#1 – Cat Mint

One of the best blue perennials I have found is Cat Mint.  This perennial has it all.  Great foliage color and texture, relatively low growing and spreading.  Beautiful little blue perennial flowers that the butterflies love and a great scent when the leaves are crushed.  This little gem will do well on borders or in areas where you need something to take up some space but not get too crazy. 

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Its hardiness is outstanding as well.  I pulled some of mine out at the end of last year because I needed to do a little clean up and this year it is right back at reclaiming its rightful place in the middle of my perennial experiment. 

#2 – Angel’s Trumpet

Angel Trumpet, Red

The next plant I would like to introduce is a great performer.  The Angel’s Trumpet is just an outstanding shrub perennial to have in your garden.  This tropical plant is a large shrub or small tree in the Columbian and Ecuadorian Andes where it grows and around 10,000 feet.  It is part of the same family as the tomato and potato but unlike them all parts are poisonous.  The blooms are breathtaking as they form a trumpet like flower that hangs down from the plant.

Angel Trumpet, Red

The Angel’s Trumpets were once botanically combined with the Daturas, which includes our native Jimson weed. Botanists seem to have finally agreed that they belong in separate genera. Datura has erect flowers that usually last only one day and a seed pod covered in stout thorns. Brugmansia has a smooth seed pod when one forms.

These plants are incredible and full of mystery and lore. There is some history of usage in shaman and witchcraft rituals and recipes. Here is a great book that details the plants and their history

It takes some time for it to come to life in the South but once it starts to grow you can practically see it getting larger by the day.  As it starts to mature and gain some height it soon starts to add its flare to your garden and becomes one of the centerpieces of the season.   

#3 – Bee Balm

Red is a must have in the garden but in the perennial world it is sometimes an elusive color.  Bee Balm is one of the best red southern perennials available.  It will do well in sun or shade has a great sturdy flower stem that launches its dazzling red high into the summer flower sphere and will grow from fast creeping runners.  The spread will reach 2 – 4 feet and a 2 – 3 foot height so division every 2 – 3 years is possible. These tight heads of tubular, red flowers are also surrounded by a whorl of colored leafy bracts.  The leaves in fact are what give Earl Gray tea its aroma and flavor.  This one is another “must have” in the Southern Gardeners garden. 

One of the best ways of bringing some of the garden to the kitchen and some of the kitchen to the garden is by growing herbs. You don’t even have to have a garden to do it. In fact, part of the fun of growing herbs is to grow them in flower pots. With a harvest of herbs within reach of the kitchen, whether its just outside the kitchen door or in the window sill, culinary inspiration comes naturally.

Many herbs thrive in pots and luckily, most of the essential herbs that are a must have for that extra burst of flavor in your favorite dishes. Once you have selected the herbs you want to grow and have them planted in well-drained potting soil, the hard work is over; they need little attention aside from watering and pinching back to encourage lush growth.

Here is a list of some of the essential herbs that are easy to grow in pots.

Basil – This tender annual flourishes in warm weather but needs plenty of moisture. Pinch plants when they are small to encourage branching, and remove flower stalks as they form. You can harvest leaves for salads and seasoning all summer.

Chives – An ornamental onion that grows in a clump of long, thin foliage, The leaves can be snipped with scissors and used in many recipes. Fresh flowers can be tossed into a salad. Hardy in zones 5 – 11.

Lavender – The Mediterranean plant requires quick draining soil. This aromatic herb adds some flare in brownies or chocolate cake. Hardy in zones 5 – 8

Oregano – The small, fragrant leaves and pretty flowers in midsummer make this herb one of my favorites. It flourishes in hot, dry spots. Harvest whole stems, which can be stripped of their leaves in the kitchen. Hardy in zones 4 – 9

Parsley – These plants will tolerate cool weather and can be set out in early spring. Parsley can be grown from seed but takes up to three weeks to germinate. Harvesting encourages new growth.

Sage – This herb has some different looks that can really add a lot to your herbal arrangement. Their are some variegated versions that really have a beautiful look to them. sage does not tolerate wet soil. Hardy in Zones 5 – 8

Thyme - Drought tolerant and spreading. Who could ask for anything more – and an herb to top it off. Wow – what a combination. Clip the stems and strip or pinch leaves off, or bundle a few stems together to use as seasoning in soups. Hardy in zones 4 – 9

These and many other herbs can be successfully raised in pots.  Experiment with different herbs and different combinations within the same pot.  It’s great fun and the benefits taste great. 

Bon Appetit.