{"id":3391,"date":"2021-05-10T05:07:16","date_gmt":"2021-05-10T13:07:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/?p=3391"},"modified":"2021-05-10T05:07:16","modified_gmt":"2021-05-10T13:07:16","slug":"oregano-beauty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/oregano-beauty\/","title":{"rendered":"Oregano Beauty"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Oregano--Barbara<\/a>I love oregano\u2014on pizza, in cooked dishes, in salads and in my garden.\u00a0 In the past I have grown pots of common oregano or Origanum vulgare ssp, hirtum to provide myself with ample quantities to dry for winter cooking.\u00a0 This year I will do that once again.\u00a0 The flavor of home grown dried oregano is much better than that of the desiccated contents of the little spice bottles stashed away in kitchens across North America and elsewhere.<\/p>\n

My love affair with oregano broadened out recently when I bought a single specimen of \u2018Barbara Tingey\u2019 a hybrid variety that is grown for its ornamental rather than culinary or medicinal qualities.\u00a0 This oregano, resulting from the cross breeding of at least two species, is one of nature\u2019s imposters, featuring showy arrays of bracts that look like hops.\u00a0 Growing only six to 12 inches tall, with a trailing habit, the bracts are pale green shading to pink.\u00a0 If this sounds like a preppy outfit in plant form, rest assured that the colors are soft and subtle.\u00a0 The bracts are not fly-by-night displays, but last throughout the growing season. The plants also sprout soft, fuzzy true leaves with the characteristic oregano fragrance.<\/p>\n

I suppose that you could dry those fuzzy leaves, but I think it is best to let them stay on the plant and invest in a less-flashy culinary oregano variety to supply your pantry.<\/p>\n

The craze for ornamental oreganos with hop-like bracts began back at least 20 years ago with \u2018Kent Beauty\u2019, the offspring of two species, Origanum<\/em> rotundifolium, native to Turkey, Armenia and Georgia, and<\/em> Origanum<\/em> scabrum, known as \u201cGreek oregano\u201d, for its place of origin.\u00a0 <\/em>The original plant was a naturally occurring hybrid, found growing in a garden near plantings of both parent species.\u00a0 \u2018Kent Beauty\u2019 has whorled, hop-like bracts that some sources describe as pale green shading to mauve.\u00a0 This sounds romantic, but in my experience, the mauve is closer to pink.\u00a0 The discrepancy most likely results from differences in soil chemistry, sun exposure and, possibly, the color reproduction quality of available photographs.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 One source describes my \u2018Barbara Tingey\u2019 as a \u201chalf sister\u201d of \u2018Kent Beauty\u2019.\u00a0 Familial relationships in the plant world can be just as complicated as those in the human sphere, but the two varieties do share Origanum rotundifolium\u00a0 parentage.\u00a0 \u2018Barbara\u2019 has the same low-growing, sprawling or cascading habit as \u2018Kent Beauty\u2019 and the colorful bracts appear to have a brighter pink color.\u00a0 In cold winter climates both varieties should be treated as annuals.\u00a0 In warm winter climates \u2018Kent Beauty\u2019 is evergreen, while \u2018Barbara Tingey\u2019 will die back in winter and rise again in spring.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The realm of ornamental oregano with showy bracts is not large\u2014yet\u2014but includes \u2018Amethyst Falls\u2019, with pale green bracts that end in small purple flowers.\u00a0 Specialty nurseries also carry \u2018Pilgrim\u2019, which features small pink flowers surrounded by purple bracts and blue\/green leaves.\u00a0 A little more erect than the other ornamental oreganos, \u2018Pilgrim\u2019 grows to about 12 inches tall. <\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 As Mediterranean plants, the oreganos share a need for copious sunshine and well drained soil.\u00a0 When \u2018Barbara Tingey\u2019 leaves its small starter pot, I will add some sand to the potting mix to make sure things don\u2019t get too soggy.\u00a0 The flip side of the good drainage coin is the ability to withstand some amount of drought.\u00a0 One caveat for container gardeners\u2014container-grown plants dry out much faster than those planted in garden beds, so watering has to be more consistent.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ornamental oreganos love rock garden settings, where they can sprawl among the rocks, basking in the sun and retained heat.\u00a0 Hanging baskets and window boxes are also options as long as the sites are sunny.\u00a0 Tall containers that allow the bracts to cascade over the sides, are also excellent for these aromatic plants.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Though \u2018Barbara Tingey\u2019 and its ornamental relatives don\u2019t resemble mints, they are members of the very large mint or Lamiaceae family.\u00a0 \u2018Kent Beauty\u2019 has inherited the minty trait of spreading by underground runners, while \u2018Barbara Tingey\u2019 does not.\u00a0 If you are treating the plants as annuals, you don\u2019t have to worry about excessive sprawl.\u00a0 Likewise if you live in a warm winter climate and have space to fill.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 If my \u2018Barbara Tingey\u2019 plant takes off, I will also cut some of the bracts and dry them for winter arrangements.\u00a0 They retain color well and will keep me in step with the fashion-forward decorators and flower arrangers who are completely infatuated with dried flowers right now.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Deer, who are connoisseurs of plant tastiness, if not plant beauty, tend to avoid oregano, as they do with other mints.\u00a0 I may position my pot of \u2018Barbara Tingey\u2019 near a rosebush as part of my unending campaign to confuse Mr. Antlers and his harem.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Large, well-stocked garden centers may carry \u2018Kent Beauty\u2019, and some may also have \u2018Barbara Tingey\u2019.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 You can also find \u2018Barbara Tingey\u2019 at Select Seeds, 180 Stickney Hill Road, Union, CT 06076; (800) 684-0395; <\/em>www.selectseeds.com<\/a>.\u00a0 Print catalog available.\u00a0 Purchase \u2018Kent Beauty\u2019 and\/or \u2019Amethyst Falls\u2019 from Digging Dog Nursery, 31101 Middle Ridge Road, Albion, CA 95410; (707) 937-1235;www.diggingdog.com.\u00a0 Print catalog available.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I love oregano\u2014on pizza, in cooked dishes, in salads and in my garden.\u00a0 In the past I have grown pots of common oregano or Origanum vulgare ssp, hirtum to provide myself with ample quantities to dry for winter cooking.\u00a0 This year I will do that once again.\u00a0 The flavor of home grown dried oregano is … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,2,3],"tags":[2504,1521,756,342,2505,2506,340,229],"class_list":["post-3391","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fall","category-general-interest","category-spring","category-summer","tag-barbara-tingey","tag-herb-gardens","tag-low-growing-plants","tag-oregano","tag-origanum-varieties","tag-ornamental-herbs","tag-ornamental-oregano","tag-rock-gardens"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3391","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3391"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3391\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3393,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3391\/revisions\/3393"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3391"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3391"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3391"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}