7 Beautiful Old-Fashioned Herbs to Grow in Your Garden
Plant these forgotten herbs for old-fashioned charm and fresh flavor.
You may already grow herbs such as lavender, rosemary, and thyme in your garden. But many old-fashioned herbs you’ve never heard of deserve a spot in your landscape, too. Just as I enjoy growing flowers such as hollyhocks and delphiniums for their nostalgic charm, I love planting these less common herbs for their beauty and practicality.
Many herbs that were once part of classic cottage gardens or medieval medicinal gardens have fallen out of favor. But they’re as beautiful and useful as they always were, and it’s enjoyable to grow something that you won’t see just anywhere. It’s also fun to experiment with their unique flavorings in everything from soups to baked goods.
Like most herbs, these plants prefer full sun, which is considered 6 or more hours of direct sunlight per day. A few will tolerate a bit of shade. Most of them are super-tough and do well in poor soils, as long as it’s well-draining. You can grow these plants in a dedicated herb garden, but I prefer to tuck them in between my vegetables and landscape beds to add interest and attract pollinators.
Ahead, here’s how to grow these pretty forgotten herbs:
Sweet Marjoram (Origanum majorana)
Often confused with oregano, this perennial has a sweeter flavor and its leaves are used fresh, while oregano, with a more pungent thyme-like taste, is often dried before use. Marjoram gets small white flowers in early to mid-summer. Originating in the Mediterranean, this plant needs full sun. Transplants are typically available in spring.
Lovage (Levisticum officinale)
Lovage is a perennial that’s related to celery and parsley, with the foliage very much resembling the leaves on both of those plants. It has yellow-green flowers in early summer. What’s fascinating is that all parts of the plant are edible. Use the flowers in salads, the leaves in soups and salads, and the seeds in baking. Even the root can be eaten. Grow lovage from seed or transplants in full sun.
Borage (Borago officinalis)
Borage is my favorite lesser-known herb because its star-shaped sapphire-blue flowers are beautiful and edible and look lovely floating in lemonade or decorating cakes. Also known as star flower or cool tankard (due to an ancient beverage made with the plant), this plant is irresistible to bees. The hairy leaves are also edible and taste of cucumbers. I plant borage near my vegetable garden to encourage pollinators to visit. This annual is easy to grow from seed in full sun, though it will tolerate light shade.
Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium)
Also known as French parsley, this classic herb has a flavor somewhat between parsley and licorice. It grows well from seed, but direct sow it where you want it because it doesn’t transplant well.
Summer Savory (Satureja hortensis)
Summer savory is a bushy annual that has a somewhat peppery taste. It’s often used fresh in soups and teas or to flavor vinegar, but it also can be dried by snipping branches, tying them together, and drying upside down in a cool, dark spot. Bees love the tiny flowers. It needs full sun and tends to get too leggy in shade.
Winter Savory (Satureja montana)
Winter savory has a similar flavor profile but is more pungent than its relative summer savory. The plant is a short-lived perennial that thrives for several years before it gets a little too woody. It makes a good low edging or border plant. Give it full sun, though it can take a little shade.
Sorrel (Rumex acetosa)
Sorrel is almost never grown now, and it’s a shame because this perennial herb has a lemony-spicy flavor. It is one of the first plants to pop up in my garden in spring, and its fresh taste is a welcome addition to salads and soups. It needs full sun.
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