I’m sure I’m not the only one who finds herbs decorative as well as useful. Mine are potted so that I can get to them quickly when I want them–so much more useful than running to the backyard–at least for me!
This is a trio of basils–each with its own distinct flavor of course although none is “flavored” as such.
For years I’ve done a different herbal window box–you’ll see that one in a moment. This year I decided I liked it so much I was doing two. This one is my “Drinks & Desserts” box–lavender, a rose scented geranium and black peppermint.
I plant some variation of this box every year–a couple of sages, the rosemary in the middle, and a couple of thymes which I winter over in the garden. The rosemary I’ll winter on the sun porch. Some years I just bring the whole box in for soups, stews and stuffings.
In prior years I’ve had pots of geraniums on this tower. This year I decided we had too much shade & it was generally too wet to do geraniums anymore–so I brought out the begonias. It seems to suit them just fine, but it’s not quite as colorful. Maybe I just need to find more colorful species.
Ths perennial begonia is a favorite of mine even when it’s not in bloom. The leaves always look cool and fresh and the stems and mid-ribs have that great reddish coloring. This is begonia grandis alba, the white form–but honestly, I don’t even care if it blooms!
Good idea to have your herbs mobile. Love the leaf on that Begonia, who needs flowers. Gorgeous!
By: Bridget on July 18, 2012
at 4:29 am
Bridget,
Thanks for reading. The herbs in pots idea came about because I have very little sun–but it’s actually worked out quite nicely because I can bring them into an unheated sun porch to over-winter (the hardy ones, at least) and I can prolong the basils a bit as well that way. They survive so much better that way than in a heated house–and they’re still nearby for cooking.
As for the begonia–I picked it up on a whim at a Garden Writers group trip 9 or so years ago. It’s been one of my favorite plants ever since. It has a lovely habit of self-sowing into the cracks in my walkways too. I love that (I don’t know that everyone would but it could just be weeded out if not). And it’s so great for late bloom.
I wish you could send some of your rainy weather to us–we’re having a bit of a drought this year! That’s quite unusual–our summers lately had been more like yours.
Karla
By: gardendaze on July 18, 2012
at 8:30 am
A “drinks and desserts” box — what a great idea to keep those herbs close at hand! Thanks for showing off your pretty herbal foliage for Foliage Follow-Up.
By: Pam/Digging on July 18, 2012
at 5:34 pm