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Myrtle is a sweetly scented shrub that makes a lovely container plant in cooler climates, where it can be brought indoors over winter. Leaves, flowers, and berries are all edible; the leaves can be used as a substitute for bay leaves. Also, the leaves are very aromatic and are used medicinally and in aromatherapy.

V. thapsus grows wild throughout much of Texas and the South. The biennial plants form a rosette of large velvety leaves the first year and the flower stalks emerge the second year, growing up to 6 feet tall. Mullein tea has traditionally been used as a treatment for upper respiratory problems.

A hardy and adaptable herbaceous perennial. Can be found growing in woods and shady places. A delicious tea can made from the leaves of woundwort and half an orange. Good for warming and strengthening; also used to relieve aches and pains. Sow seeds in early spring.

Blessed milk thistle is an important medicinal herb that is used to regenerate damaged liver cells and is used for cirrhosis, hepatitis, jaundice, and poisoning by drugs or alcohol. It's the only known antidote to the deadly death-cap toadstool (Amanita phalloides). The young leaves can be cooked or eaten raw in salads.

A good candidate for fall seed sowing, when it will send down a tap root and form its rosette to overwinter. Come spring when the temps warm, it will grow stalks and flowers.

This is the true Nigella, which is native to the Middle East, where it's commonly called haba al-barakah, or gizhah in India. The seeds are prized for their healing properties and known as "a remedy for all diseases except death."

Also known as Kala jeera or Kalonji, Charnushka, Kalajira, Kalijeera, Krishna Jiraka, Niguilla (Spanish), Nigelle (French), Ketsha (Hebrew).

This is a culinary variety of yarrow with sweet scented leaves that is used like the herb Mace. The flowers are a cream or ivory color and attract many beneficial insects, just as other species of yarrow do.

The blooms are attractive to so many species of beneficial insects all summer long. Some birds will use the leaves to make their nests. Yarrow is a good compost activator.

Indian Physic is a deciduous perennial native to North America and Canada, even though it was named after a German botanist, Gillenius. Heat tolerant, but usually found growing in shade or part shade. The reddish stems, bronze-green leaves, and white flowers tinged with pink make a striking display. The roots are known to be used medicinally as a mild emetic.

The flowers, roots, and oil of this plant are all used as herbal medicine, especially for bronchitis and hay fever. I remember mom would make an infusion/steam bath of the leaves to relieve chest and sinus congestion. It was once a popular flavoring in desserts and fish dishes. The roots are used to flavor liqueurs.

This is quite a stately herb that can reach up to 8 feet tall with large woolly green leaves and bright yellow spidery flowers. I'm still trying to propagate from seed. May need to find ripe seed and sow in the fall. It's supposed to be easy to propagate from root cuttings.

Dill seed is often direct sown in early spring although I like sowing dill in the early fall and overwintering it outdoors (with a little leaf matter for protection). It's a cool-weather plant, and here in Texas it will bolt when the weather warms up. I love using fresh dill when fermenting cucumbers (pickles). Too bad the dill is usually done weeks before the cucumbers are ready to go! But I've learned that freezing the plant is a good way to keep its fresh flavor. Dill can also be preserved in vinegar and later added to your pickles. Dill is also good in breads and soups and with fish, eggs, and cheese. In spring we like making dill and brie popovers. Yum. Also a good digestive aid.

The umbel-shaped flowers attract beneficial hoverflies and predatory wasps. A host plant for the swallowtail butterfly caterpillars.
Although I don't have direct evidence to verify, it may be good for repelling squash bugs.

This is a tender perennial that likes a rich and moist soil along with lots of warm sunshine. It can be grown in a container, which can be brought inside in winter when the plant goes dormant. The rhizomatous roots are boiled and dried and made into a powder for culinary use. It originated in India, where it's a vital cooking spice and traditional remedy. In Ayurvedic medicine it's used as a blood purifier, antiparasitic, and anti-inflammatory. There's been much research done to confirm its beneficial effects on the intestines, and it is thought to be responsible for the low incidence of bowel cancer in India. I just don't use this spice enough! I've had two plants growing in pots for the past two years, neither of which has made a flower yet, but maybe this year they will!

