeds for many purposes.  Our favorite is dried, toasted and crushed, then served on "smashed potatoes."


 


Southeastern West Virginia, Zone 5b

 

San Francisco, CA, Zone 10

Mulchman's picture

(post #12790, reply #4 of 4)

by Mulchman in reply to thickasabrick [original] on Wed, 03/08/2006 - 04:41

One of the best herbs i grow and use is lemon thyme.It's flavor lends itself well to black bean/cumin dishes,cream sauces and soups,pasta salads and bread.The key to using it is to add it at the end of cooking (obviously not the bread,unless your making garlic or cheese bread) or to use as you would file`.