Thanks, it is nice to be useful. What is horta?

On Nov 8, 2:55 pm, Eileen wrote:
Your replies are so much more than I expected, what a help and wealth of
information you two are. :-)

My rosemary only grows to about 3 ft, but I suppose thats the drawback
of an un-mediterranean climate as we have in Scotland! Hopefully in
Greece it will manage a few feet more.

Thyme will fit in very well with the gravel paths.

No doubt when I'm not in Greece my elderly neighbours will pop in and
'borrow' some herbs as they go about collecting their horta.

Thanks again,

Eileen.

simy1 Wrote:



David E. Ross wrote:
-

Be careful. Oregano and mint can be quite invasive. On the other
hand,
sage, rosemary, and thyme behave very well.-

Here in the frozen north, mint definitely needs a rhizome barrier.
Oregano is fairly well behaved, but putting down a barrier should give
peace of mind. But they should be used to cover ground, not in a pot.
We make herbal tea every night (so let me suggest lemon balm as well,
and that, too, needs a barrier), and a few square meters of herbs can
satisfy all the herb needs a family may have. Plus we marinate or add
herbs to just about everything we eat before dessert.
-

Try planting a few sage, which can grow somewhat shrubby.

Plant thyme as a ground cover; it's quite good between stepping
stones
if the stones are spaced 2 inches (5 cm) or more apart.-

or as a foundation plant.
-

Rosemary is available either as a ground cover or as a shrub. Either
would be good around olives. I have a rosemary shrub that is now 20
years old or more. It's taller than I am. The trunk is about 3-4
inches in diameter. The branches are twisted and very picturesque.-

yes, I think rosemary as an accent plant has its merits. But the
ground
cover varieties I have tasted were horribly bitter. so I vote shrub.
The other herbs with the exception of mint all can be made to look
good, though my experience is that sage grows in a full bush only in
full sun. Otherwise it might get rangy (this from experience in a
warmer climate, when I had just rosemary and sage).
-

Oregano can be kept under control in a large flower pot. It takes
about
the same care as sage, rosemary, and thyme. They all require only a
moderate amount of water. Mint can also be kept under control in a
large pot, but it needs much more water.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening pages athttp://www.rossde.com/garden/---
Eileen