Overflowing with Flowers and Herbs






















One of the garden display themes at the NC State Fair competition was “Fresh Herbs and Flowers for a Cutting Garden.” One display, by Shane Pierce, really caught my attention with the jam packed garden design. The combinations played off of a mix of blooming flowers and colorful foliage from the herbs. The garden included plenty of edibles as well as ornamentals for a cutting garden. The plant list included:


Salvia madrensis (yellow giant sage)
salvia x microphylla ‘Hot Lips’ bicolor
salvia guaranitica ‘black & blue’
salvia elegans (pineapple sage)
perovskia ‘Little Spires’

Helianthus annus (sunflowers)‘Chocolate Cherry’
Helianthus annus ‘Florenza bicolor’
Helianthus annus‘Double Sun Gold’
Helianthus annus‘Starburst Aura’

Thyme: Wooly, Silver, Mother of Thyme
Rosemary ‘Tuscan Blue’ and ‘officinalis prostrate’
Lavender ‘Hidcote Blue’
Oregano
Spearmint
Lemon verbena

Sweet Italian Basil
Lemon Basil
Red Ruben Basil
Genovese Basil

Chives
Garlic chives
Arugula
Dill
Nasturtiums ‘Jewel Mix’ and ‘Empress of India’
Lettuce
Silver Dollar Eucalyptus
Gingko biloba
Achillea millefolium ‘Summer Pastels’
Monarda ‘Purple Delight’, 'Jacob Cline’ and ‘Raspberry Wine’
Stachys byzantina
Agastache foeniculum

Rudbeckia Hirta
Gaura 'Perky Pink'
Celosia 'Pampas Plume'
Coreopsis 'Threadleaf Yellow'
Cosmos 'Sensation Picotee'
Eupatorium 'Chocolate'
Marigolds (mixed)
Zinnia (mixed)
Cardinal Climber
Morning Glory 'Gigante' and 'Celestial Mix'
Pole tomato