GROW IT
A pretty, perky new oregano
October 22, 2009
Sonia Day
SPECIAL TO THE STAR
Bristol Cross Oregano; origanum
'orrible oregano. That's what I sometimes think about this bossy herb that's so beloved in Italian cooking. The problem is, in the garden, the darn stuff spreads. And spreads.
Every spring, my oregano clump starts off looking lovely. But by midsummer, it's flopping all over the place like the straggly hair on some aging rock star. It also self-seeds energetically and, unless you're one of those eagle-eyed perfectionist gardeners who's out there wielding a trowel daily (not me, alas), it can engulf the whole flowerbed.
Even so, I would never be without oregano. What a striking flavour it has, perking up all kinds of dishes. And it's one of the very few culinary herbs that tastes better dried than fresh. So I whack back those messy stems twice every summer, then dry them hanging in bunches in the basement. Come fall, I strip off the leaves for use in cooking all winter.
If you're looking for a diminutive oregano that will behave itself in a small city garden (I don't recommend the regular kind), try this new ornamental variety. It forms a ball-like shape, with striking pink flowers. I grew a plant in a container on the deck this year and was struck by how pretty it looked – quite unlike the tangled heap lying in wait for me down in the garden.
Get it at Richters in Uxbridge, 1-800-668-4372, or better garden centres.
Sonia Day's latest book is Middle-Aged Spread: Moving to the Country at 50. www.soniaday.com
Toronto Star