Wednesday, August 3, 2011

A Love Affair with Hyssop

Last year my mother and I discovered the gorgeousness of hyssop for the first time. Otherwise known as hummingbird mint, this variety of minty, anisey, licoricey, root-beery scented herb has been thriving in the drier, sunnier corners of our gardens, much to our delight.

There are many varieties of hyssop, some wild, some hybrids. Last year we both lovingly planted Sunset hyssops from Greenfield Plant Farm - it's thriving this year with almost a three-foot radius!


This year we expanded our horizons with Tutti Frutti, Mexican, Coronado, and Anise hyssops.





Hues of rusty orange, magenta, deep purple, and indigo blue paint the garden in warm, desert sunset colors. The butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and other insects go crazy for the delicate trumpet-like flowers. This is the first year I've spotted hummingbirds in the garden - both male and female - and I have hyssop to thank for that.

It's an unexpected surprise to be working in the dirt, gently brushing up against one of the feathery bushes, and immediately having a waft of deliciously aromatic potpourri perfume the space around you. If you've got the room and you've got the sun, give these hardy guys a try.

2 comments:

yul meade said...

Wow! Your writings have an olfactory power!

ildiko said...

I LOVE Tutti-Frutti! I will have to plant some again next spring.Enjoy your blog. I have a FB page about gardening - "Anyone Can Garden" - if anyone would like to check it out.