A garden of splendid fragrance
If you plan to start an old-fashioned herb garden for fragrance alone, try some or all of these: Angelica (Angelica archangelica)m -- biennial; grows to 6 feet; sow seed in fall; harvest roots and leaves second year; woodsy aroma.
Basil, sweet (Ocimum basilicum)m -- annual; grows to 18 inches; sow seed in spring; harvest before flowering; spicy aroma.
Lavender (Lavandula officinalis)m -- perennial; grows to 3 feet; propagate by cutting or from seed; harvest whole flower spikes when blossoms first appear, then dry; clean, long-lasting aroma.
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)m -- perennial; reaches 2 feet; propagate from seed or by division; cut and tie stems for drying; refreshing lemony aroma.
Lemon verbena (Lippia citriodora)m -- tender perennial; grows to 10 feet in the South; propagate from cuttings; dried leaves have strong lemon scent.
Marjoram, sweet (Majorana hortensis)m -- perennial in the South; grows to 12 inches; propagate from seed or cuttings; harvest stems before flowering and tie for drying; sweet spicy aroma.
Peppermint (Mentha piperita)m -- perennial; reaches 2 feet tall; propagate by cuttings or by division; harvest before flowering and hang tied stems to dry. Try also spearmint (M. spicata)m and Corsican mint (M. requieni).m
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)m -- half-hardy perennial; reaches up to 6 feet; progagate by cuttings or from seed; harvest leathery leaves before blossoms appear; spicy, slightly piney aroma.
Scented geranium, rose (Pelargonium graveolens)m -- tender perennial; may grow to 4 feet; propagate from cuttings; harvest mature leaves anytime and spread to dry; strong rosy aroma. Try also peppermint (P. tomentosum),m orange (P. citriodorum),m lemon (P. crispum),m apple (P. odoratissimum),m and many others.
Sage (Salvia officinalis)m -- hardy perennial; grows to 2 feet; grow from seed or cuttings; harvest before flowering and tie stems to dry; spicy aroma. Try also pineapple sage (S. rutilans)m and clary sage (S. solarea).m
Common thyme (Thymus vulgaris)m -- Perennial; grows to 10 inches; propagate from seed or by cuttings or division; cut tops of stalks when flowers first appear. Try also T. citriodorusm for its lemon-scented leaves.
