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    Home » Gardening

    5 Herbs to Know and Grow

    by Patti Estep · Feb 12, 2023

    Collage of herbs including borage, lemon balm, calendula, Lady's mantle and sweet woodruff.
    Collage of herbs including borage, lemon balm, calendula, Lady's mantle.

    Learn about 5 unique herbs that are easy to grow, require little to no maintenance, and have some interesting qualities that you can craft, cook and decorate with.

    Five unusual herbs to grow

    We all know about parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme but there are actually so many plants that are considered herbs. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, an herb is "a plant or plant part valued for its medicinal, savory, or aromatic qualities." Today I'm sharing five such unusual herbs that you may want to grow in your own garden.

    They are all low maintenance, deer resistant, and like most herbs, have usefulness outside of their obvious garden beauty.

    5 Unique Herbs to Grow in the Garden

    Borage flowers in garden

    Borage - borago officinalis

    Historically known for its ability to give courage and happy heart borage, like most, is an edible herb. Its hairy stems and leaves taste like a cucumber.

    Though the fuzzy texture of the leaves may not appeal to you there is no denying the beauty of the pure blue flowers which look striking in many dishes such as salads, drinks, and adorning cakes. Try crystallizing or freezing the blossoms in ice-cube trays for a stunning decoration.

    Blue borage flower

    Growing Borage:

    • Life Cycle: Annual
    • Sun: Full Sun
    • Water: Well drained
    • Height: 1 - 2 ft
    • Width: 1 ft
    • Blooms: Late Spring/Summer
    • Xtras: Borage is a known self-seeder so you may not have to plant it every year.
    Calendula flowers

    Pot Marigold - calendula officinalis

    Named after the word calendar because it was thought to be the flower that bloomed on the first of the month, calendula is another versatile annual. Typically seen with beautiful orange to golden yellow flowers this plant is very easy to grow in any garden.

    Known for its ability to soothe the skin this sunshiny herb is also edible. I've infused olive oil with calendula petals to use in salves, lip balm and most recently a dry oil body spray.

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    Sprinkle the petals in your salad or use it as a garnish. Though the common name is pot marigold, calendula should not be confused with the french marigold (tagetes patula) found commonly at nurseries.

    Single calendula flower

    Growing Calendula:

    • Life Cycle: Annual
    • Sun: Full Sun
    • Water: Average
    • Height: 1 - 1.5 ft
    • Width: 1 - 1.5 ft
    • Blooms: Summer - Fall
    • Xtras: Flower petals can be used as a dye
    Lady's Mantle growing in the garden in bloom.

    Lady's Mantle - alchemilla mollis

    This herb's Latin name alchemilla, comes from the word alchemy or magic, as many thought that dew collected in the leaves contained magical healing properties.

    The common name 'Lady's Mantle' came from the Christian Church who named it Our Lady's Mantle for the Virgin Mary, where the scalloped edges of the green leaves resemble a mantle or cloak.

    Lady's mantle is a perennial herb and makes a great border plant with its neat and tidy mounding habit and the chartreuse flowers are beautiful and long-lasting in flower arrangements.

    Lady's mantle leaf with raindrops

    Growing Lady's Mantle:

    • Life Cycle: Perennial
    • Zone: 3 to 8
    • Sun: Full Sun to Partial Shade
    • Water: Average
    • Height: 6 - 18 inches
    • Width: 1.5 - 2 ft
    • Blooms: Summer
    • Xtras: Pretty chartreuse flowers can be used in arrangements, deer resistant.
    Lemon balm in the garden

    Lemon Balm - melissa officinalis

    Historically lemon balm was considered to be the elixir of life. Many drank tea made from its leaves and still do today.

    The small flowers are not showy however they are loved by bees, thus the name melissa which is the Greek word for bee.

    A relative of the mint family, lemon balm's leaves have a nice lemon scent and are used to make a variety of cosmetic and culinary items. Also, similar to mint, this one can be somewhat invasive so you may want to grow it in a pot.

    Lemon balm in flower
    Flower of a Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)

    Growing Lemon Balm:

    • Life Cycle: Perennial
    • Zone: 4 to 9
    • Sun: Full Sun to Partial Shade
    • Water: Average
    • Height: 12 - 18 inches 
    • Width: 12 - 15 inches
    • Blooms: Summer - Fall
    • Xtras: Lemon balm tea is said to help with anxiety and sleep disorders.
    Sweet woodruff in the garden

    Sweet Woodruff - galium odoratum

    Traditionally known for its fragrance, sweet woodruff was often used in garlands, potpourri, and as the stuffing for herb pillows and mattresses.

    Also, known as a major ingredient for the German's May wine where the plant is used to infuse Rhine wine in May to celebrate spring adding a vanilla-like flavor.

    In the garden, sweet woodruff is a beautiful ground cover that grows well in shade.

    Sweet Woodruff in flower.
    Sweet Woodruff

    Growing Sweet Woodruff:

    • Life Cycle: Perennial
    • Zone: 3 to 8
    • Sun: Partial Shade - Full Shade
    • Water: Average - Moist
    • Height: 6 - 12 inches
    • Width: 6 - 18 inches
    • Blooms: Spring
    • Xtras: The fragrant leaves and flowers are used to make May wine. Dries well.

    Other Unique Herbs to Try

    • Stevia
    • Lovage
    • Anise Hyssop
    • Feverfew
    • Mexican Tarragon
    • French Sorrel

    If you enjoy trying new plants in your garden consider one of these five unique herbs. Not only are they beautiful in the garden but they are also useful in the home.

    Patti signature

    More Articles on Herbs

    • 7 Ways to Use Herbs
    • Harvesting Lavender for Crafting and Cooking
    • Multi-talented and Useful Herbs
    • Growing and Cooking with Chives
    • Growing Herbs in a Strawberry Pot
    Collage of herbs including borage, lemon balm, calendula, Lady's mantle and sweet woodruff.
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    About Patti Estep

    Patti is the creator of Hearth and Vine, a home and garden blog filled with projects to inspire your creative side. She loves crafting, gardening, decorating and entertaining at her home in Pennsylvania. When she is not working on a project at home or searching for treasures at nurseries and thrift stores with her girlfriends, you’ll probably find her with family and friends, at a restaurant, or home party enjoying new and different food adventures.

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