The most widely used garnish and an excellent seasoning for soups, salads, and meat dishes. A biennisl, it will grow well in any sunny garden spot or potted and kept on a sunny windowsill in the kitchen.
Italian Parsley  (Petroselenium neapolitanium)
Vigorous, 2 foot, erect plant with flat leaves, better for cooking than Curley Parsley.

 

Cultivated for centuries and once called Herb of Grace because it was associated with repentence. Leaves are used as seasoning by some, but has a very strong flavor. Oils distilled from leaves are used in toilet preparations. This aromatic perennial has blue or blue-green, twice compound, alternate leaves and 1/2 inch yellow flowers in terminal clusters. The leaves truly do have a very bluish color which makes this plant really stand out. You will find Rue in the herb bed in 4-inch pots.

Cultivated for centuries for its aromatic oils, this perennial member of the mint family gains its name from the Latin, to wash, because of its use in bath oils. Flowers and leaves are used in satchets and potpourri. Flowers are best when harvested just prior to opening. this 18-36 inch perennial prefers sun and alkaline soil. Markham has several varieties of Lavender as well as a demonstration bed adjacent to the Garden Center office.

Grown since ancient times for their aromatic qualities, for ornament, and for seasoning, the Wormwoods are of easy culture, preferring full sun and poor or sandy soils, rather than rich ones.
Artemesia 'Powis Castle'
This bushy plant with feathery silver foliage stands about 2 feet tall and is a sun-loving perennial.

 

Most of these herbs get by on minimal water and often provide either stronger flavor or fragrances when grown with minimal water.

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While the Nursery is open Tuesday mornings, for those that can't make those sales hours, we will be holding our first Saturday Plant Sale of the year on March 6th from 10am - 2pm. More information on the the sale will be forthcoming soon. 

Rosalind Creasy, well known Bay Area gardener and author will be giving a talk titled "Edible Landscaping: The New American Garden" at the Walnut Creek Marriott at 11:00AM on Saturday April 10, 2010, sponsored by the Markham Regional Arboretum Society. 
Her newest book, Edible Landscaping - Now You Can Have Your Gorgeous Garden and Eat it Too, is a totally updated revision of her ground-breaking book published in 1982, Edible Landscaping.  Her new Edible Landscaping book has 300 photos and updated organic growing information...
for more on this upcoming event... click