Herbs in the Potager

I originally planned on keeping Herbs in the side garden to free up space in the Potager. But I found that herbs grow pretty large! Last summer I had a mess in the herb bed. So I have moved some herbs back into the Potager.

 The first to move in was the garlic chives. This poor little plant had been struggling to compete with the sage, so he was moved to a bed in the Potager. He's still small, but looking better than he was.

 My Thyme plant died this winter. I have never had a problem with thyme before. I think it was suffering from the competition from the winter savory and the oregano. I found one little rooted piece of it and moved it into the Potager. It is coming back to life again.

 Of course I had to have curly and flat leafed Parsley in the Potager. Parsley is rabbit food! It needs the Potager's fence for protection. They went in opposite the Thyme.

I also planted a rosemary plant in the Potager. Both the parsley and rosemary are treated as annuals.

Next to the rosemary plant I bought there is a sprig of Rosemary I got from my brother's yard. I read that if you put a sprig in the ground and keep it well watered, it will root, similar to a forsythia. I am hoping it does because my brother's plant is several years old.  It has been growing next to his front door, with no special protection in the winter. We live in New Jersey. Rosemary does not over-winter in New Jersey! Except my brother's Rosemary.

While it could use a good trimming it is healthy and huge. He's a bit closer to the ocean than I am, so maybe the southern exposure and a warmer zone account for the tenacity of his rosemary plant. Or maybe he has a strain of very hardy rosemary. I'm hoping the sprig I have stuck in the ground will also winter over. Although if it gets as big as his, it will takeover half the Potager!

I found some Mexican Tarragon at the garden center and added that to the Potager too. I have been looking for French Tarragon. I hope the Mexican one tastes similar. It has cute little yellow flowers.

I think the original herb bed looks so much better now. It contains sage, oregano, chives and winter savory. Nothing is crowded and everything looks healthy.
A little elbow room was all they needed.