Lemon Verbena

[xenon]

We all have favorite herbs. When my wife or I cook dinner we go out to our plastic hot house tunnel and grab a bunch of different herbs. Some of my favorite are basil in season, coriander most of the time and parsley all year round. Whenever I enter our hot house, I always brush past the lemon verbena near the entrance giving off a lovely fragrance. It makes a great tea with honey. Also lemon verbena can also be used to add lemon flavor to fish and poultry or any other dishes. You can add chopped leaves to marinades and dressings, fruit salads and drinks. I recommend anyone who loves herbs to think about growing this fragrant small bush. Lemon Verbena is a deciduous shrub growing up to 6foot high and should be pruned back in spring when new growth appears. Leaves can be easily dried to store in jars. It prefers well drained soil in a sunny position and is frost hardy which suits our place. Go and get one today, check it's the fragrant one. You wont regret it.

 

[dissn_it]

That sounds really good but I am not too sure about it getting 6 ft tall, that's a lot of Lemon Verbena! It does sound like a lovely plant, though. If I had more room in my yard, it would be nice to have it. I do have a lemon parsley that I grow inside on my kitchen window sill and I use it all the time.

 

[xenon]

Lemon verbena can be cut right back when it dies down. Our bush would only be say 3 or 4 foot at the most.
Lemon parsley sounds wonderful. I love parsley but I have never heard of that one.

 

[dissn_it]

I bought the plant from a local nursery. It came with a "lemon parsley" label but it might actually be "lemon balm". I think now that they must have mis-labeled it and I have been calling it by the wrong name all this time. I was looking to find some more information for you and stumbled upon this website: Growing Lemon Balm - Bonnie Plants
I think mine has stayed small because of the container it is in.

 

[xenon]

Lemon Balm. I've never grown that one. If you can use it in cooking to get some flavors happening all the better. I can't cook a meal without using handfuls of herbs of one sort or another.I even grate lemons I grow, only the small ones, for some zest.
Growing in pots indoors is a little difficult. You need to get so many things right. Water,light and temperature. Well done.I grow outside in gardens and a hothouse. I guess having the space is a bonus and I take it for granted. I read a book recently on growing edible plants on balconies. That was fascinating.

 

[dissn_it]

I have had good luck growing herbs and chives on my kitchen window sill. The only thing I do that is special for them, is I fertilize them occasionally with a liquid fish emulsion. I love having them in the kitchen window sill because they are right within reach when I am cooking.

 

[xenon]

I love having them in the kitchen window sill because they are right within reach when I am cooking.

It must be wonderful to have herbs on your window sill. Unfortunately when I built my home I put the kitchen on the cold side of the house so I have no such luck. With you mentioning kitchen window sills I do really think this is important for anyone buying a house or building one that their kitchen has the magic of light and sunshine. To be able to harvest herbs so readily must be a pleasure.

 

[Tecca_Nina]

Lemon verbena is also supposed to be a good natural remedy for insomnia. Never tried it myself but I've heard good things.