Oysters and Herbs

"All flowers go together: God isn't a decorator!" - Michael Tolliver

Herb bed top-dressed with oyster shells

This quote comes courtesy of Armistead Maupin and seems apposite in July when the garden is a firestorm of competing colours, offset by some surprisingly cool areas where the lush greenery brings a sigh of relief.

Verbena rigida

But first to the raised bed which was created for low-growing herbs such as thyme and oregano, regularly picked for use in salads. 

These creeping plants certainly appreciate sharp drainage and we decided it would be effective to top-dress with oyster shells 'recuperated' from the shores of the estuary. They are beautifully cleaned and graded in size by the constant movement of tides.

- after weeks of flowering!

Whilst these herbs were establishing themselves, I added a couple of Verbena rigida grown from seed and they've been in flower for over a month now.

The blooms are a similar shade to Verbena bonariensis but, interestingly, they start out rounded in shape and end up as spikes where the old petals have fallen off.  Its foliage is definitely 'rigid' and the bracts (or corymbs?) stand about 50cm tall, which perhaps makes it more suited to prairie-style planting.

Hyssop being visited by
 Hummingbird Hawkmoth

In the larger herb bed behind this raised area is a selection of Agastache (hyssop) and Salvia (sage) which have also been in flower for weeks.  Many of these types come from Brazil or Mexico, where their long tubular flowers are pollinated by real hummingbirds, and they seem to thrive in this climate where they will over-winter if the temperature stays above -10'C.

Having lost its original label, I have to guess that this hyssop is Agastache mexicana 'Acapulco Rose' - but, at any rate, it's produced lots of flower stems, reaching a height of some 2m and making quite an impact in its semi-shaded corner.

Santolina rosmarinifolia

When it comes to neat, mounded herbs from the Mediterranean - especially those with a delicious scent - then look no further than this green santolina which we picked up from a plant fair a couple of years ago. I've since taken many cuttings and used it for edging in dry areas where it grows well in sand or chalk.

The foliage is quite soft and exudes a strong smell of olives when rubbed - another candidate for the salad bowl or for use as an attractive garnish!  It has the same button flowers as grey santolina, but these are a paler yellow and really glow against dark foliage.

Salvia pratensis

Something we often admire in nearby meadows at this time of year is the wild sage which grows almost a meter high and has fabulous gentian-blue flowers. I've tried collecting seed and sowing it in the garden but without any luck so far.


Although I've managed to raise some salvias from seed, we've come across newer South American varieties at plant fairs and garden centres where there's a wider selection on offer these days.

Our latest purchase was an unusual one with small glossy leaves, now producing a succession of bright magenta blooms.

Salvia buchananii

Like a few other exotic sages, the flowers of Salvia buchananii are distinctly furry and prompt you to stroke them!  There's something lush and tropical in the way their velvety buds push out from the shiny calyx, adding to a sense of anticipation before each bloom emerges, bright enough to stand out even when they're in shade for part of the day. 

Another variety which is doing well in semi-shade is the striking Salvia guaranitica 'Black & Blue', which is somewhat taller at about two meters but similar in colour to our wild sage, with a distinctly black stem and calyxes.

Salvia guaranitica 'Black & Blue'

Lovely though these tall sages are, you do have to watch out for thuggish tendencies as many of them produce runners and will quickly spread under neighbouring plants.

We found this with the bog sage, Salvia uliginosa, which is supposed to be a moisture-loving plant although we grew it successfully in a hot and dry position.  

Its flowers are a paler blue and it's great for filling an awkward sunny spot where you want something tall and long-flowering, but it can grow aggressively in the same way as mint and be difficult to eradicate if you change your mind...

A riot of Cosmos sulphureus

By way of contrast, we decided to throw caution to the winds and plant up a really 'hot' area in the middle of the new border which Christina dug in spring. 

For instant colour, I ordered a mixed packet of Cosmos seed - not the 
usual pastel shades but the bright Cosmos sulphureus, which is also popular in this part of France and looks great with blue or purple flowers.

Unfortunately I made a mistake on my order and found I'd got the short-stemmed version, but the effect is just as dazzling, especially as I still had a few seeds from last year's taller orange variety to add to the mix!

Helenium or Sneezeweed
'Sahin's Early Flowerer'

At this vivid end of the garden, we also have a clump-forming perennial helenium which is equally showy and makes a beautiful cut flower, if you can bear to remove any of the stems.

This is Helenium 'Sahin's Early Flowerer' and it lives up to its name by coming into bloom towards the end of June.  It's earned the RHS Award of Merit but I have to admit I nearly killed it a couple of years ago by planting it in a particularly dry part of the garden, shaded by shrubs.  

Happily it has responded to its new location in deeper soil and brighter light by giving us a dramatic floral display.

Echinacea 'Green Jewel' 
with Catanache caerulea (left) and Campanula carpatica (top)

Our cuttings vase is regularly updated with new arrivals from the garden. Although it provides a ready-made table decoration, it's also useful as a way of observing flowers in close-up whilst munching your way through dinner. And it does give some insight into which plants might complement one another...

An overview of the herb bed,
including a few grasses and sedums for variety!