Questions? Write Me at

Questions? Write me at fullcirclegardener @ cableone . net.

Plant of the Week: Oregano

Oregano (Origanum vulgare)
As I shared last week in my post on chives, I'm really wanting to put my fresh herb garden to use this summer so I'm focusing another common backyard herb, oregano, this week.

Believe it or not, oregano is a member of the mint family! It is also close cousin to marjoram, another common kitchen herb.  Oregano is native to the temperate climates of Europe, but can be grown as an annual in colder regions.  I planted oregano six years ago in my herb garden and it comes back year after year no matter how cold we get.  It has even seeded itself into my lawn and survived multiple winters so I'd say it can handle the cold pretty well!

The National Gardening Association suggests that you be sure you purchase Greek Oregano (Origanum vulgare hirtum) rather than Common Oregano (Origanum vulgare) when planting for culinary use because common oregano lacks flavor.  Oregano easily establishes from seed and should be planted in full sun.  They have a pretty lavender flower that is enjoyed by all kinds of pollinators, but I would suggest removing the flowers before seeds set to avoid unwanted spread.

This flavorful herb is often used in many ethnic cuisines, but I'm most familiar with its use in Italian, Latin American and Southwestern dishes.  (It is an important ingredient in my canned salsa recipe that I will be putting to use again this fall!)  The leaves are most flavorful right before flower, but can be harvested at any time for fresh use.

One final note, oregano has some antimicrobial properties but they have not been scientifically validated according Wikipedia.  Maybe that's why my homemade spaghetti sauce seems to have a never ending life in my refrigerator! ;) Gather some fresh oregano and enjoy some spaghetti, pizza or salsa in your home this week.

Happy Herb Gardening! :)

5 comments:

  1. Shannon, At least in the Fargo area it does. Mine has for six years now and you can see in the picture, it is a healthy planting. It is in a semi-sheltered location on the south side of my deck, but even what has self seeded into my lawn comes back year after year.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I got diagnose of herpes virus last year, and i was taking some drugs prescribed for me by my family doc the drugs could not work and the herpes in my system was very terrifying that i was so depressed the good news is that i never gave up in searching for natural cure for herpes virus ,cause i believe so much in herbal medication.. One faithful morning i read a comment from a lady called Destiny Hudson on how she was cured with natural herbs made by DR.OYAGU from somewhere is West Africa, i immediately copied out his contact email via oyaguherbalhome@gmail.com and explain all my herpes problem to him via his email. the big truth is that it took just two week for his herbal medication to cure me completely without side affect. Till date am herpes virus free and all thanks to Dr OYAGU for his good deeds for me, Once again am very happy to share this great testimony of DR OYAGU cure hurry up now and contact him via his email address (oyaguherbalhome@gmail.com Call & WhatsApp him on (+2348101755322 ) and see what he can do

    ReplyDelete
  3. o you need a quick loan?
    Have you been denied a bank loan?
    Do you need a loan during this pandemic?
    interest rate of 2% no matter your location
    Do you need a loan to solve your financial problems?
    If so, then you are in luck because my company lends for a short time and the interest rate is low. If you are interested, Kindly reply to us at (Whats App) number:+919394133968 patialalegitimate515@gmail.com Mr Jeffery.

    ReplyDelete
  4. QUICK EASY EMERGENCY URGENT LOANS LOAN OFFER EVERYONE APPLY NOW +918929509036 financialserviceoffer876@gmail.com Dr. James Eric

    ReplyDelete

I would love to hear your gardening comments and/or questions.