‘Tricolor’ sage is pretty and party colored

Name: Salvia officinalis ‘Tricolor’

Zones: 6–9

Size: 12 to 18 inches tall and 1 to 2 feet wide

Conditions: Full sun; moderately moist to dry, fertile to lean, well-drained soil

Long prized for its ability to spice up and naturally preserve poultry, fish, and meats, common sage (S. officinalis, Zones 5–8) is a perennial subshrub with thick gray-green leaves that offer a unique bitter, lemony flavor. ‘Tricolor’ supplies the same flavor but with leaves decorated with splashes of cream along the edges and a flush of purple. I love ‘Tricolor’ sage because its coloring makes it easy to create pleasing plant combos. Last year, I combined it with Senorita Blanca™ spider flower (Cleome ‘USCLESNABL’, annual), with its white blooms with purple shading throughout summer; it’s a sterile cleome—not one seedling showed up in the garden this year. Deep purple- or burgundy-leaved companions, like purple basil selections (Ocimum basilicum cvs., annual), add a nice dark contrast. No matter what you pair with this sage, be sure to plant it in a spot with good drainage; too much moisture—especially over winter—will kill it. This species is, in fact, fairly tolerant of drought conditions and poor soil.

Variegated lemon thyme is tough

Name: Thymus × citriodorus ‘Variegatus’

Zones: 6–9

Size: 8 to 10 inches tall and 1 foot wide

Conditions: Full sun; moist to dry, lean, well-drained soil

Lemon thyme (T. × citriodorus, Zones 6–9) is tough. Last spring, I found a plant at the base of my stone wall that had a fallen rock the size of a cantaloupe sitting on it. I removed the rock, and within a month, the smashed plant was flourishing. Although lemon thyme is great along bed edges and walkways, I especially like growing the cultivar ‘Variegatus’ in containers. Its tiny leaves are rimmed in gold and look great spilling over the edge of a pot or a walkway. It has the same strong lemony scent and pleasant flavor as lemon thyme, and it’s used in all sorts of foods—from breads to vinegars to meat dishes.

To add textural contrast, combine ‘Variegatus’ with plants that have larger leaves; that shouldn’t be hard to do because its leaves are about the size of your pinky fingernail. Another great companion is ‘Oranges and Lemons’ blanket flower (Gaillardia ‘Oranges and Lemons’, Zones 5–9), which has long strappy leaves and nice peachy-orange-and-yellow blossoms throughout summer that nicely echo the thyme’s gold variegation. Purple-flowering annuals, like angelonia (Angelonia angustifolia cvs., annual), also make attractive bedfellows. Remember that thymes are perennial subshrubs. Hold off pruning plants until after the first flush of growth in spring; too early can be detrimental.

Trailing rosemary cascades down pots and walls

Name: Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Prostratus’

Zones: 8–11

Size: 18 to 24 inches long and wide

Conditions: Full sun; moderately moist to dry, well-drained soil

Rosemary (R. officinalis and cvs., Zones 8–11) is a plant that I can’t resist touching when I walk by. Its aromatic leaves are intoxicating, with a delicious piney, sweet flavor to match. Rosemary is a go-to herb for meat lovers, but it’s also a welcome addition to food dishes of all kinds.

The plant wizards haven’t played much with the look of rosemary’s needlelike leaves; they’ve mostly concentrated on plant performance and hardiness. One atypical option is trailing rosemary. As its name suggests, the plant trails across the ground or over the edge of containers and walls. It’s a fantastic spiller that pairs well with other herbs, such as the aforementioned ‘Tricolor’ sage. Try small airy grasses, like Mexican feather grass (Nassella tenuissima, Zones 7–11), as a soft contrast in beds or containers.

In areas where trailing rosemary is a hardy shrub, the cascading branches can grow to be several feet long. Hold off on pruning until just after plants have flowered in early summer. Like upright rosemary, trailing rosemary requires good drainage.

‘Red Rubin’ basil turns down the lights

Three ways to preserve herbs

There are several ways to preserve these herbal beauties so that their culinary flavor can be enjoyed throughout the year.

1. Drying. Drying is often the preserving method of choice because it is quick and easy, and some herbs, like oregano, are more flavorful when dried. Herbs can be hung to dry, laid out on a drying screen, or dried in an oven or dehydrator. After drying, store the leaves in a glass jar in a dark, dry, cool place.

2. Freezing. Say “Freeze!” Freezing often delivers the same flavor as fresh—the leaves just take a beating and lose their crispness. Fresh, chopped leaves can be frozen directly in freezer bags, in ice-cube trays (with water), or as a paste (herbs mixed with olive oil) stored in a freezerproof container.

3. Adding to vinegars. This is for all you salad lovers out there. Adding herbs to vinegar is a great way to continue to enjoy your herbal bounty. Wine vinegars work well with herbs without overpowering them. Choose a white-wine vinegar if seeing the color of the herb, such as ‘Red Rubin’ basil, is important to you. There are many recipes out there for making your own herbal vinegar, but here are the basics: Clean the herbs, add some vinegar, store in a jar for two to four weeks (shaking daily and occasionally checking for taste), strain into a new clean jar, and enjoy.

Jennifer Benner, horticulturist and coauthor of The Nonstop Garden, is an avid herb gardener in northwestern Connecticut.

Photos, except where noted: Jennifer Benner, Clive Nichols/gapphotos.com, doreenwynja.com, Bill Johnson, Brenda Carson/dreamstime.com, Danielle Sherry, Scott Phillips, millettephotomedia.com