Here it is 2019 and it's still growing, put in a bigger pot. Still no flowers so I think I'll re-pot it again this year.

This is a low-growing perennial herb with woody stems. I've had the same plant grown from seed for at least three years now. It's slowly expanding as it grows and competes with the evil Bermuda grass that I'm fighting in my cottage garden. So far, my little plant is holding its own, although it needs some assistance from me to pull the grass away. Wonderful culinary herb used in meats, fish, stews, and sauces or added to herbal vinegars and oils. It also has medicinal uses and makes a good tonic for sore throats, coughs, and chest colds. The Greeks used thyme as a purifying incense to cleanse the air in temples and homes.

Update: The Bermuda grass finally overtook the thyme. I now grow thyme in a container.

A hardy perennial herb that can reach up to 5 feet tall. It doesn't do so well in many areas of the south, but it can be grown successfully here in the northern part of Texas, zone 7b. Has a long history as a medicinal herb and is still used, prepared as a tincture and taken for insomnia, depression, stress, and nervous tension. Two-year-old roots are dried and used.

H. virginiana is a deciduous tree native to eastern Texas and other parts of North America. The leaves look much like those of the hazelnut tree. One old name for the tree is "snapping hazelnut" because the ripe seeds will snap and shoot a good distance. The forked twigs of Witch Hazel are made into "divining rods" in search of water. Distilled witch hazel is used as an astringent cleanser that is very gentle on the skin. I had a neighbor in her 70's that attributed the daily use of witch hazel to her beautiful complexion and youthful glow. Excuse me while I go dig that bottle out of the cupboard!

One of my favorite hardneck varieties that I've been growing for a few years now. It stores well and the large cloves are easy to peel. I also look forward to harvesting the delicious scapes that appear in late spring, usually about the second week of May, although in this cool-season year they showed up around the 1st of June. Cut the scapes after they have made at least one loop. This practice is said to allow all of the energy to go back into the plant and help it grow bigger bulbs. Only hardneck varieties of garlic will grow scapes.

Also known as multiplier onion because each bulb will form underground bulb clusters. These are perennial onions that can be planted in the fall along with garlic and shallots. My potato onion is listed as 'Yellow Potato Onion' (aka Hill, Mother, or Pregnant Onion), which is said to be a 1982 SESE reintroduction of an heirloom strain dating back to before 1790.

Perennial medicinal herb with pretty little spikes of yellow flowers blooming in summer. Although this is known as a vigorous plant, it prefers cooler climates; but that doesn't stop me from trying to grow this one -- so far successfully in partial shade. Sow seeds in late fall or late winter because germination will occur during cold conditions. Harvest when flowers start to bloom, and hang to dry. Known for making a tea to induce sleep. Said to have a flavor similar to apricots.

This is considered a hardy biennial. In northern climates it can get quite large, but here in the south it might grow to about 1 foot tall at best. This plant doesn't really like southern heat, so it is not the best choice, but apparently I like a challenge, and I will continue to try growing it, although I failed in my last efforts. The hard part is finding fresh seeds when they are best to plant, in August.

Often called the "herb of the angels" and the "root of the holy spirit," this is an edible and medicinal herb. In folklore it was associated with the Archangel Michael, and during the Great Plague in the 17th century the roots were chewed for protection against the infection. It was also used as a blood purifier. The roots, leaves, seeds, and stems are also edible. It can be sown from ripe seeds, which are best planted in August, or propagated by root division. For culinary purposes, the stems and leaves are best harvested in June. Young stems are candied in sugar. The seeds and roots have been used in making liqueurs.

These are really carefree roses and heavy bloomers. I have three different Knock Out roses and one of them unexpectedly has a nice rose scent. I find the color beautiful and soothing to look at. Deadhead them and they will continue to bloom all summer long.

Empress of India is an old-fashioned heirloom variety that's been around since Victorian times. The plant is more compact than I had originally expected. It's a bushy type. The rich color of the edible flowers makes a very striking accent to your salad or in other dishes. As usual with nasturtiums, it doesn't need much care and does not require any fertilizer to produce lots of blooms.