Adding these multipurpose edibles to your garden solves not only the problem of filling an empty space, but also enables you to liven up dinner!Plant them on a bank or near a retaining wall to keep soil in place, she suggests.Use groundcover herbs between stones on a walkway, so when you step on them, you get a little fragrance boost in the air, says Skip Richter, County Extension Agent in Horticulture with Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service.With a large range of growing habits, colors, shapes, sizes, and flowering available, choosing a groundcover herb can be fun.Sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) is an undeservedly oft-forgotten herb that does well in shady areas in the landscape.The flowers and leaves of sweet woodruff can be dried and used for hot or iced tea.Also known as creeping, trailing, or prostrate rosemary (Rosmarinus prostratus), this is the plant even passing neighbor kids know to pinch off in order inhale its distinctive and satisfying aroma.With a deep root system, this plant does well on a sunny bank or slope.In the kitchen, rosemary is used as a seasoning for meat, poultry dishes, and potatoes.But in general, prostrate rosemary’s flavor is second fiddle to that of the upright form, which is less bitter and more intense.Mint likes moist, shady, areas, and it is an extremely aggressive grower, so unless you want it consuming your entire garden, you’ll want to pin it in with hardscape or metal flashing, buried 8” deep.Culinarily, mint is delicious in teas and other beverages, as well in many Asian dishes.An herbal superstar renowned for its must-have flavor in pizza and pasta sauces, some varieties of oregano also make a durable ground cover.‘Betty Rollins’ (Origanum marjorana ‘Betty Rollins’) grows to a height of 6” and creeping oregano (Origanum vulgare ‘Humile’) quickly spreads to form a dense mat less than 3” tall.The Austin Herb Society’s Judith Craft loves to put some of the more delicate varieties of oregano along a footpath.With luck, you’re already planning which fragrant herbs you’ll install in which areas of your garden.Intending to toss it into a sauce I was making, I snipped some oregano from an area near the kids’ basketball goal.Observing me, my son asked, “Mom, are you going to use that in our dinner?” I confirmed that was my plan.He nodded thoughtfully and went back to tossing the ball, and I headed for the kitchen.Nervously casting his glance about the room, he sheepishly replied, “Um, sometimes I pee over there, where you picked it.”.Start planting today and you’ll be adding homegrown flavors to your home-cooked meals in no time at all.
Edward R. Forte
Author
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